Briefs

I haven't posted much lately, in large part because I am working very long hours. Most of my work wouldn't be interesting for you to read about, unless you're really into stapling or something. So here are a few shorts that don't really deserve their own entry.

• A couple of folks around here have commented that the ticks are bad this year. (Mind you, the ticks themselves probably think things are great.) I have to agree. I never have tick problems, being one of those conservative fuddy-duddies that hikes in pants and wears lots of bug spray, but I've found a few on me this season - actually after each of the last three hikes I've done. Thankfully, they were still crawling around and not yet embedded in my flesh.
  
• Here's an article on the ethics of ethical food.
  
• My latest resolution is to eliminate (to the extent possible) my use of paper coffee cups, which aren't recyclable. Most of the time I'm not getting a fancy drink, so it can be poured into my own travel mug. I was thwarted this morning at church, where the after-service coffee is served in paper cups. My church is generally environmentally conscious, so I suppose it's a matter of too many congregants and, perhaps, not enough cupboard space. Apparently over 14 billion paper coffee cups are used and tossed each year. (This factoid can be found here, and while a biodegradable cup is a step in the right direction, not throwing something away is even better. And lots of things that are biodegradable don't, because they end up in the oxygen-starved environment of a landfill.)