Where most of our thoughts are right now...

Happy Wishcasting Wednesday!  If you've never taken part, it's this great weekly chance to explore and dream and share with others.  To quote Jamie, "Wishcasting Wednesday is a safe haven for wishes, a fertile field in which to plant wish seeds and have them witnessed and tended lovingly. It’s a place where magic begins."

Today Jamie asks:

What do you wish for the world?

courtesy of We Heart It

With everything that has happened in Japan since last Friday, it's hard not to automatically think of all the thoughts I'm having for the people there.  I'm constantly updating the live feed from Guardian news, as though listening and sending out my prayers will do some good.  I want them to get the help that they need and for things to calm down so that they have a chance to deal with the catastrophe.  I want so desperately to be able to do more than donate the few bucks I can spare. 

Beyond that, it's hard to think of wishes for the world at the moment.  I suppose, if there is something to learn from the horrible tragedies in Japan, it's that the world is far too dependent on nuclear power and petrol.  For such a smart species, we continue to be lacking in ways to come up with alternative fossil fuels.  I realize that wouldn't have stopped the earthquake and tsunami - mother nature does as she sees fit and all we can do is be there in the aftermath to help those affected - but there wouldn't be the threat of nuclear meltdown and maybe help would be able to get to those who needed it without the need to stop and analyze the gas reserves.  I'm not blaming the Japanese for this, I hope that's clear, and this isn't the first time I've thought about how dependent we, especially here in the USA, are on oil and nuclear power (and nuclear weapons).  It amazes me sometimes that some people still don't see the problems that they pose to our continued survival.

My wish this Wednesday is first and foremost that Japan stops getting hit with catastrophe after catastrope so they can be properly aided in the aftermath.  But I also wish that as the months continue, people stop to think about the things we can control to help combat this dependency on a personal level. I worry I don't do enough myself, let alone have the ability to effect change in others, but I wish to believe that it can be done.

writing prompt - opinion piece - another evil of BP

http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/

This week's prompts both elated and terrified me.  I knew it would push me out of my comfort zone.  And not because I'm not often telling jokes that don't go over well - I have a twisted sense of humor at times and it's always been my coping mechanism - but because to relive such things in an easy way seemed near impossible.
 
I decided to go with prompt 1:  Choose a headline from The Today Show website and write up an opinion post based on the story you chose.
 
I avoided all things Mel Gibson as I don't find it funny so much as sad.  The man is obviously crazy and this woman and her child could be in serious harm.  So many women go through these struggles behind-the-scenes and I fail to see the humor in that at all.
 
And then I spotted the headline, BP to drill for Libyan oil despite Lockerbie bomber furor, and immediately it had my attention.  I had a friend who died on that flight.  She was thirteen years old, same as me.  And to let a terrorist go under false pretenses for profit and oil makes my normally pacifist self want to go all crazykakes on these people.  I just don't understand how anyone can reach that point in life where money tops the value of human life. 
 
I'll be the first to admit, even if it were true, I don't care that the man, this terrorist,  was dying.  I don't think he deserved a peaceful death when he offered anything but to his victims.  I guess it was nice of the Scottish authorities to take compassion on someone who couldn't provide it to others, but I wouldn't have done it. 
 
But now, BP won't even answer the questions arising about the whole situation.  I'm not saying medicine always get it right and the man could possibly be one of those who lives way longer than expected (my mom-mom did that).  However, call my cynical, but when I read things like this:
 
BP signed a $900 million exploration agreement with Libya in May 2007, the same month that Britain and Libya signed an agreement that paved the way for al-Megrahi's release from a Scottish prison.
BP has admitted that it lobbied the British government over a prisoner transfer deal with Libya in late 2007, but denied playing any role in the actual decision to release al-Megrahi nearly two years later.

I am much less likely to believe what has gone down.  And after everything with the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I think it only drives home further how much big corporations/businesses don't seem to care about anyone or anything that gets in the way of profits.  And then they try to guise it as something else when finally called to task on it (barely).

I think it says so much about the world, or at least the United States (as that's all I can really speak for) that more people aren't up in arms, pushing their senators and congressmen to do something, to fight harder for us.  Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything good.