Dublin to Kilkenny to Dublin...

Ok this is gonna be quick; no time to upload pictures.

The family dinner Sunday was fun, rowdy, lots of laughing! We left Monday for Kilkenny, where we stayed at the Lyrath Resort. Oh wow, it was awesome.

A little pub-hopping, a little shopping, a little more pub-hopping, a lazy spa day... and one of those unplanned, impromptu fun days that remain in memory much longer than any souvenir.

How to explain? After we released our tension in the spa the four of us regrouped in the hotel pub before heading to town. Four hours later we were all still sitting in the pub, laughing laughing laughing and talking talking talking... we did finally make it to a few pubs in town but came back and had dinner at the hotel's Thai restaurant, where we sat for 3 more hours.... It was just lazy, unplanned fun.

Isn't it funny how somtimes those are the best days ever? When the plan is thrown out the window and the day meanders along like time sort of stops.

Anyway - today we're back in Dublin. Steph and I went to the coolest place, Number 29. Check it out; it was amazing. Then we headed to my new favorite place, Marks and Spencer. It's Whole Foods on steroids. I want one!

We're home, heating up dinner, in our comfies, with a fire burning in the den, exhausted. Tomorrow: PUB CRAWL!!!! Believe it or not, it was Ross's mother's idea, and his parents will be joining us.

Can't wait to share pics and more stories but that's it for now. Except to say.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIRD!!!!

Greetings from Dublin!

I didn't expect to have time to blog over here in Dublin, but my internal clock is sooo confused. So I'm up while the rest of the house is sound asleep. Today (when it starts) will be day 4 in Dublin. Here's how the first 3 days went.

Oh by the way: International First Class is definely the way to fly! It was totally worth wiping out our frequent flyer accounts. But I digress.

Steph picked us up at the airport; immigration was a breeze and Customs appeared to be on the honor system. Either that or we somehow missed it. She dropped us off at her house and headed off to work.

Bayne and I explored the neighborhood, checking out basic things like the grocery store. I'm amazed at how much of my normal shopping is subconscious. A lot of the brands and packaging are different here and I actually had to read labels to figure out which aisle I was on. Think about it. If you're looking for Ritz crackers, you don't read labels, you look for the red box right?

The traffic signals are a hoot; there's no question whether or not it's your turn to cross, because a loud - and somewhat scary - alarm sounds when it's ok to walk. And I guess enough Americans have gotten hit by cars due to looking the wrong way when crossing, so in the busier places the intersections have Look Right painted on the ground. I was pretty amazed at how many plants are in bloom over here. It's cold, but the hydrangeas are still blooming. Not fair!

That was a pretty big day considering our plane landed at 2am Athens time. I was delirous by the time Steph and Ross got home. We immediately opened a bottle of wine and got down to the business of getting reacquainted. We stayed up too late, drank too much wine, and laughed so much our faces hurt. The camera never made it out of the suitcase.

Friday Steph and Ross headed to work; Bayne and I hopped the 123 bus into town. We started on Francis street, known for its antique shops. Wow. Some really spectacular stuff but no, I didn't buy anything. We gawked at the architecture everywhere we went. We wandered over to St. Patrick's cathedral ....

....and checked out the memorial wall, dedicated to Ireland's literary greats. This one is Yeats if you're having trouble reading it.

We explored the Georges Street Arcade, which is full of quirky stalls. In one record store, the clerk asked where we were from and I said Athens, then started to change my answer to Atlanta just to make things easier, but the clerk said "Pylon!" and we ended up in a lively discussion about the Athens music scene.

Then it was time for lunch at Burdocks, Dublin's oldest purveyor of fish & chips. It's a tiny takeout stand. We took what seemed like 2 pounds of food each back over to St. Patricks and ate in the park.

I don't care what the reviews say online, or if Tom Cruise is a fan. That was some pretty gross food. I ate maybe 3 bites before giving up and tossing it. 20 euros down the drain.

We decided a trip to Guinness would help us recover from our disappointing lunch. We chose to walk the 1/2 mile or so, ducking into shops here and there along the way.

Guinness: Wow. The self-guided tour wanders up 6 floors and is truly amazing. Very interactive, including a tasting spot where you can sample whole, unprocessed hops.

They've done such a great job; you just can't get bored.

We thought of Deebs the whole time and decided to toss a coin in the fountain on his behalf. (Make your wish D!) And when you reach the 7th floor, which is the Gravity Bar, there's a pint of Guinness and an amazing view as your reward.

We were jet-lagged and ready for naps so we caught a cab home. He picked us up right outside Guinness, and lectured us the whole way home on better things to see. He recommends the Kilmainham Jail and Chester Beatty library. I tried to explain that both are on our list, but we were keeping it light the first day, and he wasn't having it. Fascinating.

Naps, showers, and more catching up with Steph and Ross when they got home from work, then we headed to their current favorite restaurant, Pinocchio. Scrumptious. From there... Smyth's Pub of course.

Saturday we slept in; it was heavenly. Big breakfast at home... well, can you call it breakfast at noon? Then Steph and I headed to Grafton Street to shop. It's a pedestrian-only, cobblestone-street area with shops galore. And Steph knows where to shop! We started at Brown Thomas, a high-end department store. After my horrific shopping experience in Atlanta last week, this was heavenly. While Steph tried on Manolo Blahniks, I headed to bedding and bath. I found the PERFECT quilt for my bed... but alas, 1400 euros ($2,065) so I decided maybe not this time.

I couldn't even tell you all the stores we went in. I definitely remember flying into H&M to buy umbrellas. The day started out bright and sunny, not a cloud to be seen, but out of nowhere came a soaking downpour. What to do? The pub, of course. Which is where Bayne and Ross were already spending the afternoon. So we headed over to Davy Byrne's and met them for cocktails.

We needed to purchase wine for Sunday's family dinner so we headed to Fallon and Byrne, a sort of gourmet grocery/wine bar/restaurant. Down in the cellar you can buy wine, drink wine, or both. We chose BOTH.

The staff were sporting some elaborate Halloween costumes and it was really fun. Delicious cheese board and a new favorite cheese: Petit Jurassic.

We brought home a special treat: Chateau Du Tertre 2003 Margaux. Oh yum. Ross worked on a parsnip/carrot/celeriac soup for Sunday's dinner; Steph made pizza (including a spelt crust from scratch) topped with Ross' homemade sauce, caramelized onion, and some cambozola cheese. Bayne watched the beginning of the GA-FLA game online (ouch!) and I just floated from room to room. We had a few trick-or-treaters but we'd gotten home late so we missed most of them. Then we retired to the den to watch scary Halloween movies.

So now it's Sunday. The wine & Guinness have flowed freely since we arrived three days ago and I'm feeling the brain fog. I've been up since maybe 4am, it's now 8am, and there's not a sound coming from the rest of the house. So I'm off to Insomnia for my morning coffee fix, served by a grouchy little Irish man who counts my money for me since I can't make out the change without glasses. Today Ross's family is coming over and we're going all out on dinner. Apparently his uncle Liam is fascinated by our Civil War and Ross plans to sit him next to me. I have R Wood gifts for the women, Bulldog coozies for the men, and sweet Shannon's Stewart Candy mints for the kids.

And I'm completely out of time... bye!

The Georgia Playlist

As promised, here's the playlist I put together for Ross, in attempt to share some Georgia music with an Irish dude.

Otis Redding - Macon:
Dock of the Bay
That's How Strong My Love Is
Gladys Knight - Atlanta:
Midnight Train to Georgia
Neither One of Us
The Allman Brothers - Macon:
Whipping Post
Midnight Rider
The B52s - Athens:
Private Idaho
Deadbeat Club
Pylon - Athens:
Crazy
REM - Athens:
Crazy
Rockville
Don't Fall on Me
Love Tractor - Athens:
Spin Your Partner
JEB Pharaohs
Drivin N Cryin - Atlanta:
Scarred but Smarter
Another Scarlet Butterfly
Widespread Panic - Athens:
Coconut
Porch Song
The Indigo Girls - Atlanta:
Land of Canaan
Third Day - Marietta:
I've Always Loved You
She Sings in Riddles

My apologies for not linking the songs so you could listen, but it's pouring rain and my internet connection is crawling. Enjoy!

Greening up your business... whether you like it or not!

I've been hearing from my employed friends about a fascinating trend, but I don't think I've ever blogged about it!

The environmentally conscious among us are starting to demand that the businesses we deal with share our same ideals. It means the global-warming-is-a-bunch-of-bunk thinkers are being forced to get with the program whether they like it or not. If they want to stay in business, that is.

In Bayne's world, requests for proposals these days feature new requirements for sustainability, forcing engineering firms to look out for Mother Earth or miss out on the big deals. My commercial real estate friends are boning up on what it means to be green because businesses are giving preference to green buildings. My restaurant friends are responding to customer demands for food from sustainable sources.

But what is a green building? What is a sustainable source? What, in fact, is "green"?

Regardless of your profession there's a chance you're scrambling in some way to figure out what it means to be green. They certainly didn't cover this in Accounting 101 when I attended UGA. I doubt they taught it in real estate classes 10 years ago, or in cooking school....

.... or in design school. That's what got me thinking about this. My good friend Mary told me over drinks how it's affecting the interior design biz. Designers, like the rest of us, are trying to figure out what it means to be green because clients are asking "is this eco-friendly?"... but what the heck does that mean? There's no standard.

Is using reclaimed wood eco-friendly? Maybe. Bamboo fabric? It depends. What does the client mean when they say green? If money is no object, maybe they want the over-the-top, green-at-any-cost sort of home that Laura Turner Sydell has in Atlanta. But really I doubt the client even knows what it means. I mean, that's the designer's job, right? Uhhhh.....

Mary and Veranda magazine are hosting a panel discussion to help designers figure out the greener aspects of design, and she's bringing in UGA's Dean of Ecology to help with the facts. Here's some info, for the designers among you. Mary is a furniture designer and she's feeling the pressure too. She's looking for ways to run a greener business, but there's only so much reclaimed wood to go around!

I'm fascinated. I wish I could attend but I'LL BE IN IRELAND (insert huge smiley face) so I'll have to hear about it second-hand.

Regardless of industry or profession, I love that green is the buzzword of the moment. Consumers, stay-at-home moms, average joes... we have a hand in driving this movement. Oh my gosh our little voices are being heard, slowly but surely. Speak up every chance you get. Even if you don't know what you mean when you say "green", say it anyway. We'll eventually figure it out.

Thanks, Mary, for seeing a need and doing something to help fill it... and good luck with your event!

I don't want your stinkin' credit card!!!!

Bayne and I headed to the ATL yesterday, in hopes of updating our wardrobes. We left feeling like road kill being circled by buzzards.

I got a taste of what I was in for before I even left Athens. In Belks, a store manager was walking the aisles calling out to salespeople "Bring me those credit cards!". Right in front of the customers. I thought it was odd but didn't pay much attention.

But in Atlanta - wow - it ruined my shopping. High pressure credit card offers in every store, and not just at the cash registers. In Banana Republic the roving credit buzzards made FOUR card offers and not one of them accepted my initial "no thank you". It was hard not to be rude, but I succeeded.

Until I got to DSW.

No lie... at DSW I was asked SIX times if I wanted to join the rewards club. I was in the store 5 minutes, made it down 2 aisles, and was bent over trying on a pair of shoes when the 5th person asked "Can I sign you up for our rewards club?!!" I snapped. I yelled "STOP IT!!!" I grabbed my shoes, skipped all the other aisles, and walked barefoot to the cash register.....

.... where the cashier asked "Have you heard about our rewards club?" Bayne looked at me and took a few frightened steps back. I told the woman how annoyed I was, that no means no, that I was leaving the store without looking at all the shoes because I was being badgered, blah blah blah. Her reply? "We are just so excited about our rewards program because it's free. Are you sure you don't want to join?"

I'm trying to remind myself that these people are just doing what they're told and that times are hard. But the financial upside of these programs must be huge for stores to risk alienating customers.

The bright spot of the day? Phipps Plaza. Only 1 credit offer, at Ann Taylor. At every other store I shopped in peace.

Georgia Music Fans... Need Your Help!

I'm working on gifts for my host and hostess in Ireland. I've got Steph covered. She's a Georgia girl (mostly) and an old friend so she wasn't hard to shop for.

Her husband Ross is a different story. He's a very cool Irish dude but I barely know him. So I decided I'd make him a CD or two of music by Georgia artists.

Help! What artists and songs do you consider to be the best of the best where Georgia musicians are concerned? Come on, tell me. I'm looking to make the quintessential Georgia artists' playlist.

Post a comment here, on facebook, or send me an email via gmail (melsjunk).

When I come up with the final soundtrack I'll post the playlist here. Well, maybe I shouldn't make promises I can't keep. But I'll try.

Type A Gal's To-Do List

I'm happy to report that Zen-Melaney won out yesterday. I had a wonderful day!

I purchased goodies at R Wood to take to our hosts in Ireland. I scored some very cool earrings at Heery's, and some CDs at Wuxtry. (Used, of course).

I did all sorts of girly things I never do... tried on shoes... window shopped... etc.

I lunched (solo) at Mama's Boy, where I allowed myself to actually READ The Flagpole cover-to-cover, instead of just skimming it. It felt so decadent to treat myself to lunch for absolutely no reason.

Then I headed to Republic to get rid of my root rot. My hair is now a delightful, chemically-induced golden brown. I even let Lori blow it dry instead of leaving with it wet to save time and money.


Today it's back to reality. I was sitting at my desk re-working my To Do list when Leigh called. The story she shared shook me to the core and caused me to re-evaluate my priorities.

Leigh is going on a trip too. Tomorrow. So of course this week she had an after-work To Do list that included shopping for outfits and packing. But like every good Type A gal, her pre-trip list also included "clean out pantry". A+!!! Gold star!!!

But then she noticed peeling paint, which led to removing the shelves, painting the pantry, and cleaning the shelves. At which point she realized the paint on the shelves was peeling, so of course they needed to be sanded and repainted.

Whew! She got it all done and still managed to show up for work every day AND buy a new dress. But that's when things got ugly. When she got home yesterday and reinstalled the pantry shelves she scratched the new paint job, and... well, you can imagine the cycle.

Sadly, a fifth coat of paint only dries so fast. She leaves tomorrow and I'm sure you can imagine her disgrace at leaving town with her pantry contents scattered around the kitchen. Type A women everywhere have chillbumps and are shuddering in horror.

So after we hung up, I got out my red pen and decided to ask myself: "what REALLY needs to be done before I leave?" Here, as embarrassing as it is, you can see the result. Items in marked with red will be done. Period. Everything else is debatable.


(Lest you think this list looks easy, be aware I have another, computerized To Do list with much longer-term items, in much more detail. Just needed to clarify that to protect my reputation.)

Soo... I'm negotiating with my Type A inner voice, trying to convince her that a B+ is nothing to be ashamed of. Now I must stop making lists, stop blogging, and get some serious s**t done.

Wish me luck!

Brain Fog!

The original title for this post was "It's Tuesday!". All morning I've been excited because today I'm heading out for my Tuesday Errand Jaunt. And I loooove my Tuesday errand jaunts.

So I sat down to write a quick post to let you know where I'm headed...





































...and realized today is Wednesday. Whoops.

So now I have to conquer Tuesday's to-do list AND Wednesday's to-do-list, in the same day? The three hours I spend in the hair-chair at Republic are going to chafe now, instead of relax.

I've got 7 days til I leave for Ireland. If you know me, you know that means I've already started packing and have a massive Pre-Ireland to-do list that includes completing my Christmas shopping, organizing receipts for next year's tax return, and planning dinner for new year's eve.

So I'm headed to the steam shower to try and locate Zen-Melaney. Her to-do lists are soooo different from mine. If she makes an appearance, this will be a lovely day. If not... lookout Lyric and be ready to fly with those foils.

Food2Kids

Bayne and I had a lovely evening last night. Crisp fall weather, good friends, low country boil, jazz and good wine. Plus, for the first time ever, I won a raffle.

We attended the Food2Kids "Fall 4 Jazz" fundraiser at the Taylor Grady house. (I didn't see any ghosts but the event was outside. Maybe next time!) We really only went because Sylvan was one of the organizers, and ya gotta support your friends. But it turned out to be good fun, and Food2Kids is a project after my own heart.


Visualization Exercise: It's Monday morning. You've just arrived at work. You have not eaten since Friday lunch. How do you feel? Gonna get a lot done.... learn something new... kick butt and take names? Do I need to answer these questions for you?

Food2Kids works with the schools to identify the at-risk kids, then sends each one home on Friday with a weekend's worth of food. Real kids. Whose hungry tummies are collectively part of the future of Athens-Clarke County. They'd like to help more kids; give them some money and they will.

That's all I'll say about that part of it. For now.

So about that raffle: Bayne and I were sitting around the table with a group of people all lamenting how we never win anything, just as they started to award the raffle prizes. I made the bold statement "I'm gonna win something tonight". Sixty seconds later they called my name! I won a free professional photo session for my non-existent children... but hey, I won something!

It was chilly out, but we had blankets....

And we had great company.....

And the party was BYOB, which I love, so we indulged in a nice Turley zin...

Finally it was time to go home, and we each took home a bag of goodies, put together by Sylvan and her kids.....

Zoe may have been banned from bag duty, which leads to my favorite story of the night. I skipped the Easter egg hunt last spring, opting to go straight to brunch. I won't make that mistake again! Apparently Zoe slipped messages into the Easter eggs... messages like... "You will die in 7 days". I rolled on the floor when I heard that and I'm still laughing this morning.

Have a great week everybody, and be glad your bellies are full.

Seeing Cross-Eyed

I'm cross-eyed. Here's what I've been doing for the last couple days:

Studying maps from the late 1800's, trying to make some sense out of my ancestors' deed records.


Reading records from the mid to late 1800's, mostly handwritten. I'd show you a deed but you wouldn't be able to read it... they are entirely handwritten in the tiniest script... so here's an estate record instead. Notice how initials are sporadically substituted for full names. Just another challenge.


Researching my upcoming Dublin trip. I decided to check out some blogs instead of the typical tourist guides. This was on the first blog I found:

The keep-it-local movement is going strong over in Ireland. I wonder how many of you will be getting one of these for Christmas?

Here's where I want to go in Dublin:

Local cheeses & produce at the Moore Street Market. I'm looking forward to eating some good cheese. Not much point in buying any produce but I'm still interested to experience it. And did I mention there are antiques too?

Here's where Bayne wants to go:

Guinness turns 250 this year and we'll be there to celebrate. I admit I'm dreading it. A crowded brewery filled with tourists is not my idea of fun... especially when the beer tastes like tar... but Bayne deserves a say in the itinerary so to Guinness we shall go.

Next up: I'll be looking into the best ethnic restaurants in Dublin. I'm hoping we can get some seriously good international food over there. We especially love Ethiopian. For today, Just Pho will have to suffice... which is no hardship!

A steaming bowl of spicy soup is just the ticket for today's weather. We're headed to the library, then we'll get a belly full o' soup, then we pack up and head to Tate City. Hiking, roaring fires, and a football game....

Have a great weekend!

I got NUTTIN!

I doubt you want to hear the details about my weekend. And there's been nothing going on since. The combination of constant rain and sleep deprivation due to Bayne's sleep-coughing means nothing interesting going on here.

Since I've got nuttin' for ya, here are some other blogs & sites that might:

The Daily Green - love their email newsletter

Designer's Attic - she's selling her leftovers, and I just love to see what they are

Spark! - kind of a combo of interior design and fashion. I love "buy this, not that".

Foodbuzz - I like the Top 9. New recipes for the short attention-spanners among us.

Fake Plastic Fish - a girl after my own heart, trying to live without plastic.

Petunia Face - the girl's got a potty mouth for sure, but I laugh out loud

Pretty Pieces - I wish all my friends had blogs so I could keep up with what they're doing!

Pandora - gotta try it to believe it. Choose your favorite artist and let Pandora do the rest.

Anthropologie - specifically, the New Arrivals page

Three Potato Four - again, the New Arrivals page

That should be enough to keep you occupied til I have an idea what to write. I'm looking for a project? Any ideas?

Allies for the Little Guy: Environmental Working Group

You know how all those big businesses have lobbyists protecting their interests? EWG is lobbying for human beings. EWG is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to protect humans from health problems caused by contaminants. They do this by researching toxins, educating consumers, exposing the violators, and holding our government accountable.

Right now EWG is working to educate people about cell phone radiation and how to reduce exposure. They're also campaigning for phone manufacturers to include the level of emissions on the package. Here's an earlier post on how to check your phone.

EWG Highlights

- Searchable databases to checkout your sunscreen safety; your cosmetics safety and your cell phone's radiation exposure levels.

- The Human Toxome project, where they're following specific individualsto tie toxins in their bloodstreams to health issues they face over time, and to map pollutants for geograpic & demographic groups . Find profiles for individuals in your area and see what's in their blood. Could it also be in yours?

- The Take Action page, where you can make your voice count, and sign up for email newsletters by category to stay on top of the issues.

Thanks EWG!

Checkin' Out

Major progress on the back yard today... my back is throbbing, my legs hurt, even my fingers are tired. Now I'm washing clothes and packing. We have such a fun weekend planned!

First up, a trip to Bird's house to check out the storm damage. Her under-the-stairs coat closet was gutted so she's taking out the rest of the wall and will use the space as a media center.

I know, it doesn't sound like a social activity but I haven't seen Bird since her trip to Athens so I'll take it!

From Bird's we head to the Sunsphere for a UGA vs. TN party hosted by a friend of Alice's. We'll be sporting our Dawg colors. And it's Matt's birthday. Which probably means really good wine when we get back to their house.


Saturday you'll find us at Neyland Stadium... hoping the Dawgs win. Rain is in the forecast but Alice's seats are covered. Go Dawgs!

Speaking of Tennessee: here is one of my all-time favorite football team spirit videos.


Hilarious. I do have to say that by the end of the first quarter of the game, I usually hope never to hear Rocky Top again. Thank goodness it's only every 2 years.

Sunday it's back to Atlanta. Mom, Bird, Boz, Smash and Kev will all be playing tennis, and Mom is bringing the newest member of the family.... Sammy! (Hope Sprocket will be there too!)


After we meet Sammy and visit with The Fam, we're headed to the official launch of O'Dempsey's Big Red at Five Seasons. Randy has been home brewing for years and finally decided to go pro. Beer, food, music, friends...

Finally, we'll spend the night with Smash, Kev and Sprocket, then head for home. Eight hours of sleep (we hope) then the yard work starts again on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Let the Landscaping Begin!

Ok, I'm done with corporate ranting for a few days. Let's check out the progress on the yard. We worked our butts off this weekend.

To refresh your memory, here's a glimpse of what we started with.

Some very basic, boring shrubbery, planted in pure red clay with absolutely no drainage. Large plants are planted in front of small ones; full sun plants are in a shady spot; and the gutters drain right into the beds.

Soooo......

First I posted a "you dig" offer on Freecycle. That took care of 8 shrubs we weren't keeping. Then we had to dig up everything that was left.

We dug out the top 18 inches of red clay. It was about 5 truckloads. Bayne installed gutter drainage.

Then we brought in load after load of good topsoil, delivered by a dump truck and dumped on the front lawn. That was my main job. I am battered and bruised and hope to never use a shovel again.

We replanted some of the existing shrubs and filled in with what felt like a ton of dirt.

At about this point I'd had enough. 8 hours of backbreaking dirt-hauling, and things look worse than they did when we started.

Thank goodness it started to rain, so here's where we left off. The rain was a blessing because our new dirt needed to settle, and it left some of the new plantings crooked. Now we can fix them before putting the mulch down.

Two existing gardenias, moved to a location they'll like better. One camellia planted right against the wall, where I'll attempt my first ever espalier. Two new pittosporum to break up the dark green wall of foliage.

After all that work, it looks like total crap.

Basically, what we're doing is the equivalent of getting a new roof: things will look a little better but mainly we're doing it to protect what we've got. It looks terrible at the moment but we can't finish til the soil dries back out. The shrubs are in shock and won't fill in til next spring. But maybe water will stop invading our basement.

Things get much more interesting around back.....

If you look closely you'll see the posts & outline marking where the workshop is going. The variance is approved, the architect is finalizing the plans, and Bayne is ready to apply for his building permit.

BUT - if you look even closer, you'll see a couple of things that really don't belong. Look to the left of the compost bin, straight back in the center of the picture. See them?



Let me zoom in closer for you:

I did battle with these deer all day yesterday. They simply won't leave. When I get about 10 feet from them, they give me a look that says "How rude!", they sigh, get up, and move about 5 feet back. As soon as I go inside, they come back.

See, they know that major planting is about to occur in the backyard, and they smell dinner. Wanna know what I smell? Venison stew. And I'm a vegetarian.

What's wrong with this picture?

Check out the Wikipedia page for Monsanto corporation. Reads like a list of Mafia crimes.

So far Monsanto has created everything from aspartame to Agent Orange; they've left toxic waste at 50+ sites for taxpayers to clean up; they've lobbied the government to make it illegal for dairy farmers to put "no synthetic hormones used" on their milk labels; they've been convicted of bribery and they've made it a standard operating procedure to sue farmers whose crops are cross-pollinated (by the wind) to contain Monsanto's patented genetic modification.

Yet Monsanto is alive and well, thriving on billions in annual profit.

I would love to boycott Monsanto, but I can't find out who is using their products. So all I can say is, learn the name and keep your ears open.

Monsanto's largest political contribution to a US Senator? Georgia's own Saxby Chambliss.

Allies for the Little Guy: Center for Science in the Public Interest

Installment #3 of Allies for the Little Guy features an organization I've supported for a long, long time.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest

CSPI stands up for consumer safety in food and nutrition. I love, love, love them. Check out this list of their accomplishments and you'll get a feel for what they're all about. Lately they've been really focused on processed foods and restaurant foods; they feel certain we'd make smarter choices if only we knew what we were eating.

I've subscribed to their Nutrition Action Healthletter since 1993; CSPI was all over the trans fat issue when the rest of us were saying "trans whaaa?" Thanks to CSPI, trans fat counts are now part of our food labels.

CSPI will educate you without agitating you. Serenity now.

Oh, and watch out, false advertisers! If CSPI sees a false food or nutrition claim they think is harmful to consumers, they attack the offenders at the throat and don't let go. Right now they're taking on Bayer. The short story: Bayer is marketing selenium as an ingredient that reduces prostate cancer, when in reality it raises diabetes rates. Bayer refuses to cease and desist. So CSPI is suing them. Pow!

Other CSPI highlights:

Web Site: I love the headlines section, which often includes "Food Porn". Right now CSPI is unhappy with Domino's Pasta Bread Bowls. If CSPI is unhappy there's usually a good reason.

Take Action: Check out this page for quick links to all of their current campaigns and simple things you can do to support them.

CSPI on YouTube: yep, video.

Email Newsletter: to keep you on your toes.

If you do nothing else, subscribe to the Nutrition Action Healthletter. It's $10 for a year and they have a tongue-in-cheek way of giving the facts. You can read archives on the web site if you'd feel better trying it that way first.

Thank you, CSPI, for looking out for the helpless little guys, and socking it to the bad guys. Go underdogs!

Allies for the Little Guy: GoodGuide

Welcome to my second installment of "Allies for the Little Guy". Here's a link to the first one.

I feel powerless as one human being against mega-corporations, government agencies, polluters, connivers and thieves. Take the Sigg water bottle controversy. Sigg lies, gets caught, and STILL won't refund customers' money. And nobody's gonna make them, either. (No Sigg, I don't want a replacement bottle. I don't want anything from you at all, except your corporate dissolution you big fat liar.)

Oops, there I go again.

Soooo I'm looking for allies to help me funnel my only weapon - my dollars - away from the dark side and into the light. Allies who will empower me, but without enraging me in the process. Don't just tell me there's a problem.... tell me what I can do to help fix it.

So here's.............

GoodGuide

How to describe this one??? At its simplest, GoodGuide assigns a multi-dimensional product rating that factors in more than just the list of ingredients. GoodGuide recognizes that healthy, green, eco-friendly products might be squeaky clean in the bottle, but come from filthy dirty origins.

Here's an example: Clorox Greenworks Dishwashing Liquid. Here's a Screengrab from Clorox's Web site:



So why does GoodGuide only rate it a 5.4 on a scale of 1-10? Check it out:


Two iffy ingredients, plus a big red X next to the fact that Clorox has one of the lowest environmental management compliance rates. All the bad stuff is hyperlinked so you can learn for yourself what it means.

I clicked further to view a full report on Clorox. Ummm.... look at this attribute:

The environmental management section is a sea of red. Turns out they don't treat their employees so well, either.

Other features of GoodGuide:

The Political Contributions page. Learn which political party you're supporting when you buy your favorite brands. Ugh.

The Transparency Manifesto. GoodGuide doesn't think a list of ingredients is enough information when it comes to processed foods. GoodGuide thinks we have a right to know:
1. Where did it come from?
2. How was it made?
3. What's in it?

Radical! Empowering consumers with information about corporate policies and ethics... I bet many an executive is sweating it out right about now.

I'm in the process of checking out all my favorite companies and products and there have been a few surprises. I had no idea Burt's Bees was now owned by Clorox. I absolutely LOVE adding products to my "banned" list, which GoodGuide remembers for me.

The web site is still in beta mode and it can be a little clunky to navigate, but it's soooo worth the effort. Go check out your favorite products NOW and find out just what your dollars have been supporting.

Allies for the Little Guy: Clark Howard

I dream of a day when no undeserving company gets one tiny cent of my money. Or anybody else's.

Oh who am I kidding? Here's what I really want to say: I'm sick and tired of my money supporting companies, individuals, government agencies and flat out liars who rape and pillage both people and planet.

Clearly I don't need any help getting worked up. I need help understanding & following the issues, and knowing my part in the solution every step of the way. So I've found a few allies who empower, not inflame. Which is important if you have ranticidal, ulcer-inducing tendencies. Like me.

I'll share them over the next few days. First up.....

Clark Howard
Clark is a relentless consumer advocate. He seems to thrive on giving consumers the tools and information we need to protect ourselves against businesses who aim to part us from our hard-earned money.

He uncovers travel deals AND hidden bank fees. He advises on how to negotiate an insurance claim AND a lower price on a car. He provides sources for maximizing your credit score AND your investment interest rate.

And somehow, he maintains a positive attitude of empowerment. No doom and gloom, no biased ranting... just tools and advice to help consumers as we encounter - on a day to day basis - businesses, scammers, and government agencies who'd love nothing more than to take our money.

Clark Howard highlights:

• His radio call-in show (love it!) where he gives breaking news on scams, deals, tips and tricks, and takes questions from callers. It's downright refreshing to hear the joy he gets from helping. My mood lifts just listening. And yes, I have called him.


• His web site, with a good search function and extensive archives, links to online tools, and informative articles to help you educate yourself.
  


• Ask Team Clark, staffed by a panel of all kinds of experts, for questions you can't get answered elsewhere.

I can't say enough about Clark's positive attitude. He's flat-out inspiring. Clark Howard for President! (Clark, if you're reading, there's a home for sale in my neighborhood here in Athens.... it's great here, really; you'd love it. )

Stay tuned for more. I've got some good ones! Serenity now... serenity now.... serenity now....

Check out my new artwork!

25+ years ago, I said these words: "Hey Amy, meet Jim". In a town the size of Macon they were sure to meet anyway so I can't really take credit for the introduction. And it was Jim's idea so I can't even take credit for thinking of it. I was just following orders.

But for some reason they looove to give me credit for introducing them. And seeing as they're still together after all these years, it's only fitting that I got a painting to commemorate the occasion.

Oh - when I say "I got a painting" I don't mean I got it as a gift for them. It was a gift from them. Can you believe it? I still can't!

Check it out. The Friendly Orange, captured in all his lazy glory, on my favorite pillow, in a work of art pour moi. Painted by a talented friend I've known for something like 30 years.... to commemorate his marriage 25 years ago to my even longer-time friend Amy.

Talk about sentimental value... words cannot describe.

Poor Jim. Amy wasn't home when I saw it for the first time and I went from smiling and "hey how are you?" to sobbing and "where's the kleenex" in about 5 seconds. The look on his face was priceless. Pure panic.

Now I have to figure out where to hang it. Jade? Leigh? Art consult?

Check out Jim's web site for more of his work. Sorry, you'll have to pay for yours... but it'll be worth it.

Thank you Amy and Jim, for so many years of friendship, some most excellent vacations, some even more excellent memories... and Happy 25 Year Anniversary!