consumption manifesto

From the NRDC's newsletter, "This Green Life," I was introduced to a new (to me) online environmental magazine. Their credo: Pull no punches, take no prisoners, eschew the wealth and fame that so often seduce online environmental journalists. And try to have a better sense of humor than a pack of fur protesters. They claim to tackle environmental topics with irreverence, intelligence, and a fresh perspective. You should check it out at www.gristmagazine.com.

In one of their recent articles, they talk about consumption and how it can be used as a force for good. By buying what we need, produced the way we want, we can create the world we'd like to live in. For the future, a Consumption Manifesto:

Principle One. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This brilliant triad says it all. Reduce: Avoid buying what you don't need—and when you do get that dishwasher/lawnmower/toilet, spend the money up front for an efficient model. Re-use: Buy used stuff, and wring the last drop of usefulness out of most everything you own. Recycle: Do it, but know that it's the last and least effective leg of the triad. (Ultimately, recycling simply results in the manufacture of more things.)

Principle Two. Stay close to home. Work close to home to shorten your commute; eat food grown nearby; patronize local businesses; join local organizations. All of these will improve the look, shape, smell, and feel of your community.

Principle Three. Internal combustion engines are polluting, and their use should be minimized. Period.

Principle Four. Watch what you eat. Whenever possible, avoid food grown with pesticides, in feedlots, or by agribusiness. It's an easy way to use your dollars to vote against the spread of toxins in our bodies, land, and water.

Principle Five. Private industries have very little incentive to improve their environmental practices. Our consumption choices must encourage and support good behavior; our political choices must support government regulation.

Principle Six. Support thoughtful innovations in manufacturing and production. Hint: Drilling for oil is no longer an innovation.

Principle Seven. Prioritize. Think hardest when buying large objects; don't drive yourself mad fretting over the small ones. It's easy to be distracted by the paper bag puzzle, but an energy-sucking refrigerator is much more worthy of your attention. (Small electronics are an exception.)

Principle Eight. Vote. Political engagement enables the spread of environmentally conscious policies. Without public action, thoughtful individuals are swimming upstream.

Principle Nine. Don't feel guilty. It only makes you sad.

Principle Ten. Enjoy what you have—the things that are yours alone, and the things that belong to none of us. Both are nice, but the latter are precious. Those things that we cannot manufacture and should never own—water, air, birds, trees—are the foundation of life's pleasures. Without them, we're nothing. With us, there may be nothing left. It's our choice.

global business intelligence

so, last night, i participated in my first market research focus group. this particular group consisted of six 23 year old women meeting to discuss wireless providers. can i just say that i felt completely lost as everyone quickly associated different companies with particular television advertisements. god am i glad i don't watch tv. one mention of the word "verizon" and everyone chanted, as if they were part of a well-rehearsed chorus, "can you hear me now?". after discussing at length what we desire from our particular wireless provider, our complaints, our ideal service, etc, we were asked to describe the personality of each company. for instance, sprint was a male, chauvinistic pig that drove a bmw and lived in an exclusive residential area. he was a leader, but people felt like they could not talk to him on a personal level. to conclude the evening, we viewed several wireless television commercials and then gave feedback. i must admit, i was most entertained by team mobile's catchy 2-3 minutes of airtime.

all in all, it was an interesting way to spend my tuesday night. two hours of harmless conversation about how big companies can better serve me, and i went home with $75 cash in my pocket. so, if you're in the need of some extra cash, this is a painless way to gain it - $37.50/hour ain't that bad. join the database of a market reasearch company near you.

vital stats

1) 128 million federal dollars spent on an antismoking campaign between '91 and '99
2) 47 billion dollars spent by the tobacco industry to market its products during the same time period

3) 26 percent of people in a nutritional study said that ate five servings of fruits or vegetables a day
4) 13 percent of people in the same study who said they did after they were told the size of a serving

5) 67 percent of Americans on low-carb/no-carb diets that do not know tomatoes contain carbs
6) 47 percent of Americans on aforementioned diets that do not know that apples contain carbs

7) 66 percent additional calories Americans consume from soda or atificial fruit juice now versus 27 years ago

vote for ellie!

it has been quite rainy here in austin of late, so my dog ellie has been sporting her yellow rain slicker quite a bit. she really hates to go out in the rain without it. anyhow, she looks ever so charming in it, so i decided to take a few pictures of her.

i was informed of the "Pet of the Month" contest at KXAN, a local news station here in austin. well, i sent in one of the rain slicker pics for June's Pet of the Month contest. i found out this morning that she made it as a finalist! people at the news station picked the top five pictures to post on their website. then, the public decides the winner by voting on-line. the rules are pretty strict. only one vote per computer. drat! i can't vote for my kiddo every day!

anyhow, if you haven't done so already, feel free to cast a vote her way. just go to www.kxan.com, scroll down to the pet guide, and then vote in the june contest!

here's hoping she wins!

liquid candy

that sweet, sparkling, empty-calorie beverage that has become america's favorite drink may fill you up, but it will let you down when it comes to vitamins and minerals. one might say, "a soda a day keeps the vitamins and minerals away."

soft drinks, which contain about nine teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce can, are a leading contributor to increased sugar consumption in our diet. diets high in sugar can promote obesity, kidney stones, osteoporosis, heart disease, and dental caries. unfortunately, we have become a nation that is infatuated with sugar. with all the attention on fat and carbs, we have forgotten about sugar and often replace the fat or carbs with sugar. we must take prudent action to stem the dilution of the american diet with sugar's empty calories.

soft drink companies are among the most aggressive marketers in the world. aside from the ubiquitous advertising for increasing consumption, the industry has steadily increased container sizes. have you seen the size of these cups and bottles?! it is very hard to combat their market strategies, but we must continue to try and sensitize consumers to the nutritional "cost" of sugared soft drinks and other foods.

in my final year at southwestern university, i took a class called "us diet, health and the environment." in this class we discussed a variety of topics within the realm of public health, including the increasing popularity of this liquid candy. one suggestion to curb this trend was to apply small taxes to foods that undermine health. why don't we start a petition demanding that soft drinks and sugary snack foods be taxed to provide funding for nutrition and health campaigns? anyone want to sign?

bonapawtete

people today are more aware of the important connection between good nutrition and their health. we are concerened about the effects of additives and chemicals found in our food. this desire to improve our lifestyle extends to our pets as well.

pet food sales is a million dollar industry with many companies competing for your business. some of the companies have your pet's health as their main concern and some have their pocket books as their main concern. the laws and common practices related to packaging and advertising pet foods are easily manipulated by companies to confuse the consumer into buying their brand of food. so, we all know our dogs need to proper combination of nutrients to maintain good health. and, we all know that there are several foods out there that can provide this for us. the problem is, how do we, as consumers, know which food really is good for our furry friends?

pet expert warren eckstein provides some enlightening information about this topic. did you know that last year, americans spent over $12 billion on pet food? in his comparison of generic v. name brand v. premium, he says as a general rule, the quality goes up with the price. there are often more fillers and less good food in the lower priced brands. he emphasizes that no matter what you buy, it is important to read the ingredients label and read it carefully. for instance, chicken or chicken parts can mean any part of the chicken including feet and beaks. so, if the idea of your pet eating chicken feet and beaks makes you queasy, you should look at the ingredients carefully. You should recognize all the words on the ingredient list. If it’s not something you would eat, you should think twice before giving it to your pet. Also, when looking at the label, you should make sure the protein source — chicken or beef — is at or near the top of the list.

so, all this information really doesn't answer the question of which food is the absolute best to feed our pets, but it gives us some guidelines to make more informed choices when picking their food!

i heart austin

this was an article from the austin american statesman this morning:

So just what does it feel like to get on a bicycle and fly through the city streets without a stitch of clothes on?

"It's liberating; it's an adrenaline rush," swears Michael Bluejay, a local bicycling and nudity enthusiast. "It's not an exhibitionism thing, but you're testing the law, and you're also testing people's reaction to it."

Like any city with a healthy counterculture, Austin has had its share of spontaneous, guerrilla naked bike rides, often a smallish group of riders ditching the bondage of clothing and streaking through South Austin or the University of Texas area. But on Saturday, Austin will join a dozen or so cities around the globe in the World Naked Bike Ride, an event that is as much about protesting oil dependence and the war in Iraq as it is about celebrating the freedom of biking in the buff.

By Internet and flier, the call has been put out to potential naked riders to meet at Wheatsville Co-op north of the UT campus for the 5 p.m. ride. Ride organizers aren't disclosing the route, hoping to keep gawkers and unwelcome photographers to a minimum.

While this will be Austin's first foray into organized naked riding, cities such as Seattle and Vancouver have been seeing such events for years. The World Naked Bike Ride began with a ride in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2001, when Spaniards protested dependence on cars and construction of new highways. Last year, 250 riders, many of them nude, pedaled through the city before jumping into a public water fountain.

Local riders and nudists decided it was time for Austin, which has no local public nudity laws, to get in the mix. "Is there something inherently wrong with the body we were given at birth?" asked Steve Bosbach, spokesman for the Hill Country Nudists group, in an e-mail. "There are no sexual connections in this ride, and we are not exhibitionists out for a thrill. We are no different than anyone else, except we have experienced the exhilaration of feeling the wind on our skin and the utter sense of freedom from the constraints of textile coverings in the hot summer."

If it sounds like your cup of tea, veteran naked bicycle riders say there are a couple of things to keep in mind to stay on the right side of the law. State law prohibits "recklessly" exposing the genitals or the anus in public, but doesn't take a position on biking topless. Bluejay suggests wearing a thong to stay safe, and bodypainting is another option for riders who want to feel clothed while being naked.

The Austin Police Department says it's aware of the ride and is "monitoring" it, but if history is a guide, topless riding shouldn't land anyone in jail. In 2002, Austin police announced plans to arrest women who bared their breasts during Mardi Gras, but backed down after getting a legal opinion from the city's lawyers.

"I would hope law enforcement would see this as an expression of closely held sentiment," said Bob Morton, executive director of the Naturist Action Committee, which lobbies for clothing-optional rights from its Manchaca headquarters. "It should be protected expression."

At the same time, if riders were to start a disturbance with their nudity, they could be arrested for disorderly conduct.

"The law is not black and white, but there's no question wearing a thong is the only thing you need to keep you on the side of the law," Bluejay said.

And as far as comfort goes, veteran naked riders say naked tushies have nothing to fear from a bike seat. "You just have to trust me, it's not an issue," Bluejay said. "I wrap a shirt around the bike seat and don't really worry about it."

Naked riders are expecting a supportive reception from Austinites and are counting on their legendary tolerance. "Most of us have been naked and most of us have seen another naked human being and haven't received trauma as a result," Bluejay said.

Said Bosbach: "There is simply no evidence from any research anywhere that viewing the human form in its natural state results in anything but a smile."

Smile away, Austin.

rock n' roll arizona's marathon and half marathon

so, my best friend, judy and i make it a point to travel somewhere together every year. we've been to london, atlanta, las vegas, etc. this year, judy suggested we train for a race, and make that our trip - wonderful idea! in her mind this is a maybe - in my mind, we're doing it!

for the months of april and may, we dedicated most of our weekend to running in local fun runs, which sparked our interest in completing a half marathon. so, we looked around, and found the p.f. chang's rock n' roll half marathon and marathon in arizona. it looks like fun, and there are a ton of reasons we should pick this one:

1.) we have a friend (krista) in grad school at asu that we could visit
2.) it supports research for hodgkin's lymphoma
3.) it's in january and the weather will be great
4.) we have loads of time to train
5.) there's live music all along the course!
6.) we would get buff
7.) it would be tons o' fun!!!!

the list could go on and on. anyhow, check out the race info at:
http://www.rnraz.com

VegWeb

when i take the time to actually do it, i very much enjoy cooking - particularly with fresh, seasonal produce. chopping up all those veggies at the end of a long day is a super stress reliever for me. not only that, but the food always seems to taste better if i have been a part of preparing it. :)

well, i was looking for a recipe for a teriyaki tofu stir fry, and i came across a marvelous website that is filled with simple, seemingly delicious recipes, as well as other info on vegetarianism/vegitarian cooking. here it is:

www.vegweb.com

i am, for the most part, vegetarian. my interest in health (if you haven't figured it out yet, i am particularly interested in the health of our nation) coupled with my love of animals drew me to vegetarianism a couple of years ago. so, whether or not you are a vegetarian, you should visit this website, try a couple of recipes. let me know if you come across one that i should try!

pedometer plug

it may come as no surprise that we are far less physically active than our parents or grandparents, but just how much more sedentary we are may come as a surprise. if you really think about it though, you will realize how much automation and sedentary behavior has crept into our lives in the last century. time spent in front of television, computers, and many of life's other conveniences have gradually replaced opportunities to be active.

to me, this is quite a problem. there is increasing evidence that we overestimate how much exercise we take, just as we underestimate how much food we eat. these false impressions are even more marked with obese people. to keep us honest with ourselves, we need to find ways of making sure we know just how inactive we are so that we can take some action to do something about it! pedometers that measure steps are simple electronic devices that strap on to a belt to measure just how physically active we are. the recommendation is that we get 10,000 steps per day, which correlates closely with the recommendation to accumulate 30 minutes of physical activity daily.

here are some ways to add steps into your day:
-take the stairs instead of the elevator
-park farther away from entrances
-walk the dog
-walk on your lunch hour
-deliver things to coworkers in person rather that interoffice mail or email
-get up from your desk and take a 3 minute walk every hour

so, a pedometer is not going to change your life, but hopefully it will inspire you to become more physically active, thus allowing you to improve your health and quality of life.

veterinary malpractice

for those of you who don't know, in january, i adopted a lab/greyhound mix from the austin humane society. her name is ellie, and she is the most wonderful companion - she is loving, obedient, playful - everything i ever wanted in a dog. anyhow, she has, unfortunately, not gone one month without visiting the vet's office since i've had her. beginning back in april, her skin seemed irritated, her paws were red and puffy, etc. diagnosis = allergy problems. so, the good doctors carried out their normal procedure - put her on allergy meds, gave her some steroids to relieve the itching and cortisone spray to apply to those troubled spots. she seemed to be a little relieved, but the same problems persisted. another vet visit, more allergy meds, steroids and cortisone. so, my dog has HORRIBLE allergy problems.

so...the friop was out for our first annual trip, and ellie stayed home with anne, who had agreed to watch her for the weekend. i told anne to go ahead and take ellie into the vet if she remained lethargic and itchy. i return from my trip to find that anne had taken her in and discovered that ellie has demodectic mange, a very serious disease that is commonly misdiagnosed. it is basically an infestation of a particular mite in her skin follicles. however, the treatment for allergies (i.e. steroids, cortisone sprays), for which ellie was misdiagnosed TWICE, feeds this mange. so, basically, rather than easing ellie's pain, the vet made it worse for at least a month. she is now on a 100 day treatment to *hopefully* cure her of this disease. do we think a veterinary malpractice case is called for?

frio-p

upon graduating from college, a group of seven of us made a pact to reunite annually and take a trip together. this past memorial day weekend marked the first annual reunion of the friop. friop you might ask? well, our first trip was to concan, texas, where we stayed in a quaint little cabin nestled beside the frio river. the weekend was filled with tubing, horseback riding, running through the small town, taking on 4 foot waterfalls, etc., etc. okay, back to friop. one night as we all sat around, we decided that we should name our little collective. we thought...why not make an acronym out of frio - it was the river we were nestled beside after all. for at least an hour we tried and tried...my favorite being "friends reuniting indiscreetly - oh!" finally, someone came up with "friends reuniting in other places - friop." so, friop it is. where the friop is off to next is tba, but rumor has it that a cruise is in the works.