Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween. My childhood is filled with memories of crazy parties, strange costumes, haunted houses and bags of candy. I went Trick or Treating right into my teen years, without a costume, and didn't feel the least bit guilty about it. 

My favorite Trick or Treat memory was hiking into the next neighborhood because through the kid-grapevine, rumor had it a house was giving away cans of Coke. The drink, not the drug. Jackpot! We were so excited. I remember being very young and the leader of our group was a much older sister of my friend. She was about twelve. Venturing into another neighborhood was like visiting another world. Scary. I trusted she would know the way to the Coke and would get us back safely. I remember walking forever, exhausted from heaving our already heavy bags of candy along. Our leader was determined. She kept stopping other kids along the way and asking them about the Coke.

"Oh, yeah, they are giving it away! The house is just over a few more blocks." And on we'd go determined to get there before the other kids took it all. The anticipating building. The excitement unbearable.

We got within a block of the house and heard they ran out. As an adult looking back, I'm pretty sure the people probably ran out of candy and started giving away the contents in their refrigerators. Those were the good days. As we got older we started hearing about people putting razor blades in candy or kids getting poisoned. That was the first indication as a child the world wasn't the safe place we assumed it to be.

I have one memory of a haunted house. I was fourteen years old. I went with my best friend Susan. It was a huge haunted house sponsored by the local radio station. I only remember the first room. It looked like a hospital with an operating table. There was a woman on the table all bloody asking us to help her. Susan wasn't very smart and naturally, she started talking to the woman saying in the sweetest voice with such honest worry I wondered if she were crazy or part of the production, "What is the matter? How can I help you?" Susan absentmindedly let go of my arm and started walking toward the woman. The whole time I'm frantically whispering and trying to hold her back, "Susan, stop that! What are you doing? Get back here." The Mad Scientist appeared behind us with a large, bloody butcher knife. Not only did I scream the sound of unimaginable torture, but I ran through the whole haunted house! Susan kept trying to grabbed my arm for fear I would leave her, and I did. I was running so fast my coat came off and I just kept running. I didn't stop until I reached the parking lot where I met up with Susan still holding my coat. That was my first and last haunted house. Well, other than the ones I worked at.

As an adult, I stopped Trick or Treating (thankfully!) and living in the city for most of my adult life, I didn't give out candy to kids. Answering the door to strangers at night never appealed to me. I'd go to a friend's house for a costume party and watch them give out candy.

When I moved to my village in the country the first few years I was surrounded by kids. It was fun to give out candy and see their adorable costumes. I was so excited I gave out full-size candy bars not the fun-size because I wanted to be that house everyone talked about. The twin boys from next door screamed, "THESE ARE THE BIG ONES!" They were so thrilled. The second year I gave out the miniature pumpkins I grew in my garden in addition to candy! Then the kids all moved away. The last one graduated from high school last year.

Now that I'm chemically sensitive, I still love Halloween, but it is problematic because:

I can't go to costume parties because of the smells.

I can't hand out candy because I might eat it. That last year handing out candy I downed no less than ten bite-sized Butterfingers. Who knows how much rat feces I ingested in just that one night!?

It's hard to justify giving junk food to children. Besides the cost, I feel guilty. I feel like I'm setting a bad example. Or I'm poisoning them. There isn't much kids appreciate for treats other than junk food. Maybe I'll grow some more miniature pumpkins? Those were a hit.

Opening your door to strangers means exposure to all kinds of unknown and unwanted chemicals. Heck, with all the crazy people in society, opening your door to strangers at night is just asking for trouble.

And around here, the torrents of rain discourage even the most devoted Trick or Treater.

But I love Halloween. It's an awesome holiday.

Life Goals: Getting Arrested

Orange suits me.

I've never been arrested. I can guess a majority of the population have not been arrested, but it seems  like it would be an interesting experience. I see it happening on T.V. all the time. My life might then be divided into two separate time zones: pre-arrest and post-arrest.

I do worry about being in jail. The town jail might have other felons with stinky deodorant, laundry detergent or perfumes. The arresting police officer, the guards, the office people, or the fingerprinting and photography people might stink as well. I bet the cells are air freshened. That is my greatest fear. Well, that and really bad food if they opt to keep me overnight. Hopefully, I wouldn't be sent to prison because then I'd have to worry about stinky staff and guards there, too, although I have read in prison people aren't allowed to wear perfumes or colognes or receive them as gifts because of close proximity and allergy problems so maybe prison would be a safe place? Aside from the smelly soaps and shampoos?

Today I came very close to being arrested. My choice. As I left to make a quick errand to the library the mailman told me one of our streets was blocked due to a propane leak, but another street was open for traffic. I didn't think anything of it. My neighborhood is blocked in by rivers so there are only four streets with access to our homes.

I drove down the farthest street from where I was assuming the propane leak was located and as I'm leaving the neighborhood a police car and an emergency vehicle drove up the street and blocked the other, incoming lane. Hmmm...OK. Now if I had any sense I might have thought to make a quick U-turn and race home, but no, I left. My mistake.

Returning a half an hour later, ALL the streets were blocked. I spoke to a police officer who told me no one is allowed to go in and it might take another hour before the situation was deemed safe to return. OK, I thought as I turned around.

WAIT A MINUTE! I put a chicken in the oven and left the oven on! I have never done this before because I am scared to death of fires, but I thought I'd be gone for a very short time.

I drove to the next two blockades. One very young smart ass officer when I told him of my dilemma said, "Well, I guess you are lucky there are lots of fire engines in your neighborhood today!" Imagine a propane leak with an oven ON? Was the dummy even thinking? Our police department isn't known for its intelligence or its common sense. He told me to turn around and to not dare drive past the driveway located about 20 feet ahead. Young whipper-snapper threatening me. I must have had a you can't tell me what to do look on my face.

The other officer wasn't as sarcastic, but told me he couldn't let me through. No one seemed to care that my house might burn down. They weren't evacuating the neighborhood or the school right next to the leak, so I wasn't sure what all the drama was about. Our police force doesn't have much to do. We don't even have a donut shop in town.

Like the obedient civil servant I am, I u-turned out of his blockade and left, heading back to the library where I could sit and wait. As I sat I thought, What is my choice? My house burns down OR I get arrested? Hmmm...I've always wanted to be arrested. I wonder if they'd chase me with their lights flashing? Would they catch me before I reached my oven? Would they tackle me? Would they shoot me? Handcuffs would be cool.

I doubted if they would shoot me. Or tackle me. I wonder if I'd make it? It would be a wasted effort if I didn't make it.

I looked at the clock. In one hour my chicken would be done. In one and a half hours it might start to burn. Two hours it might be a fire hazard. How soon would that fire hazard ignite the whole neighborhood fueled by propane? I'd give them until 2:00pm and if they wouldn't see reason or offer an alternative, for instance, an officer going to my house with me or someone to turn the oven off for me, then I was planning to run the blockade.

How exciting! I selected my officer of choice. The young asshole might be too trigger happy. He'd definitely give chase, throw me to the ground, and shoot me in my driveway while making some smart ass remark if given the chance. The other one was very professional and sweet, but farther away which meant I would have to race meandering through the streets to get to my house. I might get in a wreck before I reached the oven or he'd call for backup and the closer officer would block my way. The last one, and closest, was also professional, older, and it was a straight shot to my house from his post. He was my guy.

Sorry to say, all the blockades were gone by the time I returned at 2:00pm.

Oh well. I'll wait for my next opportunity to get arrested.

The chicken turned out perfect.

Winter Project: Beads (Paper Recipe)

Living in the middle of no where is a challenge after spending most of my life in cities. Lots to do in a city. Not so much in the country. During the summer months, I garden, do house repairs, and lots of outdoor activities to stay busy and engaged. Then winter sets in making even the most active person want to hibernate. My first few winters in the country I thought I would go insane with boredom, so now I plan indoor projects in advance to keep me busy during the cold months. Previous years I have painted walls, furniture, and canvases, and built furniture. This year I wanted to something less toxic, less paint and less construction-oriented.



I'm making beads!! Long ago I decided I needed some room partitions for archways. The previous owner of my house used plastic slider doors that were in pretty bad shape...and UGLY. Gross. I removed them and instead envisioned colorful beaded partitions, like hippie chicks used to hang. I love the textures and patterns of beads and thought this would be a fun, playful, artsy look for rooms.

I have three, maybe four, archways that might benefit from a curtain of colorful beads. Two are off my kitchen between the kitchen and the pantry and the kitchen and the office so they will need to be blue, red, yellow, green, and white. Another is off the laundry room which is yellow, blue, purple, and green. The fourth is between two bedrooms so pink, blue, purple and white. I'll also make some black beads and maybe use them as accents and I have some white tubular beads that I think are made from bamboo that I can add in. I'll need at least a 1,000 beads for each, maybe more. We'll see how many beads I can make before I get tired of the process.

I found several bead recipes online using recycled paper. Paper is lightweight and durable. I wanted a material that wouldn't break every time someone would walk through the bead curtain. The first recipe was making beads from magazine covers, but the paper seemed too thin and the beads too tiny. I liked the idea, but it wasn't my vision. I have a whole box of unused construction paper in a closet that I've had for years and rarely gets used for anything so I experimented. I love the colors! Here's how to make paper beads whether you use magazine covers or construction paper:

 

First, cut the paper in triangular shapes. The longer the piece the thicker the bead. I use an Exacto knife and don't measure, but the measurements are about 1/4th inch on one end and 1 inch on the other.

 

Run a bead of Elmer's glue (or any glue that dries clear) along one side. Elmer's glue has a bit of smell, but it doesn't seem to bother me. Also, because it's so very non-toxic, getting it on my hands doesn't affect my skin either.

 

Roll the paper, glue side out, on a toothpick starting at the thick end. I'm using a bag of kabob sticks I bought at a yard sale for this very purpose. As you roll, try to keep the paper centered, but this is really difficult. If it's off center, you'll get a variation of shapes and as you can see, mine are all off centered! I don't care. I think it makes the beads look interesting. Do try to keep the paper tight so it's not loopy.

 

 

Position the sticks with the wet beads so they aren't touching. Let the glue dry.

Because I don't want the colors to fade in the sunlight, I've chosen to varnish each bead. This IS toxic, but I'm doing it in a separate room while wearing a mask, gloves, and opening a window. I've used this varnish on furniture and find it relatively non-toxic. It also dries fast leaving no smell. It makes the beads shiny, pretty and a little stronger than they would be without.

 

I place like colors on one stick and varnish them all at once. Before they are allowed to dry I make sure the beads aren't touching. After they dry, I'm storing them in egg cartons.

 

I plan to hang them using fishing wire from a piece of wood.

It's going to take a lot of beads, but I have all winter!

In another post, I'll show how to make beads from newspapers which is a much different process.

The Decapitation of Nancy

Nancy is the biggest sunflower and the first to start sagging due to the weight of her seeds.

 

 

 

The rains and winds didn't help either.

 

 

 

Poor Nancy!

 

 

 

So I decapitated her.

My gardening books say to wait until the backs start turning yellow then brown, but I tried that last year. The rains soaked the flowers so thoroughly they never dried out completely and I lost a lot of seeds to mold and rot. This time I decapitated before the torrents of rain.

You can see the seeds here.

Nancy, along with some of her once-cheerful friends, is now drying on the clothes rack over the heater vent. I don't know if this will work, if the seeds should mature on the plant, but it's better than water rot. We'll see!

 

 

 

Gardening is a very violent preoccupation!

Ocean Adventure: Part Eleven: Dismal

Dismal certainly described the day: rain, wind, rain, wind.

 

Today I visited Dismal Nitch. I love the name. I think an alternative band should adopt this name and sing depressing songs about lost love and adolescent confusion.

I've driven past Dismal Nitch many times on the way to various places, but I've never stopped and never bothered to look at the memorial. It is dedicated to Lewis and Clark who stayed at Dismal Nitch in November of 1805. Clark wrote in his journal about how dismal it was back then, too.

Since the rain was beating down on me the whole time I stayed only long enough to step in some dog shit then left. Dismal, indeed.

Garden Treasure!

I found a CUCUMBER!

 

 

So weird. I think I mentioned before I grew four "cucumber" plants and they all turned out to be zucchini. Now the plant I thought was a zucchini has produced one cucumber. The squash vines and leaves are all dying back so it's easier to see what's been hiding in the jungle. It was just laying there all by its lonesome. Amazing. Am I confused or what?

Delicious! I don't even like cucumbers! It goes in my salad anyway because I grew it!

Paleo/Caveman Diet with Hashimoto's Twist: ONE YEAR!!

It's been exactly one year on the Paleo/Cavewoman Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist. How is it going?

Easier. It gets easier. At first I was hungry all the time. Not really hungry, just not satisfied with anything I was eating. I realized I really don't like vegetables and not being accustomed to eating meat, changing my diet was definitely an adjustment. Initially I was gorging on anything I could eat, but that didn't even help. I tweaked favorite recipes in hopes of satiety. Eventually, I stopped worrying and thinking about what I was eating, what I couldn't eat, and what I really wanted to eat. I started followed my instincts while attempting to follow the basic rules with a few tweaks.

What I eat consistently now : fish, beef, chicken, eggs, most vegetables, most fruits, nuts, and olive oil. All foods are organic and as healthy and wholesome as possible.

Blood Sugar.  In the beginning for the first three or four months, I kept crashing. I'd never experienced utter weakness from not eating before so this was new. If I didn't eat something every two hours or sometimes every hour, my head would start spinning and I could hardly walk. Some simple snack didn't work - I needed protein or a full meal, but even then I didn't feel satisfied. It was like I couldn't eat enough. Looking back, I think it was partly due to the overall dietary adjustment. Eating gluten and grains regularly would have kept my blood sugar elevated consistently. Cutting them out must have been a shock. OR it was the high-glycemic fruits causing too much blood sugar elevation and then a drop? I didn't realize eating bananas and dried fruits, drinking fresh-squeezed fruit juices might have been contributing to it. Once I stopped these foods regularly, I was fine, but these foods kept me from wanting sugar and sweeteners so it did get me through the initial adjustment.

Discombobulation.  After three months, I'd become unsettled and anxious about once every two weeks. I'd start pacing the kitchen, feeling really antsy, strangely anxious, like something wasn't right, all food became unappealing, and nothing sounded good but I was starving. I tried various foods in hopes they would do the trick, but nothing worked. I found eating rice is the key. All the discombobulation goes away. I feel great. I become calm. I have no idea why although it might again have something to do with blood sugar or something in my diet that's missing and rice has it. I don't eat rice all the time, maybe once every two weeks, and not nearly as often as I did before starting the diet which was almost daily. I have not experienced any side effects with rice.

Cheating. Well, maybe it got easier because I just learned how to cheat effectively? I've never been able to eat the same things over and over again without feeling crazy. Adding cheat eats helps. Here are my confessions:

Every now and then I eat green peas. I know! You are thinking peas are healthy! I think so, too, but they are legumes and not on the Hashimoto's part of the diet because of the way they affect blood sugar when digested. I eat them because they are easy and when I run out of food and can't get to a store right away, there the peas sit in my freezer. I am thankful they are there. Without peas, I might lose all willpower and go for the really bad stuff. I experience no reactions that I am aware of.

Every now and then I drink tea with agave syrup or eat something with some kind of sweetener. Bad! This has been just in the last couple months so I'm trying to rein it in. Maybe because of the cold weather change? I also eat dates and raisins every now and then.

Canola oil mayonnaise. I'm trying to get away from it. I did just read a book on a diet that highly recommends canola oil, but I'm not convinced. It's made from corn which is grown with an abundance of chemicals. I love mayo, and my brand of choice is without soybeans and all the garbage. Still, it is processed so it's cheating. I do have a recipe for Duck Egg Mayonnaise, that is just olive oil, lemon juice, salt and duck eggs, but I don't know anyone with duck eggs. Someday I'll try it.
   
About once a month I have some kind of shellfish: oysters or prawns. Again, I just need something different to eat.

Yogurt is another treat I eat on occasion. I buy the Organic Nancy's Whole Milk Yogurt. No sweeteners in it like some of her other flavors. I mix shredded apples or blueberries in it.

I've never cheated with gluten other than the few tablespoons of an ice cream sample that may or may not have had gluten as a hidden ingredient. Gluten scares me. I have also never cheated with chocolate. Chocolate is evil and is gluten's evil twin. No coffee or anything typically considered junk food like candy bars, soda pop, etc., and I haven't gone to a restaurant in over a year, happy to say.

I guess I should call this "The Cheating Diet". But it's working...

Supplements. I do have a method to my madness regarding some of these cheats. I don't do supplements. Vitamin/mineral supplements are usually synthetic, processed bits of fake nutrients and incredibly unnatural. They usually make me sick and I react badly to most herbal supplements as well. I am supported by a few authors who believe those with autoimmune diseases should not take supplements. Dr. Datis Kharrazian believes supplements are a necessary form of healing and should be taken to support the Paleo/Hashimoto's diet.  This is HIS diet. Obviously I disagree, but this puts me in a difficult position if the diet is supposed to work only with the addition of supplements. I get my nutrients through clean, wholesome, natural foods.  I justify eating yogurt as a digestive aid instead of the probiotics recommended, and oysters are really high in minerals, zinc in particular which is good for detoxification. Green peas? What is healthier than green peas? Loaded with nutrients.  Natural minerals assist in detoxification which is important due to my chemical sensitivity. I guess I should call this the Paleo/Hashimoto's/MCS diet.

OK, I can rationalize anything, but I've never had any reaction to my cheats. If I did, I would cease to indulge immediately. I even had something with real sugar in it about a month ago and had no reaction whatsoever although I kinda wish I had so it wouldn't make me feel so confident about cheating!

Blood Labs.  Last Spring my blood labs had all improved which gave me great hope.

Energy/Fatigue.  I haven't had any bouts of exhaustion since January when I just had one or two. I still get tired from time to time, usually 2pm - 5pm, but not nearly as bad as it was last year. In fact, I overworked myself this summer and had to take some time off to recuperate. This is a good sign. During the winter before starting this diet I didn't have much fatigue at all so I'm hoping to have more energy this winter than ever before!

Weight Loss.  Ah ha! Several people have emailed me or commented on their struggle with weight loss. We have all desperately wondered WHY we aren't losing weight especially with all the sacrifice. I am happy to say I finally am! I don't have a bathroom scale, but I can fit into pants I haven't been able to wear for about three years. In fact three years ago I couldn't get them on let alone button them up! They are now loose and comfortable.

Here are my thoughts on this. Initially I was gorging on anything I could eat desperate for satiety, mostly high fat foods, foods that would normally be filling: coconut milk, nuts, nut butters, and high-glycemic fruits. In January I went through a whole case of coconut milk! A doctor recommended pistachios because their good fat content is high and they are very healthy in terms of vitamins and minerals. He didn't mentioned they were exceptionally FATTENING, too. I still eat them along with pecans, Brazil nuts, and sometimes cashews, but now limited. I just got tired of nuts. I stopped eating bananas when I found out their glycemic rating was high and reduced my intake of high-glycemic dried fruits. Then I stopped eating almond butter when I found cockroach anatomy in one of the containers. I was eating A LOT of almond butter. Almonds are really good for you, but I draw the line at vermin body parts. I think giving up the almond butter did the trick. I also have decreased my portions of meat and fish. Again, I was eating a lot of anything that would fill me up. I don't seem to need as much anymore.

Some books say it takes two years for a person to see the changes in health and energy. It's been a year. I'm still not optimum, but I think I'm half way there!

Last of the Grass

The grass is GONE! No more mowing! Hooray. I left a bit for Peter:

 



 

He also has his Dr. Seuss landscape in the back, but this will give him a bit to nibble and lay upon.

See the bright red over the beauty bark? It's how I'm keeping the cats from using it as a litter box. Grrrr...

Happy Flowers!

Gardening season is winding down. The weather is still nice, partly sunny and crisp, holding on to the very last days of summertime. Plants are starting to die back. The Roma tomatoes are finally ripening:

As well as the pumpkins and squash, in time for Halloween:

The rainy season is supposed to begin this Friday and the clouds are starting to move in. Once it starts it'll continue until next July! Still, my gigantic sunflowers brighten up the yard even without sun. Each one seems to have a personality of its own. I want to name them! With sunflowers all around, I don't think I'll miss the sun so much. I want to share their happy faces, especially for Evelyn who is fighting viruses.

Samantha (front) and Selena

Antoinette

Nancy

Evelyn

Virginia

 

Beatrice Maude, Bonnie Matilda, Brunhilda May
Bertha Mildred and Bonita Myrtle

 

 

Lisa and Janine

 

Persephone

 

Rebecca (front) and Rachel

 

Cassandra

 

 

What is this plant? It's an herb. I know it is because I stole the cutting from the herb garden of the local naturopathic school. Unfortunately, I didn't write the name down. Anyone know? I might have paid more attention had I known how beautiful it would look when it blooms!

Caffeine AND Cancer in ONE!

I'd be disappointed if the corporate world didn't take advantage of cancer awareness month to market yet another toxic product:

 

 

PINK LEMONADE 5-HOUR ENERGY!!!



 

 

PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT CANCER!!!

You can eat this toxic caffeine additive AND support cancer at the same time! Caffeine and cancer, my two favorite subjects. How timely. How predictable. How hypocritical.

Cancer! Let's Celebrate!

October is here! To celebrate, the streets are littered with toxic pink plastic to make us aware it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Awareness Month organizers who are responsible for the decorations are so totally UNAWARE of the toxicity and health risks of polluting the environment with plastics. What a contradiction, but appropriately symbolic of this month-long fundraising event.

Since the 1940s the American government has been supporting cancer research in an effort to find a cure for the disease. What have they accomplished? Not much. It would be inconvenient to find a cure for something that supports so many special interest groups. Capitalism would fail without cancer.

We know what the cure is for cancer because we are constantly being informed what causes cancer. Read the newspaper, listen to the radio, watch television. Being informed isn't hard. Let's see. What have I read, listened to, and watched in the last ten years? Cell phones cause brain cancer. Deodorants cause breast cancer. Feminine hygiene products cause ovarian cancer. Teeth whitening products cause mouth cancer. Black hair dye causes prostate cancer. Shampoo ingredients cause any kind of cancer. Fresh produce laced with pesticides and chemical fertilizers causes all kinds of cancer. Birth control pills cause lots of cancer. Toluene causes cancer. Toluene? You know that ingredient found in explosives, auto supplies, fragrances and perfumes? Heck, smoking causes cancer. Is anyone not aware of that?  Do we care? Are shampoos and cigarettes still on the shelf at our grocery stores? Has sales gone down even a tiny bit for cell phones?

And what about the cancer-causing toxins in our environment that we take for granted: car exhaust, factory pollution, chemically-treated water supplies.

The government goes out of its way to assure the public that everything is safe. The FDA does all kinds of studies, tests, and trials and claims everything is safe. It's all fine. No worries. Spend your money freely.  Which special interest group is paying for the studies? How do they sway the results so their partnerships benefit by making more money? Even with all the promotion and advertising used to cover up the warnings, the truth leaks out. People really don't know what causes cancer? Is everyone blind, deaf, and dumb? And I mean dumb in the most humbling way. But no one seems to care.
 

It's not hard to find out what causes cancer. What is hard is for people to get off their asses and do something to help themselves and those around them live healthier lives. But it's too inconvenient. It's too hard. It's much easier to give money and keep their heads buried in the sand.

I've asked a few of the donation-begging sponsors of this month-long cancer guilt trip where does the money they collect go?  Those who even have an answer say with unfounded excitement, "Oh, research for a cancer cure!" But where does the money go? No one knows. I would assume someone might say the American Cancer Society, but even if this was the script they read and memorized, they would be hard pressed to know WHERE THE MONEY GOES. Who really benefits from this money? Where is this cure that was promised more than seventy years ago? That's a lot of money that's done very little.

BUT, BUT, it's to find a CURE! This has to be the most preposterous idea I could ever imagine, and people really buy into this through guilt, fear and manipulation. They haven't found a CURE in sixty years. People are dying, we know what causes cancer, and yet people only whine. It's very American to do nothing except wait for that miracle cure, that quick fix, the easy out. Maybe a pill one can take that will make everything better? Instead of making an effort by adjusting lifestyles and bad habits to save themselves and the people around them, they want it easy and giving money to a blind cause helps lessen the guilt of apathy and laziness. Let someone else find a CURE while they smoke their cigarettes, use their cell phones, and dye their hair. Then when they do get the dreaded death sentence, they and their loved ones can plead how unfair life is. Too bad there isn't a CURE. Let's have a few more spaghetti feeds to earn more money to find that CURE. Only make sure that spaghetti is freeze dried with a whole lot of unpronounceable chemical preservatives, artificial flavors, dyes and colors listed on the label.

I'm so sick of the hypocrisy. Instead of getting volunteers to run around asking for money for a worthless cause, why not challenge each other not to smoke? Why not put all that money back into the development of an electric car? Why not demand only organic food be sold in stores? Why not boycott chemically-scented products? Why not stop patronizing McDonalds and Starbucks and eat real food? Why don't people challenge themselves and others to be the healthiest they can be? Why not stop supporting cancer with their bad habits?

Nothing doing. We're capitalists. It's all about the almighty dollar. It's so much easier to lay back and give money to find a "cure" than to take responsibility. And of course, it's so much easier to hang toxic pink plastic all over the town so everyone thinks we are doing something productive when in fact,after the celebration is over, no one even bothers to take it down. It floats through the streets for months as a reminder of the wasted energy.

Happy National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Let's Celebrate!

It's so hypocritical.