Just When You Think Youv'E Got It Rough.

[blackstrap]

Photos from 1890's in NYC . http://ca.news.yahoo.com/photos/how-the-other-half-lives-photos-capture-new-york-slums-in-1890-1371580298-slideshow/nyc-1890-s-photo-

I need pics like this to remind me just how life was lived only 100 years ago. Be grateful for what you have.

[canard78]

Thanks for sharing. We are indeed blessed.

FWIW, I work in Asia a lot. I was walking down a road in a modern city recently that looks just like this one:

It's not just 100 years ago that people lived in these conditions. It's today.

[tyler90az]

[Calm]

I have a relative who recently made the comment when it was suggested that maybe in the future another relative--of the younger generation---might come to live with her (as they both would likely still be single) when she retired that she saw no reason why this other relative would want to do so, that she herself had nothing to look forward to in her life after retirement.

I was shocked. This woman is relatively healthy and while not rich, will not be wondering where the next meal will come from and would be welcomed in any family member's home if for some reason she lost her financial independence.

It is remarkable how different people's views are on what is necessary to have in order to be happy. I remember recently reading an article that claimed people needed to have an income of so much in order to be happy, the article suggested for the US it was around $75,000 a year. When reading it, I thought what a sad perspective to assume that happiness was so dependent on being financially comfortable, that those who struggle with money issues are seen as unlikely to be happy.

http://www.nytimes.c...?_r=2&emc=eta1

In response to that article was this one:

http://www.forbes.co...-to-be-happy-2/

However, one thing the research also showed was perhaps the reason people are less happy is because of what they do with their money rather than the amount itself:

However the true take-away from all of these mental exercises with money and happiness is that what we do with our money is more important than the money we earn. The thought that making more money can allow us to have bigger houses and fancier cars to nicer digital televisions-more for ourselves- is ultimately ineffective at turning money into happiness. Research has demonstrated that if you are going to spend money on yourself, you may want to switch from buying material objects (TVs or cars) to buying experiences (trips and special events). Based on additional research by Dunn and Norton, while buying more “experiences”, you will be better off by just buying less in general and instead buy for others.

Perhaps people will start considering one doesn't actually have to buy stuff for others in order to give...that time and love and relationship are most meaningful not in arranged experiences of fun and interest, but in the ongoing day to day struggles where we need each other's support and love to make it through.

If someone has issues with feeling deprived enough that their happiness is suffering, wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a service available that allowed them to experience what life is like for so many so that they appreciated what they have that much more and could take joy in what they have, even if it was much less than what their neighbour possessed or if it meant that they never got to go out to eat and had to rely on just the TV for seeing movies, etc.

Edited June 22, 2013 by calmoriah

[Robert F. Smith]

Mother Teresa was less concerned with whether she was happy than with just helping the poor. She gave her all on behalf of others. What sort of lesson should we take from her?

Money can't buy happiness: I recall quite vividly my own young self holding my girlfriend's hand, both of us skipping down a San Francisco street one evening, singing "Ain't got a barrel of money. Maybe we're ragged and funny. But we'll travel along, singin our song, side by side." Neither of us had a car, and we barely made enough to get by. But it didn't get any better than that.

[ERayR]

Photos from 1890's in NYC . http://ca.news.yahoo...c-1890-s-photo-

I need pics like this to remind me just how life was lived only 100 years ago. Be grateful for what you have.

For some life is still lived that way.

I see Canard78 has already said this.

Edited June 22, 2013 by ERayR

[tyler90az]

Mother Teresa was less concerned with whether she was happy than with just helping the poor. She gave her all on behalf of others. What sort of lesson should we take from her?

Money can't buy happiness: I recall quite vividly my own young self holding my girlfriend's hand, both of us skipping down a San Francisco street one evening, singing "Ain't got a barrel of money. Maybe we're ragged and funny. But we'll travel along, singin our song, side by side." Neither of us had a car, and we barely made enough to get by. But it didn't get any better than that.

San Francisco in the 60 or 70's, it must have been the drugs.

[Tacenda]

San Francisco in the 60 or 70's, it must have been the drugs.

Or Robert is in his 60's or 70's!

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Oh the horror that awaits the adults who allow this!

[Tacenda]

Oh the horror that awaits the adults who allow this!

Well that could include many, many wealthy including the church. Churches IMO, should get their congregations on board and squash this scene from ever happening. Our church is the wealthiest statistically speaking, we need to speak up in our meetings, make it known from our rooftops that something needs to be done. We spend very little in our church on humanitarian needs, compared to what we take in. The fourth mission of this church is to take care of the poor and needy. With our wealth we could break barriors. And in my opinion if we did that, millions would join on that alone. Jesus is weeping at these pictures and waiting for us to love our neighbor. We're missing the boat here. And hopefully not becoming the great and abominable church that our scriptures speak of.

[The Nehor]

The sad truth is that the starving photos are not something we can easily change. If we could we would. There are tons of organizations that would give their right arm to be able to get food to those areas. The will is there; the ability is not. Virtually every area with large-scale malnutrition and/or starvation is controlled by someone (corrupt government, warlord) who likes it that way and is perfectly okay intercepting food shipments to keep it that way or to use for their own purposes. Short of going in shooting and eliminating them (with all the problems that causes) there is little we can do.

[Calm]

The sad truth is that the starving photos are not something we can easily change. If we could we would. There are tons of organizations that would give their right arm to be able to get food to those areas. The will is there; the ability is not. Virtually every area with large-scale malnutrition and/or starvation is controlled by someone (corrupt government, warlord) who likes it that way and is perfectly okay intercepting food shipments to keep it that way or to use for their own purposes. Short of going in shooting and eliminating them (with all the problems that causes) there is little we can do.

If it was only money that was needed to solve the problem, it would have been solved a long time ago (well, maybe not so long ago, but last century at least). That there are those who are actually trying to prevent help getting to these people...that is evil and I agree with Papa that there is horror awaiting them when they realize the enormity of their acts.

There is something satisfying about Dante's circles of hell, I can see why they appealed to many...though I much prefer after the gut settles down the merciful and just approach that God actually uses.

The Church acts in part to improve situations like this by changing people's hearts as well as getting many involved in their own physical salvation through education and self-sustaining humanitarian projects, hopefully in time these effects coupled with others who work toward the same goal will become stronger than the desire for corruption and power, but it will take major effort and time in order to create that sense of community among those that are now being abuse as unfortunately the abused so often becomes the abuser because that is all he knows or sees as safe.

Edited June 24, 2013 by calmoriah

[Tacenda]

The sad truth is that the starving photos are not something we can easily change. If we could we would. There are tons of organizations that would give their right arm to be able to get food to those areas. The will is there; the ability is not. Virtually every area with large-scale malnutrition and/or starvation is controlled by someone (corrupt government, warlord) who likes it that way and is perfectly okay intercepting food shipments to keep it that way or to use for their own purposes. Short of going in shooting and eliminating them (with all the problems that causes) there is little we can do.

There are no excuses. We love our materialism far more than saving these people. Our country goes into places all the time for far less a reason. Oil, comes to mind.

[Calm]

Our country goes into places all the time for far less a reason. Oil, comes to mind.

And boy, has that been such a great success.

[The Nehor]

There are no excuses. We love our materialism far more than saving these people. Our country goes into places all the time for far less a reason. Oil, comes to mind.

The sad truth is we cannot save everyone. Giving up material blessings will not save them. If I could convert my 401k and my checking account into temporal salvation for those dying I would. I take being a limited mortal as a valid excuse. Intervention would probably cost more lives then it would save. To force change will take an internal change (no idea how to do this short of converting everyone) or invasion with all the messy collateral damage and lives maimed and lost that implies including the innocent who always end up getting killed in the mayhem.

Sometimes I really do not like this world and look forward to a better one.

[Calm]

There are no excuses. We love our materialism far more than saving these people. Our country goes into places all the time for far less a reason. Oil, comes to mind.

http://www.idppcenter.com/UN_Peacekeeping_Failures.pdf

I have no idea about the value of this analysis. Perhaps someone in the know could comment if it is a relatively fair one. If accurate, it points out the values and costs of such peacekeeping ventures in the past. Perhaps, Tacenda, you could come up with some ideas on how to improve upon these efforts. I think we are all very good at finding faults in such things, the problem is if we want to improve people's conditions, we have to improve the processes that we apply to do so...and so far as I can see we have had little success even when going in with good intentions such as when Canada sends peacekeepers to wartorn nations (Canada has in the past been very proud--as they should be--about their willingness to step in and help where little long term benefit is likely to occur, though of course one of the reasons they can do this is their strong military partner to the south watching their back).

I would cut and past some of the major points such as the list of tragic failures of the peacekeepers, but the formatting is wonky.

Edited June 24, 2013 by calmoriah

[Calm]

Speaking of tragedies....my home away from home, Calgary, is not having fun this spring:

One of our favourite parks close by our home:

Driven down this road dozens of times to visit friends in our ward:

One spot of humour...One of the mayor's addresses:

"I can't believe I actually have to say this, but I'm going to say it. The river is closed. You cannot boat on the river. I have a large number of nouns that I can use to describe the people I saw in a canoe on the Bow river today. I am not allowed to use any of them. I can tell you, however, that I have been told that despite the state of local emergency, I'm not allowed to invoke the Darwin law.

If you are on the river we have to rescue you. If we have to rescue you we're taking away valuable resource from others. Everytime we have to pull a rescue boat onto the river, it means there is not a rescue boat in a community that is flooded. It is selfish and it is ridiculous for you to be on the river. So, do not do it. Stay off the river no matter what kind of thrills you're interesting in coming for and I won't use any of the nouns that I really want to use."

Edited June 24, 2013 by calmoriah

[Tacenda]

http://www.idppcente...ng_Failures.pdf

I have no idea about the value of this analysis. Perhaps someone in the know could comment if it is a relatively fair one. If accurate, it points out the values and costs of such peacekeeping ventures in the past. Perhaps, Tacenda, you could come up with some ideas on how to improve upon these efforts. I think we are all very good at finding faults in such things, the problem is if we want to improve people's conditions, we have to improve the processes that we apply to do so...and so far as I can see we have had little success even when going in with good intentions such as when Canada sends peacekeepers to wartorn nations (Canada has in the past been very proud--as they should be--about their willingness to step in and help where little long term benefit is likely to occur, though of course one of the reasons they can do this is their strong military partner to the south watching their back).

I would cut and past some of the major points such as the list of tragic failures of the peacekeepers, but the formatting is wonky.

Found several church sponsered charities on this website along with so much information....I read the article you downloaded, it may be accurate somewhat but doesn't help the motivation needed to help these people. People might read it and stop believing there is a way, but I always tell my kids "if there's a will, there's a way!".

http://www.worldhunger.org/contributefood.htm

Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) is the worldwide humanitarian arm of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

America's Second Harvest is the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization. Through a network of nearly 200 food banks, Second Harvest distributes food to 26 million hungry Americans each year.

Catholic Relief Services is the humanitarian arm of the U.S. Catholic community.

Church World Service is a coalition of 36 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox communions in the United States, cooperating worldwide in programs of long-term development, emergency response and assistance to refugees.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America—Division for Church in Society

Freedom from Hunger is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international development organization dedicated to ending chronic hunger and poverty through self-help programs that serve women.

Heifer Project International

InterAction A coalition of more than 150 non-profit organizations. Check here if you do not see the organization you are looking for on our website.

Lutheran World Relief works in overseas development and relief.

Mennonite Central Committee is the relief and development arm of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.

Oxfam International is an international group of independent non-governmental organizations dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. There is a United States Oxfam.

Presbyterian Hunger Program

Work Directly With Poor People:

Congressional Hunger Center develops new and existing anti-hunger leaders through various programs including its Mickey Leland Hunger Fellows Program, which are one- year programs with stipends.

Peace Corps

Cal, I went to this website http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html to

see if any of the above were trustworthy, I found several of them listed!

HUNGER

GRADE

Action Against Hunger – USA A Bread for the World B+ Bread for the World Institute A Food Bank for New York City (formerly Food for Survival) A Food for the Hungry A– Freedom from Hunger A Global Hunger Project A

INTERNATIONAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

GRADE

<a href="http://www.africare.org/" target="_blank">Africare A+ American Friends Service Committee A– American Near East Refugee Aid A American Refugee Committee A+ CARE A– Catholic Relief Services A+ Charity: water/Charity Global A Church World Service A– Direct Relief International & Foundation A– Doctors Without Borders – USA A Episcopal Relief & Development A+ Fistula Foundation A Grameen Foundation USA A HealthRight International (formerly Doctors of the World) A– International Medical Corps A International Rescue Committee A+ Lutheran World Relief A Medical Teams International A Mennonite Central Committee A Mercy Corps A– Operation USA A– Oxfam-America A Partners in Health A+ Project Concern International A ReSurge International (formerly Interplast) A– Rotary Foundation of Rotary International A+ Save the Children A+ Seva Foundation A– TechnoServe A UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) A+ United States Fund for UNICEF B+ United to End Genocide (formerly Save Darfur Coalition) B+ World Concern, a program of Crista Ministries A–

[Calm]

The article I linked to pointed out the problem with going in with military force and trying to make the corrupt governments behave so that the food gets to the right people. That doesn't work. There may be other ways to do it, but not by military force over a long period of time.

I was not making any comment about the effectiveness of the actual charities, just responding to your suggestion we go in there and make them behave since we were willing to try and do it for oil.

Edited June 24, 2013 by calmoriah

[Tacenda]

The article I linked to pointed out the problem with going in with military force and trying to make the corrupt governments behave so that the food gets to the right people. That doesn't work. There may be other ways to do it, but not by military force over a long period of time.

I was not making any comment about the effectiveness of the actual charities, just responding to your suggestion we go in there and make them behave since we were willing to try and do it for oil.

Oops, sorry. But you did ask me what I would do, so I mentioned these charities as maybe a means to help, if I were to try. I'm always leary though, thinking about where the money will actually be spent. I was hoping to see the church involved, like all these other churches but understand that in the big picture they are maybe trying to accomplish a greater good that may wind up helping these people in the end and I think you alluded to this in one of your posts.

[Calm]

I was hoping to see the church involved

Involved in what? The Church has a number of humanitarian projects, both ongoing and immediate ones over and above the Welfare arm of the Church which does a massive amount of helping people not only in the short run, but in the long run through education.

And what is great about the Church's humanitarian projects is that 100% of the donations go to the people who are the focus, not administrative costs (at least that is how some of the projects are run so I am assuming all of them are, tithing and revenue from profit companies owned by the Church pay for adminstrative and transportation costs, IIRC). One can check on the Church's websites to see if there is a project that is particularly appealing to donate to. Me, I like the Perpetual Education Fund, the Clean Water Project and the Temple Attendance Fund or whatever it is called (where one helps pay for expenses for those who have to travel to the temple so they can have their own work done but can't afford it themselves) because all three are important in my own life. I am hoping that someday the PEF grows large enough that it will be made available to all who demonstrate the commitment to participate, even nonmembers.

Edited June 24, 2013 by calmoriah

[Tacenda]

Involved in what? The Church has a number of humanitarian projects, both ongoing and immediate ones over and above the Welfare arm of the Church which does a massive amount of helping people not only in the short run, but in the long run through education.

And what is great about the Church's humanitarian projects is that 100% of the donations go to the people who are the focus, not administrative costs (at least that is how some of the projects are run so I am assuming all of them are, tithing and revenue from profit companies owned by the Church pay for adminstrative and transportation costs, IIRC). One can check on the Church's websites to see if there is a project that is particularly appealing to donate to. Me, I like the Perpetual Education Fund, the Clean Water Project and the Temple Attendance Fund or whatever it is called (where one helps pay for expenses for those who have to travel to the temple so they can have their own work done but can't afford it themselves) because all three are important in my own life. I am hoping that someday the PEF grows large enough that it will be made available to all who demonstrate the commitment to participate, even nonmembers.

I'm not disagreeing, I know that the church is helping. But a change has been made to the language at the bottom of the tithing slip, explaining how funds will be used. The previous explanation said, “All donations to the Church’s missionary fund become the property of the Church to be used at the Church’s sole discretion in its missionary program.”

The new explanation takes a more general approach to donated funds: “Though reasonable efforts will be made globally to use donations as designated, all donations become the Church’s property and will be used at the Church’s sole discretion to further the Church’s overall mission.”

http://ldsliving.com/story/69822-lds-church-adopts-new-tithing-slips

So how do I know where the money is spent specifically?

[Calm]

I'm not disagreeing, I know that the church is helping. But a change has been made to the language at the bottom of the tithing slip, explaining how funds will be used. The previous explanation said, “All donations to the Church’s missionary fund become the property of the Church to be used at the Church’s sole discretion in its missionary program.”

The new explanation takes a more general approach to donated funds: “Though reasonable efforts will be made globally to use donations as designated, all donations become the Church’s property and will be used at the Church’s sole discretion to further the Church’s overall mission.”

http://ldsliving.com...w-tithing-slips

So how do I know where the money is spent specifically?

If you don't think reasonable efforts are enough in this case, feel free to donate elsewhere where you know for sure that not 100% of the donations go to the individuals....or if you are lucky, perhaps there are other organizations that somehow manage to do the same.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Well that could include many, many wealthy including the church. Churches IMO, should get their congregations on board and squash this scene from ever happening. Our church is the wealthiest statistically speaking, we need to speak up in our meetings, make it known from our rooftops that something needs to be done. We spend very little in our church on humanitarian needs, compared to what we take in. The fourth mission of this church is to take care of the poor and needy. With our wealth we could break barriors. And in my opinion if we did that, millions would join on that alone. Jesus is weeping at these pictures and waiting for us to love our neighbor. We're missing the boat here. And hopefully not becoming the great and abominable church that our scriptures speak of.

We contribute millions to help with such things. I remember years ago, one of our Prophets asked for special fast for this very reason, raising around $8,000,0000 in one day.

[Tacenda]

We contribute millions to help with such things. I remember years ago, one of our Prophets asked for special fast for this very reason, raising around $8,000,0000 in one day.

Do you have more info? I have never heard this before!