I think that most people who actually dumpster-dive will have some sort of safety rules, like they'll only take packaged things. That article mentioned several people who were taking produce or pre-made sandwiches or things like that, which weirded me out.

I can see the benefits of that sort of thing for things other than food. Freecycle things, pick up furniture from the curb at the end of the semester, Baltimore Book Thing, all great. But food is different.

(Baltimore Book Thing is seriously one of my favorite places ever. Free books! The summer I was working at Johns Hopkins, I was there every weekend. I'm so annoyed that the public transportation doesn't really work for getting there from DC.)

I knew two women who were sorta' freegan. One bragged about hitchhiking across the country and only spending about $2.30 for everything on the entire trip. Apparently shrubs on church grounds are good places to crash at night.

I've left books and furniture out to be taken, so that's no big deal--but for me the "to be taken" makes a difference, because it's not in with the garbage and the smells and the grossness.

Yeah, but even without an implied "to be taken," there's a pretty major difference for me between taking a chair out of a dumpster and taking a sandwich. Like the fact that you can clean the chair before you sit on it.

I just got back from a picnic with my office where we drank Pimm's Cups because we are theoretically British and apparently that's what we ought to be drinking. And it's the Queen's birthday on Monday. 2 other co-workers brought their kids, so Dylan had some company, but by the time we got home it was an hour past his bedtime and he was completely zonked. I would have skipped his bath except that he spent the last 20 minutes of the picnic picking all the grapes out of the fruit salad, so he kind of needed one.

I've taken furniture from the trash, but never actually out of a dumpster. It's gross enough putting things in a dumpster. I'm not taking anything out.

It's gross enough putting things in a dumpster. I'm not taking anything out.

I agree 100%. And to think of taking something I'm planning on ingesting out takes it to the beyond my comprehension category.

I think that most people who actually dumpster-dive will have some sort of safety rules, like they'll only take packaged things. That article mentioned several people who were taking produce or pre-made sandwiches or things like that, which weirded me out.

There was a news show out of Toronto where one of the reporter's went to a freegan dinner party, and she said she could taste mould in some of the dishes. Gross!

I have beer, but I'm saving it for F2F and wine, but I'm on call... so I supose its moot. Damn what am I gonna do on a friday without booze.

You totally owe me pictures now! Angled bob! Bling! Make it so.

I can post pictures of the angled bob, but I haven't purchased the bling yet!

There was a news show out of Toronto where one of the reporter's went to a freegan dinner party, and she said she could taste mould in some of the dishes. Gross!

Not to say that's not gross, but I can taste mold in anything once it pops into my head that there might be. See also: sour milk.