Tag Archives: consumption

Blackback Theory and Anyone know CSS?


A friend, I think it was Sam, hooked me up with a neat link to a site that discusses green technology. I noticed a post about something I’d read about previously, and that was the impact that the color of websites has on the amount of energy we use while surfing the internet.
Rising Phoenix put together a pretty simple and sweet designed page to explain the problem. I’m an advocate for reducing the amount of energy we use, especially since we in the United States consume an ungodly amount already. Therefore, I feel some responsibility to change the way I’m currently consuming energy. Here’s my two step process.

  1. Downloaded Stylish for Firefox and then chose a black style theme for Google.
  2. I’d like to change my theme so it’s a darker background color with white text. I’d like to keep the current theme so it’s not too much of a change for my readers. But I need some CSS help from someone. The other option is to change to this theme.

Anyone else want to join me in the small choices matter energy saving campaign?

Further thoughts on Moderation (From Mel)

Mel recently went to the dentist, where during the course of conversation about her going to do Peace-Corps, the dentist offered to do a small cosmetic procedure on her teeth for free, because he was touched by the work she was doing. She agreed to it, then had these thoughts to share in reference to a post I had written earlier about moderation.

From
Mel’s Xanga

Even though I didn’t pay for it, and it was really nice, now I am playing into our culture of consumption and perfection and cosmetic appeal. Now I’m one of those women who can say “I’ve had some work done…” Ick. Did I really need to have that done? Absolutely not–I’m happy with my teeth! At least now there’s no risk of them continuing to split up the notches until my tooth cracks, so that’s good. And going back, I would probably let him do it all over again, just because it was a nice thing that he wanted to do for me.
Still feels funny, though. And makes you think, what should our limits be? Joel and I are going to Africa soon, so we know our lifestyle will be forced to drastically change. In the meantime, we probably won’t stop eating out with my parents when they want to take us, because it’s a way we connect with them. But at the same time, that is contributing to our society’s need to have new things and big things all the time. And just because something is free, doesn’t mean we should take it.

So what are your thoughts?