h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't pop in to the 'Chief Gordon Lightfoot' thread a lot. I have no inputs to make on coffee shops and grounds to be found. And from my work on the Air Force base, I can't follow the interminable links to the world's international news. (Security, firewalls, etc) But as I do drop in, I find loads and loads of comments after-the-fact about the news links. With so many opinions, what is wrong with GWB, and anyone seen as a toady.

Personally, I've no use for him either. Nor a lot of the spin-offs from what he does, causes or enables. But some of the time, I can see the how-come's and why's that make the results here or there beneficial to the world pictures.

So here's my question, that is likely to fall flat on it's face:

What have YOU done, in your country, or for your country, to try to improve things anywhere?

Aside from posting links to the news elsewhere and everyone going "A-yup". Has anyone in this small club DONE anything anywhere? In their own communities that has helped people to 'fit in'. Or to support others out of the country? Or even within your own village, town, city or provincial communities? I imagine there MUST be some that are active beyond the opinionating.

Personally, I haven't done as much as I likely ought to have. I coached peers through some youth stuff in a village of 350. I gave 21 years of conscientious service in the reg force uniform. And was anything from teen counsellor to Mayor of several of those smaller communities that I went to. Oh, and built one of the military family resource centres. (Gawd, I hate the screening and hiring processes !!!) Now, all I do is continue to keep our military able to communicate where-ever they happen to be. And then do what I can for our community service organziations like the Air Force Association, the Air Cadets, the Legion, the Chamber of Commerce. Time, labour, what-ever ...

I know, some of you are too young to have yet contributed much, and others left here before they could. Or have never actually been here. I just wonder if anyone is currently involved in anything meaningful to the community or nation as a whole?

I'll fess up:

Apart from being a single-parent to a disabled 11 year-old (does that make the world a better place?), being active in what we in Alberta call 'parent advocacy' (vocally pressuring the Alberta Government to provide for children the education they are constitutionally responsible to provide) and being less active in what we call 'health care advocacy' (pressuring the government to provide the health care, etc.), and being modestly active in the campaigning of my MLA (former leader of the New Democrats, major education advocate) and just trying to cheerfully help out around the neighborhood and write letters and make phone calls to elected representatives on important issues of the day and, very importantly, voting in every election at every level, I simply don't do as much as I should.


And, you're right: I belly-ache about Bush alot. But frankly, he and his bunch are, in my opinion, a pretty big threat to the global-village, and the global-village needs a little attention too.




'I just wonder if anyone is currently involved in anything meaningful to the community or nation as a whole?'


I guess it depends on what one means by 'meaningful'.

Particularly and specifically what you do for your own, and the better welfare of those around you, ... THAT is what I would call meaningful. I just tire of seeing so many grouse and moan around and about the threads, about everything that is so wrong with the world. And so very rarely seeing anyone who tries to do anything to improve things.

I know what you mean: complaining about the world is very easy online. I think, however, that a surprising amount of help is provided and received even here. I know that I have recently received very concrete help from Az and Noggin.

I also know that Hootoo is a much kinder place to be than many places online (Newshounds.us comes to mind in particular, on which the general tone is one of Americans literally wanting to kill each other over politics.)

Oh indeed, I have seen some pretty supportive friends here. Various folks that I know personally, and some I know peripherally. I'm pleased that Az and mate have been a help to you. She was my very first contact here, and we did get on quite well then.

I have no experience with other on-line 'services' or systems, ... so I really can't say or compare. I do find it interesting that so many 'doves' are around hootoo though. Not quite the same proportions as in the real world. Maybe DNA and his example attract(ed) more of that 'inclination'?

Ahem...

Not that I am usually a raging Canuck nationalist but I offer this topical anecdote as proof of my own shining conviction that Canadians-are-the-best.

Our armed forces sent three naval destroyers and a coast guard cutter to N'Orleans after Katrina. The divers recovered bodies and marked underwater obstructions that might hang up US Hummers or snag their airboats. They actually got a fair bit of favourable press including features on CNN and two of the other major US networks who were looking for stuff that FEMA hadn't prepared for.

But so far no one has yet noticed that our coast guard cutter has been criss-crossing the Gulf of Mexico doing what it does best. Recovering storm tossed buoys and markers and re-setting them making navigation possible once again. Again not something FEMA had a plan for and the US coast guard was too busy counting bodies.

But my point is best made in the words of one US official who wanted to know what one of our ships was unloading thousands of.

"Tents? Take 'em back. Americans don't sleep in tents!"

You're welcome I'm sure.

~jwf~

As part of the media I'm not sure I've done anything positive for the world in general. In fact perhaps no media has ever done anything positive.

Personally I'm a great believer in the philosophy *Think Globally, Act Locally* and have helped in regard to soup kitchens and the like. As far as charities I only contribute to children's charities, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army (the last two because my father, who was unfortunately present for a great many disasters said they were always the first and best to respond). Perhaps some of the documentaries I've had a part in have shaped people's responses in a positive way.

But I fear you may have confused our comments with personal insults. Just as I'm not too thrilled with the effect the current US government has on the rest of the world, my personal effect on that same world is not an issue, is it? I am very proud of the majority of the decisions that the Canadian government has made in regard to the world and am much more likely to hold them up to scrutiny than anything I've personally done. I delight in the fact that one of the greatest contributions Canada has made in Afghanistan is producing huge quantities of perfectly clean water, to the point that several other forces buy it for use by their troops. To me that is Canada encapsulated. *OK, let's see. We and the populace have accomodations, the air is fine, what's next...oh yeah..water.* I'm also proud of the tradition started by Lester Pearson (a past Canadian Prime Minister) to contribute to the UN in many ways, mostly in a leading fashion. We've tarnished that image several times since then but the standard is still applied. I like the fact that we are a country of consensus rather than force or conversion. I like the fact that despite many faults we still recognise the importance of basic democratic principles like separation of church and state. Oh, and we're overly polite.

Not that the US isn't any of these things, they are in fact. The problem is that the current Canadian government seems to reflect this more than the current US government. Ask any Canadian who their favourite historical political figure is and they are as likely to answer Kennedy or Clinton as any Canadian politician. (I know Anhaga and a few others may take exception to that but I believe it to be true).

Consider as well that we are a rabbit sleeping with a bear and that bear has been in threat of rolling over us in it's sleep for many generations. We tend to make your business our business more than most countries as well as proclaiming the advantages of hare over Ursidae now and then.

I won't take exception to it, Zoomer.

I think you're right.

So anhaga actually takes 'acception'.
That's a new twist.

~jwf~