We subscribe to Angie's List, a place to get recommendations on ethical businesses in our area.
One article in the latest publication is on Starbucks, and headlines, "Would you drink a Big Mac?" "Is your coffee making you fat?"
An "iced white chocolate mocha" has 610 calories. A Big Mac has 540 calories. Most of us would never think of eating a Big Mac in the middle of the afternoon, or perhaps would never think of it at all, but we might be tempted by a frappacino. A frappacino is not the same as drinking a cup of coffee.
On decks and porches:
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan has the longest porch in the world. It is more than 600 feet long.
In Hebron, Nebraska is the world's largest porch swing. It can hold about 18 adults or 25 children.
One can now have a part-time pet through FlexPetz.com. You can check it out at:
http://www.flexpetz.com/
It is a new way to timeshare. It is not cheap, but means you have access to a pet when you want it, and without the hassle. Groups like the American Society for the Prevention of Animals have criticized it, saying the program undermines human-animal bonds. Stephen Zawistowski, Executive Vice President of ASPCA says, "Consistency will help ensure that a dog's behavior is appropriate. Everybody who brings the dog home will be treating it differently and have different expectations."
At first I thought it seemed like a good idea, but then, I realized how stressful it could be for the pet. Most of us would not want to be passed around like a hot potato, and not have a permanent home and family. The owner of FlexPetz says they are giving dogs fantastic lives. They live in doggy day care when they are not with a member. One thing that is for sure is that the owner is making good money at it. It is not cheap, and is a rapidly expanding enterprise. You can rent for a few hours or several days.
I suppose next you can rent out your child. Jonathan Swift and "A Modest Proposal" comes to mind, though I suppose it is not as dramatic as all that.