Alaska's Sugar Daddy Goes Down

Stevens got the book thrown at him today - guilty on seven counts, sentence TBA. Although his hard work and efforts to get Alaskans seven federal dollars for every tax dollar we spend paid for a fair bit of my (out of state) education, I'm still more than pleased to see the guy get his. Rampant corruption is the political norm in many Alaska political circles, and this is a sweet victory for honest folks. (Not to get all Joe the Plumber on you or anything...) Another fun fact: googling "Ted Stevens" still brings up his "series of tubes" remark as one of the top five hits. The internet is a funny, funny place.

Totally unrelated, but hilarious. Everyone loves disco, right?

Token Veganism Comments: Larabars are the shit. I have yet to find any other food in bar form that has fewer than six ingredients. And the ingredients are recognizable! Figs! Dates! Cashews!

Anyway, I'm starting to come to a conclusion on veganism as it relates to my life. It doesn't always jibe with trying to eat close to home when any number of grains and beans don't grow anywhere near the West Coast or trying to eat less processed, packaged food (Tofurkey, anyone?) I'd rather keep my eating ideology flexible to accommodate and balance as many of my values as possible than tie myself to one that - sadly - means less to me than reducing my overall footprint. I realize I'm opening myself up for some flak from the animal rights angle. In my defense, I've realized that I definitely don't need animal products to eat well and live happily and have already started eliminating them from the diet, closet and medicine cabinet. But I doubt I'll call myself vegan anytime soon. So while I ditch the leather belt and ice cream (and grill up veggies like no one's business), my goal will be to live within my means in all senses of the word.

I'm finishing out the month strong, though. Cornbread pear muffins were not a huge success the first time, so I'm trying again. Also, lentil burgers. Stay tuned.