Magic Beans

Coffee, Café, Java, Mud, Go Juice or whatever you call it, coffee is a drink with almost magical properties. The caffeine energizes us and the smell is intoxicating. The aroma of fresh ground coffee sends the senses into overdrive, tickling the olfactory nerves and causing the mouth to water with anticipation.

No matter what you call it or how you serve it, coffee is a drink for all seasons. It has been a popular drink for many years and recently it seems to have become more popular than ever. Huge chain restaurants have seemingly sprouted on every corner to offer more varieties than ever. Starbucks, Dunkin Doughnuts, and McDonalds are just a few of those to seize on the gourmet coffee market. No longer is there just one lowly flavor to choose from. As coffee’s popularity has soared, so has the average price for a cup. Serving sizes have grown as well.

What coffee lover can resist the tempting aroma of freshly brewed coffee? Some would say that it is a drug to be resisted, perhaps that is true. I would beg to differ; pass the cream and sugar,please. To me, coffee is a heavenly brew. Coffee makes getting up in the morning something to look forward to. When the alarm clock goes off and you wake to smell that wonderful aroma in the air the day seems better already. Ah, time for a coffee break.

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Off The Grid?

I was surfing the internet today and I decided to watch some shows on Hulu. If you are unfamiliar with Hulu, it is a website where you can watch user uploaded content, as well as various television programming and movies. Much of it can be seen in full and there is plenty of interesting stuff on Hulu. If you get a chance, check it out.

I started watching an episode of 30 DAYS that originally aired on the FX network, called “Off the Grid.” The show follows two everyday people as they leave their normal lives to live in a commune called “Rabbit Dance,” which is an ecological experiment to see how people can live totally detached from the electrical grid. The commune recycles everything. That means recycling human waste to make compost for growing their food. There are no flushing toilet fixtures, as that is viewed as a waste of valuable water resources. All the buildings are constructed from natural materials such as mud, straw, and sand, or recycled structures serving as living quarters. The commune has some electricity from solar panels and they firmly believe in using compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). Even the gray water (water from bathing, washing clothes, and washing dishes) is recycled to be used for watering vegetable gardens. The commune works to be completely self-sufficient.

The show points out how everyday things that we take for granted can actually have a large impact on the environment. Even common toiletry products can have an impact. Deodorants, shampoos, body lotions, and perfumes all can have harmful effects if not certified as biodegradable or eco-friendly.

I admire the group’s commitment to doing their part to change the environment for the better, and it would benefit the entire planet if everyone would make serious efforts to reduce their negative impact on the environment. BUT…I don’t plan on giving up my deodorant or my gas guzzler any time soon. How about you?

Wealth Redistribution

Whoever said, “Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes,” definitely caught the sentiment of many people. While it is definitely true that death is an eventuality that all humans will face, most people don’t look forward to it. However, few things stir up resentment more than paying taxes. Very few people, regardless of their economic status, like the idea of the government putting its hands in their pocketbook. Most Americans have come to understand that taxes are a necessary evil that we all must endure.

Taxes are a part of the American way that we must accept. No individual really wants to pay them; however, no one wants to do without the many services that the government provides either. We don’t want to live without clean water, law enforcement, education and many other benefits offered to citizens. We have come to expect these services and numerous others. While we may support some government programs, inevitably there will be others we don't agree with because they seem frivolous, wasteful, or some other aspect that doesn't sit right with our belief system.

No matter how we may feel, we still must pay taxes. Our taxes are based, in part, on a percentage of our income. It may bring us grief to pay those taxes, but the working poor generally feel the negative effect the worst. While those taxes may be more painful and visible to the working poor, many times the nonworking poor are the ones who benefit the most from those taxes in the form of government programs for low income families. Try to explain that to someone who makes minimum wage. It may be a hard sell.

Some have argued that taxes are nothing more than wealth redistribution. Taking money from one person and giving it to another. Who makes the decisions as to who gets what may vary. Congress plays the major role in this money distribution and therein may lay our dilemma. While we may suffer in the wallet area and yet believe in certain programs, many times we can only see Congress as being the major benefactor of that wealth redistribution. Whether that is the truth of the matter or not, we always seem to notice when taxes are taken from us or programs are cut back that directly affect us. This is especially true when we see our elected officials giving themselves regular wage increases. Perhaps one way to look at the situation would be that we can stop paying taxes when we are dead.