I’ve been reading a few articles lately about how one of the things that is going to “save” the planet, and the economy, is “green jobs.” “Green jobs” are jobs that are jobs related to work that are going to have a positive impact on our environment. Yet none of the articles are specific as to exactly WHAT those green jobs are going to be – they are very vague.

The last article that I read indicated that they don’t have to be manual labor jobs, but “green collar jobs” are being considered manual labor jobs. And the article indicated that people would be making at least $15 an hour to start. Well, that’s not the BEST money in the world, but it is pretty good starting pay for someone who is just starting out, so I’d like more information on that! It would be really nice if we could start to see more information about these “green jobs” and how people might get “into” a “green job” whether it is manual labor or otherwise.

I was reading an article on the LATimes website that a recent study of bottled water has shown that in many cases the bottled water is no safer than regular tap water. The article did not say what brands of water was tested (and I sure wish it HAD said that) but it indicated that in the ten brands tested there were contaminants such as bacteria and 38 chemicals. The chemicals include caffeine, acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic ingredients and strontium (which are radioactive.)

That freaks me out! Bottled water with strontium in it? I’m not sure I’ll ever buy bottled water again! I think I’m better off buying soda if I’m “out and about” and thirsty and without my own refreshment!

I was reading on the Forbes.com news website that the “hottest” job trends are in the “green” market.  The article indicates that Washington DC, Boston MA, Houston TX, San Fransisco, San Diego and Las Angelas are all going to be huge markets for “green” industries.

I sure hope that’s true.  We could use some job growth around here!  Lately it seems to have been all “doom and gloom” news about the economy and people losing jobs.  We sure need more jobs, and better jobs right here in the area!

We decided to go for a fall foliage drive this weekend; we heard that the fall foliage was near peak, and we wanted to have a little bit of relaxation and enjoy the scenery.  So we packed up a picnic lunch and headed out for a short but scenic drive out Route 211 into the mountains.  With the price of gas so high we couldn’t drive too far, but we found a nice scenic overlook spot with a picnic table and enjoyed a nice lunch of cheese, bread, apples, and sparkling cider.  The weather cooperated, it was a warm, beautiful clear day and we could see for miles!  All in all it was a very pleasant day today.  I’d like to make an annual event of doing this!  I hope the price of gas doesn’t make it impossible to do next year!

Where does the time fly? The turning of the calendar page from June to July was a shock to me this morning; I barely even noticed June was happening! And now the dog days of July are upon us. I don’t like the excessive heat and humidity that July brings upon us; it is the summer month that I try to hide inside as much as possible, trying to stay in air conditioned comfort as much as possible. The weatherman says that the next couple of days will be unusually cool for July, and I’m glad to hear that.
One of the things that I dislike so much about July is that it is impossible to dress appropriately. It is so hot out that you want to wear short sleeves and short pants, but if you go into an office building or store or movie theater the air conditioning is cranked up so high that you need to wear long pants, long sleeves AND a sweater! So I end up wearing long pants, long sleeves and carrying a sweater and I feel like a real dufus doing it. With the big focus on the cost of fuel and the economy it seems to me that the offices, stores, and movie theaters would set their thermostats just a little bit warmer! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want them set at 78 or 80, but 76 would be nice!