joeybriglio

Archive for December, 2009|Monthly archive page

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Is it better to give than receive?

In Spirituality, Tips on December 19, 2009 at 18:00

Most people are familiar with the phrase “it is better to give than receive.” It’s cliché. I’m sure you probably heard it while at a charity event, religious function or maybe even from your 14-year-old daughter requesting funds so she can see the latest Twilight flick. The phrase has been so over used that it appears more as a marketing ploy than a proverb. Regardless of how it was first presented, have you ever taken the time to ponder whether or not it’s even true? Like can you actually give without ever receiving?

I don’t know that I have ever “just given” anything to anybody. Seriously. Every time I’ve given something, I’ve always received something in return. Just a couple weeks ago I gave away a jacket to a friend. He was stoked on the new threads. Did I receive anything from the transaction? Most Definitely. I got rid of a jacket I didn’t really want, which gave me more closet space, and at the shallowest level, I felt good about myself. It felt good blessing someone. Don’t judge me. Even Mother Theresa, who spent her whole life in poverty so she could serve the “untouchables” in Calcutta, said that she was the most selfish person in the world because of the joy she received from giving all that she had.

Receiving is part of the beauty of giving. When you give you are a part of a double blessing. First, you are the catalyst for blessing (the actually giving). Second, through the act of giving you receive blessing one way or another. That’s part of the reason why it truly is better to give than receive.

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What Heals You?

In Personal Health, Spirituality on December 12, 2009 at 19:42

When you’re sick (Body, Soul, or Spirit), where do you go? What do you do and from whom do you seek counsel?

In most cases, doctors in both the psychiatric and medical fields are where we go for healing, and for good reason. Modern medicine is delivering miracles daily. Just talk to someone who recently underwent Lasik eye surgery and they will tell you that going from “legally blind” to 20/20 vision in a matter of hours is nothing short of a miracle.

However, is modern medicine the only place for healing? Besides seeking a doctor, where do you go during times of illness and what heals you?

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I’m Dreaming of a “Green” Christmas

In Educational, Environment, Tips on December 10, 2009 at 18:23

Don’t Be Lame

Going “green” gets a bad wrap sometimes. It’s often viewed as being cheap, thoughtless, and lame. Like the time my brother, who is a carpenter, used some leftover wood scraps to make stirring sticks for everyone in our family. Not everyone was thrilled over their gift because, to the untrained eye, it looked as if my brother just sanded a piece of wood and dubbed it “stirring stick” in a last ditch effort to create a gift. Maybe that was true, but I think my brother was actually being very conscious and considerate of the environment.  He not only reused some of the scraps that were destined for compost, but he also didn’t bother wasting the paper to wrap the things. Yes, some might call that cheap, but I call it conscientious gift giving (Love you bro. I’m stilling using the stirring stick!).

Ok, so maybe some people are being cheap and just calling it “green” to appear cool and sexy. I think for the most part, people can tell if someone is genuine or just posing. Try not posing this year, and try being intentional about how you do the Holidays. This year go back to the basics by practicing the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle . Going back to the basics is a great way to simplify the holidays as well as gauge your awareness regarding waste generation. Here’s a few easy things you can do to trim your holiday waistline and help get you going in the right direction:

REDUCE

  • If you don’t know what to get someone, buy a gift certificate or make a donation to a favorite charity in his or her name.
  • Don’t buy gifts with excess or unrecyclable packaging.
  • When purchasing online, ask if there are any reduced packaging options.
  • Instead of using regular wrapping paper, use stenciled paper, shopping bag or use the comics from the Sunday paper.
  • Consolidate holiday purchases into one or two bags instead of getting a new bag at each store – better yet, bring your own bag!
  • If you shop by mail order catalogues, remember to cancel the ones you don’t need.

REUSE

  • Keep those gift boxes and ribbons from last year and use them for this year’s gifts. You could also try making Christmas tree ornaments out of them.
  • Shop for unique and unusual gifts at antique shops and thrift stores.
  • If you don’t like a gift, return it, thrift it…or re-gift it to someone who will enjoy it. Yes, re-gifting is legitimately “green.”
  • Use those packing peanuts from previous gifts or take them to your local shipping store (i.e. FedEx, UPS, ect..).  If you do throw them away, make sure they are tightly bagged!

RECYCLE

  • Buy gifts with recycled content. This helps create and support recycling markets. For instance, Patagonia uses recycled plastics to make clothing.
  • Recycle cardboard, wrapping paper, and paper boxes from gifts. Be sure to breakdown the boxes.
  • Having a Christmas or New Years Eve Party? Keep an easily identifiable recycling bin next to your trash and ask your guests to recycle their beverage bottles.
  • Place your Christmas tree in the yard waste barrel so it will be composted. Remember to remove all decorations. (Check with your local waste hauler for their requirements)

The main point is to reduce the amount of waste the Holidays generate, and I’m sure we can all agree that less waste is a good thing.

Happy Holidays.

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Cap and Trade Explained

In Educational, Politics on December 3, 2009 at 19:11

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Carbonopolization

In Educational, Environment on December 2, 2009 at 17:41

There may be no other phrase in the environmental lexicon that has been as over used lately as “Carbon Footprint” (Although the words “green” and “sustainable” are right up there too). Many times our culture adopts certain figures of speech and/or terms without ever really explaining what they mean. Consequently, a social pressure is formed to “just know” what the definitions of these words and phrases are, which often leaves many folks scrambling to put the pieces together… or they just give up completely.

So what is a Carbon Footprint? Are the environmentalist talking about carbon black, carbon Dioxide or Carbon Monoxide? What gives?

A Carbon Footprint is simply defined as, “the measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.” It is the measure of our direct (Things we have specific control over. i.e. how often we drive our car when other options are available) and indirect (Things that are secondary to our lifestyle and choices. ie. the amount of greenhouse gas emitted in the production of the items we purchase) emissions of green house gases.

So how does one measure that? Well, in short, its complicated. We are just scratching the surface with regard to truly measuring our individual and communal impact in detail. However, if you’re interested in taking a glimpse at your footprint, then check out the following link. It is a Carbon Footprint Calculator for your enjoyment and appallment.

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Even-though the website above isn’t the most accurate at giving a detailed description of a persons Carbon Footprint, it does provide a good snapshot of your lifestyle. I’m sure that there will be more websites like this popping up in the future, as well as companies providing carbon audits, once our Nation’s Cap and Trade policy goes live.

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