Thursday, June 30, 2011

Spoons.


When I started this blog, I said I would chronicle my family’s journey to simplicity.  I haven’t done much chronicling of my family life lately, so I apologize.  In fact, I’ve been doing some pretty lazy blogging by linking to articles that somehow fit the cut-the-crap bill.  Those are interesting, and I hope you enjoyed them.  Today I’m moving on to something else.

Spoons. 

Yes, you read that correctly.  Spoons.  And frozen yogurt. 

A new frozen yogurt place opened up near us that is pretty fun.  Yo Craze.  It’s an add-your-own-toppings place that has some yummy flavors.  They charge you by the ounce, so if you let your kids go crazy with the toppings, you’ll pay for it.  Anyway, they have these great plastic spoons in a variety of colors.  My daughter loves them. 

When everyone is done with their yogurt, they toss these spoons and the paper bowl in the trash.  The bowl I understand.  But these spoons are actually pretty heavy grade plastic.  To date we’ve saved 4 spoons from the trash.  Not a lot, mind you, but I figured we paid for them.  Why not? 

So this begs the question, why doesn’t Yo Craze recycle these spoons?  I’m not suggesting that they add the overhead of washing all of them and using them over… though, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.  But why don’t they just put a recycling bin next to the trash that says “SPOONS”?  There would be A LOT of spoons that didn’t make it to a landfill this way.  Every little bit counts.      

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Heiress Patricia Kluge files for bankruptcy

Heiress Patricia Kluge files for bankruptcy | The Upshot Yahoo! News

I guess even the rich can have it tough. However, I cannot fathom how someone with so much money and such an extravagant lifestyle can file for bankruptcy... or even need to...

My family and I live on a budget, yes, but we are pretty comfortable for the most part. We have everything we need. 12 years ago, though, it was a different story. We definitely lived beyond our means and paid the price for it. Big time.

This woman and her husband had it all, and apparently they were frivolous, too. I don't know all the details. Maybe they made some bad investments, and the article did cite the downturn in the economy as being a factor. That downturn has affected everyone. I just can't help thinking that if they'd cut some of the unnecessary luxurious crap out of their lifestyle they may have avoided bankruptcy. It's the difference between choosing to downgrade and being forced to. Just sayin'.

I wonder if they've learned their lesson, though.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating

The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating

Wow! This was sort of shocking, but at the same time it made sense. I can tell you right now that I'm not going to cut any of these foods out of my diet... I now have to figure out a way to sanitize them somehow. I do follow the rules of safe handling and make sure I wash EVERYTHING that comes in contact with meat... especially poultry. I wash all my fruits and veggies. Not sure what else I can do...

Here's the list for those of you who don't want to click the link and read the article:

Chicken
Ground Beef
Ground Turkey
Oysters
Eggs
Cantaloupe
Peaches
Lettuce
Scallions

Monday, June 20, 2011

Ryan Dunn Dead At The Age Of 34 | The Morning Freak Show - 96.1 Kiss

Ryan Dunn Dead At The Age Of 34 | The Morning Freak Show - 96.1 Kiss

Let’s talk a minute about drunk driving, shall we? For any of you who do it, CUT THAT CRAP OUT. Don’t tell me you know your limits. Don’t tell me you can handle it. Just don’t friggin’ do it. Got it?
Why do I bring this up, you ask? THIS is why. Ryan Dunn of Jackass fame (need I say more?) got drunk off his ass (he tweeted pics of him crap-faced just hours before the accident) and decided to drive his Porsche 911 GT3 into a tree. The tree won. Not only did he get himself killed, but he killed his passenger. THANKFULLY, there were no other vehicles involved.
For those of you who don't know, GT3's are super fast (they're some of the fastest Porsches ever made), and even SOBER, PROFESSIONAL drivers find it challenging to keep the beasts from sliding in turns at high speeds. Add alcohol and an idiot to this and you get what you see in the pictures in the link. There is very little left of the car.
I know. I know. This guy has people who love him, so I should show a little compassion. Right? WRONG. His passenger had loved ones, too. It was stupid to get in the car with Mr. Dunn, but there it is anyway.

There is NO excuse for drunk driving. Period. Everyday innocent lives are taken because other people can't use better judgement when it comes to alcohol and driving.
CUT THAT CRAP OUT, PEOPLE!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

5 Ways TV Can Hurt Your Health

5 Ways TV Can Hurt Your Health

So, like I've been saying... cut the crap! Get off your butt and go outside. It's summer, for crying out loud!

All that being said, I think it's common sense these days that a sedentary lifestyle makes you gain weight. In turn, weight gain isn't good for you. For people to continue spending money on research to tell us what is common sense is ridiculous. Cut THAT crap out, too, you crazy finance people. That money could be better spent on finding a cure for cancer. Oh wait! That HAS been discovered but big pharmaceutical companies want none of it... wonder why?

Sorry. Soapbox much.

Go outside! It's beautiful!