To be conscious of energy concerns. My car gets decent mileage. I throw
my shit in the trash. I get pissed at people who litter and wish I was
allowed to shoot people in the face if I see them fucking up. I recycle
my tampons. I do my part for the world around me when I can. That said,
in my own home regarding stuff I pay for, people need to get the fuck
out of my life.
There’s
a commercial that’s been running for the better part of a year now that
has the gall to suggest that a great way to heal the Earth is to set
our thermostats to around 78 degrees in the summer and around 72 in the
winter.
That’s fucking dumb.
Our
homes are the one place we are in control of our environment. I
personally love the cold. In my office downstairs I try and maintain a
very arctic environment and literally feel like a fish out of water
when I’m someplace indoors and warm where someone has their A/C off
(especially the car). I have trouble breathing. Moving air is vital.
That said, the cooler the better.
For
a company to tell us to make ourselves uncomfortable in our own homes
is lazy and counter to the point. We make sacrifices and deal with
headaches so we can enjoy our time at home. Our own happy place. If
there’s an energy problem, us changing our thermostats may save a few
bucks, but at the cost of our comfort. Fuck that. Plus, it’s not going
to make some great change in the state of things. It’s a stopgap. At
best. It’s not going to change anything. Except make our homes less fun
to spend time in.
It
pisses me off. When I’m at home my goal is to keep my thermostat at 70
degrees all year round. Perfection. When I’m on the road sometimes I’ll
go even lower and enjoy the chill. I’m an extreme and I know it, but
when I go to a relative or friend’s house and they’ve got it at 80
degrees you can guarantee my stay will be a short one. It’s one of the
reasons I always stay in a hotel when we visit family. There are other
reasons, but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
So,
keep your energy saving tips to yourself, power company. Or be more
aggressive in serving your customers. Or in pursuing new, cleaner and
more efficient energy. Don’t put the onus on the end consumer. That’s
dumb and lazy. We’re the ones paying you for your service.
I’m
typing this in a chilly room, rain pounding the windows, and the
Yankees beating the Red Sox on TV. This is why we work. To be in a good
place that is conducive towards that most fleeting thing: Mental Health.
In my case it’s a losing battle, but at least I’ll be comfortable for the descent into madness.
Now, please enjoy the last two Nightsticks albums for free.
* – TRENDY!