The tragic truth about the ice bucket challange...

a reply to: FlySolo

This is not a call for gluttony, but a call for sanity. Our whole lives we have been fed the lie that we can somehow waste water, and this is not the truth. We can deplete local supplies of water, so, yes in areas like Texas, you shouldn't fill a swimming pool in the middle of a drought, but this isn't resource appropriation. We aren't importing our water from Qatar, depriving poor people in the desert of this life sustaining commodity. Also, decreasing demand for water in the US isn't going to lower prices so it can somehow magically be reprioritized to be shipped abroad.

The fact of the matter is that those people earn so little money and we care so little for their lives that we literally will not give them water at our own expense even when they are dying from a lack of it. Something that is almost as free to us as air, and we are still so greedy with it that we refuse to give it away. This lack of generosity stems from the very same oppressive puritan attitude that tells us that we should be ashamed of enjoying the bounties of this planet and be grateful for the fact that we merely get to be here in the first place.

The only thing wrong with the people of the world is that they have had to live on this planet for so long competing for life while squabbling puritans have marketed the lie that life is miserable and have striven very hard to make sure the lie becomes a reality. Had they been on a world full of talented people, embracing this opportunity and generously bearing their gifts into reality for all to share, they would be prosperous and well adjusted people. It is a testament to their greatness that they are withering in this environment. Would you expect an orchid to thrive in a cesspit? It takes a very perverse person to become accustomed to this insanity.

Anyway, humankind was not meant to toil in the earth, treating our problems with the daily sweat of our brow, suffering away until gravity and the grave consume us back into the earth. We were meant to transcend our problems, to engineer permanent solutions to them and to become great enough that we condemn our critics to be forever thrust into the depths of our shadow. You would not believe what we could become: self-engineering, immortal. Very soon in our history, nothing could be impossible for us, if we simply unshackle ourselves from the lie that life has to be some kind of chore and that the only way we can be worthwhile with our time on this planet is if we somehow sacrifice our every ambition and our every pleasure to the anti-humans on this planet.

a reply to: Nechash

We were meant to transcend our problems, to engineer permanent solutions to them and to become great enough that we condemn our critics to be forever thrust into the depths of our shadow. You would not believe what we could become: self-engineering, immortal. Very soon in our history, nothing could be impossible for us, if we simply unshackle ourselves from the lie that life has to be some kind of chore and that the only way we can be worthwhile with our time on this planet is if we somehow sacrifice our every ambition and our every pleasure to the anti-humans on this planet.

What society do you speak of will achieve all that? Not ours, we dump water on our heads because the internet told us too. I think 6 million gallons have been spilled so far.

We had rain here in Vancouver so bad it mucked up and contaminated our reservoirs with runoff mud. Not a bottle of water on a shelf anywhere and brown dirty water out of the taps for 5 days, I had never been so thirsty in my life. I would like you to forgo a single sip of water for 24 hours. Not a drop. Then come back and post once you've regained your appreciation of it. Millions of people dumping it on their heads is useless and offensive. You just wait till the Colorado river is all dried up and the Hoover dam can no longer generate power, California has cracked under drought, fallen into sinkholes and a bottle of water costs you 10 bucks. Looking back on this challenge you'll be shaking your head. I'm shaking my head now.

a reply to: FlySolo

I've been without running water before for extended periods of time. It sucks, but you deal with it. I've carried jugs of water in my car to the local park to fill up at the auxiliary taps. Sure, it was easier for me than walking 20 miles to the nearest river, but I do have an appreciation for water. Like I said, in a crisis, we might have to worry about it, but on a day to day basis, we have plenty of water, and much of it is relatively clean and drinkable.

As to actually ingesting water. Ask anyone I know. I never drink the stuff. I hate drinking water in fact unless you ice it down and add some lemon to it or something. Scientist's proclamation that you can't get hydrated from tea, milk, beer and soda is obviously wrong, because I could probably count on one hand the number of times I drank water this summer, and if I used up all of my digits, I'd probably be overestimating.

a reply to: PaulTheDuke

I'm all for the Duct Tape Challenge.

That's where you take a piece of tape, put it over your mouth, and do something without talking, tweeting, posting about it.

a reply to: Nechash

I'm a milk drinker myself, but I've always got cold water in the fridge as back up, and sometimes nothing quenches better than straight h20. But I digress, it's not ok to have a massive wave of people just dump it out for some YT glory. There is a drought. Maybe not where you are but somewhere there is a drought. I find all of this just egocentric behavior.

Here's a link to get an idea just how much water is wasted during this so called "challenge"

www.theblaze.com... more-than-you-probably-thought/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=ShareButtons

a reply to: baddmove

That's a good article. The comments however, completely misguided. Their argument is, water gets recycled so, so what?But what they fail to acknowledge is the length of time it takes. If the water is dumped in the ground, it may take up to 10,000 years for it to reach the clouds and back again if drained into an aquifer. If dumped into the sewer much less. Another thing they fail to realize is the water they're using is local drinking water right out of the reservoir. Not ground water, river water or ocean water. It's water that everyone relies on until more comes.

a reply to: FlySolo

God is the ultimate waster of water. He pours millions of gallons on us everyday calling it rain, not to mention that damn flood. ;p

Some are just doing the "Ice Bucket Challenge" for the hell of it without donating to charity. I have a few friends who've posted videos on Facebook of them doing it just so they can nominate others to do the same. Oh well, this fad will die out soon enough.

a reply to: PaulTheDuke

take that up with the IMF.

ordinary citizens are doing what they can to raise money/knowledge about this issue. That isn't a bad thing.

Pity IMF and the G8 haven't done as much.

a reply to: Thurisaz

I think anything that raises money for a good cause is awesome.

Even if a lot of people are doing it and not donating, there are still more who are doing it, and donating.
Yesterday I saw a video of the volunteer fire dept in my hometown all doing the challenge and pledging donations.

For every one person that doesn't donate,
I bet there are 2 that do!
If not more.

originally posted by: beezzer

I'm all for the Duct Tape Challenge.

That's where you take a piece of tape, put it over your mouth, and do something without talking, tweeting, posting about it.

Amen to that!

Frim the KJV:

..at thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

a reply to: kosmicjack

seems like a double standard, especially as Christ told everyone to spread The Word...yanno, knock on People's doors and preach the gospel.

hmm what a quandary... shout some things out and remain silent about others.

The other confusing aspect to Religion and The Word is that People spread the gospel... and it is their duty to do so. If they are lucky (and this routine does remind me of electricity consultants) and manage to sign up some new recruits; the moment they get in the door of the church... they are told that they have to give 10% of their income to the Church every week.

They didn't say anything about that until I sat down on the pew in the church on Sunday.

That could explain why that verse tells People not to talk about any alms?

a reply to: Thurisaz

I've always simply interpreted it as meaning to give for the sake of giving, not getting...even attention.

a reply to: Malynn

Malynn
The 8% figure isn't at all a conspiracy. It's printed in black and white on the financial statements on their web-site.

I went to their website to confirm the 8% figure. It doesn't seem to match up with their financials.

Financial Information - The ALS Association

This is the breakdown I saw.

07%: Administration
14%: Fundraising
19%: Patient and community services
28%: Research
32%: Public and professional education

Could you please link to the 8% data?


Note: I have added a link to their financial statement
ALS YTD Financial Statement