Endeavour Is Safely Back

Another successful space mission. Welcome back guys.

Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts returned to Earth on today, completing a long but successful construction job that boosted the size and power of the international space station.

The shuttle mission lasted 16 days and spanned 6.5 million miles, one of NASA's longest. The shuttle astronauts carried out five spacewalks – tying a record for a single flight – and helped their station colleagues when a toilet flooded and an air purifier overheated. The commode, one of three on the linked shuttle and station, was fixed in a day. But the air-cleansing system remained out of order Friday.

There are now seven shuttle flights remaining to finish the space station, now 83 percent complete with nearly 700,000 pounds of mass. The next launch, by Discovery, is targeted for the end of August.

Great job NASA!

Not Only Organic Food But An Organic Life

UPDATE: Jill at LaVidaLocavore has a good post on why this whole report needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

The front page of the British tabloid Daily Express has a headline in type two inches high: “ORGANIC FOOD NO HEALTHIER.” The article begins, “Eating organic food in the belief that it is good for your health is a waste of money, new research shows.”

The article is based on the conclusions of a lengthy report just released from the British Food Standards Agency, Comparison of composition (nutrients and other substances) of organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs: a systematic review of the available literature. The report is by the prestigious London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and looked at the results of 162 studies comparing organic to conventionally grown foods for their content of nutrients and other substances. Although it found higher amounts of some nutrients in organic crops, it found higher amounts of others in conventional crops, and no difference in others. On this basis, the report concludes:

There is no good evidence that increased dietary intake, of the nutrients identified in this review to be present in larger amounts in organically than in conventionally produced crops and livestock products, would be of benefit to individuals consuming a normal varied diet, and it is therefore unlikely that these differences in nutrient content are relevant to consumer health.

That is fine and dandy but a very narrow view of what 'organic' really is all about. The 'organic' movement has diverged from what the original intent of the 'organic' concept really was. It's now become some official designation which frankly doesn't mean shit. There are not nearly enough inspectors to actually insure that things labeled 'organic' are actually organic and the reality is that the whole concept has actually become rather meaningless. Regulations now allow for 'non-organic' additives and there is no real system to truly trace the origins and heritage of all the ingredients in your box of 'organic corn flakes'. The chances that some of the corn in the box is actually GMO is very high.

We actually need a new word instead of 'organic'...something that incorporates the things that are actually really important in defining the food that we eat. We need food grown locally. We need food grown sustainably. We need food grown as naturally as possible with as little industrial chemicals as possible and it means organic fertilizers and natural insecticides where possible. It means crop rotation and maximized use of our arable land. It means fresh foods and foods that taste good. If we have to use insecticides and fungicides then we need to use those derived from natural sources like BT, pyrethrins and neem and we need to reject things like DDT, and glycophosphates and chlorodane. We need to encourage beneficial insects and take advantage of companion planting as well as heirloom varieties that have proven their worth over the generations.

Like I said, fine and dandy, I know food that is grown locally or in my backyard is fresher and better tasting and probably more nutritious than food flown in from New Zealand or Chile or even grown on some mega farm somewhere in the U.S.. It is also cheaper in the broader sense. If the farmer down the road doesn't strictly abide by all the 'organic rules' like buffer zones and such but he does try and grow his food naturally and with care then I think he still wins...strictly organic or not.

Caught In the Act

Who knew squirrels liked tomatoes? This fellow is on his second or third. Do you think he is the one that ate all of the Italian parsley as well? You'll notice that it doesn't look like he/she has missed too many meals.

Is It DOA?

Matt Taibbi on the impending death of health care reform:

It’s the same with this health care bill. Who among us did not know this would happen? It’s been clear from the start that the Democrats would make a great show of doing something real, then they would fold prematurely, ram through some piece-of-shit bill with some incremental/worthless change in it, and then in the end blame everything on Max Baucus and Bill Nelson, saying, “By golly, we tried our best!”

Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with Max Baucus, Bill Nelson, or anyone else. If the Obama administration wanted to pass a real health care bill, they would do what George Bush and Tom DeLay did in the first six-odd years of this decade whenever they wanted to pass some nightmare piece of legislation (ie the Prescription Drug Bill or CAFTA): they would take the recalcitrant legislators blocking their path into a back room at the Capitol, and beat them with rubber hoses until they changed their minds.

The reason a real health-care bill is not going to get passed is simple: because nobody in Washington really wants it. There is insufficient political will to get it done. It doesn’t matter that it’s an urgent national calamity, that it is plainly obvious to anyone with an IQ over 8 that our system could not possibly be worse and needs to be fixed very soon, and that, moreover, the only people opposing a real reform bill are a pitifully small number of executives in the insurance industry who stand to lose the chance for a fifth summer house if this thing passes.

It won’t get done, because that’s not the way our government works. Our government doesn’t exist to protect voters from interests, it exists to protect interests from voters. The situation we have here is an angry and desperate population that at long last has voted in a majority that it believes should be able to pass a health care bill. It expects something to be done. The task of the lawmakers on the Hill, at least as they see things, is to create the appearance of having done something. And that’s what they’re doing. Personally, I think they’re doing a lousy job even of that. I lauded Roddick for playing out the string with heart, and giving a good show. But these Democrats aren’t even pretending to give a shit, not really. I mean, they’re not even willing to give up their vacations.

This whole business, it was a litmus test for whether or not we even have a functioning government. Here we had a political majority in congress and a popular president armed with oodles of political capital and backed by the overwhelming sentiment of perhaps 150 million Americans, and this government could not bring itself to offend ten thousand insurance men in order to pass a bill that addresses an urgent emergency. What’s left? Third-party politics?

Writing on the Wall

The people driving Wall Street are usually a good predictor of what's going to happen in the near term with respect to laws and changes that will impact private industry. It looks as if they are seeing a big win for the health insurance industry and a big lose for we the people. Now that we see that a public option is not a part of the Senate plan we, like Wall Street, can begin to see who is going to benefit if the public option gets dropped from health care reform. Clue: It ain't us.

Shares of U.S. health insurers rose broadly on Tuesday on hopes a health reform bill would not include a government-run option, which has drawn strong opposition from insurers who fear it would destroy the private marketplace.

The S&P Managed Health Care index of large U.S. health insurers closed 6.5 percent higher.

Aetna rose 12.6 percent, Coventry was up 12.7 percent and Cigna was 7.7 percent higher, all on the New York Stock Exchange. Centene rose 7.9 percent.

If you want to bet against yourself then it looks like the health insurance stocks are the way to go. Maybe you can make enough profit to pay for your medical care.

Weather Change

It's finally raining here in Atlanta...and it is much needed. No work outside today but there is plenty to do inside. There are enough tomatoes very ripe to make a batch of tomato puree. It is arduous but well worth it. I will preserve it in pints which is just right for the two of us and later in the cold of winner I will be able to open a jar of summer. Even though we canned tomatoes two days ago you can see that dining room table is once again ready for another batch.

Losing the Corn Fight

As you can see I am rapidly losing the 'battle of the corn'. I think it might be squirrels but it could be birds just as easily. I haven't actually been able to catch anyone in the act but it is very frustrating and discouraging. Next year I may have to resort to that awful 'liquid fence" stuff that smells so bad the critters won't come near the garden and that's a shame because the smells in the garden are part of the attraction. They are now getting the ears that are just forming and not even waiting for them to fill out before they attack.
I guess I should be glad that they don't like all veges...

Screw Bipatisan, We Need Health Care for All

The Senate Finance committee is getting ready to reveal the results of their long and tortuous debate on health care reform. In case you are unaware, the committee is made up of three Republicans...Snowe, Enzi and Grassley and three Democrats...Baucus, Bingaman and Kent "co-ops" Conrad. In the glorious search for 'bipartisan agreement' the Dems have caved on most of the important aspects of the President's reform agenda...

David M. Herszenhorn and Robert Pear write in the New York Times:

The fate of the health care overhaul largely rests on the shoulders of six senators who since June 17 have gathered — often twice a day, and for many hours at a stretch — in a conference room with burnt sienna walls, in the office of the Senate Finance Committee chairman, Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana.

President Obama and Congressional leaders agree that if a bipartisan deal can be forged on health care, it will emerge from this conference room, with a huge map of Montana on one wall and photos of Mike Mansfield, the Montanan who was the longest-serving Senate majority leader, on the other.

The battle over health care is all but paralyzed as everyone awaits the outcome of their talks.

When I read this this morning I got really mad:

Already, the group of six has tossed aside the idea of a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers, which the president supports but Republicans said was a deal-breaker.

Instead, they are proposing a network of private, nonprofit cooperatives.

They have also dismissed the House Democratic plan to pay for the bill’s roughly $1 trillion, 10-year cost partly with an income surtax on high earners.

The three Republicans have insisted that any new taxes come from within the health care arena. As one option, Democrats have proposed taxing high-end insurance plans with values exceeding $25,000.

The Senate group also seems prepared to drop a requirement, included in other versions of the legislation, that employers offer coverage to their workers. …

…In the House, centrist Democrats have temporarily stalled the health care bill, many lawmakers want to see what Mr. Baucus’s group produces before voting on tax increases in the House bill.

Think about it, the lives of millions of Americans rest with this crew that in some degree or another are essentially owned by Big Pharma and the health insurance industry. That they are holding the keys to the future of America is absolutely outrageous. The is the complete and utter failure of American democracy writ large by a very small part of America.

Based on 2008 state populations these six senators represent a total of 8,444,956 people. That's roughly the population of New York City yet they are going to ignore 78% of entire country who want a public option and health care available to all at reasonable cost.

My favorite quote:

“If this is the only bill with bipartisan support,” Ms. Snowe said, “that will really resonate. It could be the linchpin for broad bipartisan agreement.”

If you care and haven't called your representatives and written emails then you should do so. Elections should have consequences and the insane pursuit of 'bipartisan' does not reflect the results of the last election. The Democrats control the entire government...end of discussion and we don't need 'bipartisan anything' to pass something so badly needed by Americans. This is not just about health care but the future economic viability of America to compete on a global basis. If we don't get a very progressive change to how health care in the country is delivered then we will finally know that our elected officials just see us as worthless peasants and that we should just toil and serve and shut up. They have their 'government run health care' and the rest of us can just SFU and die.

Canning Menahunies

I went out to get some milk thinking that surely the menahunies would take care of the 9 pounds of green beans picked yesterday. Somehow they didn't get the word as the beans are still in the bottom of the fridge. Looks like the balance of my afternoon is spoken for. It's not really that hard but standing at the counter and trimming that many beans takes a toll on the old back and knees. I can't seem to work effectively sitting at the kitchen table but maybe I will give it a try. This should make a full pressure canner load of 8 quarts...a lot of beans. These are the last of the Kentucky Wonder pole beans which got pulled up in preparation for a fall crop of Trail of Tears and Hidasa for drying on the vine. Both are heirloom beans courtesy of the Native Americans and I grow them both (as I do the October, Hutterite, Boston Soup and Dark Kidney) for food and to continue the genetic line for another year. All of the beans will have some reserved for replanting next year.

No, I still don't hear the menahunies at work in the kitchen so I guess I will get to work. Maybe they are mad because I don't have any tarot planted in the garden? I do have two Hawaiian Ti plants on the deck but I guess that is not enough.

Okra and Tomatoes

While we are talking about food....

Very few people outside the South eat okra and that is understandable. It is a little weird and if you do nothing but boil it, it can be a little daunting what with the 'slime' and all. The thing is that with a little knowledge and the right handling okra can be a delicious food and for gardeners it is pretty easy to grow. It is a required ingredient in a good gumbo since its natural 'slime' thickens the stew just like file powder(sassafras powder).

I did this recipe for the dinner party last weekend for 48 and since that time it has received many compliments...even from people who thought they didn't like okra. While my bread is baking I thought I would cast it out to the ether and save it for eternity.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in 'How to Cook a Pig and Other Back to the Farm Recipes' a cookbook from a previous First Lady of Georgia, Betty Talmadge. The original recipe comes from the Talmadge family black cook Cile.

You'll need:

2 Tablespoons of olive oil (the original recipe calls for bacon drippings)
1 pound of okra, cut in about half in pieces(stem end removed). You can use a 10 oz. package of frozen okra just make sure it is not breaded)
4 fresh tomatoes cut in pieces(peel optional) or a 1 16 oz. can of tomatoes
1 onion chopped ( I use Vidalia onions but use what you have)
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp sugar

Heat the oil or bacon drippings in a large frying pan and add the okra to the hot oil and sprinkle with a dash of kosher salt. Stir the okra over medium high heat until 'the slime goes away" but I just watch until I start to get a little browning on the cut ends of the okra. The high heat will make the slime go away. Add the tomatoes and onions, Worcestershire and sugar and pepper and additional salt if you want and transfer to an oven proof casserole. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour in a 350F oven. You can keep this warm for a while before serving. One thing you don't want to do is add any additional water or will get the slime back. This should serve 4 or 6 people as a side dish. You can cook this dish all on the stove top but I think the baking makes a better product.

Like I said above I made a large batch based of this recipe (5 pounds of okra) for 48 people last weekend and it was a big hit even with non okra eaters. I did use canned San Marzano tomatoes in my dish because that is what I had on hand and I also added thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes on top before baking. It held up very well even after sitting in a warm oven for two hours.

Give it a try.

Homemade Chewy Granola and Fruit Bars

Madam and I both like a chewy granola and fruit bar for a snack but it is getting impossible to find a commercial one that doesn't include some unpronounceable chemicals and other questionable ingredients(like HFCS). Not to mention that some are really expensive. If you'll remember the peanut recall you will also remember that even the expensive Kashi granola bars were recalled because they contained potentially contaminated nuts. The only way to really know what is in your food is to make it yourself so if you like the occasional granola bar for a snack, here is a reliable recipe that makes a nice chewy bar. You can make them in less than an hour and the actual hands on time is only about 15 minutes. You can use other fruit than what is listed here but this makes for a nice combination...regardless just keep the amounts of whatever you use the same. I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten's Back to Basics cookbook.

You'll need:

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not the cooks in 1 minute stuff)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds(shelled of course and salted or unsalted)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup raisins or you can use chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries( I use the sweetened ones)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter an 8 x 12-inch baking dish for thick bars (or a 9x13 for thinner ones) and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy extraction.

On a sheet pan toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the wheat germ.

Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

In a small saucepan melt the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the raisins, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and using wet fingers, lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. You need to allow this to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. I wrap them individually in waxed paper and then store in a larger container or big zip bag. These will keep for a couple of weeks at room temperature or for months if kept frozen.

Depending on how big you like your bars this recipe will make 12 or 16 and I usually make 16.

Off The Wagon

My mostly vegetarian diet took a big hit today. Knowing that Madam and I would be canning and freezing most of the day I decided that the urge for dead pig was in need of satisfaction. I made a grocery run first thing and found a nice little Boston Butt that needed some love. It spent about seven hours on a slow fire today and produced a wonderful meal of pulled pork BBQ. My okra crop has recovered from the dinner for 48 last weekend so fried okra and cole slaw were the two partners for the BBQ. It was lovely and delicious but we froze the remainders of the BBQ for meals down the road. When you get used to nothing but fresh veges your tastes change I guess and I don't even want to think about meat for a while. I'll enjoy the BBQ again in a couple of weeks and for us Southern boys...you have to have some pork now and again or you die.

And yes...it was another day of 'putting by'...more tomatoes and green beans. We are pretty much caught up on tomatoes but we still have about 9 pounds of green beans to freeze. I guess that will be tomorrow. In addition to the canning and freezing I made a loaf of banana bread and a pan of granola bars for Madam's lunch. I kept looking at the prices for the 'better' bars and decided I could do a lot better and control the ingredients. they're pretty good if I do say so myself. I also got a batch of bread started which will be baked tomorrow. It should have been done today but I ran out of steam. Letting it rest in the fridge overnight won't do anything but improve the flavor. The bummer is I won't have toast for breakfast in the morning.

So yes, there hasn't been much on the old blog but there is only so much time.

I did watch some TV tonight "The Next Food Network Star" and wasn't surprised by the results. I was trying to figure out what I would have fixed for the 3 course meal for all the food stars and am at a loss even considering the $1000 they were allowed to spend on ingredients.

Killing Profitably

Killing us is very profitable...United Healthcare the largest health care insurer in the U.S. reported its 2nd quarter earnings on Tuesday. It earned $859 million, or 73 cents a share, up from $337 million or 27 cents a share, in the same quarter of 2008. Revenue came in at $21.7 billion, up from $20.3 billion in the second quarter of last year. The rest of the big insurers will report their Q2 results over the week but you can rest assured that they will be equally impressive.

I'm sure a lot of the folks at United Heath are going to be very happy with the extra money in their paychecks earned by denying folks needed services and dropping people that are too sick to insure. It is really profitable to collect buckets of money from healthy people and then drop them when they actually get sick.

It's the Democrats, Mostly Blue Dogs

FireDogLake has a petition urging the House to stay in session until health care reform passes. Jane Hamsher reports the petitions will be delivered by Mike Stark to the House (on video) next week. Why is this important and why should you go over and sign the petition?

Let's face the reality of the situation on health care reform. There is no question that the GOP is bound and determined to defeat health care reform. They see it as a test of the Obama presidency and its failure will be a failure of his presidency. We understand that and that is really no change from what the GOP has been doing for years and years and that is put politics ahead of what is right for America. In spite of the insanity spewing from idiots like DeMint, Steele, Rush and the rest, the hard truth is that Republicans don't really have the power to stop health care reform regardless of their rabid desire to. The Democrats control both houses of Congress and the Presidency. Democrats either pass health care reform or own the failure completely...no excuses. So, here's a simple message for Democrats. Don't go home for vacation without a health care bill:

You know what happens if they allow health care reform to be delayed until after the August recess? These Members go home, they get hit by hundreds of TV ads from the murder-by-spreadsheet industry, and they get phone calls from angry voters about "socialized health care." Then they come back, scared to pass real health care reform, so they end up passing health care reform that may not include a public option or a national insurance exchange. The stakes are very high this week.

If major health care reform fails then President Obama and the Democrats own that failure completely. Delaying action only works for the opponents of meaningful reform.

The problem is that the Blue Dog Democrats are being stooges for the GOP. What is amazing is that they don't seem to realize it. We all know that that the Blue Dogs come from very conservative districts but they should realize that if the Democrats take a big hit on health care reform and lose progressive momentum then the Blue Dogs will feel it first in their own districts. By following the GOP line on health care reform the Blue Dogs are giving the conservatives much more energy and therefore actually hurting their reelection chances. They are setting themselves up for a big loss. The thing is, the Blue dogs are getting what they want, "pay-go" legislation. That's what they've been asking for and that will give them the budget conservative credentials they need in their conservative home districts. What they need to do now is get on board with the President's agenda and solve the American health care crisis. Otherwise, the Republicans can just relax, spew their bull shit and let the Blue Dogs do their dirty work and defeat meaningful health care reform. What is so hard to understand?

Summer Pressures and Pleasures

Sorry for the light posting around here but the pressures of high summer are keeping me busy. Canned more tomatoes today and a batch of tomato preserves from all the yellow pear tomatoes. I also have a batch of tomato preserves from the cherry tomatoes waiting to be canned tomorrow. It looks like Wednesday will be another tomato canning day in spite of the efforts of the birds to damage every ripening fruit before I can harvest.

Speaking of birds... I had a rewarding experience in the garden today. While working quietly...I tend to go into a sort of meditative state in the garden...a small bird (Eastern Pee Wee) alighted on a post just inches from my head and then fluttered even closer as if to alight on my shoulder. He/she decided not to but again landed just a foot away and just watched me go about my chores. This close surveillance went on for the better part of a half hour and then he/she flew off down the row of tomatoes. It wasn't two minutes until it reappeared with a large bumble bee in its beak and took its position by me once again. I got the impression that it was showing me the bee and letting me know it appreciated the fine hunting ground I had provided with the garden and all its blooms and attending insects. I acknowledged the attention and let it know it was welcome. Off it flew to the bluebird house I have mounted on the garden fence where it seems it is raising a family. Maybe it was saying thanks for the apartment as well? That is one of the great pleasures of spending time in a garden...especially if you silence the mental chatter and just let the life around you guide your thoughts. Beethoven has nothing on the symphony of sounds in a healthy garden all intertwined with the constant hum of bees creating another generation of life.

Big Success

Well the "Dinner from the Garden" event was a big success. All of the feedback was very positive and even though a lot of work I had fun. I was very pleased that there were many trips back for seconds on my green beans and okra and tomatoes and potato salad. A number of people who said they didn't really care for okra wanted the recipe for the okra and tomatoes.

Madam sold all of the little baskets of product she had prepared though they went so fast I think they might have been under priced at $3.50. Each had a very large heirloom tomato, yellow pear tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and an assortment of peppers for color. We had absolutely perfect weather upper 70's, nice breeze and low humidity. We should have charged extra for that.

Now we just have to recover. Two days and an evening standing and cooking is hard on these old knees. I still have to do a little cooking today as there is unused corn to blanch and freeze, more tomatoes to can and the weekly bread baking to do but I'll sit some in between. It's also another glorious day with a high maybe in the low 80's. Very nice for the middle of July.

RIP - Walter Cronkite

He talked to me during the civil rights movement.

He talked me through the space race.

He talked me through the moon landing.

He talked me through the Vietnam war.

He talked me through the assassination of John Kennedy.

He talked me through Richard Nixon.

He talked me through most of my life and I trusted him.

Television news has been going down hill ever since he left.

Walter Cronkite...the most trusted man in America has died. Here is the story from the CBS News :

Walter Cronkite, who personified television journalism for more than a generation as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News,” has died Friday night in his New York home following a long illness, surrounded by family. He was 92.

Known for his steady and straightforward delivery, his trim moustache, and his iconic sign-off line -”That’s the way it is” – Cronkite dominated the television news industry during one of the most volatile periods of American history. He broke the news of the Kennedy assassination, reported extensively on Vietnam and Civil Rights and Watergate, and seemed to be the very embodiment of TV journalism.
…

Walter Leland Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on November 4, 1916, the only child of a dentist father and homemaker mother. When he was still young, his family moved to Texas. One day, he read an article in “Boys Life” magazine about the adventures of reporters working around the world – and young Cronkite was hooked. He began working on his high school newspaper and yearbook and, in 1933, he entered the University of Texas at Austin to study political science, economic and journalism. He never graduated. He took a part time job at the Houston Post, left college to do what he loved: report.

It's War

According to Jane at Firedoglake...big pharma and insurance is panicking over the slightly positive news coming out of the health care debate and have declared full throttle war. If you have not contacted your congress critter and told them that a complete reform of the American health care system is important to you then you should do so. The money will be flowing.

There is never going to be a better time to get the health care system in this country fixed.

One More TIme, With Feeling

Paul Krugman on what Goldman Sachs' record profits means:

First, it tells us that Goldman is very good at what it does. Unfortunately, what it does is bad for America.

Second, it shows that Wall Street’s bad habits — above all, the system of compensation that helped cause the financial crisis — have not gone away.

Third, it shows that by rescuing the financial system without reforming it, Washington has done nothing to protect us from a new crisis, and, in fact, has made another crisis more likely.

That's what so damn frustrating about this whole thing....just a little thought will tell you that we have made no net progress and are just setting ourselves up for another and probably worse fall.

And another thing...if Goldman Sachs is doing so damn well how come the money I have invested in Goldman Sachs Growth Strategy is still worth 32% less than what I paid for it?

Good for the Brits

This is great! All of the Brits I know have been carrying their shopping bags to market for as long as I can remember and it prompted me to do so as well years ago...long before it started to happen with any regularity here. I couldn't count the number of strange looks I have gotten over the years from clerks and other shoppers when I proffered my own reusable bags. Still today my favorite shopping bag is one I got as a gift from a British friend which has M&S (Marks & Spencer)stenciled on the side. It holds a ton and has strong hard plastic handles. It probably holds the equivalent of 5 regular plastic shopping bags. I get compliments on it from store clerks all the time.

It began in 2007 with a few traders in the small town of Modbury in Devon refusing to give out plastic bags. But yesterday their small green revolution reached a national milestone: British shoppers have nearly halved the number of single-use bags they get through.

Figures from Wrap, the government's waste and resources programme, show that whereas 870m single-use plastic bags were handed out in the UK in May 2006, the figure for May 2009 was down to 450m – a 48% reduction, and 4,740 tonnes to send to landfill against 8,890 tonnes in May 2006.

Nationwide rejection of the bags, which take up to 1,000 years to decompose and clog drains and pollute oceans, followed a government challenge to retailers to voluntarily halve bag use by June 2009.

I am actually surprised that so many are still used in the UK.Like I said above, every Brit I know has been using reusable bags for years and years. It is starting to catch on here and some progressive stores like Whole Foods actually give you a small discount when you use your own bags. I bet more people would use their own if you were charged a quarter for each bag used.

Regardless, great job you guys.