tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post7641519714559136795..comments2023-10-30T04:06:45.798-07:00Comments on arduous blog: Think Global, Act Local ... And It's All Localruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-4112470487217085702008-11-18T01:38:00.000-08:002008-11-18T01:38:00.000-08:00Just found your blog via the recent carnival post ...Just found your blog via the recent carnival post up.<BR/><BR/>YAY! So great to hear someone else thinking globally!<BR/><BR/>Great blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-78530660110691640552008-11-17T00:07:00.000-08:002008-11-17T00:07:00.000-08:00Ruchi, I'm so glad you mentioned the IT guy in Ind...Ruchi, I'm so glad you mentioned the IT guy in India. I LOVE talking to those guys because it's probably the only time during my insulated life that I ever have voice contact with someone in another country. Well, besides Canada, and that doesn't count.<BR/><BR/>One of the most touching experiences of my life (and saddest) was a conversation with an HP tech support guy in India. We had a great conversation. He was very helpful but also funny... making jokes and testing me to see if I could figure out the difference in our time zones.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I just thought he was a really nice guy. And at the end of our conversation, after my computer problem was solved, he said, "Thank you. I think you are the nicest customer I have ever spoken to."<BR/><BR/>Oh my god. I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it right now. Because I have a unique understanding. I am the IT go-to person at my company. And I know how hard it can be for any IT person. People's computers break, and they freak out. And then they take out all their frustrations on you if you can't fix it immediately. That is true for any IT person.<BR/><BR/>But when many Americans call for tech support and hear an Indian accent on the other end of the line, their frustration is increased. Not only does their computer not work, but now on top of it they have to speak to this foreigner with an accent, and they won't be able to understand each other, and of course the foreigner won't be able to help because they can't possibly be as smart as an American.<BR/><BR/>(I've seen and heard these kinds of sentiments.)<BR/><BR/>So when this guy told me I was the nicest customer he'd ever talked to, I just thought how hard it is for so many people to just live and do their freakin' jobs. Because oh my god. I am not actually all that that nice! I'm just me. And I sat and cried for about 20 minutes and then cried again when I was telling my husband the story.<BR/><BR/>Now, I realize that we project our own feelings and emotions onto other people. When I'm in a good mood, everyone else seems nice. When I'm in a crappy mood, everyone else seems like a jerk. So we probably just met each other on a day when we were both in good moods and bringing out the best in each other. Whatever.<BR/><BR/>The point is (which doesn't have that much to do with your original post I guess) that we are all just humans living on this planet and doing the best we can, and like you said, nowadays no matter how far from each other geographically, we are all neighbors, and why can't we just all get along!?!?!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-2423602864111900372008-11-12T09:34:00.000-08:002008-11-12T09:34:00.000-08:00great post !take a look at this report by cbs rega...great post !<BR/>take a look at this report by cbs regarding e-waste. it's an eye-opener. <BR/><BR/>http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4586903nAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-82363264798410030352008-11-12T08:43:00.000-08:002008-11-12T08:43:00.000-08:00Deb G, I agree, all things in moderation is key.Ci...Deb G, I agree, all things in moderation is key.<BR/><BR/>Cindy W, beautifully put. I think your 3 rules are excellent. :)ruchihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-46595998124342071762008-11-11T21:11:00.000-08:002008-11-11T21:11:00.000-08:00If "buying local" becomes a dogma, we are in troub...If "buying local" becomes a dogma, we are in trouble. Life, unfortunately, is never black or white. Even when it comes to food, rice from the flood plain of Bangladesh may still trump my local irrigated Californian rice in terms of energy and water consumption. <BR/><BR/>Consumption decisions have always be difficult for me. A made-in-USA T-shirt is not necessarily better than an organic-cotton shirt made in India. We strive to be informed, while knowing information transparency is not all there yet. <BR/><BR/>I have only 3 rules:<BR/><BR/>1. Buy less <BR/>2. Buy local food as much as possible<BR/>3. It's okay not to be perfectly green :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-57641390415718374522008-11-11T05:53:00.000-08:002008-11-11T05:53:00.000-08:00Just wanted to say how much I like what you've wri...Just wanted to say how much I like what you've written here. I never have been able to give up buying cheese from Italy. :) It comes back to "all things in moderation," for me.Deb Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03729615248033326334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-70981947011310507582008-11-10T15:01:00.000-08:002008-11-10T15:01:00.000-08:00Jess, thanks!Abbie, that's a great slogan! Let's m...Jess, thanks!<BR/><BR/>Abbie, that's a great slogan! Let's make it stick!<BR/><BR/>Lucky, I hear ya. You would think by now we'd be past the us vs them mentality, but ... sigh....<BR/><BR/>GB, thanks. You know very well how much I've struggled about this issue since you've had to sort of hear me argue with myself about this. :) I think the key is balance. I think.<BR/><BR/>Erin, I love love love that last sentence. That's exactly right. Local is fine, but xenophobia is not!ruchihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-81673242357370028192008-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:002008-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:00This is a great post that reflects some of my own ...This is a great post that reflects some of my own thoughts about buying local. There's a lot that's good about focusing on local products, but I think it's more important to buy fair products that will last and to be conscious of the effects our purchases have.<BR/><BR/>One thing that has worried me about the local buying movement is the possibility that it will lead to ethnocentrism, nationalism, regionalism, even localism, which never leads to anything good (think contributing factor to many, many wars). It's good to buy local as long as we don't start assuming our local is better than their local.Erin aka Conscious Shopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02055472303320074413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-31102119096023723102008-11-09T20:17:00.000-08:002008-11-09T20:17:00.000-08:00Beautifully synthesized - we are all one. I think...Beautifully synthesized - we are all one. I think it is important to build strong local economies to get us through the coming hard times but equally important is reaching out to those in other countries, those we cannot see, making microloans and, when appropriate, making purchases of ethically produced goods. Leave it to you to make the best of all worlds. :)Green Beanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133847111288382381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-54231416325112596782008-11-09T19:17:00.000-08:002008-11-09T19:17:00.000-08:00You have a fine way of articulating ideas that I s...You have a fine way of articulating ideas that I share but am unable to put into words. Twenty-five years ago when I bought my first Japanese manufactured car there was a lot of resistance in America to Japanese cars - it was considered "unpatriotic", blah, blah, blah. I complained to my brother then that I found it hard to believe in the global economy of the 80's that people still talked about "us and them". The more things change, the more they stay the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-86799835224101059212008-11-09T16:47:00.000-08:002008-11-09T16:47:00.000-08:00Maybe "Buy Locally, Act Globally" would be a bette...Maybe "Buy Locally, Act Globally" would be a better slogan.Farmer's Daughterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04993260095409544097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-42085799229920007912008-11-09T10:58:00.000-08:002008-11-09T10:58:00.000-08:00I love this post ("there's only us") -- and the id...I love this post ("there's only us") -- and the idea that each purchasing decision is an opportunity to send a message, or support an outcome.JessTrevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000531822628182708noreply@blogger.com