Okay, enough with the green movement already. After reading an article today in the Star about a movement known as freecycling, I am officially refusing to re-use, recycle or reconsider. The Freecyling trashy people in the star's article eat trash. You heard me right, they eat trash, and not because they are homeless, not because they are broke, although Im sure they aren't rolling in the dough, heh. No these chuckleheads are making a statement that we waste too much shit in general, and edible shit in particular.
Look, I was in the waste management/ recycling industry in it's infancy, in fact that's the business I went to prison over, so Im not completely in the dark over our current need to do shit for the environment, I get it, mmmmkay. What I don't get is how some doofus rooting through the garbage, is going to impact the environment in a positive manner. My grandmother used to get old produce from the super market in Marlow Oklahoma to feed to her chickens, that I get. My step father, a world class douche bag and first rate tight ass would stop and go through peoples shit at the curb. He had plenty of money, but he was a cheap bastard, so if there was something he could sell at a garage sale down the road, he would stop and pick it up before the trash man got it. That I get as well. What I cant fathom is why on earth anyone in their right mind would dig through a dumpster and eat something of questionable origin , if they had other options, like buying some fucking food.
To each his own, whatever floats your boat, trips your trigger, rings your bell, etc. Still, it begs the question, how does eating garbage help save the whales, protect the red woods, or the elusive spotted owl? How does it help save landfill space? Answer, It doesn't. Food decomposes into nothingness, pretty fast, so it's not like they are eating styrofoam . My point to all of this babbling is this. Ive never understood the overly zealous types that seem to always go to the extreme. Whether it be chaining yourself to a tree to keep it from being cut down, or chowing down on someones garbage, its too fucking much, regardless of how well intentioned the loony tune activist might be. In the end they just come off as crazy, and do more to hurt their cause than help it.
Look, I was in the waste management/ recycling industry in it's infancy, in fact that's the business I went to prison over, so Im not completely in the dark over our current need to do shit for the environment, I get it, mmmmkay. What I don't get is how some doofus rooting through the garbage, is going to impact the environment in a positive manner. My grandmother used to get old produce from the super market in Marlow Oklahoma to feed to her chickens, that I get. My step father, a world class douche bag and first rate tight ass would stop and go through peoples shit at the curb. He had plenty of money, but he was a cheap bastard, so if there was something he could sell at a garage sale down the road, he would stop and pick it up before the trash man got it. That I get as well. What I cant fathom is why on earth anyone in their right mind would dig through a dumpster and eat something of questionable origin , if they had other options, like buying some fucking food.
To each his own, whatever floats your boat, trips your trigger, rings your bell, etc. Still, it begs the question, how does eating garbage help save the whales, protect the red woods, or the elusive spotted owl? How does it help save landfill space? Answer, It doesn't. Food decomposes into nothingness, pretty fast, so it's not like they are eating styrofoam . My point to all of this babbling is this. Ive never understood the overly zealous types that seem to always go to the extreme. Whether it be chaining yourself to a tree to keep it from being cut down, or chowing down on someones garbage, its too fucking much, regardless of how well intentioned the loony tune activist might be. In the end they just come off as crazy, and do more to hurt their cause than help it.
I like the craigslist-like websites called Freecycle. I do not partake of the dinner dumpster diving freecycling. Although, now it makes sense as to why Margarita's stores all of the tortilla chips in giant plastic trash cans.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you. While I believe in recycling/passing it (your old used junk) forward, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed. Like food. Stuff that could give you salmonela (sp) poisoning. Or put you in the hospital. I almost threw up when I read that story
ReplyDeleteI've seen them on TV. There are always people who go out all the way. The problem is that apparently places used to donate expired (or close to it)foods to charity, but they are afraid of liability now and just throw good foods in trash. I think that if that's your schtick you should be able to sign a waiver or something and pick up what you want before it ends up in a dumpster. But that would take the excitement and the protest element away.
ReplyDeleteWe might all be dumpster diving is this global warming bill goes through congress in the next few days. Hell, the technology isn't even available to develop what the bill mandates and I can assure you it won't be the big companies that pay the bill...you and I will.
ReplyDeleteAs for the dumpster divers, they're idiots. I spent years working on food pathogens. Oh well, a little E. coli, listeria or campylobacter will cure them if it doesn't kill them first.
p.s.Your security word is a scream. Pronounce this : uftctm
That's just nasty. You can get some good stuff off of the Freecylce groups-- one time my husband got a portable DVD player for free... but we would never EVER consider eating out of the trash. They always have to make news stories out of the most extreme nasty people to make the whole group look bad...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, if Mom saw us wasting or throwing away food she scolded us: "There are starving children in China who would love to have that."
ReplyDeleteOnly one time did I dare to reply "I wonder if they would taste any better?"
I'm with everyone else posting comments, as long as I've got a buck in my pocket I won't be dining at Chez Defenbaugh.
I saw a bit about this on an episode of "The F Word" (Gordon Ramsay's show on BBC America) last year. Thought it was interesting. But I still wouldn't do it myself.
ReplyDeleteLike most everyone here, I don't see the value in it, except for what Anonymous said up there about it being a way to create less excess. ::shrugs:: Can't see enough people ever being interested in it for it to actually do something to fix the excess issue we have in this country. So I'll keep eating my food outta the fridge, thanks.
Wow, I've seen it, but still don't understand. I can eat Ramen noodles for a week for less than $5. Why spend the fuel to drive to a store to dumpster dive, and maybe find nothing. It's mac-n-cheese and ramen for me.
ReplyDelete