The Last Two Straws, or Good-bye Scharfenberger and iPhone

Okay, so my idea for this blog started the day I felt compelled to post this story to my Facebook page:

Can no simple pleasure remain unspoiled by the greedy, hateful actions of men?

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/03/1193619205911.html

This was a big news story in the U.S. in Summer 2001, but as you can imagine, other matters soon commanded our national attention. Here are some other links on the issue:
http://vision.ucsd.edu/%7Ekbranson/stopchocolateslavery/atasteofslavery.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625697,00.html

Fasting from chocolate is going to be way more difficult than the 9 months that I had to go without dairy in order to keep my nursing baby's tummy healthy. If anyone knows about a local source of cruelty free chocolate, please lemme know!

Fast-forward a couple of days, and I'm riding along in my hybrid car, listening to public radio's Weekend America, on my way to pick-up sandwiches from a local eatery (spending dollars close to home = more money for my local economy), when I hear this story about a dude who has given up his cell phone for politico-social reasons. Apparently, a certain metal used in cell phone production comes from the Congo in an area inhabited by endangered gorillas.

Crap! No eating chocolate and no using cell phones, or else I'm a terrible person who contributes to the abuse and murder of children and gorillas from Africa. What's a foodie, gadget-loving lefty to do?

What is this?

Today was the day I realized that I can't possibly keep up. Staying informed, community service volunteerism, reducing-reusing-recycling, donating a portion of my income, voting for the right candidates, advocating for the right policies, working in public health, raising a sensitive and sensible child -- none of these things will ever be enough. No matter what I do, there is going to be something more I *should* be doing, according to the tenets of political correctness. And my uber-liberal friends, uber-conservative foes, and the media will be only too happy to point out my failures.

So, instead of stewing in my feelings of inadequacy, I've decided to purge them here for you, dear reader. Perhaps you've stumbled upon this page because you're a personal friend, but maybe you've arrived here looking for a kindred soul. Or maybe, you're looking for more ammunition in your Quixotean war against the left-wing. Whatever.

This space will be used for me to vent my displeasure at the latest report on another way that my lifestyle (and that of my countrymen) is somehow ruining everything for everyone else.