Springhole.net Blog

Today we picked up several reusable shopping bags.  They were about a dollar apiece – much better than the three dollar price that had been rumored.

After using these bags just once, I can’t think of many reasons I’d want to go back.  They hold more.  They’re sturdier.  the straps don’t dig into your hand the way plastic bag straps do.

In short, I highly recommend reusable bags, and not just because they’re reusable. 

On the final ten-mile stretch home, I couldn’t help but notice how many disposable plastic bags were out caught in weeds and fences.  There must have been one for each mile, probably more.  And this is a low-population area.

In 1957, Disney showcased an all-plastic ‘House of the Future’ sponsored by Monsanto. Stupid? Yeah. Of course, back then we knew it was only a matter of time before we were all living space-age lives just like the Jetsons. Oil shortages, the effect of plastics on the environment, and energy crises were the last things on peoples’ minds. We had something of an excuse.

But fifty years later, we know better. We know that plastic is harmful and unsustainable, and our early dreams of the future are too energy-intensive to be sustainable.

So what does Disney do? They make a new plastic House of the Future full of electronic gadgets even more stupid and pointless than the first.

No dreams of sustainability dancing through Disney’s head, oh, no. It’s all plastics and stupid electronic novelties. Pop-up faucets. LCD-display pictures hanging on the wall. LCD writing pads. An LCD dining table.

Disney, I am very, very disappointed in you.

Get a load of it here.

You probably weren’t aware that there are two Atkins diets going around – but there are! These two are:

The Atkins Diet: the original diet as created by Dr. Robert Atkins. The Atkins diet emphasizes whole foods and unrefined carbohydrates. In order to do the Atkins diet, one must read up on the research and guidelines as set by Dr. Atkins and his associates.

The OMGATKINS!!! Diet: An extreme variant of the Atkins diet, and a complete media darling. The OMGATKINS!!! diet emphasizes eating pounds of butter on top of 10-ounce steaks, gorging on sausages, and never, ever touching a carb other than what might be in your Ranch dressing. In order to follow OMGATKINS!!!, all one has to do is watch television, wait for a news broadcast condemning the poor misguided souls following it, and do exactly what they’re doing. Alternatively, one can learn the ways of OMGATKINS!!! by reading part of the book, or by learning about part of Atkins from a friend. Remember, the next time you hear about someone following the "Atkins" diet by eating nothing but steak, sausages, and butter, this is not the Atkins diet.  Next time you hear a friend moan and complain that the Atkins diet just didn’t work for them because they couldn’t get enough carbs from their Tyson chicken breading, this is not Atkins.  This is the OMGATKINS!!! diet. The Atkins diet just isn’t newsworthy enough, so the media will always focus on the OMGATKINS!!! diet to make an impact.  Unfortunately, the uneducated masses do not know enough to differentiate between the two.  But now you do.

FACT: Atkins does not mean that you gorge on huge amounts of meat.  There are many healthy fruits, vegetables, and grains.  Also, because proteins and fats are more satiating than carbohydrates, people get full sooner and longer on less food.

FACT: Those on Atkins often have lower triglycerides (in healthy levels, too!) than those on the standard American diet – even the ones that don’t skimp on the saturated fats!

FACT: Atkins is flexible!  Even vegetarians have successfully adapted the Atkins to their own needs.

Animal rights activists are at it again. Bolding mine.

Here is a summary of the four issues decided this week:

In Dallas, City Council voted 10-3 to pass an animal control ordinance requiring mandatory pet sterilization, expensive permits to own intact dogs and cats, mandatory microchipping and pet ownership limits. The ordinance also bans tethering of dogs and imposes strict requirements for keeping dogs outdoors. Home inspections also are authorized.

In California, the Senate Local Government Committee voted 3-2 to approve AB1634, which now will be sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee. If this committee approves, it will be sent to the legislature for a vote. This bill allows any person to act as a vigilante and report any dog owner for an unsubstantiated violation of any animal law. If any animal control officer agrees, the accused person will have a choice between paying a fine or sterilizing the animal. People who are accused of anything have no right to defend themselves or to appeal. An accusation is automatic guilt.

In Pennsylvania, the House Rules Committee voted Tuesday to approve HB2532, which is a de facto ban on tail docking, dewclaw removal and ear cropping. In the absence of proof that the procedure was performed by a veterinarian, the mere possession of a dog that has had one of those three procedures subjects an owner to a criminal citation for animal cruelty. This bill would destroy many rescue operations, dog shows, competitive events and field trials in Pennsylvania and result in the deaths of thousands of dogs. This bill now goes to the full House for a vote, and then to the Senate.

Also in Pennsylvania, the House Agriculture Committee approved amendments to the state dog and kennel law that fall short of changes that were promised to dog owner advocacy groups. The actual text of this legislation was not available at this writing, and a follow-up report will be issued when the revised legislation is available. This bill now goes to the full House for a vote, and then to the Senate.

Read the rest here.

Have you ever heard something along these lines?

Bill: So, where are you from?

Bob: I’m from England. You?

Bill: I’m American.

Bob: America sucks.

Bill: Well, it’s not perfect…

Bob: Your President is an idiot. Your people are fat and lazy. Your school system is the worst ever.

Or worse, have you ever done this to anyone? (Yes, this includes Americans who inform people from other countries that their country sucks.  Shame on you, too.) If so, this post is for you.

1. We know our country isn’t perfect.  We live in it, after all.
2. Our country does not have a monopoly on stupid people.
3. Our country does not have a monopoly on electing poor leaders.
4. Our country is not homogeneous.  What is common in one part of the country may be rare in another.  We are individuals, not drones.  Don’t stereotype based on what you hear in the news.
5. Your country isn’t perfect, either.

Thank you and good evening.