I hate Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has unveiled an environmental plan to boost energy efficiency, cut down on waste and go green. Or "greener" at least. Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott said the world’s largest retailer wants to be a “good steward for the environment.” They also want to use only renewable energy and eventually produce zero waste.

I've been down on Wal-Mart for a long time- the awful lighting, the shrieking PA system, those horrible dirty vests that employees are forced to wear two sizes too large for them. I'm always worried I'm going to be crushed and paralyzed by one of those ever-falling prices. I could sue them and be rich, but if they were as sneaky and cheap with me as they are their employees, I'd end up with no health care in a lawn chair with roller skates strapped to the bottom of it. Don't get me wrong. This promised "greening" of Wal-Mart makes me happy. But the proof is in the pudding and until I see it, I 'll remain suspicious. Make sure you check out this site:

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

It's the official site for a documentary by Robert Greenwald called "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." He also directed another ace doc called "Outfoxed," about "how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know." The Walmartmovie.com site is full of resources for the Wal-Mart lover/hater in you. Well... maybe just the hater.
As far as hating Wal-Mart goes, nobody beats poor Betty Butterfield. Just going there sends her into frantic dithers.

Retro Seduction

Damn! Who knew he could sing?
Or that his crazy vocoder could sing?
This is the best thing Snoop's done in ages. And the video is so painstakingly crafted to look old school. It's almost too good.

What's That Smell?

"...when you smell a smell it's not really a smell, it's a part of the object that has come off of it -- molecules. So when you smell something bad, it's like in a way you're eating it. This is why you should not really smell things, in the same way that you don't eat everything in the world around you - because as a smell, it gets inside of you. So the next time you go into the bathroom after someone else has been there, remember what kinds of molecules you are in fact eating."

That's from my favorite scene in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm," in which a very young and thoughtful Elijah Wood stands in front of his class to deliver a report about olfactory senses. As funny as the monologue is, the kid's really on to something.

NRDC has found that more than a dozen common household air fresheners contain chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies. It seems the federal government doesn't test air fresheners for safety and the manufacturers aren't required to meet any specific safety standards.
Say what?

“More than anything, our research highlights cracks in our safety system,” said Dr. Gina Solomon, NRDC senior scientist. “There are too many products on the shelves that we assume are safe, but have never even been tested.”

Only two of the fourteen odor-ific brands tested, Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects, contained no detectable levels of a hormone-disrupting chemical called phthalate. (Try saying it aloud without sounding like Daffy Duck.) None of the products listed phthalates as ingredients and several are actually marketed as “all-natural” and “unscented.” (You know- Natural, as in "Come into my kitchen. It smells like Cranberry-mango-winter-breeze"-natural.)

The three with the highest level of phthalates were Walgreens Air Freshener, Walgreens Scented Bouquet, and Ozium Glycolized Air Sanitizer. These phthalates (say it three times fast) pose the greatest risk over long term repeated exposure. This exposure can can affect testosterone levels and lead to reproductive abnormalities, including abnormal genitalia and reduced sperm production. So if your kids spend too much time in the den, which stinks to high heaven of "Vanilla-cinnamon-fresh linen-new car," it could mess up their unmentionables.

"Manufacturers are getting away with marketing products as ‘natural’ when they’re not, and that’s because no one is stopping them,” said Mae Wu, an attorney in NRDC’s health program. “Our research suggests this could be a widespread problem in a booming industry that – so far – has been allowed to do what it wants.”

NRDC recommends that consumers who purchase air fresheners be selective and try to reduce home odors by improving home ventilation. That air freshener might make the bathroom smell sweet and cover the smell of your dirty sneakers, but why not open a window? Remember, when you smell a phthalate, part of that phthalate is inside you.

The scene in question is at 5:40. Funny stuff.

What Would Jesus Watch?

You should really check out the new "What Would Jesus Buy?" It's a documentary by Morgan Spurlock, who made the great "Supersize Me" and the even greater TV series "30 Days." It's part exploration on the holidays and consumerism/part documentary about Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. The film dabbles its feet in some heavy issues and never really beats you over the head with statistics and disturbing sweatshop footage. It's quite entertaining and has some really engaging parts. At one point, the crew motivates a group of 3 thirteen year-old girls to contact the companies who manufacture their favorite clothes to inquire about their policies and production. Its an amazing thing seeing these giddy teenagers get excited about finding out the answers to questions they never realized they wanted answered. I hope the film makes some people think that way.



The release is very limited, but you can check the website to see if it's playing in your area code.

http://wwjbmovie.com/

Part of the promotion for the film, in conjunction with www.itsyournature.org, was to get people to make their own videos discussing how they would attempt to celebrate a less materialistic holiday. People made some wonderful videos about handmade gifts, holiday memories, and their favorite charities.
I am a smart ass though...

all i want for christmas

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