Define Your Terms

Material Content (outer shell): 70% acrylic, 30% polyester
Material Content (lining):  100% polyester
Country of Origin: China

Look at this person... caring about the animals, not wanting them to suffer... We have to wear fur because it's fun, but fur is bad, so we'll make faux-fur and be just as cute and trendy, but AWARE. This cute vest says, "Look at me. I want the look, but I'm of a higher consciousness, so I would never wear the skin of a poor tortured animal. I'm above that. I'm enlightened."

Good.

Now let's re-visit the other information up there. All material in this enlightened piece of clothing is made from chemicals. Water-intensive processes. Stuff and crap that will never biodegrade, because you have to be bio to biodegrade. Nothing there is bio. So, while no animals were killed directly in the making of this item, let's think about the eco-suffering that may commence as the result of the pollution caused by making this product. Let's think about the cancer from introducing unnecessary chemicals into the world, because you are too enlightened to wear the hide of an animal. And how about where it is made? China. There are awesome factories in China, and then there are others that might not be quite so ideal. From which is this? The clean, fun to work in, great factory? Or the horrible condition, slave wages, foul dirty disgusting polluting one? Don't know? Shouldn't you? I mean, if you care so much about the animals that real fur would come from, shouldn't you care about the people that are making this product? No? Not your problem? I see. Caring about animals doesn't extend to humans. Humans have free will, after all.

Here's my argument: purchasing leather or even fur at a thrift store is the most eco-friendly thing you could buy. Anti-fur people would never do that, even though that product has already been made and used and is not a new resource-consuming  thing that has to be manufactured. No new processes or chemicals are getting introduced into the world so that you can be warm. "But it's fur!!!" Yes it is. And it is already there. Your not buying it in favor of some chemical product vs. natural will not change that. You aren't killing animals. You may be saving some, actually. You are actually promoting awareness. Afraid someone just like you will come up and throw red paint blood on you before you have a chance to explain yourself? Hmm... maybe we should think about that.

Do I wear fur? No. Do I want to wear fur? No. Do I condone wearing fur? No - although go ahead and tell me that farm-raised chinchillas have a bad life. I do wear leather. It's better than pleather and that crap, though I realize it is also a very water- and chemical-intensive process. I limit it. Most clothes I buy these days are in second-hand stores and all cotton. It's not organic cotton, yet, because that's not really going to be found second-hand, yet, but it's a fuck of a lot better than buying something new. 

Just sayin'... be AWARE. THINK about your actions. THINK about the consequences. REALIZE what is behind and underneath. Define your terms. You say you are being eco-friendly and Earth-conscious and enlightened. Define that, tell me how. Prove it. Show is you put thought into it. We'll wait. 

I Scream for Ice Cream...

I discovered the reason I stay off Pinterest. I'm sure there are a million wonderful things on there, but knowing me, they would be overshadowed by things that piss me off. Like this...

"what a great idea! such a time saver for birthday parties- scoop the ice cream into lined cupcake pans & put them in the freezer. then just pull them out when you cut the cake & serve!"

And someone's comment: "oh I LOVE this idea....no more expensive single servings needing to be bought!!"

Where to start. I almost do not know. I guess I'm wondering why it's OK to create more garbage for a little time saved. I'm wondering what lessons we teach children by these actions. I'm wondering why no one stops to think about the resources wasted by manufacturing these little paper liners in the first place, not to mention the resources to get them to stores, etc.

Most of all, I am wondering who the hell buys "expensive single servings" for a birthday party???

I consider this a Lazy Fail, and the wasteful use of resources for something that isn't really necessary. I know, I know, the hardship of actually scooping ice cream during a party is truly heartbreaking. But I think we can get over it.

You just KNOW these went straight onto paper plates, too. Better yet - Styrofoam. With Red Solo plastic cups and plastic forks. And spoons. And knives. You just know. You know you know. I know. I'm dead sure of it. Add the little plastic crap party favors Made in China and the scads of wrapping paper - OH! and probably bottled water, too, I am sure, because if you are too damn busy to SCOOP ice cream DURING the party, then you sure as hell are the kind of household that uses bottled water - add all that up and you have the PERFECT 21st Century Kids' Birthday Party.

You enjoy that. I'm sure they will when they are adults with their own kids, looking around at what we have left them. Enjoy.