Monday update?

[fuzzyred]

I know I usually write my weekly updates on Thursday or Friday, but I just couldn't find the energy last week, so it's happening now. I didn't do a whole lot over the week, but I did make an Orange Sponge cake which turned out really well (yay!), I got a few household things done, and I made a bit of progress on my crochet project, so not bad overall I guess.

I've still got a ton I want to do, but I have time still, and I'm feeling hopeful for this week. Chief among my goals is working on my Bingo Card, and painting the table that will eventually make its way upstairs into my loft-like area.

Random thoughts:

1: After reading the China's Mistake thread by dialecticdreamer and ysabetwordsmith and a helpful instructional post by the latter, I have decided to try to boycott China, at least on the superficial level of nothing with "Made in China" tags. Getting more in depth and not buying anything with *parts* from China is a goal, but I'm going to see how the easy step goes first, instead of throwing myself in the deep end. It's been alright so far, as most of what I buy is food but I did have two enlightening experiences. The first: I didn't realize how much bakeware is made in China, and I can see any cake pans or cookie sheets being difficult to find if I want to by-pass China. The second: TY beanie babies are made in China and I totally caved and bought one because the black dragon was just too cute not to. It's not even that fluffy, it was just cute and calling my name. BUT. Now that I know (consciously anyway) that they are made in China, I shall just steer clear of that brand and I should be okay. It's been a long time since I bought a stuffed animal so it shouldn't be too hard (I hope.)

2: I went and got a haircut this Saturday, which was great cause I've badly needed one since about March, but it set me to thinking again. I really wish my area had a place where you could pay people to play with your hair, as opposed to cutting it. I like hair cuts, but I also love having my hair played with and I would gladly pay them the price of a haircut to spend the same amount of time playing with it as they do to cut it. I'm not a business person though, so I have no idea if that would be viable or if there would be interest. I figured combining it with a version of a "Healthy Touch" program would serve a wider base and make it more feasible, but I still don't know.

Comments

[technoshaman]

Honestly, I don't think a consumer-level boycott of China is gonna change a lot. The US are 300 million. Canada is 37 million. China is well into eight figures. It would be like Egypt boycotting the US. And they've got over a billion people in India who want their stuff sitting right on their doorstep, no ocean required.

Despite their evils, China is doing more *for* the environment right now than we are... granted, there's a lot they *can* do, because they've made 80's LA look like a Montana park for decades, but still. It's a BIG chunk of cleaning up the mess, and they're doing it. They're also working on vaccines just as we are, and they seem to have something at least partly working? I really don't want them slowing down on either of those endeavours right now.

China's gonna have to fix itself; it's too big for anyone else to force the issue by themselves. They're working on it.

Hmmm. Perhaps take our tchinese tchotchkie budget and sink it into either pro-freedom charities there, or into Taiwan? My favourite TWSBI fountain pens are from Taiwan.

(My biggest pet peeve country right now is Russia; they're responsible for the new "Parler" right-wing social media platform what Herr Loser and his cultists are using... think the Black Sheep pastures for the truly bad guys... I'm semi-publicly advocating the destruction of that platform via point-and-giggle and outright disruptive behaviour... )

[fuzzyred]

>>Honestly, I don't think a consumer-level boycott of China is gonna change a lot. The US are 300 million. Canada is 37 million. China is well into eight figures. It would be like Egypt boycotting the US. And they've got over a billion people in India who want their stuff sitting right on their doorstep, no ocean required.<<

I think you're right. It would be a tiny drop in the bucket, and probably nowhere even close to how effective a Terramagne boycott would be. Perhaps, then, I will focus on buying local as much as possible; supporting local economy rather than specifically boycotting anyone. Then, if I need something that I can't get local, I can choose which foreign supplier I want it from.

>>(My biggest pet peeve country right now is Russia; they're responsible for the new "Parler" right-wing social media platform what Herr Loser and his cultists are using... think the Black Sheep pastures for the truly bad guys... I'm semi-publicly advocating the destruction of that platform via point-and-giggle and outright disruptive behaviour... )<<

This sounds like a very reasonable goal, I'm on board with it.

[technoshaman]

> This sounds like a very reasonable goal, I'm on board with it.

I knew I liked you. :)

(And yes, the whole buy local thing is ON... there were certain things I couldn't get local, but as much as I could I got from local folk or at least small business... my favourite tea merchant; small, work-directly-with-the-farms coffee roasters; family-run chocolatiers... )

[fuzzyred]

Awwww :)

(That sounds like a good way to do things. And ya, it's so easy to buy from big chain stores, but anything local or small business is probably a lot better for the economy and local morale. Maybe I will have to work this into one of my new year's goals...)