there’s a big difference between “food waste” as in “farmers destroy tons of food to avoid exceeding quotas” or “supermarkets throw away this much edible food because it doesn’t sell”
and “food waste” as in “it is not actually within the capacity of humans to perfectly predict and track household food consumption, so a certain amount of food per household inevitably goes bad and has to be thrown out every year”
the idea that food waste is the product of thoughtless consumers rather than corporate greed is really insidious
Truuuuuuuueeeeeee, other large sources of food waste:
- Restaurants. The fact that the rich expect restaurants to have every article on their menu available at all times means every restaurant has far more food than they need and throws a lot of that shit out.
- Big inhuman organisations with intense bureaucracy. Think hospitals, schools, prisons, refugee camps and the army. Organisations that provide food for a very large group of people but are not allowed (and/or can’t be bothered) to give that food away if there is too much of it.
Some of the most spectacular food waste I’vepersonally witnessed was an army training camp that threw away 250 sealed lunchboxes because the training ended one day early, and a refugee center than threw away over 100 loaves of bread while people in the center where hungry because regulations stated that every refugee got two slices of bread for breakfast.
And I’m supposed to feel guilty about half a tomato rotting in the garbage? Nah, that’s not food waste. That’s just life.
Shifting the guilt to the consumer is an intentional marketing ploy. The same was done when soda companies switched from bottles to cans
Originally soda machines had a place for you to return your bottle which the company would collect, sanitize, and re-use. Consumers paid a deposit when they bought the soda, then got it back when they dropped the empty bottle in the slot. Bars and restaurants also had to pay the deposit and redeem the bottles for a refund
Then companies decided it’d be cheaper to use disposable aluminum cans. Soda is something people often consumed in public places like parks and in front of stores. Increased public trash led to a litter problem. Environmentalists pressured the soda companies to fix the problem by bringing back the deposit and recycling programs. Instead, the companies started anti-liter campaigns that placed the guilt wholly on the consumer
This was decades before curb-side recycling existed. Recycling plants were few and far between, and consumers would have to save up cans then cart them to one of these facilities to recycle them, which few individuals had the time and transpiration to do. The ad campaigns led to people demanding more public garbage cans, which did reduce liter, but those were purchased and maintained at city expense and the contents went to landfills. It also led to the general public believing littering and landfill problems rested squarely on the shoulders of consumers even though the corporations had a perfectly good recycling system that they could have continued
Big business wants you to blame yourself and each other for problems they caused, and they’d rather spend money on guilt shifting ad campaigns than use that money for something good
I was actually never told any of the stuff in that last addition.
So I’m at the bus terminal and this guy (who’d been following me and hovering over me for 10 minutes) comes up to me and says “hey beautiful. Can I talk to you?” So I said “no thank you.” He goes “I just want to speak to you, though.”
And I said “yeah I know that and I’m not interested in talking to a strange man at a bus terminal. Please leave me alone.”
So he stands there watching me. Finally he says “listen, there’s no need to be difficult. I approached you politely like a gentleman so I don’t see why you’re saying no. Now just let me speak to you.”
I said “nobody’s being difficult my guy. You asked a question, I gave an answer so we’re done.”
Then he says “yeah but the answer you gave me made no sense. Why don’t you want to talk to me? You don’t know what kind of person I am. You’re judging me before you know me. You’re being ignorant and prejudiced so”-
Just then this other guy who’d been sitting close to me said “my nigga shut the fuck up! I saw you following her and stalking her like a fucking animal or some shit, like you didn’t think she didn’t notice? She’s probably scared of your predatory ass and I don’t blame her. Mans need to understand you don’t follow girls and shit. That shits corny.”
So the guy goes “yo, mind your fucking business.”
And the other dude says “nah because I see you harassing this girl and as a man this becomes my business. You thinking you were polite doesn’t mean a girl has to speak to you. Be nice because you’re nice, don’t use that please and thank you shit and think somebody has to speak to you. You’re not a “gentleman if you don’t respect her. Take the L and go catch your bus you fucking creep.”
So the guy starts swearing and then walks away. The guy who’d defended me is like “you okay tho? Like real talk I don’t really like men because of shit like that. They’re fucking predators man. I do what I can when I’m able to for women because you don’t deserve to be hunted.”
I think the most Gemini thing my dad has ever done is one year he threw himself a reverse surprise party for the sheer drama of it. What is a reverse surprise party? you may ask, well let me tell you. So he invites over all his friends and family and then in the middle of dinner he stands up and announces that it’s not a regular dinner, it is in fact, his birthday dinner (his exact words were “Surprise! …. it’s my Birthday”) cue everyone looking panicked, because oh god I don’t have a gift, I don’t even have a card, but my father, wine glass still in hand assures them not to worry and reveals a pile of presents he got for himself and wrapped for everyone to pick one and give it to him as their gift. And honestly? My father is such a legend.
tv shows with time travel organizations/bureaus/police/agencies/whatever should have a department with instead of a tech genius eating candy, it’s a harried seamstress or fashion designer who is like
“1450 italy? does it look like I have the time to dye you wool? nO. YOU’RE GOING TO THE 1980s”
and throws shoulder pads at the hapless time agent
“I literally made three- THREE- 18th century corsets last week. You can wait until one of them gets back, or you can go sometime post-1920s, because if I have to sew one more god damn channel I will literally lose my mind.”
“Upper middle class?!?!? You told me upper class! FUCK YEAH THERE’S A DIFFERENCE!!!”
“How about kimoNO.”
“Look me in the eyes. I do not care what you want. This is the 1500s. You absolutely cannot wear trousers.”
“Another court gown?? Here’s a novel idea: go as a peasant for once in your life. Why do you do this to me? You’re fucking sadists that’s why.”
“Don’t mind me, I’ll just be up all night hand painting silk.”
“THE POLICY IS ONE MONTH’S ADVANCE NOTICE ON PRE-1900s WOMEN’S FASHION FOR A REASON, DEBRA.”
How to pump yourself up for a workout you don’t wanna do
Usually I’m working out after an 8 hour day of work/class and sometimes I am just NOT feeling it. But consistency is key and exercise is important!!! So I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get my booty to the gym (so I can grow that booty)
1. Drink water. Hydration is everything!! And sometimes all you need is a big ol bottle of ice water to wake you up and make you feel super refreshed.
2. Splash water on your face. Sometimes I’ll just splash some cold water on my face to invigorate me, so simple but so effective.
3. Have a snack. Preferably some carbs and protein. I like almonds and orange slices, crackers and hummus, banana and almond butter, and my current fav, whole wheat bread with half an avocado, sea salt, and EVOO. Droooling.
4. Do a quick warm up. Sometimes I’ll do some basic calisthenics just to remind my body how good it feels to move. A few minutes of jumping jacks, burpees, or squat jumps can really wake you up and do wonders for your energy levels.
5. Update your playlist. New music always gets me so jazzed to workout!! Spend a few minutes downloading some new jams to get you real hype to go hard at the gym.
6. Have some caffeine. A lot of studies have shown that caffeine before a workout can be really effective. I like to have a cup of green tea, my friends do espresso shots, whatever works for you!! (Dark chocolate works great as well)
7. Remind yourself why you’re working out. Most of us have fitness goals whether that’s running faster, lifting stronger, losing weight, or looking hot in a bikini (or maybe all of the above!!!). Spending a couple minutes meditating on your goal before a workout can really bring about some powerful feelings of intention and focus.
8. Get a workout buddy. Working out with someone and having a schedule really holds you accountable. It’s easier to let yourself down and not go to the gym than to let your friend down and not show up, you know.
9. Do an at home workout instead. There’s soooo many awesome videos out there on the internet so if you really don’t want to go to the gym, you can easily find a killer workout video of your choice on the web.
10. Take a warm up walk outside. Fresh air and nature are really quite powerful. When I’m feeling sleepy, I find that just being outside and breathing in fresh air for a few minutes really does wake me up and make me feel more energized for my work out.
11. And of course, take a rest day and listen to your body. If you’ve been going hard for weeks and you’re feeling tired, just take a day off and don’t beat yourself up over it!!!! The gym will always be there tomorrow and your body will be grateful for the break.
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“ One of Cedric Laquieze’s stunning Flower Skeletons
[via Creep Machine]
”](https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrkviopHX11qzfsnio1_500.jpg)
