when it surreptitiously ate part of mom's dress...with her inside it.

You really didn't mean to insinuate that you used the goat to, well, remove your mother, right?

Plastic bags do gum up recycling equipment

Oddly, we're allowed to recycle plastic bags, but you're supposed to ....bag them up together, or something. But then put them in with teh rest of your recycling in the bin. I'm unclear if the recycling workers then have to like, pick that out as they toss the bin in the truck.

Goats are awesome. I love how when billy goats get excited they jump up and slam their foreheads together like Klingons.

I wonder if used kitty litter could go in one of the electric composters? If it were one of the flushable kinds, maybe?

I think some Virgo would be very admiring of worms -- they are efficient! Which is like god to Virgos.

Strangely enough, I would have no problem with maggots being used to eat away my (theoretically) decaying flesh; it's the stinky decayingness of compost that bothers me.

I know, there are less-stank ways to compost, but you always have to open the damn thing up. Or rake or some shit. Same reason I don't use clumping litter; I am not a stank-raker type.

I am a delicate fucking flower.

Theoretically I'd love to compost, but in truth, I just can't (sorry smonster). I can barely do the things I need to do now and adding another step into any single process is just not going to happen.

We had an appointment with our pediatrician today who ordered meds and supplies for us. We'll see what we get and when we get it.

You really didn't mean to insinuate that you used the goat to, well, remove your mother, right?

Hah! No, I did not...although at 16, my answer might have been different.

She was standing next to the goat pen, talking, and it just reached out and casually started nomming on the hem of her dress. Ate a big chunk out of it, too, before she noticed. (It was the 70's -- it was a long skirt.)

Really, people, I love you and am not judging. I'm happy to educate and facilitate, that's all. You, especially, Kat. Heavens knows I do not think I could do what you do.

meara, they likely get sorted out before grinding starts and handled differently. Bags are a different kind of plastic than bottles, which are themselves not homogenous, so a thounsand households all putting their recyclables into a plastic bag or three, which then has to be dealt with? Recycling companies actually frequently operate on thin profit margins, whichare further imperiled bythe volatile nature of the markets for their end products. You also may be talking about several different companies - one to haul, one to sort and bale, one to grind/process and sell as raw materials back to a manufacturer.

Also, yanno, while I'm on the topic, don't forget to buy recycled when feasible! That "closes the loop" by creating demand for recycled products and their feedstocks.

I love the idea of composting! But NSM the idea of living in a place with yards. So I use the disposal.

Also, I swear we have single-stream recycling here, but my building doesn't believe in it -- we have two separate bins. OK, then.

smonster, have you seen my friend's coffee sleeves? I'm trying to get a local coffee house to start selling them.

They're made from recycled soda bottle material.

With all the composting/recycling talk, I don't think I have seen anyone post Alyssa Milano's response to the Old Spice guy.