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As wildly ecstatic as I was about Whole Foods last week because of the local grass-fed beef, I am just as wildly disappointed this week. I just read a news story about how much of the 365 brand organics aren’t USDA certified, as we are led to believe by the packaging, and, in fact, many come from China.

Not only am I upset about being misled (although my frozen spinach clearly says “Product of China”), but I’m also upset that my 365 vegetables have a much larger carbon footprint than I believed, and that, now, my grocery bill will go up once again as I switch to more expensive brands.

I guess I should have been more skeptical. They had to get the better prices somehow.

catbird :: May.22.2008 :: cat rants, going green, socio-pop :: Comments Off

Samba writes a blog about, well, overdevelopment in West Orange. Specifically the (in)effectiveness of the town council in protecting trees by adopting a tree ordinance.

catbird :: May.06.2008 :: cat rants, socio-pop :: Comments Off

I’ve been so focused on buying local with my groceries that I hadn’t been thinking about other things we could buy locally until the other day when we were buying beer. We like to buy beer from smaller breweries and there are several good ones in our area: Flying Fish is in Cherry Hill, NJ; Riverhorse in Lambertville, NJ; Saranac in PA, Yeungling in PA. I wonder if Sam Adams in still really made in PA? I think even my current addiction, Pete’s, is brewed in MA — not too far away. I guess buying local beer would mean no more Guinness or Red Stripe, though, at least until our next trips to Ireland and Jamaica.

And what about clothes? I don’t buy a lot of stuff for myself, and Steve gets a lot from Banana Republic. (Yikes!) but for the kids I buy most stuff consignment. Not only am I reusing, but I guess that is buying local, as well.

I wonder what else we can buy locally…

catbird :: Jul.05.2007 :: going green, socio-pop :: Comments Off

“Project Grass is a group of Sussex and Warren county farmers who rely on pasture, along with hay and grass silage, for much of their livestock’s dietary needs. These animals spend the majority of their lives roaming the pasture, eating the grass at will, and enjoying the great outdoors.”

Several of the farms listed in this article are also biodynamic — that is, “using everything on the farm to complement and benefit everything else.” No (or at least minimal) pesticides, compost generated from waste, using the natural behaviors of animals to grow meat and produce (for example, chickens following the cows to eat the bugs in their waste and spread the natural fertilizer). Want more information on that concept? Read the Grass section of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Of the farms listed in the Project Grass article, only one had a web site: DanaRay Farm in Branchville NJ. They also have a CSA, but they are over 90 minutes from our house so I’m not sure I would make a weekly pick up. However, they also have a booth at the Lafayette Farmer’s Market on Sundays from late spring to early fall. That is under an hour away and might be more feasible on a semi-monthly basis. None of the other farms were any closer, anyway.

A friend gave me information about Clearview Farm, which has a CSA, too. I’m not sure if their animals are pastured fed or if the farm is biodynamic because the web site hasn’t been working. Also, they deliver, which is convenient, but I’m not sure how I feel about it from an environmental standpoint. Is it better than people driving to them or worse? My sleep-deprived brain can’t figure it out right now. Hopefully I’ll be able to get more information about them soon.

My last lead is going to the West Orange Farmer’s Market opening day tomorrow. Maybe there is a good farm there to use. Unlikely, but you never know!

catbird :: Jul.05.2007 :: going green, socio-pop :: Comments Off

The Slow Food Movement is all about supporting local food producers, sustainability, and fair treatment. The founder is Carlo Petrini, and Italian gourmand who was recently named a great innovator in Time Magazine’s list of “European Heroes.”

Two of his books are on my “must-read” list (after I finally finish Omnivore’s Dilemma, Stumbling on Happiness, and Warped Passages):

Slow Food Revolution: A New Culture for Eating and Living

Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean, And Fair

catbird :: Jul.05.2007 :: going green, socio-pop :: Comments Off

Recently my brother-in-law sent me an article that set out to debunk the idea of the “Barbie Ideal.” It says that although “feminists” have long blamed Barbie for the self-image problems of women and girls, there is actually no study that has shown that to be true. On the other hand, states the article, there is one study that shows no link.

The study from University of Bath showed that girls found Barbie to be “childish, an inanimate object instead of a treasured toy.” And a toy that many girls actually maimed or destroyed.

Now, I certainly hope that Barbie isn’t having a negative impact on the millions of children who play with it but this article said some things that were, well, just plain silly.

For example: “Critics cite statistics such as that if Barbie were real, she couldn’t walk upright, or bear children.” It’s true that Barbie doesn’t have realistic proportions, but adults have studied this and analyzed it. Who is letting the little girls in on the secret? And why build a doll for kids that is so grossly — or grotesquely — disporportionate? Toy manufacturers spend a lot of time making baby dolls more and more lifelike, yet Barbie has boobs so big she wouldn’t be able to walk upright if she was real. It’s just bizarre. I mean, really. Would you give your daughter a Pamela Anderson doll to play with. Or an Anna Nicole Smith doll? Then why Barbie?

Another even more ridiculous quote:
“While Barbie has long been badgered about her ‘unhealthy’ shape, no one complains that Mr. Potato Head’s tubby physique is even less healthy.” Um… Mr. Potato Head is a POTATO. That’s what potatoes look like. Barbie is supposed to be a person. And are potatoes really that unhealthy? Check out this nutrition information from the Idaho Potato Growers Commission.

Okay, I don’t really think that Barbie is responsible for all the eating disorders in our society. But on the other hand, I don’t think that one study proves that she doesn’t have an impact.

catbird :: Jan.12.2006 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

My parents and my in-laws both live in 55+ communities — and very nice ones, too. Both couples also have some wacky neighbors. But I guess that makes sense: in all the places I’ve ever lived, the nosy, crotchety, or just plain odd people were mostly over 55. And if you take all the 55 and over people and put them in gated communities together, I suppose the ratio of normal to wacky would be higher than outside the gates.

catbird :: Aug.09.2005 :: cat rants, socio-pop :: Comments Off

I saw one of theose “baby on board” signs when I was driving yesterday. I don’t really get it. I mean, do you really think that the people you need to watch out for on the road, the crazy drivers, are reading your car? It’s not like some going to be zooming to an intersection trying to beat the yellow light and looking up - “hey, that person has a ‘baby on board’ sign. I better slow down and obey the speed limit.”

People put all kinds of crazy things on their cars. I did. I had a “mean people suck” sticker. I really and truly believe that mean people do indeed suck. But after a while I realized that it’s not something I want to declare on my car as I’m driving to work every day. It was way, way too much pressure, you know, because you can’t be mean if you have that sticker on your car. Then you’d just be saying “I suck.” So you have to be like this ultra-considerate driver and it just wasn’t working out all that well in rush hour traffic.

One of the most bizarre things I’ve seen on cars is that “WOW” sticker. WOW for “Whip’em Out Wednesday.” When women see it on Wednesdays they are supposed to flash the person driving the vehicle. I guess it doesn’t surprise me that guys put those stickers on their cars, but are they really thinking it’s going to work? I guess some guys will do anything for the slightest chance that they might someday see boobs.

These days I don’t put anything on my car — no social comments, no political statements, nothing. That’s what my blog is for.

catbird :: Apr.28.2005 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

I love it when any business has good customer service. I firmly believe that good customer service is the most important thing that any company can instill in its employees and provide to its customers. That’s why I was thrilled at the experience I had with Barron’s this week.

A couple months back, I bought a book for Nate called Charlie Car. It’s a little board book in the shape of a car and Nate is just crazy about it. About a month ago, Charlie Car’s binding completely disintegrated, leaving our house strewn with Charlie pages. The book was only $4.95, but I was still annoyed.

So this week I went to the Barron’s web site and used the contact form to let them know what happened. Within the half hour, I had an email response PLUS a follow up phone call saying they were sending Nate a new book. Very awesome! I wish I could say that I was only ever going to by books from Barron’s ever again, but that just isn’t feasible. But they will always have a special place in my heart.

catbird :: Mar.10.2005 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

I recently read an article in the NY Times about the governors of 13 states (which account for 1/3 of high school students) getting together with a plan to raise the standards in high schools. That sounds great - we all want students to be as best prepared and educated as possible. But the plan called for, among other things, more standardized testing. President Bush is quoted as saying “I’ve heard every excuse in the book not to test. My answer is, how do you know if a child is learning if you don’t test?”. Well, President Bush, how about giving teachers more resources and funding to have smaller classes and more opportunity for one-to-one interaction with students? How about better salaries for teachers so that schools can attract and hold great teachers. How about making sure teachers have the resources to handle the difficult, overinvolved parent — and the opposite, the non-involved parent.

Standardized multiple choice test only test whether a student is a good test taker. Providing the best learning enviroment for students will guarantee that they have the opportunity to learn all they can.

catbird :: Mar.07.2005 :: cat rants, socio-pop :: Comments Off

The New York Times has an interesting article today about the increase in sports related injuries among kids. Kids are training so hard these days and focusing all their efforts on one sport that many have injusries or surgeries that were previously seen only among older people and pro athletes. At work, I’ve read quite a bit about the competitiveness of college admissions and I bet the sports focus has relation to that situation. So many kids only play one sport and play it year round in different leagues plus summer training camps. It’s a new trend, where previously kids played a different sport each season or played non-organized pick up games — maybe football one day and basketball the next. Playing different sports helps kids avoid wear and tear on one particualr area, like shoulders or knees. There is an up side, though. There’s a whole new market for “injury prevention” specialists to help with training and conditioning kids to “reduce overuse injuries” and “correct muscle imbalances brought on by overtraining in a single sport.”

catbird :: Feb.22.2005 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

Lifetime Television is sponsoring a petition urging Congress to ban “drive-through mastectomies” — the practice in which women are forced out of the hospital sometimes only hours after breast cancer surgery. So far they have collected over 10 million signatures!

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) will re-introduce bi-partisan legislation to end this practice. According the the Lifetime Television web site, the legislation would “require insurance companies to cover a 48-hour minimum stay for mastectomy patients and a 24-hour stay for a woman undergoing a lymph node dissection. The legislation ensures that a doctor and a patient will make a decision together about staying at a hospital after a mastectomy.”

Currently, women must leave the hospital while still in pain, groggy with anesthesia and with drainage tubes still in place - -and against the advice of their doctors.

To sign the petition, visit the Lifetime Television web site.

catbird :: Feb.03.2005 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

According the the ASPCA web site:

[T]he Burns Amendment to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act opened the door to the slaughter of thousands of our wild horses. The Burns Amendment was inserted in a must-pass appropriations bill last year, and forced the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service to allow individuals and corporations to buy these animals with the clear intention of slaughtering them for profit.

For 33 years they were protected. Now they can be killed and their meat sent to France, Belgium and Japan for human consuption. Do we really need this export?

A new bill, called the Rahall-Whitfield legislation, would restore the bans on commercial sale and slaughter of these beautiful and “historically significant” animals. Find out more and send a letter to your representative by visiting the ASPCA web site.

catbird :: Feb.03.2005 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

Hmmm…. didn’t the Bush Administration go to kindergarten? In my kindergarten class, one of the key things Mrs. Conover taught us was clean up one mess before making another.

catbird :: Jan.19.2005 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

I’m currently reading a fascinating book called Maybe One: The Case for Smaller Families by Bill McKibben. Before you get your panties in a knot about how kids need siblings, hear me out. McKibben isn’t saying everyone should have only one child, nor is he bashing couples who have large families. He’s just sharing the facts that helped him and his wife make their decision to have an only.

I think this book is a must-read for anyone — whether deciding how many kids to have, you already have kids, or you never plan to have kids. His research on the impact of humans on the environment is detailed and important. It reminds me of Ishmael — but without the gorilla.

No firm decisions have been made in our household yet, but this book has made me very aware of reducung the waste we generate every day.

catbird :: Jan.18.2005 :: mommyhood, socio-pop :: 1 Comment »

Nate and I waited and waited for the renovation work on the Hazel Avenue playground, just a couple blocks from our house, to be complete. Since then, we go there several times a week to swing, slide, or watch the big kids play. Even though it’s only shady in the morning or late afternoon, this is still a really nice playground. Or, it was.

Only about a month and a half since it’s been open, and already there is litter all over, soda cans left on the equipment, glass on the ground, and a curse word spray painted on the climbing wall. That just stinks.

It was probably kids who did the damage. Probably the same kids who leave litter strewn down Mitchell St. and in our neighbor’s yard. And probably the same kids who spray painted curse words on the corner of our street so that our other neighbor had to scrub it clean or receive a fine. (Maybe even the same kids who stole our car…?)

It really bums me out. We live in a nice neighborhood with nice people. Why are kids doing this stuff? My husband thinks it comes from the parents. Although I agree that learning to be a good person and productive member of a society does start at home, it seems harsh to blame the parents.

Somehow, though, I wish we could instill more of a community spirit in these kids so that they would care about the neighborhood enough not to vandalize it.

catbird :: Aug.23.2004 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

I remember in an art class sometime learning about the proportions of the human face (Sculpture with Professor Lehman at TCNJ/TSC, maybe?). How the center of the pupil lines up with the outer edge of the lips; how there’s an eye width between the eyes; how each feature is halfway down the space of the preceding feature and the bottom of the chin - eyes between top of the head and chin, nose between eyes and chin, lips between nose and chin; how the face is about the size of the person’s hand.

Today I was people-watching, noticing how people’s features look so different - size of the head, eye spacing, and so on. I’m sure in reality the measurements are miniscule. For example, someone’s eyes may seem closer together, but there is still an eye width between them.

As humans, we are able to discern such fine details and such tiny measurements of faces, I suppose to tell people apart or something. Whatever the reason, it’s seems amazing to me.

catbird :: Aug.02.2004 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

Since my husband built our “steve-o” earlier this year, our television watching habits have changed dramatically. We watch much less tv and only what we want (no more watching the crappy show sandwiched between two favorites.) And since Nate arrived, I watch even less - I’m very selective about which one or two shows I watch in the evening before bed.

But the biggest change for me has been how I watch commercials. I’m not one of those people that hates all commercials; I actually like some commercials. Now I can skip through and just watch the ones I want to see and that are relevant to me.

If you don’t have your own PVR, I highly recommend getting one.

catbird :: Jul.06.2004 :: socio-pop :: 1 Comment »

I was researching recipes on three fat chicks when I saw this interesting tidbit:

It’s about time.

catbird :: Apr.26.2004 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off

I just saw a commercial for Mean Girls. It looks like Heathers without the killing.

All the movies in this teen film genre depict the popular kids as mean and snotty. And yet, so many people in the real world want to be one of those popular kids. Does popular really = mean? Or were all the film writers unpopular, picked-on kids?

catbird :: Apr.23.2004 :: socio-pop :: Comments Off