SPECIAL: Still thinking about Earth

This article in the New York Times today talks about the shrinking of the Arctic ice cap.

This is not an environmental blog. But this stuff is really weighing on my mind. I must have contracted the Kyoto virus at that Gore talk.

The thing that's really buggin' me is the resistance to the FACT of global warming and human culpability. This article explains.

I've always cared, but I am late to the game in really taking a hard look. And I don't really know much about the science. But I am trying to learn. Yesterday I purposefully bought 100% recycled toilet paper ( I can no longer wipe my ass with a freshly-cut tree in good conscience), and rechargeable* batteries.



I also called the toilet paper brand I used to buy (love those ripples) and told them I was switching and would come back to them when they manufactured a post-consumer product. Tiny things. But imagine if everyone did the same.

Does anyone know what this means?



It's 100% recycled but the post-consumer content is 10-25%. I don't get it. I know so little. Kinda scary.

Thinking about a hybrid, sooner rather than later, too. Here's what Umbra from Grist says on the subject.

*The Blogger spell check didn't know the word rechargeable!

NYC: They are DEVA... D.E.V.A.

Saw this kick-ass DEVO cover band called DEVA at Webster Hall. They opened for Le Tigre.



They even had a Mutant Monkey Man on stage in a diaper.



Hello Monkey Man!

NYC: Why Italians Rock #264

The San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy is a mecca for treats, Italian style. You like cannoli? Tiramisu? Calamari? Gelato? Yeah baby, I do. And they also have this... torrone. Gigantic blocks of it!



Get your nougat on, people. This is Jean, she is a torrone hacker. Go Jean!



p.s. I am not Italian, just want to be.

p.p.s. They also have fried Oreos at the fest, but I decline to comment.

NYC: Battle of the Kitschy Chatchkes

If you need a translation you haven't spent enough time in New York. Look at these colored mirror-y thingies. Wow. Spine-tinglingly kitschy.



But then, from behind, on the inside, comes the Russian nesting dolls in a modern stylee.



You know you want one.

And then sometimes cheese is so honed and well-done that it's not actually cheesy anymore... it becomes... pimped. I don't know much about car culture, but these dudes know what they're doing. A fully chromified engine!



My favorite element was the ice in the center of all four white-walled wheels. That would look awesome on my '95 Subaru.

NYC: Politics on da Street

Public participation stickers are all the rage in NYC right now. They basically help the average person throw up graf without the guilt. "But officer! There was a blank sticker to write on!" Here's a link to an artist who does it with speech bubbles (thanks, BoingBoing). And though the grammar is awkward as all get out, the sentiment is funny on this Mad Libs-inspired poster.



George Bush causes me a great deal of depression. But this blog is about things that please me. Funny t-shirt.

NYC: Behold Central Park in September

To my, um... eight readers out there (counter says 000008 since I put it on the site last week), sorry I haven't posted in a while. But there are a bunch coming up. Besides anyway, I know you eight are probably just "next blog->" stumblers and... um... hi mom.

Here's an appetizer...New York City in September is extremely pleasing. Window glare, but you can still see how awesome Central Park looks from way high up at 59th & 5th.

Could this be the Housing Bubble Bursting?

I saw something yesterday that was very interesting and very different than I've seen in the past 2 1/2 years. I saw a huge bevy of signs pointing people towards open houses on this corner in one of the hottest housing markets in the nation - Mar Vista (near Venice Beach and Santa Monica), CA.



You can't see from the photo, but the signs went all the way around the corner and down part of the block. I would say there were about 20 total.

You always see a few signs like this on the weekends around the area, and it WAS the Labor Day weekend (a hot selling weekend?). So perhaps my assumption is wrong. But I just thought I would post this in case it turns out to be the big turning point, and than I would be cool like a breaking news blog!