Used

We, as a country, use and use and use.  We have become heavy on the consumer side of things.  When we do produce, it is being exported out of the country.  We are a country rich in everything, natural resources, technology, agriculture and land but we balk at production.  We say "Hell No!" to mining, to factories, to anything that can affect and effect our environment (which is fine, the environment is important), but we have no problem plundering other nations for their resources.  As long as it is not in our back yard, it is allowable.  We have become dependent on everyone else because we either don't want the mess or the hassle of doing it ourselves.

There needs to be balance, there needs to be a restructuring and innovation.  We are a nation no longer in balance.

I know that I have made a few sweeping generalizations.  I applaud those that are trying to change their attitude and bring us back into balance.

Tattoos

Tattoos have been around for a very long time.  Their meaning and social acceptance has changed widely over time.  They have been used for religious reasons, as sacred art, as punishment, as marks of rank, amulets and talismans, and marks of outcasts.

In some cultures, tattoos are taboo or have negative connotations.  In some cultures they are a way of marking stages of life.  Tattoos can be controversial.

Tattoos are permanent (or at least difficult and painful to remove).  I have four tattoos and each one took deliberation.  Spur of the moment decisions are not bad, this is just how I feel about them.  I have decided to mark my body and tell my story to the world.  Tattoos invite conversation, they are a visible representation of a story that you have to tell.  They can be a proclamation of allegiance, a memory, one's history.  I have tattoos that are visible for all to see and ones that I only show to a select few.  The ones that are visible are statements about myself.  They are abstract conversations with the world.  They are my reminders of hopes and promises.