Welcome

Welcome to my cranky place. I'm not always right, I don't always make sense, and what I say isn't always popular, but at the end of the day, it's plain where I stand.


Sunday, April 3, 2011

In The Category of "What were they thinking?"



OK, while grocery shopping this past week, I decided to try and find some
healthier alternatives to your basic pasta. So, I cruise over to the "Good-For-You" section and start reading labels.
Sometimes I should stay away from labels.
Someone, anyone, please explain this to me. Read over the package carefully.




First, let us note that this is a pasta in Animal Shapes... this even appears to be the name of the product. See cute little Rubber Duckie shaped pasta in window.
Second, let us note that this is a wheat-free, gluten-free, product.




Ok, for the WTF championship....
What part of Animal Shapes in Rubber Duckie Motif is Suitable For Vegetarians?!

Isn't the whole point of vegetarianism to NOT EAT ANIMALS?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

At what point does "Being Green" stop being green?

I am a crafter.
I make things, design things, change things.
I start with raw materials and end up with a finished product.
I belong to various groups, forums, social networks all tied in some way to crafting.
Which brings me to why I'm cranky today.

Lately, I have been seeing more and more people talking (sometimes bragging) about how they are "Being Green" because they go to 2nd hand stores, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc and buy up old clothes. Are they buying these clothes because they cannot afford new? No. Are they buying these clothes because their children grow like weeds and will only fit into them for perhaps a month? No. They are buying them to Destroy Them.
Sweaters being unraveled to be knit into... wait for it... sweaters. Now, don't get me wrong, if you cannot afford good quality wool for knitting this is a good way to go.
But to do this simply to "Be Green"? I don't think so.
Buying up all the wool suits and skirts and such so you can take them home, dye them and cut them into strips to use to make rugs that you don't want to ever have touch the floor?
People Donated those clothes to cover the needy, to help the less fortunate, to make life a little easier for those who might be having a hard time of it. The intentions of the donators are good. This is an excellent way to recycle things you no longer need. I do it every month.
That wool suit could be what helps a single mom find a better job. That sweater could mean the difference between warm enough or not.
Clothes are part of the trickle down theory too. If we who can afford better, stop the flow of clothes to those who cannot, how can we claim to be making a difference?