Gauging the Truth

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1829495,00.html?cnn=yes

EXCELLENT article. And one I think every American who was brought up short by McCain's "tire gauge" crack should read. I'm thinking the tire gauge should become the icon for everybody who believes that we can make small incremental changes that will radically effect our reliance on oil, foreign or otherwise. And that you shouldn't let the nay-sayers fool you. It's individuals making small sacrifices who will save the environment, in the end. Not more government intervention. (Not that it wouldn't be nice to have the government on our side, too.)

And the funny thing is, the greatest generation would have inflated their tires and tuned their engines at a President's request, no questions asked. Hell, they planted Victory Gardens, gave up coffee and sugar and pantyhose at a President's request. And possibly they complained, but they did it. Because there was a war on, and if that's what it took to beat Hitler, they that's just what they were going to do. And are global warming and green house gases not as scary as the fascists?

And making light of a true, practical, implementable thing that nearly everyone can do to save the environment, and doing it, quite obviously, before you've checked your facts? That's just unconscionable. Shame on Mr. McCain. Once upon a time he'd have had more honor than to say something that was misleading, just to gain a political advantage. Shame on him, and his advisers.

And the real point is that becoming more efficient will save you money, as well as the environment. Lower gas bill, lower electric bill, lower water bill. Pumping more oil into the system just feeds the monster. We can starve him. Americans are capable of extraordinary things when we're riled. Mr. Obama may chose not to wear a flag lapel pin. I think he should have a tire gauge firmly attached to his breast pocket. And wear it with pride. Because that, my friends, is truly American.

Catvis has left the building

That's right. The Mitzi is gone. My dad called to tell me he was collecting Her Highness from my place and returning her from whence she came. Pardon me a moment:

Happy dance! Cha cha cha! Happy dance! Spin, dip, whirl, cha cha cha! Happy dance! Big finish - tappity, tappity, spin, kick, down on one knee, ta daaaaaa! Jazz hands!

I love that cat. I really do. Like a niece. A niece that needs pack up her little pink suitcase and go home to her mama. It's no secret. I'm not a pet person. I'm not a people person either, so it's nothing personal. And cat's are just like children. Feed me. Water me. Pay attention to me. Let me sleep in the house. On and on and on. I'm just not equipped to deal with that.

Last night, I came home with the Bitch Mother of All Headaches. Like someone had split my head open and was waving a teaspoon around in it's contents. All I wanted to do was pass out in peace. To which the cat's responce was jump on my bed, lay next to my head and groom herself. Lick, lick, lick, chew, lick, chew, lick, lick, rub, lick, rub, pause to roll over, lick the naughty bits. "Please stop. You're killlllllllinng meeee!" But you can't reason with a cat. If grooming needs to be done, done it shall be. With no deference paid to splitting heads, or whining humans.

Am I glad the cat has left? Yeah, frankly. Will I be happy to see her again? Oh, definitely. Will she be welcome to come for a visit at some time in the indeterminate future? Sure you bet. But tonight, I sleep the sleep of the cat-free. Ahhh. Bliss.

Uh Ma Gah

Hugh Jackman. Australia. Release date: 11/14/08

Can I buy tickets now?

I bet you thought I couldn't resist the whip joke. Well, ha! Too bad. I'm not your monkey.

Snake in the grass

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080803/ap_on_sc/barbados_tiny_snake

Note to self - remove Barbados from dream vacation list.

ew ew gross!

Go, Green, Go! Yeeeeeeaaaa, Green!!

Okay, shake your pom-poms. It's the monthly time to rally for the environment. Actually I'm a little late. But it's beginning of the month-ish. And I'm going to keep up my monthly small bit, for old Mother Earth. I'm kind of "oh, what a good girl am I" pleased with is so far. The only thing I find a little distracting from the pure joy of doing something green is that it's so trendoid and in-crowd right not. I'm trying not to let the fact that "everyone" is doing it spoil my fun.

Last month's cutting out the creamer ploy worked really well. I'm adapted to the black coffee, more or less. And when I get desperate for something a little creamy, a benevolent co-worker let's me snarf off her her secret stash container of organic half-&-half (hey, hey, hey!!).

So for August, my goal is to stop using plastic utensils at work for lunch. Okay, when you do the math, the numbers aren't quite as staggering as when I toted up the creamer cups. But it does come to about 250 to 300 plastic pieces a year. That's nothing to sneeze at. So I'm going to bring a fork, knife and spoon from home to keep in my desk drawer for lunch purposes.

Okay, I'll grant, not the most creative change ever, or the biggest for that matter, but they can't all be brain busters, ja know? I'll put on my thinking cap and try to come up with something cool next month.