Jess's Blog
And the Worst Toy in America Is... PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jessica Meehan   
Thursday, 12 February 2009

Toady BarbieSo about 3 weeks ago I wrote a blog encouraging you to vote for the first annual TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) recipient and I am pleased to announce the winner, my choice, the Dallas Cowboy Barbie (yayyyyyy! massive applause!). Barbie beat down her competition with 40% of the vote, winning over the Power Wheels Cadillac Escalade (21%), the Smart Cycle by Fisher Price (19%)  Baby Alive Goes Potty (10%) and The Lego Batman Video Game (10%).

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood created the TOADY award "in response to the Toy Industry Association's TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards, which celebrate the most popular brands and toys often with little regard for their impact on children's wellbeing. Each TOADY nominee was selected for epitomizing one or more of the troubling commercial trends of the toy industry, such as marketing sex and/or violence to young children, promoting brands and screen time at the expense of creative play, and encouraging excessive and conspicuous consumption."

I think I, and everyone else who voted, made an outstanding choice. I can't wait for the next year of awful toys to rip apart!

-Jess 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Life After Layoff for Ohio's Manchester Tool Factory Employees PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jessica Meehan   
Wednesday, 11 February 2009

NYTIMES Manchester Tool PlantTwo days ago, the New York Times wrote an article highlighting the lives of former employees of the Manchester Tool Company who lost their jobs when the company was bought and the plant shut down. Sadly, the NYTimes found that almost a year after the plant (which is now vacant and for sale) closed, only 15% of the New Franklin, Ohio hourly employees have found new steady jobs. Many are about to lose or without health insurance, many are about to lose their homes. The ones that have new careers have found them by switching fields, many learning new trades.

Read the article to follow the accounts of some of the plant's employees. Their fates are the same of many American workers across the country.

-Jess 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Hawaiians Being Deceived into Supporting Inhumane Practices? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jessica Meehan   
Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Are Hawaiian consumers being deceived into supporting imhumane slaughtering practices? That's what many Hawaiian "Buy Local" supporters are up in arms about after learning that their pork products labeled "island produced" actually contain animals imported from the US mainland that are being inhumanely raised. These animals are being imported from places as far away as Iowa are being slaughtered on the Islands and labeled as "Island Produced".

A petition is being presented to the Hawaiian Department of Agriculture to investigate these labels. Dena Jones, US programs director for the World Society for the Protection of Animals and organizer of the petition states that. "Imported pigs suffer trauma and increased risk for disease prior to slaughter, yet people are led to believe they are purchasing a premium local product".

I agree, this needs to be investigated, because these definitely don't sound like local products to me!

-Jess 

 
Hawaiians Being Deceived into Supporting Inhumane Practices? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jessica Meehan   
Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Are Hawaiian consumers being deceived into supporting imhumane slaughtering practices? That's what many Hawaiian "Buy Local" supporters are up in arms about after learning that their pork products labeled "island produced" actually contain animals imported from the US mainland that are being inhumanely raised. These animals are being imported from places as far away as Iowa are being slaughtered on the Islands and labeled as "Island Produced".

A petition is being presented to the Hawaiian Department of Agriculture to investigate these labels. Dena Jones, US programs director for the World Society for the Protection of Animals and organizer of the petition states that. "Imported pigs suffer trauma and increased risk for disease prior to slaughter, yet people are led to believe they are purchasing a premium local product".

I agree, this needs to be investigated, because these definitely don't sound like local products to me!

-Jess 

 
Harrisonburg,VA Locavore: Celebrate Local Foods Next Week PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jessica Meehan   
Monday, 09 February 2009

In a week and a half on Friday February 20th, the third annual February Fest and Local Food Showcase will promote food grown on area farms by highlighting the work of the Friendly City Food Cooperative.

The Friendly City Food Cooperative is a three-year-old organization that promotes the purchasing of locally raised foods from Shenandoah Valley producers. The Friendly City Food Cooperative is comprised of 470 residents from surrounding counties who are raising money towards building a cooperative grocery store in the central part of the Shenandoah Valley.

The event, which runs from 7 to 10 PM, will be held at Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center at 620 Simms Ave, Harrisonburg, Virginia. 

-Jess 

 
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