Compostable SunChip Bag and Green Living

If you had not stumbled upon SunChip's compostable bags, well, they only come with one variety now.  What articles don't mention is that it's only been pulled off the market in the U.S.  Because only Americans care more about their convenience and "noise" of a chip bag than the effects that bag has on the environment.  You wonder why other countries don't care to listen to the U.S. about environmental issues and pollution.  We can't even get behind a great innovation for CHIP BAGS.  Come on, people. Yes, it's loud, but it's not hard to pour the chips into a bowl, or you could adopt my method of opening the bag really wide and sticking your hand through.. just don't hit the bag.  Another solution is to put them in an airtight container, which will keep them fresh AND you can just compost the bag.  My favorite container: OXO pop containers.

While sometimes living green might seem expensive or inconvenient, there are actually small ways that every person can live just a little more responsibly.  Maybe you can help encourage this with your gift-giving this holiday season.  Here are my favorite discoveries and why I love them:

• Wrap-n-Mat: placemat and sandwich holder in one, cute, and totally reusable.  Easy to clean and cuts down on use of plastic baggies for the brief period that you carry your sandwich from home to work.

• Snack Taxi: again, so cute, and so handy for snacks.  I usually just rinse it clean but will occasionally wash it with some dish soap.  Way more fun than a lame old snack bag anyway.  Lined to prevent leakage, though not recommended for super leaky/wet snacks.

• Twist cleaning supplies: biodegradable sponges, cleaning cloths, etc, that are all safe to sanitize in the dishwasher (makes me love them more than rags or towels that I have to run through the washing machine).  I had been feeling so guilty about using paper towels as much as I do for daily cleaning, being a total clean freak, and found my much better solution.  In the long run, I'll save money on paper towels, too! 

• Free high efficiency light bulbs from Duke Energy: customers can call or go online to request them and you get a whole box full.  These bulbs last for years and help you reduce energy costs.  Be sure to look into proper disposal of these bulbs!  

• Reusable produce bags: Washable bags for your fruits and veggies (just stick them in your reusable grocery bags... you are using them, right?).  You can get these at a variety of places online or at some grocery stores.  Maybe there isn't the same money saving aspect to these bags, but they are not terribly expensive and really, who wants an accumulation of those plastic bags from the grocery anyway?

See?  It's not so hard to be just a little green.  When you drive by one of those landfill mountains, you can be at least a little glad that you added that much less non-biodegradable crap into that big, smelly pile.

Good Deed of the Month: Cinderella Fundraiser

Shameless plug: Each year, the Ensemble Theatre (a very cool theater in Over the Rhine in Cincinnati) sets aside one performance where all the proceeds go to the work of the Children's Law Center, where I work.  This year's performance is Cinderella, on December 4, 2010 at 2:00 pm.  Bring friends and family, or if you are out of town, consider donating some tickets for some of our clients and their families.  Either way, it's a good deed that helps support good work!  Click here for more information.

Ahh, fashion.

As we watched the American Music Awards, the husband wondered out loud whether or not a female singer would ever wear normal clothes again.  It's a good question:

 

Lady Gaga, I blame you for making everyone think that bathing suits are appropriate performance attire.  Katy Perry, that spandex pantsuit is scary.  On a tangentially related note, why does anyone think that wearing leggings or tights that are essentially pantyhose are an acceptable substitute for pants?  You still look like you are wearing pantyhose, it's rarely flattering, and there is major danger of looking like you have a FUPA!

Spotted on the Internet: WHAT??

 Denver Post: Anything seem out of place in the medical marijuana news?

Priceline.com: Excuse me, when Alicia from Wilmington said too many blacks, did she think that was ok?  Did she really mean what I think she meant?

Political Depression

I'll be honest- I come from an immigrant Taiwanese family that was politically disengaged for as long as I can remember.  We did not talk much about politics.  For a long time, politics did not interest me.  In my adult life, I am still playing catch up to many years of apathy.  As I do so, I think I am more aware of the political apathy of people in my every day life and it disturbs me.  So I'm writing, I guess, to pump myself up.

As much as watching commentary and news on the political landscape depresses me, I force myself to be in tune.  I am realizing- maybe too late- that our country is in trouble.  We're in trouble because people like Sarah Palin are able to run for Vice-President.  People who, as Republican Lisa Murkowski stated recently, lack intellectual curiosity.  (There appears to be at least one Republican who can be somewhat reasonable and honest.)  We're in trouble because when I saw Mike Huckabee running for president a few years ago, he seemed extreme to me, but now seems relatively normal. 

How easy it is for us middle class folks to just stick our heads in the sand when it comes to politics.  We go about our lives doing the best we can, being good people.  I don't think this is enough anymore, if it ever was.  Educated, reasonable people must have a voice in what is going on in politics.  Someone has to tell Mitch McConnell it is an abuse of his political position to declare his mission is to prevent Obama from having a second term.  Stop wasting our time!!!

Ok, stepping down from the soapbox, now.  But seriously, please care.  If the likes of Sarah Palin or Mitch Romney (who believes in magic underpants) end up running the country, we really are done for.