I love this headline.  Reminds me of going to my grandparents’ house as a child and riding around the semi-rural streets of Lakeway, TX in their golf cart.

You Know Gas Prices Are High When Texans Start Driving Golf Carts - WSJ.com

Also enjoyed this article (thanks, Omar) about GM’s Chevy Volt:

The Atlantic Online | July/August 2008 | Electro-Shock Therapy | Jonathan Rauch

Because it will have both an electric and a gasoline motor on board, the Volt will be a hybrid. But it will be like no hybrid on the road today. Existing hybrids are gasoline-powered cars, with an electric assist to improve the gas mileage. The Volt will be an electric-powered car, with a gasoline assist to increase the battery’s range.

It’s been intense to watch how powerful money is as an incentive.  We’ve been told to drive less, use electric cars, and dump our SUVs for years.  But when that magic number $4/gal arrived, people actually changed their behavior.

Makes me think about the 20 cent charge on plastic shopping bags that will go into effect in Seattle in January.  I am not sure I agree with this policy because I can think of a lot of instances where it would unlikely to be carrying your own shopping bag but I imagine it will change behavior and other cities may follow.  The ban on food foam containers may also be tough on small businesses.  I hope there are affordable alternatives.

And finally, I am so pleased that Microsoft kitchens and cafeterias have gone green by investing in composting. No more polystyrene or plastic flatware and now we will recycle food waste for the first time.  With 87,000 people, that can add up. The new biodegradable flatware has gotten mixed reviews (the provider is working on an odorless version which we will have soon which will make Penny happy) but everyone agrees that this is really huge leap forward.  I love to see us leading here.

Well that’s my environmental roundup for the day.  And remember, don’t take more napkins than you need!

I love living in this day and age.  Technology is moving so fast and everyone is trying to make a buck with ideas that span the good, the bad and the ugly.  The first rule of brainstorming is that to have a good idea you need lots of ideas so although the world is filling up with plastic crap, once in awhile a piece of plastic comes along that’s truly ingenious.  Some might say over-engineered, but I would say perfectly engineered in this case:

Fit & Fresh Transportation products

These are Tupperware that have ice packs and other useful things built into them.  My favorite is the salad shaker:  A plastic salad bowl, a removable ice pack, a dressing dispenser, and utensils in the top.  You put your lettuce in it and put some dressing in the dispenser and when you get ready to eat it, you turn a knob on the top which pops the cover off of the dressing dispenser inside the bowl and you shake it up and viola, freshly tossed salad on the go with no mess.

Last night at Fred Meyer I found the Fresh Start Breakfast Chiller which includes a bowl for dry cereal, an ice pack surrounding a small container for milk, and a compartment for fruit.

On their site they also have a Soup & Salad Combo Bowl, a Fruit and Veggie Bowl, and cute little Snack Clips for kids.

I love it.

I think I’ll make an OCD category on my blog.

This just makes me so happy.  See how I used my leaf blower to blow all the debris out into the street so it would get fully sucked up?  Beautiful:

The documentary created about The Gits, a truly excellent band whose career was cut short by the murder of their singer, Mia Zapata, is finally complete and having its national release this week. When I saw an early screening in 2005, I contacted the filmmakers and gave them footage I filmed as a fan of possibly their most memorable show (thanks to Jean and MS Studios for making that happen).  I heard from a friend who saw the unfinished movie last year that the footage I provided plays a big part and I’m so happy – I knew when I filmed it, that it was really special.  The Seattle Times even mentioned it specifically today in Movies | Mia Zapata, the Gits get their due in fan's documentary | Seattle Times Newspaper:

After the SIFF screening, O'Kane was also offered more archival footage, including a delightful Seattle concert from March 1993 that captures the Gits playing in medieval knight and court-jester garb. It's an apt display of the wit that informed the band's persona and fueled their musical instinct.

I’ve been invited to the Seattle premiere party next week and have given permission for the entire concert to be shown at premiere parties, including in New York. 

And after all this time, I have a heavy heart about Mia’s death but I am so glad that this film was made, especially in the way it was:  it’s funny and focuses on their music.  I’m glad I could help.

See the Gits Movie near you (at NW Film Forum in Seattle).

Cyndi Lauper created a tour called True Colors to raise awareness about GLBT equality.  The Seattle stop featured Carson Kressley of Queer Eye as the MC, Nona Hendrix (at 6pm? Who was there?), Joan Armatrading (blast from the past!), Rosie O’Donnell, The B-52’s (woohoo!), and of course Cyndi Lauper.  Performers that did other cities that I wish I’d seen included Joan Jett, the Indigo Girls, Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho, and a bunch of young bands I’ve never heard of that I should probably look up.  I feel old.

I rode over to the WaMu Theater on my motorcycle – there was a Mariners game and there were people everywhere.  I ate a hot dog in the bustling alley next to the baseball stadium amongst the noisy vendors, fans and cops and then moseyed across the street to the show.

I love Carson Kressley, who MCed. He has this great new show called “How to Look Good Naked” that I really love and blogged about last month. He was very funny and apparently made the straight people surrounding us audibly uncomfortable.  Hey, it’s about time you had to suffer through a few breeder jokes!  Welcome to our world.

The show was sponsored by PFLAG, the HRC, and local organizations including Gay City Health Project and there were little promos for them throughout the show but they weren’t obnoxious.  I got a PFLAG magnet. :)

Joan Armatrading was pretty cool to see – I wore out my cassette tape of “Whatever’s For Us” in college.  She played some newer songs that were a little boring but it was great to hear her play “My Myself” and of course “Love and Affection”.

Rosie O'Donnell was her usual toxic self.  She talked about how she was just voted the most annoying celebrity – even over Ann Coulter which is some stiff competition.  I hate that she represents lesbians to many people.  I didn’t elect her!  If I could elect anyone it would be Ellen and Portia.  Just so you know.

The B-52’s were awesome.  I had one of those moments where I connected with the me at 16 that was driving around in my Toyota Corolla blasting “Livin’ in your own Private Idaho” – it was very cool.  Apparently they have a new album that’s really good.

And Cyndi Lauper was worth waiting for – she has some serious pipes.  Damn.  Rosie played drums like Shiela E. (or at least tried) on “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and everyone did a big sing-along to “True Colors” which was touching.

All in all it was a fun evening. 

Recommended. See this when it stops in your town.

And good for Cyndi. Thank you.