Thursday, June 12, 2014

Five Things Thursday: Random Musings of the Serious (and Not So Serious) Kind

Happy Thursday! After a short break from participating in the Five Things linkup, I’m back, this time sharing five serious (and not so serious) things on my mind. As always, these are simply my own opinions, and others are free to agree or disagree as they choose. 


1. With so many deadly shootings occurring at schools and elsewhere in this country on a daily basis, it is clear that we have a serious, multifaceted problem that needs to be addressed. Why are so many young men exhibiting a willingness to kill? How does easy access to guns contribute to this problem? The issues are complex and challenging, and for that reason, I think we simply avoid dealing with them. While it’s hard to know exactly what to do or how to help on a personal level, I truly hope we as a nation can arrive at some type of understanding that will alter the terrible path we’re on. After all, mere "thoughts and prayers" following every tragedy don't save lives.

2. Speaking of change, this video really moved me this week, and I think it's way beyond time for our national capital's football team to change its mascot.



3. Something else that recently impacted me is this profound statement by the late scientist Carl Sagan, which was replicated in the season finale of Fox and National Geographic's amazing series Cosmos. Have you seen this show? If not, I highly recommend checking it out on DVD or when it (hopefully) comes back for another season. Although I am not a religious person, I do believe in the power of humanity and in the responsibility we all have to care for one another and for the "pale blue dot" we call home.



4. On a lighter note, my husband and I celebrated our fourth anniversary last week (yay!) with a low-key dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. While we both loved our entrees -- smoked salmon for me and ribs for him -- it was the pineapple mojito that really blew me away! The lovely purple (our wedding color) flowers he gave me added an extra special touch to the day, as well.


5. After dinner, we headed to the theater to catch Maleficent. Have you seen it? What did you think? While I thought the story, script and acting could have been strengthened at certain points, Angelina Jolie was of course amazing, as were the special effects. All in all, I'd recommend it.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend, everyone!  

12 comments:

  1. The school shooting issue is so complicated. I wish we could find a solution ASAP.

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    1. I agree. It is complicated, but with all of this country's past achievements, I believe we can do it if we are willing to devote enough energy and resources to the cause.

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  2. Thanks for the show recommendation! I completely agree with your first point as well. How many more incidents must occur before we make some drastic changes and realize there are many broken points leading to these tragic events?

    Happy belated anniversary and enjoy your weekend!

    xoxo,
    little luxury list formerly Chic 'n Cheap Living

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    1. You're welcome! Cosmos is so awesome! Thanks for the anniversary wishes, too. I truly hope we will take steps toward change that will stop the vast number of shootings destroying lives here in the U.S.

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  3. The school shootings are becoming ridiculous and scary! I haven't seen the cosmos but it looks super interesting. And I want to watch maleficent so bad...I might have to go by myself!

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    1. Yeah, Cosmos is a great show, and Maleficent is definitely worth seeing! Have a great week!

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  4. Well said on all points (especially the gun violence issue). It's a crazy and scary world we live in, but also beautiful as Cosmos has shown us. We loved that show!

    ps - Happy 4th anniversary!

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    1. Glad you loved Cosmos, too! And thanks for the anniversary wishes! :)

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  5. I agree with you that we definitely need to come up with some sort of solution to all of these shootings at schools and other places. I, too, wonder how guns can be obtained so easily and how some can decide to take another's life.

    The flowers you received are beautiful and would definitely brighten any day!

    I saw Maleficient with my sister and brother. I loved it. It definitely puts a twist on the typical story.

    Jessica @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed Maleficent! I loved the twist on the original story, too. I certainly hope we can find a solution to the gun violence that plagues our country, though it seems as if people only talk about the issue for a few days following each tragedy, and no real action ever takes place.

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  6. my biggest issue is mental health. we've got to do something about it. while i appreciate a no makeup selfie for breast cancer awareness or a blogging silence day for a certain issue, those things do nothing but bring awareness to things we already are very familiar with. instead, i'm one for action. i donate my time and money to causes i believe in.

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    1. I agree that we need to do more to determine what is causing so many people to exhibit mental health issues in our society and then obtain guns that they use to kill others.

      I am definitely one for action, too, though I think the issue we face is that on an individual level, many people don't know how to help and don't feel their efforts and donations truly lead to comprehensive change, while sharing something on a blog or Facebook is a way to at least make their voices heard and to speak up about something they feel is important.

      I think what we really need is for our elected officials to step up and invest the time/money necessary to make progress on this and other serious domestic issues. We also need people to work together and stop making it sound as if there is simply nothing we can do to solve the problem.

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