One of the great things about the place where I live is the abundance of farmers' markets. Every Saturday morning is like a mini festival with free coffee, live music, and beautiful produce. I try to buy the majority of my food at the farmers' market for a number of reasons: when you think globally but buy locally, you reduce your carbon footprint; the food is very fresh and organically grown; and there's always that satisfying feeling that you're sticking it to The Man. Because seriously, even the health food store is a chain.
Speaking of chains, what's with the proliferation of "stealth chain" restaurants? You know, the ones that are a level above fast food and try to seem unique, but you know they have three in the nearest big city. Is it because people are beginning to distrust chains? I for one try to go to locally owned businesses, and I would have to be VERY desperate indeed to buy anything at Wal-Mart.
At the farmers' market there are often political booths set up, and they are without exception of the left-leaning variety. Why is that? Why do they think that anyone who shops at a farmers' market must be politically liberal? I don't care for either major party and have no idea what to call myself: a crunchy conservative? A Leftist for Life? How about the Anti-Giuliani? If they could come up with a politician who disagrees with me on absolutely everything like he does, you'd think they could find one who does agree with me on the basics, like protecting the environment, a fair living wage for workers, and ending the heinous practice of legal abortion. Why do "feminists" think abortion is so great? I am a woman of child-bearing age, and I see abortion and birth control as suppression of women. Like, why are there so many ways a woman can fill her body with bizarre chemicals so that men can have sex without consequences? If things were truly equal, there'd be a Pill for men. Explain that one, Feminists!
It seems that if you look at all down-to-earth in this town, people assume you have liberal leanings. I was once approached at a different farmers' market in my same town about voting against a bill protecting marriage. When I said I was in favor of it, the girl looked shocked, then she said, "This doesn't just affect homosexuals. It would also protect heterosexuals who are not married." To which I replied, "Why don't they just get married? I'm not in favor of unmarried people living together." Just because I am female, a member of Generation X, and like to wear sandals and my famous hat, that doesn't mean I don't have old-fashioned morals.
One of my favorite things about Saturday morning farmers' market is going to the bank first and getting "funny money." One of my goals in life is to increase the circulation of $2 bills and dollar coins. Of course spending money is fun in any denomination, but why not make it extra fun? Especially when vendors go, "I said TWO dollars!.. oh, never mind." To be fair, the vendors actually always seem delighted with funny money; it is in commercial establishments that it seems to throw people. Maybe because they don't have a section in their cash register for it...?
So I've been at the same bank for many years, but it has been bought out several times, most recently by a mega bank - let's call it "American Bank." I have never overdrawn my account before, but because of my recent excursion to New Orleans and my habit of paying off my credit card bill the moment I receive it, my account was going to be a little short this month. I moved some money from savings to checking but underestimated the amount by $5 and some change. Now my understanding was that I have overdraft protection and would not be charged if there is enough money in savings, but I was charged $5. I called them to complain and they said it wasn't an overdraft charge, it was a fee for moving the money... which they then did by dumping ALL my savings into my checking account! I said I didn't care what they called it, the fact is they lied to me and said I wouldn't be charged for overdrafts, period. They refused to back down, even though the fee is the same as the amount I was over, so now I'm going to Local Credit Union. Fortunately I already had accounts set up there, but extricating myself from American Bank is proving to be quite a chore. I am still amazed that, after nearly two decades of loyalty, I was basically told to kiss off, but Local Credit Union is happy to deal with my money, no matter how little I have. And American Bank is always playing games, like I had an automatic payment set up to withdraw from savings to three little gift accounts for underage relatives, and one month they changed the date of withdrawal without my permission so there were six withdrawals, and then they hit me with a fee. It took me an hour of arguing with them to get it back, but at least that time they did refund it. This time they were not moving - so I am! And I would invite you all to come with me. After all, I hate chains, and this bank is no longer the little local one I started with.
Famous Hat
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2 comments:
But the question is - will the credit union have funny money? I with the Dems would front a pro-life candidate. That person would totally wreck the Republican stanglehold on their pro-life base. I know scores of people who vote republican just for that reason. But the deal is - did Bush reduce abortion or do anything to advance the pro-life cause. Not really. In fact he started a war that killed thousands, not exactly a pro-life stance. Besides I have a feeling that Bush or McCain are not sincerely pro-life but only pro-life for convenience to get that base vote. I think abortion is hideous, but personally it is not an important issue to me compared to the economy, environment, the war, decimation of our social safety net. If a person is elected who promises to tackle the above issues, abortions will logically decrease -- because an improved economy, environment and decrease in poverty would decrease abortions. So I vote for the Democrat, but I am willing to take restrictions on abortion so that the rest of my social and environmental agenda gets passed.
Now a note to all the pro-life people. If you dont want abortions, stop getting your panties in a wad over sex education and access to contraception. You cannot legislate your religious morality on the general population. Access to safe and effective contraception for everyone has been proven to reduce teen pregnancy and abortions. Abstinence education - well what can I say, take Palin's kid as a poster child. We can parse ad naseum if the morning after pill or the pill is an abortifacient or not. In most cases, the sperm has not even reached the egg and life has not even been conceived -- vs. a first trimester abortion of actually scraping and destroying life. So come on guys, if you want less abortion, you have to accept that people are going to have sex outside of marriage and they need access to safe and reliable contraception. If they dont have that, then they will resort to abortions or give birth to unwanted children.
Hardingfele,
If you have that much to say, get your own blog! ;)
(She has her own blog.)
You know that I have always been totally opposed to this war, as have both recent popes. But for me to say, "This candidate is good about everything but abortion" is like saying he's good on everything but slavery. Certain human rights issues are non-negotiable.
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