You know, I happen to be one of the tree-huggers who believes our actions cause huge planetary problems including global warming. And actually, the reason I call myself a tree-hugger is I once brought my blue bag recycling down to our bin in the alley and a car full of teenagers screamed "F&@*ing TREE-HUGGER!! as the screeched pass me. I was speechless. It was one of those times when I thought of a dozen brilliant retorts hours and hours later, but couldn't come up with anything clever in the moment. I think all I managed was a nervous giggle.
When I hear the naysayers, who think we're nutso for being gung-go about being green, I try to respect their opinion. But I also think - WHO CARES if I want to recycle, use the most minute amount of plastic possible, commute by bike, etc? At the very, very, very least, I can afford to pay my electricity and I don't uglify my city by littering. Why is it so offensive? I was accused by a friend that I was just trying to be "trendy" by buying local produce whenever possible. WHA?!?! Leopard print flats are trendy. Local fruit is just plain fresh and delicious.
Anyhow.
I was struck by how amazing Oprah looked during this show. It originally aired in December 2006. Did anyone else watch? I thought she looked fantastic.
Anyhow.
Today was the big Chicken Pot Pie day. Remember when Cristina Ferrare came on the show and showed us a million and one uses for a roasted chicken? Well, Oprah told us that when we whip up the recipe, "You are really gonna love yourself when you do this." I was skeptical when she said this originally, but I'm not kidding you, when I cooked the pies for my family today, I had a blast serving it to them. (You can probably see how glowy I am in this photo). First of all, I think it helps that it's relatively cheap, easy, smells amazing, and is most pleasing to the eye when it comes out of the oven. My family was super-psyched. Everyone was over eating Thanksgiving leftovers and this was my family's hands-down favorite Oprah-approved recipe of the week. I recommend it!
Oh - incidentally - my mother thought I should tell you that I looked much better today, but after our shopping trip, I put on my "schlumpadinka" clothes to cook. I think she was a little nervous about me looking all raggedy in a photo on the web. I am not sure if she was worried about my feelings in case I'd get made fun of...OR...if she was more concerned you'd burn your retinas by looking at me with my crazy hair and pajama pants.
And speaking of that mother of mine, she just announced, "The Kindle is sold out!" She went to Amazon.com to buy something else and noticed on the front page of the site that the electronic reader isn't in stock. Now, I wonder why that is? Is there anyone reading this blog who bought a Kindle after Oprah suggested it on her show?
Well, that's about it. I hope everyone has a terrific weekend. Old shows re-air all next week, but the week after that will be new shows. Whew! I wasn't ready for a straight month of repeats.
My Favorite Thing: no reruns.
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21 comments:
I bought a kindle for my husband after seeing oprah's show. He had just had hip replacement surgery and I thought he would be laid up for a long time. Perfect way of getting new books without going to the bookstore! He had a miraculous recovery, didn't get to read much, and is back at work. The kindle is terrific and he loves it, and it's hard to impress a tech geek!
Moms never change, always concerned about anyone picking on their babies. Don't worry, Mom, LO is cute in her shlumpadinkas! Personally, I think the day after Thanksgiving should be made an official SHLUMPADINKA DAY. I nominate myself for Queen -- hey, imagine what the Shlumpadinka Day Parade would look like.........
Oooh I love the idea of a Shlumpadinka Day, especially if it has a parade!
Yep, I noticed how different Oprah looks in reruns from even a year ago. Maybe this will be part of the upcoming topics in the new year?
Recycling and minimising consumption is all good, especially for Americans, but:
Be very careful with the link between global warming and CO2 emissions. The science is unproven and that movement has many vested interests.
It may or may not be true, but at least be aware of any unquestioning obedience to that party line.
Could you help me out? I am a little ignorant on this blue bag thing.
What is a blue bag?
Is the color significant, or will any old bag do?
I notice that mountain climbers are enamored of a blue bag also. Is this the same type of blue bag?
I don't think anyone objects to individual efforts to conserve, recycle, etc. I'm pretty adamant about recycling myself, and I've always been careful about keeping lights off, and so forth--it just makes good sense to save on electricity bills.
What I (and others) object to is the effort by Gore and others to mandate environmental policies through government programs--especially since legitimate scientists dispute the "proof" offered for global warming.
For me, this is a case where Oprah has put her considerable star-power behind a questionable cause, and she's hardly in a position to validate the science herself. I know she once had a critic of Gore's claims on the show, but I wonder if she ever reruns that episode?
I'm all for Oprah using her show as a platform for experts to speak--Dr. Oz is a good example. He's both an expert in his own right (he has the appropriate training) and he doesn't seem to have other doctors questioning or refuting his advice. Gore is hardly an expert on science; he's a politician.
I do feel kind of silly asking.
you ever see Demolition Man, when Sly Stalone has to ask what the three seashells are for?
Yes, like that.
Oh, LO, I was thinking of you when Oprah was preempted here for a football game and thinking how thankful you'd be for a day off! (And I am a treehugger too so I was kinda looking forward to the refresher.)
Oprah definitely hit a personal best zenith in 05/06 looks-wise and must be wildly frustrated as someone whose every ounce is scrutinized. I too look forward to the new year to see if it's addressed; I know she's mentioned some issues (thyroid?) but really, who cares except the tabloids? Sigh.
Anonymous, love the Shlumpadinka Day and hope Oprah institutionalizes it for real!
Your projects look like they turned out really well--congrats and have a good weekend!
I'm still reading good old fashioned books so it wasn't me who helped sell them out at Amazon. In fact since that show, I think we've ordered at least 3 books from Amazon and I look forward to passing these along to my thrifty family at Christmas.
Friday night our family had the second traditional Thanksgiving meal (according to something my brother read somewhere: pizzas!
Papertiger- Blue bag recycling is the unsuccessful system the city of Chicago used to get people to recycle. It was/is not widely used. I think you even have to pay extra to do it which is part of why it isn't very popular.
In my community, we get to dump all our recycling unsorted in a large green garbage can and it gets picked up on garbage day with the other trash.
LO, I hope the blue bag program works in the city. In the suburbs we have separate boxes, and separate trucks come for trash and for recycle.
I'm all for recycling, saving energy, using public transportation, or driving efficient cars, and buying local foods. I have many reasons, but not global warming. I think there's too much pollution/contamination in our oceans/air, there's too much smog in the cities, and we don't have enough space to get rid of all the junk that we produce, there are no repairs anymore, everything is supposed to be replaced, which is a waste of energy in its own.
I believe that levels cancers and asthma are increased because of the exposure to pollution in air and food we eat. It makes me said that no one really cared this much about our health as related to pollution.
But on the issue of global warming, I'm with Dave H and Danbutcher.
For me, it's just a new business and political tool, for keeping Africa (and other places) underdeveloped, for creating a new type of business in America, and it's a source of political power. Yes there is global warming, but I am too skeptical to believe it's man made.
As a researcher (in social studies), I see a lot of fraud in methodology they use. Some comparisons they make, don't make a lot of sense, and they tend to omit information for convenience, especially short term analysis. The number of studies doesn't say anything to me, and it's not impressive, it's just a very popular trend in this area of science that's why you see the large number.
There are lots of fun movies on Google Video, I recommend: "The Great Global Warming Swindle - Documentary Film" also "Global Warming vs. Global Governance" should be interesting.
By the way your Chicken Pot Pie looks great, I have to make it some day.
Sorry for writing a novel, and for mistakes. I'm so embarrassed. :)
PaperTiger:
Blue Bag is the garbage bag that your recycling goes into. You can put cardboard, paper, metal, glass and plastic in it without sorting it first. You leave it out with your regular garbage and the waste collectors send out a special truck to pick it up on the same day your garbage gets picked up.
If it doesn't fit in the blue bag, you can pile it neatly (and sometimes bundle it if necessary) near the garbage and the recycling truck will take it.
The bag doesn't have to be blue, you can use clear bags. But the waste collectors have to be able to see what's inside (the blue bags are see-through) so they don't pick up garbage by mistake.
At least, that's how it's done here in Canada :)
I know of one person who went out and bought the kindle after watching Oprah's show. I think it sounds like a great idea, but it's way too pricey for me.
Your chicken pot pies look great!
Thank you Susie, Sam, and Robin.
We have the separate recycle green garbage can here also.
I'm in Sacramento btw.
So the operative part of the blue bag is that it's transparent for the benefit of the trash collector.
That makes sense.
Alright.
The only question I have left is, what about those three seashells?
Anybody have a clue?
Nah, I'm just kidding.
Have a good day.
I was out of the country for two years and didn't see Oprah expect on a magazine a friend sent. When I saw her recently I was so suprised- she looks different! Still stylish, but like something health wise was amiss. My sister watches every day and she hadn't noticed the change. I guess the reruns are show the dramatic stift.
I read your blog even though I don't see the show. It's fun and down to earth. I hope you will blog about your withdrawl next year.
LO, Congrats on being a tree-hugger! I am a 20 yr old Memphian and am quite adamant about recycling. Above all other reasons, why not! I was raised with a very simple motto in my house (well, one of many, really!) "If it cant hurt, might help!". Recycling def. Doesn't hurt - and it just might help!
At any rate, also wanted to tell you that I love what you're doing here. Unfortunately, I was not tuned in to your project until about a month and a half ago or so, but I love the perspective you give to her shows that sometimes I don't catch myself!
Keep up the good work and don't eat too many leftovers! =)
Are the Kindles the new Tickle Me Elmo's?!
My mom bought a Kindle after I shared your post about returning Oprah's gift to you.
I didn't buy a Kindle--I still have way too many unread real books sitting on my shelves. I love books but lack time!
As far as the environment goes, I want the earth to be used properly, so I don't litter, pour my oil down the drain, or other horrid things. But I don't think mankind is responsible for global warming, any more than we were responsible for the last ice age. I don't appreciate our Big Brother using global warming as an excuse to tax and control us. But that doesn't mean I don't like tree-huggers! :>)
I, too, think local produce tastes better, but I live in the Central Valley in California where we have some of the best produce in the world. Yay! Buying locally also reduces the possibility of getting food poisoning from your fruits and veggies.
Oh yeah, I wear shlumpadinka clothes to cook in all the time. Who wants stains on their nice things? Not I!
Have a great Sunday!
Your pot pies look lovely, and so do you. Pot pie is one of my favorite ways to use leftovers. You can put almost anything in it.
And I'm glad you're a recycler and a biker. We should all be. I'm the recycling tarmigent (sp?) at my house, and my kids automatically do it now.
BTW, for those who asked, the blue bag program in Chicago doesn't work well because participation is low, and people tear open the bags to get the aluminum to redeem, so then nothing in the bag can be recycled. I think an annual visit to the landfill and the water treatment facilities should be on everyone's calendar, don't you think?
About that blue bag system in Chicago, I've been giving it a think.
Here in Sacramento the muni sells the recycled trash to China. The money they make funds a special trashcan for each household along with the special fleet of garbage trucks, drivers, trash sorters, and the people who load the stuff onto a cargo ship to take it overseas... barely funds it.
Now we have this economic crisis which has affected the recycling system. Chinese don't want the garbage so much as before and the city ends up warehousing it, which costs more money.
I think the reason Chicago never moved beyond blue bags is because after buying the trashcans trucks and hiring all the extra people, then they would have to pay to freight the trash by rail across the country to California.
The Chinese aren't even buying our stuff, so you know they won't be buying the Chicago stuff with the extra shipping charge.
Actually it's probably a good idea to make the pretence of a recycle program for a Chicago pol, because it lets you feel like you're doing something while at the same time not costing as much.
It's good politics.
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