Blarg Not Blog !

Instead of a well thought out, reasonable post about an interesting, albeit serious, issue for my long overdue blogging, today I will entertain you with a story. Welcome to my world! (And to my bedroom and my ingenious indoor clothesline. Everything in my room smells like freshness... and no, I'm not afraid to show you my undergarments.)

As I had spent a lot of time outside today in the renewed heat of late summer, on my knees in dirt, trying to gingerly find turtle eggs so that the construction folks who are widening a road don't potentially kill two clutches of them, I decided I deserved some cool off time. Instead of sitting in the warm laundromat this evening waiting for the laundry to be done, I went across the street to the terrible, yet very cool (temperature-wise) Coffee Culture cafe with my book ("The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman... yes, I'm still reading it. Other books keep jumping into my lap!).

Though everything there is terrible, I figured their plain vanilla ice cream can't be *that* bad, and I was very hot. Seeing in the advertisement there are three choices of container (two cone types and a paper dish), I went up to order a dish so I didn't get my book sticky. This is how it went, and my thoughts along with it... [ ( ) these are thought bubbles, haha] :

Dude: Hey can I get something for you?

Me: Hi! Yeah, can I please have two scoops of ice cream in a bowl? (ooo, maybe they have REAL bowls?)

Dude: A bowl?

Me: Yeah. (You know, a hollow, half spherical object one eats dribbly foods out of...?)

Dude: For here?

Me: Yes... please... ? (huh? Oh, I guess they must have REAL bowls then... excellent!)

* Dude goes to scoop the ice cream.*

Me: (Maybe I haven't given this place enough credit after all!)

*Dude sets down a styrofoam cup full of ice cream in front of me.*

Me: (?) *moment of silence* Do you have any... bowls...? Like a... bowl?

Dude: Well... I guess not...

Me: Yeah, I didn't really want styrofoam... see, the picture shows a paper serving dish up there.

Dude: *looks up at the big picture as he clearly misses the bigger picture altogether*

Weird. We don't even have those kinds... BUT! The good part about that is, it's lighter than a bowl, and you can just throw it out...

Me: (.........................................)

See... well... that's the thing, I don't want to throw it out... this *points to the cup* will never go away.

Dude: *light streams from his facial orifices as someone flips the switch*

Ohhhhhh! Oh yeah... so, it's $3.65.

To top it off, it was the same terrible tasting tripe as the rest of their "desserts", just smoother and frozen. Ugh, but at least it cooled off my stomach... ha!

I was so ashamed to be sitting there reading a book about the things that will be around long after we're gone, while one of the very relics in question is holding my bland, sugary treat for the day, that I actually hid it on the seat beside me.

Maybe it makes me crazy to some of you, but I actually CAN'T throw styrofoam in the garbage. I physically cannot do it. So there.

That's my first real rant about pretty much nothing. But it's also a quick glimpse into my brain. Fun times? No? :) I'll leave you with a thought that says it all for me in these days of dreaming of autumn coolness... soon enough, friends, soon enough!

"What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance." - Jane Austen

Munir Sheikh: A Light in the Fog

SCORE ONE FOR THE GOOD GUYS!

I normally don't speak so glowingly about public servants, however the more I read about the census scandal, the more impressed and delighted I am that Munir Sheikh exists.

The former Cheif of Statistics Canada has got the right stuff (insert NKOTB dance sequence here). In all seriousness though, it's so refreshing to see someone take a stand for what is simply right; not what got them more money, or more esteem. Though, arguably, this has increased Sheikh's esteem in the eyes of many - and if it hasn't for you, it should. This man deserves a hero cookie!

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100810/national/tories_census_scrubbed_1

In the news story I just posted, it explains the back story of the cancellation of the long form census in greater detail, giving examples of correspondence between Industry and Sheikh. Our current government is so used to reprogramming their robots that they weren't counting on a purely human act to mess with their plans.

Public servants are hired by the government and are to act as minions, but only in the sense that they are supposed to represent the government that the public elected. Considering less than 40% of all votes cast (which probably only REALLY represents about 20% of all Canadians, since a lot of us didn't vote at all), to completely overhaul public services to reflect the ideology of the reigning Conservatives is WRONG. Plain and simple. In other areas of policy, we Canadians have been duped, tricked, and told to sit down and shut up. Sheikh stood up for us. Dramatic sounding, but the truth.

I'm going to take this opportunity to write a THANK YOU E-MAIL! I have already contacted StatsCan to see about getting a contact for him... if I get one, I will be sure to share on here!

I also rarely dig inspirational, patriotic quotes... but what the hell? Make the best of each great moment, right? ;) (Anth, this one is for you!)

"Our hopes are high. Our faith in the people is great. Our courage is strong. And our dreams for this beautiful country will never die." - Pierre Trudeau

Particulate Polymer & the Full-up Fish

I think I should start a band with that name! It would be sort of tragic though, full of angst... and would have to entail a lot of thrashing about in faded plastic outfits. It would probably be all the rage amongst the ever growing hipster population - I could make a killing!

Then again, you could get a free show of the real deal without the $80 charge I'd insist upon at my concerts. All you need is a trusty boat, access to the north Pacific, and time to watch the ocean.

In his book "The World Without Us", Alan Weisman speaks with experts in all fields (from engineers to biologists) to paint a reasonable picture of what would happen to the world if we were to disappear. No nuclear holocaust, no mass starvation, we just simply disappear.

Unfortunately, the only infinite legacy that we can foresee leaving behind? Plastic. I understand that plastic is useful and has actually done a lot for this world. But plastic hasn't been around long enough to accurately determine the affect it's really having on ourselves or our ecosystems.

Having said that, and keeping in mind the North Pacific Gyre, I want to get down to the nitty gritty.

The problem with lightweight plastic and plastic that floats (which is all of it) is that a lot of it that isn't recycled ends up in the oceans of the world: it blows off trucks, out of landfills, drops out of your hand/purse/bag, carried by storm drains, ETC.

Then those plastics break down into smaller and smaller pieces. It is working its way up the food chain in the bellies of tiny microorganisms, fish, jellyfish, and in turn, bigger fish, that cannot pass the debris. If it's small enough, the plastic can go right through, but fish have big mouths! And then our feathered friends become victims.

Some facts, as gathered and studied by Algalita Marine Research Foundation:

• Merchant vessels toss about 639 000 pounds of plastic overboard every day.
• Around 80% of all mid-ocean, floating plastic, was originally discarded on land.
• At 1000 miles across, there is 3 million tons of plastic in the North Pacific Gyre alone (a number that was recently corroborated by the US navy) - and that's only *visible plastic on the surface*!
• There is six times the amount of plastic on the ocean's surface than plankton.
• 5.5 quadrillion (250 billion pounds) of raw plastic pellets, called 'nurdles', which are turned into water bottles, tables, combs, are manufactured annually... and are also found on beaches and in the ocean.

What is to be done?

Well first of all, find out what is recyclable in your municipality/region. I am certain that most of you will have a few plastics that your municipality isn't interested in (because for some reason, it won't make them money to pick up... disgusting!). If they don't take #5 plastic, don't buy ANYTHING in #5 plastic containers. If they don't take plastic bags, don't use ANY plastic bags.

Next step, write your Member of Parliament, and ask why your area isn't recycling certain plastics. Explain your concern. Even write your mayor.

I've been really trying to watch packaging too. Excess isn't necessary, and if something arrives in the mail in excess packaging, I let the company I ordered from know it!

These issues take some effort and obviously aren't super fun to think about, but it's necessary. Choices we're making as consumers are becoming less about being smart and more about moral imperatives - I truly believe that.

Everything finds its way to the water, and in turn, finds its way to us. Keep it in mind, folks!