Ten Things to Tell my Sister

I recently sent my littlest sister (at prep school) a long list of things that I recommended she learn BEFORE college. These are things that I wish I had known or at least picked up on quickly; it would have made my life a whole heck of a lot easier.

As I do not have the exact piece of notepaper in front of me now, I will recall what I can:

1.) Learn to love doing laundry. Nothing is better than a fresh, crisp bed of clean sheets to slip into at the end of a long day.

2.) Carefully choose your friends. This does not mean that you are rude to others, but be cautious as to whom you choose to share your heart.

3.) Throw aside reason now and again. Otherwise, you will forget what it is like to laugh at all things ridiculous.

She's an Original

My mother went back to school the same year that I headed off to Boston University to start my freshman year of college. I am embarrassed to say that I was not thrilled with the prospect of my mother walking around the UVM campus with so many of my high school friends; however, Mum was determined to get certified as a teacher and this was how she planned to do it. Aside from the occasional story that my mother would recall on the phone (about how she said, "Hi" to my friend Matt on the campus shuttle bus), I was proud of her.

Carbon Offsets: An Unearthed Treasure or Pain in the Asset?

It’s like driving a car, attempting to follow a complicated map with no straightforward directions: so frustrating! Then along comes the modern day GPS system that is easy to use; you enter data and it spits out your destination. Easy as pie.

This is the analogy that Tom Kineshanko gave, when describing his company’s carbon offset identification and monetization software platform, a tool called OffsetID. Habitat Carbon Assets, founded two years ago in Vancouver, British Columbia, is on a mission to help Cleantech sellers benefit from carbon offset revenue from the sale of their technology.

Like all of his life’s work– Kineshanko is also involved with several other clean energy nonprofits– Habitat’s overall mission is to decrease carbon emissions quickly, by encouraging more and more businesses to transition over to clean energy fuel.

Trunks exposed: Ancient Trees Felled in Boston Garden

On the first cold Saturday of the season, I took a stroll through Boston Common (my new backyard) and found city workers busy as bees, hacking down some of Boston's nicest old trees.



Unfortunately, I am not a girl scout and I failed my wilderness badge at summer camp, so I cannot tell you the type of tree (although, if you do have this special "natural" talent, you may be able to decipher this from the photos of the trunks). Honestly, I was shocked at the width of the trunks (I have yet to see California Redwoods with my own eyes) and the beauty of the rings, which emanated from the core of the trunk- like waves rippling in a pool.

Boston Celebrates Green on Earth Day

Students from towns across the state of Massachusetts and New Hampshire got permission to take time off school on April 22, 2010 to honor global commitment to the environment. Gathering on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston, hundreds of people enjoyed a free lunch time concert by bands They Might be Giants and Citizen Cope.

The event was hosted by Boston’s independent and solar-powered radio station (WXRV) in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The choice of venue reflected a new model of dynamic outdoor space created with the intent of bringing Bostonians together to enjoy the city.

A Variety of environmental groups, clean energy organizations, and organic food companies were present giving out t-shirts and samples. I tried some humus with pita in a small container- delicious, healthy, on-the-go snack!


By Catherine Moore, camorous@gmail.com

Numbers, Infiltrating All Aspects of Our Lives!

Gary Wolf of the NYT Mag says,"For a long time, only one area of human activity appeared to be immune. In the cozy confines of personal life, we rarely used the power of numbers. The techniques of analysis that had proven so effective were left behind at the office at the end of the day and picked up again the next morning."

Not anymore. The article does not just address the data guru named Barooah who formulaically calculates his every move 24-7. It can be applied to any one's life- even those who live the simplest of existences. When I started to think about how calculated (or not) my own personal daily life was, I questioned the areas in my life that I predetermine/control and the areas that I leave open for spontaneous guessing. Perhaps I am taking this in the wrong direction (less empirical data, more interpretive style), but here is what I found:

I wake up at a calculated time every morning, due to the annoyingly strong alarm on my digital clock. I attempt to calculate the timing and arrival of the MBTA system- trying to spend the least amount of time possible waiting in the rain.Once I have jumped on the bus or train, I play the calculating game all over again, in order to find a place to sit. Class involves calculating when to talk, when to keep my mouth shut. Lunch involves deciding what to order at Subway and calculating whether I have sufficient pocket change or do I need the ATM? (Or, more importantly, do I put on the extra mayo I love and suck up the extra calories?) My afternoon means running between work and meetings, calculating whether I have time to do errands in between. By the time dinner rolls around, I am playing more calculating games trying to get in touch with my boyfriend- does he want to get dinner- and finding time to call my parents, decide what homework is absolutely necessary, and catch up on my social media sites, which I adore and I have sorely missed while I was away from my computer (I have yet to purchase an iPhone- college student budget and all). Sleep is a distant thought that makes me smile but then has no further impact on my ability to rest my body. There are also all of the calculations that run through my head, like scrolling subtitles on a movie screen: all of the things that I should have completed but have somehow managed to avoid. These are my MISCALCULATIONS and these I write down and then dismiss immediately. What's the point on dwelling on them?

So, basically, I owe a special thanks to Mr. Wolf and Mr. Barooah who have opened my eyes to the reason behind my perpetual fatigue: I am over-calculating my life. Everything I do takes at least double the effort and if you are multi-tasking on top of that, well there goes your good night sleep.

By Catherine Moore, camorous@gmail.com