Greenburbia

I’m a (barely) recovering spendaholic.  The word “budget” makes me twitch.  The word “conserve” makes me feel oh, so deprived.

But delightful surprises lurk along the frugal path.  I’m constantly learning that so much of what we think we need to buy … we don’t!  And there’s no deprivation involved.

Whilst gingerly tiptoeing on that path to solvency, I started writing some Hubs to share those discoveries.  That, and to keep ‘em where I could find ‘em.

Like, take household cleaning (please!).  We can spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on products that pollute the house we’re supposedly cleaning it.  And all the while, much smaller investments can get the job done better:

The Frugal Housekeeper: Your One-Stop Pantry, Medicine Cabinet and Broom Closet

On a far more pleasant note:  Books!  I’ve always lived in a house full of books.  But I simply can’t afford to indulge my habit too often (by which I really mean, often enough) at the big bookstore.  But where there’s an addiction, there’s a way:

The Frugal Bookworm: Get Books On the Cheap … Or For Free!

I’m always on the lookout for more epiphanies.  Please feel welcome to share yours here.

To further satisfy my writing addiction, I supplement my bloggery by writing articles at Hub Pages (they call them “Hubs”).  A lot of my Hubs are also frugal-related and opinionated.  Hubbing is a little different from blogging; it’s more like writing articles for a print magazine.  And there’s less coding and techy stuff involved.  If you love writing, check ‘em out!

But I digress.

I thought this seasonal Hub might be of interest to blog readers who have large gift lists and a fashionably recession-ized budget to contend with:

Frugal Gift-Giving for Groups:  Family, Friends & Co-Workers

It’s not just for Christmas, but for all of those many, many gift giving occasions.  Pretty good info, modestly speaking, but I did forget one great year-round source of inexpensive little gifts or stocking stuffers, gift wrapping supplies, greeting cards and ornaments:  Your local Dollar or 99-Cent store.

Fortunately, a fellow Hubber (Dorsi) fills in the info gap:

Save Money by Shopping at Dollar Stores

My first wish for the season:  May all of you enjoy a solvent season and a prosperous new year!

Today, November 6, 2008, blogs from all over the world are joined in contemplating and promoting world peace.

It is a new day in the United States, or at least, it will be, in 74 days.  But we are still at war on 2 different fronts (4, if you count our border raids into Syria and Pakistan).

And, though we have taken a gigantic step in just one night, our own internal demons of bigotry, ignorance and everyday callousness still bedevil us, both as a nation and within our own souls.

Dona Nobis Pacem are the title and full lyrics of 16th Century chant, sung as a round (you may have learned it in school or at camp). 

The Dona Nobis Pacem blog movement was founded by blogger Mimi Lenox, and we celebrate its 2nd anniversary today.

Give Us Peace!

Political posts should slow to a saner pace for the foreseeable.

At least, that’s the intention!

No, they won’t go away completely …

THE GLOW 

President-elect Barack Obama!  The first African American First Family!

And it happened on my grandmother’s birthday!  As a young woman, she lived in Washington D.C. back when it boasted White and Colored hotels, eateries and restrooms.  I was horrified to learn from her that our Nation’s Capitol had been so backward, only a few short years before.  I so wish she could’ve seen this day.  Words cannot express. 

Now the campaign’s over and … it’s time to get to work.  Bleary-eyed though we may be, progressives cannot rest or take a wait-and-see attitude.  The banker barons have our money, war still rages on 2 fronts plus the occasional extra-curricular raid, and the icecaps continue to melt. 

And, while election fraud appears (so far) to be minimal this time — thanks to early attempts being caught, public discussion of 2000 and 2004 and, especially, the Federal court ordered deposition of Karl Rove’s computer guru, Mike Connell, on alleged Rove-ian vote fixing strategies — our rights as voters will require our continued, extremely active protection.

As the new President begins his Herculean effort to bring this country together, we must make sure that progressive values are not pushed aside in the process.

And here’s another reason why we can’t sleep:

THE BURN

Arizona, Florida and, to my shame, my own state of California, voted for state constitutional bans on gay marriage.  Massachusetts and Connecticut, whose supreme courts have authorized gay marriage, and are now the only states that specifically allow and recognize gay marriage.   Meanwhile, Arkansas has made it illegal for gays to adopt. 

The silver lining, such as it is, is that these bigoted decisions are headed for the courts.

I am furious.  Came in to look at this blog and found a big fat “Yes on 8″ banner at the top.  (If it’s gone by the time you read this — Good!)

Here’s the counter-post.

California’s Prop. 8, if passed, will impose a constitutional ban on marriage between any persons other than a man and a woman in California.  Prop. 8 will in no way protect or support existing, traditional heterosexual marriages (that task is still up to the couples involved).

What Prop. 8 would do is carve a restriction on civil rights into the state constitution.   This would set a horrendous precedent that could lead to various civil rights crackdowns in the future — and not just in California.  Make no mistake, this initiative is being watched worldwide.

There is increasing evidence that homosexuality has a genetic basis.  It appears that gender preference is an inborn trait, like gender itself, or the color of our skin, hair and eyes.

Be that as it may, religion is currently protected under the state constitution.  While one may be born into a religion, or belong to an ethnic group that has practiced the same religion for centuries or millenia, religion is not an inborn trait like gender or ethnicity.  Yet, the freedom to practice (or not practice) any and all religions is a protected right.

Prop. 8 would select one group of individuals for restricted civil liberties.

Prop. 8 is bigotry, pure and simple.

Fellow Californians, the world is watching.  Vote NO on Prop. 8.

Over the past couple of weeks, U.S. military forces have launched commando raids, first in Pakistan, and then in Syria. 

Death counts are hard to come by.  As of November 1, it is believed that 29 individuals were killed in the Pakistan raids.  I have not been able to find a count for the Syria raid.

The reason given for the raids was to target and neutralize suspected Al Qaeda terrorists allegedly based on the other side of the borders from Afghanistan.  After the raids, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff gave a speech to members of the British Parliament, justifying the U.S. raids.  In that speech, Chertoff stated that  “International law must begin to recognize that part of the responsibility of sovereignty is the responsibility to make sure that your own country does not become a platform for attacking other countries.“  Several Parliament members took issue with Chertoff’s justifications.

Please note that even Chertoff refrained from stating that these attacks were, in fact, within international law.

Pakistan and Syria are sovereign nations.  The U.S. has not formally declared war on either nation, nor had the U.S. warned Pakistan and Syria of the possibility of war.  No negotiations were held with either government.

The raids fly in the face of the U.S. Constitution itself, which clearly prescribes the process for a declaration of war.  Raids by helicopters and commandos can be described as nothing other than war.

Morality, ethics and justice have been violated as well.  But beyond morality, ethics and law, there is pragmatism. 

Practical concerns sometimes lead to less-than-lofty conclusions.  So how has pragmatism been served by these raids?

Is pragmatism served by raising tensions in nations where our relations are sensivitive and volatile, such as Iran  — and even among our traditional allies in the British Parliament?

Can we win the “War on Terror” by fomenting tension and creating the very conditions that spawn terrorists?  Can we win anything of value by becoming the very thing we’re (supposedly) fighting against?

Feel safer now, America?

No?  Good!  Now we need to speak up.  Here’s one place to start.   Please send more actions as you find ‘em.

I’m an old-fashioned voter.  I actually like to take the ceremonial stroll past the flags and into the polling place.  On a good Election Day, there’ll be a line and a shortish wait.  It’s the only time of the year that I want to stand in line — it means the voters have come out, and maybe this time, our fate will be decided by the many, and not just the motivated few.

True, scoundrels are always among us, with their sub-sleazy attempts to steal the vote from the people.  And Election 2008 is unique for the sheer amount of skulduggery being uncovered early and often.  (For examples, check out my October 23 post. )

All the more reason to vote.  Poll-workers put in a long day; please give them a smile and your thanks.

BUT …  if your voting experience does not pass the smell test, please raise a stink of your own.  Pull out your cell phone on the spot, or request a phone from the poll-worker, and dial 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

Most important:

If you have not voted already … VOTE on November 4!

If you’ve ever visited your local nursery and got sticker shock, take a look around your kitchen.  You may not have to leave home!

Aspirin.  An aspirin in the water keeps your cut flowers fresher, longer.  But an aspirin dissolved in a half-cup of water makes a fine homemade rooting compound.  Just dip the end of the stem in the aspirin-water, then stick it in the soil.  If your new plant needs more encouragement, water it with a weaker solution of aspirin water.   (I’ve used this successfully with fresh herbs that have been in the fridge for a week!)  Use plain, generic aspirin — unadulterated, noncoated, un-baby aspirin.

Eggshells.  Ground-up eggshells provide calcium for your soil, and help break the soil up if it’s compacted.   Eggshells left to “brew” in a (closed, please!) container for about 3 days makes a great fertilizer.  It’s also quite … ummm … aromatic.  But it works!

Coffee Grounds.  Coffee grounds (used ones) feed your plants, loosen up the soil, and self-compost over time.

White Vinegar.  Kill weeds by spraying white vinegar directly on them.  It’s cheap, natural and organic, and won’t leach nasty stuff into your soil.  Do not spray any non-weeds; this stuff is very effective — though it may need to be used more than once to completely knock out a stubborn weed.

Soap (castile or organic dish soap).  Kill aphids by spraying with a solution of 1 tablespoon of plain, organic soap to a gallon of water.

Got your own recipes?  Please share!

Even with all the good intentions on the planet it’s difficult, at best, to wean ourselves completely from the corporate consumer trap and meet all of our other obligations and fulfill our own very human need to connect with the society we live in. 

But we can free ourselves a bit, and then maybe a bit more, a step or two at a time.  Every time we take a small step, we make change easier for others around us.

Buy Locally, Eat Locally:  Confession Time — this is the hardest one for me, so it’s up on top.  The localization movement is a response to peak oil  and global climate change.  Whether or not you believe in peak oil (I do), it’s obvious that fossil fuels are at the center of world unrest, and are a major culprit in global climate change.  Localization is all about shopping locally, eating locally, and working locally.   It’s also about finding local solutions for transportation and energy.  Localization can be yummy — for nutritious produce (at a great price), try your nearest Farmer’s Market.

Don’t Scoff at Thrift Shops … or consignment stores, or yard sales, or Craigslist, or newspaper classifieds.  It’s less stress on the checkbook.  These days, it’s downright fashionable.  And it goes with the Reuse part of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Communal Shopping & Swapping.  Get together with neighbors/family/friends/co-workers to buy in bulk (maybe directly from growers), or barter chores and items, or hold a free swap meet to get rid of excess stuff.

Don’t Buy … Freecycle Instead!  Swap unwanted goods with your neighbors.  Free stuff can be found on Craigslist and in your local papers, too.

Promote a Fair Trade Economy:  This is all about fair business practices worldwide.  If we’re gonna import stuff from developing countries,  at least we can make sure the producers are fairly paid.  Fair trade products range from coffee, tea and chocolate, to handicrafts and flowers, to the unexpected.  Quality is usually excellent, and the prices are the same as regular retain for most items.  And the goods are not hard to find.