Thursday, January 31, 2008

Do It Right (My Friends Are Assholes)

No one does everything right. No one. Especially me. You see, most of my friends are assholes and they call my attention to this fact whenever possible. They know I try to be "green," as the world is wont to say these days. I try to do my part.

I do a lot of things right. I buy all recycled paper products, including toilet paper. I use only natural or environmentally friendly cleaning products (vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, borax, baking soda--what more do you need?). I bring my own stainless steel drinking bottle wherever I go and whenever possible use it at restaurants instead of "to go" cups. I'm doing my best to be as much of a vegetarian as possible. I've even started carrying my own cloth napkin and a spork. I am trying. Still, whenever I do something even remotely "not green" I am called a hypocrite and an earth killer. Worse yet, at lunch the other day one of my friends started wastefully using as many paper napkins as he could just because I had my cloth one. I bit my tongue, knowing saying anything would do no good, but that is the epitome of ignorance and it pissed me off.

I know I need to ride my bike more places. I know I should replace my car with something more environmentally sound. I know that buying carbon offsets isn't enough (but I do buy them). I know these things. I have felt waves of guilt virtually every time I have started my car from the moment I fired it up and drove it off the lot. That's the truth. I bought it in Phoenix and the whole drive back to Tucson I kept saying to myself, "You should have bought the Prius." Instead, I bought the Honda Element. Sure, it's a very low emission vehicle, but it only gets 22 mpg. But it's an incredibly practical vehicle for me. Bikes get thrown in without worrying about mucking up the carpet (there is no carpet!). It's a very low-maintenance car. And, by the way, the Element is where the whole Bike Box thing comes from. And, yes, I have a BIKEBOX vanity plate on it. I know. I know.

My point, if there is one, is that none of us can do it all. We all make mistakes. But we have to try. We have to do what we can. We have to identify what is important to us and take steps in that direction. It can't happen all at once and maybe it won't ever happen completely, but we can try. And if there is anything I hope to impart to my grandkids it's that we can and must try to do our best. And we shouldn't make fun of people who are trying, either.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Wedding Anniversaries

Our friend Dawn's parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary today. That's amazing--congratulations Jack & Nancy! They are good people who obviously have a sainthood nomination in their future (if you know Dawn you know what I mean!).

Which makes me realize something--this year is the year Joan and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary! People who know me are probably wondering what the hell Joan has been thinking all this time. Hopefully no one actually asks her that question!

Joan and I got married the year Dawn's folks celebrated their 25th. Dawn was at our wedding. We're halfway there and we'll be hitting the 50 year mark right about the time most people are thinking about retiring. I guess we're early achievers.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

I'm A Whore. Click An Ad.

Yes, I have added ads. Or, at least, it's in the works. They have to review your site. Which means I probably shouldn't write this now because then they might not let me have ads. But do I really want ads? No. I don't. But you get paid for them. Every time someone clicks on one of your ads (you seriously have to promise not to click on your own ads) you get something like one billionth of a penny. You get a check every time you reach the $100 mark in ad revenue. So, considering the amount of traffic this site doesn't get (seriously, why should it?), I should see my first check some time around 2012. Which will be handy because, did I mention, I'll be running for POTUS in 2012....

Gil Scott-Heron

Futurama fans be aware--"The Future Will Not Be Televised" is a insanely great track by Gil Scott-Heron. That's the track they have used as the base for the new Futurama ads. A spoken-word jazz poet, he could well be one of the founding fathers of modern rap and hip hop. I recommend everyone check him out. At least get a greatest hits package. Some of the stuff he did about Ronald Reagan is genius. He's had a long history of problems related to drugs but I think he's out there performing again. If he came to town I'd be insane not to grab a ticket and check that show out.

Juno

I saw Juno today. It's a sweet film. They threw an unexpected turn at me here and there, but as described by all critics, it's a very nice piece of work. Ellen Page deserves all of the credit she's been getting for her performance. Frankly, there's not a bad performance in the film and, to be honest, Jennifer Garner--for what is really a rather small role--gives Page a run for her money. Garner really does a lot with what little screen time she gets. The dialog is whip smart and the movie moves well. They correctly kept it at an hour and a half and filled almost every minute with a lot of emotion and a lot of wry humor. The odd soundtrack is fittingly quirky as well.

By the way, did I mention I'm running for POTUS in 2012. Yeah. I am.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Early Ballots for the Primary

Here in Arizona our primary doesn't come around until February 5. Governor Napolitano has already endorsed Barack Obama. I got online and requested a mail-in ballot. I almost always do that because who knows what's going to be happening on election day. It arrived in my mail box the very next day. Exciting, huh?

There are 24 names on this ballot. And this is just the Democratic Party ballot names. Seriously. Twenty-four names. I was under the assumption, based on television coverage, that there are only two and a half candidates in the running. The one squeaky mouse who roars, Dennis Kucinich, was even banned from the last debate because he has been summarily dismissed by the media. Now, I recognize that Mr. Kucinich is crazy. He's a loon. I admit it. But you know all of those online quizzes you can take to determine who "your" candidate is? He always comes out at the top of my list. Him and Dodd. Dodd's no longer in the running. I was pushing for Joe Biden, who I see as the only reasonable choice, but even he is no longer in the game.

So who are these twenty-four people? Sure, we know the main contenders and ex-contenders. But who the heck are Libby Hubbard and Orion Daley? Tish Haymer and Karl Krueger? I'm sure the requirements for getting on the ballot are different state to state. Maybe in Arizona all you have to do is pay a fee. I'm going to have to find out. Maybe I can have my name on the ballot in 2012. Then my grandkids can all say that their grandpa ran for President of the United States of America! I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case with a few of these people. Surely they can't be so deluded as to think they actually have a chance. Well, of course, there is Sandy Whitehouse. She's the first name on my ballot and, as you can tell from her name, she's just plain destined for the job.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Whole Foods

Whole Foods has bought out Wild Oats. Apparently, this means I get to buy the same stuff for more money. I admit there's a lot to be said for Whole Foods and their business plan. I like their support for organics and natural foods and their strict ban on GMO and animal products that have not been farmed in a natural and humane way (if, that is, killing animals for food can be natural and humane). However, I'm finding it hard to believe that a much larger company can't provide the same products for the same or less money. Seriously.

Oh, and while I was there I bought a bag of shredded organic mozzarella cheese. Apparently, organic cheese comes from solid gold cows. That can be the only explanation for the price I had to pay for a half pound of curdled and shredded milk.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Erg....

I don't feel good. I ache everywhere, have a slight fever, and feel a bit pukey. I've been lying around all day and have no idea what made me sick. Who knows.

Maybe it was the poor showing at the Iowa caucus. It becomes ever clearer that people vote for image and other unimportant reasons other than substance. Less than 1% for Joe Biden! Nothing for Dodd. Both of those guys are far better than the three front runners. I suppose part of it has to do with the fact that the media completely ignores anyone but the top two (and sometimes three). I was glad to see Edwards edge ahead of Clinton. I still say she's a coin toss away from being a Republican. My fear with Obama is that he'll get too caught up in trying to please everyone and lose track of the real issues at hand.

I just hope they don't get sucked into the "I'm more religious than you are" game that Huckabee will certainly be slinging around. People have no idea how important the separation of church and state really is. We need someone who will govern with wisdom and reason and not feel he or she has to run every decision by the tenets of a 2000 year old mythology.

My religion is better than your religion is the root of most of the world's problems today!