Greenwashing with bottled water?

Seen on the back of a Poland Spring .5 L bottle:

Smaller Labels = More Trees

We could write more on a bigger label, but saving trees is important. By keeping it short, we've saved almost 10 million lbs. of paper per year in the U. S. - that's about 30,000 trees.
Be Green.

Never mind that the product is essentially tap water in a non-biodegradable petrolium-based container that's been transported in deisel-chugging trucks across the country! What's important is that they use fewer trees!

More on protests

From today's editorial, the Times of Trenton, about the protests: (emphasis mine)

Shared by most of the country, their concerns are genuine.
The "tea parties," though, were not so authentic. Ignited by Fox News announcers and talk-radio pundits, the protests were less a popular uprising for fiscal reform than a platform for Rush Limbaugh and his ilk.
In an Associated Press report, neoconservative and president of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist said as much: "All you have to be is a mildly awake Republican candidate for office to get in front of that parade."
Amid all the machinations and the bellowing, though, we're left with the stunning illogic of it all. The majority of those who joined in the protests Wednesday will realize a tax cut under President Barack Obama's plan. It's all those howling conservative commentators who will be hit with a tax increase.
Secondly, the effects of the enormously expensive but hugely needed stimulus plan will soon be evident. A Times' investigation has identified $40.8 million so far in federal stimulus funding headed our way, $23 million of which is designated for Mercer County road projects. Add to that federal stipends for housing repairs and
energy conservation, and the sum total will be a lot of jobs and a bracing
infusion into the local economy.

Do remember that- it's those howling conservative talk-show blowholes who make enough money to get any kind of tax increase, but they got their followers to protest for them. How nice.

How sad.

Margulies on tax protesters

Right on target, by Jimmy Marguiles. Hat tip Blue Jersey.

Teabagging and the modern conservative sheep

Better than I could've said it: Gary Stein of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

You want to complain about taxes and bailouts and how the government spends your money, terrific. That's legitimate frustration. Activism and protest is great, and necessary. But do it because you want to, not because you are following orders from egomaniacal talk show hosts.

And, spend a minute or two to learn why a cute reference to a landmark historical event turns your manufactured "protests" into an even bigger joke.

National Library Workers Day

That's right! Today is National Library Workers Day, "a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers."

So, thank a library staffer today for all the work they do for you. Just remember to say it quietly.

Senator Franken?

Al Franken is one step closer to being a senator. There's still another legal challenge that could go, however.

Who would've thought something like this would have taken this long to figure out? Besides Al Gore, I mean.

The Governor answers our questions

Governor Corzine stopped by BlueJersey yesterday to answer some questions. Go check out his answers and post a few more if you have 'em.

Lazy Sunday

While I get some work done for school, the children are in the next room watching The Chronicles of Narnia. I just can't focus- I have this song just running through my head...

Being asked to give less, not more

...in which I must disagree with Carla Katz. Ms. Katz, former high-profile union leader, comes out strongly against furloughs on PolitickerNJ:

The fight over furloughs has been characterized by the press in a variety of ways. The Governor's "tough times budget" spin-the state is in an economic meltdown, everyone must share the pain, and 14 unpaid days and a wage freeze is better than layoffs. The unions' collective message-a contract is a contract and furloughs (AKA pay cuts) and demands for givebacks of negotiated wages undermine the collective bargaining process and unfairly penalize middle class working families who have already made massive concessions and cannot afford to give more in this troubled economy any more than their neighbors can.

My neighbors? They gave their jobs. In the last three months I've had several friends laid off and unable to find new jobs. These are parents, homeowners, spouses. They have NO JOBS. I must disagree, Ms. Katz; asking state workers to give up 12 paid days of work is a heckuva lot less than these guys have had to give up.

I'd rather take that cut in pay and we all get to keep our jobs.

Ms. Katz makes a great case later in her commentary about class distinction; how the AIG executives got their contractually-guaranteed bonuses but we may not keep our contractually-guaranteed wages. Sure it's a good point, but it's not like Our Fair State's government is the one giving away these AIG bonuses.

I understand contracts and collective bargaining.* I'm not saying furloughs are the best or only answer. I'm just saying that this arguement against the f-word isn't the way to go.

*I've said it before, but just in case, here's my full disclosure: I am both a public employee and a union member.

Libraries are the places to be

Hat tip: Librarian.net