More on Frosted Mini Wheats

OK, so, I have found another source for my vegetarian/vegan frosted mini wheats. So they are not organic but I am a beggar at this point so I can't be a chooser. They are at Whole Foods under the 365 label. And they are pretty durn tasty, thumbs up!

Also, for anyone new to this topic, regular ones are NOT vegetarian because they contain gelatin, which is gross. :)

Another option for symbolic adoptions - some of my favorite places by my favorite environmental organization - the Sierra Club:

Give a Gift That's Truly Wild! Now you can give a green holiday gift and at the same time help protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Yosemite, or another spectacular wild place. A Sierra Club Wild Places sponsorship is a special gift that also helps preserve America's wild legacy.
Sponsorship gifts cost as little as $25 and include a plush puppet and/or rucksack that will delight fledgling environmentalists as well as the grownup tree-huggers in your family -- and shipping is FREE! By giving a symbolic sponsorship gift, you can affirm your environmental values, while sharing those values with a family member or friend in a way they are sure to enjoy.
Give a Wild Places sponsorship today.

That Time of Year

Feeling not-very-consumery and fraught with worry about what we and ours have wrought on this small spaceship Earth of ours? Adopt a cute and furry thing from Defenders of Wildlife. You help the planet and you get something to cling to as you fret over our collective future. The selection is even better this year. I even have a discount code for ya. So cheer the heck up!

It's Heeeeeerrrrrre...............

FINALLY.

If you're going crazy like me, maybe you can spend the day at the movies. How about The Secret Life of Bees? The book was good, and the cast is excellent. And it should encourage everyone not to take voting for granted, see:
After President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act in 1965, Rosaleen goes to town to register, only to be confronted by three angry racists. When she dumps tobacco juice on their feet, she is beaten savagely and arrested. Lily springs Rosaleen from the hospital, and the two take off for Tiburon, the name of which is written on the back of an icon of a black Madonna, one of the few objects belonging to Lily’s mother that the child still has.


So VOTE! Then, I think it will be a late night - but I for one am hoping that we can turn in after polls close in Ohio - think that's too much to hope for? :)

Handy Dandy CA Voter Guide

This is a nice resource for anyone going to the polls tomorrow in California.

Don't forget to vote! Obama for President!!

For Arizona voters

I got this from Sandy Bahr from the Sierra Club. This is the craziest AZ ballot proposition yet, and that's saying a lot.

The witching hour is fast approaching; don't let Election Day become the 'Day of the Dead.'
Vote no on Prop 105.
If Prop 105, the so-called "majority rules" amendment passes those deceased who remain on the voter rolls would be counted as automatic NO votes. Is that fair?

http://proposition105.cmail2.com/l/565647/46tt6i3j/r

Happy Halloween

Be safe & have fun, everybody!

Help Esha Momeni

I came across an article on the L.A. times web site about Esha Momeni, a Los Angeles grad student who was detained while visiting her home in Iran supposedly because of her political activities for women's rights there. Amnesty International asks that as many people as possible send letters to the Iranian government as soon as possible asking for her release. Believe it or not, these letters work much of the time. Take a minute or two today and write an e-mail for Esha.

See Author Alan Weisman at ASU in Tempe

I wish I could go, but for folks in AZ, this should be very interesting:

A penetrating, page-turning tour of a post-human Earth

In The World Without Us, Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks us to envision our Earth, without us.In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; what of our everyday stuff may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculpture, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe.October 29, 2008 - 7 p.m.Murdock Lecture Hall <http://www.asu.edu/map/interactive/?campus=tempe&building=MUR>Room 101http://www.worldwithoutus.com/http://www.worldwithoutus.com/about_author.html

Thanks to Jon Findley for posting that info.

I believe I recommended this book way back, but if I forgot to, this is also a chilling Halloween read! ;-)

Great Halloween Book for Kids

Getting into the spirit of the season? Tired of your routine bedtime stories and if you have to say "Goodnight Moon" one more time you will scream? Then run - run, I say- to your nearest bookstore and pick up Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex. We've had it for a year now and we read it all year round, but especially now it is perfection. Here is an excerpt:

And that's not even our favorite. We like the pages about the Phantom of the Opera who can't get "It's a Small World" and "The Girl From Ipanema" out of his head. Or, "Godzilla Pooped on My Honda" is a classic, though obviously scatalogical (photo included). Anyway, for kids 4 to 12, and grownups, it's a must have.

What election?

I'm stressed. I can tell because my nails are a complete mess. Can we just fast forward now through the next two weeks? And what is this feeling - hopefulness? The people now know who the real Barack Obama is, Sarah, and they seem to like him. Thank goodness.

Anyway, I'm voting in AZ because we're still not perma-Californians. Which means I can't vote against the California anti gay marriage bill but there's one of those in AZ too. Actually, the Arizona ballot is chock full of bad ideas, like prop 105. And Bob Lord is in a statistical dead heat with John Shaddegg! So, AZ Voters, vote no on just about everything, except for 202 and 300. And maybe my vote will matter on something. Wouldn't it be awesome if McCain lost Arizona? A girl can dream. I'm going to get this ballot in the mail. Yay, voting!

The Sequoia Saga

From Sequoia National Park and Aftermath


Maybe it was doomed from the start. Back in May, we went camping with my sis and bro-IL outside Kings Canyon National Park and had intended to spend part of the trip home on a detour through that park and Sequoia National Park/Monument. But THEN, james left his jacket - and wallet - on a rock at the camp site. Of course, we were all out of cell phone range, and, through a series of half-received messages and near-misses, we spent a good portion of the day on a wild goose chase. (James said it would have been very funny to have footage of us from above.) We vowed to return to Sequoia before the pass was snowed in.

Fast forward to fall, Saturday, September 6, 2008. We decide to attempt a day trip since the winter is fast approaching. We get a decent-ish start and get to the park at around 11:30. We enjoy a stop at the Visitor Center on the southern side of the park. We purchase a few souvenirs and head up to see the main attraction and reason for our visit, Sequoiadendron giganteum, the Giant Sequoias.

About two thirds of the way up the mountain, on a very narrow, very steep, very windy road, the Prius suddenly flashed three or four warning lights. Since they seemed to refer to the stability control which Greg was confident we would only need if we were going fast and braking suddenly on a slippery wet road, and as the car seemed to be otherwise operating normally, we decided it would be safe to keep going. We got to the Giant Forest a few minutes later (breathtaking - I barely remembered it from a family trip in the late 80s) and made it safely to the Giant Forest Museum. We turned off the car in the hopes that whatever the issue was, it would reboot itself and all would be well. We spent about an hour at the Gaint Forest Museum, which used to be one of hundreds of buildings in the Giant Forest until they tore just about all of them down (Suprisingly, pavement is bad for trees! Imagine!).

We got back to the car and turned it on...and ALL of the warning lights turned on. Plus, no start. Greg tried to see if there was ANYTHING we could try, but no, the car is like the opposite of user-servicable. So we started to try to figure out how we could get out of there. There is no cell phone service in the park, BTW. We had the Toyota roadside assistance, but we soon found out that only the first $100 of a tow is covered - and one quote came in at $1200. I spent an hour or so on the ranger's phone. She was so nice.

Finally they found us a company willing to come up for us, for what ended up being $380 ($280 for us). Amelie in the meantime read a whole chapter book, became a Junior Ranger, played hangman with the park ranger, and we all went for a nature hike. Where we saw bears. OK, that part was awesome.









So the guy gets there 2 hours later (right on time) and loads up the car, and we all pile into the seatbeltless truck cab with him and his girlfriend (cozy). Amelie on my lap, we head down that same, windy road, and not the straighter, RV-friendly long way back towards Fresno. Greg made friendly conversation. I hoped the guy was a good driver. At least he did go slowly.

About 8 PM we made it back to Visalia which was the location of the nearest Toyota dealer. We dropped off the car and had our friendly driver drop us at the closest non-hourly hotel which fortunately was a new Marriott. The people there were very nice, we walked a block to downtown Visalia (cute) after checking in, and got some actual food for the first time all day.

We got back to the room and settled in for the night. Luckily there was an Avis in town with Sunday hours since we didn't intend to wait around until Tuesday (or later) for the car to be ready. We got back at about 3:30 and it turns out my anxieties about the cats not being fed were unnecessary as they had not waited long to bust open their food container on their own.

We got the car back today. What went wrong? Greg's still not sure if the guy told him it was a short, or disconnected, or what, but basically they reset it and supposedly it's fine now but we're talking about Mini Coopers. I'm not the optimal Prius owner at the moment anyway, and he says he will "never trust that car again" - so, where does that leave us but kbb.com?

Anyway, that's my story. Thank you for sticking with me through my vent. Check the album above for some nice pictures of some trees.

Just Checking

If, like me, you heard about the scientists "trying to re-create the Big Bang" this morning and thought "I hope they don't mean actually, because that might be bad," then this is for you.

Update: link fixed. But it's ok, we're still here.

Young Republicans in Love

I totally had this poster on my wall in high school - but the McCain/Palin ticket denying the truth about the Bridge to Nowhere (she wanted it until there was an outcry against it) just reminded me of it, and one google search later, there it is. God bless the internet.

And I never knew this was a Matt Groening creation so thanks to the guy who posted the picture for that info.

The OTHER Palin in the Race

Republican Doubletalk

For anyone who doesn't really get the full hypocrisy of the Republican party, this is required viewing:


and, heck, this too:


and why not this.


Same old party, led by McSame and the classic Rove campaign.

Sad news on Frosted Mini Wheats

For anyone still looking for them, Kelloggs says the vegan organic FMWs are officially discontinued. Maybe we can get a letter writing campaign going. After the election I might think about it. Right now...bigger fish to fry.

Last weekend we got to hang with Marnie & James while Greg went to the Indy race VIP-style in Sonoma. We checked out Fairyland by Lake Merritt in Oakland and then took Linda on the express public transit tour of San Francisco (ferry from Jack London Square, Streetcar to Pier 39, Cable Car to Union Square, and BART back to Oakland). Fun!

More photos here.

File This Under "Things Appropriately Named"

Newsweek reports that there is a type of oil exploration called "fracking":

Central to that development is the use of fracking fluids. Largely unregulated,
they've been employed by the energy industry for decades and, with the exception
of diesel, can be made up of nearly any set of chemicals. Also, propriety trade
laws don't require energy companies to disclose their ingredients. "It is much
like asking Coca-Cola to disclose the formula of Coke," says Ron Heyden, a
Halliburton executive, in recent testimony before the COGCC. Despite its
widespread use and somewhat mysterious mix, fracturing fluid was deemed in 2004
by the Environmental Protection Agency as safe for the environment and
groundwater. Dave Dillon, the COGCC's top engineering manager, says nearly every
one of Colorado's 35,600 wells are "fracked" and that a minimum of 100,000
gallons are used per well, resulting in millions of gallons pumped into the
ground each year. And since it's typically pumped far below groundwater tables,
Congress exempted fracking fluids from the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2005.

Obviously this predates the coinage of "frak" on Battlestar Galactica - but, god, how appropriate.

The Lame McCain Campaign from This Modern World

This and more at Salon.com. I really like the background banner - "He'll get those kids off your lawn."

Drunk History

Drunk History on Funny or Die. Historical experts discussing their favorite events in history while completely wasted, and those drunken descriptions being acted out by the likes of Michael Cera and Jack Black. This is at least a PG-13. People cuss when they're drunk.

Emirates A380 in town

The Emirates Air humongous A380 is giving tours over on Imperial at LAX. We'll see how much noise these suckers make when they lift off. Some of the older planes seem to be the worst offenders. I think that's a New Zealand Boeing 747 in the foreground, for perspective. Ooh, it's gone now, and I'm about to drive by there.

Update: Greg, who is now "Mr. Boeing" says:
In your blog you called the plane in the foreground a 747 not a 47. Probably a 777 2 engines no hump. Seems too wide to be a 767 but may be. 757 is skinny.

I knew that about the hump but the feed was grainy. Anyhoo, it's back at the museum after tooling around the runways I suppose. No noise yet. It will probably take off at 3 AM or something.

Update to Update: Greg and Amelie went by later on and it was back. They took these pics.

Twilight is no Buffy

I am always up for quality Young Adult lit. I love Harry Potter (although it is flawed - Hermione hardly got to kick any butt at the end, ok...tangent!), and Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series is the BEST. Oh, and UnLunDun rocked. Right now I have The True Meaning of Smeckday on my night stand. Anyway. So we recently rented Penelope (very cute modern fairy tale) and one of the features was a preview of the Twilight movie. I only watched the first 20 seconds because I could tell it wasn't going to a very Amelie-appropriate place. I've also been hearing about this series from the internet, in Comic Con coverage, and in my Borders e-mails. I was going to check it out, first, literally, from the library, and then since the waiting list is months long, from my BOMC2 subscription. I had added it to the queue (it's like Netflix for books) but not to the top. Then this article, and these discussions that followed, convinced me to drop it. How insipid Bella sounds! I guess sometimes the Mormon housewife in an author is going to come through.

It's funny, because I did get kind of an ick vibe when I saw the teen vamp carrying the girl around like a baby in the preview, and I was looking for a good place for a dispassionate take on the whole thing. You get too many gushing reviews for something like this on Amazon. So here it is, thankfully in time to save me 10 bucks. I'll rent Buffy instead, thanks.

Random Photos

OK, I'm just putting these out there because I'm too lazy to do more. Enjoy (click for the whole album)!

2008_07

PETA, Forest Whitaker, and True on being Veg

Is PETA backing off the in-your-face stuff? This is so sweet!

Quake!

Wow, we just had a 5.8 (now maybe 5.6) earthquake! That was kind of exciting, a little scary. Everyone is fine, it wasn't much over here (maybe 30 miles from the epicenter). Marnie lived in California for 15 years before she ever felt anything - how lucky am I? (OK, kidding.)

 

Name that sci fi vehicle (hint, see Dr. Horrible post for whose ass was in it)! :)

For me, the highlight of Universal Studios tour. What a geek I am.

Oh, HELL Yeah!!

Joss Whedon? Neill Patrick Harris? Nathan Fillion? A freaking MUSICAL? Where do I sign up? Drhorrible.com, that's where!

Ah, Judy Blume

CurrentTV, the cable channel Al built, is like a mix between YouTube and MTV and CNN. It makes me feel old but it is generally excellent.

These Target Women "pods" are really good, too:

Speaking of love...

and, yes, this should have been first - happy lucky 13th anniversary to my Nummy Muffin Cocoa Butter. (And it was even yesterday! I suck!)




I love you!

I Heart My...

French (not Freedom) Coffee Press.

I like coffee. Happily, I am not to the point where I NEEEEED coffee. However, when I have an urge for a cup of my organic, shade grown, fair trade, dark roasted beans, I always hated to make a whole pot - or even 4 cups's worth - just for me. This totally fits the bill. Heat the water, grind the beans, pour both together, stir, press, DONE! It's magic. Love love love.

What Offshore Oil Drilling is About

I just read this really intersting analysis by Andrew Leonard of Salon's How the World Works really cuts to the heart of this:

But maybe the most fascinating aspect to the debate about offshore drilling -- to this profound choice between two worldviews, two ways of being on the planet -- is the harsh light it sheds on the value systems at the heart of how political identity is traditionally seen in the United States.
Republicans have made hay for decades by portraying Democrats as spendthrift, reckless liberals. Their side is supposedly "conservative" -- sober-minded, prudent, levelheaded -- while their opponents are "radical" -- dangerous, risky, foolish.

But what is the truly "conservative" position on offshore drilling, or energy policy in general? Recklessly exhausting all available resources now, and letting the future take care of itself -- or conserving those resources, investing carefully for the future, and thinking about the long term? Where does prudence reside -- in attempting to shave a few pennies off of gas prices now, or on planning on how to cope with high gas prices for the foreseeable future?

Read the whole thing here.

Note: NOT Complaining

Who else has had to have the conversation with their kid this week about why the two boys on TV are talking about getting married?

That's what happens when WordGirl turns off and local news pops back on from the DVR.

I said, in essence, no big deal, some people are just born that way. She said 'ok'. :)

Congratulations to the happy couples!

Who woulda thunk?

Who would have known that there would be a correlation...

Dear Amazon.com Customer,
We've noticed that customers who have purchased or rated Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism or other films in the ( G ) > Greenwald, Robert category have also purchased Xanadu - Magical Musical Edition (With Complete Soundtrack CD) on DVD. For this reason, you might like to know that Xanadu - Magical Musical Edition (With Complete Soundtrack CD) will be released on June 24, 2008. You can pre-order yours at a savings of $4.99 by following the link below.

Xanadu - Magical Musical Edition (With Complete Soundtrack CD) Olivia Newton-John
List Price:
$19.98
Price:
$14.99
You Save:
$4.99 (25%)
Release Date: June 24, 2008
Other Versions and Languages
Video Download
Xanadu

And who would pay $14.99 for Xanadu?

It does make me feel like puttin' on some skates!

I'm Going to Peak Oil Land!

Interesting piece about peak oil and Disney:
"Several months ago, I used this space to muse about "peak oil," a phenomenon of the world starting to run out of petroleum and the effect on prices in general and Disney World in particular. Disney had commissioned a study, and if oil stays above $160/barrel, Disney was advised to sell off the WDW parks and just collect a licensing fee. The parks would still eke out a profit, but not as much of a profit margin as Disney wants and the parks would be a drag on the company's bottom line."

More here...

Oil today: about $135 a barrel.

Catching Up

So things have been busy - I work the early shift these days, 6 AM to 3 PM - or so. I'm still not sure what Amelie will be doing when school's out - but that's not for another month here.

So, around the ol' homestead here we have recently added to the family fold a bin's worth of composting worms. Amelie loooooves them.

She also had about 5 different roles in the town production of Alice in Wonderland, she was great in all of them. There was singing and dancing for all of them, but she only had one line - "I think she's pretty." She was excellent. I'll have it on YouTube soon.

In Disney nerd news, we got to ride the Lily Belle, which is the VIP car on the DL Railroad this week. If you ask at the right time, they let you in. So cool! We've got just about 2 weeks left on our passes so we're definitely making the most of it. We'll see how long we last without. I hear that there's some other stuff here in L.A., including an ocean nearby. We'll see about that.

I'm probably forgetting stuff, it has been a while.

The Electric Car Rises Again

The New York Times today reports that Nissan is bringing an electric car to the U.S. by 2010.

It's not super pretty right now, but then, neither is my Prius.

Arizonans Make This Call

And pass it on- they still haven't voted as of 4/24 A.M.:
Happy Earth Day!



Please call your Arizona Senator’s Office today.

Say No to HB2017 and Yes to Cleaner Air!



“If the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not suspend the catalytic converter rule, it will cause Ford to shut down and would result in: 1) reduction of gross national product by $17 billion; 2) increased unemployment of 800,000; and 3) decreased tax receipts of $5 billion at all levels of government so that some local governments would become insolvent.”

— Lee Iacocca, Former Ford and Chrysler President Lee Iacocca in a 1973 speech



Today, the Legislature is celebrating Earth Day by attempting to take us a giant step backwards relative to limiting greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. HB2017 is on the Senate Committee of the Whole calendar. It has a strike everything amendment on Greenhouse emissions; regulations; fuel economy. HB2017 will undercut Clean Car and clean air programs and significantly restrict the Governor’s ability to act to limit greenhouse gas emissions as well as other pollutants.



This is an effort to have Arizona sit on its hands while the rest of the western states act to reduce emissions.

This measure is being promoted by who’s who list of big polluters, starting with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (represents all of the big auto makers including General Motors and Toyota) and dealers, the Western States Petroleum Association (represents the big oil companies including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell Oil, among others), and the utilities (Salt River Project, Arizona Public Service Company, Tucson Electric Power, and Southwest Gas). The Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona and Peabody Coal are also supporting this effort to stall any action on limiting greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.



Tell them you want cleaner cars, cleaner air, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The auto industry and our economy survived the catalytic converter and we got cleaner air to boot – this combined with our auto emissions program has brought the Phoenix area into compliance with the federal health-based carbon monoxide standards. We still have a ways to go in cleaning up our air and our automobiles, however.



People in the Phoenix area have suffered from poor air quality for several decades. The Tucson area and other parts of the state have air quality challenges as well. Most of our pollution comes from cars and trucks and, on top of that, about 40 percent of Arizona’s greenhouse gas emissions also comes from vehicles. With our rapid growth and an increase in the vehicle miles travelled that outpaces that growth, our emissions could grow by as much as 200 percent from 1990 to 2020. We cannot afford that. Ask them to support moving forward with programs to clean up the air, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and to begin to address global climate change.



To find your senator’s contact information just click on http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S or you can call (602) 926-3559 or outside the Phoenix area 1-800-352-8404 and just ask to be connected to your senator’s office.



For more information, please contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.









Sandy Bahr

Conservation Outreach Director

Sierra Club - Grand Canyon Chapter

202 E. McDowell Rd, Suite 277

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Phone (602) 253-8633

Fax (602) 258-6533

sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org

amelie & the inchworm

amelie & the inchworm
Originally uploaded by mberringer

Mill Flat is not Sequoia although it is in the S. Natl Forest. We would have frozen our butts off up in Sequoia though so things all worked out pretty well...until the wallet incident! But good times, good times.

102 Years Ago Today

I just paid my first easthquake insurance bill and I noticed that today was a historic date. Funny coincidence, that.

This is What It's Like Here

So, Friday, Amelie had her "Spring Hat Parade and Egg Hunt" which was a little late for Easter, but as it's a secular school - SPRING. Anyway. I felt like coffee and I hadn't tried the coffee shop around the corner from school (the Daily Grind). So I popped in. I notice that the white board says "cash only" but that the coffee advertised is organic, fair trade, and shade grown (Do you like birds? Buy that kind of coffee.) . So I stand there counting my pennies and the nice owner lady is telling me about her great coffee and how she doesn't mind if I live nearby if I pay her tomorrow (seriously) and THEN this guy comes from across the room and gives her $2 for my cup of coffee. It's this TOWN. I do not carry cash, I guess I must start, I did have some but I spent my last quarter on strawberries at the farmer's market on Thursday. Those looked good. Amelie snuck into the fridge and ate them ALL. And then he went back to sit with the very cute girl he was with. Altruism. I am too cynical for this!

Anyway, so we did the parade and hunt (super cute, photos soon). I met one of Amelie's classmates moms and she basically told me this IS a small town - everyone knows everyone else either by blood or friendship, so be careful what you say. It's not L.A. Funny. Then I hit the Methodist rummage sale (maybe I was an hour too late but that was a bust) on the way home.

And, I miss my dogs. They are back in Phoenix as they couldn't get the hang of timed elimination. Mom and Dad will be fostering them until we are in a more suitable living situation. Aloha oe, Bonnie and Jake, until we meet again.

10 Things to Do in the Dark

No, it's not that kind of list!

Tomorrow is Earth Hour, 8-9 PM. See how much you can turn off! Then, try these things:

WWF Presents: Ten Things to Do in the Dark
Wondering what to do when the lights go out for Earth Hour? Here are ten fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference on March 29.

Host a Green Party

Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you’re each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.

Give Yourself an Energy Makeover

Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power—like wind, hydro or solar.

Go Green with Your Kids

Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? There are even Earth Hour kids’ activities you can download at www.earthhour.org.

Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt

Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you’re using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags...and reuse them!

Green That Workspace!

Working the night shift? Even if you can’t turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight—shut ‘em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference too.

Involve Your Local Leaders

If your city or town isn't already hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion in a public building from 8 to 9 p.m. on March 29. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they’re doing to make your city greener.

Clean Up Your Neighborhood

Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing too!

Unplug and Chill Out

Most of our daily activities—like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends—require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill...turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?

Take Your Temperature

Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37° F. and the freezer at 0° F., you'll make a big difference.

Make a Pledge for the Planet

Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm—it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more—recycle, drive less often, remember to turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.

Yes, finally, pictures!

Sorry, all, I have been technically challenged these last weeks, and though I have been online, it is company equipment which I can't upload onto. So I finally dug up the necessary infrastructure to get my photos online. Here are the ones I took of the empty-and-therefore-spacious-appearing house before we filled it chock full of our sh*t. And you should just SEE the stuff we left in Phoenix!! Yeesh!

I hope to have more about the lovely and scenic El Segundo on here soon. And we found out that indeed, parts of town smell bad, but not our part.