We Bought A Car

August 27, 2008 | 3 Comments

We finally bought a car.I don’t want to have to do that for a while now. I feel the same about buying a house. On the one hand it’s exciting, new, different. On the other hand it’s just a major hassle. However, just like the house, I feel like we got a good thing at a reasonable price and I think I’ll be happy with it for many years.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Miscellaneous 
3 Comments to "We Bought A Car"

Leafy Greens

August 25, 2008 | 1 Comment

“Shouldn’t removing animal products that clog your intestines, litter your blood with undigested protein, and pollute your bodily fluids with acidity and toxins be enough to create optimal health? As I found out, the answer is No.

“[...O]ur closest relative, the chimp (who share 99.4% of their genes with humans), naturally eats a raw diet of 50% whole fruit, 40-45% leafy greens and 5% bark, pith and insects. There are no whole grains, pastas, soy cheeses or fruit juices in their diet. That’s basically half their food from leafy greens!”

Read the rest, plus recipes, here >>

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Miscellaneous 
1 Comment to "Leafy Greens"

Obesity Myth

August 25, 2008 | 2 Comments

From my mom’s review of The Obesity Myth:

  • It is healthier (from a mortality standpoint) to be 75 pounds overweight than 5 pounds underweight, if you are moderately active. Moderately active translates to four or five brisk 1/2-hour walks per week.
  • Two persons of the same weight and height can respond to the same food in entirely different ways.
  • Dieting is the problem, not the solution. Persons who go on calorie-restricted diets lose weight, then regain it, and gain more. The more often they diet the more they ultimately gain. There are few exceptions.
  • There is no difference in mortality between persons of average weight and persons of higher weight in terms of overall health, when you control for levels of activity and type of food they eat.

Read her review of The Obesity Myth here >>

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Books, Feminism, Food, Health, Fitness, & Beauty 
2 Comments to "Obesity Myth"

Stupid Excuses

August 24, 2008 | 11 Comments

At a so-called pet-friendly motel, Quality Inn, recently I was told my dog wasn’t allowed in the lobby area “because someone might be allergic.” Ironically, I’m severely allergic to dust, yet this motel didn’t see fit to remove the dust collected on the fake plants and window sills. Moreover, my dog is a poodle, a breed known for NOT producing allergic reactions in people who are allergic to dogs.

The “someone might be allergic” excuse is one of the most common excuses given for why dogs aren’t allowed in certain areas, but it makes little sense. For starters, anyone concerned about eliminating potential allergens from common areas, should start with the allergies that are most common or most severe. That is, if someone is worried about protecting people from allergic reactions, I’d expect to see HEPA filters and extremely clean premises with strict rules about perfumes and cleaning agents. But that’s rarely the case. Generally, the “someone might be allergic” excuse is only used when it’s a convenient way to remove a dog from the premises.

If someone came into the lobby with baby who had been doused in a perfumed oil or powder and I was allergic to that scent, no one would tell the guardian to remove the baby. Instead, they’d separate us as much as possible and try to cater to both of our needs. But when I came into the lobby with my dog (because I wouldn’t leave him alone in the car or the room) it’s a completely different situation. Suddenly, me and my dog are relegated to second-class while the imaginary person with a dog-allergy receives first-class treatment.

No one kicks out hikers or people with dirty shoes because “someone might be allergic” to pollen on their boots. There isn’t a corporate-wide policy to exclude people who wear perfume from the lobby area because “someone might be allergic.” In the continental breakfast area there weren’t any signs or verbal warnings for anyone allergic to the food they served, such as nuts, dairy, strawberries, eggs, wheat, and honey. When I checked in, no one asked if I was sensitive to certain cleaners or fabric detergents that were used in my room.

Believe me, as someone with allergies, I notice when someone’s looking out for me. This motel certainly was NOT concerned with my medical needs at all. (Thus I was glad I remembered to pack my allergy and asthma medications.)

And of course, if the dog is an assistance dog, he or she would be allowed in the lobby. So for assistance dogs, the allergy excuse goes right out the window. Clearly, they aren’t really interested in protecting people with allergies. They just used that excuse to ban dogs from the lobby. And this, in a self-proclaimed “pet-friendly” motel.

More stupid excuses:

  1. BikeForums member ReachHigher stripped down to her sports bra and spandex after Walmart refused to let her enter the store with her $600 bike. A manager explained that since Walmart sold bikes, bringing in an outside bike would obviously be too confusing to handle. ReachHigher asked if they also sold shirts. “She said yes so I took off my jersey and said well then I’d better not bring this in either…” (source)
  2. Ed and I went to CarMax and looked at a used car. When we questioned them about the price and about the fact that we could purchase a new car for a lower price and a lower loan interest rate they responded by citing “new car depreciation.” While that might be accurate on average for many new cars, for this kind of car in this kind of market it was quite obviously completely inaccurate. Clearly, we could buy that car brand new and turn around and sell it for the same price or more.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Miscellaneous 
11 Comments to "Stupid Excuses"

The Mighty Dollar

August 24, 2008 | 2 Comments

I just recieved my copy of VegNews magazine and already I’m annoyed by the letters.

Christopher wrote,

“Eating organic is not splurging; it is voting with your dollars!”

Argh. I’m so frustrated by that notion that conscientious consumption is “voting.” Since when did capitalism and democracy merge? How did things get so green-washed that people can’t see the forest through the trees? Buying organic isn’t going to end pesticide use. It just isn’t. The few concerned citizens who feel that they can “vote with their dollars” aren’t going to affect much change when consumption is their only tool. Get real, dudes.

Dmitri wrote,

“[W]hen gay people are not given [marriage] rights, some straight people somehow think it’s okay to forge ahead anyway.”

Yeah, I forged ahead anyway, taking advantage of my hetero privilege to marry my beloved. If forgoing my marriage would have resulted in equal rights for gays, I would have done it. The only problem is that boycotting marriage doesn’t do shit.

What is it with everyone acting like our only tools for social change are boycotts and conscientious consumption? What ever happened to protests, sit-ins, letters to Congress, marches, rallies, and other forms of activism, both direct and indirect? Why has everything been reduced to the damn dollar? And why do so many people think veganism is synonymous with boycott?

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Miscellaneous 
2 Comments to "The Mighty Dollar"

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