Archive for June 5, 2009
A Day at the Food Bank
I spend most of every Friday at my local food bank. Here’s what happened today:
Plenty of food but most of it canned and/or processed.
The Letter Carriers held a food drive recently which brought in some unusual stuff — oriental foods (rice noodles and sauces), and things like salted sunflower seeds, pretzels and crackers.
Luxuries.
I tossed a few cans, dating back to — get this — 1998. Disrespectful of the process, imho. We aren’t a waste disposal site.
No fresh veggies to speak of — potatoes, onions, carrots or jalapenos. Lots of “fresh” fruit, as in canned. We have a few yams and a few orange peppers.
I helped an 80-something-ish lady who couldn’t have weighed more than 90 pounds. She took 21.5 pounds of food, which is nothing. Said she was told to gain weight but she didn’t take fattening stuff. Only one person in her family per the intake form. That would be her. Sad. That could be me.
Some people are very concerned about being “greedy” while others take more than they’re entitled to, as was the case w/a single mother I helped. It was hard to say no while her little boy tagged along, looking up at me with his bright, innocent eyes. So I didn’t (say no).
Stocked the meat freezer. Old-looking meat w/discounted prices but everyone gets two, at least for now.
People with babies get 7 cans of baby food per visit. What’s that? Less than two day’s worth?
On your period? Take three or four tampons.
Oh, and here are two rolls of TP.
I begged my dentist for toothpaste a few weeks ago (never mind toothbrushes). Bless his heart, he gave me two boxes of little tubes — undoubtedly thinking he was doing us a big favor. Little did he know they’d only last about two days. It was fun giving those out. Another little “luxury.”
I don’t know how people do it.
Why Isn’t the Corporate Media Screaming About James Inhofe Criticizing the President While He’s on Foreign Soil?
Remember when the corporate “liberal media” fixated on that “breaking news” — for days on end — during the Bush administration? So where are they now dammit?!
Sonia Sotomayor As, Well, a Little Bit of Everything
Look at the caricature of Sonia Sotomayor that the conservative National Review has on its current cover. Geez. What is it? An Asian-Hawaiian-Buddha-Mamma? I don’t get it. I don’t think it’s funny and I don’t think it’s nasty. It’s so far off the mark that it’s just pathetic. I think it says more about them than it does about her.
Goodbye Terry McAuliffe?
I don’t know about you but I would be happy if I never heard or saw former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe again. But, alas, he’s running for governor in Virginia and the primary is next Tuesday, so he’ll be in the news one way or another. But, poor guy, it doesn’t look good in terms of a win for him.
We Need Bats
A mysterious fungus called “white-nose syndrome” is killing bats in the Northeast while threatening to spread to the Southeast and Midwest. It is being referred to as the “most serious threat to wildlife in a century.” “At stake is the loss of an insect-eating machine.” Bats can “eat up to their body weight in insects a night, reducing insects” that destroy crops and forests.
Have to keep an eye on this.
Posting Posthumously
Here is a moving post by Terry Harper, the former Executive Director of the Society of Professional Journalists who died on Tuesday at the too-young age of 45. His wife posted it on his blog after his death. He sounds like a great guy with a wonderful sense of humor.
Colorado’s “Democratic” Governor…
…vetoed a bill Thursday that would have allowed firefighters to unionize.
It seems to me that supporting unions is a core principle of the Democratic party — or it was at one time. But that can’t be assumed anymore, which is extremely disappointing and I think foolish on the part of establishment Democrats. You either side with corporations and the power-elite or you side with the workers. Republicans already take the side of corporations and the power-elite; we don’t need Democrats to start doing the same thing.
This was a really dumb decision and Colorado Democrats are pissed as is the AFL-CIO, understandably, because it worked hard to help get the Governor elected. The Democratic establishment is shooting itself in the foot with moves like this.
Bondage?
What the? Look at that mask!
Say good-bye to needles and knives. The no!no! family does it again with the FaceTrainer™.
