Drive-Thru Haz Mat Dump

UCSB Center Makes It Easy to Clean House

By Silvia Uribe

As any writer would be able to tell you, less is more. That's why most of us keep editing our columns to death, and then some. But writing is not the only activity the aphorism applies to. Getting rid of the things that we don't really need at home is usually a headache, even for those who (unlike me) are very well organized. The Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center located at UCSB can take reduce some of the suffering.

We humans tend to discard everything from paint cans to electronics into the landfill, collectively creating piles and piles of dangerous wastes. Sometimes, even when we think we're disposing of hazardous materials adequately, we are actually contaminating our environment.

Prescribed medications are a good example of what I'm talking about. I clearly remember my grandma and my mom, during my childhood, dropping the old or unused pills down the toilet as they cleaned out the medicine cabinet. I also remember what they told me time and again: "These pills could be very dangerous to people's health. We need to do this so no one gets hurt." Good point! Their intention was great, and they were right in their assessment of the potential danger, but by flushing them, they did precisely the opposite.

Now we have data that proves that this practice harms our environment, but many still follow their very old-fashioned, unsafe practices to dispose of their medications. Why? Because they don't know of an easy way to get rid of them. The only other option they think they have is to accumulate these at home with the additional tremendous risk that someone in the family-possibly a teenager--will take them, possibly with lethal consequences. We should not risk it!

I'd say that pharmacies should be able to provide this service in an easily accessible and controlled way. Since this is not an option at the moment, there's another way. Among other things, the Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center receives old and unused medications--to be safely incinerated, thereby solving our household problem and taking good care of the environment.

This facility also receives other hazardous materials that are flammable, corrosive, or poisonous-a long list that includes adhesives, aerosols, anti-freeze, asbestos, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, mercury, motor oil, paint, drain openers, household cleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals, roof tar, solvents, stains, and used motor oil.

The Waste Collection Center is so well organized that it is basically like a drive-in. You fill out a little form. You hand the workers your medications. If you have items to dispose of in the trunk of your car, you just open it. They will help you get your materials out, and you'll be on your way. That's it! It is that fast and that efficient!

It is lucky for those of us living in Goleta to have this great service right in our backyard, but it is important to know that all Santa Barbara residents are welcome to take advantage of it.

The Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center is located at University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), Mesa Road, Building 565, Goleta, CA 93106, (805) 882-3602. It is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. 3 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. 3 p.m.

If you have additional questions regarding specific materials, don't hesitate to call the Center. The person who answers the phone has all the answers you might need, and provides outstanding customer service.

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latina perspective.

Cross-posted at the Independent.com

Watch that thong!

By Silvia Uribe

Being a woman who grew up surrounded by women, and who has two daughters and many girlfriends, I feel quite protective of women. For these same reasons, I'm generally not only respectful of different ways, styles, and behaviors, but also I embrace and enjoy our particularities, and the way those make us unique. There are times, however, when women make loud social statements that can really harm their image, every other woman's image, as well as how seriously others take us.

It is in those cases when an uncontrollable desire to let these women know that they're making a mistake invades me. I know the possible consequences. I start feeling uneasy and nervous. The same way I used to feel when my cousins planned to leave our grandma's home without permission to go see their boyfriends.

This happened to me recently. I was attending an event that was very crowded. The audience was comprised of more men than women, and the local press was present. Among the attendees was a woman taking notes. She was young and attractive. Since I was sitting in the last row, I had the perfect view. I saw some men glancing at her as she was concentrating on her task. Her attire was professional, discrete and elegant. I didn't notice her camera until she precipitously got a hold of it and hurried to the front of the room to take a picture of the panelists.

It was when she kneeled down to avoid blocking the crowd's view that the whole situation changed really quickly. Some men started elbowing their buds, and with a gesture of their eyes told them to look to this woman's turquoise thong that had made a bright appearance on her bare lower back. Some men mischievously smiled and others exchanged quick looks.

The woman took her pictures and got back to her seat. Some of the men were still smiling and even exchanging brief comments while looking at her. She seemed to be oblivious to all this.

On our way out, she was walking a few steps ahead of me. By now, it was clear to me that she was with the press; maybe a reporter covering an assignment, and for sure a professional who is trying to gain respect in quite a competitive career. Do you see where I'm going? This is not the only time that I've seen this happening. Sometimes, I've known the person, too! Really, do they not know that when they lean over, their thong shows? Do they simply not care? Do they do it on purpose? Some men I've asked seem to think that the later is true.

Most women work very hard in order to be taken seriously. They try very hard to not be considered a sexual object, and they prepare themselves intellectually to be able to reach high positions in the career they choose. A thong peeking out goes against the image that a professional woman is trying to convey. Can't they see that? Well, obviously they can't.

If we know the person, should we tell them something to this regard? I don't know and I have so far been unable to make a decision about it, so I asked some of my girlfriends for their opinion. Unfortunately, their responses didn't help me much. They were all over the place. I heard definite no's, accompanied by their advice not to be nosey. I also heard enthusiastic yeses, concluding that because I am older than these women, they could hear my advice and possibly benefit from it. And I also got the woman bagging on woman accusation, which bugged me.

It was not until recently that I have made a decision. Next time I see something like the event described earlier; I'll just take the risk. I prefer to be told off for trying to help, rather than feel that I could've done something for her and didn't.

So ladies, please watch that thong!

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross posted at edhat.com

Motherly Indiscretions

By Silvia Uribe

When my husband and I decided to form a family, we planned for it. But we planned in a non-traditional way. We didn't plan to wait, enjoy life, and adjust to each other. We certainly didn't plan our finances. At the time, we didn't have a lot of money, but we still wanted to raise a baby or two. And we did.

What we did carefully plan was what kind of upbringing we wanted our children to have. We had numerous conversations regarding important things such as discipline, values, and how to make their lives easier on us when they became adults.

To accomplish this task, we knew we had to teach them how to make good decisions. There was a calculated risk that we also prepared for: at some point they would probably make decisions that we wouldn't like. We took the risk.

Since then, as parents, we have been involved in every step of their lives. We have let them decide some things, be successful, and we have let them make mistakes. But, we always had their back. As time passed, they were able to put their decision-making skills in practice more and more. However, we knew, and they did too, that in case of an irreconcilable disagreement, it was us parents, and not them, who had the last word. There was no doubt about that! This understanding lasted until they became adults, and even longer, until they became financially independent.

When our oldest daughter left home to explore the world and her soul in a far, far away land, some years ago, we had to learn to detach. Take into consideration that we are a traditional Latino family that spends all the time we can together. We are best friends, and laugh together while arguing for endless hours about the silliest of things at the dinner table. And yes, we also fight about the most stupid things. As you can imagine, detaching, to us, was very uncomfortable and painful. But, with time, we got used to it.

Having gone through those stages, I can tell you that the biggest challenging, for us, was getting used to not having the last word. Don't take me wrong. It feels very good to see that our children can make good decisions and that they can fly with their own wings. It is good that they are successful, smart, and secure of themselves. And it is good that the huge responsibility of their well being is not on our shoulders anymore. We feel that our mission was accomplished!

Like most parents, we welcomed this liberating side of the detachment process. But what about the little details, the everyday things life is full of? What happens with giving our advice, whether our children want to hear it or not? At the same time we feel that if we don't advise them, we're failing them. But how true is that? Do they really need our opinion on how their apartment should be decorated, what they should wear, the design of their stationary, or who they're dating, even when they don't ask?

The fact is, these unimportant, unsolicited opinions could potentially damage our relationship with our children forever. I've seen that happening to other family members and friends. To avoid this, we only have to change positions. When did we ever appreciate someone telling us what to do or have in our own home, who to hang out with, what to eat or what to wear? Never! Thus, the logical thing is not to do it!

However, this is easier said than done. This, precisely, is the new stage that I am in. Although I consider myself quite adaptable, this discrete behavior is not coming naturally to me. It is taking a while for the whole concept to sink in. I think I'm catching myself every time I want to be motherly, indiscreet, nosey, imprudent, or plainly annoying. But it is taking a great effort on my part, given my spontaneous Latino temperament, fatally combined with my lack of patience.

But we learn as we go. I thought I had learned how to be a mom a while ago. The fact is, my children keep teaching me important lessons everyday, despite our ages. This makes me wonder. Who benefits more from a parent-child relationship? And, which one of the two is bound to grow more?

Have a fabulous Mother's Day!

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross-posted at Edhat.com

At the Dalai Lama Conference

Social Perceptions of a Curious Neophyte

By Silvia Uribe

As the organizers had recommended, my daughter and I arrived at the Thunderdome a little over two hours in advance. We had been anticipating this day for six long month, since the day we bought the tickets. Although people might think the Dalai Lama quite removed from our Methodist affiliation, in reality, spiritual values, good morals, and ethics are universal, as the Dalai Lama later told us.

However, what happened before, during, and after His Holiness's appearance was as enlightening as the conference itself, in a different way. We found ourselves standing at the beginning of a very short line, with the eyes of many security guards upon us. They were probably wondering if our legs would be strong enough to stoically stand for the next two-and-a-half hours, since, as we soon learned, the morning conference was not yet over. What? "It'll be ten minutes before this session is over, and we will open the doors in about two hours after that," admonished an authoritative-looking man in a black suit.

The weather was sunny and warm, but breezy enough to be comfortable. Before we knew it, and immediately after a big round of applause that was audible from outside, the crowd started pouring out from every side of the Thunderdome. It took us by surprise to see that many of them had something in common: They were wearing accessories or items of clothing that had an Asian motif--from scarves to dresses, pants, bags, shoes, jewelry, you name it. Some of the attendees were wearing several such pieces. Whether these pieces matched or not was a different story. They had them, and they wore them! It was definitely a loud and colorful fashion statement!

By this time, some others were standing behind us. Small talk began, and shortly thereafter we were like old friends reunited, chatting and sharing our reasons for being there. We learned that several of them practiced, and were very knowledgeable about, Buddhism and the Tibetan traditions. Some had traveled many miles, from north and south, to see their spiritual leader. We saw some who were meditating in lotus position, eyes closed, along the wall.

Finally, a tall, thin man who spoke through his teeth told us that the doors would be open in five to ten minutes, but a half hour passed before they started screening us and letting us in. For the first time in my life, I was the first person to go into an event!

Coming in, we could see the stage, and along the basketball court, rows of white chairs, followed by rows of blue chairs. Only the narrowest of aisles divided the colors in the soon-to-be-packed multitorium. The white chairs, we were told, were for VIPs.

My daughter and I were way up in the bleachers, so we had great vantage point from which to watch everything happening down below. It was interesting, for instance, to observe how some of the people who were sitting on the blue chairs--whose tickets were more expensive than the bleacher seats even though they were quite far from the stage--were having a hard time sitting in the back. A few of them tried to get moved forward, but their efforts were in vain, so they finally accepted reality and sat down.

I was wondering how I would be able to sit on the bleachers' hard wooden bleachers for two hours. The mere thought made my derriere hurt. Still, people became close friends for the time being, up there in the bleachers; talking to each other, laughing, even sharing snacks. It was dark up there, so we helped each other reach seats and climb stairs.

Finally, the Dalai Lama came out. We stood up to greet him with respect. I like those formalities! Some UCSB directors and the University's Chancellor Yang came out with him. They were there to introduce the Dalai Lama, and to promote UCSB's academic leadership and accomplishments. To be really honest, it felt out of place. Don't take me wrong! I want UCSB's status as one of the nation's top universities to be known, but I would have preferred to hear the Dalai Lama speaking for those additional 15 minutes.

Since you've already heard or read a lot about the Dalai Lama's talk, I'll just say that he spoke to us in a rather simple, everyday style. He used clear reasoning, but no pompous words or concepts. His teachings always had a positive slant. This humble man, who seems to have no ego, who possesses a good sense of humor, and who obviously enjoys laughing, focused on three things: compassion, the importance of values, and a global conscience. He emphasized seeing things from different points of view if we want to understand others and maintain a dialogue.

At the end of the two hours, I did leave with a hurting derriere, but happy that I had seen and heard one of the most important spiritual leaders in the world deliver the same simple message that other leaders have given us throughout the times, but we seem not to be able to hear.

Maybe one day:

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latina perspective.

Cross-posted at the Independent.com