Unhealthy handout from the California Department of Public Health

Because we work to improve school food at my office, we get a TON of stuff from the California Nutrition Network to spread the word of eating fruits and vegetables for better health.

The items are not of the best quality, which always makes me wonder how organizations that generally have bettering the world for people and the environment at the core of their mission, can justify buying all this crappy, bad for the environment, produced in sweatshops, stuff to promote themselves.

Well, today I'm not the only one wondering. The state of CA is issuing a recall on lunch bags handed out over the past couple of years because of dangerously high lead levels. Yes, eating fruits and vegetables is good for you, but eating them out of the lunch box provided by the public health department--not so good for the public health.

I don't mean to give the public health department too hard of a time, but really, why doesn't anyone think about these things?! Why does the World Wild Life Fund send me enough mail to cut down the entire rain forest where the world's wild life lives?

Park[ing] Day!

Park[ing] Day is tomorrow, and it's the first year that people in Los Angeles are participating. Think about how much parking there is in this huge, automobile-focused city, and what it would be like if all those parking spaces were turned in to parks, bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes or even soccer fields!

Tomorrow is your chance to turn a metered parking spot into the kind of space you'd like to see in your neighborhood. In other cities, people have put down sod and park benches (traditional park), a couch and coffee table (urban living room), raised beds for planting (community garden), bike rack (think how many bikes you can park in one parking space!) and more.

If you are LA-based like me, check out ParkingDayLA for a map of all the confirmed sites. (The place where I work is doing one in front of our Colorado Blvd. office--stop by if you are in the area!) Not on the map? That's okay! You can still participate. The website also has information about how to set up a site and any legal issues to be aware of.

For the rest of the world, check out the official Parking Day website for more info and a reclaimed-space near you.

If it doesn't say Camel, can I keep it?

You're f*$@ing kidding me!

That's what I said quite loudly to my mailbox when I opened it the other day. (Perhaps a little too loudly, considering the are-you-crazy-stare I got from my neighbor's gardener). What made me so crazy? This:


Yes, I received a promotional package from Camel cigarettes. I feel so invaded! I guess when they aren't allowed to advertise anywhere else, direct mail is all that's left. Makes me wonder what else I should expect in my mailbox now that I've made it on to Camel's list...

So to get to my moral dilemma....included in the package was a cute (pink!) lighter...and it doesn't say Camel on it anywhere. Is it wrong to keep it? :)


I've certainly gotten a lot of use out of my Jerome Horton for State Board of Equalization pot holder, but then again, I voted for him.

(Best campaign mail I ever got!)