Impending Planetary Extinction

My hoard-like supply of Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid, the All-Purpose Miracle Soap is dwindling. I'm down to a mere two bottles, down from three cases. It took me years to get through it. Obviously, I didn't buy enough.

A few weeks ago as I was shopping I came across a display of a new dish washing liquid. It's called Biokleen Natural Dish Liquid. "Biokleen"? I hate it when people change the spelling of words and make it sound like the fake substitute. Like when people in education-type businesses us "skool" instead of "school" which makes one wonder if they can spell. Toys R Us? What does this teach kids?

Of course, "Biokleen" reminds me of "Beau-line" (pronounced "bee-o-leen") which was the toxic make-up poisoning everyone in the latest Catwoman movie, so I wasn't impressed. It's made in my area which is nice as I think supporting local, American products is a good thing. Then I read the ingredients on the label...teeny, tiny print that no human could read without some kind of visual aid, in my case a magnifying glass provided by the co-op's customer service desk. Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauramine Oxide, Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Grapefruit Seed Extract, C10-15 Alcohols. The weird thing about all these unpronounceable words is after each is (plant-based...whatever) to make those words seems less toxic. I passed it up. My co-op is really good at not selling anything toxic so I wondered how this product got on the shelves? Is it not as toxic as one would think? Did the co-op not read the ingredients? Yeah, it was on sale for $3.99 which was slightly less than the Planet, but the ingredients just didn't set well with me.

My next trip to the store, knowing my cherished supply of Planet was on the verge of disappearing, I thought I should check the Planet display and see if they've changed the ingredients list or whatever. Again I passed the Biokleen display reminding me of their sale. Planet has changed their label, but the ingredients are the same. But the price!! The price is now $5.25 a bottle! When I first started buying Planet it was $3.25 a bottle. By the time I bought the cases it was up to $4.10 a bottle. Jeez. I should have purchased I life time supply!

Before I bought the bottle of Biokleen I unscrewed the cap and took a big whiff. No smell. Hmm. Maybe I should try it anyway? I didn't realize using it with hot water would make it STINK. There is no scent, it's a raw, chemical-like stink that makes me gag. Damn. Oh well!  I should have known.

I'm not sure what I'll do if the new Planet also smells, but for now I'm staying with Planet Ultra Dish Washing Liquid, the All-Purpose Over-Priced Soap.

Chemical sensitivity is expensive....

The Palletic Garden

Pallets are simple, cheap wood constructions designed to support freight and transport goods from one place to another. For years no one gave them a second thought and most if they weren't recycled were thrown in the dumpster after they served their purpose.

With the minimalist movement supported by recycling enthusiasts and anyone who just wants some cheap construction supplies, pallets have become a high-demand commodity. Just ask the tiny house builders who use broken-down pallet wood for walls, siding, floors, and furniture. It's amazing what a person can do with the cheap, yet usable wood from pallets.

Years ago when I first moved into my house and was left with little funds to really be able to do any high-class remodeling, I used pallets for fence repairs and my compost bin walls.

 

I've grown tired of hauling all this compost to the woods so
I hide it on the side of my garden shed. This is from one week of
cleaning. It'll be ten times this come this fall. Then what will
I do with it?

My local hardware/feed store puts unsuitable pallets out on the corner for anyone to take. Unfortunately, they are often broken, smelly, or damaged in some way.

On that note, it's wise to be selective. I've drug heavy pallets into my van only to get a block away and realize they do smell and it's not a good smell or even a wood smell. I've read they can be treated with fire retardants, pesticides, covered in chemicals from products that leaked while being shipped, or infested with mold because of this spillage or water saturation. Also, beware of broken wood, sharp staples, rusty nails, or other dangerous conditions and don't bother with pallets that are too damaged to be of use or looking like they are rotting.

I attempted to collect some pallets for my tiny house idea, but after trying to break down the first one, I gave up. It's not easy to take them apart! They are built to withstand all kinds of stress during transportation with up to five nails or screws or twisty nails on each end of each wood piece. Wow. I read about one woman who built a tiny house, used pallet boards for the exterior siding, and had to break down eighty. That doesn't sound like a lot until you experience just one. Hard to imagine, but with patience, perseverance, and a whole lot of energy, it can be done.

If I had the strength to break down pallets I think I'd build one of Derek Diedricksen's lounge chairs. I've considered this, but I think you'd have to really sand the wood well so you don't get splinters in your butt AND I'm sure it takes him about 15 minutes to put it all together and it would take me at least 15 days if not 15 months. With the cost of building a deck or a porch, using pallet wood would be a huge savings.

Pallet gardening is the latest thing. I confess, I've run out of gardening space so I'm trying to find clever ways to use unusable yard space. My first idea is using pallets as a garden for lettuce. Raising it up off the ground makes it a really awesome raised bed which would promote growth since the soil would be kept warm, and might even deter bugs and slugs. That's a plus!

 

I had to use pallet boards from other pallets as the walls. Then I used another pallet as a floor to plug the holes between the slates so the dirt doesn't fall through.  I didn't want to use plastic as it would impede drainage nor buy special garden cloth because I'm cheap. Wood will work just fine. Free wood even better!

 

I placed it in the dog-kennel-now-strawberry-garden at the side of the house where the dog house used to be. That unusable slab of concrete will now serve as my lettuce, basil, and onion garden!

Lettuce babies...so cute!

 

I love the perfect rows creating a perfect pattern. Organized gardening!

My second borrowed idea is to use two leaning pallets for my squash garden.

Such a tiny little plot for my pumpkins, but it's all the space I have left!

Every year I plant squash and the tendrils crawl 50 feet across walkways, over bushes and take over the whole yard. It ends up being an unmanageable jungle. I'm hoping the tendrils can climb up the pallet trellis and the fruits can hang down under it. Well, that's what they showed in the example photo.

I've grown pumpkins here before and they were very successful
even though there isn't as much sunshine on this side of the house.

 

I found baby pallets!! They are about 2/3rds the size of regular pallets so lighter weight which is excellent. Much easier to carry and less strain on the wrists. They are so cute and in very good shape. I think they got rid of them only because they were such an odd size. It's my mission now to collect baby pallets as they are more manageable.

There are other clever ideas for pallets in gardens such as planters in various styles, tool organizers, outdoor shelves and tables, benches, swings, patio furniture, garden architecture over walkways, fencing, and wooden walkways.

Hooray for pallet gardening!

Gardening is so joyful!

April Movie Reviews

My April evenings have been filled with movies. Every year I check the latest Academy Awards winners for movie ideas and after a long wait, those titles are now coming available through the library. Here are my opinions on most recently viewed titles. I'm using a star rating, from one to five. Five stars is the highest, or, not only did I love it, but I loved it so much I want to watch it again which is rare. One star probably means it was so bad I probably didn't watch the whole thing.

Adult World with Emma Roberts and John Cusack. A weird little movie about a young, somewhat crazy, passionate poet-wanna-be obsessed with the need to be published and famous and distraught because she's neither at the very old age of 22. Her parents are tired of supporting her so she gets a job at a adult sex shop for lack of a better offer. When you were young did you rent sleazy apartments, work weird jobs, and hang out with bizarre people? I did. It was such a magical time, and then I grew up. Now I have to be careful where I work, with whom I hang, and where I live. Ah, to be young, naïve, carefree and not chemically sensitive! ***

The Best Offer starring Geoffrey Rush as an art appraiser/auctioneer who becomes obsessed with a young woman suffering from agoraphobia hiding behind the walls in her parents villa. He, on the other hand, wears gloves and only uses handkerchiefs or tissues to pick up things so in a way he's very much like her. I enjoy movies about art and antiques. This one was very intriguing with beautiful sets and great acting. It was that kind of movie that screams symbolism so I spend most of the movie wondering what I was missing and wishing I had a higher functioning brain. I want to talk to someone about it so if you have seen it or will see it let me know. I can't stop thinking about it. The ending is rather discombobulating and sad, but I can't help thinking he deserved it and I should have seen it coming. ****

Birdman is about a has-been movie star of superhero movies who is making the transition to Broadway. Tormented by self-doubt and public criticism, he hallucinates his superhero alter ego. The actors are all outstanding, especially Michael Keaton and Edward Norton, but I have no idea why it won an Oscar for best picture. What do I know? Emma Stone was nominated for supporting actress and I get that, but Patricia Arquette won that one for Boyhood. Blah. Again, what do I know? And Edward Norton was nominated for supporting actor, but the guy from Whiplash (reviewed below) got that one. Again, what do I know?? The DVD case says, "Hilarious". Watching this man's demons torture him wasn't hilarious. I guess I just didn't get it. It was too dark and depressing for me. ***

Crude: The Real Price of Oil is about the lawsuit filed against Texaco-Chevron holding them accountable for the horrific contamination of the Ecuadorian rainforest. Some of the indigenous tribes were forced to leave their ancestral homes where they had lived for hundreds of years. Others stayed not understanding the consequences of drinking, washing and bathing in oil-contaminated water. The people are dying from cancer, food doesn't grow, and their livestock die. They featured lakes of oil sludge and black soil that was never cleaned up and just left to simmer. The worst image was this sweet white duck lying helpless on its back in oil-contaminated water with it's little feet up in the air quivering, besides the babies with skin rashes or tumors. Those images are going to give me nightmares. The lawsuit has been going on for about ten years and Chevron is doing everything in its power to delay it in hopes of depleting the resources of the Ecuadorian legal team. They anticipate it'll take another ten years to get it to trial. It's horrifying. Typical American corporate greed. So sad and disturbing. ****

Everything Must Go or, when life goes to crap, have a yard sale! It's about a guy (Will Ferrell) who loses his job, his wife, his money/credit, his wallet with ID, and his car in one day. Well, as an alcoholic he's been working at it for a long time. His wife throws all his stuff out on the front yard and changes all the locks. He sits outside on his recliner drinking his beer non-stop and uses the koi pond for a toilet. Lack of direction and threat of jail inspires him to sell it all. And that's the movie. I thought it would be a comedy, but I think this is one of the few movies Ferrell has been in that isn't. It was a bit depressing and I kept wanting to scream Just get yourself together! I thought there would be a moment of clarity for him by the end, but I'm not sure if it ever came. ***

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo/Girl Who Played with Fire/Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest also known as The Millenium Trilogy is based on the books by the same name. Outstanding books. These movies follow the books exactly, but they are Swedish so they have English subtitles. I've seen them so many times I'm surprised I'm not yet fluent in Swedish. The Americans made their version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with Daniel Craig, who I love. I think the American version is better in terms of performance and photography, but they haven't followed it up with the other two. Hulu has all three Swedish movies for free and this month, I watched them all again! *****

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People about a British journalist fascinated with celebrities who gets a job with a New York magazine. A little stupid, but some LOL moments. **

Ida is Polish foreign film about a 17-year old novice in 1962 who just before taking her vows is sent to meet her only living relative. She finds out she is Jewish, was sent to the Catholic church as a baby during the Holocaust, and with her aunt searches for answers to where her parents are buried and how they died. Absolutely outstanding photography. Every frame is gorgeous. Truly a work of art. Excellent story, filmed in black and white, superb performances. It's won lots of awards including Oscars for cinematography and best foreign language film. ****

Into the Woods is the movie remake of the Broadway musical and it followed the story, script and music exactly. I thought when they first planned this movie it wasn't going to be a musical? Which is a bit unimaginable. Maybe I'm confusing it with another movie? Meryl Streep was outstanding. She should have received the Oscar for supporting actress. The sets were great as were the performances. Loved it. Very entertaining especially for those of us who can no longer tolerate going to live theater. ****

Jimmy P. : Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian was about a Native American WWII veteran with a head injury who experiences migraines. He ends up being psychoanalyzed by an anthropologist who is fascinated with Native American culture. It was a Hollywood movie, but claims to be a true story. Benicio Del Toro's performance was stilted and his fake accent was irritating, but the whole movie was so incredibly boring I stopped watching it about half way through. Oh well. *

Latter Days is about a naive Mormon missionary who leaves his small, narrow-minded, religious Midwestern town for L.A. The script was cheesy, the plot was predictable, and the acting really bad. OK, it was gay porn without the porn, but at times it got a little close. No...I wasn't looking for porn, gay or otherwise, and I knew it couldn't be porn since I got it out of the library. I was actually looking for the new-ish Missionary another movie about a Mormon missionary but this one is obsessed or crazy and stalks a woman he meets through his door to door religious harassment. Not very Mormon-like in both cases which was the appeal. *

The One Hundred Foot Journey A family from India moves to France and opens a restaurant in direct competition with the fancy French restaurant across the street. It was sweet and made me really hungry for Indian food. I MISS Indian food!! I loved Helen Mirren's French accent and the lead Indian guy was adorable. More importantly, can I move there? The French countryside is so absolutely stunning! Green pastures, little country roads, and villages. Everyone is living in an old, stone farmhouse using rotary dial phones! Lots of fresh veggies, too. Not too long ago I was conversing online with a woman who's whole family is chemically sensitive and she was looking to move to France. She claimed the French don't use pesticides like the USA. I know they have taken giant steps toward banning a lot of chemicals in their country unlike the USA which promotes poisoning its citizens. Can I move there now? ****

 Prodigal Sons  I actually had no clue what this was about when I saw the previews which are very mysterious. Lots of excellent reviews from film critics inspired me to downloaded it off Hoopla through my library. Wow. This movie is about a family from Montana dealing with adoption, sibling rivalry, transsexuality, homosexuality, estrangement, and mental illness. I thought my family was fucked up, but these people make my relatives look normal. It was exhausting to watch the dynamics and I'm not even a family member. Absolutely draining. There is no way I'd ever put up with being abused like that from anyone, I don't care what their excuse. I'm never sure why people allow family members to treat them with such disrespect. Is it unconditional love or some kind of mental illness they ALL suffer and I just don't get it? It was an interesting story, but I didn't see the point.  ***

Run and Jump It was an incredibly boring movie about a man who had been in a coma, a neuropsychologist who was observing him, and the guy's wife. I lasted about 20 minutes. Hated it. Snooze...*

The Selfish Giant was a British movie about two working-class kids and their scrap metal scrounging for the local sleazeball junk man. One of the boys is a little feisty dude with a serious ADHD problem and the other is a big, but mild mannered boy who loves horses and gets bullied a lot. The little one defends him and is the instigator of all their schemes. Great best friend story although with the poverty and criminal undertones, it's anything but heartwarming. The dark, dreary photography with the overcast, rainy/foggy weather was perfect scenery for the story. Outstanding performances especially from the boys. The accents were difficult and most of the time I had no idea what they were saying. ****

Super High Me is a pseudo-documentary about the effects of smoking pot every day, all day long for 30 days. It's a comedic take on the movie Super Size Me which was about eating McDonald's food, but unfortunately had no redeeming value. Like the McDonald's movie, Super High Me attempted to do before and after tests, but since nothing was taken seriously the results were questionable. It was basically a vehicle for a not-so-great comedian who makes a living doing stand-up comedy about smoking marijuana. I think you'd have to be stoned to appreciate it, which was the theme throughout. It was a little stupid, but I didn't turn it off. I wanted to see test results, instead I watch a man gets dumber with each passing minute. **

The Theory of Everything is about physicist Stephen Hawking who has lived a really long, exceptional life with Lou Gehrig's disease. He was given two years to live in the 1960s...today he's 79 years old. Hmmm... The score was beautiful and there is no doubt in my mind at all why Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor. Supporting cast was excellent and I loved the 1960s costumes. For a lot of people with severe disabilities the story might be inspiring and uplifting, but for me it was just OK bordering on boredom. ***

Whiplash It was about a really abusive band teacher. Aside from the abuse and control of this egomaniac which was difficult to watch, the setting was dark and mundane, the photography was dreary, the characters boring, and I really wasn't getting the point of the story. The lead actor won an Oscar for his performance. I don't know...I think it would be easy to act abusive and angry. Maybe that's just me...I wouldn't be acting. LOL. I lasted about 20 minutes. Hated it. *

That's it for April movies.