Godammit, I agree with Oreilly..

[Cleetus]

I heard the asshole a few nights ago going on about how ridiculous people can become with their causes. Specifically, shithead was going on about people who go on about the carbon footprint of a Christmas turkey, holiday lights, and such.

I understand that his comments were totally self-serving, the Liberal "Attack on Christmas" and all that bullshit, but for maybe the first timne in my life I actually agreed with the puke (for different reasons)

I'm hardly an environmental activist, but I drive a Corolla, I use CF lighting, I turn down the heat and climb under an electric blanket. Whenever possible I avoid purchasing items that are excessively packaged, preferring bulk foods and locally (or at least domestically) manufactured products. I try.

But shit, I *like* looking at Christmas lights. I *like* eating a nice holiday meal. It just breaks my heart to read about the carbon footprints of things related to the Holidays.

Sometimes people should just lighten up. There is nothing wrong with feeling good sometimes. Living with constant anger sucks.

Rant over.

[Akoto]

1. Hard as it might be to believe ...

Most people here are like you. They enjoy decorating, eating a nice dinner, exchanging gifts. I do, and did all of the above this year. For some reason, there has always been a vocal group which feels the need to guilt trip folks who're enjoying the holidays in a fashion different than they are.

[KitchenWitch]

3. No kidding.

These same people are posting here, guilting and shaming people about their carbon footprints, meanwhile, they are ignoring their own (words do not show up on the internets without causing "carbon footprint" of their own).

[Akoto]

5. Well, I figure ...

As hard as this year has been for me - sickness, heart attacks and death in the family, loss of employment - I'm due for a nice dinner with my family. Guess it's my selfish side.

[KitchenWitch]

8. I hear you loud and clear.

I just figure that everything that ALL creatures do has consequences. But as a human being, I can choose actions that have a minimal deleterious effect.

[Cleetus]

9. Akoto..

I'm right there with you with the health issues. I'm off to the cardiologist for a stress echo cardiogram in a few days. I'm always angry about something. It's so hard to feel good sometimes. Personally, I don't "feel" the Holidays, but I derive pleasure watching others do their Christmas thing. It makes me feel good.

My best wishes to you and yours.

Hang in there...

[bookman]

2. Sounds like....

... you're on the right path.

No guilt needed. Perhaps when you need to replace holiday lights you can look into led's instead. Enjoy the turkey.

Instead of worrying about offsets - when it comes to O'Reilly use a "set off".

Happy New Year

[Cleetus]

6. LED's are nice

LED's are nice, but there's something about genuine, incandescent, inefficient, large, screw-in, deep red Christmas lights that I really like. Don't get me wrong, I do the electronics thing for a living. LED's, OLED's, LCD's, LSI, PF Corrected power supplies. They all save energy and make for a more robust, reliable, efficient product. I'm all for that, at least for 50 weeks a year. For the other two weeks, give me a shitload of Holiday Lights. Can't get enough.

Seriously, your LED comment was spot-on, and a most reasonable way to accomplish something worthwhile while still having a good time.

Cheers!

[lapfog_1]

4. There was a poster here not long ago

ranting about "Al Gore and his trip to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize" and how it was SOOOO horrible that he was using fossil fuels to make the trip and stay in a nice hotel, not to mention his family and entourage, blah, blah, blah.

Sigh.

[Cleetus]

7. Google uses so much energy...

The Google datacenter uses so much energy they're located adjacent to a power plant. It wouldn't surprise me if they used as much energy as a steel mill. Do I Google? Hell yes I do.

I'm all for the environment, but sheesh, we gotta live..

Cheers

[JeanGrey]

10. Hey guy count me in!