Recycling is one of those concepts with which some people would associate with tree-hugging hippies. Others with do-good citizens trying to help out Planet Earth. And still more who thing we’re just plain crazy. In this post-Katrina New Orleans, recyclers are the brave few who are willing to commit their monthly income to a service we took for granted, like many other things.
If you’re of the ‘Save the Earth’ mindset, there are ways to act! Although budget cuts have shut down city run recycling centers, there are two private curb-side pickup service companies: Phoenix Recycling and SDT Waste and Debris. By paying a nominal monthly fee, these companies will pass twice a month to pick up what you set out on the curb. There are restriction to what recyclable materials will be picked up, which can be found on the website or by calling and asking. In most cases, you will be asked to pre-sort and separate, and crush when available.
One recurring complaint I’ve heard is of the cost of the curb-side service, which is much higher in post-Katrina New Orleans. Yes, it’s a bit high, but isn’t saving the planet worth it? Or, look at it this way: if you’re interested in recycling but worried about the cost, have family and friends chip in with goods and money. This way you’re guaranteed to have enough recyclables to put out and the fee gets broken down into a more manageable, and less exorbitant, amount. Another option may be to talk to your employer about starting a recycling program at work. Of course the budget may be an issue, but if you get enough people to show interest in the program there’s a good chance your employer will consider a recycling program.
I believe it is important to bring recycling back to New Orleans. It should be considered another step in the process of rebuilding and restoring our city. We have the opportunity to integrate recycling into the sanitation systems of the city as we rebuild the city, instead of leaving it as an auxiliary program that can be cut from the budget, like it has been. Recycling also teaches our young to respect the earth that we live on, which can ultimately lead to less littering and trash around the city. Recycling can bring together people in a local area for a cause which extends over a global area. it is the ultimate unifier for the salvation of Planet Earth.
Join me in the fight to save the earth. Start recycling today.
Ron Howard has done it again! Or did it first? Whatever the confusion is surrounding the timeline of the two books-turned-blockbusters, Angels & Demons has come out as a very well done adaptation of Dan Brown's first Robert Langdon book.
In many ways it is hard for a movie to come out as the sequel to such a controversial topic, such as The Da Vinci Code amplified. Angels & Demons is quite worthy to be the sequel given the action and controversy and mystery centered at the core of the plot. The movie does a wonderful job of flowing through the events of the book without either much hesitation or rush. The pace was set and it was followed well. The cast was wonderfully picked and, though there were still a few awkward lines, everyone was able to bring their many parts into a whole.
Praises be said, there were a few points which I felt were lacking in the film. Namely was the subtle lack of any blatant attack on the Roman Catholic Church. I suppose given the trouble that The Da Vinci Code stirred up, Ron Howard may have been a bit loathsome to conjure up more trouble. I understand that the events in the book are disturbing enough, but I did not find any offense with them. I sense a more subtle controversy in the actions of the Camerlengo and the decisions of the Cardinals, all of which are very progressive. I suppose the progressiveness of the events is what lends itself to the controversy.
On the whole, Angels & Demons is very much worth the trip to the theater. It's even a good watch for those who have not yet read the book, or if it's been quite a while. I, in fact, will soon be re-reading the book so that I can have the fullest appreciation for the movie adaptation.
The original All-American Mutt, Creole’s are an interesting sort that have an interesting place in this country. Traditionally found in New Orleans, LA, Creoles have branched out across the States as inter-racial/ethnic relationships have flourished. Given the rise in popularity of mixed breeding, Creoles and other similar human mutts should have their own niche formed in the fabric of our societies. Unfortunately, this niche is not always accepted by more traditional societies and persons.
Is a person less of a person if their skin color is different?
Racism has been an issue in this country for centuries and world-wide since the beginning of our existence. The mentality that one person is better than another based on skin color is abhorrent in most of this country’s more open-minded societies. However, there are still areas that follow the old ways of ignorance and closed-mindedness. While these segregated societies are hopefully on a decline, their impact upon the local culture is longstanding. Once set in a way, people are hard-pressed to change their minds on something they believe is the truth. To be fair, those of the open-minded persuasion have no more place to judge a closed-minded person as the vice versa. However, there comes a time in which one would wonder if a closed-minded person could ever open up enough to see a person beyond their skin color.
From my personal experience, Alabamians are a mixed sort of folk. More often those that live in the cities and attend the universities and have daily interaction with folks of every sort are much more open-minded about color differences. Most often, the closed-minded folk are the small-towners, those with little interaction with the freethinking folk of the city. This spread of thinkers is quite natural and, for example, affects not only open- and closed-mindedness but also dialects and cultures and religions. Having lived in and attended a university in a small city for four and a half years, I was able to experience both sides of the minded spectrum, and even a few in between. I was able to also spend much time in a small town of northeastern Alabama, where I learned first-hand that stereotypes are just ignorant categories. By the by, the folk of Alabama, from either persuasion, are the friendliest and most kind-hearted people I’ve met in my travels and living. Even those who were hesitant to meet me due to my skin color were pleasantly surprised when they actually talked with me and learned that I certainly don’t fall into the stereotype they’d thought. This mind opening experience needs to happen more often to show people that there’s nothing to fear in holding back a stereotype in favor of getting to know the person in question.
My story is an open book.
Being Creole, I’ve had to struggle all of my life to find the people that I fit in with the best. Early school years were the worst of my struggle while attending a predominantly African-American public elementary and middle school. I quickly learned that I didn’t fit in with that crowd. It wasn’t until I attended an all-girl Catholic high school that I finally found my fellow soul-mates. We were a mixed crowd of crazy teens, pale, yellow, red, brown and more. We fit together, we grew together, we laughed together and we graduated together. As I entered college, I was able to find new friends along the same personalities whose hometowns ranged from backwoods to big city Alabama. We were inseparable then and many of us are now. We each brought in pieces of ourselves that stuck with each of us, from 80’s hair bands to hand-drawn tattoos to Nintendo to comic books. I’ve been included in different cultures, heritages, families, communities and relationships. Even the times when I’ve been excluded or prejudiced against have enriched my life and, most importantly, have made me into the person I am.
I offer what I’ve learned to help teach those around me.
Through thick and thin, I’ve taken all of my life experiences and made them a part of myself. The journey was often so tough and heart wrenching that I was tempted to just turn around and quit. But I never did, I never could, and I never will. This is my advice for the downtrodden and prejudiced. Stand tall; it hurts inside and you’ll shed many a tear, but take heart because you are you and no one can change that. With perseverance you can overcome any hurdle put before you and add it to who you are inside. Also remember, when presented in a situation where you’re unsure of how you’ll be accepted, respect and kindness go a long way and can make a difference. For the closed-minded, I offer you only a book and ask that you take the time to learn the inside before judging the outside. A person is more than just a skin color and you may just like what you find underneath.