Did you know that bubble gum is made from plastic and rubber? It used to be tree resins (which sounds odd enough, but then again, aspirin came from tree bark, and that's worked out well), but in order to save money, it's now made from plastic.
No kidding.
So, if you spend a lot of time making sure your kid is drinking from BPA free water bottles and carries a waste free, metal lunch box, why would you let them chew plastic?
Because you didn't know, of course. But now you do.
Beth Terry mentioned this in her blog, Fake Plastic Fish, but I missed that article. Give it a read. It's eye opening.
Knowledge is power. Be powerful.
Where's the pause button on this thing?
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
The Story of Electronics
Another good movie from the folks that brought you The Story of Stuff. This is The Story of Electronics. I'd love it if companies would take back our old electronic gear. Ask YOUR rep to co-sponsor the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act. Make your voice heard.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
No Impact Man Movie! In Boulder! Tonight! (And an anti-plastic rant, because apparently I woke up on the Ranty side of the bed this morning.)
Guess who's going to a movie tonight?!
That's right! ME!
It will be at CU in Boulder at 7pm tonight. If you're interested, you should go! And look for me! I'll be the one with the crazy look in her eye because I'll be out of the house without children!
So yeah, you should go. Maybe we can all learn a little something more to help us reduce our impacts on the environment. That's my plan, at any rate.
On a related - yet separate - note, I just weighed our week's worth of trash today and we came up at 15 lbs for our family of five. Unlike Julie, though, I didn't weigh our recycling. It's compost week over here, so the recycling is half in and half out of the house. Next week, maybe I'll have a look at that weight as well. We're cutting down and cutting back partly due to the economy and partly due to my environmentalism. It's really nice to look back and realize that by baking my own bread since February, I've kept ~96 plastic bread bags out of the trash (~40 English muffin bags and another ~40 bagel bags as well). Although we would have put cat littler into them before tossing them anyway, not using them in the first place is even better. We still have plenty of cereal, cat litter, oatmeal and assorted other plastic bags to use instead.
When you think about the fact that every single one of the plastic items ever created is still on this Earth, it makes my changes seem infinitesimally small in comparison. However, not trying to make a difference is not an option for me. We're poisoning ourselves, our oceans, our wildlife and our children.
We must step up and take responsibility for our actions, demand change from industry and our government and fix it before it's too late. Hopefully it isn't already.
I'm not suggesting we all become pioneering monks. What I am suggesting is that there's a better way to live. That if we demanded stronger environmental protections of the government (Make those calls! Vote! Write those letters!) and demanded change from industry (Buy wisely! Vote with your dollars! Write those letters!), we'd see changes in packaging, new choices in the marketplace (e.g. the boom in organic food) and a reduction in pollution. Why am I responsible for disposing of all the plastic waste that every damned thing comes packaged in these days? Why isn't Industry responsible for their product from cradle to grave? Do we really need those crazy blister packs surrounding every small techie device made now?
There has to be another way.
We just have to look for it, demand it, strive for it.
So yeah. I'm going to the movies, but it's about a whole lot more than entertainment.
Updated to add: Believe it or not, after all the run up, we didn't get to see the movie. The projector at CU broke. We went all that way, waited around, at 7:35 pm they called it and said they'd refund our money. Now I have to wait until it comes out on DVD. If any of you get to see it, tell me how it was. I'm so bummed.
That's right! ME!
It will be at CU in Boulder at 7pm tonight. If you're interested, you should go! And look for me! I'll be the one with the crazy look in her eye because I'll be out of the house without children!
So yeah, you should go. Maybe we can all learn a little something more to help us reduce our impacts on the environment. That's my plan, at any rate.
On a related - yet separate - note, I just weighed our week's worth of trash today and we came up at 15 lbs for our family of five. Unlike Julie, though, I didn't weigh our recycling. It's compost week over here, so the recycling is half in and half out of the house. Next week, maybe I'll have a look at that weight as well. We're cutting down and cutting back partly due to the economy and partly due to my environmentalism. It's really nice to look back and realize that by baking my own bread since February, I've kept ~96 plastic bread bags out of the trash (~40 English muffin bags and another ~40 bagel bags as well). Although we would have put cat littler into them before tossing them anyway, not using them in the first place is even better. We still have plenty of cereal, cat litter, oatmeal and assorted other plastic bags to use instead.
When you think about the fact that every single one of the plastic items ever created is still on this Earth, it makes my changes seem infinitesimally small in comparison. However, not trying to make a difference is not an option for me. We're poisoning ourselves, our oceans, our wildlife and our children.
We must step up and take responsibility for our actions, demand change from industry and our government and fix it before it's too late. Hopefully it isn't already.
For a detailed breakdown of the garbage patch, click this link to view the illustration by Heather Jones, from Plastic Oceans.
I'm not suggesting we all become pioneering monks. What I am suggesting is that there's a better way to live. That if we demanded stronger environmental protections of the government (Make those calls! Vote! Write those letters!) and demanded change from industry (Buy wisely! Vote with your dollars! Write those letters!), we'd see changes in packaging, new choices in the marketplace (e.g. the boom in organic food) and a reduction in pollution. Why am I responsible for disposing of all the plastic waste that every damned thing comes packaged in these days? Why isn't Industry responsible for their product from cradle to grave? Do we really need those crazy blister packs surrounding every small techie device made now?
There has to be another way.
We just have to look for it, demand it, strive for it.
So yeah. I'm going to the movies, but it's about a whole lot more than entertainment.
Updated to add: Believe it or not, after all the run up, we didn't get to see the movie. The projector at CU broke. We went all that way, waited around, at 7:35 pm they called it and said they'd refund our money. Now I have to wait until it comes out on DVD. If any of you get to see it, tell me how it was. I'm so bummed.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Are you STILL using disposable plastic water bottles?
Watch this trailer.*
* Totally stolen from Fake Plastic Fish.
I think because our trash is taken away by large trucks and hauled off somewhere else, we don't realize what kind of an impact we have collectively. It's only when you either see the giant trash heaps or see the giant garbage pile swirling around in the North Pacific gyre. So in case you're wondering why it is I keep on making my own yogurt, kefir, sour cream and buttermilk when I have so many other things I could be doing, that's why. Reading that article is what made me want to stop buying bread all the time and instead, make my own. It's what led me to make more of my own dairy products, buy more products in bulk (loose leaf tea, flour, oats, etc.) instead of individually wrapped bits, use cloth diapers and make Caitlin's lunch. It's why we cook at home most of the time (that, plus it's less expensive plus twins).
All of these things add up to less trash to dispose. Less plastic for turtles to eat. A smaller carbon footprint. Also? A smaller trash bill.
We have the smallest trashcan (33 gallons) we could rent from our trash service. We have two larger recycling and compost containers that handle twice the volume that our trashcan does. I still compost all of the vegetative matter, but now the service will take all of the icky stuff I couldn't compost: meat scraps, bones, fat, dairy, and the giant seed-filled weeds from my yard. Of which, this year, there are a lot. Maybe next year the twins will be safer in the yard and allow me to get out there and weed without worrying about them ripping green tomatoes off the vine or crashing into the miniature pond. Either one makes mommy cry.
Does it take more time to make these things at home? Certainly. However, knowing what goes into all of these different foods that we're putting into our bodies and reducing the amount of plastic waste that we produce makes it worth it to me. So much of the plastic we consume in our society is completely useless. Everything is disposable. Getting out of that mindset is more important than you might think. Have a look at your own trash and note how much of it is plastic. How much is recyclable? How much of it can you compost on your own or, if you're lucky like I am, send off with your curbside composting service?
Thanks to Julie, over at Chez Artz, here is a link to some trash facts. There are some scary numbers in there, but without opening our eyes and acknowledging what we're doing, we can't change.
What are you doing to make a positive difference in the world?
* Totally stolen from Fake Plastic Fish.
I think because our trash is taken away by large trucks and hauled off somewhere else, we don't realize what kind of an impact we have collectively. It's only when you either see the giant trash heaps or see the giant garbage pile swirling around in the North Pacific gyre. So in case you're wondering why it is I keep on making my own yogurt, kefir, sour cream and buttermilk when I have so many other things I could be doing, that's why. Reading that article is what made me want to stop buying bread all the time and instead, make my own. It's what led me to make more of my own dairy products, buy more products in bulk (loose leaf tea, flour, oats, etc.) instead of individually wrapped bits, use cloth diapers and make Caitlin's lunch. It's why we cook at home most of the time (that, plus it's less expensive plus twins).
All of these things add up to less trash to dispose. Less plastic for turtles to eat. A smaller carbon footprint. Also? A smaller trash bill.
We have the smallest trashcan (33 gallons) we could rent from our trash service. We have two larger recycling and compost containers that handle twice the volume that our trashcan does. I still compost all of the vegetative matter, but now the service will take all of the icky stuff I couldn't compost: meat scraps, bones, fat, dairy, and the giant seed-filled weeds from my yard. Of which, this year, there are a lot. Maybe next year the twins will be safer in the yard and allow me to get out there and weed without worrying about them ripping green tomatoes off the vine or crashing into the miniature pond. Either one makes mommy cry.
Does it take more time to make these things at home? Certainly. However, knowing what goes into all of these different foods that we're putting into our bodies and reducing the amount of plastic waste that we produce makes it worth it to me. So much of the plastic we consume in our society is completely useless. Everything is disposable. Getting out of that mindset is more important than you might think. Have a look at your own trash and note how much of it is plastic. How much is recyclable? How much of it can you compost on your own or, if you're lucky like I am, send off with your curbside composting service?
Thanks to Julie, over at Chez Artz, here is a link to some trash facts. There are some scary numbers in there, but without opening our eyes and acknowledging what we're doing, we can't change.
What are you doing to make a positive difference in the world?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Another open letter to the TSA
This time with less swearing.
Dan (from the comments on the previous entry) was right. Instead of just ranting about it here, I should tell the TSA directly about my experience. So I did.
Here it is, in all of its semi-polite glory:
This is us, a family of 5, traveling light.
To be stopped during the screening process and have to remove our SHOES because of a SINGLE (failed) instance (of a bomb in shoes), seems ridiculous. Having to remove the shoes of my 18 month old twins is even MORE ridiculous. On top of THAT, having to take away their comforting blankets AND jackets so that those can also be scanned as I carried my shoeless, screaming twins through the metal detector was infuriating.
To make it THIS HARD to get through security puts a chilling effect in place for families that may want to travel. Making it as stressful as it was has ensured that I will NOT be flying and taking my family anywhere again, until such time as either a family member dies or these rules - put in place during a different administration for feel good measures ONLY - are removed.
I feel certain that I am not the only mother that feels this way, either. Considering that the economy of many of our states depends on tourist dollars, making travel harder for no appreciable increase in security is a waste of US taxpayer dollars and time.
I would really love to see these useless measures be removed from the security screening taking place in US airports. Replace it with something that actually WILL increase security.
Oh and you might as well get rid of all of the National Security signs that detail the current colorful state of our threat level. No one pays any attention to those signs anymore. It has become so much background noise. I shudder to think what it costs, nationwide, to pay people to go around and update all of those signs/monitors/etc.
Thank you for your time.
Do I think anything will come of it?
Naaaah!
However, should you happen to have something to tell the TSA about your own experience, rather than bottling it up inside (Stress is bad for you, you know. Let it out!), you should let them know directly. Perhaps if we all said something about the ridiculous security measures currently in place, perhaps then something would change.
Here's the link to their Contact page. Thanks again Dan!
Dan (from the comments on the previous entry) was right. Instead of just ranting about it here, I should tell the TSA directly about my experience. So I did.
Here it is, in all of its semi-polite glory:
- - - - -
I went on a trip to NYC on 3/19/09 with my family which includes 1 husband, 1 7.5 year old and a pair (2) 18 month old b/g twins. Since the changes to security, we were required to check any luggage that had liquids in it (e.g. contact lens solution) or buy wasteful miniature versions of same (because of a FAILED attempt at a chemical bomb). We also have to carry on 2 children, 1 booster seat, 3 carry-on bags, jackets for all of the above, 2 blankies, 2 umbrella strollers and ourselves. This makes for a LOT of gear to have to cart through the airport.This is us, a family of 5, traveling light.
To be stopped during the screening process and have to remove our SHOES because of a SINGLE (failed) instance (of a bomb in shoes), seems ridiculous. Having to remove the shoes of my 18 month old twins is even MORE ridiculous. On top of THAT, having to take away their comforting blankets AND jackets so that those can also be scanned as I carried my shoeless, screaming twins through the metal detector was infuriating.
To make it THIS HARD to get through security puts a chilling effect in place for families that may want to travel. Making it as stressful as it was has ensured that I will NOT be flying and taking my family anywhere again, until such time as either a family member dies or these rules - put in place during a different administration for feel good measures ONLY - are removed.
I feel certain that I am not the only mother that feels this way, either. Considering that the economy of many of our states depends on tourist dollars, making travel harder for no appreciable increase in security is a waste of US taxpayer dollars and time.
I would really love to see these useless measures be removed from the security screening taking place in US airports. Replace it with something that actually WILL increase security.
Oh and you might as well get rid of all of the National Security signs that detail the current colorful state of our threat level. No one pays any attention to those signs anymore. It has become so much background noise. I shudder to think what it costs, nationwide, to pay people to go around and update all of those signs/monitors/etc.
Thank you for your time.
- - - - -
Do I think anything will come of it?
Naaaah!
However, should you happen to have something to tell the TSA about your own experience, rather than bottling it up inside (Stress is bad for you, you know. Let it out!), you should let them know directly. Perhaps if we all said something about the ridiculous security measures currently in place, perhaps then something would change.
Here's the link to their Contact page. Thanks again Dan!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Still Drinking Bottled Water?
Watch this trailer for the movie Tapped*.
Then go get yourself a reusable container and start using it like everything you do makes a difference to our planet.
Because it does.
* I just saw this over at No Impact Man. Yowsa!
Then go get yourself a reusable container and start using it like everything you do makes a difference to our planet.
Because it does.
* I just saw this over at No Impact Man. Yowsa!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day
Did you hear that sound? It was a huge sigh of relief from around the globe.
Obama is no longer President Elect. He is now The Man.
Ahhhhh.
Must be time to get to work!
I can't help but wonder what my maternal grandmother would have thought about this? I'm not clear on her history, but I think she was the child of a freed slave in Jamaica. Or, possibly, the grandchild of a slave. Not that long ago.
I know that when my parents got married in '66, it was a really weird time and that my mother was questioned about us kids a lot. She says she let the ignorant remarks roll right over her, but I can't help but think it must have been insulting. I know that I received my fair share of mean and ignorant remarks simply by being a child of a mixed marriage.
Now, though? To have such a child (Who is only 7 years older than I am!) be in the Oval Office? How cool is that?!
Very, very cool. That's how cool.
The Obama family are additionally fascinating to me because they clearly are a cohesive unit. There is clearly a great deal of love between them all and seeing that is so very heartwarming. I think it bodes well of the new president that he (Gasp!) loves his wife and daughters so obviously. I really hope it means that he will take the long view of changes that need to be made in office and instead of focusing on how to get re-elected in 4 years, actually focuses on how to make the world a better place for his children (and ours) to live in.
The planet needs the US to step up and get global climate change under control, if at all possible. I really hope it's not too late. I really hope that Obama will be given the grace and the help he needs to accomplish a lot before his term(s) is (are) over.
Here's to Hope!
Obama is no longer President Elect. He is now The Man.
Ahhhhh.
Must be time to get to work!
I can't help but wonder what my maternal grandmother would have thought about this? I'm not clear on her history, but I think she was the child of a freed slave in Jamaica. Or, possibly, the grandchild of a slave. Not that long ago.
I know that when my parents got married in '66, it was a really weird time and that my mother was questioned about us kids a lot. She says she let the ignorant remarks roll right over her, but I can't help but think it must have been insulting. I know that I received my fair share of mean and ignorant remarks simply by being a child of a mixed marriage.
Now, though? To have such a child (Who is only 7 years older than I am!) be in the Oval Office? How cool is that?!
Very, very cool. That's how cool.
The Obama family are additionally fascinating to me because they clearly are a cohesive unit. There is clearly a great deal of love between them all and seeing that is so very heartwarming. I think it bodes well of the new president that he (Gasp!) loves his wife and daughters so obviously. I really hope it means that he will take the long view of changes that need to be made in office and instead of focusing on how to get re-elected in 4 years, actually focuses on how to make the world a better place for his children (and ours) to live in.
The planet needs the US to step up and get global climate change under control, if at all possible. I really hope it's not too late. I really hope that Obama will be given the grace and the help he needs to accomplish a lot before his term(s) is (are) over.
Here's to Hope!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Talkin' Trash
I know I feel better when I start reading blogs again and start feeling all activist-y.
So I read about this guy, Dave, who was keeping his own trash for a year to see what it would add up to. Fascinating.
That led to talk about making your own non-toxic cleaning supplies and how to clean your own home without relying on all of those fun cocktails in plastic bottles.
I continued reading, because how fascinating is it to read about someone keeping their own trash? Fascinating! Especially when they write well. This led me to Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home, a movie about a family that kept their trash for 3 months. I've only seen the first 20 minutes and it's scaring me already. And making me laugh, because it can't all be horrible dark and gloomy.
Just recently my community has decided to switch to a single trash hauler so that we don't have lots of trucks driving through every other day. Instead, the focus is on paying more for trash services and making recycling "free". Well, we already recycle and put out less trash than the average family in our neighborhood, so we're not likely to see any serious cost savings. However, I think we're going to ask for the half sized trash can and see if we can't reduce our trash even more than we currently do.
Right now, we compost all of our food waste (Except for meat, bones, and dairy.), egg cartons, paper towel rolls and the like. We recycle everything the local company will take, get our milk delivered in glass bottles and don't shop, so we appear to be pretty light on the trash scale.
However, we can do even better.
Dave is right: the problem doesn't go away when the Trash Man Cometh. It just leaves your doorstep and goes to someone else's (In the 20 minute clip, I found out where some of it is going.), which is not the same as solving the problem.
The green revolution in products is an interesting first step, but instead of thinking that you've solved the problem by buying eco-products, remember that those products in turn have packaging that needs to be disposed of as well. Beth, of Fake Plastic Fish, has been reducing her plastic consumption for a couple of years now and it is utterly striking to have a look at where she started and where she is now and how extreme the measures are that you have to take in order to get plastic out of your life (Delivering plastic trash back to the sender. Hi, Amazon!).
Most depressing to me was the talk about the North Pacific gyre - also referred to as the Great Garbage Patch. All of that trash goes somewhere and on a planet mostly made of water, that's where it's headed. Into our oceans.
What I'm trying to tell you is this: each of us, individually, needs to take responsibility for what we put out into the world. Our children, ourselves, our attitudes, our trash. We're poisoning ourselves and the planet. Every choice we make, every day, can be part of the solution.
Repeat.
Now I must go rescue my twins from the horror that is their crib.
So I read about this guy, Dave, who was keeping his own trash for a year to see what it would add up to. Fascinating.
That led to talk about making your own non-toxic cleaning supplies and how to clean your own home without relying on all of those fun cocktails in plastic bottles.
I continued reading, because how fascinating is it to read about someone keeping their own trash? Fascinating! Especially when they write well. This led me to Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home, a movie about a family that kept their trash for 3 months. I've only seen the first 20 minutes and it's scaring me already. And making me laugh, because it can't all be horrible dark and gloomy.
Just recently my community has decided to switch to a single trash hauler so that we don't have lots of trucks driving through every other day. Instead, the focus is on paying more for trash services and making recycling "free". Well, we already recycle and put out less trash than the average family in our neighborhood, so we're not likely to see any serious cost savings. However, I think we're going to ask for the half sized trash can and see if we can't reduce our trash even more than we currently do.
Right now, we compost all of our food waste (Except for meat, bones, and dairy.), egg cartons, paper towel rolls and the like. We recycle everything the local company will take, get our milk delivered in glass bottles and don't shop, so we appear to be pretty light on the trash scale.
However, we can do even better.
Dave is right: the problem doesn't go away when the Trash Man Cometh. It just leaves your doorstep and goes to someone else's (In the 20 minute clip, I found out where some of it is going.), which is not the same as solving the problem.
The green revolution in products is an interesting first step, but instead of thinking that you've solved the problem by buying eco-products, remember that those products in turn have packaging that needs to be disposed of as well. Beth, of Fake Plastic Fish, has been reducing her plastic consumption for a couple of years now and it is utterly striking to have a look at where she started and where she is now and how extreme the measures are that you have to take in order to get plastic out of your life (Delivering plastic trash back to the sender. Hi, Amazon!).
Most depressing to me was the talk about the North Pacific gyre - also referred to as the Great Garbage Patch. All of that trash goes somewhere and on a planet mostly made of water, that's where it's headed. Into our oceans.
What I'm trying to tell you is this: each of us, individually, needs to take responsibility for what we put out into the world. Our children, ourselves, our attitudes, our trash. We're poisoning ourselves and the planet. Every choice we make, every day, can be part of the solution.
- Bring your canvas bags to the store.
- Stop drinking bottled water (Unless you live in an area with polluted water, in which case you've got bigger problems than my little blog can deal with. Lobby your politicians to clean it up!).
- Stop buying stuff you don't need.
- Find a way to make a difference in your community.
Repeat.
Now I must go rescue my twins from the horror that is their crib.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Vote!
Election day, 2008.
Historic! Ground breaking! Change!
Blah-dee-blah-dee-blah.
You know what? All of that may be true. Years from now you may be asked "Where were YOU...?" But what it all boils down to is this: you have one vote. You get to exercise it every two years. In presidential elections, only every 4 years.
USE IT.
It does matter. It always has. It always will.
You have more power than you think. All of those local ballot issues make a difference in your personal life: you should pay attention to those, too. They may not get all of the big press that the Big Dogs get, but they are important.
So even if you think I'm only one vote. and that you can't possibly change your red/blue state, keep in mind that local issues sometimes pass or fail by a few dozen votes.
Make yours one of those votes.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and vote!
If your state has early voting and you already have voted? Good on you! Now go poke your friends and family and make sure they've voted! [Whip crack!]
Previous election year rants.
Useful information:
Historic! Ground breaking! Change!
Blah-dee-blah-dee-blah.
You know what? All of that may be true. Years from now you may be asked "Where were YOU...?" But what it all boils down to is this: you have one vote. You get to exercise it every two years. In presidential elections, only every 4 years.
USE IT.
It does matter. It always has. It always will.
You have more power than you think. All of those local ballot issues make a difference in your personal life: you should pay attention to those, too. They may not get all of the big press that the Big Dogs get, but they are important.
So even if you think I'm only one vote. and that you can't possibly change your red/blue state, keep in mind that local issues sometimes pass or fail by a few dozen votes.
Make yours one of those votes.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and vote!
If your state has early voting and you already have voted? Good on you! Now go poke your friends and family and make sure they've voted! [Whip crack!]
Previous election year rants.
Useful information:
Election 2008 Voting Information
Today, November 4th, is Election Day! Remember to vote—not just for Barack Obama, but for Senate candidate Mark Udall, and other Congressional, state, and local candidates as well.
Where and when do I vote?
Find your polling place, voting times, and other important information by checking out these sites and the hotline below. These resources are good, but not perfect. To be doubly sure, you can also contact your local elections office.
- Obama's VoteForChange site: voteforchange.com
- League of Women Voters' site: vote411.org/pollfinder.php
- Obama's voter hotline: 877-US4-OBAMA (877-874-6226)
What should I do before I go?
- After you've entered your address on either Vote For Change or Vote411, read the voting instructions and special rules for your state.
- Voting ID laws vary from state to state, but if you have ID, bring it.
- Check out all the voting myths and misinformation to look out for: http://truth.voteforchange.com/
What if something goes wrong?
- Not on the voter list? Make sure you're at the right polling place, then demand a provisional ballot.
- If you're voting on an electronic machine with a paper record, verify that the record is accurate.
- Need legal help? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
- If you encounter a problem, try to videotape the situation and submit it to VideoTheVote.org
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Racism + Politics + Children = Awkward Conversations
Little pitchers still have big ears.
Bed time conversation tonight:
"Daddy can I tell you something?"
"Sure, honey."
"My friend said we should only vote for white people, because if we vote for the black people, they'll get rich and we'll be nothing."
Stunned silence.
Well!
Well, well, well.
Eric then had a long conversation with Caitlin about how that would be just as stupid as discriminating against blue eyed people, or blondes, or short people. Oh, and he also pointed out the fact that half of my family is black.
Wow. I'm just stunned.
You know, it's the 21st century, folks. The parents of this child aren't those of my parent's or grandparent's generation. Personally, I don't feel there's any excuse for this kind of talk anymore (Especially for theoretically "educated" people such as these are supposed to be.). Is this really what rich people are concerned about during this election? Don't vote for the black guy because we wouldn't want to let those people get rich and ruin being rich for the white people? Is that it? Really?! Wealth, health insurance, love, etc. can't be shared by all or you somehow lessen the value of those things for other people?
I think bloody well NOT.
People! Come ON! Are gay/black/hispanic/female/short people really that threatening to you that this is what you're teaching your children? Because if that's the case, I don't think we can be friends.
And I'm certainly not going to be interested in letting your kid be friends with my kid.
Moral of the story, as usual: don't say anything in front of your kids that you don't want them repeating to their friends. Gaaaaah!
Bed time conversation tonight:
"Daddy can I tell you something?"
"Sure, honey."
"My friend said we should only vote for white people, because if we vote for the black people, they'll get rich and we'll be nothing."
Stunned silence.
Well!
Well, well, well.
Eric then had a long conversation with Caitlin about how that would be just as stupid as discriminating against blue eyed people, or blondes, or short people. Oh, and he also pointed out the fact that half of my family is black.
Wow. I'm just stunned.
You know, it's the 21st century, folks. The parents of this child aren't those of my parent's or grandparent's generation. Personally, I don't feel there's any excuse for this kind of talk anymore (Especially for theoretically "educated" people such as these are supposed to be.). Is this really what rich people are concerned about during this election? Don't vote for the black guy because we wouldn't want to let those people get rich and ruin being rich for the white people? Is that it? Really?! Wealth, health insurance, love, etc. can't be shared by all or you somehow lessen the value of those things for other people?
I think bloody well NOT.
People! Come ON! Are gay/black/hispanic/female/short people really that threatening to you that this is what you're teaching your children? Because if that's the case, I don't think we can be friends.
And I'm certainly not going to be interested in letting your kid be friends with my kid.
Moral of the story, as usual: don't say anything in front of your kids that you don't want them repeating to their friends. Gaaaaah!
Friday, October 03, 2008
The Importance of Voting
I wish I'd had this flowchart last night. It would have made things make a lot more sense (From DailyKos.com).
Click to enlarge.
It's now time for Political Rantings by Woman with a Hatchet!
Don't get me wrong, I am vested in this election and yes to all of the folks that are spamming me about whether or not I'm registered to vote: I am registered. I have been voting for 20 years now. Please stop asking me! Argh! Yes, I will vote. No, I won't give you money, I don't have any. Yes, this election is important and groundbreaking. No, I'm not reading everything written about it or watching all of the debates.
The debates, frankly, aren't substantial enough to pay any attention to. Both sides say what they will and then no matter what transpired during the debates, afterwards both sides claim victory. Umm...I don't think that's actually possible, but they do it anyway. To me, that makes the debates completely meaningless. Why there isn't some sort of scoring system and neutral third party judges (Hah! As if!) determining who scored what on each question, I don't know. See, that way we could actually force the speakers to answer the questions and possibly come to the end of the debates with a score and determine if someone actually won or if someone was just being a broken record and repeating the same catch phrases over and over and over again. (See Palin: Maverick. Biden: Joe Biden.)
Clearly the debates are meant to appeal to the "independent" voters. Although how any independent can listen to all of those circular responses and actually get a feel for what either campaign stands for, I don't know. If you still don't know who to vote for one month from the election, you're not paying close enough attention. Go to the website for either candidate and read their platforms. Then go have a look at the way either set voted in the Senate on bills that matter to you and then determine who holds values closest to your own (Obama or McCain. Then select "Pick an Issue" or on the right sidebar select Issue Positions, these are very interesting to read.). Deciding who to vote for is not hard, it just takes a little work if you're actually undecided.
Stop messing around and get to work!
As I say every year during voting season:
Click to enlarge.It's now time for Political Rantings by Woman with a Hatchet!
Don't get me wrong, I am vested in this election and yes to all of the folks that are spamming me about whether or not I'm registered to vote: I am registered. I have been voting for 20 years now. Please stop asking me! Argh! Yes, I will vote. No, I won't give you money, I don't have any. Yes, this election is important and groundbreaking. No, I'm not reading everything written about it or watching all of the debates.
The debates, frankly, aren't substantial enough to pay any attention to. Both sides say what they will and then no matter what transpired during the debates, afterwards both sides claim victory. Umm...I don't think that's actually possible, but they do it anyway. To me, that makes the debates completely meaningless. Why there isn't some sort of scoring system and neutral third party judges (Hah! As if!) determining who scored what on each question, I don't know. See, that way we could actually force the speakers to answer the questions and possibly come to the end of the debates with a score and determine if someone actually won or if someone was just being a broken record and repeating the same catch phrases over and over and over again. (See Palin: Maverick. Biden: Joe Biden.)
Clearly the debates are meant to appeal to the "independent" voters. Although how any independent can listen to all of those circular responses and actually get a feel for what either campaign stands for, I don't know. If you still don't know who to vote for one month from the election, you're not paying close enough attention. Go to the website for either candidate and read their platforms. Then go have a look at the way either set voted in the Senate on bills that matter to you and then determine who holds values closest to your own (Obama or McCain. Then select "Pick an Issue" or on the right sidebar select Issue Positions, these are very interesting to read.). Deciding who to vote for is not hard, it just takes a little work if you're actually undecided.
Stop messing around and get to work!
As I say every year during voting season:
Get out and VOTE, dammit!
Do you live here or are an expatriate? Are you a citizen over 18? Then who runs this country directly affects you. Get in the game. Learn the real issues at stake, get educated about the candidates and the local ballot issues (Colorado has some whoppers this year!) and don't just buy into the spin the pundits put on every word that comes out of the mouths of politicians. Responding to emotional pleas does not become you. Waiting until you're in the booth is a waste of your time and the time of the folks standing in line behind you.
Get registered if you're not already. Get the facts on the candidates and ballot issues. Fill out a crib sheet on how you want to vote on each item. Go vote. Pat yourself on the back for doing your part as a citizen and give everyone in line a high five just for being there, regardless of political orientation. In 2004, only 64% of eligible voters bothered to get out and vote (High five for MN for having 79% of their pop get out and vote!). Don't sit on the sidelines.
VOTE.
Get registered if you're not already. Get the facts on the candidates and ballot issues. Fill out a crib sheet on how you want to vote on each item. Go vote. Pat yourself on the back for doing your part as a citizen and give everyone in line a high five just for being there, regardless of political orientation. In 2004, only 64% of eligible voters bothered to get out and vote (High five for MN for having 79% of their pop get out and vote!). Don't sit on the sidelines.
VOTE.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Veep Debate
I'm currently watching the Veep debate.
Oh my GOD! Can Palin stop being cutesy for a minute?! "Gosh darn! Goll dang!" She even winked at us at one point! Ack!
Can Biden stop referring to himself in the third person? Joe Biden did thus and so! Joe Biden voted this-a-way! Joe Biden please choose to say "Me" or "I" on occasion. It won't hurt you.
I'm also having a hard time understanding what the hell they're saying because neither one ever actually answers the questions posed. Although I have to say that Biden at least starts with an initial psuedo-answer and then drifts off into Political-Speech land.
It's gotten so bad that I'm calling it quits.
Did you watch the debate? What did you think? Was it as thrilling and heart-pounding as you expected it to be?
Oh my GOD! Can Palin stop being cutesy for a minute?! "Gosh darn! Goll dang!" She even winked at us at one point! Ack!
Can Biden stop referring to himself in the third person? Joe Biden did thus and so! Joe Biden voted this-a-way! Joe Biden please choose to say "Me" or "I" on occasion. It won't hurt you.
I'm also having a hard time understanding what the hell they're saying because neither one ever actually answers the questions posed. Although I have to say that Biden at least starts with an initial psuedo-answer and then drifts off into Political-Speech land.
It's gotten so bad that I'm calling it quits.
Did you watch the debate? What did you think? Was it as thrilling and heart-pounding as you expected it to be?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Easter Egg Bums
Guess what finally came in the mail?
A box full of bum wraps. (Pa-dum-bum-psssh! I'm here all week folks!)
The long-awaited, seriously back-ordered Bum Genius 3.0 cloth diapers! Thanks Grammy!
Climbing, but still not walking.
They come in far more colors than just white and pink, however they are all pastel shades and while they have cutsey, trippy names like "Twilight", they're really just white, pink, yellow, blue and green. It's like Easter has landed on tiny baby bums.
Pink and yellow tushies!
I'm not a big pastel fan (As a matter of fact, we almost didn't buy the house we live in because it was originally pastel yellow. Bleah!), but I am a fan of a product that works and these work. We've gone cold-disposable-diaper-turkey around here since they arrived on Friday. Yes, we're doing more laundry, but in our house we do laundry just about every day anyway, so an extra load - albeit a stinkier one - is not a big deal.
"Emma, whatchu tink 'bout dese new dihpahs?"
"Dey OK. Mehbee a purple wud be nice. Or poneez."
We're learning that during the last diaper change of the day we need to slide in an extra layer of absorption or face multiple wakings at night, but other than that these diapers rock!
Well, in as much as a diaper can be considered Rockin'.
"I comin' a getcha!"
I'm not going to get into the cloth vs disposable debate here, in case you were wondering (Previously discussed here after starting here.). If you search like I did on "environmental impact disposable cloth diaper" you'll get a ton of hits. I read the top five, just for grins. You'll want to do your own research, search your soul and your pockets and decide for yourself. What I will tell you is this: from my reading, it appears as if many of the studies that have come out have been funded by the diapering industry. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time trusting in a study that is paid for by the industry itself, as opposed to a neutral third party.
I think, like formula, disposables have their place. Not everyone will have the time or the desire to wash cloth diapers. Financially, cloth is a big expense up front, but over the diapering life of the twins it will be much cheaper in the long run. The environmental impact for the plastics involved in disposables is also a long term issue, as opposed to cloth diapers, unless you want to start discussing how heavily managed a crop cotton is and its excessive use of pesticides and herbicides. However, going down that route can also start a discussion about the oil used in creating disposables and the wars fought over access to cheap oil. (The cost of the war exceeds $538 trillion, as of this writing, according to the National Priorities Project.)
However, everything we do has a cost. Everything we purchase has an environmental impact. I'm just trying to keep mine down for the long term by switching to cloth, laundering it myself in my ultra-low water use washing machine with my eco-friendly detergent, hang drying when possible and selling them off when we're done (Cloth diapers maintain their value for quite awhile if they are in good condition when you're done with them. Check eBay for yourself.).
Also, the biggest environmental impact is not whether you choose cloth over disposable. It was whether or not to have a child in the first place. We chose to have these children, assuming that in the long term they would have a positive impact on society that outweighs their environmental impact.
So far, so good!
"I look good in yeh-yoh, dontchu tink?"
A box full of bum wraps. (Pa-dum-bum-psssh! I'm here all week folks!)
Climbing, but still not walking.They come in far more colors than just white and pink, however they are all pastel shades and while they have cutsey, trippy names like "Twilight", they're really just white, pink, yellow, blue and green. It's like Easter has landed on tiny baby bums.
Pink and yellow tushies!I'm not a big pastel fan (As a matter of fact, we almost didn't buy the house we live in because it was originally pastel yellow. Bleah!), but I am a fan of a product that works and these work. We've gone cold-disposable-diaper-turkey around here since they arrived on Friday. Yes, we're doing more laundry, but in our house we do laundry just about every day anyway, so an extra load - albeit a stinkier one - is not a big deal.
"Emma, whatchu tink 'bout dese new dihpahs?""Dey OK. Mehbee a purple wud be nice. Or poneez."
We're learning that during the last diaper change of the day we need to slide in an extra layer of absorption or face multiple wakings at night, but other than that these diapers rock!
Well, in as much as a diaper can be considered Rockin'.
"I comin' a getcha!"One of the best parts about them is the fact that they are adjustable so that we only have to buy the one size and expand them as the twins grow. Ca-chiiing!
I'm not going to get into the cloth vs disposable debate here, in case you were wondering (Previously discussed here after starting here.). If you search like I did on "environmental impact disposable cloth diaper" you'll get a ton of hits. I read the top five, just for grins. You'll want to do your own research, search your soul and your pockets and decide for yourself. What I will tell you is this: from my reading, it appears as if many of the studies that have come out have been funded by the diapering industry. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time trusting in a study that is paid for by the industry itself, as opposed to a neutral third party.
I think, like formula, disposables have their place. Not everyone will have the time or the desire to wash cloth diapers. Financially, cloth is a big expense up front, but over the diapering life of the twins it will be much cheaper in the long run. The environmental impact for the plastics involved in disposables is also a long term issue, as opposed to cloth diapers, unless you want to start discussing how heavily managed a crop cotton is and its excessive use of pesticides and herbicides. However, going down that route can also start a discussion about the oil used in creating disposables and the wars fought over access to cheap oil. (The cost of the war exceeds $538 trillion, as of this writing, according to the National Priorities Project.)
However, everything we do has a cost. Everything we purchase has an environmental impact. I'm just trying to keep mine down for the long term by switching to cloth, laundering it myself in my ultra-low water use washing machine with my eco-friendly detergent, hang drying when possible and selling them off when we're done (Cloth diapers maintain their value for quite awhile if they are in good condition when you're done with them. Check eBay for yourself.).
Also, the biggest environmental impact is not whether you choose cloth over disposable. It was whether or not to have a child in the first place. We chose to have these children, assuming that in the long term they would have a positive impact on society that outweighs their environmental impact.
So far, so good!
The cuteness cannot be denied!
"I look good in yeh-yoh, dontchu tink?"Friday, March 28, 2008
Earth Hour 2008
Turn off your lights, Saturday, March 29th at 8 pm your local time and join with millions of others sitting in the dark.
Solidarity and darkness. Who could ask for anything more?
Sign up to be included at Earth Hour. I did.
Thanks to Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess for the tip!
Lights out in 21 hours 52 minutes!
This looks cool, too. Almost makes me wish I had a television. Almost.
Solidarity and darkness. Who could ask for anything more?
Sign up to be included at Earth Hour. I did.
Thanks to Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess for the tip!
Lights out in 21 hours 52 minutes!
This looks cool, too. Almost makes me wish I had a television. Almost.
Monday, February 25, 2008
On Locavores and Other Tasty Issues
Food. We all need it to survive. Some of us love it, some of us hate it, but we all need it. As the old adage goes: some eat to live while others live to eat.
I am the latter.
Your surprise is complete, is it not?
There's a hierarchy in the organic food movement, that you may have heard about:
Now the interesting thing about the locavore is the fact that it is a rising trend in agriculture today. So much so that it was the first item mentioned by the keynote speaker at the Ag Conference I attended last week. People that want to eat locally are also, in effect, required to eat seasonally. Suddenly (or not so suddenly, really), we've come full circle and have returned to old fashioned agriculture. Shopping at the local farmers' market returns us to our roots and gets the individual shopper in touch with the people responsible for growing the food they eat: the small family farmer. It's a very good thing to know your local farmers, they're good people.
Eating what is grown on the land around you also reduces your carbon footprint (Calculator here.) and has the added benefit of keeping your money circulating in the local community. Both of these things benefit you and your community in both the short and long term. By purchasing local and organic food, you will improve your family's health and welfare and also help to drive more farmers into the organic market. By keeping small family farms in business, you help to employ more people locally.
The effect of organic food on the health of our children is significant:
As more folks purchase organic food, more farmers will move away from conventional growing. Then, as the laws of supply and demand tell us, the price of locally produced organic food will drop. Just in time, too, since with the rising price of gas we'll soon see rising prices in the grocery store. If we haven't already, that is.
As a small farmer, I'm delighted by this trend. Yes, we'll be out there this summer at our local market, selling to the general public, meeting people, making friends and gaining new customers. We'll be doing our part to change the world around us via food. And we won't be alone.
According to an article in the NY Times, a study found that (Gasp!) when offered vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables, low income women actually bought and ate them.
The only problem with the vouchers? Not enough money. Surprise!
The problem that you see is that for $21 a week, you want to get the most caloric bang for your buck and it's not going to be in fruits and veggies. They are good for you, but the small portions you can buy for $2 a week (Extra! Whoo!) are not going to fill you up and stop you from feeling hungry. That's where cheap junk food comes in, repeatedly: it's very very cheap and calorically dense. The problem is that you pay with your health and in the long term, your life.
This pittance for fresh fruits and veggies is in complete contradiction to the cries of:
So what do we do? How do we get healthier, live longer, reduce our carbon footprint, keep money in our own communities and encourage responsible, sustainable agricultural practices? We either grow our own food or buy it from our local farmers' market or join a CSA. We also fight back against Big Ag (See the OCA website for more details about issues that affect your food and find out what you can do to help.) when they try to lobby for changes that only benefit them in the marketplace. We buy our meat from local producers that we trust so that we can know that our food is safe, because this is horrifying.
And we do it because we know that a real tomato, one grown either in your own backyard or by someone that actually cares about the food they make and sell should never be on the Untasty yet Easy side of the graph.
Grapefruit shouldn't be there either, but it requires you to get a fresh picked one to realize they can actually be sweet. Something I didn't know until I had one while in Jamaica. Just imagine the local markets there. Yum!
So get out there and get growin'!
Me? I just started420 340 tomato plants (too tired to do math properly) (15 16 different heirloom varieties) last night (and I haven't even started the 6 8 different basil varieties, 192 plants...). I'll see you at the market.
For more information on finding your local farmers' market or CSA, go here.
I am the latter.
Your surprise is complete, is it not?
There's a hierarchy in the organic food movement, that you may have heard about:
- Local and organic.
- Local, but conventional.
- Organic, but not local.
- Conventional, but not local.
Now the interesting thing about the locavore is the fact that it is a rising trend in agriculture today. So much so that it was the first item mentioned by the keynote speaker at the Ag Conference I attended last week. People that want to eat locally are also, in effect, required to eat seasonally. Suddenly (or not so suddenly, really), we've come full circle and have returned to old fashioned agriculture. Shopping at the local farmers' market returns us to our roots and gets the individual shopper in touch with the people responsible for growing the food they eat: the small family farmer. It's a very good thing to know your local farmers, they're good people.
Eating what is grown on the land around you also reduces your carbon footprint (Calculator here.) and has the added benefit of keeping your money circulating in the local community. Both of these things benefit you and your community in both the short and long term. By purchasing local and organic food, you will improve your family's health and welfare and also help to drive more farmers into the organic market. By keeping small family farms in business, you help to employ more people locally.
The effect of organic food on the health of our children is significant:
Organic Diets Significantly Lower Children's Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides
...We substituted most of children's conventional diets with organic food items for 5 consecutive days and collected two spot daily urine samples, first-morning and before-bedtime voids, throughout the 15-day study period.
...In conclusion, we were able to demonstrate that an organic diet provides a dramatic and immediate protective effect against exposures to organophosphorus pesticides that are commonly used in agricultural production. We also concluded that these children were most likely exposed to these organophosphorus pesticides exclusively through their diet.
--Abstract from Environmental Health Perspectives, February 2006
As more folks purchase organic food, more farmers will move away from conventional growing. Then, as the laws of supply and demand tell us, the price of locally produced organic food will drop. Just in time, too, since with the rising price of gas we'll soon see rising prices in the grocery store. If we haven't already, that is.
As a small farmer, I'm delighted by this trend. Yes, we'll be out there this summer at our local market, selling to the general public, meeting people, making friends and gaining new customers. We'll be doing our part to change the world around us via food. And we won't be alone.
According to an article in the NY Times, a study found that (Gasp!) when offered vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables, low income women actually bought and ate them.
Effect of a targeted subsidy on intake of fruits and vegetables among low-income women in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.Bolded entry was my emphasis.
Intervention participants increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables and sustained the increase 6 months after the intervention was terminated (model adjusted R(2)=.13, P<.001). Farmers' market participants showed an increase of 1.4 servings per 4186 kJ (1000 kcal) of consumed food (P<.001) from baseline to the end of intervention compared with controls, and supermarket participants showed an increase of 0.8 servings per 4186 kJ (P=.02). CONCLUSIONS: Participants valued fresh fruits and vegetables, and adding them to the WIC food packages will result in increased fruit and vegetable consumption.
-- Publine entry from the American Journal of Public Health
The only problem with the vouchers? Not enough money. Surprise!
The U.C.L.A. study gave women $10 a week, while the W.I.C. program will provide monthly vouchers worth $8 to each recipient and $6 to each child. Breastfeeding women will receive just $10 a month toward fruits and vegetables.So here's the thing: if we're all so darned concerned about women and children and making sure that babies are born healthy from healthy women, why wouldn't we make that a more reasonable dollar amount? Eight dollars a month?! Ten if you're pregnant?! Did you know about the Congressional Food Stamp Challenge where congress people vowed to live on $21 a week? Now imagine if you had an additional $2 every week for more fruits and vegetables. Wow! Now there's a balanced diet! We'll have obesity and nutritional diseases amoung low income families licked in no time at that rate!
-- NY Times The Farmers' Market Effect
The problem that you see is that for $21 a week, you want to get the most caloric bang for your buck and it's not going to be in fruits and veggies. They are good for you, but the small portions you can buy for $2 a week (Extra! Whoo!) are not going to fill you up and stop you from feeling hungry. That's where cheap junk food comes in, repeatedly: it's very very cheap and calorically dense. The problem is that you pay with your health and in the long term, your life.
This pittance for fresh fruits and veggies is in complete contradiction to the cries of:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.Read it, it's a really good article. However, it puts everything into stark contrast. Unless you're rich, you can't afford to be healthy in our society. We're a First World country! What the hell is going on?
-- Unhappy Meals, NY Times
A little meat won’t kill you, though it’s better approached as a side dish than as a main. And you’re much better off eating whole fresh foods than processed food products. That’s what I mean by the recommendation to eat “food.” Once, food was all you could eat, but today there are lots of other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related rule of thumb: if you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.What do they mean by food products? They mean this:
-- Unhappy Meals, NY Times
So what do we do? How do we get healthier, live longer, reduce our carbon footprint, keep money in our own communities and encourage responsible, sustainable agricultural practices? We either grow our own food or buy it from our local farmers' market or join a CSA. We also fight back against Big Ag (See the OCA website for more details about issues that affect your food and find out what you can do to help.) when they try to lobby for changes that only benefit them in the marketplace. We buy our meat from local producers that we trust so that we can know that our food is safe, because this is horrifying.
And we do it because we know that a real tomato, one grown either in your own backyard or by someone that actually cares about the food they make and sell should never be on the Untasty yet Easy side of the graph.
Grapefruit shouldn't be there either, but it requires you to get a fresh picked one to realize they can actually be sweet. Something I didn't know until I had one while in Jamaica. Just imagine the local markets there. Yum!
So get out there and get growin'!
Me? I just started
For more information on finding your local farmers' market or CSA, go here.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Veni, vidi, vici!
The entire family went down to caucus.
The entire neighborhood came, too.
The precinct captain said that four years ago he was the only person in our precinct that showed. That's because last time, we didn't get to vote until long after the winner had been picked. This year, Colorado got moved up into Super Tuesday and we got to make a difference. Everyone that could turned up to caucus.
I think I was the only woman there with twins, though.
It was dark and very cold and I was kicking myself for not having brought hats for the twins. I was once again very grateful for the snuggly winter wraps that Grammy gave them. Lacking hats, I draped my fuzzy gloves over their heads. Logan slept for quite awhile, while Emma stayed awake to charm the people around us. The line just to get into the building was fairly long, fortunately it was moving fast. I hadn't even thought about having to stand in line. Eric and Caitlin parked the car and then had to hike in.
There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people there. All ready to vote. After a few two minute speeches to represent the candidates with big cheers for Kucinich, Clinton, Obama (<-- Received loudest cheer. I'm just sayin'.) and Edwards, we split up into our requisite precincts, went to our separate rooms and then got down to business.
Out of the 71 eligible voters in the room (there were far more than 71 people in the room), 49 were for Obama and 22 for Clinton.
Eric stepped up to be a delegate and was chosen as an alternate. He was a little bummed since he wanted to be a main delegate, but still excited to go.
Turns out that his mom, his sister and Jim are also stepping up to be delegates in their respective towns. Go Family!
Caitlin and the twins were very well behaved and all and sundry ooh'd and aah'd over the twins. Emma and Logan were very excited to be there, but saddened when told they had to wait another 17 years and 8 months before they could get a chance to vote. Them's the breaks.
I've gotta tell ya, though: those were some excited people. Moving our primary up to give us a chance to vote and make a difference has all of us really jazzed. The next natural step, to me, is to create a national caucus day. That way, instead of spending weeks watching the candidates dribble away, everyone across the nation would get a chance to vote for their first choice.
And it needs to be moved to a weekend.
So! Did you get to caucus today?
The entire neighborhood came, too.
The precinct captain said that four years ago he was the only person in our precinct that showed. That's because last time, we didn't get to vote until long after the winner had been picked. This year, Colorado got moved up into Super Tuesday and we got to make a difference. Everyone that could turned up to caucus.
I think I was the only woman there with twins, though.
It was dark and very cold and I was kicking myself for not having brought hats for the twins. I was once again very grateful for the snuggly winter wraps that Grammy gave them. Lacking hats, I draped my fuzzy gloves over their heads. Logan slept for quite awhile, while Emma stayed awake to charm the people around us. The line just to get into the building was fairly long, fortunately it was moving fast. I hadn't even thought about having to stand in line. Eric and Caitlin parked the car and then had to hike in.
There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people there. All ready to vote. After a few two minute speeches to represent the candidates with big cheers for Kucinich, Clinton, Obama (<-- Received loudest cheer. I'm just sayin'.) and Edwards, we split up into our requisite precincts, went to our separate rooms and then got down to business.
Out of the 71 eligible voters in the room (there were far more than 71 people in the room), 49 were for Obama and 22 for Clinton.
Eric stepped up to be a delegate and was chosen as an alternate. He was a little bummed since he wanted to be a main delegate, but still excited to go.
Turns out that his mom, his sister and Jim are also stepping up to be delegates in their respective towns. Go Family!
Caitlin and the twins were very well behaved and all and sundry ooh'd and aah'd over the twins. Emma and Logan were very excited to be there, but saddened when told they had to wait another 17 years and 8 months before they could get a chance to vote. Them's the breaks.
I've gotta tell ya, though: those were some excited people. Moving our primary up to give us a chance to vote and make a difference has all of us really jazzed. The next natural step, to me, is to create a national caucus day. That way, instead of spending weeks watching the candidates dribble away, everyone across the nation would get a chance to vote for their first choice.
And it needs to be moved to a weekend.
So! Did you get to caucus today?
Monday, February 04, 2008
VOTE: Caucus Tomorrow!
Tomorrow is Super Tuesday. Do you know where your polling place is?
No? Well, follow this link: Vote411.org.
Then, tomorrow, go and vote in the primary.
Because it's important. Because voting is the single most important thing we can do, on the individual level, in politics in this or any nation. Vote for who you want, not for the person you think everyone else wants. The primary is your chance to take a stand, instead of voting for the person chosen for you, choose yourself. I will be.
The twins will be right there with us.
Colorado will finally get a chance to make a difference instead of not mattering at all. Last time, the primary winner had already been selected by the time CO got to cast a single primary vote. Realistically, kinda makes it pointless to caucus then, doesn't it? This time, however, we're going to be in there with 21 other states and I want my vote to be counted.
You should, too.
Why? Because everything is political.
If you haven't noticed, the price you pay at the pump? Politics are involved to determine those prices: high or low. Who receives subsidies and who doesn't? That air you breathe and water you drink? Politics are involved to determine how many pollutant parts per million are allowed to be in it. That meat you like to eat? Politics determines the fact that less than 1% of all cattle raised in the US is ever tested for Mad Cow Disease. Those vegetables you eat? Politics are involved in allowing genetically modified crops to be produced and used in the foods you buy. Like organic food? Politics are involved in determining the very definition of organic. You don't think cloned animals or veggies raised in sludge (treated human waste) should be called "organic"? Then guess what?
Get out and vote.
There's a lot more at stake than you probably realize.
No? Well, follow this link: Vote411.org.
Then, tomorrow, go and vote in the primary.
Because it's important. Because voting is the single most important thing we can do, on the individual level, in politics in this or any nation. Vote for who you want, not for the person you think everyone else wants. The primary is your chance to take a stand, instead of voting for the person chosen for you, choose yourself. I will be.
The twins will be right there with us.
Colorado will finally get a chance to make a difference instead of not mattering at all. Last time, the primary winner had already been selected by the time CO got to cast a single primary vote. Realistically, kinda makes it pointless to caucus then, doesn't it? This time, however, we're going to be in there with 21 other states and I want my vote to be counted.
You should, too.
Why? Because everything is political.
If you haven't noticed, the price you pay at the pump? Politics are involved to determine those prices: high or low. Who receives subsidies and who doesn't? That air you breathe and water you drink? Politics are involved to determine how many pollutant parts per million are allowed to be in it. That meat you like to eat? Politics determines the fact that less than 1% of all cattle raised in the US is ever tested for Mad Cow Disease. Those vegetables you eat? Politics are involved in allowing genetically modified crops to be produced and used in the foods you buy. Like organic food? Politics are involved in determining the very definition of organic. You don't think cloned animals or veggies raised in sludge (treated human waste) should be called "organic"? Then guess what?
Get out and vote.
There's a lot more at stake than you probably realize.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Downed Cows and School Lunches
Do you know what a "downed" cow is? It's a cow that is too sick or injured to stand up on its own. It is also a sign of Mad Cow Disease.
This is not beef you want to eat.
But your children are, if they're eating school lunches.
There are plenty of things already wrong with lunch at school, not least of which is the fact that most of it is in essence fast food (ex. Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza, Macaroni and Cheese, French Toast Sticks, Pizza Hot Pockets, Cheeseburger are 5 days worth of lunch being served at Caitlin's school). Add to that the presence of meat from downed cows and the lunch served at school is becoming downright dangerous.
The following is a video taken by the Humane Society at a slaughterhouse (No butchering shown, I promise.) where they are abusing the animals in order to get them to stand up in time for inspection. This way they will be passed and added in to the food stream.
The one from which you and I stand downstream.
Watch it.
So what now?
Now it is time to find an ethical source of natural beef for us at Chez Hatchet. We've been talking about buying a 1/4 cow for a long time and it (plus the twins coming) is what motivated the freezer purchase. This news seals the deal. That amount of beef will cover us for a year or longer and will be worth from the peace of mind.
Today, I actually met a rancher at a Market event and got her literature (Too bad she didn't bring any samples!). I also met the natural chicken guy and he gave me a free sample. He, too, told me a few things about conventional chicken production that are making me think I'll be stocking my freezer with his chickens as well.
While some might suggest we could just go the vegetarian route, I'm afraid I'm too much of a foodie and carnivore for that to be realistic. My argument though, is that I shouldn't have to be worried about my food supply. This is the 21st century. Mad Cow Disease, e-coli and salmonella outbreaks shouldn't even be an issue, but with the slashing of USDA and OSHA inspection budgets and staff, this is what you get (If you haven't read Fast Food Nation yet, I strongly recommend that you do.). Meat producers are out to make money and will do it however they can and damn the costs to society as a whole.
I am doing what I can to keep my family healthy, even when it costs a little more. I don't want to live to regret doing otherwise.
See The Humane Society for more about the video.
What you can do about it:
Demand the USDA ban downed cows from the food stream.
This is not beef you want to eat.
But your children are, if they're eating school lunches.
There are plenty of things already wrong with lunch at school, not least of which is the fact that most of it is in essence fast food (ex. Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza, Macaroni and Cheese, French Toast Sticks, Pizza Hot Pockets, Cheeseburger are 5 days worth of lunch being served at Caitlin's school). Add to that the presence of meat from downed cows and the lunch served at school is becoming downright dangerous.
The following is a video taken by the Humane Society at a slaughterhouse (No butchering shown, I promise.) where they are abusing the animals in order to get them to stand up in time for inspection. This way they will be passed and added in to the food stream.
The one from which you and I stand downstream.
Watch it.
So what now?
Now it is time to find an ethical source of natural beef for us at Chez Hatchet. We've been talking about buying a 1/4 cow for a long time and it (plus the twins coming) is what motivated the freezer purchase. This news seals the deal. That amount of beef will cover us for a year or longer and will be worth from the peace of mind.
Today, I actually met a rancher at a Market event and got her literature (Too bad she didn't bring any samples!). I also met the natural chicken guy and he gave me a free sample. He, too, told me a few things about conventional chicken production that are making me think I'll be stocking my freezer with his chickens as well.
While some might suggest we could just go the vegetarian route, I'm afraid I'm too much of a foodie and carnivore for that to be realistic. My argument though, is that I shouldn't have to be worried about my food supply. This is the 21st century. Mad Cow Disease, e-coli and salmonella outbreaks shouldn't even be an issue, but with the slashing of USDA and OSHA inspection budgets and staff, this is what you get (If you haven't read Fast Food Nation yet, I strongly recommend that you do.). Meat producers are out to make money and will do it however they can and damn the costs to society as a whole.
I am doing what I can to keep my family healthy, even when it costs a little more. I don't want to live to regret doing otherwise.
See The Humane Society for more about the video.
What you can do about it:
Demand the USDA ban downed cows from the food stream.
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