*Raised Eyebrow

When I got up from my afternoon nap today, I went to check my email. To my happiness and surprise, I had one from the NRDC that Obama has decided Shell Oil can't drill in the Artic- or anywhere else- this summer. I'm excited! I know it's very old-school of me, but I've been writing that man letters concerning his precarious environmental policies. Apparently a lot of other people have been saying the same things I have, because he listened. Thank God.
I get really tired of listening to people bitch about things to each other and then not do anything about the problem. It's a waste of time, first of all, and second, I'm tired of seeing people act like a bunch of whiny three-year-olds that just expects that things will be how they want them to be- just because. DO SOMETHING! I mean, sure, letter-writing is kinda boring and all, but it's something. I can't very well get out in the streets here in Alabama and have a full-blown protest. They'd just put me in jail and nothing good would be accomplished- remember, this is the state where they turned firehoses on the Civil Rights protesters AND unleashed attacking German shepards.
I bought a book about homeopathic and natural diet dog care, and as my significant other thumbed through it last night, he came upon a great deal of disturbing facts about meat and dairy products- and he loves both. But, after reading that, he's decided it's time to be a vegetarian. Yesterday he started looking at vegetarian cookbooks- because his new goal is to learn how to cook. He's also decided it's time to stop smoking. I smile and encourage...but I wonder if it'll actually happen. That would be a nice turn of events. Honestly, though, I'm just happy to see him try to learn how to cook. He's 26- it's waaaaaaaaaaaaay past time that he learned. Plus, it's takes the burden of having sole responsibility of feeding off of me and turns it into a shared responsibility. He's pretty good- he can make a pot of field peas just as good as I can. It scares me a little that he's in my kitchen doing things- he nearly set us on fire by putting water in hot oil once- but I'm just letting it go. It'll be okay. I have renter's insurance.
Back to the book, though, it's pretty awesome, and it's one that I think I'll definitely use. There's recipes for making good quality dog food, and it lists ailments and what to give them to fix them- even how much to give them, based on what they weigh. It was a steal for $1.60. You can't beat that, really.
My cousin also announced today that she's pregnant again- and last night, my friend Iman told me that she thinks she's going to try to have a baby next year. Will the baby onslaught ever stop? Every time someone tells me they're going to have babies, I think "what about the ones we've got now?" Twenty eight THOUSAND orphaned or uncared for children are estimated to die EVERY day in the world. Why are we so comfortable with letting them suffer from starvation and typhus and dysentery- and then make more? How about all the kids in America that need a mother? Children are children, no matter whose bellies they come from. I have thankfully been able to miss this "baby train" over and over- knock on wood that I keep doing so. I'd rather be a part of the solution than become part of the problem. If I had the financial stability, I would already have adopted children or become a foster mother- but as it stands, there's no way the social worker people would let that happen.
I don't actually have a problem with people having kids- but adopt one, too. If everyone would adopt one kid, the problems would basically disappear over time (the so-called third world countries are finally starting to having birth control programs). And what child is not worthy of being loved and cared for?
People should start trying to think globally.