“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Michael Pollan’s advice on what to eat from the New York Times, which has turned out to be surprisingly controversial. Real food? Everybody knows that’s just for the wealthy elite… Berkshire pork and morels at $180 an ounce, right? Something like that… certainly no relevance to the average [...]
Filed under: WorldView | Tagged: ecofeminism, food, PostADay2011, self-sufficiency, social commentary, vandana shiva | 7 Comments »
This post comes with a caveat: It is an exploration of systems, the limits of agency, and the social constructs that preclude giving up my car… yet. I am not looking for sympathy, nor am I beating myself up over my limitations in the face of the myths of Western civilization. I recognize that I [...]
Filed under: WorldView | Tagged: discipline, environment, PostADay2011, self, social commentary | 9 Comments »
I am hereby bestowing my illustrious “Greenwashing” award, which will be noted by at least 50 people, to the company Future Shop, for their not-quite-stated Earth Day flyer. It is hard for me to write this, because they have pulled off the most creative and effective form of greenwashing, namely, making a significant financial contribution [...]
Filed under: Essays and Musings, Science, WorldView | Tagged: discipline, environment, PostADay2011, social commentary | 3 Comments »
A radical, heretical proposal to our energy problems. Use less energy.
Filed under: WorldView | Tagged: discipline, good-enough, life, philosophy, PostADay2011, social commentary, storytelling | 5 Comments »
Oh! It is time to run in circles and flap our hands! Gas is going up! Food will cost more! Who could ever have predicted this??? Here is one of the places where the division between structural analysis and the personal impact becomes glaring. It has become apparent to me over the last few years [...]
Filed under: Essays and Musings, Family, Rural Living, WorldView | Tagged: environment, frugal, peak oil, PostADay2011, self-sufficiency, social commentary | 4 Comments »
On social media conflagrations. OK. Yesterday, I was writing about the moral legitimacy of a particular trademark. Understandably, there has been a social media firestorm over this issue, as people feel that their contributions have been marginalized. In return, the owner of the trademarks has issued a press release accusing the bloggers of the community [...]
Filed under: WorldView | Tagged: blogging, PostADay2011, social commentary, truth | 3 Comments »
It turns out to be rather simple: Trademark a common phrase that is primarily used by freethinking radicals. OK. It won’t be your page, but if you want to galvanize a movement and you are willing to be the common enemy, this could be an effective strategy. There is a disturbance in the force today [...]
Filed under: Day-to-Day, Rural Living | Tagged: PostADay2011, self-sufficiency, social commentary | 5 Comments »
“We are all born naked. The rest is drag.” Rupaul* We have these dual drives within, for Society and Self. Acceptance and Agency. We hear the messages: Strive… but not too high, or you will become vain. Succeed… within these boundaries. Find your tribe, and then stick with them. They know the ropes. But we [...]
Filed under: Essays and Musings, WorldView | Tagged: discipline, philosophy, PostADay2011, social commentary, truth | 7 Comments »
I spent the morning at the mall. There is no place quite so effective at bringing out my internal war over frugality (and the economy of my home) and responsibility (and the economy of the world). This is the site where these two things come into conflict. My usual solution to this conflict is to [...]
Filed under: WorldView | Tagged: cheap, frugal, PostADay2011, social commentary | 4 Comments »
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“First World Problems”
Today’s post is unabashedly meta. That phrase, “first world problem” has been kicking around my social media streams for a while. I *think* it started out as a reminder that whatever it was that was bugging you, you should have a bit of perspective on it. “Can’t get my phone to connect to my internet [...]
Filed under: WorldView | Tagged: good-enough, social commentary, storytelling, water | 5 Comments »