Recycling still has a long way to grow

Going “Green,” the new way to say that the ecology of this planet is important, is having an impact, especially in the corporate world.  However, the old phrase of reduce, reuse and recycle still needs a long way to grow.

As long as the processes used to “go green” are somehow tied to a savings economically now or in the future, the odds are that something will get done.   Like money in the stock market, the value of aluminum cans affects the amount of cans recycled.  If the value of collecting and processing aluminum cans goes down, and it takes twice as many cans to make the same bucks as before, not as many cans will be collected. Copper has the gold standard in recycling now, and thieves are even taking copper elements from transformers at train crossings to get the precious metals to buyers who deal in cash.  The catalytic converters on cars are often targets of thieves, too.

Businesses are emphasizing “Going green” when buildings can be constructed to save even small amounts of money to reduce overall operating costs for heating and energy.  The government has several programs to stimulate this trend, which, again, reduces the bottom line for businesses.   Energy credits that apply to homeowners can be used in business, too.

It is important to teach the children in our homes and in our church that God made the world and we are its stewards.  If we do not take care of our world, we are making life for us difficult to say the least.  Schools can profit from collecting newspaper and cans.  Towns and cities need to have active recycling programs with separate bins for plastic, paper and glass instead of the everything-fits –all dumpsters.  Towns and cities need to have regular events where old outdated televisions, cameras, telephone and computer equipment can be collected and either be converted to scrap or otherwise repaired (the fourth R).

By observing  the amount of trash which is collected on a daily basis, it is clear that this is a disposable society in this country.  We have a small percentage of the people in this world, not even 260 million, but per capita, we consume more than our realistic share of the world’s resources to maintain our style of living.

At my house, we do our part in recycling our trash, and we use all the ways to help save energy.  We just had new windows installed in our house which will save us money in the future.  I could be doing more, and I believed we as a nation could be doing more to leave this world better than we are entering it, just as the Boy Scouts do when they leave a campground.

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.

Clark’s Cabin 3

(Photos by Mike Hall)

The replica of Clark’s cabin. built in 2001, includes some of his belongings including a flag used in the Revolutionary War and his General’s uniform. Below are some document from Virginia. In 1784 Congress appointed Clark one of several commissioners to settle outstanding differences, such as land claims, with the Indians of the Old Northwest. His efforts failed, and 2 years later Clark was again in the field with the Kentucky militia. At Vincennes he impressed much-needed supplies owned by Spanish merchants. James Wilkinson, a former Continental general and a paid secret agent of the Madrid government, used the episode to try to destroy Clark’s character. Clark also had trouble with Virginia authorities attempting to settle the accounts of his campaign against Henry Hamilton. In the absence of records that had disappeared (they were discovered in the attic of the Virginia Capitol in 1913), Clark was never compensated for heavy personal losses in the public service. Financially ruined and filled with bitterness, he turned increasingly to liquor as an escape. For more information about Clark, go to http://www.answers.com/topic/george-rogers-clark.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.

 Photo Gallery

House on a Hill

Through the magic of technology and computers, the World of Words by Elias Tobias presents a portfolio of ArtBrushed images that originated as digital photographs by Mike Hall.  You save the entire image to your computer free, and use the ArtBrushed photo for wallpaper or the screensaver.  You can print it and frame it, too. Just click on the image on this post and and choose the “Save photo as” option when you right click again.  Select which folder the file will go, then you name that file. Approve the change and you’re set.

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New Generation

Brother Brian Kohut has the military experience to see what the future may be for future warriors.
New Generation
You were bred for state
service and humanity.
You were created in a tube
by an agency bureaucracy,
and stamped with ‘G.I.”
in small letters on your back.
They have provided food,
clothing and shelter, and
all else you lacked.
You will do whatever they say,
in a prescribed style and way.
You are an agent of the state.
Soon they’ll choose your mate.
You’re a hybrid generation.
The stock of a new nation.
When all others shall fall,
you will stand tall in the
face of violence and adversity.
You’re a product of the states’
vanguard philosophy.

Videos on You Tube from the World of Words by Elias Tobias tap into the many faces of the poetry blog.

Never say never

Never say never when you
think you are done playing the game,
and when you do go back,
you are never quite the same.
In between the times you stop and go,
there are chances for you to
figure out what you should have known
when you first started to play.
Experience is the teacher, and with this
Knowledge increase the wisdom to
Know when to hang up the towel
or get back into the ring.

Write a poem instantly by filling in the blanks. Go to Instant Color Poem for a sample and get started.

15 centavos de dólar

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.

15 centavos de dólar

Yo soy rico y rico,
pues tengo 15 centavos para gastar.
¿Qué voy a gastarlo?
En los alimentos?
Pagar el alquiler? En el amor?
En la música? El caramelo?
No puedo gastar,
He pasado de 15 centavos
el valor de tiempo a pensar
lo rico y rico que era.
Write a poem instantly by filling in the blanks. Go to Instant Color Poem for a sample and get started.

Attente

Attente

Quelque chose s’est passé pour moi aujourd’hui,
mais je ne sais pas vraiment ce que c’était.
Quelque chose s’est passé pour vous,
parce que je ressens au fond de différent.
Je vais attendre jusqu’à demain pour voir
combien ma vie a changé.

Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.

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Homeless children suffer in many ways

I have been blessed with always living in a house, and I, with the grace of God, will continue to provide a home for my family, especially my children.  Some of the children I deal with in the youth programs in my church are homeless, and we are working with local and national resources to help the children here and elsewhere.   Normally when a person thinks of homeless people, a vision of a sign-toting person in old clothes comes to mind, but while these others are “working,” children are in school or out of that picture. In a country where more and more people are working hard to hang on to their jobs or are collecting payments of some sort because they do not have employment, home foreclosures remain a major problem.

According to the National Center on Family Homelessness (http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org), the problem of homeless children is increasing.   The organization says that, without a voice, more than 1.5 million of our nation’s children go to sleep without a home each year. Homeless, these children also endure a lack of safety, comfort, privacy, reassuring routines, adequate health care, uninterrupted schooling, sustaining relationships, and a sense of community. These factors combine to create a life-altering experience that inflicts profound and lasting scars.

The National Center has created, “America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness,” to provide a comprehensive snapshot of child homelessness in America today. This is an update of a study The National Center released in 1999. The Report Card describes the status of homeless children in four areas: extent of child homelessness, child well-being, structural risk factors, and state-by-state policy and planning efforts. Washington ranked 34th child well-being using indicators related to food security, health, and education.

The National Center reports that children without homes are twice as likely to experience hunger as other children. Two-thirds worry they won’t have enough to eat. More than one-third of homeless children report being forced to skip meals. Homelessness makes children sick. Children who experience homelessness are more than twice as likely as middle class children to have moderate to severe acute and chronic health problems.

Education is key to breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. The National Center  says  82 percent of children whose parents have less than a high school diploma live in poverty. Homeless children are twice as likely as other children to repeat a grade in school, to be expelled or suspended, or to drop out of high school. At the end of high school, few homeless students are proficient in reading and math – and their estimated graduation rate is below 25 percent.

There are local not-for-profit organizations working with our church and funds are secured from national organizations to help the homeless children, and their brother and sisters, under our charge to improve their well-being and their chances of success at school.

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.

Clark’s Cabin 2

(Photos by Mike Hall)

George Rogers Clark enjoyed a view of the Ohio River that now includes a water treatment plant.  By the time he built his cabin, he was a famous military hero, surveyor and expert on Indian affairs.  Because of this, he had a regular correspondence with Thomas Jefferson and celebrated figures of the time visited the cabin for friendship, business and advice.  In 1809, he had a accident which resulted in the loss of one of his legs, and his health began to deteriorate. Clark moved to his sister’s house in Louisville and died there in 1818.  For more information about Clark, go to http://www.answers.com/topic/george-rogers-clark.

Who is Elias Tobias? Go to his biography that is also in Spanish.

 Photo Gallery

Safe Harbor

Through the magic of technology and computers, the World of Words by Elias Tobias presents a portfolio of ArtBrushed images that originated as digital photographs by Mike Hall.  You save the entire image to your computer free, and use the ArtBrushed photo for wallpaper or the screensaver.  You can print it and frame it, too. Just click on the image on this post and and choose the “Save photo as” option when you right click again.  Select which folder the file will go, then you name that file. Approve the change and you’re set.

If you have a poetry-related web-site that you would like to promote, then go to the International Poetry Link Exchange.