The problem with polar fleece: it’s in the ocean, it’s in sea creatures, it’s on our plates

...ap fleece goods have become ubiquitous at chain stores, in everything from baby clothing to home decoration. As a result, at this point, only the most militant lentil eating do-gooder, the most pure of the pure, do not have at least one polar fleece (polyester fleece) pullover in their wardrobe or blanket on their bed. I have a few polar fleece items, and as with all artificial fibers, I knew when I bought them that these things will never decompo...

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The Sound of Fast Food

...ickly coming to a close. There was a day when cellphones, cordless phones, baby monitors and all kinds of other radio transmissions were accessible to anyone with a cheap scanner. Even police and fire departments are starting to encrypt transmissions. This particular In and Out got so popular that they switched to having an employee in the parking lot with a tablet to take orders which brought an end to our office fun. I invite any musicians in th...

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Weekend Linkages: A Weird World

...Levi Walter Yaggy’s Geographical Maps and Charts Photographs of the Los Angeles Alligator Farm (ca. 1907) The Navajo farmer taking a traditional approach to making baby food Historic San Francisco tiki bar the Tonga Room is a rite of passage. But is it really worth visiting? ‘They’re in the air, drinking water, dust, food …’ How to reduce your exposure to microplastics Doppler Radar Telegram Critter Cam for Under $10!...

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Every Day Carry Revisited

...Alice in Boarderland and I’m not sure what the chewing gum, Coke Light and baby deer are about. If you know please do fill me in. I include this meme just to emphasize the gendered factors in EDC discourse which you could just scratch the surface of in a book length discussion of the lack of pockets or strange, small symbolic pockets that exist in women’s clothing and a parallel discussion of purses vs. “man bags.” For the record my own EDC leans...

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Adopt an Indigo Plant in Los Angeles

...hang in a prominent place in your home, lest you forget about your little baby! There are a limited number of seedlings available. Please reserve yours by filling out the form below. For those of you not able to pick up a seedling here in Los Angeles, I am willing to experiment with shipping them directly to you in the mail for the cost of postage. I have zero real world experience with this but have been reading up on the process and believe tha...

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