November 23rd 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

The human race seems to be going through a rough patch right. I mean look at the issues... terrorism, climate change, oil and water shortages, food prices skyrocketing, wars in the Middle East and Africa, collapsing stock markets, the American automotive industry falling apart at the seems and a global recession. Gee, how stressful can it get?

We look to our leaders like George W. Bush, Stephen Harper and the newly elected Barack Obama and we would hope they have the solutions for these problems, or at very least know people who can come up with solutions and delegate the problem solving appropriately. When they fail or turn out to be incompetent we get more stressed and bitter about the status quo because it feels like we gave these leaders a chance and instead they squandered it. Stress, frustration and outright anger compound the issue.

And I am not just talking about adults stressing about these things. I have seen teenagers and kids panicking about the issues too. Unless you're the type of person who doesn't care about the issues I guess you don't care. Some people care more about who wins American Idol, who's dating who and what to wear on a Friday night.

And who can blame them? Who wants to worry about the fate of the planet 24/7? Worrying about these things all the time would drive a person crazy.

I also wonder if it would give most people an ulcer. I even went and checked some statistics. In the United States ulcer rates have gone up 27% between 1999 and 2006 according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. But that can be misleading because ulcers are not stress induced. Ulcers are more closely tied to bacteria infections, diabetes and obesity. Stress just lowers the immune system, and thus stressed out people are more likely to get sick from common colds and a variety of ailments.

So the best solution is to relax. Have a spa day, go read a book or see a movie, maybe the new James Bond movie... oh wait, that has an environmental theme. The Day the Earth Stood Still? No wait, that has a war/terrorism theme. A lot of movies these days have something to say about the issues. How you relax will really come down to personal preference.

You can't help save the world if you're stressed out too much.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin

PS. I give Quantum of Solace 4.5 stars out of 5. And the old 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is also worth seeing.


Art History
Bizarre Architecture

Canada
Stephen Harper: Biography & Quotes

Entertainment
A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming

Feminism
Feminist Fashionista

Health
Water: A Human Right

Religion & Philosophy
The Philosophy of Atheism