Green Consumerism-Plastic Bags

Here is a link to an article on the NY Times explaining a recent vote on making retailers responsible for recycling those plastic bags that they hand out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/nyregion/10bags.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=shopping+bags&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Let us know what you think! Should we force retailers to do this, or should individuals take more responsibility?

Thanks to all of our voters!

Thanks to everyone who voted for our first topic. The grand winner was Green Consumerism. You will see the first video post within the next few days, and we'll be posting links to articles and products that we think are relevant and interesting as well. Feel free to send us your comments, opinions, and links to talktospeakeasy@gmail.com

We LOVE These

Looking to send someone you love a greeting? Something fun, irreverent, even inappropriate? This is your place; a countless variety of unique, quirky ecards.

www.someecards.com

We love them, and they make us laugh all day long. :) Just wanted to share.

No Experience?

While we wait for everyone to cast their votes for the first topic of discussion, I just wanted to share some thoughts.   The main criticism that has been leveled at candidate, Barack Obama, has been his lack of experience-particularly in foreign policy.  I did not know of any particular experience in the foreign policy realm myself.  Until, I was reading my TIME magazine, as I always do,  and came across an in depth look at the situation in Kenya.  Why should we care?  Because Kenya had, up until now, been one of the more stabilized, democratic countries in Africa, and because it borders the more volatile Somalia, with no lack of Islamic extremists.  And as I was reading, I came across this paragraph:

"The instability in Kenya has so alarmed the Administration that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice reached out for help to an unlikely ally...Barack Obama, whose father was from western Kenya and who has relatives near the city of Kisumu...Obama recorded a message, aired on the Voice of America, calling for calm.  On Jan. 3, the day of the Iowa caucuses, he spoke with South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who had flown to Nairobi, the capital, to see if he could negotiate a peace.  In the days since his Iowa victory, Obama has had near daily conversations with the U.S. ambassador in Nairobi, Michael Ranneberger, or with Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga.  Obama was trying to reach Kibaki as well." (TIME, 1/21/08, pg.43)  

I thought this to be an interesting piece of information: that as he campaigns, he is working with a Republican administration doing diplomatic work.  Was I the only one who didn't know?

Welcome!

Welcome to Speak Easy! In the coming weeks, we will be posting video and text entries dealing with questions and debating ideas that you submit! In order to keep them coming, we'd love to hear what you have to say. Tell us what you're thinking and what you'd like to see us discuss at talktospeakeasy@gmail.com! Thanks!