Comments on: WWYD: Helping the Less Fortunate http://queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/ We're here, We're queer, and We're not going Shopping without Coupons Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:42:20 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Nina http://queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/comment-page-1/#comment-17811 Nina Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:31:33 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/#comment-17811 In this week's Carnival of the Capitalist: http://www.simplifythis.com/blog/2007/02/carnival-of-capitalists-feb-19-2007.html<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-17811">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> In this week’s Carnival of the Capitalist:
http://www.simplifythis.com/blog/2007/02/carnival-of-capitalists-feb-19-2007.html

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Harvard Student http://queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/comment-page-1/#comment-16921 Harvard Student Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:17:56 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/#comment-16921 Rich, I'm glad you posted this on today of all days. I try to think of love less the way the romantic poets did and more in a more broadly ethical or theological sense. Check this out: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/14/1646235 It's a whole special on the often hidden but often horrendous human (and environmental) costs of things like the flower, diamond and chocolate industries. Being mindful of the conditions of production and of the global suffering that supports our consumer (and political) freedom is one way to cultivate empathy. It's also necessarily humbling. A way to have "money on the mind" and be mindful of others and of the earth? In case you and your readers don't know about it, I'd like to let you know about the Center for a New American Dream. It was founded by Dr. Juliet Schor and is a grassroots consumer activism organization whose vision I think will resonate with many of your readers. Check out: <a href="http://www.newdream.org/" rel="nofollow"><font color="#0060c4">www.newdream.org</font></a> Specifically, with respect to the issues you present in your post, check out this latest edition of the newsletter: <a href="http://www.newdream.org/newsletter/gct_human.php" rel="nofollow"><font color="#0060c4">http://www.newdream.org/newsletter/gct_human.php</font></a><p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-16921">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Rich,

I’m glad you posted this on today of all days. I try to think of love less the way the romantic poets did and more in a more broadly ethical or theological sense.

Check this out: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/14/1646235

It’s a whole special on the often hidden but often horrendous human (and environmental) costs of things like the flower, diamond and chocolate industries. Being mindful of the conditions of production and of the global suffering that supports our consumer (and political) freedom is one way to cultivate empathy. It’s also necessarily humbling. A way to have “money on the mind” and be mindful of others and of the earth?

In case you and your readers don’t know about it, I’d like to let you know about the Center for a New American Dream. It was founded by Dr. Juliet Schor and is a grassroots consumer activism organization whose vision I think will resonate with many of your readers. Check out: http://www.newdream.org

Specifically, with respect to the issues you present in your post, check out this latest edition of the newsletter:
http://www.newdream.org/newsletter/gct_human.php

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Debbie http://queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/comment-page-1/#comment-16917 Debbie Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:49:42 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/02/14/wwyd-helping-the-less-fortunate/#comment-16917 I do find that paying attention to one goal makes me less attentive to competing goals. So the more I focus on goals such as saving toward retirement and fixing up my house, the less exciting it seems to save for charity. However, long ago I decided to give 10% to charitable causes. This is a compromise between how much I wanted to give up (0%) and the maximum I could possibly give up without becoming needy myself (probably over 50%). When I first decided this, I started with less than 10%, but worked my way up to it with each new raise. Now, it's just automatic, so that helps. I decide at the beginning of the year how to donate the money and then say no to anyone else. Technically I am open to more ideas, but generally the pleas I get seem to be for lesser needs than my original choices. I do spend less time volunteering than I used to, though: almost none. Paying close attention to my personal goals has made me less interested in volunteering. Another item in the research you reviewed concerns asking others for help and having social skills. I've always had a lot of trouble with asking people for help. I just try to remember that my friends would be upset with me if there was some easy way they could have really helped me and I didn't even bother to ask. I've always had a high level of social cluelessness, too, but I've been working on that and it seems to be getting better.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-16917">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> I do find that paying attention to one goal makes me less attentive to competing goals. So the more I focus on goals such as saving toward retirement and fixing up my house, the less exciting it seems to save for charity.

However, long ago I decided to give 10% to charitable causes. This is a compromise between how much I wanted to give up (0%) and the maximum I could possibly give up without becoming needy myself (probably over 50%). When I first decided this, I started with less than 10%, but worked my way up to it with each new raise. Now, it’s just automatic, so that helps.

I decide at the beginning of the year how to donate the money and then say no to anyone else. Technically I am open to more ideas, but generally the pleas I get seem to be for lesser needs than my original choices.

I do spend less time volunteering than I used to, though: almost none. Paying close attention to my personal goals has made me less interested in volunteering.

Another item in the research you reviewed concerns asking others for help and having social skills. I’ve always had a lot of trouble with asking people for help. I just try to remember that my friends would be upset with me if there was some easy way they could have really helped me and I didn’t even bother to ask.

I’ve always had a high level of social cluelessness, too, but I’ve been working on that and it seems to be getting better.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

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