Suburban Treehugger

To Tell the Truth

2014-09-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

Something mindless and fun . . . . From different sources…….

Bold what is true about you… Or write in comment section below.

APPEARANCE

I am shorter than 5'4.

I am taller than 5'11".

I have many scars.

I don't shave my legs.

I wish my hair was a different color.

I have a tattoo, or more.

I am self-conscious about my appearance.

I have/had braces.

I wear glasses just to read.

I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.

I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger.

I have/had more than 2 piercings.

I have/had piercings in places besides my ears.

I have freckles.

FAMILY/HOME LIFE

I've sworn at my parents.

I've run away from home.

I've been kicked out of the house.

My biological parents are together.

I have a sibling less than one year old.

I want to have kids someday.

I have children.

I've lost a child.

SCHOOL/WORK

I'm in school.

I have a job.

I've fallen asleep at work/school.

I almost always do my homework.

I've missed a week or more of school.

I've been on the Honor Roll within the last 2 years (of school)

I failed more than 1 class last year.

I've stolen something from my job.

I've been fired.

I've skipped school.

EMBARRASSMENT

I've slipped out a "lol" in a spoken conversation.

Disney movies still make me cry.

I've peed from laughing.

I've snorted while laughing.

I've laughed so hard I've cried.

I've glued my hand to something.

I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.

I've had my pants rip in public.

HEALTH

I was born with a disease/impairment.

I've gotten stitches.

I've broken a bone.

I've had my tonsils removed.

I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.

I've had my wisdom teeth removed.

I've had serious surgery.

I've had chicken pox.

My vision is better than 20/20.

TRAVELING

I've driven over 200 miles in one day.

I've been on a plane.

I've been to Canada.

I've been to Mexico.

I've been to Niagara Falls.

I've been to Japan

I've Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

I've been to Europe.

I've been to Africa.

I've been to Hell.

EXPERIENCES

I've gotten lost in my city.

I've seen a shooting star.

I've wished on a shooting star.

I've seen a meteor shower.

I've gone out in public in my pajamas.

I've pushed all the buttons on an elevator.

I've kicked a guy where it hurts.

I've been to a casino.

I've been skydiving.

I've gone skinny dipping.

I've played spin the bottle.

I've drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.

I've crashed a car.

I've been skiing.

I've been in a play.

I've met someone in person from the internet.

I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.

I've seen the Northern Lights.

I've sat on a roof top at night.

I've played chicken.

I've played a prank on someone.

I've ridden in a taxi.

I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

I've eaten Sushi.

I've been snowboarding.

HONESTY/CRIME

I am a terrible liar.

I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.

I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't.

I've snuck out of my house.

I have lied to my parents about where I am.

I am keeping a secret from the world.

I've cheated while playing a game.

I've cheated on a test.

I've run a red light.

I've been suspended from school.

I've been in a fist fight

I've witnessed a crime

I've been arrested

I've shoplifted

DEATH & DYING

I'm afraid of dying.

I've fantasized about my own death.

I hate funerals.

I've seen someone dying.

Someone close to me has attempted suicide.

Someone close to me has committed suicide.

I've planned my own suicide.--In the past--Don't worry, I'm not suicidal now.

I've written a eulogy for myself.

MATERIALISM

I own over 5 rap CDs.

I own an iPod or MP3 player.

I have an unhealthy obsession with anime/manga.

I own multiple designer purses, costing over $100 a piece.

I own something from Hot Topic.

I own something from Pac Sun.

I collect comic books.

I own something from The Gap.

I own something I got on e-bay.

I own something from Abercrombie.

POLITICAL/SOCIAL ATTITUDES

In general, I don't like people.

I'm a feminist.

I'm very outgoing.

I listen to political music

I'm Democratic

I'm Republican.

I'm liberal.

I don't like Bush because he is dumb.

I don't like Bush with my own reasons to back it up.

I am for Bush.

I'm religious.

I dress fairly modestly. (but I wouldn't if I had a better body image)

My attitude is, "If you've got it, flaunt it."

RANDOM

I can sing well.

I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.

I open up to others easily. (if I trust them)

I watch the news.

I don't kill bugs.

I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for the sake of being able to rhyme.

I curse regularly.

I sing in the shower.

I am a morning person.

I paid for my cell phone ring tone.

I'm a snob about grammar.

I am a sports fanatic.

I twirl my hair.

I have "x"s in my screen name.

I love being neat.

I've had Spam.

I've copied more than 30 CDs in a day.

I bake well.

My favorite color is blue.

I would wear pajamas to school.

I like Martha Stewart.

I know how to shoot a gun.

I am in love with love.

I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.

I laugh at my own jokes.

I eat fast food weekly.

I am online 24/7, even as an away message.

I've not turned anything in and still got an A in a certain class.

I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.

I am really ticklish.

I love white chocolate.

I bite my nails.

I play video games.

I'm good at remembering faces.

I'm good at remembering names.

I'm good at remembering dates.

I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.

My answers are totally honest.

Hope you had fun reading all these mindless confessions. Please write about your's in the comment section below.

Tree Hugger

2013-08-13T03:45:00.001-07:00

TreeHugger is a sustainability website that was ranked the top sustainability blog of the year 2007 by Neilsen Netratings and was brought in Time Magazine’s 2009 blog index as one the top twenty five blogs. TreeHugger was obtained by Discovery Communication on August 1, 2007, for $10 million. The Best of Green Awards is TreeHugger's annual award program for the best green proposals within a range of categories and sectors.

Tree hugger is the foremost media outlet keen to driving sustainability main stream. Partial to a recent aesthetic, they endeavor to be a one-stop shop for green news; twice-monthly radio interviews, weekly and daily newsletters, and frequently updated Twitter and Facebook pages.

Tree Hugger

2013-03-01T02:28:00.003-08:00

Tree Hugger is a sustainability website that was rated the top sustainability blog of 2007 by Nielsen Netratings, and was included in Time Magazine's 2009 blog index as one of the top twenty-five blogs. Tree Hugger was acquired by Discovery Communications on August 1, 2007, for $10 million. The Best of Green Awards is Tree Hugger's annual award program for the best green initiatives within various sectors and categories.

Chevrolet Suburban

2012-07-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

The Chevrolet Suburban is a large sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. It is the longest-lived continuous automobile nameplate still in production, dating from 1934 for the 1935 U.S. model year. The Suburban has been produced under the Chevrolet, Holden, and GMC marques until the GMC version was rebranded as the GMC Yukon XL. For most of its recent history, the Suburban has been a station wagon-bodied version of the Chevrolet pickup truck, including the Chevrolet C/K and Silverado series of truck-based vehicles. Cadillac offers a version called the Escalade ESV. The Suburban has traditionally been one of General Motors' most profitable vehicles although sales have gone down in recent years due to the cost of gasoline and the fuel economy of the Chevrolet Suburban

National Uniformity for Food Act

2006-02-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

National Uniformity for Food Act
I'm a member of the Organic Consumers Association and I just received an alert about a really bad bill that is set for a vote by the House on March 2 (this Thursday). To learn more about the bill, go to Democracy In Action.

Here is a sample letter you can email to your state representative(s) either on your own or by going to the OCA website at the link above:

Dear Congress Representative,

As a health conscious consumer, and as one of your constituents, I urge you to vote "No" on H.R. Bill 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," coming to a vote in the House of Representatives this Thursday, March 2.

Despite industry claims, this is a profoundly undemocratic and anti-consumer bill that will take away the right of local governments and states to require food safety labels on food and grocery items.

H.R. Bill 4167 will eliminate current food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients be labeled.

As a consumer I strongly resent this denial of my basic right to know what's in my food, and this denial of my local and state government's power to protect the health of myself and my family.

Please vote "No," on H.R. Bill 4167.

Sincerely,
|

Cooking and Baking to Celebrate Autumn

2005-09-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Last night's dinner:

Crab & Artichoke Quiche
6.5 oz. crabmeat (can use imitation crab meat)
1 c. shredded cheese (mixing different kinds is good)
5 large eggs
1-1/4 c. milk or half-and-half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. artichoke hearts
1/4 c. chopped onion
One 9" unbaked pie shell

First, prepare the pie shell according to your own recipe. Next, sprinkle cheese into pie shell. Beat eggs, mix with milk and seasoning, and pour over cheese. Sprinkle onions, crabmeat and artichoke hearts over pie. Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 5.

Today, Kai decided to bake 2 loaves of banana bread for his cooking lesson. We used this recipe:

Banana Bread
1-1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1-1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped nuts, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into loaf pans. Bake about 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loeaves from pans; remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days. Makes 2 loaves (24 slices each).

The Coming of Age of a Spooky Kid

2005-09-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

I like his music so much that I decided I just had to read his autobiography. The Long Hard Road Out of Hell chronicles the life of Marilyn Manson (a.k.a. Brian Warner) from his childhood up through the release of AntiChrist Superstar and his band's 1997 tour. I've seen enough interviews with Marilyn Manson not to be particularly surprised that he is intelligent and can write well. For a short time, he was actually a rock journalist. Manson grew up in Ohio, moved to Florida after graduating from high school, spent some time in college and writing, and then went on to fame and fortune after much effort with his band Marilyn Manson (originally called Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids). I often wondered why Manson was so obsessed with themes relating to Christianity (or anti-Christianity, as it may be), but all became clear after reading about his experiences attending Christian school up through the 10th grade. Did you all see the movie Saved? Well, his description of his childhood sounded just as frightening as what you see in that movie. :-)

I also opened my mind a little bit. Learning about Manson's experiences with philosophical Satanism spurred me to read up on the subject, and I have to admit that I believed a whole lot of fallacies about the religion that just weren't true. I am ashamed to say that I've been just as judgmental about it as I have been about Christianity in the past, and it really doesn't deserve that kind of contempt. There may be some freaks out there who say they're Satanists and are sacrificing animals and doing all of that horrible stuff we fear, but the great majority of Satanists are not like that. I also learned that one does not need to believe in Satan to be a Satanist. Somehow that seems like an oxymoron, but there you go. Anyway, Manson was friends with Anton LaVey for several years before his death, and LaVey made him an honorary Reverend. I'm not sure that Manson has ever taken the title seriously, but he did have a lot of respect for LaVey.

Manson has lived the sex, drugs and rock 'n roll lifestyle to the hilt, according to his book, and one would expect no less from the self-proclaimed Antichrist superstar. One thing that struck me about this autobiography is that it feels very raw and real, just like the author's music. He is out there--outspoken and honest--and I think that is what makes people either love him or hate him and is also the reason for all the controversy surrounding his music. He tells it like it is and doesn't mince words. He uses profanity. He's real (underneath all of the make-up). It might make people uncomfortable to hear about how his grandfather's cross-dressed and liked bestiality porn, and we might also be shocked to hear that he seriously contemplated killing someone who was ruining his life, but if any of us is really honest we'll have to admit that every family has skeletons in the closet and we've all probably had murderous feelings at one time or another. Do people like to admit these things? No, but Manson does it for us. We hear the good, the bad and the ugly, and secretly we like it.

The One About How I Became an Environmentalist

2005-06-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

I guess I first thought about sustainable living when I read the book that has been probably the most influential in my life, Walden by Henry David Thoreau. The first time I read it was back in high school, when I was about 15. Studying the transcendentalists (I had a great English teacher that year) really helped shape my current spirituality and religious beliefs as a pantheist, also. As a kid, I was required to help out for entire weekends at a gargantuan garden my dad grew at a cousin's farm, so gardening was something I loathed for many years. I would often work in that garden for up to 8 hours a day on the weekends. We grew most of our own food and it had always been my dad's dream to have a small farm of his own. I think his inability to attain that ideal and my mom's unwillingness to go along with his goal is one of the reasons he was so incredibly unhappy and bitter in his life. Anyway, when I left home I was determined to remain a city girl. I lived around the Seattle area and wasn't the least interested in sustainable living during that time of my life (my early 20s). I did have concerns about the environment and did some reading here and there. I didn't really *do* anything to try to make a difference, though.

I remember getting interested in sustainable living and having more of an interest in the environment around the time we moved to Whidbey Island. We moved to the country, were much closer to nature, and I began to meet people who had mini farms and lived more naturally and organically than I did. In 2000, I got a new computer and got back onto the internet (my old one had died and I'd been without one for a couple of years). I began reading more and more about the environment and writing letters now and then to support local environmental organizations' efforts. As a Pagan, I began to see a real connection between my spirituality, which is earth-centered, and the protection of our environment and its resources.

In 2002 when I went back to college, I took an environmental science class. Taking that course proved to be a major turning point for me in my thinking and in my urgency to do more to protect the environment. It really hit home that each act we do can make a difference, and I learned some startling facts about how much we have degraded the earth and used up some of its resources. I remember all of the students in my class expressing their total surprise that we would literally be out of oil, at our current useage, by around 2050. I remember being totally flabbergasted when I learned that fact. Then there is global warming, energy waste, genetically-modified foods, desertification, degradation of shorelines, loss of hundreds of species of animals, etc. That class made me feel that I wanted to start making a difference with my daily actions. I began shopping with my own canvas bags, making the choice to buy locally, and looking for organic foods (particularly from local farmers). I became more conscious of how much gas I was using and how I could combine errands in one trip. I lamented over my husband's use of so much gas for his commute, although he did have a fairly fuel-efficient car at the time. I would have grown my own garden and even raised some chickens, but it was not allowed where we lived at the time. Instead, I frequented the local farmer's market.

Last semester, I took a class about nature writing and read some fabulous books. One of my absolute favorites was Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva. After reading that book, I will never knowingly eat anything genetically modified and I have a new understanding as to why the World Bank and World Trade Organization are basically evil entities. Had I known before what I know now, I would have been out there with all of the other environmentalists protesting the WTO when they had their meeting in Seattle. Another good book that turned me on to ecofeminism (as some of you know, I've become quite the radical feminist in the past few years) was Off the Map: An Expedition Deep into Empire and the Global Economy by Chellis Glendinning. And then there is the guru of Pagan ecofeminism, Starhawk. Her ideas about the relatedness of environmentalism, feminism and spirituality match my own, and her concern with social justice in her writings opened my mind to a lot of new issues.

When I was still on Whidbey, I began wanting a small farm of my own where I could raise my own food and try to become as self-sufficient as possible. Barbara from Good Neighbors became my hero. In the meantime, I decided to try to make some small steps that were both environmentally conscious and sustainable. I changed all of our light bulbs to compact fluorescents and redid the insulation around all of the doors and windows. I sealed cracks galore. I made my own enclosed composter out of a garbage can and began taking my recyclables to the local recycling center. I began really following the adage: reduce, reuse, recycle.

When we moved back to the city, I sort of felt a bit depressed about not moving to a place where my dreams could come true. Then I remembered a great website I had discovered about urban homesteading, Path to Freedom. The family whose experiment in sustainable living in the city is reported on are my new heroes. They live on a typical small lot in the city and have managed to institute many permaculture and self-sufficient practices into their home, land and lifestyle. Last year, they grew 6,075 pounds of food. They raise chickens, ducks and rabbits--they may have other animals but I can't remember. They make most of the things they use, including biofuel for their car. If these people can do it in the city, then anyone can do it anywhere they live. We all make choices everyday and we have the ability to make choices that will truly make a difference to the earth.

In the future, I hope to move towards my own truly sustainable lifestyle. I plan to grow a garden this year, and I just found out I can have 6 small farm animals or less on my city lot so long as they are penned. I am thinking about a couple of chickens and some angora rabbits. The chickens will be for egg production and a 4H project, and the rabbits will be for wool. They will all be pets and won't be killed. I broke the news to Angus the other night about the chickens and he wasn't entirely thrilled. But, he knows I'm determined and won't stand in my way. I also plan to get a clothes line to put in the backyard. That should save money and energy, at least when it's not raining around here. My bigger intellectual projects for the future include writing some environmentally-oriented articles and a book about urban homesteading/sustainable living. I'm also thinking of doing some volunteer work writing grant proposals for local environmental non-profits. I was talking to my friend TC today about my future career goals, and I think I'm once again leaning towards becoming an independent grant writer. The pay is good, I can work from home, and I can feel good about what I'm doing each and every day. What better career could I have?

New Comment code added

2005-05-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

New Comment code added
Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Unfortunately, when this code was added, it wiped out all previous comments. To those of you who have been here but whose comments I can't see anymore, thanks for reading!

New Beginnings

2005-05-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

I've had this blog for about the last 3 years but never really used it. I find myself needing a place to document my journey on the path to sustainability, my adventures in homeschooling with my son, and some of my writing. I've kept a blog elsewhere, but the person I was doesn't feel like the person I've become.