I Want My Carbon Offsets!

Saturday night is something called Earth Hour where we are all encouraged to turn off the lights for an hour to apparently "make a statement."

I was invited to an Earth Hour party and today on my cell phone got an SMS via Evite that the party was cancelled.  If a Google search generates 7 grams of  CO2 how much does an Earth Hour party evite times 100 guests including invitation, responses, reminders and cancellation?

When I'm working, writing, on the computer, etc. - event at the office - I prefer minimal light.  At home while blogging I typically only see by the light of the computer monitor and turn on and off lights as I pass through rooms.  I bet doing that everyday saves a lot more energy than one Earth Hour party!

I also walk to work everday, generally driving my car at most two to three times a week.  I last filled up the tank on March 8th and I have about a third of a tank left (mainly due to two business related trips to the Westside/South Bay earlier in the month and a trip to Gardena for a memorial service last weekend). Even when I do drive, mostly on the weekends, it's almost always patronizing businesses in my zip code.

I also use cloth grocery bags.  I got started on that shopping at HOWS but my collection now includes Ralphs, Walgreens and Superior Produce Market. I keep enough of them in the car, buy extras when I need and always chastise the checkers "Yes I want you to use the cloth bag and not the plastic or paper."

So all of these things are helping the environment and saving me money, time, hassles, etc.

Don't make a "statement" by going to a party to be cool.  Make a statement by living your life.  Ed Begley, Jr. is one of the few environmental activists who actually practices what he preaches.


Which leads me to the conclusion - why must we have the government force us to do these things?

Who do I send my invoice for my carbon offsets to?

Bad Man Hates the Girl Scouts!

Girl Scout Cookie sales are down this year and blogger David Markland, also known as CEMETERY WHITE GUY (CWG),  isn't helping.  Markland, on his Twitter page, is directing folks to a website with recipes for making your own versions of the classic snacks, saying "Who needs the Girl Scouts?"

David Markland, why do you hate the Girl Scouts?

ABC7 reports some 40,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies remain unsold in Los Angeles.

 

Gift of Caring

Photo by Valley Doll

Girl Scouts have been selling cookies as a fundraiser for nearly 90 years.  Profits earned from the sales of cookies fund an amazing number of programs that really develop the young girls into leaders.  Its the very best of volunteerism and civic involvement.  An interesting fact, is that though Girl Scout Cookie sales is a nationwide tradition, all of the profits earned locally stay locally with the regional council and the local troop.  The national Girl Scout organization earns it revenues from a license fee paid by the bakers contracted to manufacture the cookies.  Also, the cookies are trans-fat free. The Girl Scouts' website has a comprehensive FAQ about cookie sales.

If you want to help the Girl Scouts reach their goals and buy some more cookies, visit Valley of the Doll or Valley Doll's Twitter page for updates later. Or you can go to the Girl Scout Cookie Booth Locator by clicking here.

Here are a few selected booths operating the rest of the weekend (there are many, many more)

• Ralphs at Ventura and Vineland in Studio City/North Hollywood until 6:00 p.m. tonight
• Western Bagel at 19500 Plummer in Northridge until 5:00 p.m. tonight 
• Trader Joe's at 9290 Culver in Culver City until 4:00 p.m. tonight
  
• Bristol Farms at 606 Fair Oaks in South Pasadena from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. tonight
• Studio City Farmers' Market at Ventura and Laurel Canyon from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sunday
  

Perhaps Markland has an opportunity to redeem himself however, he has already offered to purchase some Samoas this weekend.  Maybe a few cases David?

Meghan McCain Hater Flap Can Kiss MY Fat Ass

"You know the difference between a dentist and a sadist don't you? Newer magazines."

-Jerry Seinfeld

Dr. Flap is at it again. No better than the shrewtastic Laura Ingraham decided the only way she could debate Meghan McCain's views on what the Republican Party needs to do by calling McCain "fat," our favorite blogging dentist can only do as well to call her a "moron."



Here's the rub. Flap must be breathing in too much of the twilight sleep gas. Meghan McCain is an intelligent writer who clearly makes the case why the Republicans must make radical changes to bring in young people, moderates, libertarian leaners and disaffected Democrats. The problem is old farts like Flap and bitter women like Ingraham just don't get it. And they are so at the peril of the party.

Kiss my fat ass Flap! (With all due respect because most of the time you're right but this time you're acting like a Mayor Sam dum dum.)