Consciously Frugal

A Different Kind of Footprint

2012-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the new website, Slavery Footprint, that can track how many slaves work for you? Yep, you heard me. You can answer a few quick questions and learn how many slaves are required to bring your favorite products to you. Kinda freaky.

Also, kinda inaccurate. I should love this site, but it's irritating me for a number of reasons. Insert dramatic sigh. However, their premise is beyond excellent. From their facebook page:

Based in Oakland, California, the Slavery Footprint team works to engage individuals, groups, and businesses to build awareness for and create deployable action against forced labor, human trafficking, and modern day slavery. In addition to creating and developing the online tools, the organization is also engaged in off-line community education and mobilization programs.

That is beyond stellar. They are focused on supply chains, which many companies refuse to investigate, claiming that it's simply too difficult (it is incredibly murky) and that they cannot be responsible for the decisions of external companies. All of which sounds fine and dandy. I would simply respond with this: If you can't be assed to care, neither can I. I'll just take my cash and spend it with a company that doesn't feel the need to exploit to make a buck. Gracias.

According to this site, the average Joe (AKA overly consumptive American) uses 25 slaves. Me? 26. My score is higher because I eat a lot (foods I source locally), my husband owns a PS2 (that he bought used) and I apparently use body wash (I don't. Unless they mean "soap"). The site does allow you to tweak some answers with specifics, but it doesn't ask some very basic questions that are important if you're trying to reduce your carbon footprint or human rights abuses. Questions such as, "Did you purchase these items new or used?" And even the most glaring, "From where is this product sourced?" I know where my meat and veggies come from, yet the site assumes I don't. The site bases all questions upon the notion that we're using the most harmful options available. Granted, the most harmful option is how most folks source their stuff, but it would have been interesting to see what impact buying used has on slavery--does it lessen it? Does it support it? Does sourcing your shrimp from the Gulf result in a smaller "slave number" than buying it from Indonesia?

What I find even more frustrating is that to learn how to "take action," we have to sign up for the site. So, I signed up, using a fake name and an email account I use for spam. My "take action" suggestions? Earn "Free World" points by doing the following from the website:

>Easily send notes to companies, asking them to examine their supply chains.
>Make a donation to support the fight against slavery in the supply chain.
>Raise awareness about slavery by sharing this survey, your footprint, and your progress.
>Download and use the mobile app to check in while shopping to share your concerns about the use of slavery in the products you buy.
>Use the Made In A Free World mobile app for more opportunities to earn Free World points

So, the action items including sending emails to companies, asking them examine their supply chains, shopping, and telling folks about the site. (Let's not forget that gazillions of folks, including exploited workers, wrote Steve Jobs and company, only to be repeatedly ignored as sales continued to climb. But still, yes! Write! Just don't assume a strongly worded email is going to have an instant impact.) In addition to writing emails, we can get the "mobile app" for our godphones. Shall we mention the sourcing of components for said phones? Um, say what?

Maybe I need the mobile app on my non-existent godphone to see other ways in which to help. I'm thinking that perhaps we could talk with our national representatives about fair trade laws and how sourcing needs to be an integral part of them. Or maybe we could buy used. Or hell, maybe stop supporting companies that know about human rights abuses (hi tech companies! Hi Hershey's chocolate!) and continue to do business as usual? Or maybe donate money to established organizations that have been fighting this crap for years? (Apparently, the money donated goes to "charities who are working worldwide to end slavery. They have been chosen and vetted by Made in a Free World." They don't mention which companies or what cut they take for passing your buck along.) As a non-profit grunt, I get weary of the endless slew of new non-profits that divert money away from existing, effective organizations because folks always think they have a better idea (note: it's usually not).

Ok, now that I have bitched mightily, let me note what I do like about this site: It addresses slavery in the supply chain in a visual manner. Some folks need pretty pictures to pay attention to issues. Its attachment to mobile devices also allows folks who live, eat, breathe and poop in the company of a wee glowing rectangle the opportunity to spend a few moments playing on a site that offers several educational tidbits about a vitally important issue. Essentially, I think it offers an entry point for people with small attention spans who think "e-activism" is effective. I hope that it inspires these folks to learn more, which often results in a domino effect. If they learn about slavery in supply chains, perhaps they'll entertain the notion of not buying an item? (Note: the site specifically says its goal is not to make you stop shopping. I would think that refusing to support a company en masse would have a bigger effect than lots of strongly worded emails. But then again, I'm probably just a dirty hippie.) And maybe even make folks question mindless shopping in general? Or hey, they could possibly fall down the rabbit hole of Why Do We Have an Economy Based on Growth for Growth's Sake?

Ya never know. Stranger things have happened. Either way, it's an interesting site, particularly if you don't know much about human trafficking and slave labor.

2011 Books in Review

2012-01-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Holy Moly! Can you believe we're already half way through January? Time has become some speed demon, and I can't seem to catch up. Fair enough. I'll just lag behind for a wee bit more. On a side note, I saw Ron Livingston and George Wendt today. They were eating at the same tasty restaurant in a shitty part of LA that me and a buddy were visiting. We were the only folks in there, but the service was still crap. Ah, Los Angeles. Your many charms.

Anyhoo, thanks to an ungodly long daily commute (4 hours round trip, y'all!), I was able to read a ridiculous number of books in 2011. I've reviewed several of them here and thought I would do a quick(ish) list of the Best, the Worst and the Good but Could Have/Should Have Been Better (but still worth a read). Fear not! I won't list all the books, 'cuz that seems kind of ridiculous. I'll narrow it down to 5(ish) on each list. Please note: I read mostly non-fiction and am obsessed with political and homesteading books. Feel free to fall asleep from boredom now.

The Best

1. The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein (previously reviewed here). This book pissed a lot of conservatives off. It completely clarified our foreign and economic policies for me. Hands down, most powerful book I've read in ages.

2. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. I'd heard about this book for years and figured I knew everything about the nightmare of CAFO, so why bother? Oh lordy. I assumed the book would focus solely on the grossness of meat. I was surprised at how much it focused on the dangerous, immoral and shocking state of affairs for workers throughout the "food chain." An excellent book that completely reaffirmed my commitment to small farms and telling the fast food demon to kiss my ass.

3. Married to Bhutan by Linda Leaming (previously reviewed here). A memoir of an American living in Bhutan by an amazing woman that was uplifting, beautiful and hilarious. Rumor has it that Linda is writing another book. Can't wait for it to hit the shelves!

4. Bringing it to the Table by Wendell Berry. A collection of essays from The Man himself. What can I say? It's Wendell, doing his thing. One of my favorite collections of his.

5. The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard (previously reviewed here). One of the best examinations of disposable culture I've read. She makes some pretty compelling points and it is far more in-depth than the popular wee online video of the same name.

Ok, so I have more than 5 favs...

6. Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon (quasi previously reviewed here). One of the few sane, sound books out there on health and weight.

7. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. Me thinks Kingsolver is one of the greatest storytellers of our time. This book manages to create a fictional character that weaves Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, homosexuality during dark times, and a mess of other goodness together. That woman can write her ass off.

8. The Forest Years by Louise Rich. This is actually two books in one. It combines We Took to the Woods and My Neck of the Woods. Rich is hilarious, completely unpretentious and talks about "homesteading" in a fashion that actual homesteaders would. As in, she doesn't. It ain't "homesteading." It's just life. If you don't want to read both books in one, I would suggest We Took to the Woods as the better of the two reads.

9. The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. I read this thanks to a recommendation from Eco Cat Lady. It's really nothing new for those of us into the whole frugal/simple living thing, but it was a great read filled with wonderful personal stories. If I were giving a friend a how-to basic manual for extracting from the rat race, I would give them The Simple Living Guide, Your Money or Your Life and The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

There are lots and lots of honorable mentions (hello, The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball!), but I need to shut up soon.

The Worst

1. Twelve by Twelve by William Powers (previously reviewed here). I should have been able to love this book. It had all the stuff I dig--simplifying, living close to the land, blah blah blah. Unfortunately, it was written by an elitist twat. Just thinking about that book makes me want to spit.

2. Graceful Simplicity: Towards a Philosophy and Politics of Simple Living by Jerome M. Segal. Again, another book I should have loved. Again, written by an elitist twat. Segal did have some very interesting points about how our culture shifted to valuing certain kinds of knowledge over others, but he failed to deliver on the title. His political suggestions were barely that (others have made far more compelling cases toward political changes that could make it easier for us all to simplify our lives) and his fixation with "grace" was a thinly veiled disdain for behaviors largely associated with the poor. A more apt title would have been A Privileged White Man's Manifesto for A World Catering to Educated Elitists.

3. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. How many awards has this book won? And could someone please tell me why? I mean, we all gotta love Patchett for opening an old school bookstore down south, but seriously? This book read like a telenova or made-for-TV movie, and I can't freakin' stand soap operas.

4. The 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno (previously reviewed here). Short version: blog in book form, zero research and a dude seriously obsessed with branding. Some decent points and a quick read, but damn, brother. Couldn't you have done 10 minutes of research? And maybe talked to a counselor about your weirdness around sexuality and women before subjecting us to it?

5. In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters. This was supposed to be a cookbook about the basics of cooking. Not so much. If you want a good overview of basics with some great recipes, check out the Green Eats blog. This cookbook, in my humble but ever-so-correct opinion, was light on real teaching tools and heavy on photos of celebrity chefs, wannabe celebrity chefs and pretty food groupings. Less celebrity, more concrete info. (Please and thank you.)

Could Have/Should Have Been Better

1. Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens Whole by Benjamin Barber. I want to make this book required reading for all Americans, because the content is so good, but the writing is so awful, I don't think anyone but me and three stoned dudes down at Venice Beach could get through it. Annie Leonard references this book frequently in The Story of Stuff and I wish she would do a rewrite so we could all enjoy it. Barber writes in what I like to call The Language of Academics, which is a nice way of saying that his writing sucks. There's a lot of posturing, and he's writing for other academics instead of a broader audience. Those who get a sense of self-worth from this particular writing style will boast that the subject matter is far too complex for the average bear (this was done a lot with the ERE book). Unfortunately, that's bullshit. It's just crappy writing with a lot of fluff and pomp to make extremely simple ideas seem loftier than they are. (Sorry, academics. I know you are awesome and not all of you write in this god-forsaken manner.) It's incredibly frustrating, because Barber has some compelling ideas and an interesting take on how to make globalization a more just process. So, if you can handle The Language of Academics, read this book.

2. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. I think a different editor could have saved this book. Ha! Saved! It received stellar reviews and actually did quite well. I just found it to be annoyingly repetitive, circling around a group of families, sensationalizing their heartbreaking stories to reveal the same damned thing over and over. He could have told the tale in half the space with just as much force. (I know, I know. Rich coming from my blathering self, eh?)

3. The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing. This is a classic tome that is beloved by many homesteading fans. I enjoyed the book, despite the fact that it was a little dry. It had some great lines, and the Nearings were extremely matter-of-fact about their lives. Unfortunately, they weren't particularly honest, as other authors who lived with or near them revealed.

4. The Value of Nothing by Raj Patel (previously reviewed here). Gave some glimmers of hope but it was all over the place. Too disjointed for me to really love, but lordy, lordy, is that man ever pretty. That's relevant, right?

I could ramble on, but I think you've suffered enough. If you're still with me, any suggestions I should put on my to-read list for 2012? And if you're on Goodreads, holler at me! I'd like to add you as a friend and peek at your book shelf.

Happy New Year, Y'all!

2012-01-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season and are psyched about 2012. Goals? Resolutions? Let's hear 'em! Feel free to share in the comments section or in a link to your own blog, iff'n you've got one.

I have an annual ritual I engage in where I review the year, figure out goals for the coming year, and reevaluate my 5-year plan. (Just like Stalin!) This year, I changed things up a bit. I didn't do any of my usual rituals. Granted, I'm going to at some point, because I love planning like I love cake and napping. Instead, I spent the holidays binging on the TV show Supernatural, because my husband got me seasons 1 through 6 on DVD. What's that? Why, yes! I AM a massive dork! Thanks for noticing. Say what? Oh no. It's not The Wire or some other acclaimed show. It's like Buffy with more testosterone, gore and a dash of Midwestern rural delight. And I gotta admit, I had one fun holiday break! This would pain me if I were wed to productivity, but since I'm mostly a fan of sloth, it worked out pretty well.

(My beautiful vegan friends, you probably want to click on a lovely blog on my side bar right now. Go! Run!)I also rang in the new year by killing some sea creatures. I ordered live lobsters via a groupon deal like a crazy person. One tried to kung fu me as I took it out of the box. Yes, seriously. Understandable, of course, but it scared the crap out of me. I felt as if I were dealing with huge, live bugs. But I wanted to do something different and out of my comfort zone, so I killed a new kind of animal and then ate it. WELCOME 2012.

This leads me, of course, to my "theme" for 2012: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It all started in 2010, when I killed my car and had to start hauling my bootay around on my feet and public transit. (Still consider it one of the best decisions I've ever made.) Toward the end of 2011, I began to deal with my compulsive behavior (this will likely never end, but hopefully at some point, remaining present instead of jumping into the land of Compulsive Behavior Escapist Idiocy will become second nature), and I think a perfect way to stay present is to shake things up. Do something different. Get uncomfortable.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I should probably get to that planning ritual I enjoy so much. Happy New Year, y'all!

Compulsive Behavior (oddly enough, a quasi book review)

2011-12-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

Writing about compulsive behavior is not exactly a ho-ho-ho holiday post. But then again, it is. Despite claims to the contrary, so much of our lives around the holidays is built upon the foundation of compulsive behavior: unrealistic expectations and fantasy worlds (everything must be PERFECT! This celebration must resemble a Normal Rockwell painting, even though I'm an atheist who hates my family!); denial of reality (I have $56,000 in total debt, but I just have to buy everyone a nice gift!); and detachment and disassociation (I'm about to vomit here, but man these chocolates are so good, I'm gonna have a few more!).

Can I get a witness?

Pardon me, I don't mean to turn into a Haters Gonna Hate on Christmas or Solstice or WhateverTheHellYouCelebrate. That's not my intention. I've just noticed many a similar pattern over the years around people and Christmas and a couple of recent reads have made me realize just how much of our behavior is rooted in compulsion.

Compulsive behavior, at its core, is really just an attempt to escape from unpleasant emotions. I am a world class champion at compulsive behavior. If there were an Olympic event for compulsive anything, I'd win 14 gold medals.

Let me give you a few examples. To avoid feelings of loneliness or sadness, I will most often turn to sugary, doughy foods, which are super stellar for someone with diabetes. Lonely just can't stand up to donuts! (Well, not for the time it takes to shove them in my face, natch.) Feeling inadequate at work? Oh my darling, let's just go buy some clothes! Is that unease over living in the city? Don't fret for even a moment, let's go buy some country-friendly household item that won't fit into your tiny space! Annoyed with family? Bringing up ancient wounds? Oh child, just grab a bottle of champagne! (Also super awesome for diabetes.)

Can I get a witness?

Many moons ago, I realized this behavior wasn't really working for me in the realm of finances, so I decided to learn more about the money game and read Your Money or Your Life, the classic tome by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. Using their program, I started tracking my spending. It's very hard to be compulsive when you're aware, and writing down each spent dime forced awareness. I shouldn't have been surprised then, when I did a little experiment and stopped tracking my spending and found myself hurtling down a fail spiral. Awareness is key.

My fail spiral helped me to realize that I needed to bring that same awareness to other aspects of my beloved compulsive behavior, namely eating. Upon the suggestion of a few gazillion people, I picked up two books by Geneen Roth: Breaking Free from Emotional Eating and Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything.

Since haters gonna hate, let me get my dislikes out of the way first. Although Roth supplies a very thoughtful and sane disclaimer at the beginning of Breaking Free (she says, essentially, that not all fat people want to lose weight, not all fat people need to lose weight, not all fat people are emotional eaters, etc.), she clearly has some serious bigotry going on with fat folks. She is NOT of the Health at Every Size camp, so be warned that you will have to sift through some of the usual lunacy, such as equating "fat" with "ugly, stupid, and disgusting" and "thin" with "beautiful, happy and perfect." It's extremely odd, because she rails against the lie that thinness=happiness. But she can't seem to stop herself from using fat, which is a simple descriptive for body size, as a blanket term to mean all things foul.

She also advocates weight loss through intuitive eating, which can be a dangerous game. Roth states numerous times that she knows intuitive eating will result in weight loss, because she's seen it over and over. Unfortunately, as we know from Linda Bacon's book, Health at Every Size, the data just doesn't support long term weight loss from any method. Intuitive eating can easily be turned into just another diet game, where folks berate themselves for eating when not hungry and thus begin the nightmare wheel of shame, blame and disordered eating all over again. To be fair, Roth does warn against this.

Roth also supports common stereotypes of fat women being undesirable and as a result, women use fat to hide from men. I don't understand how this concept, outside of a limited scope of Hollywood lunacy, ever became a cultural norm. There is nothing on the face of this earth a woman can do to get men to leave her the hell alone. Seriously. You can be a supermodel or have a second skin-flap head that drools and speaks in tongues--some dude is still gonna wanna get up on you. There is no escape. I wonder what world Roth lives in where she does not comprehend this. Perhaps it's spending too much time with clients who ignore men's advances in favor of the tune playing in their head of I'mSoUglyNoOneWantsMe. *cue tragic violin music*

Speaking of tragic violin music, Roth can go overboard on the melodrama and hyperbole. At times as a teenager, I could relate to the level of self-loathing and mental lunacy that she writes about, but as an adult, I rarely, if ever, fall to the depths of self-hate and despair that she seems to think is universal among compulsive eaters and women in general. Perhaps I am an anomaly. I dunno. But she had my skin crawling more than once and I began to wonder if we shouldn't just put Valium in the drinking water if women are truly this neurotic.

Having said all that (here's the stuff I like. Haters sometimes stop the hate!), I could most definitely relate to the neurosis and fantasy life images she notes. There were times when I felt as if she had crawled into my head. Roth asserts that people engaging in compulsive behavior are forever in a quest to escape, hence the compulsion, and live in a fantasy world where everything will be perfect once they are thin (or less fat, or rich, or whatever your fantasy might be). She notes that women will often reach the level of thinness that was supposed to bring perfection, only to find that they are the same miserable loons they were as fat people. (Moral of the story: the outside doesn't really alter the inside, and happiness is about who you are, not what you weigh.)

Wait, I'm not done hating I guess. She asserts that people will then gain the weight back and begin the losing cycle again, telling themselves that This Time It Will Be Different. She doesn't take into account that research demonstrates that we just don't know how to lose weight and keep it off, lunacy or not. Roth prescribes emotional health issues to weight as if biology plays no part. That's common with folks who moralize obesity. It just doesn't have any basis in science. But let me get back to the positives.

Breaking Free offers practical steps and tools to bring about awareness, such as tracking food intake, not eating with distractions, etc. Women, Food and God does as well, although the steps are even simpler and laced with many Eastern spiritual teachings. This awareness also helps us remove ourselves from the fantasy world and actively engage in the life we are currently living. I don't know about you, but I am stellar at living in fictional worlds, often to the detriment of my actual life. Fantasies keep me from feeling unpleasant emotions but it can also keep me from appreciating the perfectly wonderful life I have. It's a consumer mentality gone toxic: There is something Bigger, Better and Shinier just around the bend! Happiness is in the next purchase/bite/whatever!

Roth illustrates these insane notions and behaviors beautifully. She perfectly demonstrates how our desire to escape unpleasant emotions through compulsive behavior only further compounds our discomfort. What I most appreciated, however, was the maturity and contentedness in Women, Food and God. She asks us to give up the notion that we are broken. The drama of being broken can eat our lives. Have you ever met someone constantly trying to fix themselves? It's exhausting and inherently drama-filled. She claims that to get past compulsive behavior, we simply need to return to self--our natural state that we came into the world with and eventually unlearned. She describes this coming home poetically and allows for it to be a loving process of simply letting go.

If you're at all like me and struggle with compulsive behavior, particularly around food, I would suggest reading both Breaking Free From Emotional Eating and Women, Food and God. Despite my frustrations with her sometimes melodramatic tales and lack of awareness of the concepts of the Health at Every Size movement, Roth offers some excellent tools to help break mindless behavior and create a nurturing, nourishing relationship between the self and food. Breaking Free is more of a nuts-and-bolts primer where Women, Food and God offers a more poetic path of grace. Both are filled with humility and humor and have already helped me to become more aware of my compulsive habits and adopt a saner, more loving relationship with the daily act of eating. As a diabetic, that is a gift that can save my health and ultimately lengthen and improve my quality of life. Which is, yanno, kind of a big deal.

Can I get a witness?

On that note, happy holidays! I hope you don't let perfection get in the way of a Good Enough celebration. May your holiday be filled with awareness, sanity, health, love and all the warm fuzzies you so richly deserve.

Gift Giving Credo & Free/Homemade Toys & Gifts

2011-12-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, folks! I know we're all busy, busy, busy this time of the year, but I do hope the consumer beast has not taken hold of you in an attempt to devour your savings and your peace of mind. Fight it, children! Fight it! Shun malls! Drop kick debt! Matrix kick unrealistic expectations in the face! (Slow motion fantasy violence is way better than taking actual martial arts classes, amiright?)

Over the years, I have become less and less enthralled with buying useless crap for the holidays. Instead, I make things for friends, purchase genuinely needed items (e.g., wine bottle openers, brass knuckles, etc.), donate to charity, or simply tell people the following: Hi. I love you, but I'm not buying you jack shit this holiday. Can we just hang out instead?

Once upon a time, I was an excellent gift giver. I spent fortunes. I gave elaborate presents. It felt great! I was a gift giving hero! But then, something weird started happening. I suppose I was keeping score like a massive douche, because I noticed that people would give me lovely handmade items or inexpensive delights I adored but weren't interested in receiving something similar from me. Folks began requesting expensive gifts. Things I wouldn't have the ovaries to ask for. It morphed into some weird entitlement thing, where it was a given that I would give big. And let's be honest, I may be a do-gooder, but I ain't Jesus. There's a limit to my generosity. Eventually, I received a request that made me snap. No mas, I decided. The fun in giving had been sucked away.

Now folks get to experience the new me: an unpredictable gift giver. They might get something this year. Might not. Might be homemade. Might be from a store. Who knows? The best part is that this new approach in gift giving has eliminated the high expectations I previously encountered. Sure, folks are probably disappointed that the gravy train is gone, but at least I've lost the desire to kung fu people that I love. Oh, who am I kidding? That desire will never leave.

I encourage you to join my inconsistent gift giving brigade. The best way to ease into this slacker credo is to start with nifty homemade gifts. In the beginning, I paired them a small purchased item to help ease the transition. Then, I moved to charitable donations. After that, just the homemade gift. Now? ANYTHING GOES. That stress you feel during the holidays? Yeah. I don't feel that anymore. So, join me. C'mon. You know you wanna.

Let me give you some good places to start. Years ago, I discovered this handy little site when I worked at a homeless shelter for women and children: The Toy Maker. Free toys that require only a color printer and some card stock is a pretty nifty thing. Dudes, seriously. Go now. Check the site out. It is freakin' amazing. I printed out a booklet of the free toys and gave it to my youngest niece. We spent several hours creating magical creatures and nifty toys. It remains one of my favorite holiday memories.

Country Living magazine has a beautiful memory game that requires a color printer, card stock and some craft glue. They have a few grown up homemade gift suggestions as well.

Other classics include crocheting hats and scarves, which I learned how to do thanks to the wonder of Youtube and this pretty awesome gal who features stellar how-to videos and even has patterns on her website. I've also become a fan of embroidery using old school iron-transfers purchased through Etsy. I'm also a big fan of recycled journals via Ex Libris Anonymous. Yes, I could make the journals myself, but sometimes lazy wins. Plus, the folks who own the company have been very kind to me over the years. (No, I am not receiving any kickbacks for mentioning this biz.) Don't forget food gifts. Who doesn't like grub?

And, as always, there is the classic Non-Gift. As in, I love ya, but I didn't get you anything. Agree upon the lack of exchange in advance and you'll be amazed at how stress free the holidays can become. Happy holiday slacking, y'all!

The High Price of Materialism

2011-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

The Center for a New American Dream created one of those fabulous little animated videos called The High Price of Materialism. Essentially, the video tells us that orienting our lives around materialism tends to turn us into assholes while focusing on intrinsic values makes us happier people. I think we all know this, of course, but the constant bombardment of Buy Now! The World Will End If You Don't Shop and Grow This Economy! can push common sense aside. It's hard to fight the avalanche of Happiness Is In The Next Purchase.

Interestingly, the video mentions taking on "meaningful work," even if it pays less, as a way to help create intrinsic values. Lemme tell ya folks, "meaningful work" can be its own trap. I really feel for people who venture into the nonprofit world, thinking it's going to be some rainbow puppy kisses joy ride where you wake up, happy to go to work and feel fulfilled by the 9-6 routine. Meaningful work can become the singular focus of your life, which isn't much healthier than chasing a dollar. Having one solitary aspect of life controlling every other aspect (um, the US economy, anyone?) of our existence is just never a good idea. And it's quite possible to get trapped in the Chase the Dollar game in the nonprofit world as well. But that's another tale for another day.

Anyhoo, this is a lovely little video that is a good reminder of the dangers of materialism, the importance of building your own life, and how civic engagement is just as important as personal lifestyle choices. I know you know all this, but sometimes it's nice to have a wee reminder, particularly if it comes in the form of an animated video. Take a gander!

Friday Eyes and Ears

2011-12-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

For your eyes:

I have a subscription to the wonderful magazine, Mother Earth News. It's essentially a homesteader's magazine, with handy tips on livestock care, gardening, living off grid, etc. Does it make sense to have a subscription when I live in a concrete box on a concrete slab in a concrete sprawl? Why no. But why would I want to be logical?

Each issue is filled with references to various blogs available on their website. Lordy, lordy! I finally decided to visit the site and discovered that they have a gazillion blogs on a ridiculous number of topics.

Now I'll never get anything done. So, I'm sharing the pain. We can all ignore the laundry and just read blogs!

For your ears:

Thanks to Two Frog Home for showing me this gem from James Vincent Morrow, "We Don't Eat."

This next band, The SteelDrivers, breaks my heart a bit. I downloaded their first two albums, which feature lead singer Chris Stapleton, who has since left the band. He was replaced with a prettier, more "Hollywood-esque" guy. Although the new guy's voice is good, it's just not as gritty, chewy and mind-numbingly delicious as Stapleton's. The original singer wanted to focus on his family and song writing. Can you imagine the nerve? Putting his family above my need to see him perform? Turd.

I had a hard time finding a video of my favorite song with the original singer, but some kind soul put this gem up with the lyrics:

Here's the same song and an additional tune live, featuring the original singer, Chris Stapleton. Feel free to mourn with me.

Tag! You're it. What's feeding your eyes and ears these days?

Gratitude

2011-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

I occasionally peek in on the We Are the 99 Percent blog to see what folks have to share about their struggles. It can be heartbreaking. Janeen from The Pixie Diaries noted in a recent comment that she appreciated folks who weren't struggling at the moment noting just how many things had supported them in their current stability. Janeen suggested making a gratitude list and did so on her blog. I thought it was a great idea and am sharing mine with you, although I really could have just copied Janeen's list, to be fair.

So, dear readers, here are the kind souls (and situations) who have made the goodness in my life possible and to whom I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude:

-Mom and Dad. Although I come from a classic, textbook mess (don't we all?), I am extremely grateful for my authority-loathing, hardworking, life-affirming parents. My parents had the amazing fortitude to put themselves through college, with five children in tow, as adults in their thirties. As a result of their dedication, which I don't think I could muster were I in the same situation, our economic status moved from poverty/lower class to lower middle class then to full-on middle class. Score!

-I received a tax-payer funded primary education in safe, clean, wonderful rural communities in Missouri and Kansas. As a youngster, we had homeroom classes on any topic you can imagine--embroidery, mythology, horseback riding, etc. I learned things in those wee classes that I use to this day. As a high school student, I was able to spend a year in independent study, learning about meditation and the Bhagavad Gita. Yeah, you know how those small town, inbred rednecks roll (suck it, stereotypes!).

-The teachers who helped to mold my brain have consistently been brilliant, creative, innovative, dedicated, encouraging and inspiring. All that generosity for crazy tiny salaries.

-I have the fortune of chance: I was born during the best possible time to be a woman in one of the most affluent nations on the planet. Anyone who blathers about how they "did it all on their own" and blah blah bootstraps and blah blah I'm so awesome needs to eat an American flag, kiss a construction worker, do hard labor for a teacher, and lick a public library. Oh, sorry. That was more bitchy than thankful.

-All of my life I have been able to turn on a tap to receive clean water and travel on well-maintained roads and affordable public transit, all thanks to tax payer and community investment. Public works rules.

-I was able to graduate from college with a bachelors degree in a field that interested me. I did not have to think of education as job training. I had the luxury of studying that which I found fascinating, because the American dream was still breathing when I was a kid.

-I was born without any learning disabilities or significant health issues. School was easy for me. I never sucked on lead painted toys. I did not have to struggle to learn or stay healthy, which has made absolutely every aspect of my life much easier.

-I have the enormous fortune of doing work that benefits people. I actually get to type words on a glowing rectangle and they. pay. me. for. it. How crazy is that? People in this world have to WORK, son. Me? I type and "think." For money. Seriously.

-I have affordable health insurance through a generous employer.

-Unlike many other Americans, particularly those working in the non-profit sector, I receive matching funds and an additional employer contribution to my retirement savings. My nice employer is helping to provide for my future.

-More chance: I'm white. Although born to a brown daddy and white mother, I am a honkie, living in a culture where race is extremely important. I have never had to walk into a store and be followed by staff who assumed I would steal, have never had to answer stupid questions about my culture; I have never had to deal with the thousands of major and minor insults that people of color must endure every single day. (The police routinely harassed my father and put him in the hospital once for having the audacity to ask for an officer's badge number. Nice, eh?)

-During difficult periods, I have had the support--financial and emotional--from many friends and family members and even the government (thank you, food stamps and heating assistance). I do not fear ending up on the street, because I have a strong familial and social network that acts as a safety net. I am not on my own. Ask a homeless person about their support network. Yep.

-Public libraries. Best institution on the planet.

-Parks and national forests have provided a safe haven for my soul when the concrete tried to smother it. Thank God for conservationists.

Thank you friends, family, teachers, healthcare professionals, taxpayer funded infrastructure, the chance of birth, and healthy brain (feel free to argue with that one), and millions of invisible hands and generous hearts. Countless folks have helped to make my life an enormously blessed experience. Yes, even though I bitch a lot, I still realize I am one lucky gal.

Tag, you're it. Who's on your gratitude list? If you did one on your blog, please share the link with us!

Community Garden Photos

2011-11-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

A very kind friend with a godphone took these photos for me as we pranced around my wee community garden spot this past weekend. There are still several more shots I want to share with you, but I was too busy yanking grass out of my plot to direct the photo shoot. Yet my buddy still managed to get some great pics.

Behold! There are tiny little lettuce seedlings popping up in one corner and some other seedlings are spouting up at the opposite end. I believe they are either parsnips or rutabaga. Or possibly weeds. Apparently, all plants look the same when first sprouting up until they get their "true" leaves. Somehow, I didn't know that. In the ground so far we have heritage varities of lettuce, spinach, parsnips, rutabagas, sugar snap peas, rainbow chard, and black kale. There's a random leftover parsley from a previous tenant, and I've got some savoy cabbage percolating in the house waiting to be transplanted in a couple of weeks.

Here's the kicker, kids--I actually have a bachelors in plant pathology and biology (ok, art too; it was a three-prong deal, but people just look at me strange when I toss the art thing in there). I should know a bit about plants, right? College and years working as a landscape grunt and in large scale greenhouse operations should make me a pro at this stuff. Um, not so much. I remember exactly jack. Let this be a lesson about the value of picking the "right" major. (Moral of the story: Just get the piece of paper, kids.)

Did I mention art? Check out this lovely mural! It's about half of a long mural that covers one side of our lovely little garden patch.

Here's a view of the back of the garden, which serves as evidence that it is, in fact, an urban garden. Note the parking lot, one of Southern California's most beloved features. (No, not my plants. Mine are still in fetus stage.)

Even more exciting for this native Midwesterner is the presence of bananas. That's right, BANANAS.

This isn't the first time I've encountered banana trees in California. I used to work in a convent--no, I did not burst into flames; there is no need to look at me like that--where the nuns brought over a few banana trees from their native Vietnam. To harvest bananas, you must yank the whole tree/stalk down, so that new plants can grow and produce. The nuns were from an older order that still wears a full habit. I cannot tell you the delight I felt in watching them tackle a banana tree in their finest Catholic garb. If only I had filmed it.

What's growing in your garden? Cold frame? Greenhouse? Fall loving heart?

Fail Spiral

2011-11-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

This is a tale of woe. Not real drama, of course, because I am a wealthy white woman living in the USofA (wealthy by global standards, not Southern Californian). These are "first" world problems, children, which means they are the manifestations of idiocy. My own, naturally.

The computer at home is still broken. I am still desperately far behind at work. This is all an extension of a 3 (4??) month fail spiral that seems intent on twisting a bit further into the abyss. It's cool. I am a master at handling bullshit. Or so I tell myself.

This train wreck began as an experiment. I have been doing silly little 30-day experiments in an attempt to have more fun. Being the mind-numbing idiot that I am, I thought it would be a good idea to stop tracking my spending for 30-days. I thought, hey, I'm too strict and uptight with this money stuff. I need to chill out! Buying those kitchen items was a great thing. I can roast a chicken like a CHAMPION! And that cleaning lady? Changed my life, man. Changed. My. Life. (I am not an elitist jackass. I am not an elitist jackass. I am not an...) So, maybe if I just chill out some more and let go of tracking every penny, magical creatures will crawl out of the woodwork, and I will live in a glorious land of drug-induced highs and rainbow puppy kisses? Right on!

Instead, everything went to shit. My 30-days turned into 3 (or is it 4 now? Mommy? Help?) months. Habits seem to take awhile to build and exactly 5 seconds to break. We started eating awful delivery food several times a week like it was actually tasty and delicious. I could have crapped in a box, with a jarred sauce, of course, and had a better meal. Things got fuzzy at work. Balls were dropped. I couldn't keep track of my correspondence with friends living afar. My cash stash was perpetually empty (I normally have hundreds in my cash stash. Please don't rob me). Wait, am I using past tense? I probably shouldn't be. I'm still working this out.

Then a bad health demon decided to knock the crap out of me. I was diagnosed last year with diabetes (yeah, I said it). First it was borderline. Then it was the real deal. No, borderline. Back and forth. But I used to work for the American Diabetes Association, so I know the "borderline" thing is b.s. Pre-diabetes is code for "soon to be screwed." Complications can arise even if you never reach the full-blown stage. My surrogate daddy died as a result of diabetes complications. It literally beat him to death. First taking a leg. Then two strokes and two heart attacks. After working in an ICU for a few years, I began to get a sense of who was going to make it and who wasn't. The last time I saw him, I knew he wasn't going to make it. Ah, diabetes, how you suck.

So, what did I do? Paid attention at first, because I don't need meds and vowed to kick its ass, and then I just tossed it aside ("it" being my health, natch). So, the big D decided to come and knock the crap out of me. Since no fail spiral is complete without an injury, I also somehow jacked up my knee, which has screwed up my hip and ankle from the weird wobbling walk I have to do. I am in shit tons of pain, but taking it like a trooper. No car means homie has to walk, so I buck up like a true champion (or is it moron?). Thanks to my excellent healthcare provider (aaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahah), I'm not sure what is wrong yet. She'll let me know...in 2 months. Maybe. Did I mention that I had to remind her that I need blood work done every 3 months, despite the fact that she hasn't ordered any of it in over a year? And that maybe some physical therapy might be in order? And hey, maybe we should xray this knee? If I didn't have a clue about my various ailments, I would be screwed. I fear for her other patients. (Yes, I will be complaining about and replacing said doc.)

I could ramble on, but this Woe Is Me tale is starting to irritate me. (I'm sure it's far worse for you. My apologies.) When I finally decided to sit down and figure out what the hell was going on, I traced it back to my utterly brilliant idea to stop tracking spending. Apparently, it serves as a cornerstone to the limited self-care I manage. Good to know. Prolly should have figured that out a little sooner.

Thanks to a couple of requests for money management "coaching" from members of my time bank (oh, the irony, right?), November has seen the return of tracking spending. PRAISE ALLAH. My husband has stepped up to the plate to cook twice a week (yet I still don't have to do the dishes. Score!), so that I'm not so overwhelmed (see: long-ass commute and presently stressful gig). I have gathered resources to deal with this effing diabetes outside of the current dieting and deprivation paradigm (which only makes you fatter, folks. See me for physical evidence!), which has resulted in me removing my head from my anus. (But I swear to god, if any patronizing ass preaches at me about it, I will promptly shove their noggins up their own shoots. Consider it fair warning.)

Since I had fallen so far off the wagon, reinforcements were needed. ECL suggested reading The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. (Review of simple living reads to come!) It was just what I needed. Working with folks from my time bank is becoming doctor-heal-thyself balm. A friend recently let me know that she too has received the big D diagnosis. I am reminded that it takes a village, we are always somebody's child, and I am not alone. Most importantly, I am reminded of the odd ways in which life is interconnected. You Have Diabetes should have been the calling card to keep me from eating unhealthy take out, but no, tracking spending keeps me on the path. It forces me to pay attention to my actions in the moment. It snaps me awake. Thank heavens I am finally coming out of this fail spiral slumber (please?), but lord, I don't think I'll ever awaken from being an absolute moron.

Interesting Homesteading Reads

2011-11-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Hello! Please forgive my lack of posting. Our home computer has died. Purchased brand new in April! But that is another tale for another day. In other news...

Some recent reads on homesteading/farming/that kind of thing that you might enjoy:

See You in A Hundred Years by Logan Ward. This is a beautifully written tale of a young family who decided to spend a year off the grid, kicking it rural Virgina 1900 style. Which is another way of saying bat. shit. crazy. Wood cook stove, no electricity, no car, no phone--nada. I know people who go into cardiac arrest when they lose their godphones for five minutes. Can you imagine living an entire year as if it were 1900? Although it sounds enticing, I have no interest in using an outhouse in the dead of winter.

As I mentioned, the book is beautifully written. It doesn't give a great deal of detail; it's not a how-to. Honestly, I felt that this book was more about relationships--marriage, parenthood, community, and friendship. There were times I wanted to smack Logan and rescue his wife, but that's the reality of relationships. They are sometimes incredibly difficult and incredibly rewarding.

I was a bit surprised by the ending (I won't give it away!) and where their choices ultimately lead, but I also found myself appreciating the honesty in those decisions. Modern life has some good perks, yo. Yesterday is not always the greener pasture we fantasize it to be.

Next on the list is the hilarious Hit by a Farm by Catherine Friend. This is a story about how one writer loses her mind and signs up for her partner's dream of being a farmer. It reminded me a bit of the wonderful book, The Dirty Life by Kristan Kimball (loved it!), in that it didn't make the act of farming and raising livestock seem like some rainbow joy ride. I think I can probably live my entire life without reading one more thing about placentas. Just sayin'.

What I most appreciated about Friend's tale was her ability to accept her limitations, create boundaries and navigate the difficulty of her relationship under the strain of farm life. Both Friend and Logan share their vulnerability and frustration beautifully, but Friend does it with such humor that I just wanted to buy her a drink.

I'm sure you've all heard of this one by now: This Life is in Your Hands by Melissa Coleman. Coleman was raised on a farm seated next door to the famous homestead of Helen and Scott Nearing. She was witness to the birth of a movement and many of the key players within it. It is a gorgeous book, but very difficult to read at times. No spoilers here--the jacket tells you that her baby sister drowns on the homestead, but it is still heartbreaking to read. Coleman is an amazing writer who weaves a gorgeous tale from the fabric of her life. Most importantly, she shines a light on the difficulty of homesteading, which I think is a more honest approach than most authors on the subject are willing to take. But even if farming and homesteading is not on your list of favorite things, you will enjoy this book. It is so beautifully written. I have rarely found an author who can write about the natural world and our connection to it (well, we are it, but yanno what I mean), particularly in childhood, quite so stunningly.

And finally, my favorite of the group, Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich. Woginirch gives a good dose of self-reliance 101, with nods to gardening, cooking from scratch, beekeeping, raising chickens and sewing. But she adds in a few that most other books addressing this subject don't, namely using working dogs, raising rabbits for fiber, playing old time music (BANJOS, PEOPLE!) and building relationships. The book is an excellent mix of simple, practical how-to and why we should care about such things. I've been dreaming of learning to play the banjo for eons now. Thanks to Woginrich's gentle nudge, Imma gonna do it!

Most importantly, the book is funny as hell. I have shared this bit with about every person I know, because I can't stop laughing. Oh lord, the beauty:

Inside the safely latched coop was the screaming Welsummer. She was ticked off to wake up in a smaller, less fancy space, and she wasn't going to take it quietly. I didn't know what to do. She didn't want her feed or water. She just wanted to carry on. I thought the neighbors were going to call the police, so I opened the coop and scooped her up in my arms like a kitten. She defecated all over me. Fine. I set her down to explore the yard. That didn't help at all. She just kept walking around screaming even louder. I named her Ann Coulter.

I think we can all agree that this woman deserves our dollars and that we should all run out and buy a copy of this book now, yes? I mean, seriously.

The resources she offers in the chapter "Research, Son" are excellent. She even provides some handy, simple projects to get us started in the fine art of Doing Stuff Yourself. Most importantly, Woginrich takes a subject that has been done to death and makes it fresh, adds some elements not enough folks know about, and makes the reader laugh out loud. It's a great, quick read, full of good stuff. I'm happy to learn that she has a blog and look forward to reading more of her work.

Positive Happenings

2011-10-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

Edited to add crappy photos!

I depressed ECL recently with my blabbering about land grabs, so I thought I should spread a little positivity in today's post. Shocking, right? Is it possible for me to speak without complaining or bitching about some social injustice? We shall see! (Don't hold your breath, but I will try.)

Personal positive ramblings: I have a new community garden spot! After letting go of my former spot (too far from home, not easily accessible by public transit), I assumed I wouldn't be able to garden again in good ol' Long Beach. There is only one community garden close to my house and it has the longest waiting list of all the local gardens. Well, some WONDERFUL people didn't return the coordinator's calls about an open spot around the same time that I wrote him, asking (in vain, I thought!) if a spot had opened up near me. He gave me the plot! PTL, people! (That's Praise the Lord for those of you unfamiliar with Tammy Faye and Jim Baker.)

Other people's plots.

The soil is fabulously healthy. There is a shed stocked full of gardening tools. I've met two fellow gardeners who are from distant lands and growing things I've never seen before. Hello, educational experience!

My plot of dirt. Complete with seeds!

The best part? I live in Southern California, where I can plant. seeds. in. November. How crazy is that? Other people are buried in snow, fighting with their cold frames, and I'm running around barefoot in a t-shirt and shorts, planting stuff.

In the ground so far: hollow crown parsnips; purple top rutabaga; heritage varieties of spinach and lettuce; and rainbow chard. Soon to go in: sugar snap peas; black Tuscan kale (the best kale ever!); and savoy cabbage. Friends have been helping me, so hopefully I will be able to share photos with y'all. 'CUZ I KNOW YOU CARE, DAMMIT.

In other news, my journal order just came in from Ex Libris Anonymous(AKA Book Journals Dot Com). I have been buying these little repurposed gems from Jacob for years, and I absolutely love them. No, this is not an ad. No, they aren't paying me for this plug. They did once give me a fat donation of journals once for a fundraiser, for which I will be eternally grateful, but that's beside the point. I am giving some of these as Christmas gifts, because who doesn't like writing in a journal converted out of their favorite children's book?

Other positive news:

Penny over at The Saved Quarter found a great resource for low-income families: Affordable Internet! And an affordable laptop! Although you might be able to find a cheaper laptop used, this is still a great deal for families with children on the free school lunch program.

Cate over at Liberal Simplicity reminded me that I need to get on those homemade Christmas gifts. I am a horrible crafter, but man, it is so much fun. I am incredibly lucky to have wonderful friends and family who appreciate my homemade monstrosities. But honestly, the best part is making things for folks I love and not having to give over huge wads of cash to big stores who aren't invested in my community. Are you making gifts this year? If so, what? Any ideas?

Friday Reads

2011-10-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Here is some food for thought...

Native Appropriations has a great open letter to the folks wanting to "dress up" as Indians this Halloween. Oddly enough, I posted this on farcebook and immediately got a "nope, everything's fair game" comment from a friend, which shocked me. I am a big fan of offensive humor, that's no lie, but I don't think this issue is about breaking taboos. I think it's just about folks being assholes and lacking any understanding of their privilege. Anyhoo, it's an excellent read.

Bob continues to be one of the most adorable children on the planet over at smacksy. He's got wit and heart to spare.

Namgay has some new paintings up that make me wish I was a millionaire so that I could buy them all.

People share their struggles of trying to get by with limited incomes, no insurance and all other manner of struggles that we share over at We Are the 99 Percent. (A farcebook friend stated she thought they should rename it "Poor Me." I laughed. Then I cried. Yes, she is well-to-do and doesn't live in the states!)

Matthew, my food guru, has a great post about "paid" blogging over at Green Eats. He also posted some great recipes from his wedding reception. Mazel Tov, babies!

That's all for today. Have a great Halloween everyone!

Land Grabs

2011-10-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

Oxfam America recently reported on the seizure of land from the poor in Uganda by the New Forests Company. But it's not just happening in Uganda; in the age of globalization, land grabs are happening all over the place. According to Farmlandgrab.org, "Governments and corporations are buying up farmland in other countries to grow their own food--or simply to make money."

It's a dangerous dynamic that displaces people who can least afford to start over (rarely are those pushed off their land given compensation or comparable land elsewhere), and forces many farmers into cities where they often work in horrid conditions for little money, which ultimately results in the loss of knowledge of ancient farming techniques and the biodiversity that comes with small scale farming.

Of course it's nothing new. The colonial and imperialist mindset is responsible for the genocide of countless indigenous people throughout history. But it seems to have taken on a new zeal after the food shortage crisis of 2008 and the rising income gap between the very rich and the very poor. Fears around food security, biofuel production and agribusiness's greed accounts for a little less than 2/3rds of the total amount of "land acquisition" (code more often than not for blatant theft). Agricultural speculation on food and land prices have also fueled grabs, resulting in increased prices globally for land, which pushes most of us out of the running. This is all coated with a lovely icing of recreational development, where indigenous folks in places like Panama are being forcibly removed from their ancestral lands so that new resorts for wealthy North Americans and Brits can be built along the coasts and small islands.

The forcible relocation of First Nation people is a well-known part of what many believe to be "history," particularly in the United States, but it's shocking to learn how common it is to this day. Property rights advocates have argued that the best way for Native peoples to gain wealth and power is to have ownership of lands that their families and tribes have lived on for generations. Critics argue that this would only lead to legally endorsed exploitation, as people are manipulated into selling their land for far less than it's worth or selling for any number of reasons that would ultimately put them in a precarious position--namely, a position without any land on which to live and farm.

Here in the United States, indigenous folks have fought mightily to maintain mineral and other rights to land once thought by the government to be useless. Government officials have even concocted stories of inter-tribal battles in an effort to forcibly relocate people so that mining companies could strip and pollute. It's a long, ugly story that continues to this day.

Yet Americans love stories of wealth and power, so much so that we neglect to pose questions about just how folks managed to get all that wealth and power (see: freakish worship of Steve Jobs). Recently, I saw a slew of stories about America's top 10 landowners (interesting tidbit: the much beloved Pioneer Woman blogger, tv show host and author's family is listed at #17. Needless to say, that clever and entertaining gal isn't living anything close to a common rural life). The top dog in the land game owns 2.2 million acres. Yes, you heard me correctly. One man owns 2.2 million acres. Every article I read gave glowing accounts of these folks' exorbitant wealth. Only a few pieces noted that much of it was tied to the exploitation of natural resources. Many are timber and oil barons, stripping the land of biodiversity to pump crude or create tree farms. None appear to have created vast wealth from harvesting resources from the land in a sustainable manner, although Ted Turner seems to be giving conservation more of an effort than the rest.

Some Missouri farmers have been offered buyouts from the very people whose job it is to protect their lands from flooding, which has left some folks wondering if there aren't some ulterior motives going on. Other farmers complain of Wall Street speculation and absent billionaire owners increasing the value of their land to such a degree that they can't afford to pay taxes on their property. This is forcing many farmers to give up and sell to agribusiness, once again putting our food production in the hands of a few businessmen instead of communities of farmers. The migration from rural areas to cities is part of this crisis, but will serve as a tale for another day.

Essentially, it's the same song and dance we've seen in recent decades with growing income disparity. A handful of very rich individuals are rigging the game to ensure they get the vast majority of everything. Money transferred between banks and billionaires in the world of financial make believe (hi Wall Street!) has kicked the living crap out of taxpayers and citizens the world over, but this newly rediscovered imperialist zeal in land grabbing makes me extremely nervous. Must we all become share croppers, leasing small bits of land from wealthy land owners? What margins remain for indigenous people to be pushed into?

It would appear that land grabbing is just another avenue through which some scary sons a bitches are forcing us to submit. Thankfully, there are NGOs and other organizations fighting this in developing countries (hey, maybe we should help them out?), but I have not yet seen any concerted effort to stop the abuses occurring here in the States. Perhaps it's because so many multinational corporations based out of the US are busy snatching up land in Africa and the Global South, which makes us a little too leery of bringing this issue to light. Perhaps it's because we're too busy watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Who knows? But I gotta tell ya, I get a little nervous when people (not the corporations) who grow my food don't have the land upon which to do so.

Friday Reads: Sanity and Healing

2011-10-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Gotta make this one quick, as deadlines loom.

First, this Open Letter to that 53% Guy featured on DailyKos is pretty much the most sane, rational, logical response I have seen to those who just don't "get" the Occupy Wall Street/We are the 99% movement. Most importantly, it's respectful.

Also? I think it's interesting to note that much of the "stop your whining" notes have been from youngsters who share their experience of making do and making it work, therefore everyone should be able to do so. To these tenacious, tough kids, I would like to say the following: YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE DOES NOT EQUATE UNIVERSAL TRUTH.

For some reason, this is one of the most difficult concepts for people to comprehend. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE DOES NOT EQUATE UNIVERSAL TRUTH. Tattoo that on your forehead.

And finally, I'd like to introduce you to Christine, my new favorite human on this planet. She has a great blog called Home Sweetening. She's Canadian, but sure talks like an American. Prior to "meeting" Christine, I thought that Canada was full of disturbingly polite people who never cursed. Quite honestly, it freaked me out. Alas, she has soothed my soul with her fire, her occasional foul language, and her mad skills in all things plant-related. With all her plant knowledge, I can't help but think that she's a healer from an older order of life, where we trusted the land and wise women to hold us in health and strength.

Happy reading, folks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I am going to do my best to write several posts in advance, so that I can pepper your cyber world with more consistent lunatic ramblings. You have been warned.

An Odd Obession with The Great Depression

2011-10-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have an odd obsession with the Great Depression. It might be due to my broke ass, rural roots. Or the typical American love of the underdog and all things Pioneer. Or maybe I'm just a weirdo. I love reading about the Great Depression, learning how folks survived and how it changed them. While most Americans seem to enjoy worshiping the uber wealthy 1% who control the vast majority of our wealth (by feeding off the poor, but that's a rant for another day), I find myself enamored of those souls who make do with very little or who manage to live beautiful lives outside of the confines of modern modes of consumer capitalism. Some folks want to know what the Khardasians are wearing. I wanna know what Rachel and Rachel are growing in their gardens and how they are weaving those delights into delicious food and drink without a single trip to the grocery store.

I delight in reading stories like those found on Janeen's beautiful blog, The Pixie Diaries, where she gives a touching tribute to her grandfather in Working Class Hero. Remember when we used to talk about the working class? Remember labor papers and support for unions? Remember when we used to understand that a strong labor force meant a strong economy? Now we seem to pit worker against worker, here and abroad, all in some delusion that we can't confront the elite, because one day very soon, we will live among them! Oh, wishful thinking. But, I digress.

I recently read A Secret Gift: How One Man's Kindkess--and a Trove of Letters--Revealed the Hidden Story of the Great Depression by Ted Gup. It wasn't really a tale of the Depression like I thought it would be. It was more of a long-winded tale about Gup's family and his discoveries therein. (He tries really hard to make it feel like a suspenseful, ohmygosh! kind of tale, but it doesn't really work. However, it is an interesting read, particularly if you like to peer into the lives of ordinary folks.) Gup includes some really interesting historical facts of which I was previously clueless. Although I love reading about the Depression, I actually loathe reading about history. It's generally always told from the viewpoint of the oppressor and often ignores the lives of everyday folks (thank you, Howard Zinn, for giving us a classic history text from The People's viewpoint), which bores the crap out of me.

Anyhoo, Gup made a few points that slapped me awake. So, I'm going to offend copyright laws and quote sections here.

To many, like my grandfather, who entered the Depression as adults, it was neither the first trial they faced nor even the most severe. Their lives had already been tested by tragedies and terrors that now seem remote: influenza that wiped out millions, the Great War (ghastly even by modern standards), Old World pogroms, deadly workplaces, all created the expectation that life would be short and trying...to dwell on such specifics would have been beneath them. Their creed was self-discipline, not self-indulgence.

...men and women of that era were eager to distance themselves from the duress of their early lives. It was part of the allure of America that the past could be left behind, that men and women could reinvent themselves. Besides, it was a given that others had suffered similarly. There was little therapeutic value to be gained from opening old wounds and it was impolite to pry. Nothing in my grandfather's day was as out of fashion as self-pity. Only to later generations, coddled by prosperity, analgesics, and concerns over leisure and longevity, would such flinty self-reliance seem extraordinary or exploitations of one's sorrows become so common as to be featured on daytime TV. Those who grow up in today's society, determined to snuff out risk and surrounded by smoke detectors and seat belts, may find it hard to imagine the perilous lives their grandparents faced.

Coming to age in America, even before the Depression meant running a gauntlet of hardships that for many included outrunning persecution, poverty, infant mortality, diseases (tuberculosis, polio, influenza, malaria, typhus, dysentery, and cholera), industrial accidents, and a world war. In 1900, when much of the Depression-era generation was still young, only one in twenty-five could look forward to reading sixty-five. One in five newborns died before the age of five and the average life span of a male infant born that year was forty-eight years. It was a nation without antibiotics, Social Security, or Medicare. Against such a backdrop, one's familiarity with tragedy and expectations of life were dramatically different from those of today. People were not unconscious of their burdens, but having known little else, could barely imagine being free from them. So fraught with risk and hardship was their world that the idea of voicing one's particular plight would have struck many as curious, even presumptuous. After all, what did they expect?

Average life span of 48 years, no social safety nets, and here I am, complaining about my daily commute. Oy.

Unfortunately, the same reality exists for many folks today in the countries who make the products we readily buy and just as quickly toss. I've read quips from economists who say we should not lament this, as we went through it in our process to becoming a prosperous nation, so we must not suggest that other countries should not also exploit their people through labor practices. My response is always: Just 'cuz we were morons, doesn't mean we have to fund the same barbaric crap in other countries. "Progress" is supposed to make us smarter, right?

Gup's book helped me to realize that I need not fall into some romanticized stupor over my love of All Things Past. Yes, we have lost some things that are crucial to our happiness and health (e.g., community ties, general self-sufficiency), but we've also gained much that has helped us thrive (e.g., Social Security). My wayback loving brethren also tend to color All Things That Were with rosy glasses, so I want to kiss those folks who can write about growing a garden or cooking from scratch from a place of necessity devoid of drama. Like this lovely piece in the NY Times, Back to the Land Reluctantly, by Susan Gregory Thomas.

Of course, I still want the hell out of the city and back to my rural roots. But I am determined to force myself to recall Gup's reminder about how damned hard life once was and how today's difficulties are frequently a matter of choice (at least for me). But lessons! Oh, the lessons! How those Depression-era lessons of survival still ring with meaning and practical purpose. Perhaps the past is not so much a wonderland as a river, which Norman Maclean turns into far better of a metaphor than I could ever muster in A River Runs Through It and Other Stories:

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

I am haunted by waters.

Democracy is Beautiful

2011-10-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

I am desperately far behind in all things, but I just had to share this little gem with you from the folks at Occupy Wall Street. The movement is spreading! People are taking to the streets! And in contrast to the agenda of the Murdoch Marketing Machine (yeah, Fox "News" I'm looking at you), we're standing together as a united people instead of pitting unemployed person against union worker or any other manner of idiocy. We are the 99%!

(My blog cuts the frame off a bit. Dunno how to fix it. If it bugs you, just go here to watch it.)

Friday Reads

2011-09-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the week! The weekend approaches, and I get to be lazy and send you to saner, more pleasant internet lands. Hallelujah.

Take a gander at The Pixie Diaries, where Janeen will wow you, as she often does in the comments section here, with her intelligence, maturity and well-written prose.

Stop Feeding Facebook, It's Time For Moderation. A lovely article (thanks for the link, Janeen!) about my biggest love/hate relationship: farcebook.

Occupy Wall Street. Have y'all been paying attention to these glorious, brave resistors? A couple thousand folks have descended upon Wall Street to protest the corporate hijacking of our beloved union. I'm tired of the top 1% feeding off the rest of us and want to give a huge PREACH! to these protestors. If you're in New York and/or able to--JOIN. THEM.

A Beautiful Body over at Our Regularly Scheduled Program. A friend shared this blog with me via farcebook. This is the love part of my relationship with that social media site. Anyhoo, grab a tissue, 'cuz this beautiful piece will make you shed a tear.

Speaking of beautiful bodies, did you know that today is the last day of Weight Stigma Awareness Week? I didn't, but I did find out about a couple of great organizations doing fabulous work in helping us reach a collective sanity around our bodies and our health.

Just look at all that beauty up there! I hope you find some inspiration and thought-provoking joy in the above links. Feel free to share your favorites as well. Have a great weekend, and if you've been participating in the Occupy Wall Street protests, please tell us all about it!

The God Thing

2011-09-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

I want to start this little diddy (read novel) with, "As hard as it may be to believe, I am a religious person. Christian, to be specific." But in reality, it's not hard to believe. The image of the "Christian person" has been so thoroughly co-opted, I always feel the need to clarify. I'm a Jesus jumper but not one of those Jesus jumpers. Yanno, the intolerant, hateful, rights-denying, massive douchebags we constantly see on the TV acting as a mouthpiece for the faith. Those crazy assholes are a small minority of my faith, which is a richly diverse religion. But they receive the vast majority of airtime and politicians cater to them as if they hold genuine power. I call this the Murdoch Marketing Machine, where one man who owns far too much real estate in our information highways tries to convince us that the reality we live in is not actually happening. His version, full of vitriol, intolerance, poor-against-poor, and pseudo "issues" is supreme, and we should all behave accordingly.

Alarmingly, we do. The press reports about one tiny band of bat shit lunatics protesting a soldier's funeral and the next thing you know, it's all over the internet. One band of nutters suddenly becomes representative of right-wing Christians (even the right-wingers ain't that bad), and we take countless hours forwarding stories, commenting on social websites, and giving these morons more air time than genuine journalists ever would have dared. Yes, protesting soldiers' funerals is heinous. Wanna know what's more heinous? The fact that we're still at war. But no! Here! Focus on this! Christians Being Asshats. Now, all of you on the fence about faith, take notice! This is not a movement you want to be a part of.

This is where I get pissed. In my decade plus of do-gooder work, I have found that people of faith, regardless of the religion, are predominantly the ones on the front lines, battling the horrors of poverty. When the government falls short (that is supposed to be me, you and everybody else. Now it's more of a corporate thing, but don't worry. Just keep shopping!), it's the religious folk who step up to the plate with soup kitchens, shelters, affordable housing, on and on. Kind, loving, giving people dedicated to helping their fellow members of the human family--that's the religious folk I know. But the Murdoch Marketing Machine doesn't want you to know that. If you did, you might go find a church home and join that lovely community and get involved in fighting for marriage equality, affordable housing, the separation of church and state, the removal of personhood from corporate identity, or any of the million other social justice fights we have going on. Which, of course, would require that you stop shopping for five seconds. THE. HORROR.

No, instead some lunatic on Faux News rants about how social justice congregations are akin to communism and the only representations of Christianity seen are massive assholes. This is no mistake or mild oversight, children. This is a campaign to cull the masses out of churches, 'cuz we don't want another Mother Jones, Dorothy Day or Peter Maurin. We must ignore contemporaries like Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo. (I know, you're saying, "Who?" But we all know who Kim Kardashian is, right? EXACTLY. MY. POINT.)

So, after much blabbing, I'll start this diddy this way: I am a Christian person. A pretty typical one. Liberal and progressive in my theology, and although lazy in my practice, my faith is the foundation upon which I build my little consciously frugal life. Those unaware that "liberal" and "progressive" can coexist next to "Christian" usually stand in shock. I mean, how can I believe in the story of Adam and Eve and virgin births if I have a bachelors degree in the "hard sciences?" Well, let me explain. But first, let me show you my farcebook photo and why Sam calls me "Her Holiness." (My face, sacred heart of Jesus candle made by an artist friend. Hi-larry-us.)

Science, the glorious thing that it is, helps us to understand how shit works. It provides a system of discovery that tells us why. Religion, the glorious thing that it is, helps us to create context and meaning around common life experiences. Both are fallible. Both are manipulated and used to do the most horrendous, violent, awful things imaginable (e.g., Tuskegee experiments and honor killings). They are complimentary systems through which I approach the world. I choose not to toss them out over some of the crap attached to them, because I'm not fond of letting bad men define anything for me.

A field of wildflowers. A massive, red-earthed canyon. I know how, thanks to science, both of those things came into being. Yet both of those sights fill me with a sense of awe. When I read about black matter, that invisible stuff that permeates most of the universe, and realize that we still don't know what. the. hell. it. is., I am filled with a sense of wonder. The universe is such a complex thing. We will never know all its secrets. This thrills me. This place, this time, this experience of life is crazy fabulous, and I cannot contain my sense of wonder. I call that awe God.

For me, God is simply this: The sum is greater than the parts. God is not some asshole, sitting up on a cloud, reigning down terror every time he--oh, sorry, He--gets jock itch. God is not human. God is not some singular entity. God is not a vending machine in the sky. God is you, me, and all the fishies in the sea, and that black matter, and the millions of things we will never know and all of it, wrapped up, is greater than each of its parts.

I do not believe in virgin births. I do not believe that dead people get up and walk around. The literal translation of myth is not the point. Focusing on whether or not a virgin actually gave birth isn't the point of the story, DAMMIT. The point of the story is (well, one of many points, actually) in an age where lineage meant everything, a child was born of unknown origins and that child was holy. The story of the "miracle" birth speaks of the holiness of all children, everywhere. It speaks of our ability to be reborn, to recreate ourselves. It has a thousand layers of meaning and if you spend your time focusing on whether or not virgins can crap out kids, you're kind of missing the whole point.

These stories connect us. They give us a context in which we can frame our lives. Jesus tells us that through him, we can reach the father. Some in my faith take that literally (conveniently not taking literally the call to leave all worldly possessions and serve the poor, but I digress), thinking that one must adhere to the Christian faith or end up in a pit fire of hell. I think that's hogwash. The call to follow Jesus, to live through him, has always said to me that if we live our lives in service to love, we can find that kingdom of heaven that is within. It says what all religions say: Get Over Yourself and Help Each Other Out. Only through getting over our own idiocy and living a life of loving service to all that is and will be can we find some semblance of peace.

You might disagree. You might think a life of shopping will give you peace. You might think that not having sex before you sign a marriage certificate with someone who has the opposite kind of genitalia is the only way to find peace. So be it. Good luck with that. I just ask that you refrain from being an asshole about it, whatever your path may be.

I was raised by two quasi-hippies in a very liberal Christian environment. Had I been raised by fundamentalists who clung to rage for comfort, I would likely feel differently. But my mother tells me she doubts that would be so, as she recalls me getting pissed off with the television as a three year-old, because only the boys were playing with toy trucks in a commercial. Apparently, I came out of the shoot pissed off about sexism, classism, and all other kinds of isms. So, Christianity appeals to me. It is the story of an oppressed people who fought back and of a holy man who literally laid his life down in the name of love and equality.

When I talk about Jesus saving me, it's not from eternal damnation. I don't believe in some after life called hell. You want to see hell? Visit the Sudan. Look at the starving bodies in Ethiopia. Speak with prisoners who have been water boarded. Hear the stories of women who have been raped in the Congo. Hell is alive and well, right here, right now, on planet Earth. I was spared that life by the chance of birth. No, Jesus hasn't saved me from that. He has saved me from a life of apathy. From the delusion that my actions and my love do not matter.

The stories of my faith teach me that love can move any mountain. That love can conquer death itself. In the face of the pain and suffering of so many, I need those stories. I need that mustard seed of faith to keep moving. Is it logical? Absolutely not. What is logical is that people have been, and always will be, exploited. What is logical is that the actions of one human can make little impact in the world. But faith ain't logical, my friends, and in the end (for this brain, anyway), faith wins out.

The calling of Christianity (my theology, anyhoo) is simple: Bring love to all things. It is a calling I fail miserably at, but if there is anything in this life worth striving for, please dear sweet baby Jesus, let me strive to bring love to all things.

If you find yourself face to face with someone sharing rage under the banner of faith, know that their voice is not representative of the whole. Most importantly, if you find yourself in need of a community of faith and think that the television or your previous limited experience with some crazy asshat is all there is to Christianity (or Islam or Judaism or Buddhism, etc.), take a moment to step back and investigate further. There are organizations like Progressive Christians Uniting that can help you find an inclusive place of worship. There are countless places founded in faith that don't care about what you believe or don't believe and have no interest in converting you. They are simply there to help. (People of the Second Chance is now my new favorite movement.)

The haters and their Murdoch Marketing Machine do not speak for us all, and for those of you who have been wounded by them for simply being who you are: gay, female, atheist, poor, disabled, ______fill in the blank, please know that there are millions of helping hands of faith out there, willing to help heal old wounds without any concern at all as to what you may or may not believe (yes, even if the language we use is kind of weird). We simply want you to know that you are loved, you are part of this human family, and you have every right to exist exactly as you are. No matter where you live on this globe or what path you follow in all your glorious humanity, you--your brokenness, your strength, your beauty, your shame, all of it--are holy.

Sam Schools Me in Awesomeness

2011-09-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

(Update, Sam wrote about her trip to my beloved LBC. Pictures! She posts pictures of my fair and groovy city.)

This weekend I had the privilege of meeting Sam of Brown Girl in the Lane fame. Sam, as you probably know, is a bike advocate living in San Diego. She's pretty bad ass. I mean, she hauls groceries on a bike in a hilly land. Hello? I barely manage to get off the couch. But, I digress.

As we chattered away at a local wine bar, I proceeded to drink two bottles of wine while Sam drank just a couple of glasses like a human with restraint. I did refrain from asking the owner to take his shirt off, so I think overall I managed pretty well. I will now frequent that bar, if only to stare at his prettiness.

I think I had a point to this post outside of my horny teenager alcoholic idiocy. What was it? Oh yes, Sam's awesomeness!

As the world's laziest bastard, I have long marveled at how Sam manages to not only function without a car but to do the vast majority of life's to and fro on bike. I mean, yeah, I don't have a car, but I'm not peddling my oats and sugar from the grocer to home. I'm bumming a ride from a friend. There's "car-free" and then there's car-free, yanno?

She also notes the many ways in which she gets involved with the biking community on her blog. Yet she claims to be lazy. (Side note, some of the ways in which she claims to be lazy are hilarious. I lamented my excessive online shopping. She said, "Yeah, I'm too lazy for that. You've got to type in your address again, click on the mouse...uh, it's too much." ahahahahahahahah) I asked her, out of genuine wonder, how she could be so involved in community events as a lazy person? Because I can't manage it. I do some work with my Time Bank, but outside of that, I just can't be assed. Being an involved community member and citizen is work. How can you manage laziness in the face of commitment?

She kindly schooled me in the fine art of baby steps. She said she started out doing one thing. This month, one thing. Write one letter. Make one phone call. Go to one meeting. Then, it was every week, one thing. Then she shared a tale or two of how her "one thing" actually got something done--actually changed things in her community. It gave me a sense of hope that even a drunken fool like me could make an impact.

It's so easy to get discouraged in the face of all that needs fixing in our colorful little world. Growing income inequality, car addiction, corrupt government, human trafficking...oy vey. I made a commitment recently to become a better citizen, dedicating five hours a month to flexing my citizen muscles, since they've atrophied as my identity was morphed into Consumer. I just wasn't so sure how to make that happen. Five hours at what? Doing what? How? Where? Huh? Mommy?

The two issues I most want to attack are campaign finance and homelessness. As Sam suggested, I'm going to start with one thing. (First step, research what's going on in my area.) Then, do one more thing. I don't have to commit to saving the world. I just need to commit to the next step. Granted, I doubt I'll be as awesome as Sam (also? Crazy beautiful. Tall and gorgeous. Not that I'm envious or anything...), but I can definitely move one step closer to being a more engaged citizen.

Now, let's find a way for us all to meet and hang out. I will do my best not to get so drunk this time, but I can't make any promises about harassing the cute dude at the wine bar.

Book Review: Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture

2011-09-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

While reading reviews of Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell on Amazon, I was struck by how many folks in the Thai shrimp business piped in to complain. One such chap used so many passive-aggressive digs (e.g., if you like the book, you aren't a critical thinker and are likely uneducated. Um, say what?) and logical fallacies (specifically, an appeal to authority. This man's opinion means more because he is a marine biologist who is paid, by the shrimp industry, for his opinions. Just so you know, if you don't have a degree and a particular industry doesn't pay you for your opinion, your brain is broken) that I almost want to rave about the book in retaliation. Alas, I can't.

The premise of the book is excellent. Unfortunately, the execution falls short.

Cheap begins by explaining the zany cognitive processes that make us hard-wired to care about price, which is fascinating. Then it moves to explain how industries can exploit that hard-wiring and ultimately how our obsession with cheap is screwing us on a global level. Well, kind of. She makes inferences but doesn't actually go into any analysis that ties all the dots together. Finally, she gives a rallying call for us to flex our consumer muscles, with a brief nod to civic engagement, to change the current system. However, after spending most of the book detailing the way in which our obsession with cheap has left us with few options, she doesn't give any detail on exactly what that call to action would look like. Demand quality! Ok, how? From whom? In regard to what? Well, ok, she tries when discussing a CSA, but her "this is what it could look like" just doesn't work.

Short version, if you're busy: The book tries, but misses. A much better read that addresses this issue is The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard.

Shell does two things that drive me batty in this book: make blanket statements without any explanation; and frequently notes that growth is absolutely necessary in any economy. Um, no it's not. And she doesn't bother to qualify what growth is or what it looks like. After all, if you get cancer, you've just helped the economy to grow as you run around getting treatment. Get divorced? Bam! Two households, growing the economy. Lots of economists have been balking at the notion of economies based on growth for growth's sake. Why no discussion of that? Ignoring the issue of growth as a whole while insisting that it is necessary is just...well, lazy.

Shell also makes a handful of comments I know to be factually incorrect. As a professor of journalism who specializes in science journalism, I was a bit shocked to see her parroting a tune, complete with reference (!?!), that was patently false. It made me wonder how much of the book was filled with shoddy reporting that was more hearsay than fact.

I did find myself shouting Amen! a couple of times and thought I might be able to give the book a better review, until I realized that my praise was for quotes provided by others. For instance:

Siva Yam, president of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce, summed matters up with some reluctance. "As long as consumers are looking for the lowest possible costs," he said, "[regulations are] not going to have a long-term impact."

Shell notes several times that regulations are often ignored abroad, and highlights Ikea specifically as one company that makes claims of sustainable sourcing while knowing full well that regulations are ignored. So, Ikea keeps contracting low-wage workers in Asia to make their shitty, shitty furniture, because we keep buying their disposable crap simply because it's cheap and we've been convinced that a pretty design somehow equals quality.

Another series of gems that had me shouting come from Robert Bruno, a labor scholar and political economist at the University of Illinois:

"The labor Department classifies 45 percent of Americans as 'working class,' but Americans all consider themselves part of the middle class. It's hard in America to be working class. There has been such a concerted effort to 'disappear' that concept, to bury the very idea of working class. If you compare our culture now with the 1930's and 1940's, there's been an 'erasure' of the working class. Labor issues just aren't talked about, not by most people...We identify as consumers, as citizens, as members of a religious group or ethnic denomination. We get worked up about cultural issues--not work issues. We don't identify around class and that leads many of us to lobby against our own best interests.

"Corporate giants have become our heroes...We are so focused on the dream of wealth that we identify with billionaires, with whom we have nothing in common. Where fifty years ago we had a labor identity that pit workers against management, today we have a system that pits worker against worker. And that includes workers in the United States against workers in the developing world.

"Because of the low-cost imperative, you have a vicious cycle, squeezing workers up and down the value chain...This impoverishes them and makes it impossible for them to achieve social mobility. What's happening is that we are creating low-income workers who become low-wage consumers who seek low-priced goods. Stores are built strategically to cater to these low-wage earners, filled with products that are there for the single reason that they are affordable. This is a diabolical strategy, an evil strategy. What it comes down to is one group of workers eating another while the big boys in corporate sit back and watch the carnage. This thing could take us down."

So, basically, I'd like to read a book written by Robert Bruno, because he actually bothers to do a bit of explaining in how all of this works and how the dots are connected. Shell? Not so much.

But seriously? Ikea sucks. And it's not even that cheap! My mother had an armoir made by hand that was not much more expensive than the crap Ikea pukes out. But, I digress.

Shell's wishy washy call to action is what I found most annoying. She states, "The next consumer revolution will be bloodless, requiring neither bullets or even bullhorns." Um, what consumer revolution have we had that was bloody? She goes on:

"We have the power to enact change and to chart a pragmatic course. That power resides not only in the voting booth but in our wallets. Bargain hunting is a national pastime that I, for one, will not relinquish. But knowing that our purchases have consequences, we can begin to enact change. We can set our own standard for quality and stick to it."

This, after she spends a great deal of time talking about how we no longer know what quality actual is, given that most of us have been raised in a disposable culture. Shell continues:

"We can demand to know the true cost of what we buy, and refuse to allow them to be externalized. We can enforce sustainability, minimize disposability, and insist on transparency. We can rekindle our acquaintance with craftsmanship. We can chose to buy or not, chose to bargain or not, and choose to follow our hearts or not, unencumbered by the anxiety that someone somewhere is getting a "better deal."

Yet she doesn't bother to tell us how we can know the true cost of what we buy or how we can manage to afford spending more, given that we're all making crap wages now due to The Cheap. Given that knowing the source of most products today is damned near impossible (just try to figure out where all the components of your computer come from!) let alone how those costs are externalized, I'm not sure how she wants us to do this. Legislation? Is there a group currently working on this issue we can join? How do we "enforce sustainability" and "insist on transparency?"

I found the last sentence quoted above to be rather alarming, given that a better deal hardly compares to workers dying in unsafe conditions. So, it's someone else getting a better deal that is the source of our anxiety (she does note this cognitive lunacy in the beginning of the book)? If that is more of a concern to us that worker and environmental hazards, I think it's safe to say that we might as well just start spreading viruses out like candy, because we are a lost cause.

Granted, readers can run out and investigate these issues themselves, looking for the answers that Shell can't be assed to provide. But it begs the question: why do all that research on the problem without an real investigation into solutions? With the obsession of cheap having roots in our psychological makeup, global systems of inequality, blatant greed by corporate executives, etc., etc., concrete solutions seem, on the surface, to be a pipe dream, which isn't going to be very helpful to the average Jane who is trying to figure out how to be a better consumer.

In short, Shell could have done a better job connecting the dots (although Bruno does a decent job for her) in how our obsession with cheap is harming our global human family and providing potential solutions, instead of a fuzzy call to arms that provides no real concrete actions or solutions. It's definitely interesting and if you're obsessed with these topics like I am, you will likely enjoy the read. If you want a solutions and systems-oriented look, your time is better spent reading Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff.

Since this blog is all about being a better consumer (I'm working on the citizen part), I'll revisit this issue with a few concrete ideas in how we can focus on quality and durability in the age of cheap.

Friday Reads: An Open Letter to Jamie Oliver

2011-09-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

My buddy Elizabeth Tamny is crazy smart. She has an excellent way of blending her smarty pants ways into a sammich of compassion and wit. I am lucky to know her. What's even better is that I can share her fabulousness with you!

Check out her latest entry in her blog The Extender, where she gives us an open letter to Jamie Oliver in "Jamie Oliver: You're the Human Rights Issue."

Her letter sums up perfectly why I just can't support Oliver, despite the fact that we are on the same page with our love of real food. (I have a hard time with crappy logic and bigotry, yo.) Tamny's piece is an excellent read.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Self-Sufficient Folks & the 80s

2011-09-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, the 80s have nothing to do with the self-sufficiency thing, but more on that later.

First, I want to reintroduce you to folks I know who are doing some pretty awesome self-sufficient livin' sort of things. Some of them live in or near densely populated areas. This impresses me, as I cannot fathom how one can do such things surrounded by tons of people and concrete. (Side note, I've seen all kinds of things on "urban homesteading" but all of those folks have access to yards or balconies. What about people like me who live in less than 500 square feet with absolutely NO outdoor space and very, very limited lighting? Also, no community garden. Dammitalltohell.)

My girl Monday's Child (aka Fryday/Friday) has this killer hydroponic system set up here in California. Her fish poop feeds her plants which feed her which feeds the fish and let's start singing about the circle of life. You can read more about it at Friday's Aquaponics (she told me she was going to post an update soon!).

Then we have Maureen and Steve, who grow most of their own food via their yard and a neighbor's yard. Check out their tales in Fotos by Meg, Suburban Sharecroppers and The Six B's of Exeter.

I know that 6512 and Growing, Gypsy Forest, Down to Earth, Growing Things and Making Things, and Barefeet in the Kitchen all engage in acts o' self-sufficiency through growing food, making everything from scratch or generally being fabulously skilled and crafty. But I'd like to find some more folks who are living lives o' self-sufficiency (by modern standards, but if you find someone who grows their own flax and weaves it, lemme know) or striving toward that. I have a particular interest in folks who do so in urban environments, though I would love to engage in some Life Envy over the rural kids.

So, do y'all know of any blogs where such things are highlighted? I have a preference for blogs that aren't littered with advertising or people who aren't acting like massive douchebags, trying to trademark terms like "homesteading." Any suggestions? If so, please let me know in the comments section!

Finally, you might recall that I decided to engage in a series of 30-day challenges steeped in silliness. One hilarious suggestion came via email from Sherry: run outside yelling Farley! Farley! Farley! (or something equally absurd) like they did in the film Three Amigos. Ahahahahaha. GOD I LOVE YOU PEOPLE. Anyhoo, my first challenge was to spend 15 minutes a day dancing to horrible 80s music in the hyper dorky fashion of the 80s. I won't bore you with endless updates on my stupid crap (you suffer enough reading this thing as is), but I thought you might like to see what this looks like. Yes, this is me. Yes, I was in an altered state. Fat dorks, unite!

One Year Without a Car

2011-09-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of the murder of my beloved car, Pearl. I killed her on the 101 freeway 365 days ago. RIP, Pearl.

What I have learned so far on this car-free in Los Angeles journey:

1. I have a nearly crippling and pretty destructive dependence on convenience. I knew it was bad, but I had no idea just how bad until I started living without a car. Breaking this dependence will probably serve as one of the most empowering, life-altering things I will ever do. Unfortunately, at this point, I'm still pretty damned hooked.

2. Public transportation in LA County is dirty, fairly inefficient, often scary and doesn't even remotely measure up to other major cities. However, it is still 1,000% better than driving.

3. I really, really, really need to increase my fitness. My laziness and attachment to comfort and convenience have inhibited this greatly. This is a big ol' glaring problem for me (but it wasn't always so! I blame LA, because it's easier than taking full responsibility). I would like a personal trainer to move in next door who will work with me for free. Any takers?

4. Most of the world is filled with kind, considerate, lovely people. Having said that, there are many folks who were raised by Jerry Springer and Vending Machines who have no concept of socially appropriate behavior or self-respect. There are a handful of folks out there with seriously annoying attention-seeking behavior. They will be on the train and bus with you. They will play their music loudly. They will act out. They will bug the living shit out of you. And they will always do so before 8 a.m. (Short version: There are more nice people than assholes, but damn, the assholes are heinous.)

5. Public transportation takes longer than driving in most instances. This would appear to be a problem, but in fact, it is not. Rushing and being perpetually busy are not praise-worthy, they are unhealthy ways to in which to live. Not having a car has made me slow down and relax. As hard as this may be for those of you who read this drivel to believe--I am less of an asshole than I was one year ago.

6. Reading while commuting is infinitely more enjoyable than raging at other drivers. I have read 42 books so far this year, which is about 40 more than average, all thanks to my daily commute by train. (I keep track because I am a massive goober.)

7. Reaching beyond my comfort zone is a hugely beneficial act.

That's the first year. Some things I'd like to see over Year Two of Car-Free Living:

1. Explore more via public transit. There are places in this smog-infested mess that I have yet to visit. That is crazy.

2. Increase my fitness. I want to go on walks with Beany when she comes to visit without huffing and puffing and needing to sit down every 3.2 feet.

3. Get to the farmers market via bus on Sundays or foot on Saturdays. Seriously, why the hell am I not doing this? Oh, yeah. Lazy and scared to do something new and physically challenging. Savior? Anyone? Surely life is like Disney and someone will come along and save me, right? Fix it and make it all better? You'd better not start in with your, "Well, Aldra, being an adult actually means you take full responsibility for your life..." because I will have to kung fu you in the face.

4. Socialize with friends more. Right now, if it's not fairly convenient to get to via train and bus, I don't go. This makes me a crappy friend.

5. Get back on my bike. It's been in the basement of my building for 9 years. Yes, you read that correctly. I am currently not able to ride it. I would like that to change (see #2 above. And no, it's not a matter of just "getting on the bike" at this point).

6. Continue to use the lack o' car as a catalyst to see what other areas of my life I can radically change for the better. 'Cuz this has been one of the best years of my life, due in no small part to killing the hunk of steel that I loved.

So, I'm curious. Have you made any changes you'd consider radical that were difficult, but ultimately uber rewarding? If so, what? Any changes you'd like to make but haven't yet?

And, as always, thanks so much for reading this drivel, sharing your fabulous ideas, and helping me expand my thinking on this journey o' consciously frugal living. Y'all are THE. BEST.

Rambling & a Book Review: The Story of Stuff

2011-08-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

You've probably seen the mini documentary, The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard. It's quick, interesting and very well done. I, and every other environmentally-minded blogger out there, have highlighted the film before. But I have to admit, I didn't think it was all that earth shattering. I mean, none of this is actually news, right?

Enter the book, The Story of Stuff. Oddly enough, the book was written after the film was made, because folks wanted more info. I'm happy to report that the book definitely gives far more detail and, in my humble (but ever so correct) opinion, it's much better than the film. It's at the top of my list for all things frugal, environmental, low-impact and all other form of hippie joy.

Leonard is interested in systems. We don't really get much of that in the environmental movement. Some folks work on issues related to toxins, others on deforestation, on and on. But very few step back and look at our extraction, production, consumption and disposal systems as a whole. Leonard tackles this beautifully. It's a great book--accessible, easy to read, chocked full of interesting information and useful resources. Most importantly, it provides a myriad of solutions.

There are two points in the book that Annie (I just prefer saying Annie. I don't actually know the gal, so pardon this first-name basis blathering here) makes that really knocked me off my feet and made me re-evaluate how I approach all this consciously frugal crap. One (I'm paraphrasing here), consumer choice is not authentic power. Two, the only way we're going to create systemic change is to function as citizens, not consumers. Hello, wake up call. I am kind of embarrassed that I had been sleeping for so long. Why didn't I realize this before? I mean, DUH, right?

Consumer choice is not authentic power. This one was hard for me to let sink in, given that I have this belief that if we'd all just stop buying toxic crap sourced from slave labor and destructive extraction practices, those industries would die of atrophy. We can simply stop buying and poof! Those bastards would just go away!

I realize problems inherent in this belief: Plenty of people simply don't give a crap about how anything is sourced or how the earth or folks they don't know are treated. It is extremely difficult to trace the source of many common products. Combine the two and well, good luck with that. (Still, consumer pressure counts.)

In response to a passive-aggressive, dismissive letter written by a fellow new mom in response to Annie's outrage (noted in a local paper) over the fact that newborn parents were given toxic PVC diaper bags upon leaving the hospital, Annie had this to say:

Do you really believe that the production and distribution of a diaper bag made from a dangerous and unnecessary plastic--which will obviously be around small children, is consumer driven?

Um, good point.

She goes on to quote Benjamin Barber's book, Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole (I'm currently reading it. Some really great lines but damn--seriously dry, voiceless, academic writing):

"Being a powerful, free individual actually means being able to demand an economic system that respects, rather than exploits workers and the environment, not being able to choose between an infinite number of coffee flavors and styles."

Annie elaborates:

The powerful are those who get to set the agenda, not those who choose the alternatives it offers.

(I'm gonna ramble some now. You have been warned.) I understand those who balk at the concept of a "nanny state," where government jumps in and plays protector. There are times when it is absurd, such as the banning of raw milk and pushing small producers out of business because they can't compete with large industries (e.g., slaughtering operations that don't have a gazillion dollars for the many ridiculous requirements that must be met to operate a slaughterhouse). But here's the rub: Corporations are considered people in this country, but they have protections that actual human beings do not have. If I come to your house and pour poison in your glass of water, I will go to jail and possibly face attempted murder charges. Chemical companies routinely poison our air and water, harming the lives of thousands to millions of people and completely destroying ecosystems. Their punishment? A fine. Maybe.

Collectively, we have placed the corporation on a pedestal. It has become untouchable. People tolerate and do unspeakable things in the name of corporate profit, because they are afraid of losing their jobs, costing other people their jobs or harming the fabric of America as a whole. After all, what did the leader of our nation tell us to do after the attacks of 9/11? Go shopping. Feed the beast that feeds us all, right?

What Annie doesn't mention is that once upon a time, this wasn't so. Back in the day, we would yank a company's charter if they behaved in an immoral or harmful manner. Oddly enough, we were better at treating companies like people before they gained the legal status of personhood. And to be honest, I'm fine with corporations maintaining the status of people. Fine. Let's just make sure we treat them like people, ok? They have to follow laws, primarily those that do not allow us to harm one another. If they poison us, their executives go to jail. And while we're at it, let's make the shareholders responsible too. Would you be a little more proactive in how a company sources its materials and treats its employees if you would be liable for any lawsuits or faced jail time as a shareholder?

Of course there are those who would say that such strict adherence to the law would be impractical and expensive. I say, so what? We are great at spending massive amounts of money on impractical and expensive ventures. Iraq, anyone?

Annie's second point also functioned as a smack upside my head. In the book she mentions that she is most dismayed when people ask her, "So what should we buy?" It seems like a logical question, right? But what it demonstrates is that we view our place in society as consumers, not as citizens. It's not about buying or not buying the right things, although that stuff does have some relevance, of course. It's about being actively engaged in our communities and in the decisions that affect us as a union. As mentioned previously, it's about setting the agenda and not simply choosing from what is offered.

Annie states:

...the places where we enact our real freedoms to define what's on the menu and set the agenda--those places are our town halls and community meetings, the offices of elected officials, the op-ed pages of newspapers, and sometimes simply the streets--not in the aisles of shopping markets or the counters of coffee shops...No doubt about it: humanity needs to undertake the much bigger and harder task of changing the way the system works. That way everyone, even those individuals too busy or too tired or too clueless to care, can still end up making low-impact choices--because that's the new default option.

At one point in the book, she talks about how recycling can lull us into a false sense of complacency:

Clearly, sorting used bottles and papers into a blue bin is not going to fundamentally change, or even challenge, the massive negative impacts of the way we extract, make, distribute, use and share or don't share all the Stuff in our lives. In fact, because it makes us feel good, because it makes us feel like we're doing something useful, the worry is that recycling may actually bolster those very patterns of production and consumption that are trashing the planet and distract us from working for deeper change.

I see this with folks in regard to political activism as well. We sign an online petition (pretty worthless overall, to be honest) and think we have done our "duty" in civic engagement. Neither recycling or "e-activism" are bad; they simply aren't going to enact any real, systemic change (still dudes: recycle and click that link. Small efforts matter in small ways and the small does count too!). I mean, imagine if no one took to the streets during the civil rights movement? What if the suffragists didn't bother to visit legislators?

I am horribly guilty of the lazy activist game. I frequently think only in terms of my contribution as a consumer, not only because I have been trained to do so, but because I am lazy as hell. I live across the street from where city council meetings are held and I have not attended one meeting in the 9 years I have lived there. Why bother with all that effort? Why deal with all those personalities when I can just click on a petition link and buy direct from farmers? Oy.

Thankfully, Annie's solutions aren't horrendous. She doesn't request that we give up Stuff or wear a hair shirt. She just asks us to get involved in whatever way we can (yes, that includes continuing your recycling and conscious consumption efforts). She suggests we visit Wiser Earth (or similar site) to see what folks are doing in our area. Annie provides tons of resources and suggestions on how to strengthen our citizen muscles.

Basically, we have to get off our duffs if we want to see real, lasting, sweeping change. Thankfully, it doesn't have to consume our entire lives. I don't know about you, but I frequently feel overwhelmed and find any request of my time to be a horrid imposition (even hanging out with my friends. What an asshole!). But then I must force myself to remember that being an adult requires that I embrace responsibility. Being a good human being demands that I care about more than myself. Being a Christian means...well, we'll save that for another post.

Short version: The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard is a great book. Read it and let me know what you think. It has inspired me to pay more attention to participating in my time bank. I'm going to hunt around and see what folks are doing in my area and commit five hours a month to helping out. Granted, five hours a month won't turn me into the Hulk, but it will make me a healthier, more engaged citizen, and I need no convincing that my country needs a helluva lot more of those.

Smile or Die

2011-08-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Heathre sent me this really fabulous video, featuring RSA Animate and Barbara Ehrenreich. In this clip, Ehrenreich is talking about my favorite thing to loathe: the cult of positivity. (If you're truly bored, I wrote a piece for the Hawaii Women's Journal about this topic as it relates to religion, The Great Big Vending Machine in the Sky.) This is based on Enrenreich's book, Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America . (Haven't read it yet, but it's on my list. Anybody out there read it yet?)

I am a big fan of Enrenreich's and loved her book, Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. This is yet another example of her championing for the poor and noting the bat shit crazy ways in which we are lead to believe that the victims of capitalism's injustices are responsible for their subjugation.

A Professional's Take on "Green" Cleaning, Complete with Tips!

2011-08-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

I recently received a fabulous email with some great tips from a lovely woman named Christine, who just happens to be a professional house cleaner. Well, she was. Chica is retired now! Oh, blessed retirement. How I dream of you. I asked if I could share bits of her wisdom with you and she agreed. I recently hired a person to help me clean around the house (Ana, I would work a second job just to afford you) and Christine kindly offered some words o' wisdom in response to that post. Anyhoo, take a gander at these stellar tips and insights:

...recently and mentioned rosewater/vinegar for cleaning. I thought you might like to hear other ways to use it and make your home smell, as my husband puts it, like a Lebanese brothel (a good thing).

I keep a spray bottle of it in the bathroom, and if I'm on the ball, spray down the shower every day or so. We have hard water, so the vinegar keeps the spots from calcifying the taps 'til they seize, and rosewater dissolves oils, so it keeps the soap scum down. This does not replace cleaning with baking soda, or whatever your cleaning goddess chooses to use, but it will make her life easier. It's also good for a spray/wipe of the sink and counter and toilet seat. If you do this every few days, or even just before she comes, it's helpful. Same in the kitchen.

Thing is, I hate cleaning. I started using rosewater this way so I could basically fake it, the place smells nice, the "ick" factor is at least lowered, I can go out and play in my garden. And something about the rosewater adds a certain glow, so the place feels nicer, too. And it's cheap. We live near Ottawa, (Canada), and there's a Lebanese or Italian or Iranian store on every other street corner where I can buy the stuff for less than $5, and it lasts a while. Don't know about fair trade issues though. (Aldra/ConsciouslyFrugal comment: Anybody know how to make rose water?)

Other nifty uses: Get a small jam jar or baby food jar, or even a good ziploc baggie. Cut squares of old pillowcase, about 3"x3". Fold each one small, put in the jar, pour in rosewater to cover, and a tablespoon of vodka. Shake. Instant moist towelette! We keep a jar in the car, I used to carry one in my pack to use after cleaning a house. (You can look/feel pretty awful after cleaning a 3 story house.) Soooo refreshing.

Cut squares of cheesecloth big enough that they can cover the bristles of your hairbrush. Put them in a jar with rosewater as above, leave out the vodka. This is great as part of a no shampoo regime, you just force the cheesecloth over the bristles and brush your hair, the rosewater cleans it, leaves it shiny and smelling fab. I have not tried this on color treated hair.

Now, for tea. Save your teabags (just regular black tea). Before you sweep or vacuum, dampen them and sprinkle the tea over the area to be cleaned. Let dry (won't take long). Sweep or vac as usual. This is especially good if you have pets. Dust & dander etc stick like magic to the tea, it's amazing how well it works.

In a spray bottle combine 1 part tea diluted in 20 parts water (you can throw in rosewater here if you want.) Spray on smelly carpets or furniture or shoes. Just like Febreeze only SAFE. Don't use it on white linens, of course. It's even better if the offending article can be dried in the sun, too, but you do what you can.

And don't get me started on the over-use of essential oils in so- called "green" products, holy crow.

You are a very wise woman to have Ana come weekly. (Aldra comment: Thank you for the validation. I'm not lazy, see? I'm wise. A PROFESSIONAL SAID SO.) Between the two of you your home will attain Never Really Dirty status, and that is the Gold Standard, rarely achieved. In no time at all it will be possible to transition away from the big gun chemical stuff. If you are away 12 hours a day (been there, 'til I quit) you NEED her. Mind you, the more I am home, the bigger the mess I can make...

Apart from the basics of keeping everyone healthy and not sticking to the kitchen floor, I believe that cleaning (and this includes hiring help) put folks back in touch with their homes. Within that lies a relationship to our bodies...this is tricky to put into words... a house with an "out of sight out of mind" policy ends up with problems. For example, a basement that is largely ignored will often develop a damp area or a mouse issue that goes unnoticed til the problem becomes critical. As often as not, the homeowners have the same policy with their physical and mental health, so that I've seen, over and over, a home with moldy junk under the stairs, and the homeowner dependent on laxatives, or a bedroom doubling as a home office and prescriptions for his and hers anxiety meds on the nightstands. If only doctors still made housecalls, how much more they could learn about the real reasons behind their patients' illnesses and neuroses.

That being said, there is such a thing as a "glorious mess." When I look around at my kitchen right now, I see that the whole place has a fine film of flour - because I bake my own bread. The floor is gritty - because my husband and I garden 'til dusk. The bedroom looks like a tornado struck - because I haven't done laundry because its been raining and I don't have a dryer...

My point is that when you see the mess in your house as an indication that you have a LIFE that you LOVE, then tidying up becomes a part of that same life. Not necessarily fun all the time, but not something to be dreaded to the point of complete avoidance, either.

I am totally getting me some rosewater! And I love what she had to say about the state of the home and the state of the person. I am horrible at self-care. Horrible, horrible, horrible at it. After reading her email, it wasn't too hard to make the connection between my filthy, crap-filled house and my total lack o' self-care. I could easily connect the dots with friends, as well. Those I know who are crazy about a beautiful, comfortable and clean home? Really good at caring for the self. Others who champion causes of others but super neglectful of self (non-profit workers and volunteer champions? I'm looking at you)? Houses just like mine.

The beauty of this gift of hiring help? I'm so much happier. I've been tidying up after myself more because I love the state of a clean house. And I find myself wanting to take better care of myself as well. Insane.

I would just like to note that this realization and slow transformation is the result of my relative affluence. If my 12-hour days was spent working for minimum wage as a dishwasher (as it once was), I would not have the luxury of having someone clean. The only way in which I can see this type of situation working out for folks without excess funds would be to work with friends to do group cleaning days (faster, easier and more tolerable as a collective activity), get help through a timebank or other bartering system, move back in with your mother and pray to god she'll clean, or live in a cohabitation situation where chores are shared among lots of folks.

I would just like to say, yet again, that I am so grateful for the lessons taught in Your Money or Your Life and for the wreck that killed my car, because I now have money to throw at a life-long problem, which has dramatically improved my daily existence. May all house cleaners everywhere be blessed with glittering joy, fat paychecks and endless happiness, because they save the sanity of millions. (And thanks for the great tips and insight, Christine!)

Favorite Posts

2011-08-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Emily over at Little House on the Southern Prairie kindly tagged me in the Seven Links chain going ’round blogs. It’s a blogger goodwill-and-post-sharing exercise, where we were asked to select some of our older favorite posts for newer readers to see. Here are mine in the seven categories.

Most popular post: Unfortunately, Broke and Depressed is the most commonly searched item that results in folks finding my blog. Thankfully, that post has a potential solution--cognitive therapy! Life saver, I swear. And this critique of a popular article, Earn or Save? The False Dichotomy gets quite a few hits.

Most controversial post: That doesn't often happen, since I preach to the choir. Also? I'm mean, so arguing with me can be dangerous. The one most ripe for controversy was the recent Self Acceptance and the Locavore Movement. Penny from The Saved Quarter has a comment on there worth reading 100 times. It demonstrates just how fucked up we are when it comes to concepts of weight and health. (Also? Penny is a rock star!)

Most helpful post: Helpful Tools, which provides links to tons o' helpful things, many of which I used to help get me out of debt. Treasure Box and other low-priced grocery options to help out when you're in a fix. Financial Integrity and Your Money or Your Life, because the only way out is through. And finally, IDA matching savings programs, because free money is awesome, particularly when you're considered a "low-income" family.

A post whose success surprised you: The Many Wonders of Coffee, a little diddy about how you can drink, scrub and feed your garden with one product.

A post that deserves more attention: Aspirationals, because we really need to stop this shit. Can we all just agree to stop buying crap, thinking that consumer behavior creates the person? I wouldn't mind if we stopped emulating skank culture either. People in debt have lots of bling. Financially secure people don't. Remember, children, Confucius says, "The wise man need not say he is wise." Or show it with an ugly handbag.

The post that you are most proud of: Poor People, because being a "poor person" is part of my identity and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that identity. Also? Joanna B. Pinneo commented on it and I have a copy of National Geographic's "best of" photographs and she's featured in it! I wanted to squeal and get my copy for her to sign but then I remembered that this is the internets and I can't reach through the screen.

Your most beautiful post: This is an absurd one. I don't write "beautiful" stuff. I write practical things. If you want beautiful, go to 6512 and Growing.

Now I'm supposed to tag five bloggers I'd like to see make similar posts (or just hope that you check them out, 'cuz they're rad). I try to mention folks frequently, because there is just so much goodness out in blogger land. Unfortunately, there aren't enough hours in the day to spread the love like I'd really like to, and I don't always keep up on my favorite reads like I want to. Insert dramatic sigh. Anyhoo, some folks:

Matt over at Green Eats Blog. I've known Matt via the cyber world for quite awhile now and absolutely adore him. One day, I will force him to meet in the flesh. He's all about food, sustainable farms, local economies and generally being fabulous. Also, he's getting married this fall to his handsome partner Leland. His registry? A locally-owned kitchen shop. See? Dude is rad.

Stephinie of Gypsy Forest fame. For some reason, her blog will not load for me these days. Will someone please go over there and tell me what's going on? Anyhoo, I want to be Stephinie when I grow up. She's creative, funny and can take a fabulous photo. Plus, her husband wears a uniform. Hollah!

Ok, this isn't a blog (sorry, Emily. I can never follow directions). Well, it once was on the now defunct Gourmet mag's website. Extreme Frugality is the tale of W. Hodding Carter and his family's transition from crazy spendthrifts to frugal folks. It's a pretty entertaining read. Start from the beginning!

Once, I drooled over a little purse-type thing that An Iowa Expat Wanders the South made and yanno what? She sent them to me! She was gonna do it as a freebie but I forced her to take some money. Anyway, she's a mama, is crafty as can be and has lovely photos of family and friends.

Ok, I obviously have a thing for moms and their blogs and cute kids (smacksy anyone?). As a childless, mean old lady, I don't know why this is, but I sure do appreciate y'all! Please feel free to call a therapist for me.

And finally, yet another mommy blogger crafty type. DAMMIT WHY CAN'T I BE LIKE THESE WOMEN? Check out Inder Loves Folk Art. She is so adorable and her wee one is so adorable and GOOD LORD IT'S ALL SO ADORABLE.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to cleaning out a bug infestation. Freakin' pantry weevils have taken over my kitchen. It's ugly people, ugly. They made me suffer a cardinal sin: I threw out food. Pounds and pounds of it. Bastards.

Decidedly Un-Frugal (a little more on self-acceptance, sans fat banter)

2011-08-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is a rambling mess. Please blame a lack of lunch and a massive 2nd degree sunburn that is making me wish for hospitalization. If you have stuff to do, I would suggest doing it instead of reading this drivel.

I've made a couple of decisions recently that have me battling with my inner consciously frugal diva. I...I...I got a cleaning lady. She requires paper towels and toxic cleaners. And I bought them for her. Now I feel kinda dirty. Then my niece came to visit. Please remind me never to breed or adopt. I suck at frugal Auntiehood and would likely be one of those annoying asshole parents who know no limits, raising entitled turds who make life miserable for the rest of humanity.

I should preface this by saying that in the course of one year, I got married and my husband found a job in his newly adopted country (he's one of those filthy foreigners who steal American jobs, but I still think he's pretty cute), which resulted in shared expenses, such as housing, to be cut in half. I now pay a whopping $347.50 to live near the ocean in a very walkable, cycling-friendly city in Southern California. This is unheard of. Shortly thereafter, I murdered my car and paid off my credit card debt. Some days, it feels as if money is falling out of the sky where it once was an elusive treat held only by strangers. (Don't get too excited here, I still function as a writer in the non-profit world, which means I ain't "a baller" as the kids say.)

As a result of this new found windfall, I have been maintaining my frugal ways and building up savings, making only the rare expensive purchase (Sleep Number bed = Best. Decision. Ever.). My savings increased and I developed a plan to pay off $40K in student loan debts in 2-3 years. I felt like a rock star. Finally! All this consciously frugal, hippie dippy shit was working! Stability! A sense of security! Soon-to-be-complete-freedom from the wretched dread of debt! Praise the Lawd! Can I get a witness?!

But some things just didn't change. I am still a slob. A gross savage who seems incapable of behaving like an adult who Picks Up After Herself and Does Chores Routinely. This horror hasn't changed despite many attempts at reinvention. I was raised by two neat freaks, one of whom cleans with Q-tips and toothpicks. I should have this down, right? Oh Lawd. Not even close. If I could stop living with myself, I would. I hate having me as a roommate.

So, I admitted defeat and found a fabulous miracle worker who cleans my house. Oddly enough, she reminds me of my mother in her crazy anal-retentive cleaning ways. She cleans things I didn't even know needed cleaning. I want to build her an altar and perform rituals in her honor.

Unfortunately, she asked me for paper towels and toxic cleaners, "At least for the first few times." Yes, it was that gross. Things are white that were once beige! I don't like bleach, and I don't really care about white things being white, but it is kinda purdy! So, we made a deal: Toxic cleaners initially, au-natural stuff after the 9 years of grime has been beaten down. I'm going to have to tolerate the paper towel thing, however, and just buy the recycled kind.

I'm not happy about this, but I also know how hard cleaning jobs are. After high school, I had intended to take a year off before going to college. I got a job as a hotel maid and signed up for classes within a month of landing that stellar gig. It was horrible work--the hotel expected us to clean toilets with our bare hands, using a sponge, and we were to move furniture to vacuum under everything and take no more than 12 minutes per room. It was insane, but that wasn't the worst part. The way in which guests at the hotel treated the maid staff was unbelievable. This was in the Midwest, where politeness is expected from every sector of society. Perhaps these folks were all from the North and East, where rudeness is more normalized, but I found myself in absolute shock on a daily basis. Never in my life had I seen workers treated with such loathing and blatant disgust.

To this day, I make sure to tip hotel maids well and don't ask them to clean the room until I leave. As a side note, here are some other tips to help maids out:

1. Support hotels that use union labor.
2. Always leave a tip for the maids.
3. Don't make your bed (some kind folks try to do this, but it actually just creates more work)--rip the sheets off and make a pile of sheets and used towels, where the cleaning staff can just pick it all up in one location.
4. Put out the "do not disturb" sign and reuse your towels and glasses.
5. Don't have sex on the comforters, man. Keep that action on the sheets, which actually get washed.
6. Don't be a gross jerk.

So, back to my consciously frugal dilemma. Yes, I know it's my house and yes, paper towels are pointless tree killers. But this woman is cleaning up after me, which is a seriously difficult job because I. am. a. savage., and it's not my job to dictate the details of how someone else performs their work. She agreed to move to all-natural cleaners. Great. I'll find a way to lessen the impact of the paper towel use. And then find a way to not feel so dirty and wrong about the whole thing. (I will not be using the paper towels and will stick with my vinegar and water all-purpose cleaner for those rare moments when I do get off of my ass.)

As I was feeling deep shame for being a typical Californian (next up: yoga, therapy, claims of being a Buddhist without knowing anything about the religion, and a raw food diet. Also, maybe fake tits and botox while clamoring about the importance of "the environment." Go CA!), I started chanting the many frugal things I do to make myself feel better. Om...no cable TV...om...no car...om...drug-dealer cell phone that costs only $200 a year...om...locally-sourced foods...om...

Eventually, I'll get over it. At this point, I'm creeping up on 40 and have realized that accepting some things about myself is way easier than constantly battling myself, trying to become an alien creature.

But it gets better. I actually forced purchases on my niece. She hates accepting money from others. She doesn't like to spend money pointlessly. Yet I found myself hissing, "You came all this way and requested that we go shopping, so buy God I am gonna buy you something. What. Do. You. Want?" and then forcing a dress or two on her. We also ate out twice a day. I also bought myself a purse, even though I've had a "no purse" rule for over a year now, because I already have too many. Several months prior, I spent about $1800 on her brother over the course of 3 weeks, entertaining his ungrateful ass and paying some of his bills. Thankfully, she was much more appreciative and a far better guest. But either way, I have no business with children. I just want to shower them with everything and make every moment a Fun Time! and take any stress they have about money away. I am unfit for parenthood, because good parents are realists and teach and use limits.

Yet another side note, you know who's not unfit for parenthood? Emily over at Little House on the Southern Prairie. She's preggo and having a boy this time! Feel free to send her warm fuzzies.

Anyway, all of this rambling is just the usual insanity of moi. Yet another example of the ways in which I am a complete failure (read: utterly human) at this Doing It Right consciously frugal thing. Thankfully, I'm finding some peace in this new path of accepting who and what I am and working with what I've got instead of fighting myself. Sure, I have fantasies that once I start working part-time or retire, I won't need cleaning help. I also have fantasies that one day, I will pee glitter and be able to shoot rainbow puppy kisses out of my eyes. Time will tell.

Self-Acceptance and the Locavore Movement

2011-08-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

(OH MY GOD THIS IS A NOVEL. Me so sorry. I really tried to shut up.)

I have been trying to write about the issue of fat phobia and size discrimination for eons. I can't seem to manage it. A beloved magazine was actually going to give me a series forum in which to tackle the issue but folded before I could get my thoughts together. Even now, I find myself wanting to write a novel in blog format, despite the fact that we blog readers tend to have the attention spans of gnats on crack. I'll spare you the novel. Well, I'll try to anyway. I'll try to just get the gist out and send you on a reading adventure. There is just not enough room on the internets for what I have to say on this issue. Oy vey!

Hating on fatties is a national pastime. We have the War on Obesity, the hilarity of calling someone who is fat fat (why noting that the sky is blue does not result in laughter is beyond me. Stating the obvious is hilarious, right?), DEATHFAT! fears galore and "the greatest public health threat" since women got the right to vote. We really, really love to freak out about fat folks. Every time you turn on the TV, open a magazine, eavesdrop on a conversation, read a book, note friends' comments on farcebook or twitter, look at a billboard--basically, anytime you leave the house and/or interact with another human being in any form, you are bound to hear some kind of fat folk hatred. It's our favorite collective activity.

It's also our most profitable. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar beast. Yes, that's right, multi-Billion. From pills to diet plans to surgery to gym memberships, there is no shortage of ways in which multinational corporations are ready and waiting to take your hard earned dollars. What's even more beautiful is that as they are happily taking your hard-earned cash, countless sources will bark that it's just a matter of taking in fewer calories than you expend--it's simple, stupid. You just suck at doing simple things. Best to cough up a new wad of cash for the next instant cure.

Here's the rub: The Obesity Epidemic is a farce. It simply doesn't exist. It is a fabrication created by health insurance companies and the industries that profit heavily from the lie. Let me say it again: The Obesity Epidemic, "the largest single health threat this country has ever faced," is a farce. It. Does. Not. Exist. For an explanation of how this idiocy came into being, please read Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon (seriously, read this book even if you can allow for the possibility that we're being bullied into body hate by big corps) and Big Fat Lies by Glenn Gaesser.

For many, this is old news. For others, it's shocking and met with absolute disbelief. What's even more interesting is that the same folks who refuse to believe that such a massive lie could be employed have never investigated the claims of DEATHFAT! We happily eat the spoons of crap we're fed about Death By Fat, without demanding any concrete evidence, yet dismiss any contradiction of the dominant paradigm of Fat Is Bad and Immoral as hysteria and falsehood. Interesting, innit?

This is where it gets strange and I make folks uncomfortable. My friends who balk at the notion that the Obesity Epidemic is false will begin ranting about how so-and-so is fat and can't walk up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing. I quickly remind them that neither can so-and-so, who happens to be thin. Then they will note Uncle Ed, who was fat and died of a heart attack. I then note Uncle Dave, who was an average weight marathon runner who dropped dead of a heart attack. We go back and forth until I stop them and say, Wait. That feeling you're experiencing right now? That discomfort. That anger. That disgust when you see a fat person? I want you to marinate on that a bit, because it is exactly the same thing that a Klan member feels at the sight of a person of color. No, I'm not being dramatic. Sit with that feeling. It is irrational. It is based on appearance and perceived lifestyle. Marginalizing segments of the population based on appearance and/or perceived lifestyle is asinine. It is the purview of bigots. If you want to feel it, express it and believe it, so be it. Just know what it is. What you are experiencing right now is bigotry. Give it a hug and come to terms with the fact that You. Are. A. Bigot. (Side note: This is the same speech I give homophobes. Just switch the phrasing up a bit! 'Cuz a bigot, is a bigot, is a bigot, children!)

It never ends there, of course, because who wants to deal with their own bigotry? So the next bit of resistance (never, never never does anyone ever say, Really? Are you serious? Wait, tell me what you've read, because I have to be better informed about this and I'm shocked by my disbelief) comes in the form of: People of color and gay people can't help it. You can help it. You have to admit that this is a lifestyle choice.

I sigh heavily, cry a little inside and respond: Did you hear that? "People of color and gay people can't help it." Can't help what? Being wrong? Being targeted? Being the way they are? Which is it? Putting all biology aside, let's move forward with the following premise: Marginalizing people on the basis of appearance and/or perceived lifestyle is asinine. Yes, even if you feel justified in personal experience or the medical field. It is never okay to treat entire swaths of people differently because they look, act or may act, in a manner you deem unfit. Yes, this also applies to Republicans. People have the right to exist exactly as they are. (Side note: our beloved, hallowed, infallible medical community only recently deemed homosexuals sane. Remember how they were once clinically insane? Ever heard of the Tuskegee experiments? Yeah. The medical community is not filled with saints.)

More resistance. But the Obesity Epidemic is costing us billions in healthcare costs and employer costs for lost time due to illness, etc.

Is it really? Show me the data.

I read about it in PEOPLE magazine. And there was something on the local news channel last night.

Oh, well, with those sources, why would I argue. Hey, have you actually ever read any medical or scientific journals that deal with this issue? No? Have you ever read any detail on just what causes health care costs to be so high? Or how those costs are calculated? No? How much time do you waste your employer each week fucking off on facebook? Yeah, exactly.

We go round and round until they've exhausted all their go-tos and we move on from the subject. But as I said, no one ever decides to read some new sources or question the assumptions that DEATHFAT is gonna kill us all.

However, I would like to note that I am not immune from this idiocy. When I used to work for the American Diabetes Association, I would frequently write and say, "Recent studies have shown that children born today will be the first generation to have shorter life spans than their parents." Guess what? No such study exists. That commonly used statement was taken from an *opinion piece* written by one dude in one journal that became gospel. It is based in nothing but conjecture, backed by absolutely no research. Yet I touted it, under the banner of a health organization, as if it were fact.

When reading Health at Every Size, I often found myself translating Bacon's discourse around health to weight loss, because even I have a hard time disconnecting the two. We have virtually no language in which to speak of health without weight, despite the fact that the evidence does not support our current fat phobia.

Well, I suppose I should give a disclaimer--there are health risks associated with extreme overweight and underweight. Unfortunately, those extremes don't even remotely match our hallowed height/weight charts and can be strangely individual. I have been a fit, healthy fat person and an unhealthy, sloth of a fat person. I was "morbidly obese" according to chart specifications at both stages, despite the fact that I felt like a completely different physical creature in those two states. Medically, I was treated just the same, regardless of my actual health status. Insane.

The primary suggestion for most fat folks is to lose weight through gastric bypass or another weight loss surgery. Gastric bypass surgery has the highest mortality rate of any elective surgery. There are many reasons as to why this is so, but most folks brush it off as "fatties were unhealthy to begin with, so what do you expect?" It is perfectly acceptable for fat and healthy people to risk death with this surgery, because the larger culture feels that it is better to be dead than be fat.

Can we all just marinate on that a bit?

It gets better. People who have this surgery are unable to absorb the nutrients they need for survival from food. Yet remember, they have this surgery for their health. Supplements are not a nice addition, they are a requirement for survival. People who have this surgery also experience "dumping syndrome." That is where one actually shits themselves. I have heard of this happening in public to many people. Can you imagine the shame? You have a little too much fat while out at dinner with friends and the next thing you know, you are sitting in feces. But don't worry, sweetheart, it's for your health.

Survivors of this surgery also commonly experience flu-like symptoms if they eat the "wrong" foods. Stomach cramping, hair loss--the list goes on and on. It is a violent, mutilative surgery that kills, maims and brutalizes people (oh, and did we mention that most folks don't really lose that much weight with it and longer-term studies are showing that the body compensates and weight is regained?) but there is immense pressure to have this surgery--pressure from friends, family and medical doctors. I am convinced that these horrific "side effects" are deemed acceptable because we believe fat people should be punished. Many fat people agree and intentionally harm themselves in this manner due to self-hate. That, my friends, is some bullshit.

But lots of folks don't go to that extreme. They just keep dieting. And dieting. And trying a new diet. And trying "lifestyle changes" this time 'cuz diets don't work. And they don't understand why they keep getting fatter and fatter every year. Most often, they'll blame themselves, citing that cupcake last Tuesday. Remember, children, when you are fat, you should be eating low-calorie, "diet" foods at all times! No one has ever explained to them that the body's response to dieting is to increase its setpoint, thereby assuring that you will gain weight. They never learn that the body is a brilliant creature hell bent on insuring that it does not die and will enact a thousand tiny chemical responses to ensure that you don't kill it with your crazy games o' deprivation. And if you doubt that you are a failure? The diet gods will cite the 2% of the population that does keep the weight off, just like they cite the world's richest when poor people make crazy claims that the game might just be rigged.

Dieting and "lifestyle changes" are by far the most brilliant marketing tactic in the world. It ensures repeat customers, laying the blame for failure at the feet of the dieter. Any other system that had a more than 90% failure rate would get chucked, but those bastards have convinced us we're the tools! And we hate on fat folks to fuel that fire. See what I mean? BRILLIANT.

All of this, of course, occurs on the battlefields of our bodies. These beautiful, brilliant bodies in which we conduct the miracle of our lives are shamed, brutalized, ignored, hurt, hidden, deprived, loathed--all in the name of "health." It hurts our relationships. It causes us to ignore our bodies' signals in favor of an external control. 'Cuz really, how and when you feed yourself should be dictated by some tool trying to make a buck off of you, right? We convince ourselves that one day we will reach a magical number where we can really begin living. All of our pain will disappear when the scale sings back to us with the promise of Social Acceptability, Love, Belonging, Desire! Oh, the myth of a better tomorrow when the magical destination has been reached!

But it never happens, because the game is rigged. Health can be achieved at any size. Our lives must be lived in the here and now, because there is no guarantee of any kind of tomorrow. And if by some miracle you reach that famed number, the Puppet Masters will be there to show you the ways in which your hair, height, income, teeth, feet, eyes, thoughts--everything that is you--is wrong and in need of costly repair.

There is no way to win at this game. So, give up. Just give it up. Deal with the horrifying thought that you may never lose that last 10 pounds. Then kindly invite the reality in. It's not the 10 pounds you hate, it's the fact that your marriage has fizzled into a boring routine of dull. Or that you hate that job. Or that you really want to write a children's book but think you're too stupid to make it happen. Stop beating the hell out of your body so that you can embrace what's really going on, address it and find a way to some peace.

Can you imagine it? If we all just stopped the bullshit? If we could talk about health without badgering weight? If we could separate fat from the conversation?

This is what I wish my beloved locavore movement would do. Unfortunately, it has jumped on the fattie bashing bandwagon, fully utilizing the hatred of the moment for momentum. Their promise? Eat locally-sourced, real foods and you'll lose the weight and be healthy. It's a sham, of course. (I present to you the 13 pounds I gained when I became very conscious and active about eating locally.) There is no magical diet that will make you thin. It does not exist.

But lo! The benefits of eating real food that you've sourced from your community are endless! I don't know about you, but I feel very differently when I eat a veggie stir fry as compared to some stir fry concoction from Panda Express. My farmer's market delight leaves me feeling energized and content. Panda Express makes me want to vomit on the sidewalk after I take a four-hour nap. The money I give my local farmer stays in my community. The money I give a chain grocer for some heavily packaged crap cooked up in a lab goes to some distant mega rich tool to help him buy a new yacht. Cooking is a creative experience that helps me to feel more confident in my skills as a Champion Human Being. Pulling lab experiments out of boxes to reheat is not exactly a creative endeavor and kind of makes me feel sad for the human race.

Unfortunately, the locavore movement is not going to jump off the fattie-hating bandwagon anytime soon. We are all so brainwashed about the Obesity Epidemic and the locavore movement is so desperate to become mainstream that the ability to question, research and think critically has been tossed aside in favor of hysteria and hype. So, the dieting masses will turn to their local farmers markets for the latest diet craze. Since the only thing they truly care about is the scale, they will eventually abandon the locally-sourced diet, because the promised land of Happiness Through Sustained Weight Loss will not be reached. And let's face it, cooking real food from real sources is more work than popping shit out of a box. If the diet fix isn't gonna work, why bother?

I do not want to see farmers markets go the way of liquid diets or the countless other plans that have disappeared over the years. I am tired of people's bodies, particularly women, being brutalized for the sake of profit. I am tired of bad (or no) science being touted as sacred religion. I am tired of intelligent people shoving their heads up their asses, acting as if they are parrots repeating the words of their masters, instead of investigating and learning and using the critical thinking skills I know they have.

More than anything, I am tired of seeing wonderful people waste their lives in pursuit of a goal that has nothing to do with their genuine desires. I am tired of beautiful women hating and committing acts of violence against their bodies for the sake of social acceptance (and really? The picture the media paints isn't the reality of our fat folks lives. Sorry, kids, but being fat ain't awful). If there is one place on this planet where we should feel most at home, most at peace, and most full of joy, it's in our very skin.

So, do me a favor, will ya? The next time you feel like saying something hateful about your body, stop and try to figure out what's really going on. The next time you feel like hating your very flesh, remind yourself that it took countless generations to bring you into being, and that you are a rare and magnificent gift. The next time you feel the words "obesity epidemic" coming out of your mouth, make sure you have all the facts and aren't simply shouting a marketing campaign intent on subjugation. The next time you hear a friend say something disparaging about a fat person, remind them that the human being they are belittling has every right to exist--just as that gay man does, just as that lesbian does, just as that African American child does. White, thin and wealthy is only one type of human. Praise Allah and all the fishies that we live in a rich, diverse world full of all kinds of bodies. Isn't it time we stopped fighting that reality, particularly since its primary purpose is to make rich men richer? Let's collectively embrace health and honor the reality that it occurs at every size. Fat, thin, average, gay, straight, bi, white, brown--we are all just fibers in this glorious human tapestry and every single one of us has a right to health, happiness and peace just as we are.

For further reading, info and inspiration, please check out:
Why the World Needs Fat Acceptance over at Two Whole Cakes (an award-winning article reprint)

Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon (hands-down the best book out there on this subject. I want to give it to every single woman in this country)

The Adipositivity Project (NSFW--pictures of naked ladies!)

Fatness and Rob Ford (a great look at progressive politics and bigotry from a personal perspective)

Big Fat Lies: The Truth about Your Weight and Your Health by Glenn A. Gaesser

The Extender (my friend Elizabeth Tamny's brilliant blog about all issues size-related. SHE HAS A REALLY BIG AND INTIMIDATING BRAIN. You have been warned)

There are countless others, no doubt, but that's a great start. Also, for you lovely creatures who teach fitness classes, do me a favor, will ya? Make it everybody-friendly. Talking about "getting rid of those flabby arms!" or other such comments make we fat folk feel shitty. Why not change the language to "get rid of those morning blues! Wake up tomorrow feeling stronger!" or any other such body and life-affirming statement. You are, after all, promoting health, right? Leave the body hating to the assholes of industry.

Viva la health and equality for all, my friends!

I Got Tired Too

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Laura over at Losing It had a great post recently, I Got Tired, about how worrying non-stop about frugal living had simply worn her out. So, she decided to take a break. It's a great little read.

I've been a little tired too lately. Even though my finances are dandy as hell, I'm constantly thinking that I need to do X, Y or Z to improve things. Don't get me wrong--I dig those projects. They're fun to me most of the time. But I don't want to become so fixated that I forget other interests. I'm annoying and boring enough as it is.

So, I've decided to switch up my projects a bit. I'm going to continue doing 30-day challenges, some of which may revolve around expenses (the cash-only thing is more than likely going to become a permanent fixture), but most of which I hope will revolve around crazy fun.

My next 30-day challenge (drum roll please) will be Dancing Like It's 1989 for 15 minutes per day to the cheesiet music I can find. Yes, it's free, which makes it yet another frugal adventure. But c'mon, man, it's also stupid. I need more stupid silly experiences in my life. If you're unsure of what I mean, let me reference this horror show:

Feel free to share any lunatic ideas you might have about stupid silly stuff I can do for 30-day intervals. I can't seem to think of much outside of money-saving adventures. Good Lord! How dull I have become.

IDA Savings Programs

2011-07-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

This serves as an update to a post I wrote long ago, Low-Income Families Rewarded for Saving Through IDA Programs. So that you don't have to follow the link, here's an edited version (I removed the bit about ACORN, since the GOP killed that wonderful institution in their war on the poor):

One of the best ways to build wealth is through saving. But for low income families with little income to invest, building wealth through saving is a slow, difficult process.

To help families achieve financial security, government and private funding is supplied to Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). This funding allows savings from qualifying families to be matched, much like an employer matching program for retirement plans.

IDA savings to match ratios range from 1:1 to 1:3. Not too bad, eh? Save $1 and receive $3 in matching support? But, of course, there is a catch. You have to use the funds towards something that builds wealth: purchasing a home; pursuing higher education; or starting a business. Combining an IDA with other incentive programs (first time home buyer programs, low or no interest business loans, PELL and other grants for higher education) can provide the foundation needed to empower families and relieve the soul crushing burden of poverty.

To learn more about the IDA program, visit the Corporation for Enterprise Development's website. To find an IDA program sponsor in your area, visit the cFED's online directory.

And remember, community matters! Please share these resources with family, friends, your faith community, or anyone else you think might benefit from this program.

I didn't realize until recently that the links I featured were broken. So, if you're interested in learning more about IDA programs, check out this detailed article, The Match over at the CFED and use their directory to see if there is an IDA program in your area.

When Frugal Failing is Winning

2011-07-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Since this is a frugal-loving corner of the web, I suppose I should begin with 1,001 justifications. I need this! My back is killing me! Art is important! I have no credit card debt! Mama say mama saw mumakusaw!

Instead, I'll just come out with it. Bless me, readers, for I have sinned. It's been 3.2 seconds since my last confession (it's the Internet, right? Where oversharing the irrelevant is king, yes?). After going on a cash-only diet and dropping my spending mightily, I just puked out over $2400 for a bed. That's right, a bed. And yanno what else? I'm going to cough up some cash for a painting of Phurba Namgay's just as soon as he finishes it (I think they call this a "commissioned" painting in the world where people do that sort of thing. In my world we call it "pretty please can you make me a ______?"). And next year, if the painting is still available, I'm going to cough up an obscene amount of cash for this painting of Namgay's. If someone buys it prior to then, I will wish them well and then beat them with the 1,000 arms featured in the piece.

The ridiculously expensive bed purchase is due to two things: my epic fatness and a bit o' "false economy." Last year, I bought the cheapest queen mattress I could find in my area ($800). In less than a year, my ample ass has destroyed it. I've tried temporary fixes to no avail. My back is killing me, and I'm getting unbelievably crappy sleep. I decided this time to do a bit more research and buy a bed I had a really great sleep on in a hotel. I grilled the woman who sold me the bed and if it doesn't last the 20 years they claim, I will beat her with it.

Wow. I'm kind of on a beating kick here.

I have no false economy or aching back rationalization for buying Namgay's paintings. I simply love them. Love, love, love them. I have only been drawn to an object like this once before. I didn't purchase that item years ago and have regretted it to this day. Went crazy hunting for it. Alas, it went into the ether. So this time, I'm buying it. I'm buying it even as I declutter and reduce the crap in my house.

I thought I would feel tremendous guilt and shame over spending a ridiculous amount of money on a bed and buying a piece of art--something I don't need. Yet I don't. Right now, I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude. I am so grateful that I read Your Money or Your Life years ago and that it changed my life. I'm grateful that I can make a decent living as a writer and that my work helps people. I'm grateful that I was able to pull myself out of credit card debt and build a savings. I'm grateful that I can afford to help support an artist and his work. I'm grateful that I don't live so close to the edge anymore.

I can do things now with money that five or ten years ago seemed absolutely impossible, such as give a chunk of my salary to charity, buy art or a pricey bed that feels like heaven, or send my nieces and nephews some money or a plane ticket. I was raised in an environment where we didn't always know if there would be enough food to get us through. I've been without a place to call home for several months.

For many, many years, I was absolutely terrified about money. I used to think I'd always be poor, forever struggling. I realized that if I were going to have any chance, I'd have to learn how to manage money. Frugal wonders like Joe Dominguez, Vicki Robin, Monique Tilford, Amy Dacyzyn, and folks at places like the Center for a New American Dream and Financial Integrity showed me a way to a saner life and helped me learn the skills I needed to make do with very little, which made all the difference when I began to earn more.

Finally, I'm grateful that I have finally reached a point where I no longer beat myself up for making choices that don't always sing the frugal anthem. I finally realize that I don't need to be afraid anymore. I can be generous (speaking of which, read this beautiful piece by Linda Leaming, Generosity Breaks a Leg) toward others and I can occasionally buy myself crazy stuff, because I've learned this skill set that serves me well.

This long-winded confession is actually my dorky way of saying this: If you're having a hard time, hold on. Keep plugging away. Using less, shopping around, making do with what you have, skimping, squeezing that dime 'til it screams, getting SNAP benefits, finding an IDA program (matching savings, people!)--it will pay off in the end. It gets better. Just keep at it and try not to let the fear eat you. One day, you will kick its ass.

Cash Challenge Update

2011-07-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

As you may recall, I decided to put myself on a cash diet for the months of June and July. We've all read for years about how folks spend more when using plastic. I assumed I was more enlightened than those idiotic fools, despite the fact that I had spent most of my adult life in some form of credit card debt. So, I figured I'd give it a try to see just how much of a stellar money manager I am. I even considered giving myself the title of Enlightened Frugal Master. 'Cuz I'm a genius like that.

I decided to keep some things on a credit card (charitable donations and itunes and Groupon purchases) simply because I was too lazy to move them over to my debit card. I figured I might see a slight drop in expenses, since I hate to use my debit card for pretty much anything, but I didn't think it would be all that much. I am, after all, super good at this money management stuff. I didn't alter my spending behavior outside of the use of cash. We still ate out way too much. I still bought stuff I could have done without.

Once again, my idiocy was astounding. The drop in spending was far more significant than I thought it would be. In June, my spending dropped by 22%, which included a plane ticket I bought for my niece. Had I removed that "exceptional" expense, the reduction was closer to 34%. Um, hi. Wow. Really?

I tried to rationalize it by convincing myself that I probably neglected to write some expenses down, which is likely true. But those occasional missed items most certainly were not to the tune of 34%.

I've yet to see where July is headed, but I suspect the story will be much the same. It appears that I am not special after all. Per the usual, I'm just like everybody else and tend to spend more when paying with plastic. This means, of course, that I am likely going to continue this pattern of severely limiting credit card use. I have notions of switching to a socially responsible card for my monthly donations and putting a cap on Groupon and itunes purchases. We shall see what July brings.

It's always nice to receive a hefty helping of humility. I just keep on hoping that one day I'll wake up with a little more sense. Something tells me I should probably not wish too hard on that front.

100 Thing Challenge

2011-07-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard of Dave Bruno and his 100 Thing Challenge by now. Short version: Dude gets fed up with consumer culture and decides to par his personal possessions down to 100 things. Enter blog. Hello book.

Let me give a review o' da book followed by some other inane blather: Some fabulous points made. A handful of wonderful quotes. But overall, the book felt lazy. (I'm starting to think laziness is the new black in literature. Maybe it's always been there and I'm just now realizing it because my daily commute has allowed me to dramatically increase my reading time.) There were many times when Bruno could have done a bit of research to back up his assertions/opinions, but he neglected to do so. Granted, the book was about his personal journey, but I generally don't make many life decisions without getting a little information beforehand. According to Bruno, he had been writing about "American-style consumerism" for awhile, so why couldn't he drop a study or two about how a collective reduction in consumption will not result in TEOTWAWKI? He had a whole chapter about why he didn't think reducing consumption would result in Death For All, yet he had no facts to back him up and, well, he just seemed like a stoner tossing out a few ideas. Lazy.

He also seemed very attached to name brands and stuff in general. Dude would go on for two pages describing items in detail and give only one or two paragraphs to really riveting ideas. He would mention brands when the maker wasn't relevant in any way (there were times when he discussed quality where it was pertinent). His loving of naming brands was rather telling as well. His dollars supported companies that use slave labor. He gave one sentence to the concept of using a tailor instead of supporting companies that use sweatshops, but he doesn't actually follow through on that idea himself. There was not one mention of using a thrift shop to replace items. Frugality was not a priority and it would seem that he wasn't too terribly concerned about workers' rights or the environment. Well, ok. Fair enough. But how do those very relevant concerns not in some way frame a discussion about having less crap? I don't need a McKibben-style THE EARTH IS DYING! depression fest, but I find it very odd that someone supposedly so well versed in simple living couldn't be assed to explore used items or working conditions. Lazy.

HOWEVAH, there were some gems and particular paragraphs that slapped me upside the head. He noted a common thread among simple living advocates: We want to escape. We want to escape our lives as they currently exist, into some fantasy land of ________ (insert your personal fantasy. Mine is a homemaker living in the country, surrounded by liberal rural folk having endless loving encounters in our jam making bliss). I've talked about this before in a post called Aspirationals. Essentially, we think we can buy our way into a new identity. As if things create people.

Bruno also claimed that we try to salve old wounds by buying crap. We buy the goodies but the pain is still there; only now it's buried deep under shiny new toys. Oy. Do I ever get that one.

Of course, marketers have taught us to do this, to equate buying crap with something other than buying crap. They've done a brilliant job. However, I don't like the fact that corporations have laid tracks in my brain. There are deeply embedded neural pathways that associate shopping with happiness, identity and escape. That freaks me the hell out. The corporation owns my government. It should not own any real estate in my brain.

I loved the bits of honesty in the book. He brilliantly recounted this fantasy he had around a fixation with fancy pens that is cringingly embarrassing and beautiful in its raw, silly truth. I could not love that he included that bit more. I can't tell you how much of my life exists in fantasy. How many ridiculous wonders I weave in my head instead of being fully present in the life I actually inhabit. Or how I constantly whine for this fictional better life that is so radically different than my own. Or how I want to be someone I am not. Yanno, some uber productive, fiercely active ball of awesome sauce that lives a flawless life. I could not be further from that person, yet I persist in the notion that when I reach the destination of Rural Homemaker Perfect Life, I will magically transform into a completely different human being.

I love writing that is so honest it makes me feel like less of a freak, because we are all beautiful and ridiculous. So, I thought those aspects of Bruno's book were genius. I just wish he had expounded more on those ideas, given a little less space to detailed descriptions of stuff, and managed to get off his ass and do some research.

Yet despite my love/disappointment with the book, it served its purpose. I have known for awhile that I have too much crap, but I thought it was mostly paper clutter. I balked at the notion of it being difficult to get down to 100 personal things. But after looking at his lists and reading his quick "how-to" in the back of the book, I realized that I have an incredible amount of personal possessions. Crazy ridiculous amount of stuff, particularly for someone living (with a husband and two dogs) in less than 500 square feet. Why do I have all this crap?

Now, of course, I want to reduce the amount of stuff I own and become even more aware of what I bring into my space. (Go Bruno! Good job!) So, despite my bitching about how I wish the author had done this or that differently with the book, I'm going to get rid of some of my crap. I'm not sure what that looks like just yet, but I am so very grateful that I can laugh about how silly it is to associate stuff with self or live in fictional worlds that have nothing to do with the glorious moment I've been given.

It's not that I don't want change or don't enjoy working towards goals. I definitely want the hell out of the city. But I can most certainly be less of a tool. I can appreciate the (pretty kick ass, if I do say so myself) life I have. I don't have to allow consumer culture, with its constant harping on What We Are Not, to infect my brain.

Of course we all know this, right? Here's where I think the Buddhists might be onto something (ok, all religions teach this, but the Buddhists are really good at it). We've gotta constantly return to center. We need to tune out the onslaught of buy-to-be messages. We need reminders to be in the present moment. Me thinks this purging of things is a good way to reinforce that connection.

EcoCatLady Just Called Me a Hypocrite

2011-07-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe not a hypocrite, but she did call me out for encouraging folks to stay on the Hamsterwheel of Doom by promoting a "reality" TV show audition. Check out her spot-on commentary at "Frugal" Consumer is an Oxymoron.

I mention this in the comments section, but I'll say it again here. For many folks, frugal/ethical/conscious/green/whatever shopping is a segue to reexamining our relationship to stuff. It's a gateway drug to entire new worlds of simple living, minimalism, self-sufficiency, one-income families, on and on. Yeah, for we "aware" (ha! ha! I just called myself aware! ahahahahahah) folks, shopping as a means to anything but getting more crap and giving away money is absurd. But I've seen too many people nearly stroke out over the concept of Not Shopping. It's too much to take when you've spent a lifetime equating Crap You Buy with Who You Are.

Yet if you toss out phrases such as "saving money" or "a portion of proceeds go to a good cause," folks will perk up and pay attention. Maybe they'll even ask the oracle where to find more tips on saving money. Maybe in that search they'll stumble across humble little blogs that suggest another way. Maybe they'll pick up a copy of Your Money or Your Life or even start working its 9-step program. Maybe. Or maybe they'll just find a new avenue to keep doing the same damned thing.

I agree with EcoCatLady, particularly on this point:

But here's the thing. The problem is not that people don't know how to shop properly, and it's not that the proverbial American dream is too expensive. The problem is that the American dream as it's currently understood is really a nightmare foisted upon us by a society which treats its people as consumers rather than citizens.

(My response is: There are no citizens in a Corporate State. And this, dear children, is most definitely a Corporate State.)

I don't really think it's an either/or proposition. I mean, ECL is right--it's all pretty effing absurd. But I believe strongly in meeting people where they are, even if that place irritates the hell out of me. Then again, I wonder, can we really baby step our way out of destructive consumption patterns? Is the gateway drug of frugal/green/whatever shopping really just another drug, ensuring that we'll never get off the Hamsterwheel of Doom?

Thrifty Families On TV! Wanna Audition?

2011-07-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

So, despite all this complaining about how I don't do advertising on my blog, I am going to promote something. Shocker! But it sounds kind of neat and I want to see some folks I know on the big, glowing rectangle.

Emily Sweet with RelativityREAL/Ellen Rakieten Entertainment sent me an email, asking if I'd like to put my hat into the ring for a "reality" TV show about thrifty families. (The Oracle says it's legit, children!) Since we are DINKs and my husband would rather eat glass than be on television, I decided I would try to talk you into it. If you live in the Los Angeles area, are a thrifty family and end up getting on the show (and the show gets picked up, of course), you MUST let us know. If it leads to a career in television where you make a gazillion dollars, feel free to buy me a house on a pretty piece of land in a pretty awesome area. Here's the pitch:

Is your family the thriftiest in America? Do you refuse to pay full price? Are you always on the lookout for the best deals?

Calling all coupon experts, yard sale fanatics, thrift store wizards and super savers for a brand new show on a major network! This show will be the chance to put your skills to the test in a fun competition and prove once and for all that you and your family are the ultimate bargain hunters!

If you live in the Los Angeles area and your family will do anything to save a buck please email your story and a family photo to Ellen Rakieten Entertainment: familycasting@rrstaff.com

Do it! Do it! Do it!

Homestead/Self-Sufficient Living Reads

2011-07-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Gah! More book reviews. Lame, right? Forgive me. I can't help myself. Blame the train.

Since I am a woman who dreams of escaping the concrete jungle and returning to my rural roots, I read a lot of memoirs by women and books on farming, homesteading and self-sufficient living. Here's a (hopefully?) quick rundown of some recent reads (these are NOT affiliate links. I'm just sending you to Indie Bound so you can find these books at an independent bookstore if you're interested in buying them):

1. Drinking the Rain by Alix Kates Shulman. A beautiful memoir written by a feminist, activist and all-around badass. If feminism in all its glory freaks you out (she mentions looking at a woman's cervix during a seminar back in the day that taught women how to administer abortions), I would advise reading something else. But for me, this book was brilliant. It will join Married to Bhutan as an annual read. Folks like Shulman have made this country better for women, and I loved reading about her life transitions. She also speaks heavily of frugality and "making do," living off the land, embracing the moment and the environment you're in, protecting Mama Earth, caring for the self and how all that love is intertwined.

2. The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing. This is actually a combined tome of The Good Life and Continuing the Good Life. It's the story of the Nearing's nearly half-century of living (they started at age 50!) self-sufficiently, largely off-grid. Apparently, these folks are cult heroes and I knew nothing about them. Anyhoo, I pulled out a couple of great quotes from the book in an earlier post, which will give you a flavor of their philosophy. It's a somewhat dry book, loaded with practical tips and details on gardening, sugaring and building stone structures. If you want poetic prose, you won't find it here. If you want solid, practical, timeless advice from champions, this is it.

3. The Town that Food Saved by Ben Hewitt. The small, rural town of Hardwick, Vermont has received quite a bit of press around its multiple sustainable food enterprises. This is a book written by a local (lives a town or two over) that provides a good critique of the successes and challenges of Hardwick's food adventures. I really appreciated that he simply didn't continue with the shiny veneer and actually bothered to take a close look at systems and how they realistically fit into our existing agricultural and economic framework. However, the book had far too much of the ol' Passive Aggressive Airing of Grievances for my taste. I'm amazed that he would speak in such patronizing terms about folks who live in his community. Despite his many (many, many, oh god so damned many) cheap, irrelevant shots at "characters" in this tale, he does a fairly decent job of detailing just how complicated this whole notion of local food systems truly is. Had he laid off the passive aggressive crap and stuck to the complications, both positive and negative, of creating a vibrant local food system and economy, it would have been a much better read.

4. Growing a Farmer by Kurt Timmermeister. This little book tells the story of how the author went from urban chef to rural farmer. Timmermeister is not the world's most amazing writer, but his practical, simply storytelling style fits well with the subject matter. He contradicts himself in many places and sometimes I wonder if he did any real research at all before venturing into farming. He also takes a dig or two at folks writing books about their food experiences, such as The 100 Mile Diet, calling such challenges "silly." I found this to be pretty hypocritical (or silly, maybe. Ha! Take that!), since his venturing into farming is essentially the same as these diet experiments--trying to find a way to live in greater harmony with the earth and our food in the manner that best fits one's needs and desires. But his story is a good read for urban folks with limited or no experience in farming who want to make that leap.

Before I launch into the last title, I would like to say this about Growing a Farmer: It is the only book I have read that deals with food (hell, about anything, really) and American culture that does not bash fat people. There is not one single shitty, rude, judgmental, assuming, offensive line about fat folks in the book (that I can recall, anyway). As a fat woman, I cannot tell you how exhausting it is to be unable to read pretty much anything (or watch TV or read blogs or, well, leave the house) without running smack dab into socially acceptable bigotry. (Frances Mayes? A Year in the World? Yeah, I'm looking at you. For the love of god, get help. Fat people have the right to exist, exactly as they/we are. We have the right to dress as we see fit. We have the right to travel. We have a right to be. Marinate on that for a bit.) Bodies, particularly for women, are battlegrounds. The profit motive, masquerading as a "health" concern, behind fat bashing is fierce. The hate resulting from it is so insidious, it creeps into everything, which is demoralizing and exhausting. The fact that Timmermeister could write a book about food and feeding folks without being a jerk towards fat folks is nothing short of astounding in today's culture. So, THANKS, DUDE.

5. The Dirty Life by Kristen Kimball. This was by far my favorite story of becoming a farmer and local food systems. Kimball was living in New York working as a journalist when she did a story on a young farmer. She fell in love with both the farmer and farming and ventured into an entirely new way of living. It's an absolutely hilarious read that doesn't paint some idyllic, unrealistic picture of farm life. I found the ending to be a little forced but it did not in any way detract from the rest of the book. Extremely entertaining, informative and a definite must read for those dreaming of ditching city life to cultivate a new life in rural lands.

That's all I've got for now, folks! Have you read any of the above? What did you think? Any suggestions for books on the subject of homesteading or self-sufficient living?

Married to Bhutan Giveaway Winners

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the lovely souls who entered the recent Married to Bhutan book giveaway! Everyone was included, even those living in distant lands. I wish I had enough spare cash to send everyone a copy, but I'm saving my pennies to buy one of Phurbay Namgay's paintings (he's married to our new favorite author, Linda Leaming). Sorry. I'm selfish and greedy like that.

Linda was kind enough to send me two copies of the book, which she also signed. How rad is that? I will be buying the other two copies and will do my best to source them from an independent bookstore. But if they show up to your casa via Amazon, don't hate me. I'm trying, but still falling woefully short most days.

So, without further blabbing our winners are...wait for it...

Lisa Page Rosenberg
Emily Wilkins
EcoCatLady
and last but not least,
scrapper al

Winners, please email your mailing/contact/shipping info to consciouslyfrugal (at) yahoo (dot) com. You have until Wednesday, June 29th, 5pm PST to send me your info. If I don't hear from you, I'll pick another lovely soul from our group of entries and send them your lucky charm.

For those who didn't win, please accept my love and affection. I know it's not the same, but hopefully your local bookstore and/or public library will grab a copy so that you can enjoy! Thanks also to the fabulous Linda Leaming for writing a great book, giving away a couple of copies, and generally kicking ass.

Book Review & Giveaway: Married to Bhutan

2011-06-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

Emily over at Little House on the Southern Prairie shared an interview with author Linda Leaming in her post Escaping the ‘hamster wheel of doom’ with Linda Leaming, author of Married to Bhutan. Mrs. Little House's recommendation and Leaming's hilarious interview responses prompted me to buy the book and give it a read.

Married to Bhutan: How One Woman Got Lost, Said "I Do," and Found Bliss is Linda Leaming's tale of living for more than a decade in a tiny country most noted for its beauty and decision to measure health not in Gross National Product but in Gross National Happiness. Married to Bhutan has a little bit of goodness for everyone, with a dollop of travel guide, a glorious dash of romance, a hefty helping of humor, a polite suggestion or two in favor of simple living, some wise words on happiness, and a little sprinkling of magical fairy dust for the reader who has misplaced joy. Sweet Mary Mother of all Things Beautiful, I loved this book. Loved. it. children! This is a big deal, of course, since I have a tendency to pretty much hate everyone and everything.

Since I am a crab (see hatin' above), I fully expected to be annoyed with this book, despite Emily's endorsement. There have been a slew of memoirs written recently by Sad Rich White Women seeking enlightenment in Distant Lands of Brown People that read like poorly written blogs. And don't get me started on the Western yoga devotees clamoring over the superiority of Hinduism and Buddhism as compared to Christianity. (Um, hi. Many roads, one journey. Most shockingly, identical themes.) Or those authors who romanticize cultures, oblivious to the fact that doing so only dehumanizes. But, I digress.

Imagine my surprise when I found myself laughing, shouting AMEN!, and learning a great deal about the land and people of Bhutan from an author who is respectful, humble, kind, witty and downright charming. I loved this book. Loved it. Did I mention that I loved this book?

What separates Leaming from other authors who have ventured into similar subjects is that she is not a tourist--literally or figuratively. She doesn't passively swing through; she fully commits to the land and its people. I'm a firm believer that place is destiny, and Leaming's "marriage" to Bhutan is essentially a homecoming. Yes, a white woman from Tennessee's home is a tiny country in the Himalayas. Ain't life a mysterious beauty?

Of course Leaming isn't suggesting that we all need to pack up and move thousands of miles away to find bliss (although it might not be such a bad idea). More than anything, her story is one of trusting instincts and making grand leaps, even if it is incredibly scary and uncomfortable. She writes:

There will probably be some physical pain and some form of renunciation on the road to happiness. No, I'm not advocating masochism. But once you take the road to happiness--the road less traveled, or the open road, or whatever you envision as your route to bliss--you have to be ready to face some discomfort. Ironically, this will make you happier. Try to avoid associating happiness with comfort.

And this gem:

Life is not about thinking and reasoning and rationalizing--it's about intent and the subsequent action.

Of course, I knew I would like the book pretty quickly into it, as I found myself saying Preach. It. Sister at this bit of truth:

I have never been someone who likes rules or structure. I don't even like ruled notebook paper. There's too much structure in the world: too much insurance, litigation, unfulfilling work, fighting; too many credit cards, receipts, forms, taxes, mortgages, traffic jams, obligations--and always enormous pressure and fear as a result.

Gems like those above are found throughout the book as we learn about Leaming's (oh-so-hilarious) adjustment to living in a country that frequently lacks conveniences most of us don't even think about, her ridiculously sweet love affair with painter Phurba Namgay (we even get a SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! moment or two), and the culture and religion of Bhutan.

Married to Bhutan is a lush, hilarious, beautiful book that I hope becomes a record-breaking best seller. We need more stories like this--stories of people and places that are respectful, written by smart, witty women deeply invested in the telling. These are the kind of stories that make the world a better place.

After stalking Leaming like a true and frightening fan, I found her website (and twitter page, and Goodreads fan page, and...scared yet?) and left a comment about how I planned on writing a review and doing a giveaway. She responded by offering to send me a couple of books. How awesome is that? Since my love for this book is pretty epic and I want it to support the crap out of it, I'm going to match her generosity by buying a couple of copies (frugal? No. Groovy? Yes). Good news for you, folks! This means I will be giving away four copies of Married to Bhutan. Four! That's twice as many people who read this blog, so you have a good chance.

If you would like to enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below. The "contest" closes Sunday June 26th at 5pm PST. Winners will be chosen at random and announced Monday. Winners will have 48 hours to respond, but we'll worry about that Monday. Good luck and happy reading!

Well-Being vs. Achievement

2011-06-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Eco Cat Lady (ECL) has a couple of recent posts that are absolutely stellar, The Art of Doing Less and The Mythical Land of “Done.” You should read them both. Really. Don’t worry. I’ll wait.

Back? Fabulous. In “The Art of Doing Less,” I was struck by ECL’s notion that we live a harried life because it gives us a thrill while helping us to avoid unpleasant emotions. As long as we’re constantly rushing around, we get to be important, excited and far too interested in our whirlwinds than in that nagging sense of dread over ______(fill in the blank with your drama of the moment).

It got me to thinking about a class I took a few years back with Katherine Woodward Thomas and Claire Zammit. The course was in its infancy yet still managed to completely blow my mind and crack my world wide open. (Yes, I know I bitch about this hippie shit, but I swear to the sweet lawd, their stuff was life changing.) One aspect of the class that continues to knock on the back of my skull is a simple question Katherine posed,

What would your life look like if it were centered in well-being instead of achievement?

Um, say what? This is AMERICA, people! More, better, bigger, faster! And what do you mean, well-being? Achieving is all about well-being! Right? I mean, um, that's why I spend all this time commuting and working and making 5-year plans, right? Right?! Mommy?

Zammit and Thomas asserted that our fixation with patriarchal concepts of power (unhealthy for all, children!) have left us with a limited set of options and an oppressive orientation towards life. Yes, even our blessed feminist movement, in all its incarnations, still framed everything around masculine concepts. We routinely harmed ourselves in the pursuit of achievement. We worked too much, pursued potential partners who looked good on paper but were horrible matches, placed our families and communities so low on the totem pole they were barely an afterthought, etc. Life ceased to be about the journey and how we could infuse love into each step. Instead, we fixated on a prize and pursued it with little regard to the cost.

Or maybe that was just me?

Many folks assume that when we talk about upward mobility or achievement, we're only talking about Wall Street tycoons and the corporate elite whose only goal is greed. Not so. Some of the most harried, achievement-oriented folks I know are do-gooders, martyrs hell bent on saving the world at any cost to self. Yanno, those of us in "noble" professions. (Side note: Noble is code for low-paying.)

A messianic complex coupled with a sense that the only true purpose in life is that of achievement makes for a destructive combination. I spent a good decade focusing on the poor of Los Angeles while completely ignoring my own health and well-being. I know many good souls who feel tremendous guilt if they spend a few moments caring for self yet find no harm in toiling for 12 hours a day in a thankless non-profit gig. And I probably don't have to go into any detail about folks who drain their bank accounts and dignity in the pursuit of some tool masquerading as a stellar romantic partner.

So, this notion of well-being versus achievement stuck to me. I did my best to ignore it, until the state of my health decided for me. Yet most days, it seems I'm at a loss for what well-being looks like. I fumble along with vague notions about simplicity, home cooking and laughing with friends. But it's often uncomfortable. It feels like society is looking at me like I smell funny, wondering why I'm not out there Getting Shit Done and Bringing Light to Dark Places and Buying More Crap.

However, I think we do-gooders have an advantage in the realm of well-being. After all, we're constantly fighting for the well-being of others. We just have to make the perfectly common sense transition to include ourselves in that fight. Seems simple, right?

Not exactly. The larger culture doesn't make it so simple. I don't think my suspicion that society is looking at me funny is pure paranoia. Just ask anyone who's downshifting and living in an affluent area. Or the mother who opts to take food stamps instead of going to work and giving all of her salary to child care. How about that college grad who chooses to stay home with the kids? Add an extra dose of WTF?! if that grad happens to be a dad and his wife the bread winner. Or one of those loons who doesn't think she can buy her way to a "green" lifestyle.

Most importantly, how about that employer who refuses to offer flex time, telecommuting, or job sharing? Or a good half of the population who feels that health care is a privilege only the affluent should have? Shitty or non-existent public transit, anyone? What about all those institutionalized barriers to well-being? What about all the cheering from the Get More elite and the fact that the only conversations we have in the media around well-being tend to focus on spa packages?

Over the past few years, I have slowly shed my capitalist skin in a strange quest to regain my humanity. I'm trying to live in greater harmony with my values, because it ain't easy being a hypocrite. The changes I've made, such as getting rid of my car and buying direct from farmers, have given me better health and greater happiness. The question of orienting my life around well-being instead of achievement seems to be a natural extension of living my values. But it still creeps me out that it isn't always easy.

It seems that we often confuse comfort with well-being, when in fact comfort can be damaging as hell (think sitting on your ass on the couch versus taking a walk. I most often choose the former). But my drive to achieve is slowly dying, praise allah. Although I could prattle for days about all the things I'd like to achieve, I'm still a bit slow on what will bring me a sense of wellness. I'm learning though (epiphany one: work less, play more).

So, tell me, what would happen if you let go of the need to be busy? What would your life look like if you centered it in well-being instead of achievement?

Friday Reads, the Happy Version

2011-06-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Since I complain far too much, I thought I would spare you my rudeness and send you to some joyful places. At some point, I am going to need to carve out 4 additional hours per day, just for blog reading. So many fabulous ones and so little time!

First, we have Lisa Page Rosenberg's smacksy. You probably already know about this corner of the web, but it's new to me and good lord, I am in love with Bob, the most hilarious child ever. Some recent favorites: "Mom? This day was a jerk." And Battle Snacks, in which Bob discusses battle droids (Star Wars RULES!) and orange-colored cheese. This kid and I would be best buds, except his mom could probably do without my f-bomb dropping.

Barefeet in the Kitchen, where we get tasty recipes, lovely pictures, and great verbiage without being overwhelmed by ads! Praise the Domestic Divas of the Universe, what a rare gem. Feel free to make me any of Mary's dishes.

Growing Things and Making Things, where Rachel (in Wales! My maternal homeland) actually made freakin' champagne! With flowers and fruit. I need more friends with these rad skills.

Although I don't frequent a lot of the uber popular blogs with a gazillion readers, I do love this post over at Down to Earth, where Rhonda discusses Small Changes, Big Savings as it relates to paying down a mortgage. I really liked this idea--don't think of it in terms of money saved this year, think of it in terms of money saved over the life of a mortgage and how all those small changes could help you save tens of thousands on your mortgage.

Stephinie over at Gypsy Forest is a creative diva with gloriously beautiful projects and photos. I am not jealous. Not at all. Pardon me while I cry myself to sleep now.

For those of you dreaming of self-sufficient living, check out Friday's Aquaponics. My buddy "Monday's Child" has set up a most impressive vegetable garden and fish farm system. Right here in Southern California. She also makes her own pasta and could probably build a space ship if you asked her. Super bad ass.

Although I'm a religious person and plan to talk about that as it relates to my frugal, socially conscious ways (we ain't all fundies, dammit!), I don't read a lot of blogs about faith, the church, etc. But two that I really love are Modus Vivendi and Abide (you'll find Abide on my side bar). Both are written by women who amaze and impress me. I wish I had their big brass ovaries. But that's a tale for another day.

Enjoy your Friday! Enjoy these lovely sites and please feel free to share your favorites. I'm sure I can find more time for blog reading. Lord knows it's better than TV!

Preach the Word, Live the Word

2011-06-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Supposedly, I'm a writer. Very kind folks pay me to write grants and other odds and ends. I consider myself a grunt laborer, despite the fact that I really no longer genuinely labor (thank you, manual labor, for giving me the gift of perspective). But "writer" sounds quite pretentious and more suitable for someone who can weave fictional worlds and spread words across a page, smooth as butter. I'm more of a is-that-a-piece-of-glass-I-just-ate? kind of scribe. Essentially, I'm blue collar. Writers are white collar. I play in both worlds, but I'm really only proficient with the gritty stuff.

But lo, I love me some stellar writing, particularly from those with exceptionally starched, shiny white collars. A perfect string of words is paradise. Each time an author shares a piece that makes my heart sing, I want to scream PREACH! from the rooftops. Although these glorious souls deserve heaps of cash, I'm so grateful that public libraries and information superhighways allow all of us to gobble up delicious words for free. Imagine it! Entire worlds, ours for the taking with nothing asked for in return.

My most recent delights:

Rachel, yet again, over at 6512 and Growing, threw this down in The Unstructured Summer Day.

And then the next hour everyone is shattered and broken on the ground and I’m back to my yogic breathing and reminding myself that there is no Eden of certain bliss to return to, there is no criminal child who needs punishment, there is just the next moment to breathe through without drowning in the surf of my own expectations. Soon I am pulling myself up by a string, knotted with moments of grace, dangling above the ocean while the kids have skittered off to play a new game.

Um, did you just see that? Seriously? That woman can write her ass off. I can't tell you the number of times I've yelled at the computer screen, trying to bully her into writing a book. That blog is a gift, I tell ya. I gift.

Rachel reminds me of Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favorite authors. Kingsolver manages to blow my mind a thousand times in each of her novels. I'm left scratching my head, wondering how she could manage to weave such a tale with words that so often make my chest ache. Speaking of which, have you read The Poisonwood Bible yet? If not, do so! Also, don't forget to check out Animal, Vegetable, Miracle if you're in the mood for a little locavore non-fiction. I'm finishing up The Lacuna now. Kingsolver is a dream.

I recently finished reading The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing's Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living. It doesn't have a great deal of poetic prose. It's more of a practical guide on how these folks managed to live off the land before it became trendy. Although the book doesn't sing, it does provide a handful of PREACH IT! moments. Take a gander at these gems:

...whatever the nature of one's beliefs, one's personal conduct may either follow the belief pattern or diverge from it. In so far as it diverges, it helps produce unwanted results. At the same time, it splits practice away from theory and divides the personality against itself. The most harmonious life is one in which theory and practice are unified.

And my absolute favorite:

Life's necessaries are easily come by if people are willing to adjust their consumption to the quantity and variety of their products. Difficulties begin when the subsistence advocate enters the market with its lures and wiles for separating the unwary and dullwitted from their medium of exchange.

Um, did they just call me stupid? Wait, let them finish.

Never forget that the private ownership of the means of production, through the monopoly of natural resources and patents, the control over money, the imposition of the tribute called "interest," the gambling centers which trade in commodities and "securities," to price control and the domination by the wealthlords of the agencies which shape men's minds and the machinery of government, the entire apparatus of a competitive, acquisitive, exploitive, coercive social order is rigged and manipulated for the rich and the powerful and against the poor and the weak. Keep out of the system's clutches and you have a chance of subsistence, even if the oligarchs disapprove of what you think and say and do. Accept the system, with its implications and ramifications, and you become a helpless cog in an impersonal, implacable, merciless machine operated to make rich men richer and powerful men more powerful.

Can I get an amen? AMEN! Preach the word.

I most admire writers who not only preach the word, but live it. Rachel's little homestead, Scott and Helen Nearing's self-sufficient half century, and Kingsolver's dedication to social and environmental justice through her work all lend weight to this notion of an honest life with a helluva lot of heart.

Everyone these days is clamoring about nooks and readers and godpads and all the digital goodness that can drop 14 million books into our laps at any given moment. Since I'm a reader and a grunt writer, I'm getting all kinds of pressure to purchase one of these electronic miracles. Just think of all the great stuff at my fingertips! I wouldn't have to lug a book or click through links on the web! Oh, the nirvana that could be reached!

I'm convinced the pressure from peers has more to do with their desire to justify the expense and lack of concern for the women and girls in the Congo who suffer so we can have shiny new electronic crap than it does about the actual wonder of the machines.

So, I take my cue from the Nearings and note that my quest for a good life requires that my values and behavior live in concert, "The most harmonious life is one in which theory and practice are unified." I don't want to support war lords or companies that can't be assed to source their materials responsibly. I don't want to spend money on some new gadget, simply because it's cool. My addiction to convenience has harmed me immensely. Our collective dependence on convenience has scarred the planet and our human family horribly (climate change and slave labor, anyone?). I can enjoy good writers for free and don't need to turn reading into yet another avenue for harm. I've got a computer and an internet connection. I've got a public library and a local book store. I don't want to just preach it, I want to live it. Surely that's enough?

Book Review: Twelve by Twelve

2011-06-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: I swear to the sweet baby Jesus, my next post will be all sweet and full of rainbow puppy kisses.)

Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream is supposed to be about how author William Powers adopts the lifestyle of Dr. Jackie Benton, who lives off the grid in a tiny house in the rural South, and the lessons he learns therein. The back of the book jacket reads, "This engrossing tale of Powers's struggle for a meaningful life with a smaller footprint proposes a paradigm shift to an elusive 'Soft World' with clues to personal happiness and global healing."

Twelve by Twelve has nothing, really, to do with living in a small structure. It's a navel gazing exercise by a well-intentioned man that just happens to occur, for a short stint, in a small structure. He does a fine job of tying the house to his meditative exercise, but it's pretty apparent early on that any venture outside the norm would likely provide the same results for the author. If you're interested in tiny house living, I'd suggest finding another book. If you like to wax poetic about dharma while ignoring the Dalai Llama's requests that you seek truth in your own traditions (I'm sorry, was that just too passive-aggressive, even for me?), then this book will blow your mind. The one saving grace is that his drivel is actually well written. Dude's a good writer. But for me? I thought it was a piece of crap.

By the way, I've decided to be more honest in my book reviews. Blog turned book authors, beware! I do realize that this will bring me some hate mail. Alas, I will survive.

Anyway, Powers tackles important issues--racism, elitism, globalism (pick your ism), yet is shockingly blind to his own racist and elitist ways. Well, not entirely blind. He does note once or twice the way in which he is a total douche but generally only when comparing himself to someone more disturbing. His characters go a little something like this: 12x12 owner, his personal and infallible guru; the girl he's sleeping with, breathtakingly beautiful picture of perfection (but not perfect enough to date long term); neighbors surrounding him, idiot rednecks who need to adopt his more enlightened and aware views of life.

I was most shocked by the manner in which he describes the folks who live near the 12x12. His disgust was palpable and his descriptions disturbingly elitist (all while he is getting in touch with his nature-man self, shredding ego. Oh, the irony!), yet he notes that neighbors read his work and would likely read the book. And it was obvious that he was utterly clueless about his elitist interpretations of them. If it all weren't so disturbing, it could have been comical--he rages against the machines of oppression and inequality while actively engaging in their most disturbing social manifestations.

Powers manages to stop short of calling anyone "skank trash" or "typical n-ggers," but we still get the gist. He's even kind enough at one point to suggest that a black community member "transform" the racism around him. How can he do that? Act like less of the stereotype that Powers has in his head around African Americans (fat, loud, booze loving, in case you're wondering. Go stereotypes! He manages not to associate this need for transformation for the booze loving white guy in the same scene). Yeah, that's right buddy. YOU fight racism by not acting like these stereotypes I carry around in my racist brain. Got it? It's not my job to transform fucked up ideas I have around people. 'Cuz the idiocy of bigots is always the responsibility of the victim. Right.

Jackass much? Did I mention the repeated Nazi comparisons he makes? 'Cuz you know you've reached the intellectual pinnacle when someone starts in with the Nazi comparisons.

Two-thirds of the way into the book, we learn he has a daughter that he has chosen not to fully parent. The remainder of the book focuses heavily on this melodrama of his choice to be a part-time dad and just how overwhelmingly painful it is. Thankfully, the mother did not make a similar choice, leaving the child to be raised by wolves. He spends ample time rationalizing his choice, seeking validation from the girl he's dating. I have to wonder, would she still be the ethereal beauty if she had said, "What the hell is wrong with you? You're spending all this time communing with nature and learning to just be while your daughter gets a phone father and her mother lifts the heavy weight? Um, how about you pull your head out of your ass?" Alas, so few women actually speak the truth to those they admire, but I digress.

The absentee parenting melodrama left me with this: I have a suggestion for ya, Powers. Go parent your kid and stop it with the navel gazing. Bam! Problem solved. No more ache over being an absent parent. (Seriously, dude? Seriously?)

I should have been able to like this book. It's a bunch of hippie dippie chatter written by a progressive liberal who is questioning his role in destructive paradigms. Tiny houses. Organic farming. Alternative communities. Genuine critique of the NGO movement from an insider. Self-exploration within the arms of Mama Earth.

But no. Instead of frank discussions about vitally important issues, I found a bunch of whining, self-indulgent, elitist twat blathering from an unaware, unenlightened, racist, offensive tool.

Family & Money: Chilluns

2011-06-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

(Quick note--I don't recall anyone saying they actually wanted the Green America membership. It gets you the National Green Pages, a quarterly newsletter with interesting stuff and more than likely some appeals for money. I can't do anything about the latter. Anyhoo, if you want the membership, leave a comment that includes the phrase "Gimme Green America" and I shall do a random drawing Friday at 5pm, PST.)

Since I excel at being grossly inappropriate, I thought I'd do a few posts on family and money. After all, nothing is quite as ripe for drama and uncomfortable discourse as family and money. So, let me get to the offending!

Let's begin this little trip with a discussion of finances and children. I should preface this by saying that I do not have kids. I have five nephews and four nieces, with another niece due in the next couple of days. (Booyah!) However, being an AWESOME auntie is not the same as being a parent. I get it. Yet, I'm still going to judge parental choices (like a jerk, I'm sure), because I think some things are glaringly obvious, even for a childless putz like me.

Here are some recent parenting gems I've witnessed:

1. Child shows up at front door with a police escort because he was caught shoplifting. No punishment ensues and the mother waxes poetic about how another boy caused her son to commit the crime. A few weeks later, the child is given a brand new car. The parents pay insurance and other related costs;

2. Single Mom has trouble paying the bills, lives paycheck to paycheck, has a hard time keeping a job (side note: her work is physically demanding and she has multiple health issues), and has horrendous credit which makes her life even more expensive and difficult. Her teenage daughter frequently has meltdowns and seems incapable of handling disappointment or frustration in a rational manner. During her tantrums, she will often launch into a verbal assault on her mother, dropping f-bombs and calling her mother a "bitch." Every time the child demands money to visit the mall or get a new tattoo, the mother coughs up cash; and

3. A middle class couple have several children. They are in substantial debt, live well beyond their means and try to remedy this every few years by selling many of the toys they have accumulated through debt. Each child has their own gaming system, television, cell phone and computer. The husband and wife keep a budget of sorts, but never talk about reducing spending or changing consumption habits. Their children have received absolutely no education about personal finance and are rarely, if ever, told that they cannot have a particular product.

I may or may not be related to these people.

The patterns I see as glaringly obvious here are denial and a lack of personal responsibility, which is then passed down to youngsters as normalized behavior.

I don't suggest for one moment that parenting is easy. It's not. It's so difficult, in fact, that I have chosen not to venture into those lands, because I am one lazy, self-absorbed mofo. I would suck at parenting. There are plenty of parents who do all the "right" (whatever that is) things and still end up with drug addicted kids who generally make life miserable.

But in scenarios one and two, that is not the case. Not making kids deal with the consequences of stealing or verbal abuse is crappy parenting. Turning around and buying a kid who is exhibiting bad behavior a new car or forking over cash only reinforces and encourages existing behavior. It's a gloriously expensive form of denial. It's denial about the reality of the child's behavior and values and denial about an overall parenting pattern that is actually harming these kids. But why deal with that when you can just buy the kid some more shit and hope it all just magically gets better in the face of a shiny new toy?

Scenario three is so common, it's become part of the fabric of (the quickly dwindling) middle class life. And it's not surprising. So few of us have any real knowledge about personal finance, how can we be expected to teach what we don't know to our kids? Yet riddle me this: The one thing we are all expected to do in this culture is participate in the market economy. So, why is personal finance not taught in public schools?

There are many trends in parenting that I think are fabulous. I'm not a big fan of spanking and am happy to see that it isn't as common as it was during my childhood. However, it seems that many parents today are more concerned with being their child's friend as opposed to parent and are so desperately concerned with encouraging self-esteem that they neglect to create appropriate boundaries. I think this is also largely due to the fact that we don't want to be grown-ups ourselves, so we stay in a perpetual state of adolescence, hanging out with the kids instead of parenting them. But in doing so, we are handing them a lifetime of living on the financial edge and the stress and fear that accompany it.

Here are some genuine radtastic parenting skills I've witnessed:

1. A mother requires that her children place 50% of each monetary gift they receive into savings. She encourages them to save up for "really cool" things they'd like to have instead of nickel and diming away their money on smaller things that don't offer as much long term appeal. As a result, her children are able to delay gratification, a trait that research as associated with success later in life;

2. Children are required to do household chores. No allowance is given, as the family believes that supporting the household is part of being a family. If the kids would like to earn money, they can choose from a list of extra chores that can be done for pay; and

3. A mother explains that the family must live within the budget, and therefore this particular toy cannot be purchased at this time. The child tries begging, manipulation and bargaining to no avail. The mother simply repeats herself, as if she is a broken record. The child then begins to throw a temper tantrum. The mother tells the punk that such behavior is unacceptable and walks away. The child eventually gives up and manages to live another day.

I might just be related to the above folks as well. Who knows? (ha!) What I see in common with the above behaviors is the teaching of boundaries and personal responsibility, which are the cornerstones of money management, in my humble but ever-so-correct opinion.

Some parenting decisions I'm not so sure about:

1. Paying for college, particularly if the parents are not fully funding their retirement accounts;

2. Purchasing automobiles and vacations abroad for teens, particularly if retirement accounts and savings are not fully funded; and

3. Spending tons of money on private/exclusive schools when perfectly adequate public schools exist. I'm particularly disturbed by pricey pre-schools.

Obviously all of the above, even the ridiculous bad parenting bits, are personal choices. But I am skeptical of taking care of big ticket items for children when parents haven't ensured their own security in old age. I think it's admirable to not want to saddle your child with student loan debt if you have the enormity of money required to fully fund retirement accounts, maintain adequate savings and take care of annual expenses. But if you don't, who is going to take up the slack if you are unable to work in your senior years? What if that pricy education doesn't result in a stellar, high paying career for your kids? What if, what if, what if.

Plenty of us managed to pay for college on our own through a variety of means, and the inroads provided by uber expensive private school educations generally require that such connections are already well established via family ties. The most recent study I read showed that only kids from very-low income families saw a marked improvement in earning potential by going to ivy league schools, because they likely made connections that would not have been even remotely possible otherwise. What is often neglected in these discussions is the very palpable disdain towards non-elites within ivy league environments. The uber rich cater largely to their own and find the entrusions of outsiders to be mildy offensive. (This is a generalization from personal experience working with wealthy folks. Pardon the stereotype.)

Paying for college is an excellent learning opportunity. Families can use college tuition as a long-term savings goal, much like children will need to do with retirement when they reach adulthood. Instead of paying the entire bill, parents, relatives and children can contribute to a college fund, learn about scholarships, schedule classes around a part-time work schedule and develop some credit history by taking out small loans.

Granted, this might all be moot when even state schools cost $14 million per year to attend.

The other two choices just seem frivilous, potentially feeding the beast of entitlement. Public transit and shared automobiles teach a great deal more about cooperate living than having a single-owner car. Vacations abroad are wonderful, but kids can help pay their way, stay in hostels, choose less beaten and therefore cheaper paths, etc.

And finally, really? Private, expensive pre-schools? Are you kidding me? Can we just let kids be kids without needing to force Do More Get Ahead Compete! Compete! Compete! on them while they're finger painting?

The Cash Challenge

2011-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time (yanno that all awesome stories start out this way, right?), my "cash challenge" consisted of being in actual possession of cash. For many, many moons, children, I was one broke ass mofo who handled money like an ever-luvin' idiot. Unfortunately, I'm still an idiot, but at least I've gotten a lot better with this money thing.

After ranting for the 4 millionth time about credit card companies and receiving a thought-provoking comment from Ms. Catherine over at the American Dream Finder (check out her awesome essay Disposable Nation), I've decided to give myself a new cash challenge.

Studies have shown that when folks pay with credit cards, even if we pay said credit card balances in full every month, we tend to spend more than if we paid in cash. Some folks, myself included, note that we track our spending, are smart about our pennies and use credit cards to get cash back and other perks, so using credit cards is a smart thing for us. Granted, we're in the minority, but that just makes us even groovier.

Or does it? Dave Ramsey claims that there is no positive side to credit card use. He uses a crazy example of buying a quickly depreciating car with a credit card, which seems a bit outlandish, but I get his point--are we spending money on irrational crap just for that cash back or other perk? He also notes a study where people spent 47% more at McDonalds when they paid with a credit card. That's just wrong in so many ways, I don't know where to start. (For a hilarious read on how to write a break up letter to your credit card, check out this gem over at Ramsey's site.)

Instead of arguing with Ramsey, I've decided to go on a cash diet for two months to see if I actually reduce my spending. For those things that I have to use some form of plastic for (e.g., plane tickets or an online retailer with a product I can't find in a local shop), I'll just use my handy debit card, which is attached to my credit union, not some monolithic mega bank beast. 'Cuz really? It's not the credit cards I hate as much as the We-Will-Wreck-This-Economy-If-You-Don't-Bail-Us-Out thugs. But, I digress.

So, for the months of June and July, I'll be playing cash pretty. I do have some recurring charitable contributions that I have placed on a "rewards" card that I'm not going to change at this point, but those will be the only items to go on the plastic demon.

I suspect that I will end up spending less, because I absolutely hate using my debit card to pay for items. For some odd reason, I prefer to pay a lump monthly credit card bill instead of watching the money slowly drip from my account with various unnecessary purchases (etsy, I'm looking at you). Also? Cash is much prettier divvied up in my accordion holder than it is in someone's cash register. But who knows? Perhaps I'll whip those greenbacks out, delighted to spend away. I am, as previously noted, an idiot.

I track my spending faithfully, so I always know where it's going. Over the next two months, I'll note whether it was a cash or debit card purchase and report back. Perhaps I'll become a convert and use cash only like Catherine? Or maybe I'll find real value in those little "reward" perks in the perils of plastic. We'll see.

Anyone out there ever performed such an experiment on your own spending habits? What was your experience like?

Transit Tales

2011-05-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

At first, the killing of my car and taking of public transit was all roses and sweetness. A lovely woman literally held my hand as she walked me from one platform to the next, helping me find my way. Chivalrous men frequently get up to give me their seats. I have had countless friendly encounters with the kindest people. And lo! The money I have saved from not having to pay for auto upkeep. I was able to get out of credit card debt! Praise the sweet lord.

Well, kiss that shit goodbye. Ok, perhaps not entirely. But really? It's starting to get ugly, folks. Not oh-I'd-better-buy-a-car-ugly, but more along the lines of people-are-really-effing-annoying ugly. Let me share a handful of my transit tales with you, because if you're going to Go Metro, children, you should have a complete picture of what you're getting yourself into.

Scene 1
I'm sitting reading a book, as I always do, while I wait for my second train. I feel a slightly strange sensation and look up to see a rather freakish looking woman staring at me. I turn back to my book, eventually getting up to stand closer to the tracks.

A few moments later, the woman waddles over to me with the help of her walker. She is dishelved looking, very fat, wearing glasses circa 1980 that are taped together. I would assume that she is homeless, but she appears to have a helper with her, which a homeless person could likely not afford. Basically, I'm trying to convince myself she's ok in the world. My concern quickly vanishes.

"May I offer you some advice?" she asks.
"Uh, sure."
Her posture straightens slightly. "Do you know what I'd like to advise you about?"
"Um...nope."
Her expression changes and conveys an air of haughtiness as she says, in the most condescending voice possible, "You really don't know what I want to advise you on?"
I'm baffled. I was reading a book. Reading? Does she want to talk to me about books?
"Uh...nope." I shrug.
"I was once like you."
Again, say what? A reader? A...um...huh? I shake my head and raise my eyebrows in the universal nonverbal I Have No Idea What's Going On expression.
"I was once overweight."
Oh god. Really? And what's with this "once" shit, heifer? Have you looked in the mirror today?
"Uh, no. I'm not interested." I give her a dismissive, run-along-now-dear hand wave.
"Well, well, it's really quite simple," she says in absolute shock.
"Really. Thank. You. I'm not interested." I give a nice eye roll, shame-on-you head shake and she slowly sulks back to the bench.

This is not the last time a crazy fat lady will try to give me weight loss advice on the metro. Ah, irony.

Scene 2:
I've made it to the final leg of my journey to work without any unpleasant encounters. We're almost there, children! As I hop on the bus and make my way to the back, I notice the familiar scent of homeless person funk.

Let me first clarify: Plenty of folks are homeless who shower at friend's houses and/or do anything they can to ensure that they are clean and well presented. Plenty of folks are homeless who you would never suspect to be so. However, there is a contingent of homeless folks that are chronically so, usually mentally ill and are either unable or unwilling to use resources available to help them. This is usually the image of homelessness that folks have in their heads, despite the fact that it is only part of the picture. Having said that, if you have lived in an urban area or worked with chronically homeless folks, you know the scent I'm talking about.

So, back to our story. I smell the familiar scent but see no one on the bus who fits the usual description. He or she must have left at a recent stop. I find a seat and plop myself down, only to feel a *moist* sensation on my tush. It stays with me all day.

Scene 3
I'm reading a book (yet again!), waiting for the train. An extremely old man, complete with cloudy cataract eyes, stands in front of me and asks me what I'm reading. (Graceful Simplicity: Toward a Philosophy and Politics of Simple Living by Jerome Segal. So far? God, it's awful, but I'm forcing myself to finish it.) We discuss books briefly and he makes disparaging remarks about every author I mention. But hey, he's an old guy, and we gotta respect our elders' right to be crabs, yanno?

Just as the train pulls up and I begin to pack my things, a panicked look crosses his face and he says, "Boy, I wish we could talk more. You're beautiful!"

In a flash, he grabs my head in both of his hands, pulls me toward him and plants a big, rough, creepy kiss on my forehead. Shocked and completely freaked out, I jump up and dash to the train. I can hear him following behind. Although there are several open seats, I ask a woman to move her things so I can sit down next to her. She is visibly irritated and gives me multiple dirty looks. I have never been so grateful for someone's bitchy demeanor in my life.

I vow that if I see that old man and he comes at me again, I will drop kick him in the balls, straight into the train tracks.

And finally, a scene from a coworker's recent experience:

A panhandler is moving up and down the train, asking people for money. She stops in front of a woman who has all the classic characteristics of a crack head and asks for some change.

The strung out woman responds, "No I ain't got money. You askin' people for money in this economy? Sell ya ass, bitch!"

Timeless advice.

Wanna save the environment and a punch to your wallet? Go Metro!

Mega Banks Getting Bigger & a Green America Give Away

2011-05-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've complained mightily about mega banks and their evil ways, so I'll spare you another lengthy diatribe on the subject. (Go here or here or here if you are truly bored and need to read that ranting or find a few gazillion resources for socially responsible banking. But fear not! I'll include some here as well). Last year, I finally decided to do more than talk. I kicked my mega bank to the curb and signed up with a local credit union for my checking account (use this database or this one to find a local credit union near you) and a community reinvestment bank offering a decent yield for my savings account. Ah, relief! Finally! The big, evil bastards were not getting their dirty mitts on my money.

Well, not exactly. I managed to pay off all my credit card debt and decided that I would use a cash back card, essentially getting paid to use a credit card. I pay the balance in full every month, don't use it with local vendors so that they won't need to pay the associated fees, and receive a nice bit of cash back. Bam! Take that, demons! You pay me now!

Well, imagine my horror when I checked my bank statement and noticed that my Discover card payment no longer said "discover card services" but read "bank of america web discover card." Say what? Does Bank of America now own Discover card? Please say no. How big can this beast get?

I can't seem to find any information on the subject. Was there a merger? Is my credit union just using some funky electronic bill pay system that is connected to Bank of America? (Surely not!) What's going on here, people?! Does anyone out there in cyberland know?

In my neurotic panic, I started to wonder if perhaps I should not be so concerned about getting a couple hundred dollars a year in exchange for continuing to feed a beast. Perhaps I could stop using credit cards all together or find one that supports a cause I believe in. The big banks have affinity cards that direct a small portion of fees to support non-profit organizations, but there are also smaller, socially responsible banks that have affinity credit cards.

Green America has written a few articles about socially responsible credit cards and with some pretty good detail on the size of banks offering the cards and their various connections (of course Green America even has one of their own affinity cards). They also have a great guide on community investing you can download for more info, including credit card goodies.

I'll keep plugging away to see if BofA has become an even greater giant, but in the end, it doesn't really matter. I don't want to support mega banks with my dollars. Yes, even if they pay me to do it. (When it smarts and I think of losing that "free" money, I keep reminding myself that these jerks make a lot of money off the ignorance, pain and suffering of others. I don't want to make money from the suffering of my peeps.) So, it's time to transfer yet another portion of my financial life to a more responsible company, which means that I will be choosing an affinity credit card from the lists that Green America provides.

I've been a member of Green America for several years and greatly appreciate their resources. Yes, I am the crab of the century and yes they have annoyed me with cross marketing idiocy (also? Green America? Your newsletter editor cannot be the source you repeatedly cite for stories. Seriously. Get some freakin' experts in the fields that you are writing about to chime in more often, mmmkay?). But overall, I think they're a great little organization.

It's way past time for me to send in my annual renewal, but I managed to find a free membership in an old Green America "time to renew" mailing. There isn't a due date on it, so it should still be good. Anyone interested in getting a free membership? A reader from many moons ago provided me with a free membership and I've absolutely loved it and the work that Green America does. So, if you're interested, leave a comment to let me know that you'd like the freebie membership. If we get more than one person, I'll do the ol' random drawing thing.

How do you bank? Do you use credit cards? Are you in credit card debt? How do you feel about the mega bank beast?

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

2011-05-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

In light of my recent rant (see post below) about an article in the New York Times that disparaged thrift, I thought I might try to be a bit more positive. I couldn't muster it. Thankfully, J.N. Urbanski managed to do so and actually saw a bit of positivity in the article I complained mightily about. Check out her interesting take, Apathy.

Wait, that title doesn't sound so positive. Don't be fooled. She notes that earning more money can actually be a good thing if we're stuck in a rut. Focusing all that energy on creating new avenues of cash can inspire us to take action on a life dream instead of sitting at a desk, watching the clock.

So, ok. Good point. Sometimes, trying to make more money can actually be a beneficial thing. But since I am the way I am, I would just add--you don't have to monetize everything to give it legitimacy. And then of course, I need to complain some more. One day, children, I will be all rainbows and puppy kisses. One day!

Urbanski also notes that we, collectively, don't want to know how much we spend. It's part of why we live beyond our means. We don't want to balance the checkbook, create a budget or learn to live within our means. According to the NY Times article, asking us to have this kind of basic financial literacy requires too much of us. It's too great of a cost (seriously? I don't know whether to laugh or punch him in the face over that statement).

In the end, I think it all boils down to this: We don't want to grow up. Being an adult is a pain in the ass. It takes effort and requires a great deal of energy and focus. And who can blame us? The vast majority of our adult life is spent working, commuting to and from work, prepping for work, getting advanced degrees for work, learning how to navigate the corporate culture at work, __________ (fill in your work-related activity of choice). Basically, work eats our lives. Unless you are one of the handful of people on this planet who are in a constant state of bliss over your vocation, you probably wish you worked less and had more time to hang out with those you love, run through sprinklers or generally lay about, watching dust particles dance in sunlight.

There's a great deal of talk about work-life balance. Can we all be honest for a moment? It's not about balance at all. It's about finding ways to carve out a slivers of me time from the clutches of work time. Very few places of employment allow job sharing, reduced hours, results-only schedules, etc. Well, maybe Portland does, since it seems to be the new Mecca, but for those of us living in the rest of the country, alternative work environments are still incredibly rare. The shackles of workplace presence over productivity have yet to be lifted, despite the fact that very few of us are working in factories or manufacturing (i.e., places where the assembly line requires actual bodies during production).

So, of course we don't want to pay attention to how we spend. Of course we don't want another layer of responsibility thrown on an already overtaxed life.

Let me interject, lest you think I've lost my mind. We are also incredibly lucky and very little of what many of us do could really be considered labor. Lord knows my fat ass isn't out in fields, hunched over, picking tomatoes for ten cents a bushel. My grandfather lost a leg in WWII and a few fingers from his work on the farm. Me? I get back pain from sitting too long. Oh, the horror. (Pardon me while I roll my eyes.)

But our relative ease at work (well, those of us not busting our butts in the fields or restocking shelves, etc.) doesn't change the fact that work eats the vast majority of our lives. Yet for some reason, this handing over of our power doesn't cause us to rise up and take it back. Instead, we allow the never ending treadmill of work-consume-work-consume, with a dash of debt if we're truly a good Americans, to run the show.

The simple fact that work does eat our lives, no matter how great (or awful) that work might be, should give us pause enough to realize that the only way we can get our lives back is to begin to take full responsibility for them. Only when we pay careful attention to our actions, particularly our spending, can we find ways to get off the treadmill. Only by fully accepting this added burden of adulthood will we be able to bust free from our shackles and act like kids again, with huge chunks of time free to do with as we please instead of handing them over for a few measly bucks.

Ok, I promise to stop complaining about that article and will embrace Urbanski's positive take: At least focusing on earning more can help get you out of a rut.

Earn or Save? The False Dichotomy

2011-05-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Several bloggers have chimed in on this already, but since it made its way into yahell news and a friend asked my opinion, I figured I'd ~~rage about~~ comment on it here.

Ramit Sethi had a recent article in The New York Times which essentially dissed thrift and exalted earning. It's a classic argument. Unfortunately, it's a false dichotomy.

It is possible to both save and earn more. I would argue that done in conjunction, earning more and cutting back and therefore saving more are the double whammy of personal finance. Kind of a no-brainer, eh?

I don't mean to make you panic here, but I also have a really radical "other" option. Ready? It's possible to be *gasp* satisfied with what you currently earn. Shut your mouth! This is America, heifer! More is better! Go big or go home!

Alright then. I'll go home. Well, after I've griped some more.

Sethi's article touches on something pretty significant that he probably didn't intend. Take a gander at this portion of the article which notes a series of cut backs in spending:

Not bad. $400 saved. But at what cost? Each morning, Jack has to decide if can buy that latte. He has to consciously cancel his cable. He has to decide if he can afford that dinner out. On and on -- and he has to do this every month.

OH. MY. GOD. THE COST! The cost! Migrant farm workers don't have to suffer like this; why should Jack? He has to be cognizant of his decisions EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH? He can't just walk around in a stupor, spending money on stupid shit he doesn't need? You mean, it's just too much of a hassle to be conscious? To ask if something has genuine value before Jack plunks a dollar down? To pay attention to his actions? I mean, imagine the horror if Jack were to grow a soul and started asking really complicated questions, such as, "Do I want to spend money on this latte when I'm not sure if the farmers were paid a fair wage?" What about, "Is this disposable cup really necessary? I mean, I did order this coffee to drink inside the shop."

Well, crap on a spatula! That's just too much to handle. Go ahead and shut that brain off, Jack! Being fully awake and present is just far too much to ask of a human being. Well, maybe a human being with a rather outsized and damaging sense of entitlement, to be more accurate.

Sethi continues with

Cutting back may be easier for the first month. But it's likely unsustainable. After all, there's a limit to how much you can save. But there's no limit to how much you can earn.

Of course. Behaving in the world as if you are actually an alive, breathing, thinking human being is completely unsustainable. Behavior change? Totally unrealistic. Jump in that Hummer, wolf down that CAFO meat, buy that tech gagdet mined on the blood and broken bodies of women, and carry on! No need to change a thing! That's just unsustainable.

Seriously, dude? Seriously? Seriously.

And secondly? Of course there is a limit to what you can earn. There are only so many hours in a day, so many people willing to buy what you're selling, so much energy you have to expend, and (hopefully) so many boundaries you're willing cross. Regardless of what faux spirituality folks like to spew, the material world has limits. Sometimes, it's a good idea to respect them. When we don't, horrible crap happens (see: climate change).

Further, can we please all stop talking about earning more as if it's some effortless joy ride that takes absolutely no time? Sethi's right. You'll have no problem finding someone who will pay top dollar for whatever you're selling, because we outsource virtually every aspect of our lives. But don't forget that you have to do the preliminary (sometimes constant) unpaid work of hustling for clients, maintaining those relationships and actually doing the work. Your reward? Less time to do with as you please and a portion of your earnings will be given to Uncle Sam to be spent in ways that will infuriate you.

The beauty of investing money you've saved from downshifting? It's not taxed and more often than not, you don't have to hand over massive chunks of your life (AKA time) to get it. It's usually a two-second decision that goes a little something like this: OMG! Look at that totally adorable Princess Kneesa ewok doll! My mom threw mine away when I was a kid. Damn her! (Seriously, she did. And I totally want that doll.) Wait, what? Oh fortheloveofallthat'sholy, you don't need a silly stuffed animal. Go read a library book, you dork.

Bam! Done. No hustling, taxing or time needed.

I argue that more than likely, the process of earning money is already taking up the vast majority of your life. Does it really deserve more? Research shows that the more we earn, the more we spend. Will you fall into that trap as well if you focus all your efforts on earning more? What does it say about us if being cognizant of our spending behavior is simply too taxing?

I'm not suggesting that earning extra money is a bad thing. Or that downshifting is always easy. It's just that earning more money is not some effortless panacea that will cure all that ails. Nor is cutting back on spending the only way to gain financial independence. There is no dichotomy. You can do both and blend the best of both worlds.

Personally, I find that I have more than I need and downshifting/living frugally has given me a greater awareness of my actions, helped me to live in better alignment with my values and has made the process of earning more as I age and move up in my career all that more valuable, because I'm not wasting money on silly crap. (Well, not as much, anyway.) Turns out, behaving like the conscious living instead of the living dead is more than just sustainable; it's the key to being a decent human.

Shaming Us Into Spending

2011-05-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

Most advertisements I've seen throughout my short time here on earth promise that if you buy a product, you will be projected into a much-coveted lifestyle or that you'll get laid. I never knew that simply changing toothpaste could so easily lead to orgasm with a gorgeous partner until television showed me the way. So far, no product has led me into the land of a Glittering Life or Constant Hot Ass. But who knows? Maybe I'll find both in the next purchase! Keep shopping, children! Happiness is just around the corner!

Apparently, enticing us with carrots simply isn't working anymore. Sure, we've had plenty of ads suggesting that to age is to be repulsive, so we should slather ourselves in some fictional fountain of youth. But even the idiocy of these hope-for-infancy ads seems to be dwindling (seriously? Do they not understand that the opposite of aging is death?) in favor of something far more absurd: Shame.

Two ads I've seen recently that make my blood boil are for a car and a phone. In one advert, a toe-headed child struts about with a cocky attitude, telling his parents that they shouldn't be so lame as to not own a particular brand of car. He sympathizes with other children and their shameful parents, who are painful dorks driving embarrassing cars (read: any car other than the one being promoted). In this ad, a child is dictating what the parents should buy and basing the decision for an extremely expensive purchase on "coolness" and how other people will perceive them. 'Cuz kids should always dictate family finances and major decisions should always be about what strangers will think, right?

The second ad that chaps my ass is for a phone company. A man is headed to a job interview, surrounded by puppets singing a tune of support. He carries with him a huge, pink phone that appears to be made for a child. When he meets the woman who is to interview him, he is in the middle of a conversation on this terribly shameful child's phone. He asks, "Can't I get a grownup phone without a contract?" A grownup phone apparently equates one that doesn't flip open. Got it.

I refuse to support companies whose advertisements attempt to belittle or shame people. If the Dove company can sell products, most of which are perfectly useless, on the basis of positivity about aging and our bodies through the Campaign for Real Beauty, any company can manage to sell us their crap in a respectful manner. Preying on fears pisses me off. Using children to manipulate parents is outrageous. Suggesting that children should control family finances is absurd. Insinuating that a particular phone equates adulthood and employability is idiotic.

Yet here's the rub--advertisers use what works. They spend billions figuring out what makes us tick and how they can most effectively manipulate us into buying their products. Dove's campaign arose out of research indicating that women were tired of hearing about how fundamentally flawed they were. Apparently, parents feel inadequate and people on pay-as-you-go phone plans want to look like the other kids. But instead of selling us these products in a respectful way, the companies have chosen to poke our soft spots of fear and shame.

It will likely work. How I wish it wouldn't. How I wish that every time Carl's Jr. equates a hunk of hamburger with sex with a half-naked woman, their sales would plummet (they don't; they increase markedly, which is why they continue with their misogynist crap). I wish that parents would write this car company en mass, complaining that their ads are offensive. I want us to stop continually upgrading to newer and fancier gadgets, without thinking about the human and environmental toll, simply so that we can be cool and/or have the same crap everyone else has. How I wish we'd get a collective backbone and stop acting like cows to the slaughter, consistently mooing our way into debt and environmental destruction based on advertising agencies' painful prods.

In the end, I suppose the best thing I, or anyone else, could do is simple: Just turn off the goddamned TV.

Ending Poverty

2011-04-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

(This is a long one. Sorry!)

A wonderful reader recently asked me to review the book The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by Peter Singer. I would like to kiss her glorious cheek for introducing me to this lovely, simple little book. It provides a compelling argument for the power of average folks to impact the lives of people they will never meet and asks so very little of the reader, it's virtually impossible not to jump on board. It provided me with the inspiration I needed to be more intentional about my giving and to get honest about the ways in which I am an absolutely hypocritical asshat. The beauty of finally admitting the truth? I can free myself from my idiotic behavior. Well, at least this part of it, 'cuz lawd knows my idiocy is epic.

But since this is me typing, there will be plenty of bitching about the book. 'Cuz that's how I roll, folks! But first, let me lay out the good stuff. I should preface this by saying that I believe the universe/god/morality/basic decency/whatever compels those of us who have more than we need (if you're reading this on a computer screen in a place that has electricity, you have more than you need) to give our excess riches to those who do not have enough. So, I am starting from a place in which I am in total agreement with Singer. Were I a "bootstraps" theory person who thinks that origin of birth and other random circumstances have no affect on the individual, I might think that giving to the poor is a bad idea. But let's be honest--I may be an asshole, but I'm not a stupid asshole.

Singer advocates that we give the bulk, if not all, of our charitable giving to alleviate extreme poverty. By extreme poverty, he means the kind of poverty that kills. The first half of the book provides ample statistics on poverty and charitable giving (note: Americans are not as generous as we think, as the majority of our gifts go to houses of worship and academia) and addresses the many arguments against charitable giving. Singer gives rational responses to seemingly rational objections, calling out the faults in logic.

He also manages to make some painful points before launching into the second half of the book, where he provides a plan of giving that is attainable for virtually everyone. He asserts that it is quite possible that if you spend money on silly things while people are literally dying from easily remedied conditions of poverty, you might not be a good person.

That notion stopped me dead in my tracks. I have always donated to charity, harped on how important it is to give and have spent my adult life working in the non-profit sector. I'm a good person, dammit! But then I looked at the amount I have spent eating out (crap) over the past few months. I was horrified to note that it was more than I spent on charitable giving. Three months of eating out surpassed an entire year of donations.

We can argue for days about whether or not that makes me a good or bad person. But where I find no argument is in the reality that when our actions are in direct opposition to our values, we can find no peace. That incongruence will eat at joy. There's a reason I have been irritated by my excessive spending on crap food: it goes against many of my most cherished values. Most importantly, it demonstrates that although I talk a good game, I care more about eating crap than the very lives of other members of my human family. This isn't a matter of spending more on housing than charity. No, no. This is about spending money on some stupid, gross thing while people die. Is that who I am, really?

If you're anything like me, you quickly dismiss such notions and mumble a few rationalizations and move quickly along. But the older I get, the less interested in am in bullshitting myself. Life is short, so why spend any of it in a delusional fog where chatter is more relevant than action? So, I had to ask myself: Are you going to be a person who consistently makes choices that are in direct opposition to your values? Are you going to be a person who lies about her values? (Because if actions aren't in line with values, the values are a lie.) Or are you going to ovary-up and change the way you live?

I'm opting for the latter. Grab those fallopian tubes, sisters (cahones for my brothers)! It's time to get real. (Thank you, blessed reader and Singer, for helping me return to center.)

To do so, I followed Singer's plan (paraphrasing here):
1. Visit TheLifeYouCanSave.com
and pledge to meet the standard (more on this in a sec);
2. Choose which organizations you want to support;
3. Figure out how much you want to give (Singer gives you a calculator to help figure it out);
4. Tell others about it (blog it, people!);
5. See about employer matches or ask to start a designated giving campaign at work;
6. Contact your representatives and demand that aid be sent to the world's poorest people (Singer doesn't go into detail about how much of our government aid is tainted or given to private multinationals); and
7. You did it. Feel good about being part of the solution.

Singer's suggested giving amounts are shockingly low. His calculator suggested I give less than half of what I was donating annually. He asks folks making well into the six figures to donate 5%. The rest of us he asks for about 1%. That's it. Give up a few coffees, a meal or two out and bam--you're there. It is amazing how shockingly little it really takes to help.

Since I give so much to artery clogging fake food, I thought I should pretend that I'm richer than I am and cough up the 5% to those orgs that help folks in extreme poverty. The rest of my giving equates about 10% of my gross salary. My long term goal is to save 50%, live on 20% and give away 30% of my salary. I'll keep ya posted on that front.

The organizations I chose to support:
African Well Fund
Worldwide Fistula Fund
Heifer International
The Hunger Project
Oxfam America

Before I launch into my bitching brigade, I hope that you will join me in pledging at least 1% of your salary to helping the world's poorest people. If you don't sign up through Singer's site or think you can give even more of your time and/or money, check out FairShare International or Bolder Giving (of the 50% League fame). Now, onto the complaints.

Singer has a bit of hero worship going on with men who are, in my humble-but-ever-so-correct opinion, douchebags. He frequently sites Jeffrey Sachs, who is a guru to folks like Bono (the Red Campaign or Shop Your Way to Charitable Giving is a Sachs' creation, but I won't bitch about that now!) and free-market devotees. Sachs has a sordid history he conveniently ignores (check out The Shock Doctrine for disturbing detail) and is a big fan of trickledown economics. Trickledown is bullshit. The only thing it has done is increase economic disparity and concentrates the vast majority of global wealth into the hands of a few. Sachs' fame and adoration is a farce, regardless of his post apocalyptic kinder leanings.

He also asserts that we should praise men like Bill Gates who give more generously than their counterparts. I agree. However, I don't believe we should turn a blind eye on Gates' more heinous business behavior and blatant hypocrisy (let's lift all boats, as long as it doesn't interfere with Microsoft's global dominance). Sure, praise the good stuff but call out the bullshit. He does the same with Rick Warren at one point, stating that Warren claimed to no longer be interested in culture wars after seeing extreme poverty abroad. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you are gay, cohabitating while unmarried, or any number of other "evils," you cannot join his church. He advocated mightily for a discriminatory measure against the rights of gays and lesbians. His church spent MILLIONS of dollars on their campus, recreating a symbolic "river of Jordan" in concrete, building a youth center complete with countless expensive arcade games (his staff justify it all as "growth"), and has placed a policy where any non-profit that works with his church cannot ask for money. I won't tell you the drama I had to go through while working with his church when I was on staff at a non-profit in Orange County.

Singer may have chosen to avoid these sensitive topics because they didn't address the central point he was trying to make: Just give. But if he wants folks to get honest about how they spend their money and what they value, I think it's important not to put douchebags with some redeeming qualities on a pedestal. It would be far more compelling to talk about people who may have less fame but better track records at living with integrity.

He also bases the percentages (from net or gross income) on what we should give, in part, on whether or not our governments allow us to deduct charitable contributions. What he neglects to note, however, is that only a portion of charitable giving is tax deductible. For those of us who spend virtually nothing and therefore do not itemize, it would probably be wiser to base our giving on net as opposed to gross income. However, Singer's percentages of what most of us should give are so low that it probably isn't that much of a difference.

Finally, he makes a brief nod to the fact that some people are simply strapped, due to a variety of reasons, and may not be able to give as much. I know folks who are drowning in debt who give large portions to charity. Many of them claim they receive more money as a result. I don't buy this, primarily because they stay in a perpetual debt cycle. It serves no one to remain deeply in debt while giving generously. I think it's important to give, always, but if you are heavily burdened by debt, make that contribution $10 or $20 a month and focus the rest of your money on getting out of debt. The sooner you get out of debt, the faster you can take that 20% you were giving to interest payments to the poor. You'll give far more over your lifetime if you stop feeding the debt machine.

Despite my ranting, I think this book is a useful tool for transformation. If I could, I'd give every person living in affluent nations a copy of Your Money or Your Life and The Life You Can Save. Both ask us to get our spending in line with our values. Your Money or Your Life shows readers how to manage money and create a values-based spending plan while The Life You Can Save shows us how to create a values-based giving plan. Both offer practical solutions and call us to be our best selves.

After reevaluating my spending, getting honest about what that spending truly means, increasing my giving and signing up as a new donor to several amazing organizations, I feel a mix of joy and relief. It's just one more step on the path to living authentically and I couldn't be more grateful for the freedom that brings.

BAG IT is your life too plastic? and Waste Land

2011-04-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

I've spent a gloriously lazy Sunday laying on the couch, reading and watching PBS. These soothing activities make the pain of having to return to work tomorrow seem less depressing. No, wait. I mean that they make me even more grateful for my very lovely job. (Really, I do like my job. I'm just a lazy bastard.)

PBS is always good for a little inspiration, particularly when it comes to documentaries. Since we just celebrated Earth Day, several of their offerings have centered on the choices we make and their environmental, and ultimately human, impact. Two recent featured films I absolutely loved and think deserve your time were bag it: is your life too plastic? and Waste Land.

bag it follows one highly entertaining man on his journey to see what is up with all these damned plastic bags surrounding us. As he learns more about the ubiquitous plastic bag, he stumbles into the disturbing world of "stupid plastics." Yanno, those single use items that take millions of tons of barrels of oil to produce only so that we can use them, maybe, for a few minutes before we toss them into a landfill where they will live and leech toxins for eternity. The film features all our favorite folks: Annie Leonard of The Story of Stuff fame, Beth Terry from Fake Plastic Fish (now called My Plastic Free Life, but I like the old name better!), countless scientists and even a movie star for good measure.

For those of us familiar with the toxic elements found in many plastics, the bat shit absurdity of single use items, and the excessive waste found in packaging, this documentary doesn't offer a great deal of new information. But I do like that it ties multiple issues together, such as the effects of BPA and other chemicals found in plastics on human health (diabetes, autism and a smaller penis, anyone?), the harm to bird and sea life due to the shit ton (a technical term) of plastic in our oceans, the toxic working and living conditions of Chinese workers who sift through our "recyclable" plastic trash that we send abroad, etc.

But most of all, this little film packs a lot of information into one seriously entertaining small chunk of time and offers simple solutions: REDUCE (ferfuckssake), REUSE, *then* recycle; bring your own containers; stop buying crap you don't really need AKA reduce (the world will not end, I promise); and get involved. At the end of the documentary, we see our hilarious hero starting a petition to get his city to adopt a law where folks must pay to use a plastic bag, which has proven to be a very successful method to reduce plastic bag consumption in other countries. The message of the film was clear: We have power to do something about the amount of plastic in our lives, landfills and oceans. So, let's get on that, shall we?

The second film, Waste Land, also focuses on garbage. The documentary follows Vik Muniz, a Brooklyn-based artist who was born in Brazil. Muniz travels to Jardim Gramacho, one of the largest landfills in the world, to shoot portraits of catadores (trash pickers) who make their living sifting through mountains of refuse for recyclables. The documentary addresses our planet and how we continue to abuse it, but where it becomes inspiring is in how Muniz invites the catadores into a collaborative project and how that partnership dramatically changes their lives.

Muniz takes portrait photos of six catadores and blows them up on a massive scale in a hangar-size studio, using garbage culled from the dump to recreate the images. His collaborators help him craft the portraits and he takes yet another photo of the assemblage pieces. The large-format photographs are then taken to a London gallery, with the proceeds from sales going back to the catadores.

The workers featured in the photos (ok, save one girl who was all about her "look" ha!) gave voice to the connections between their photos and their work far better than I ever could. It's an absolutely beautiful story. Muniz dissolves any pretense of superiority between his (currently) affluent self and the poverty-stricken folks he collaborates with. So often in "charitable" work, I've seen the haves behave in a decidedly douchetastic way towards those they help. I didn't see one ounce of that in Muniz, although some of the artist's friends did express shockingly absurd ideas (e.g., the catadores will not be able to handle flying on a plane or seeing how wealthier individuals live. Yes, seriously). The transformations that the catadores/recylcers experience was just so moving. Yes, I cried.

Both films demonstrate not only the harm of our excessive consumption but the power of an individual to create change. They have inspired me to continue on my path of reduced consumption, to learn more about how I can cut more plastic out of my life, and how I can support artists and organizations that use their work to improve the lives of others in our little global human family.

Have you seen these films? Have you seen other inspirational stories we should know about? Have you witnessed art transform entire communities? Has an artist's work ever motivated you to change? Sculptor Marsha Gomez, of Madre del Mundo fame, was my first introduction of the power of activist art. Who helped open your eyes to the power of art and the individual to challenge destructive paradigms?

Thanks & A Horror Story (or Why Naturopaths Don't Suck)

2011-04-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

First, the gracias. Kim over at Our Daily Green and J.N. over at WAKE UP TO FRUGALITY! both kindly bestowed a Versatile Blogger Award upon yours truly. Ain't that nice?

There are rules that I'm supposed to follow in accepting this kindness, but since I am an asshole, I'm not going to follow them (no good deed goes unpunished, people!). But I would strongly encourage you to run over to their blogs and check out their work and the work of folks they've highlighted. Some nifty stuff there.

Now that we have the kindness out of the way, it's time to spin a horror tale that will quite possibly make you pass out. Or hurl. Or both. I need to warn you, however, that this tale involves the UTERUS (run, children! Run!) and its relationship to conventional and alternative medicine. If horror tales involving uteruses (uteri?) frighten you, for the love of all that is holy, hit "next blog" and save yourself.

Yanno how folks are always bitching about how people reveal too much of themselves online and know no shame and how it's all so disgraceful? I completely agree. Now, I'm going to do just that.

I am blessed with a lovely job that provides health insurance, which is a good thing, because I have a friendly metabolic disorder that wreaks havoc on occasion. It has caused problems with my reproductive system for a couple of decades but hadn't caused any major damage until a couple of years ago. Then, oh children, things got ugly.

I'll spare you the goriest of details, lest I give you nightmares. But let's just say that over the course of a year, my apartment frequently looked like a crime scene, I often asked myself Is this a period or am I hemorrhaging? Should I go to the hospital?, and my ability to function in the world was greatly diminished. It got gnarly, dudes. GNARLY.

Being a frugally minded person, I opted for the least expensive HMO plan. In hindsight, that probably wasn't the best idea, given that I have an issue or two in the health arena. When I was finally able to secure an appointment with my new HMO docs, my primary care physician informed me that she didn't deal with "that area" (run children! Run!), had no interest in being informed about this epic health issue, and promptly sent me upstairs to an OB/GYN. Yanno, in a couple of months when I could land an appointment. When I voiced concern over the fact that I could quite possibly bleed to death in the process (months of a 24/7 crime scene, my friends) and should we check me for low iron or something of that nature, she said, "Oh, you look fine" and sent me home.

The OB/GYN shared my primary care doc's "ya look fine" diagnostic wizardry and opted to explain only one option to me to stop the torrent. Since I didn't want to have children, we would (this is where you need to run screaming if you're at all squeamish) just do a "simple" procedure: Shoot scalding water into my uterus to scar the lining so that I could neither bleed or pop out chilluns. Oh, and it might not work.

This modern medical miracle made me wonder why we just didn't throw some leeches up there and call it a day. But, I digress.

I went home, did some research and came back with questions. What about X complication? Oh, that doesn't happen. (But I found out about X complication because it DID happen. WTF?!) What about my ability to heal given other issues? What about scar tissue expanding (happened to a coworker who had the procedure done)? Oh, it's not really a "healing" issue so much and that scar tissue thing doesn't happen. (Um, it DID happen and she had to have a hysterectomy. WTF?!)

I was handed some hormones and told the scheduling nurse would call me. The hormones worked fairly well, but I had to take 4 a day and getting her to refill the prescription was about as successful as trying to get a cocaine IV from a rehab clinic. The scheduler did eventually call me, of course, but it was usually to cancel the procedure because of some new issue they weren't aware of. Finally, after the fourth cancellation, I told the nurse not to reschedule. She said, "Oh, that's wonderful. If you don't have to do this procedure, I wouldn't do it." Um, say what?

In a daze, I asked a hippie-friendly coworker if she knew any alternative healthcare practitioners who might be able to help me. I didn't care how much it cost. I just wanted some help, for the love of hades. She gave me a referral to an R.N./naturopath. I made an appointment immediately.

Long story longer: The naturopath put me on 2 herbal concoctions and asked for some tests, because she didn't think I necessarily had the metabolic disorder I was diagnosed with eons ago. After less than a week, the herbs started working. For the past two months, I have had normal cycles--the first in well over a decade. She also ran a lab test that should have been conducted eons ago, as I have every symptom in the book to suggest that it should be done (results: Um, here's your problem, sister! So much for that other diagnosis!). But my previous "conventional" docs' approaches have always been: We'll deal with the problem when there's a total system breakdown and not before.

The naturopath's approach? Hey, let's find out what's going on here and heal it.

What a concept.

Let's do a cost breakdown of just one year of this crap the conventional way:
Annual HMO premium (my cost only): $572
Drugs of the hormonal variety: $480
Doc visit copays: $120
Cleaning supplies, etc. to deal with horror show: Oh god, who knows?
Surgery copay: Unsure, because I ran screaming
Long term costs of one known person who had recommended surgery: A year of severe, crippling pain and eventual hysterectomy and hormone replacement therapy.

Total cost: Somewhere between absurd and unethical.

The cost thus far using a naturopath's approach:
Initial visit: $245
Follow up visits: $115 (usually only 1-3 needed, because her focus is on patient empowerment and healing)
Herbal remedies: $170 for a 3-5 month supply. Does not need to be taken indefinitely.

Total cost: Somewhere between having my life back and pure glee.

Not only is the seeing a naturopath cheaper overall, I didn't have to have a surgery. A-let's-scald-your-uterus surgery. (Side note, when I talked with another physician in the medical group about the surgery, she asked if other options had been discussed. Um, what other options? After learning that I didn't want to have children, she asked why I didn't just have a hysterectomy. The uterus. Who needs it? Do you think similar advice is offered to men?)

Most importantly, I am finally able to address the underlying issues that are causing the drama, instead of just waiting for said issues to knock out a few more of my systems. Conventional medicine says, Preventative care? What's that? Healing? What is this thing you speak of?

This is a really long-winded and gruesome tale in which the moral is this (said while standing in front of a mirror, of course): Don't skimp on healthcare if you don't have to. Pay out of pocket if you must. Living frugally will help you find the funds. If the care you receive sucks, complain and find a new practitioner. But most importantly, never, ever let convention dictate major decisions.

Absolute Must Read (Yet Another Book Review)

2011-04-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

The last books I recall having a profound impact on me were Cry, the Beloved Country and Beloved, which I read while in junior high. I'm a bit older now *cough* but have been kicked in the gut once again. Although both of the previously mentioned tomes were fiction, they were built on painful truths of the suffering, struggle and dignity of oppressed people.

As a bleeding heart dogooder, I'm drawn to stories of resistance and triumph. As a (craptastic) writer, I swoon over beautifully written prose, secretly hoping that one day I will develop the chops to write fiction. I write, and adore, narrative non-fiction and am impressed by investigative journalism, but I rarely find non-fiction incredibly moving (exception: the rare memoir). Informative yes, frequently funny, but soul clenching? Eh, not so much.

Until I read Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. I want to win the lottery, if only to buy a copy for every human I meet. It's a hefty read, not just in page numbers but in content. Her research is exhaustive and the support for her argument is painful in its abundance. It's hard to believe that greed and an cult-like adherence to ideology could cause so much destruction. But of course it could. It always has, but never before on such a global scale.

A quick and dirty summary: Klein asserts that the "free market" is a farce and that one school of economic thought has come to dominate the globe with alarming violence. Natural disasters and political upheaval are used to further an economic model that intentionally subjugates the many, by increasing the "shock" heaped upon already dazed populations, for the benefit of the few. The public sector, through manipulation and blatant force, has been greatly reduced in favor of funneling public funds to the private sector in an effort to privatize virtually everything. The end game: Unemployment, poverty, starvation, increased suicides, (insert horror here) for most and ultra wealth for a very select few. She also notes those cultures that are recovering from the violent shocks of disaster capitalism and the ways in which they are rebuilding and defying their previous oppressors. Of course, that's not all she addresses. Seriously. Read the book.

From Klein's website:

Based on breakthrough historical research and four years of on-the-ground reporting in disaster zones, The Shock Doctrine vividly shows how disaster capitalism – the rapid-fire corporate reengineering of societies still reeling from shock – did not begin with September 11, 2001. The book traces its origins back fifty years, to the University of Chicago under Milton Friedman, which produced many of the leading neo-conservative and neo-liberal thinkers whose influence is still profound in Washington today. New, surprising connections are drawn between economic policy, “shock and awe” warfare and covert CIA-funded experiments in electroshock and sensory deprivation in the 1950s, research that helped write the torture manuals used today in Guantanamo Bay.

I blabber about these issues all the time (thank you for tolerating it, you kind souls), but I have never seen so much concrete information in one place supporting the reality that markets are far from free and the kind of globalization that currently exists is destroying us.

Although The Shock Doctrine isn't gloriously poetic like Beloved or Cry, the Beloved Country, it is extremely well written and engaging. Normally, I find myself dozing off with such fact-filled tomes, but I was glued to the page. Make no mistake--it is a painful read. But it's the kind of pain we need. Information is power. The more we understand how violent oppressors manipulate and subjugate, the better we are able to resist.

My only complaint is that I wished Klein would have given a bit more attention to how multinational corporate controlled media furthers the agenda of the elite and how that manifests in the population's psyche, namely blaming union members, public employees, immigrants or other ethnicities for economic shock. She does note that ethnic strife increases in response to shocks, but doesn't fully address the way in which those in power actively pursue their propaganda via the media. As a journalist, I'm surprised she didn't probe a bit more on the subject.

Klein is a bit of a celebrity, but I hadn't read any of her work previously and didn't know anything about her. I'm actually glad her work was new to me as I read The Shock Doctrine, because I didn't have a filter of "oh, she's one of those ______" coloring my view. But now? Oh, she's a rockstar.

Long review short: Get thee to a library or independent bookstore and read this book. If you only read one book this year, make it The Shock Doctrine. It's that good and, in my humble-but-ever-so-correct opinion, that important.

The Devil is Out to Get Me

2011-04-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

Fear not, atheist friends. I haven't tripped over into the land where Satan comes out of the bushes. But then again, don't think I don't believe in evil! I most assuredly do. It is currently running many a multinational corporation and government. Oh wait, are those different things anymore? Alas, I digress.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah! Satan! The devil is out to get me, my friends, and he hasn't shown up as Monsanto this time (well, that is one of evil's constant forms, innit?). This time, da debil has come through my gas lines. My building has experienced a series of gas leaks that, even with numerous repairs, has caused the city to shut down the gas line to our stoves. It's been over a week and there is no end in sight at this point.

Why do I think this recent turn of events has anything to do with the devil? And what does it have to do with being consciously frugal? Well, thanks for asking. I have a crazy person's answer for you!

Despite the fact that I am not Catholic, I decided to give up take-out and delivery foods for Lent. A friend's priest said that Lent is not so much about giving things up as making things better, and I was terribly proud of myself as a result. Letting go of the crap delivery foods would save money, reduce waste (consciously frugal, people!) and likely lead to healthier eating. Bam! Like the sad addict Charlie Sheen, I'm WINNING.

Except that I'm not, and that's where the devil steps in. What other mythical entity could jack with my Lenten love? Exactly. Bastard.

The first week we were under the delusion that the situation would magically fix itself and our stoves would be reconnected and pumping out flames within minutes. Then a notice was posted that due to the cost of repairs, a meeting would need to be held to decide how to pay for all of it. (Score one for renting! It's not my problem!) The meeting was more than a week away. Uh, this isn't going to be fixed anytime soon, eh?

After eating more take-out and delivery than any human should consume within a lifetime, I opted to buy a toaster oven and a stand-alone electric burner. I did not purchase these items in a frugal manner. I went to a big ass box store, threw them in my cart and paid full price. Granted, my landlord reduced the rent for next month, so we broke even, but still. FRUGAL FAIL.

Despite creating an epic battle with the devil in my lunatic mind, this experience has made me realize how woefully unprepared I am for emergencies. I should probably care about emergencies, as I live in an area that has the following risks (and can we just take a moment to say more prayers for Japan and offer our support?):

Earthquake friendly with an ocean in my backyard
A harbor that is #2 on Cripple-This-Country terrorist target site
Oil refinery a stone's throw away--KABOOM!
Insufficient public transit and freeway capacity for mass evacuations

And those are just the big ones. So, over the next few weeks, I will be assembling an emergency kit. But instead of tossing it all together by paying top dollar, I'm going to go about it like a sane, frugal person. I have already managed to get a wind-up radio for free and have ample food storage. But da debil taught me well this time--plan ahead and figure out how you can care for yourself if the gas and lights go off. Because more than likely, at some point--yes, even in LaLaLand--they will.

Raj Patel's "The Value of Nothing"

2011-04-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Yet another craptastic book review. This time, it's Raj Patel's The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy. (I can't help myself, people! I have a crazy long commute.)

I really, really wanted to like this book. How could I not? Patel is gorgeous and articulate; what's not to love? But as handsome as Patel is, his book fell flat.

The first section is dedicated to how our faith in prices is an inaccurate way to value the world. He cites the environmental harm of "cheap" food, the idiocy of privatizing our air via cap and trade agreements, etc. The second part of the book (my favorite portion) focuses on global grassroots movements that are reshaping their market economies. Reading about these movements gave me hope that we really can affect change (well, marginal change), even in a climate dominated by multinational corporations and their seemingly endless power.

Unfortunately, I didn't really dig The Value of Nothing. It seemed to be all over the place, jumping from idea to idea without any sense of cohesion. A couple of times I had to pull out sentences and reread them a few dozen times while muttering, Dude that makes absolutely no sense. Did you mean "their" instead of "there?" What the hell?

Patel frequently drifted into tangents, dropping little bombs without further explanation or clarification. At one point, he noted that a prominent leader of a think tank dedicated to improving the lives of white people voted for Obama to further his cause. Bam! Bomb drop. Then, nada. I was left thinking, Uh...care to elaborate? one too many times.

I don't want to suggest that the book was poorly written. It just felt disjointed. As if he had a really great central idea but couldn't fully bring it to fruition or synthesize the interconnected concepts floating around his head. Naturally, I feel a bit bad about giving kudos to previously reviewed self-published books that, to be fair, pretty much sucked, particularly when compared to their published-by-da-man counterparts. The Value of Nothing is far better than those blog-inspired books, but it didn't manage to hold my interest for long or make an argument I felt that was terribly compelling.

It did, however, challenge my typical liberal mantra: A catastrophe has to happen before we'll change our ways. Patel notes that people are actively fighting back every single day. I would go further and note that we have had plenty of catastrophes, none of which have sparked genuine change (Katrina anyone?). Even more disturbingly, catastrophe is being used by multinationals to implement more of their soul-crushing "globalization." (More on that at another time!)

However, I'm not disappointed that I purchased the book, if only for this hilarious gem:

There are two novels that can transform a bookish fourteen-year-old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish daydream that can lead to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood in which large chunks of the day are spent inventing ways to make real life more like a fantasy novel. The other is a book about orcs.

Ohsweetmarymotherofgod, I about lost it laughing over that one. He has a few other zingers in there that were absolute perfection.

I'm currently reading Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, which presently stands as one of the best books I've ever read. I suspect that if Patel had Klein's editors, he might have been able to create a more cohesive, and therefore more compelling, tome. As it stands, I found it pretty lacking, which is unfortunate considering the topic of genuine value within the market economy is ripe for analysis. But I still think he’s pretty.

Plugging the Money Drains

2011-04-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's pretty amazing that after years and years of living frugally, I can still manage to find ways to cut back on expenses. Every time I think I've got something licked, I discover that I still have a great deal to learn. I suppose that's a good thing, because there is little in life more annoying than a know-it-all (forgive me, everyone who had to deal with me during my 20s! Well, and probably now too).

Tracking spending has allowed me to see where I spend too much (eating out), which makes it easier to cut back in particular areas. However, I realized that I basically just tossed aside many fixed expenses, neglecting to reevaluate on a consistent basis to see if I could reduce those monthly costs. I recently went over my scant few fixed expenses and found a pretty big money drain.

Before I launch into my kung fu savings adventure, I should note that there are many common monthly expenses I don't have, such as cable and a gym membership. I watch enough crap TV as it is and have a hyper aversion to movement, so there's really no point in coughing up cash for those gems.

But I do have a cell phone. I picked the cheapest monthly plan with Verizon ($39.99). Most months, I use about 50 minutes of talk time and roughly 200 texts (incoming and outgoing). In short, I barely use the thing. However, most of my friends communicate through tiny glowing rectangles, and it has made my life easier on many occasions, so I've opted to keep the thing. But with taxes and fees, my monthly $39.99 morphs into more than $50 per month for a phone I barely use. Nuts.

So, I did some investigating to see how I could plug that drain without giving up the phone entirely. Most of my friends have god-phones, which they drool over and continually goad me into buying. You can surf the web! You can sync 14 million features! You can reach Nirvana with the click of this app! Problem is, I hate god-phones and the antisocial behavior they inspire. Surely you’ve seen it (we know you don’t engage in such behavior, of course!)? People sitting together at dinner, barely speaking, mesmerized over the pretty pictures on the tiny screens of their phones.

As a result of my loathing and lack of ability to worship the god-phone, I'm not going to "upgrade" to a bigger, better, faster, more bells and whistles phone. I switched to the cheapest pay-as-you go service I could find. Unfortunately, this means I had to buy one of their phones instead of simply using the old one I have. I'm going to recycle the old one, of course, and hope to heaven that it reduces the dependency on the violent, soul crushing Congo and its warlords for the minerals involved in the creation of our beloved gadgets.

After much research and a helpful comment on Tread's The 20 Year Challenge, I decided on a Tracfone and a year-long minutes purchase. (No, this is not an ad.) The total cost of the phone and 3,000 minutes, which will last me a year and provide more talk and text time than my old plan, was roughly $245 compared to a year's worth of my Verizon plan, which cost me about $625, plus $25 for taxes on a FREE phone. Annual savings: $405. No contracts, no fees, and probably no customer service, but I think I can handle that.

The $25 tax on the "free" phone is thanks to a California law, which mandates that consumers pay taxes on the original, non-reduced price of cell phones. But here's the kicker, the same phones are offered via pay-as-you-go plans for around $20. They're also $20 (or free, if you have a particular plan) at Verizon, but that's their "reduced" cost. Verizon artificially inflates the price to $200+, forcing consumers to pay the higher tax on a phone that is only expensive in fairy tale land. This is perfectly legal. Makes me wonder, do they also inflate sales when reporting to shareholders? But, I digress.

This process was a good reminder that there are always more ways to save if you're willing to reevaluate and do a little research. The next drain I have to tackle: groceries. Fear not! I'll do it in a Slow Food, consciously frugal way.

A Finger, Two Dots, Then Me

2011-04-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

We frugal types are always rattling on about the fabulous free entertainment available in our communities. Libraries and all they have to offer, summer music in the park, outdoor film screenings, on and on. For years, if I were ever prompted to plop money down for a show, it was either for a music concert or a movie on the big screen. Then I became friends with a poet.

When she first invited me to a poetry reading, my skin crawled. Oh baby Jesus, save me, I thought. I'm going to have to listen to a lot of grating crap, said in rhyme, about navel gazing and other deeply meaningful subjects. And you want me to pay for it? Seriously? Pay to see poetry being read? I mean, Whitman is long dead and this ain't no Maya Angelo, yanno? Shoot me now.

Per the usual, I was wrong. The show was amazing. The talent onstage was shocking. Not only were the poets great writers, they could perform their asses off. I thought, why the hell have I not done more to support the arts in my community? Why have I shelled out hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars over the years to watch things blow up on big screens, but neglected to throw a few dollars to local artists doing beautiful work?

The poem that planted itself in my chest that night was "A Finger, Two Dots, Then Me" by Derrick Brown. The music and lighting were perfect. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of it, I cried. (Shocking, too, since I'd been around the artist several times and thought, this dude? A poet? Whatever.) Each time I've seen Brown perform since then, I've wanted him to do that piece, but he never seemed to fit it in. Now, thanks to the power of some awesome filmmakers and Youtube, I get to share it with you. (This was a really long winded way of saying, Poetry Does Not Suck and Support Your Local Arts Scene!)

DoGooder Fatigue

2011-03-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Wars. Nuclear meltdowns. Human rights violations. Holymarymotherofogod, does it ever end?

I'm experiencing DoGooder Fatigue. It's a precarious place where Giving a Damn is overwhelmed by information and dire circumstances, where the impetus to save the world becomes so overwhelming that hopelessness starts to creep in. It's a spectacularly crappy place from which to operate, particularly if you are afflicted with a messianic complex. Have you ever been at this particular junction?

(Side note: Of course I'm not suggesting that my fatigue actually compares to the nightmare that so many are currently experiencing. I have still managed to maintain some perspective, thankfully.)

Just as I was about to run off to a rustic cabin in the woods where I would cut myself off from all worldly concerns, I picked up a copy of Raj Patel's The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy. (I'll give a full review in a day or two.) Patel noted my typical liberal response to all things environmentally and socially destructive (It will take a massive catastrophe in the land of the rich for us to genuinely change) and countered it with a bit more truth (people are standing up all over the world, taking their power back and redefining their communities and governments). The get-over-yourself reality slap was just what my DoGooder Fatigue needed.

It's easy to fall prey to the 24/7 onslaught of doom-and-gloom news coverage, yet there is so much more occurring in our blessedly complex world that rarely, if ever, receives any airtime. Patel noted several grassroots movements that I had never heard of, which is surprising considering my hippie upbringing and rebel-with-a-cause loving ways. (Next up, I'm gonna read We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anti-Capitalism 'cuz I need to learn more about what folks are doing globally to resist multinationals' greed.) When the fatigue sets in, I need to remind myself that there are millions of glorious acts of resistance to oppression, love of community and respect for the earth happening each and every day.

More importantly, I've got to remember to turn off the damned TV and/or stop reading so many news sites that offer little outside of Watch The Next Catastrophe Unfold. Or maybe read those offerings that provide a bit of sanity amidst the noise? This gem, Disaster and You, the Long Beach Resident, from my neighbor Greggory Moore is a beautiful reminder that while it is important to stay informed and prepared, it's often more helpful to focus on what you can control and what will genuinely impact your life in a positive manner.

Naturally, I'm not suggesting that we toss aside our political convictions in favor of ardent self-obsession, i.e., Who cares how these clothes were made or by whom? It's cheaper, and therefore better for ME, to just get the least expensive shirt! Quite the contrary. We can still vote with our dollars, engage in our communities, advocate for those we may never meet, and generally kick ass on the social justice front. I'm simply reminding myself that where I put my focus is important, I don't have to do it all, and no messianic complex in this universe is capable of healing all wounds.

I feel better already. Still, I could use a nap.

Spreading Light Challenge: The Finale

2011-03-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! Praise Allah! Granted, California is celebrating it by trying to freeze us all to death, but hey, at least it's a change in the weather.

Since spring has sprung, this will be my last post for Kathie's Spreading Light Challenge, where I share good deeds and good organizations. But fear not! I will try to be less of an asshole throughout the year. No promises on succeeding on that front, however.

Good deeds: Gave my buddy G, who happens to be homeless, a couple of Starbucks gift cards I won at work after he mentioned liking the monolith. Second decent deed: bought a friend a 3-month herbal drug supply. She has a similar women's health issue. After years of struggling with this crap, I finally went to see a naturopath who put me on two different herbal concoctions. After more than 2 decades of drama, my body is acting quasi-normally. As a result, I want to buy virtually every woman I know with these issues this plant-based cure while I tell the pharmaceutical companies to suck it.

Good organization: I've mentioned this place before, but it's so grand, I'm gonna do it again. This morning I reinvested my loans at Vittana, which is a microloan organization that supplies loans to folks getting college degrees. From their website:

Vittana partners with local microfinance organizations around the world to build student loan programs from the ground up, often providing the first and only access to college loans in the countries where we work.

When you make a loan to a Vittana student, 100% of your funds go to the student. Using your loan, the student finishes college (or vocational school), gets a degree and then gets a job. When the student repays Vittana, Vittana repays you the full amount of your loan — if you lent $25, you are repaid $25.

I've worked with a few microfinance organizations and Vittana is by far my favorite. The loans are repaid at a much faster rate than other microfinance orgs and it's very simple to recycle the loan. I have reinvested my initial 3 loans, helping more than 4 students achieve their goals. I plan to keep adding to the pot and barring any financial drama, I will continue to reinvest the loans, helping as many students as my small gifts can. (In fact, Vittana loans serve as a Christmas gift between me and one of my besties.) They, in turn, work to better their communities. Pretty rad.

Thanks to Kathie over at Two Frog Home for yet another inspiring challenge. I plan to do my best to continue spreading light, because I really can't think of a better reason to be on this spinning blue ball. Happy Spring, ya'll!

Friday Reads (with mild rant, of course)

2011-03-18T10:35:00.001-07:00

With all this pain and fear and doom and gloom lingering (prayers for Japan and the Middle East), I thought I'd focus on some positive and empowering reads. If you have a minute, check these gems out:

Wake up to Frugality! has an excellent post, Consumer Revolution. It's a perfect revolution for Americans, because it involves sitting on our asses and not. buying. it. I love it. Want to end CAFO practices? Stop buying it. Want to end sweatshop slavery? Stop buying it. We seem to forget that if we stop feeding these abominations, they will die from atrophy.

Lines of Beauty is featuring the glorious aging beauty, Ms. Elizabeth Dodson Gray, who is an author, ecofeminist and theologian. The interview is beautiful. I want to be this woman when I grow up.

Green Eats offered up this gem: D.I.Y. Cooking Handbook from the NY Times, which offers up some pretty interesting recipes that don't require fancy equipment or real expertise. (Homemade horseradish beer mustard and cheese, anyone?)

On a totally unrelated note, I wanted to give a shout out to all the folks who comment on this corner of the interwebs. Y'all are always considerate, kind, thoughtful and respectful--even when offering criticism. I've been on some other websites where the comments section clearly serves as an avenue for misdirected anger. I visit one blog in particular where the author, who is so beautifully honest about her journey, has a couple of commenters who need to be slapped. After reading through comments, I frequently find myself wanting to say, "Look, you stupid bitch**, you are an expert on no one's life but your own, so stop assuming you know what decisions this person should make based on a few paragraphs of type." But then that would make me just as much of an ass, wouldn't it? But still, STFU YOU STUPID BITCH. Uh...no...I meant, I usually just respond with my own take on the situation by focusing on the positive.

Anyhoo, thanks for not allowing the anonymity of a glowing rectangle to make you behave in ways you normally wouldn't. Despite my rude comments above, I really do think kindness is the backbone of healthy relationships and communities. Your kindness, even when in disagreement, is greatly appreciated.

**dear feminist or pseudo feminist, please calm down. (Thanks for that one, Beany!)

Helping Japan (and Haiti and...on and on)

2011-03-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Quick post today. Be sure to thank the gods of verbiage that I have spared you my usual blathering.

If you're able to help our Japanese brothers and sisters out (yes, Haiti still needs our help too, I know!), these journalists have compiled ways to give from both sides of pond:

The Guardian UK

NBC Los Angeles

Wisconsin, You're Breaking My Heart

2011-03-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Have you been following the news? Wisconsin is under attack by some of its elected officials, namely the GOP, and the people are crying foul. Unfortunately, the Governor Walker isn't listening. I am emboldened by the champions of democracy and enraged by the corporate slaves (hi, Walker!). It's just all so heartbreaking.

I'll let other people speak their piece. I am rather dumbfounded that there are folks out there who are so quick to believe that public employees are ruthless devils, out to steal from...themselves (why are critics so quick to forget that public employees are also taxpayers?). 'Cuz really? My garbage dude isn't trying to screw me over here, people. But Governor Walker and his ilk? Um, yeah. You wanna go after a money-grubbing douche of a public employee, don't start with city workers, start with that jackass. Are all unions models of perfection? Of course not. Are they to blame for fiscal problems? Not even close.

Without further blathering...

America is NOT Broke. (Oh, Michael Moore, how you annoy the hell out of me. But this? Son, this was pure beauty. Thank you for giving voice to truth.)

Wisconsin GOP Set to Strip Collective Bargaining Rights. And Jesus wept.

Say goodbye to your civil rights! Wisconsin GOP Bill Allows State to Fire Employees for Strikes, Walk-Outs.

It was always about busting unions. Governor Walker's Coup D'Etat.

The middle class was built on the backs of hard working union members. Over the years, we have seen the dissolution of unions thanks to the cries of the uber elite and their desire to grow ever richer. With that dissolution, we have seen the middle class weaken and the poor grow in numbers and in poverty, all while more and more wealth is held in the hands of a scant few. That, my friends, is some bullshit.

Book Reviews: The Moneyless Man; and Hope, Human and Wild

2011-03-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

After complaining mightily about the pursuit of money as a life goal, I thought it might be a good idea to give a (hopefully) quick review of The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living by Mark Boyle followed by an equally (hopefully?) quick review of Bill McKibben's Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of living Lightly on the Earth.

Straight outta the gate, lemme confess: I loved Boyle's The Moneyless Man. (Check out some pictures of Boyle and his digs at here.) His book is more "radical" than Radical Homemakers, more honest than No Impact Man (if you wanna go no impact, go no money. Oy vey!) and written in an easily accessible, entertaining fashion with some rather adorable "how-to" tips. The dude actually gives an example of how to make paper and ink from mushrooms. Say what?

What I most appreciated about Boyle's moneyless adventure was his honesty in how his year of exploration occasionally led him to act like a complete jackass to those he loved. This is a trait I see commonly in idealists--visions so lofty that they lose sight of what it is to be in the sticky complication of everyday relationships. It's so much easier to care about humanity and the environment as a whole than that annoying bastard chatting at you incessantly each day. I appreciated that he took several moments in the book to realize that his behavior was less than stellar and even made a point to be more connected to the people in his life as he noticed his year-long experiment pulling him farther from them.

I don't want to give away the details of the book, but the quick and dirty: Boyle makes a compelling claim for the inherent harm of our current monetary system (I totally agree with him) and sets out to extract himself from it. The ultimate Walk Your Talk experience. He used a bit of start up cash from selling his houseboat to get a few things he would need, but the money he used was little compared to his genuine needs. Yet he managed to get housing for free (a trailer) via freecycle and found creative ways in which to produce his own energy.

The foundation of his experiment (which has now become a way of life via the Freeconomic Community he is forming) was built on creativity and self-sufficiency married beautifully with interdependence. He did not "bum" any resources, but depended on the generosity of mama nature, his friends and the waste of most everyone else. (I know I mock you, freegans, but I appreciate your chutzpah).

Despite all this goodness, most of how he lived would be far too extreme for the average bear. Dumpster diving, biking and walking 40 plus miles at a stretch, shitting out in the woods (an outdoor "compost toilet," which he didn't build a structure around and would use in the dead of winter), cooking via a rocket stove, on and on. Hell, I've had friends tell me that folks they know had mild meltdowns over the fact that they washed and reused plastic baggies. Boyle's way of doing it would send most folks into fits of terror and panic.

But I would hope his story would at least inspire a the masses to think about the role of money in our lives, how much waste we produce, and the value of other human beings and the earth in our lives. What Boyle does with humor and humility is simply to suggest that there might be another way that is built on cooperation and not exploitation. And unlike other authors discussing similar topics, he does so without judgment, holier-than-thou (dude is vegan no less!) idiocy or blame.

I know, I know. You're freaking out. Where is the complaining? Am I at the right blog? Oh yes, children. Here is my gripe: At one point he touts the party line that you can tell a person's health simply by looking at them (when did we get duped into believing such absurdity? I blame the Klan and their love of stereotypes based on appearance. Go bigotry!), which is asinine, but he also admitted being insecure about his appearance and wanted to make sure he didn't get too gaunt, living as a moneyless vegan. He further confirms his issues around appearance by using a beefcake picture as his author's photo. Shirtless, pecs pumped, on a book. Kinda...weird. But that's my only complaint. IT'S A MIRACLE, CHILDREN!

Wow. That blathering review was less than short. Sorry. One day, I will learn to STFU. Now, onto Mr. Bill McKibben, whom I adore. However, this book wasn't his best. Interesting and most definitely worth the read but not his best.

The tome starts out almost as an apology. The End of Nature was so depressing that McKibben wanted to write a word or two about hope. He then proceeds to depress the living shit out of the reader with more tales of doom and gloom.

In case you didn't know, we have jacked up mother nature in the worst possible way. Climate change, species extinction, habitat destruction, la te da. He offers a glimmer of hope in how the Adirondacks have reclaimed part of themselves, but the first portion of the book is mostly a horror film. He then moves on to profile two cities which provide us hope--one with its excellent urban planning and the other with its resistance to destructive cultural norms (e.g., illiteracy and caste systems). The crux is that we are to use these two cities, coupled with his beloved Adirondacks, as an example of how we might build our tomorrows.

He's honest about the difficulty in doing so and doesn't necessarily demonstrate just how these cities transition into change elsewhere, but the connections can be made. His assertions rest firmly in the title of his book--hope. Lots and lots of hope going on here, with a huge dose of reality. I was most impressed when McKibben admitted the following about our potentially more human-centered tomorrow:

"It would be poorer." (Emphasis his.) This is the stark truth that few want to admit and that those who criticize environmental and social justice movements fear most. Loving nature more than material possessions, walking more than driving, relating to people instead of glowing rectangles--these are all images and conditions of poorer nations, something we in the West have come to disdain and pity.

But McKibben thinks we can find a new kind of joy in this poorer way of being, "Now that we have the chance to back up--to say that we will take our satisfaction not from the pelt of the beaver and what it will buy, but from the slap of the beaver tail on the water and from the swamp maples turning red in mid-August around the edge of beaver ponds."

I'm not so sure. Boyle's moneyless year and freeconomic community are most definitely a kind of poverty. Although I have more money than at any other point previously in my life, many people assume I am poor because of my "environmentally-friendly" life choices (no car, no cable, small apartment, etc.). We view even the image of poverty as failure, as inferior, as a horrifying state, regardless of the reality of the situation. We are so entrenched in our material-centered culture that it is sometimes hard to fathom, beyond the occasional nod in agreement, that happiness isn't found in the next purchase or product. Take away that dream, and we become fearful and even enraged. If my perfect life cannot be found in the salvation of more money, where is it?

Boyle and McKibben's books give an interesting answer to that question and inspire hope that we can find another way where genuine happiness lives. Thanks to Boyle's The Moneyless Man, I plan to learn more about these money-free communities and the ways in which people live sans cash, but don't expect me to give up the day job anytime soon.

A Tale in which I Offend Half the People I Know

2011-03-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had a lovely chat over breakfast with a dear friend. She shared a fabulous story of a women's group she attended. I love all things women's groupy, so of course I was thrilled to hear her tale. But (of course I've got a but, right? Always with the but), there were a couple of things she mentioned that made me stop and wonder at how the best of intentions can be muddled in some seriously murky crap.

I didn't jump in with my two cents at that moment. Lawd knows she is a kind soul and that kind of sweetness doesn't need to listen to my bitching. But you? Oh, you. By God you will suffer it! (I will totally understand if you click the "next blog" button now.)

One of the participants in the group mentioned wanting to generate millions of dollars, somewhere in the $30-50 million range. The intent was positive: to become a philanthropist. This is where I sigh and bristle.

The vast majority of wealth, particularly new wealth generated, is held in the hands of a select few. Globally. The New Age/Law of Attraction/The Secret devotees all speak of a limitless supply of money and that we can all attract however much we want of it, despite the fact that this belief ignores some pretty basic economic and biological principles. Yes, we can generate all the money we'd like, because it's based on fluff and hot air. But the more money we puke out into the system, the more problems we'll cause (this is one area where Republicans and I actually agree). The earth, this place where we all live? Yeah. It's a closed system, which means it has limits. Contrary to the current pop culture lunacy, limits ain't such a bad thing. They can keep us out of debt, free from STDs, the earth from baking; you get the idea.

I am disturbed by this notion of amassing great wealth as a primary life purpose. No, it's not because I think wealth is inherently evil. It's because I understand how our current global economic structure works (just don't ask me who owns your mortgage, because chances are, I'd die in the maze before I could find my way out). Contrary to the idiocy of The Secret, those who hold the majority of wealth do not do so because they know this "hidden" truth (Darfur? Those punks just need to learn The Secret!), it's because our system of globalization is broken and feeds off the blood and sweat of the poor.

No, not every dollar made comes from slavery, but we are all tied to this system, and I have yet to find a gazillionaire who hasn't played significantly more into the pain than the average bear. What exactly has Buffet invested in? We don't fully know. He keeps it under wraps. Bill Gates, the man who is adored as a champion of philanthropy across the globe? He had to fight monopoly accusations for a reason, and if it weren't for the brilliant minds behind Linux, we'd have virtually all the savvy tech minds and computer users serving the Gates Empire. Empires require subjugation. As a result, they suck. Yes, even when we are told their leaders are gods worthy of worship.

But what if your intention to amass great wealth is to give it all away, you protest? I mean, gah! Gates is giving away half his fortune! Well, you're right. That is a noble intention. It is a way in which we can use the current system to...help support the current system.

Because of my profession, I just can't get into this like I want to (dramatic sigh). But foundations were not created to more equitably distribute wealth or cure social ills. They were created as an avenue through which the rich could avoid paying taxes. They do good, no doubt, but...oh, the buts. Endless. (One day, I will speak freely on this subject, children!)

Beyond the philanthropic aspect, I have to wonder: Why would one choose to base his or her life's energy on the building up and hoarding of something that has absolutely no inherent worth? It is propped up by (essentially) gambling, the debt of others (we all do realize that is how more money is created, yes? Through other people's debt?), and how we "feel" about "the market" at any given moment. Oh yeah. Helluva thing to focus your one precious life on.

Of course, I've been there. I spent many years climbing ladders and making more moolah and dreaming of fame, which is an American's most favored way to get even more rich, and generally making myself miserable to achieve...well, what? A false sense of security? An identity as a "success?" I couldn't really tell you. At some point I simply realized that I had become the very thing about Los Angeles that I loathe: The Quest for a Vapid Existence with Lots of Shiny Crap (complete with botox and fake tits, if you're a team player). I don't know that anyone fully escapes the lunacy of this destructive dream we've been sold. Thankfully, more and more of us are getting off the hamster wheel, either by force (hello, unemployment!) or choice.

Yet some still clamor on, wrapping the destructive dream in the blanket of faux spirituality. I'm going to make my life focus about getting and hoarding as much money as humanly possible, but it's cool. I'm gonna eventually give it all away! Plenty of folks have cropped up to feed off this trend, some of whom legitimately help others (how can you get past your personal road blocks to financial stability?) and others who reinforce damaging systems (the dissolution of your union and subsequent job loss isn't why your house is in foreclosure. It's because you don't genuinely want to be successful!). Some offer concrete solutions and others support the notion that shooting rainbows out your ass will magically make money fall out of the sky (but only if you really believe in yourself!).

The idiocy and destructiveness of it all just chaps my ass to no end. Why do we spend hundreds of dollars to talk to pseudo gurus about "manifesting" money in our lives without having a basic understanding of common economic models or even how the economy in which we live operates? I can understand believing that things like love, compassion, and kindness are infinite, but how can we actually stomach the notion that money, trees, water, etc. are all endless in supply and taking vastly more than we need will somehow prove wise, generous and prosperous? How the hell did we get so easily duped into thinking that capitalism's most destructive aspects are somehow worthy of divinity? I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that we need to call this pseudo spiritual crap out for what it is--a destructive farce that supports a damaging paradigm of inequality and resource depletion.

Yet even that isn't an answer. We seem at a loss to make the world a better place if we cannot do so through hoarding massive amounts of money and doling it out to those we deem fit. There are other paths, but they require more of us. They ask us to get seriously uncomfortable. They ask that we liberate ourselves from the culture of convenience, that we build intentional communities that function outside the current paradigm, and that we make do with less and learn to help each other (without always asking for something in return).

In short, we do not have to mimic our masters to break free from their chains.

Frugal Living Series

2011-02-26T13:01:00.000-08:00

I just can't seem to get enough of Kathie over at Two Frog Home. In addition to participating in her various nifty challenges, I've agreed to do a series on frugal living for her new project, It's Only a Choice. It's Only a Choice is all about achieving your dreams by taking small, daily steps. Since I only get anywhere through small, consistent action (oh, how difficult the consistency part is), I thought this was a great project to join.

My contribution to the site will be a series on frugal living. It's primarily a tutorial for newbies, but it's also a decent refresher and reinforcement for those of us who have been on this path for awhile. If you have a spare minute and are interested in following the series, check out my first post (and first step in the process of learning to live consciously on the cheap), Choosing to be Frugal.

Bye, Bye Community Garden Plot

2011-02-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

*Cue tragic violin music.*

After waiting for a ridiculous number of years for a community garden plot, I've had to let my coveted spot go. As y'all probably know by now, I killed my car in an accident on one of LA's famed congested freeways. I decided to walk my talk and not replace the car.

Living car free has been fabulous, but not so much for my life as a gardener. In my desperation to have a hunk of earth in this sea of concrete, I accepted a plot that was roughly a 24 miles (round trip) from my home. I thought I would be able to access the plot via public transit or hitch a ride with my buddy who shares the plot with me. No such luck. The transit system would eat hours, which I don't have thanks to a daily 4-hour train commute tacked on to my work day, and my buddy is touring for her new book and will rarely be in town this year. So, we let our little corner of the earth go to someone who could actually access it.

As a country kid trapped in the city, I often find myself trying to recreate the life I knew for 28 years prior to moving to this strange urban mecca. It doesn't quite work. Squeezing life in around the edges of a 12 hour work/commute day is extremely difficult. I am plotting a plan for escape, no doubt, but it will take awhile to get there. And I gotta admit, losing the plot has crushed a small corner of my happiness.

Yes, I've added my name to a waiting list for a garden with extremely tiny plots that is closer to home and accessible on foot. I'm cultivating other ways to feed my sense of joy and connection to life (there just ain't much of the kind of life I dig in the ol' urban rat race, although I do love my daily interactions with folks on the train and the diversity of cultures found in all this concrete), but today? Today I want to harvest some black kale and get my hands dirty. Instead, I'll cook up the kale delivered by my CSA and do my best to practice the fine art of gratitude. But it might take a minute for the tragic violins and whining to quiet down.

More Spreading Light

2011-02-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Whatever-Day-This-Is folks! It's time for a weekly-ish update for Two Frog Home's Spreading Light Challenge, where participants talk about the good deeds we've (hopefully) done and good organizations we support.

My good deed: I gave a chunk of change in the form of a check to a friend back home who suffered a horrible tragedy recently. She has a great support from friends and family, but since I'm so far away, all I could manage to do was send some cash and prayers.

A good organization: Previously, I mentioned the African Well Fund and Adopt a Platoon. Another organization I'm now giving monthly support to is the Foodbank of Southern California. I chose this particular food bank for several reasons:

1. It's located in my beloved city;

2. The CEO/President's salary on the last 990 was around $96,000 for an organization that has an annual budget of roughly $47 million. That is significantly below industry standards (yes, even the non-profit sector), which could be a good or a bad thing. (I have an issue with the top of the hierarchy making significantly more than the bottom rung. Unequal distribution of wealth hurts us all, children!) It could mean that, like most places, the CEO makes a ton more than the rest of the worker bees, making the pay there slightly horrific. Or it could mean that everyone has a lean salary and it runs like an efficient machine, relying heavily upon volunteer labor. Efficiency usually means that folks aren't overworked. I've done the low-wage, excessive hours thing and pray to god folks there aren't suffering that.

If I were a truly caring person, I would have investigated these things, because I know that Charity Navigator, et al are not always the most reliable indicators when it comes to the health and stability of an organization. Instead, I read their 990, admired their efficiency, compared them to other area food banks and decided to just jump in with my donation; and

3. We all gotta eat, and this particular food bank has a program focusing on healthy foods instead of packaged crap.

During lean times, most funders shift their focus to emergency relief organizations such as food banks, leaving other do-gooders, such as art education programs, in jeopardy. As a result, I generally encourage folks to place their dollars into programs that are largely ignored during recessions.

However, since I was raised in poverty, I tend to keep my focus on the basics: shelter; food; water; education; and medical care. I figure if we can take care of the basics, everything else will fall into place. However, there are plenty of valid arguments for the need to provide exposure to aspects of life that poor folks rarely see due to their circumstances. I wasn't exposed to art in a meaningful way until college, and it greatly expanded my world. In the end, I wish I had enough money to give to all the charitable programs I respect and admire. Well, if I were being completely honest, I wish we did the right thing in the first place and distributed income in a more egalitarian manner, made do with less, and paid enough in taxes to create safety nets for all of us. Until we reach that Utopian vision, I'll keep trying to spread a little light.

Living Car Free in Smog City

2011-02-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Happy Friday. I hope everyone gets a three-day weekend. If not, may your employer get boils and toe fungus.

Penny over at The Saved Quarter was kind enough to let me do a guest post on living without a car in Los Angeles. So, if you have a moment, run over there and check out my post, Living Car Free in Smog City.

Green Banking

2011-02-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned socially responsible banking and breaking up with mega banks about a gazillion times on this beast. It appears catching on! Are we trend setters over here? Ha! Oh, delusions of grandeur, how you inspire me.

Bankrate.com, that lovely corner of the web where you can compare rates for investment vehicles, get nifty calculators, and earn $100 for your frugal tips (I did it last year, woohoo!) has a nifty article on Green Banking that mentions sustainable CDs. (Dude, that totally sounded like an ad for them. I swear to the lawd, it's not!)

I won't bore you again with blabbering about responsible banking (click the links in the first paragraph if you're bored/avoiding work/etc.), but I did want to note the two banks that the article mentions, Wainwright Bank and New Resource Bank. Both offer "sustainable CDs," where your deposit is used to support Fair Trade coffee farmers or solar panel projects. Interesting, eh?

I did a wee bit of digging and this is what I discovered: Wainwright's Equal Exchange CD supports Equal Exchange (a worker-owned fair trade cooperative) and small farm coffee growers (details can be found here). The funds are pooled to provide loans to farmers. Unlike other CDs, however, it is possible to lose principle on this CD if loans are not repaid. The term is 3 years, minimum deposit required is $1,000 and the APY as of this writing is at .85%.

New Resource Bank offers a Solar CD, which provides funding for residential solar projects. Unlike the Equal Exchange CD, your deposit is insured via the bank and you can't lose principle. However, it requires a $25,000 minimum deposit and the rates are .55%for a 1 year term and .75% for a 2 year term CD.

Currently, Bankrate.com shows CD rates as high as 1.35% nationally (they have a local search engine as well, so you might be able to find better rates at a local bank). So, the green banking options pay a bit less in interest than the bigger boys, which is causing me to pause and ask myself: Would I be willing to earn a bit less in interest to fund projects that are clearly stated and beneficial to our global human family?

As you probably know by now, I'm a bleeding heart do-gooder, so of course my answer is yes. But I'm also a fat, lazy, greedy American to my core, so if the difference were a few percentage points, my answer might not be the same. (Honesty is the best policy, no?)

I'm going to do a bit more investigating (e.g., checking out Equal Exchange's annual reports and financial standing) and if I'm satisfied, I will get a small Equal Exchange CD with Wainwright Bank. Yes, I realize I could lose it all, but as a coffee drinker, Fair Trade supporter and CSA member, I'm all about supporting community, even in the face of some risk. And let's be honest, after the stock market's psycho behavior over the past few years, who isn't used to a little gut-wrenching drama in the realm of investments? At least this time I know that my money will go to support farmers instead of some jackass and his multi-million dollar bonus.

What about you? Have you had any experience with similar investments? Would you take a small cut in interest to support a good cause?

Not Following Financial Advice

2011-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of bits of standard fair, solid financial advice that I do not follow. Although in theory I agree with the bits of wisdom, I know myself well enough to realize that what works for most just doesn't work for me. In the end, I think that's the most important thing we can do when it comes to our financial lives--find out what works for us and use it.

Having said that, I want to make it clear that if you have a destructive pattern (e.g., always using credit cards to purchase crap you don't need when you've run out of cash) and don't feel that you can break it, try to. 'Cuz really? It's not working for you.

The standard fair that I do not follow: 1. Don't Get a Tax Return and; 2. Pay Off All Debts Before You Save.

1. I generally get some sort of tax refund every year, because I take zero deductions on my paycheck. Why would I do such a stupid thing? I mean, I could be putting that extra money in savings and earning interest on it all year long! Well, let me explain myself.

I used to suck at managing small sums of money. I'm sure the rest of you are really great at self control and would take that extra $50 per paycheck and stick it in an IRA. Me? Well, I'd go try a new restaurant every couple of weeks (I've written about this very topic a couple of years ago, and it's safe to say I haven't changed all that much). I mean, after all, it's only $50, right?

I learned to deal with the reality of who I am in this regard thanks to a financial planner years ago, who had me set up laddered CDs to help pay for major expenses. I was 22 years old and she asked if I was good at money management. Um, of course not. So, she asked what 2 major expenses I had a hard time paying each year. At that point, it was car insurance. So, we took some of my refund and paid for a full 6-month premium and then set up 2 CDs that would pay for the second annual premium and the following year's first installment. I ended up saving money on late fees and installment payments thanks to her clever idea.

As my income, idiocy and debt grew with age, I used to throw a chunk of it on my credit cards (which I would later charge right back up. Genius, right?) in addition to insurance payments. Eventually, I managed to pay off debt and now stick the majority into savings (I still don't trust myself to put it in savings throughout the year), buy any major purchases we might need (last year, it was a bed. This year, nada), give a few annual contributions to my favorite charities, and then use some for play money to buy crap I don't need.

Yeah, that's right. Ms. Consciously Frugal, who bitches incessantly about NOT buying crap we don't need has a designated Buy Crap You Don't Need annual event. Because no matter how enlightened I become, dear readers, I am still fundamentally a moron.

2. I agree with Dave Ramsey's advice that we should have an emergency fund of $1,000 before we focus on paying off debts. It's a much needed safety net for folks who live paycheck to paycheck and keeps the likelihood that we will go more into debt taking care of emergencies. But we also have to be honest--that new dress is not an emergency. There's no point in saving a small sum to use as a safety net if you're just going to yank it away for something that isn't a real need.

Last year I managed to pay off all my credit card debt. PRAISE THE BABYJESUS AND ALL THE FISHES IN THE SEA! Now I am focusing on building up a substantial security blanket for emergencies. However, I still have a very large sum of student loan debt. Conventional wisdom says I should focus on paying off that debt before building a hefty emergency fund. I'm not following that advice.

Although the economy is improving (supposedly), I am in the business of raising money for a living. I could be laid off due to our craptastic economy and the lack of charitable giving in its wake. As a result, it's more important for me right now to build an emergency savings that can cover one year to 18 months of expenses than to whittle down my student loan debt. Yes, I can put my loans on hold if I become unemployed, but my landlord doesn't have such a policy.

In 2007, the government enacted a new policy for do-gooders that would allow any amount remaining after 10 years of monthly payments to be forgiven on all federal student loans. I was thrilled! Yes! I'll just pay the minimum and in 2017, I'll be freed! Hallelujah!

Alas, all is not golden. Only a select few do-gooders actually qualify for the program (only 9 of my 111 payments thusfar qualify), which means that I would be spending almost double the amount of the original loan if I waited for this program to work for me. So, come 2012, I have a plan to pay that puppy off ($40,000 children!) in under three years. Yes, it's going to hurt, but it must be done. (Up until this point, tax cuts have essentially caused me to break even each year, getting most of my payments back while cutting down a wee bit on the loan.)

In case of job loss, I will not create a new payment plan where my aggressive payment schedule becomes the norm. Instead, I will request that all payments in excess of my payment plan be applied to the principle (the feds will let you do this. Credit card bastards will not). This will help me whack away at the principle and therefore overall loan much faster. And, if I lose my job, I won't be screwed if I have to take a position that makes significantly less.

Of course I would love to say that I am completely debt free and follow all standard advice, but my debt (and idiocy) is legion and life doesn't always fit well within the most logical bits of advice. Thankfully, the tools I've learned along the way (thanks Your Money or Your Life and radical savings goals!) are helping me get to a place of Debt Free with Ample Savings far sooner than if I had kept my head stuck in the sand.