da Scriffles

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We have bigger house but smaller families;

We have more degrees, but less sense;

more knowledge, but less judgement;

more experts, but more problems;

more medicines, but less healthiness.

We have been all the way to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street to meet

the new neighbour.

We built more computers to hold more 

information to produce more

copies than ever; 

but have less communication.

We have become long on quantity,

but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods,

but slow digestion;

tall man but short character;

steep profits but shallow relationships.

It's a time when there is much in the window, 

but nothing in the room.

I took a video of my sister and her girls putting up their Christmas tree thinking I'd edit on my laptop.

But it was no small job. Yes the Flip video camera takes wonderful HD pictures but you need to have a proper computer to edit the video - not a toy. The Flip's edit is basic but effective. You can choose your own music or use provided music which isn't too bad at all.

<p>Decorating the Christmas Tree from Lisa Yallamas on Vimeo.</p><p>My sister and her girls putting up the Christmas tree on the weekend. My little 2005 laptop struggled for eight hours to render this three-minute video which I edited on the Flip video camera's basic program. High Def data and low grunt computer are not really compatible. Beware when you buy the Flip.</p>

Reading The Trouble With Dragons to my four-year-old niece last night many questions arise - always questions.

http://www.bloomsbury.com/childrens/Books/details.aspx?isbn=9780747595410

The dragons learn that they must recycle, reuse, put less of the world on the end of their fork and stop cutting down trees. Yes, it's a global warming tale. The dragons learn that our stories (dragons and other animals) are linked. I can excuse a four-year-old for not understanding what linked means. Tony Abbott and his dinosaurs  have a "single story" - they plod along doing things the way they've always been done looking in the rear view mirror. Well, look closer Mr Abbott the GST introduced by John Howard was a new tax. It was a reorganisation of taxes. Is this not possible with the Emissions Trading Scheme? Look beyond the single story view.

 ...while we breathe, we hope; 

    and where we are met 

    with cynicism and doubt 

    and those who tell us 

    that we can't, 

    we will respond

    with that timeless creed 

    that sums up the spirit 

    of a people: Yes, we can. 

"Burts Bees will soon have a zero carbon footprint" - the sales woman tells me as I browse the shelf full of the brand that's built entirely on a clean-green philosophy.
Read about their history on their website: http://www.burtsbees.com.au/c/about-us/our-mission-and-values/what-we-are.html
Their best seller is lip balm: beautiful!
They convinced a plastics manufacturer to make their containers from recycled plastics - it took years to convince them.
Now that company is a leading manufacturer of recycled plastics.
Greenie + Business = $$
I like the company's philosophy but it's the quality of the product I love.
I bought the the soap bark and chamomile intensive cream cleanser.
Like a pleasant smelling salt, its sherbert sorbet-like fragrance instantly clears my mind of stress - or sleep when I get up in the morning.
Shame I'm not being paid to say this but it's better than "mama's little helper" - ie drugs - not that I ever did drugs mind you.
This is why I bought peppermint foot rub, raspberry shampoo etc as Christmas gifts.

Not everyone knows about it though.
When you ask for Burts Bees at the counter you might get a funny look.
Probably just like the look that's on your face right now as you read my blathering.