I can see the point, but....

... mini margaritas do NOT need to be in plastic bottles.

On top of it all, these are ridiculously tiny. So you drink a lot of them in your quest to get shitfaced.

And so of course it's safer to have plastic instead of glass because by the time you have had 15 of these, they start falling to the ground. If they were glass, they would break. So naturally you need plastic.

These are one of those things that if I ever see anyone drinking them, it will be hard for me to resist slapping the damn thing out of their hand.

Every other fun froofy beverage has the self-respect to come in a glass bottle. Why oh why the plastic here? Because they are better for tailgating? There is NO REASON for this.

People who bring these to your home, picnic, or event need to be sent away immediately. People who buy these for their home enjoyment need to be stopped from adding to the gene pool. Immediately.

Tell me that after a 4-pack of theses, that the said consumer is interested in making sure the bottles are going into the recycling.

"But what am I supposed to drink at places where I can't bring glass bottles?"

You. You who just said that. Out of the gene pool. We don't need you. And take your red Solo cup with you. I can just see that, too - this little bottle suddenly isn't cold enough, so they pour it FROM this plastic into one of those horrors. At that point, I really do just give up.

Oh, What the Heck. One More from Dole in Plastic Wastefulness!

I think I picked on Dole before. I can't help it - when I am looking through coupons and I see the word "convenient" screaming up at me, I gotta look at it.

"Mornings just got easier  and even more delicious!"

There was no really great picture to show you the dual-plastic containers. But in searching images, I was treated to just how many Dole products are enshrined in plastic. Yay. They have those shaker smoothies - aha, I knew I picked on them! - and some products called crisps, which seem to be fruit ensconced in plastic with oats or some such in a separate plastic coffin of its own. Then they have just plain fruit in plastic. And they have these. These just-add-hot-water oatmeal with a small plastic sarcophagus of fruit above that you add in after you heat your oatmeal. Amazing company - I really hadn't dreamed of this many ways to trash the planet. They really have it together on that. It's downright admirable!

"Convenient, portable cup." And sugar, and sodium. Look, I know you barely have enough time to properly wipe you ass most mornings, but do you really think these are the best things for you for breakfast? Must you trash MY planet because you can't manage your time properly? Because you can't be bothered to feed yourself the right way? Because you can't just grab an apple instead? Because you can't plan ahead?

I know. Just move along. Nothing to see here. The shareholders of this company really need never worry. Maybe they are privately owned. I don't know. Someone's rich off our laziness, that's all I know. And they aren't going to get poor or go out of business any time soon, no matter how much of a tiny little gnat I continue to be. It's OK. I'm getting used to it.

While We're On It....

YoCrunch. "Pack some fun in their lunch!"

Fine. It's yogurt. And pure sugar, but oh well, who cares about that. Let's go ahead with these, because, after all, with everything I am talking about, we are running out of stuff to put in kids' lunches. So let's go with these.

Use them for adult snacks and lunches too. And at home, after school. They are very convenient. And fun.

So... one for me, one for the kid, maybe not every day, but OK we have more than one kid and all kids have to have the same lunches or havoc will ensue so let's go ahead and buy three 4-packs to partially get us through the week. They were on sale. We'll go through them in a few days. That's 12 of the bottom part and 12 of the top part. 24 pieces of not-getting-recycled plastic into the landfill, ocean, whatever. From one family. Multiply by millions. Multiply THAT by - we'll be conservative - 2 days a week times 52.

I've done the math. You go ahead. I'll be over here. I'm done.

Dole Makes It Easy

Ahhh, they sure do. Sending fruit to lunch for the kids has never been easier. Just buy and send. What could be easier?

Hmm. I don't know. How about just frickin' buying fruit and freezing it yourself? "But you can't get blueberries fresh all the time." How about that. Maybe go without blueberries if you can't get them at a certain time. You won't die. "But pineapples are really hard to cut." So don't eat them. "But I want them." You can't want them that badly if you can't even be bothered to do the work of cutting them. "But I don't have time to do this for my kids. It's easier to buy this stuff." You don't have time? Then why did you have a kid or three? Shouldn't you have the time to do something properly if you are going to do it? Are you telling me you are doing a half-assed job of raising your kids because you are too busy to do it right? Nice.Tell me I'm wrong, cuz that's what I'm hearing.

By all means, since you do not have time, please continue to consume plastic products, which increase the need for oil production, and keep buying these things for your kids to throw away, because actually they are the ones who will have to deal with the mountain of plastic garbage from their childhoods anyway. They'll only have themselves to blame. It's cool.

Yet another example of a product where we could take a second to think, "Is this really worth the plastic waste created here? Or can I do without it? Is there a better way?" But we don't.

I cannot find out what kind of plastic this is. I'm not inclined to go to a store right now to look, either. Is it #2? 5? If they get thrown away at school, I hardly think they are going in the recycling. So they are going in the garbage. Nice. Hello, Ocean. Bet you thought you had enough plastic already, huh?

Nope.

Suck Til It's Flat?

I kid you not. That's their tag line. Yoplait GoGurt, now in color changing tubes for Despicable Me 2, now in theaters!

You could have already guessed that I am NOT a fan of these things. They leave me kind of speechless. They are the kind of thing I might have wanted to try as a kid, but that my Mom was too smart to waste money on them. (The grammar on that sentence twisted my brain too, sorry.) Little plastic tubes of yuck. May we recycle these tubes? NOPE! Into the ocean they go. Forever and ever, amen.

Kind of gross-looking when you see it that way, huh?

So, yeah, I hate these, but now they have super-fun color-changing tubes for the latest promotion. Dare I even ask what extra chemicals had to be put into the plastic to make them change colors??? Dare I? These things are SO heavily marketed. I'm not sure that they sell so well because of it and they have to keep making new versions and products because they are so popular or if that's to make sure they stay selling... I don't know. I just know these are one of the most irresponsible products out there Of all the plastic shit to get your kids to *suck on.* Seriously. In searching images, I found plenty of pictures from other blogs with children and BABIES happily sucking on these things.

I mean, horrifying, right??? Is it me?

What are we doing???? Can we please STOP already??? Now, I know, I know, we've had Otter Pops and all those frozen plastic tubes of brightly colored high-fructose corn syrup with amazing dyes for decades. Hell, I used to buy them. I know better now. I cringe that I ever did buy those. I'm sorry. But we keep on keeping on with this crap, instead of learning.

And back to the chemicals... WTH makes the plastic change colors? Were these chemicals licked on by kittens? I'm guessing not. Should we think about that for a second? Maybe? I don't know? 

Magical wonderful color changes aside, these things are just plain bad news for the environment and therefore kids. Sure, sure, I am positive they shut the little bugger (NOT the word I wanted to use) up for a few seconds so you can check your Facebook account in relative peace, dreaming of a life where you stopped at 2 kids, but can we please think ahead just a tiny bit? Stop for a moment, and think of a sci-fi future where all these stupid little plastic wrappers rise up out of the landfills an oceans and choke our kids' kids. Cuz that's what happens in my happy brain. Maybe it will someday, thanks to these unknown chemicals. This product is so new, I really couldn't find much about it even on Yoplait's site. I did have to have a chuckle, though... they have a section on their page called, "Tips for feeding your toddler." I didn't click on it, because I guessed that the advice was not "Don't feed them Yoplait in plastic shit." Just a guess. 

Convenient Smoothie, Juice Not Included

In line with the "Are you kidding me" theme of the week... Did you know you can just buy a plastic container with *some* smoothie *stuff* in it, keep it in your freezer, then just add juice and shake when you want a smoothie?

Dole makes "Dole Shakers - fruit & yogurt kit." Yogurt, with pre and probiotics. (I'm working out in my head how these live cultures survive the freezing while staying potent. I guess they hibernate. I'll go with that.)

It's not a packet, a plastic pouch, or an additive of any kind. It's an actual giant-ish plastic THING that you happily discard after one use. ??? Is it me?

I mean, at the very least, if you are in such a hurry, mash up your FRESH fruit before-hand and put it in the freezer and make your own. I'm guessing that is just a little too "not-easy." So, these are healthy and relatively inexpensive. But the waste-plastic is mind-boggling to me! Unless you plan on reusing every single one of these for something else (even possible???) - then there is NO excuse for this kind of waste. Oh, and don't even say, "Well, we thrown them in the recycling bin." We know where that gets you with me. We know the truth.

This is a plain simple, downright, completely irresponsible product. PERIOD. Completely and totally. Just absolutely horrific. They cannot be condoned. This is another one, if you see someone drinking this, feel free to slap it outta their hands then slap them upside the head.

Why, yes, I do practice a lot of restraint when out in public, why do you ask?

Ridiculous.

Quaker Oatmeal - Made So Convenient

Uh oh, You know what THAT word means...

Not even sure where I saw these. But... hot cereal, Quaker Oatmeal Real Medleys, in convenient and easy single serve cups, just add hot water. Oh, let me guess. The cups are plastic. Yeah, buddy. Get 'em in a 12-pack so you can REALLY get the plastic out there!

PepsiCo owns Quaker, just in case you didn't know. And, you know, they make this great product just for us! Because they care SO MUCH! They even pin it right on women in their press release: "Today, women are busier than ever before, and in the morning time crunch, a nourishing breakfast is either skipped or sacrificed for food that's convenient, but maybe not as desirable," said Andrew Sutherland, Senior Director of Marketing, Quaker Foods & Snacks North America. "New Quaker Real Medleys are perfect for women who want to start their mornings with a wholesome and delicious oatmeal breakfast that adds a little extra flavor and fun in a convenient, portable cup."

When, oh when, pray tell, are we going to get off the notion that we are SO busy that we have carte-blanche to trash the planet? Are we ever going to realize that this is NOT the thing to do? That actions matter? That if you have/want kids, maybe you should stop trashing their home? That throwing something "away" just means it goes somewhere you don't see? That we can't keep going like this??? I've said it before, I'll say it again: I might give a pass if, with all our busy-busy-busy, we were actually doing anything POSITIVE in the world, or, if with all our time-saving conveniences, we were making the world a better place.... But, news flash... we're so not.

I'll keep pointing out the stupidity and harmfulness of these things til I run out of products.

I don't think I have to worry about running out of products any time soon.

A reviewer on Amazon pointed out that the cups aren't even the #1 or 2 plastic. They are made from 7. & is not easily recycled yet. So... until such time as communities have the wherewithal to recycle #7, where do we think these cups are going? In some *convenient* holding facility to just sit there and collect and wait til the technology is in place and someone really really can't wait to get their hands on them? NO. They are going in landfills and the OCEANS. PERIOD.

Ugh. I'm done, I can't even say anymore about it. It just never ends. I'm completely overwhelmed at the thought of the millions of these cups entering the trash stream for no good reason at all. Can we just stop?

There is so much sugar and so many chemicals in them and calories and crap that they aren't really even that healthy. And boiling hot water in a #7 plastic cup? Let me think about what is leaching into your oh-so-convenient healthy oatmeal.

Think about that, then go get pregnant, and eat more. Then come talk to us when your child has cancer.

Harsh?

Yeah? What's your point?

Let's Think About It

Progress? Or just an excuse to create an industry we don't really need?

Let's really think about this and think about it hard. Please.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about so-called progress, and convenience, and making our lives easier, and solving problems, and solving problems that aren't really problems... and finding "stuff" for people to do - because maybe just maybe there are too many people doing the wrong job and we are going the wrong direction altogether?

Observe: The Milk Carton Dilemma. SUCH a horrible problem to have to mash open the mouth of the carton. Wow, that sucks. I just can't think of anything worse. What a problem. I mean, my whole day is ruined when that happens. That's just terrible. Cancer? Terrorism? Poverty? Mere child's play compared to when I can't open a milk carton. Those old enough to remember Sniglets might recognize the word "Lactomangulation." You may as well go back to bed when this happens.

But wait! Never fear! Progress and Technology are here to rescue YOUR morning! To make YOUR life better and easier and more convenient, we have PLASTIC to save you! And look! Jobs! We need people to make these very very necessary things!

Now look at what we have: we've gone from a carton that really doesn't recycle anyway, to a carton that now has a plastic piece on it that won't get recycled because it's attached to a carton that doesn't get recycled and it will not get separated from said carton. PLUS, a little round ring thingy-piece that gets thrown away after you hurt your finger trying to get it the hell out of there. PLUS, the lid. That won't get recycled. We went to the beach the other week, and I didn't get any shells, but I DID pick up a whole handful of plastic screw-top lids. Might not have gotten them all, but damn it I got those. So, you know, I'm thinking we have more than enough lids out there already. We didn't need an excuse to make more.

But, but, but.... JOBS! Jobs are good and people get jobs by making these things we don't really need! And THAT'S good, right? Justified!

See, I have a problem there. Jobs for the sake of... jobs? Why? Because we can't come up with a job that might move us forward ecologically instead? Because this was just easier and someone is making good money up at the top? Because the Plastics Coalition says, "Hey, here's a job!" and no one says anything about how we really don't need this and maybe there is something else to be done? We had to train people to work the machines that make these things; why not train them to, I don't know, grow industrial hemp instead, or make/install solar panels or wind turbines? Why not THAT job? Instead of making machines to make useless unnecessary plastic pieces of waste, why not make machines to make stuff out of hemp? Why not?

I know why, actually. It's because plastic is made out of petroleum, and the oil industry prefers that we don't actually think about the reality of this situation. And HERE IS the reality of this situation: Opening a milk carton was never a problem in our lives. It was at most a minor nuisance that really did not negatively affect anything in the big picture. And we are creating needless waste by solving a problem that didn't exist in the first place. And we are holding people to jobs that don't go anywhere and don't really advance anyone and just keep people locked into a certain position in life. And if you didn't realize or don't believe that, you ought to give it some thought.

Hey... how about we go back to glass bottles? And hey, why don't we go back to milk delivery? THAT was a job. It was a good one.

In the meantime, can we just start thinking a little more, and stop taking everything at face value? And realize what's REALLY going on out there?

That'd be nice for a change.

But What If I Never Throw It Away?

Sad news on my New Favorite Thing, my stone paper.... I was told it is NOT recyclable. I thought it was. But.. but... I SO love to write on it. It's so smooth. Now, am I a giant hypocrite for using it? It's still compostable, right? I mean, it's stone, it will take forever, but it's at least natural, right?

And that's all it took to send me into one of my brain-spins. Ok, yeah yeah yeah, I know, it doesn't take much most days. But here we go. So, this stuff can't be recycled, but it IS natural, but trees are natural, and that's recyclable, and that breaks down pretty quickly, But it takes too many trees to make paper and isn't it better if we are making paper out of something else that is a waste product and natural and BESIDES - what if you never throw it out anyway? I have notebooks from COLLEGE. I don't get rid of them. Sure I'll die someday and they'll get tossed eventually, not put into some Good Green Witch Museum for all time to come. But...

What's right, what's wrong? I think I am OK using my stone paper. I think I am OK with my plastic Neti pot. I have a very anti-plastic friend who had that conundrum in her life. They make ceramic Netis which are awesome, but then it's slippery trying to use it in the shower and you drop it and it shatters and now you are using resources to buy another. They are made of stainless steel too, but ouch doesn't that get hot? A plastic Neti will last the entire life span of your showers, will it not? Does that make plastic OK in this instance? Just this once? If I have it for years and years and years and no new resources are being used to replace it? Does that expand to other things that I would avoid? Plastic things break and cannot be fixed. A Neti will likely not break or wear out. But cups? Plates? You know, those ones that are meant to be used again and again but that I say to avoid anyway for other materials?

It's enough to make a poor little witch fly right 'round the bend.

Thoughts? I don't consume very much. I don't buy a lot. I try to conserve and reuse when I can. I don't avoid plastic as completely as I would like. But I try to use the hell out of everything I have. Does that count? I'm the Good Green Witch, not the Perfect Green Witch. I'm not asking people to be perfect, just better. Just be good, too. We live, we learn, we find out not everything is as good as we think it is, we find out about BPA, eggs are good for you / eggs are bad for you no they are good.... oatmeal will save you no it won't...

Life is a work in progress. A journey.

I think I'll write that down in my stone paper notebook. You know, to save it for later.

Don't Drink Oil

It's a cute video in support of "plastic" made from corn... check it out in preparation to read, if you will. It's short!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FzYcW3Fdhs&feature=youtu.be

Red Solo Evil

I have a problem with this, though. Oh, don't get me STARTED on Red Solo Cups and the accompanying stupid song that was written in praise of drunkards and plastic... but let's talk about cups made from corn. Or sugar. Or potato starch. Forks and spoons and plates and even these clear cups for our beverages. These things are great, right?

Well....

Compostables are coming along, but it's not quite right yet. I feel like unless we can replace every single piece of plastic picnic-ware etc with compostables all at once, like, tomorrow, then we have problems. One, these things require high-heat composting. You can't just toss these things in your bin out back. Not all communities have that. YET. These thing will come. But as of now...

How many people do you know that pay attention to where they are throwing what out? Are you at a gathering where you can announce, hey, these cups have to go into a special bin! Hell, you can't even get people to recycle regularly most times! I can't count the times I go down to our trash bin which has the blue recycle bins (3 of them) RIGHT next to it and there is recycle stuff in the trash. With that, we expect people to know they need to put this here special cup in a special place? See, just one of these will ruin a regular batch of recycling. And don't think recycling centers have the manpower or ability to go through every single piece of trash that comes their way. (Americans don't want THAT kind of job. Ew. Yucky. We're above that kind of labor, dontcha know. We need jobs, but not THOSE jobs. Eww.) So, these things are actually dangerous to the system as we have it now. It's not good. I sure don't trust people's knowledge enough. Do you?

Also, making these things out of, say, corn, encourages mono-cropping and GMOs. This is not good. Is it worse than the oil it takes to make plastic?? I don't know. No? No. I don't know. It's a BIG topic. Yes, I think they are better, but no, I am not sure we are ready for them. We have to get there. We aren't there yet.  And I know mono-cropping and Monsanto are right up there with Big Oil. This is not simple. My brain is in a twist just typing this.

You know what I do know? The best way would be to not use any of these things at all anymore. just stop. We lived without them quite well and easily before. Did we not have parties and picnics before Red Solo? Did we suffer? Oh, but Good, glass breaks. Kids can't use glass. It's too dangerous. We HAVE to use plastic! You don't want our kids to get hurt, do you? What kind of person are you?? We can't live without plastic anymore!

Sigh.

Never mind. We're already lost. Forget I said anything.

Worse Instead of Better

Are we going to learn before it's too late? I start to think not. For every scrap of awareness I think might be out there, we come up with 15 new and wasteful products.

Cat added for size reference :) 

Oh, sure, I've railed against these before. But they haven't gone away yet! They are still everywhere! My co-worker had this one and has stated she will never get them again. For the amount of waste, they are not as good as they should be, taste-wise, or amount-wise. We looked closely to notice the recycling code on it is a number 5. Those numbers don't currently get recycled. We only process 1's and 2's. So, all these bajillion plastic things just end up... somewhere other than our homes.

Oh, sure, you can reuse them. But how many can you possibly keep around to use? How many possible reuses are there? If you eat more than a few of these a month, what are you doing with them?

Oh, sure, they are convenient. Quick lunch on the go. But you are super-heating these in the microwave. Do you not think some of those chemicals from said plastic, whatever they are, BPA or no, are leeching into your meal? (I keep using "leech" vs "leach" because I like the image it brings to mind, but I suppose I should use the right one, lest someone try to call me on it. OK fine. Darn it. Leech is more fun.)

Oh, sure, we're so busy that we have to grab these things for lunches. Eat at our desks. Too too busy to make something over the weekend to package and bring in all week, even though that is so much healthier. How many chemicals are in these thing before we even talk about the plastic? I prefer to make a batch of rice or quinoa or pasta to jazz up and bring in all week. Isn't that smarter? Healthier? Cheaper? Better for everyone all around?

But... but it says "healthy choice" right on the box. Silly Green Witch. Why can't I believe what's right in front of me? Sure.

How Far We Aren't

The industry through which I earn my pay is not a very sustainable one in any way, shape, or form. I knew this. But it really hit me a few weeks ago. Pull up a mouse, let me tell you my tale.

Hollywood is all about image. In casting offices all over, images are printed out again and again and again. Computers have helped cut out a little of the massive mounds, pounds, reams of paper, but not by much. It's about holding the image in your hands, making up boards, discarding. (And since it's about paper, it's about ink cartridges too. How many used? Hard to know. Color printouts all day long.But that's another topic.) I noticed, in one such office, two giant blue barrels, into which the discards go. I gently inquired how often those hit overflow-point. I was informed, it isn't too bad, they get filled and emptied maybe every other day. At this point, I am still slightly horrified by the waste, but not completely dismayed yet.

No, that came shortly afterwards. The tale goes on that the bins are taken by a shredding company. After all, these pages contain personal information that would be very bad to get out, and for some reason, shredding this stuff is not enough. And here's where the horror comes in: because simply shredding the personal information is not enough (???), it is far too dangerous for the shredding company to do anything with that shredded stuff. So they keep it. Yes, they keep these bags and bags and bags and bags of shredded paper and material in storage. In storage. It never goes anywhere. It just sits there. this prime paper (that I at least thought, well, it's going to get recycled) just goes to some storage place somewhere and sits. Moldering. Rotting. Just... sitting. Ignored, soon forgotten... pointless.

Not that I should have been surprised. I've seen first-hand what so-called recycling is really like. We think so long as we throw plastic in the bins, everything is hunky-dory. it's not. That stuff, IF it even gets processed, just gets shipped overseas. We don't DO anything with it. Someone in China might, or it might just get dumped in some third-world country. All we know is it's gone from our sight.

One office in one town in one state in one country. Multiply that by all the offices you can think of that shred documents then multiply that by towns and cities you can think of off the top of your head, and now you can start to get a sense of what I felt that day.

We're taking on water. And we are not bailing fast enough.

Learning That Waste Begets Waste!

Ahh, the yearly office holiday cards. Sure, there are "eco-friendly" cards with envelopes made from recycled product... blah blah woof woof... and yeah it is a nice sentiment and people appreciate it... Sigh... and really what else do you do, it's expected, it's the "proper" thing to do, it's rude if you don't, and oh it makes people feel so nice for, what? three seconds? Maybe I'm not giving the whole thing enough credit.

Nah.

Some traditions can go away, slip away into the great night, never to be heard from again. If I can get myself past the thought of the cards themselves (which I can't anyway), then looking at the waste AROUND the waste is enough to send me over. Think about it: You got the cards. You got all the packaging the cards came in. You got the plastic that they wrap around the bundles of cards to keep them fresh. (???!) You got the boxes.

THEN... you print out the labels. Printer cartridge waste created. Then you have the empty pages of non-recyclable stuff the labels were peeled from. And then you have the strips of crap from the envelopes that cover the sticky part because, you know, who the heck wants to actually have to lick or moisten the envelope to seal it?

If we look and think just a little past, beyond... then the obvious waste is even more wasteful. Can't we re-think some of this stuff? Must we keep on in the same tracks and habits? Who is profiting? Who is gaining? Who is losing?

Where do YOU see more waste that goes below the surface of it all?

Keep Yer Grubby Mitts Outta My Trash

Ah, the garbage ritual on my street. I've touched on it before. The dance of the trucks... it's quite magical, actually. Watching the ebb and flow and organization of it all...

Were we thinner then?

My street is lined with fairly sizable apartment complexes. Each building has two or more giant dumpster bins. We all have gated garages; the garbage trucks of course do not go in there. The bins have to come out. That's where this almost-insect-like ballet of cooperation begins. First, the Little Red Trucks come around. They zip into the gated garages and bring out the bins to leave them there on the street for the Big Trucks. BUT WAIT! Before the Big Trucks can come lumbering down the street... here are the Little White Trucks. What are these? These are trucks with little men in them who park their trucks and jump right into the dumpsters to go through them to salvage anything that might be worth anything.

I LOVE these guys. The back of their trucks are full of trash/treasure. Others look down on them and think it's disgusting that they do this; I admire them. I'll say it (cuz it's my blog, after all), they are of a majority Mexican. You know, because we sure couldn't expect "real" Americans to get all dirty like that, right? Gross. Climbing in a dumpster? Should be ashamed. Nope, I think they are awesome. They are pulling stuff out of there that would likely end up in the landfills, and they are DOING something with it. Reselling it for scrap... it will be recycled/re-used/re-purposed. Energy will be saved. Resources will be saved. I love these guys. Finally the Big Trucks come by, and the ritual is concluded for our street.

Which brings to mind an anecdote... we were wandering a lovely farmers' market on Sunday, and they had helpful nice local policemen there to answer community questions. Nice community close to the ocean... nice people. Over comes this nice resident of the nice community to talk to the nice police. He looked fit and ready to spend the afternoon yachting. He wanted to know why the police wouldn't do anything about the homeless people who went through his recycling bins after he put them out to his curb for collection the next day. Those darn homeless people had the nerve, nay, audacity to rummage through HIS good garbage. That was HIS garbage and he paid GOOD MONEY for that garbage collection. He pays his taxes, darn it. He shouldn't have to tolerate some unworthy person sucking off the teat of society using his good garbage to make a tiny bit of money.

I really wanted to say something. And I think the cops were trying their best to be respectful to Mr. Tax Payer, too, but they sure seemed to want to point something obvious out to him. I don't know. Why should this encounter have bothered me so, stuck with me so? Why was I irritated? I LIKE that there are people who go through the recycling bins, you know why? Because then I am really sure that stuff will GET to a recycling center. And the CRV is going to (somewhat) good use. You know what, Yacht Guy, Mr. Tax Payer? Why don't YOU care as much about your recycling as those less-than-desirables in society? That guy and also that lady that goes up my favorite hiking spot to pull bottles out of the garbage cans up there? Hell, they're getting a work-out AND doing good by the Earth. GOOD for them. You've thrown it away, why do you care what happens to it now? And would YOU climb in that dumpster? No: you've already thrown that item away and missed it's value that someone else recognizes. Leave them alone. No - admire them. They earn it.

I salute you, O Dancers of the Dumpsters. And I thank you. Moreover, I really, really respect you. Does that mean anyting to you?

Meh. Prob'ly not. Oh well.

Get 'em started young...

You may think I am going to talk about getting children on the green path. Would that I were. I'm actually going to point out several companies that would have your child happily getting hooked on single-use bottles right out of the crib. I can hardly think of anything more irresponsible, and rather than discuss them all in one posting, I'm going to give each of them the full attention and criticism they deserve. Yes, thank you, thank you, hold the applause. Haha!

First on my list: a little product/company called Nourish. They make bottled water for babies and toddlers. Oh, goody. My cauldron is already bubbling over! Here's their tagline: "We nourish our most precious resources. Our children, our time, our health, our world." Um. Please tell me how encouraging the use of "recyclable" disposable bottles nourishes our health or our world?? We've been over the recycle thing and we KNOW, we know, we know that a very small percentage of these bottles actually GET recycled. So, what... just keep using them and hope someday that will change? I think not.

But I digress. Let's get a little more into this product. First, we can buy "nourish baby". "Clean Water. Clean Bottle. Happy Baby." OK. Let us read on, shall we? "Just add formula, shake, serve, and recycle." Oh, here we go again with the recycle thing. I won't insult your intelligence by re-hashing it yet again. What this is, is a "recyclable" BPA-free bottle, filled with enough "spring" water to mix in formula, "specially designed to make feeding in a pinch a total cinch." Cinch? Since when does that word EVER apply to babies? If having a baby was a "cinch" - oh never mind on that one. They say, "No more washing out dirty bottles in public restrooms. No more stopping at fast food restaurants to ask for water." I never actually HAD a kid, so... maybe I don't know what it takes to juggle a kid and some sort of social life where I NEED to be out shopping instead of keeping my baby on a regular schedule (I seemed to hear once that that was important in raising a child, but I guess I'm wrong?), but this all seems a little TOO... too... uh... steeped in CONVENIENCE for me. Again, I could be way off. You know, I've always felt that if you can't change YOUR life around having a child, then maybe you shouldn't have one. Children require sacrifice. I'm sorry if that doesn't revolve around your idea of needing to be at Starbucks and interrupting your baby's nap time for your "needs", but I'm pretty sure our moms raised us JUST fine without the NEED to have to dash into a McDonald's to beg for water. I'm pretty sure they planned a little better than that. All this product says to me is, Go ahead, do what you need to do, don't put your baby's needs first, we make it convenient for you to do whatever you please. Actual mothers can tell me I'm incorrect, but if you have babies on a set feeding schedule and plan ahead a little for it, you don't need to be washing bottles in a gas-station hole-in-the-wall toilet.

Yeah yeah yeah. I know. It's just that this product, this company, seems to feed into the mind-set of this generation: it's OK, don't worry about it now, let's just make everything as easy as possible. Why should you be inconvenienced or have to work at anything? Here. Have this bottle, then throw it away. Oh, and don't forget the plastic forks and spoons and throw-away plates for the toddler years!

On to "nourish toddler". "Perfect for declarations of MINE." Oh good. Let's already abandon any hope of teaching our children to share, and let's start early. THAT point aside... "There's a better way to quench your toddler's thirst." Really? A 10oz single-use bottle of "spring" water is the better way? In what world? (Oh, yeah, in the "convenient" world. I forgot. Sorry.) "So long, sippy-cup power struggles." Uh huh. Good. I can't really see anything special or remarkable or novel about this product. It's bottled water, in a smaller bottle, with a lot more plastic on the sippy-lid. Yay.

This product line is all based on the (correct?) assumption that parents cannot control their children, that children rule the world of the adults and adults must bend to the whim of children's desires. What happened to being told "NO"? Here's the rest of their pitch: "Pleasing thirsty, hungry little ones on the go can be stressful. [??? So don't be on the go so much?] There's the juggling, the grabbing, the bargaining - and the spilling. Been there. Done that." I see. Instead of teaching children manners, and sharing, and to LISTEN, we just bend over to whatever, because it's EASIER, and pollute the planet with so-called recyclables because we are too lazy to be parents. I KNOW children are willful and can be difficult. I watch Supernanny. I also notice she insists the adults taking the lead role, not just giving in because it's easier. If you want easier, get a fish. Oh, no, wait, that requires changing water every so often. Get a plant. There are convenient ways around having to water it all the time, so bothersome.

I know! Get a farkin' rock. I hear they don't talk back at all.

Oh... and by the way, I must point out these things are a complete and total ghastly rip-off at $3.50 a bottle, and FORTY dollars a case.