The General Assembly housing site opened today I was curious to see how much rooms would cost in Providence for General Assembly. (Not for myself: I’m staying with friends.) The city is rather thin for hotels, and when (in my day job) I sent people there, I thought the price was high. But every room… Continue reading Get cozy at Providence GA
Category: Ethical shopping
If I was going to liveblog my life…
There have been some very good “follow along with the blogger” blogs out there. Continental road trips by bike. Eating on a foot-stamp budget. Recording very low consumption. Reducing one’s possessions to so many items. Recording every bit of plastic used: a personal favorite. I thought of such an idea. Not for me, but perhaps… Continue reading If I was going to liveblog my life…
Chinese prisons keep slavery alive
It’s hard to see the “reeducation through labor” prisons in the People’s Republic of China and not see slavery. These laogai prisons not only detain people — including prisoners of conscience, including in Falun Gong and Christian believers — but then sell their products overseas. So some of those cheap Chinese goods come not simply… Continue reading Chinese prisons keep slavery alive
Preparing for “Buy Nothing Day”
Is a lingering sense of disgust that makes “Buy Nothing Day” so especially appealing this year? That is, the deliberate decision to not shop on the Friday (or whole weekend) following Thanksgiving, in preparation for a trimmed-down or even shopping-free Christmas holiday. Certainly the campaign, long supported by Adbusters magazine, has special resonance because this… Continue reading Preparing for “Buy Nothing Day”
Cold outside, inside — but action
One of the tensions I feel is how far we (Americans, global citzens or the 99%) should respond to the current economic situation: act primarily in concord to develop a new economic order, or retool our expectations for life with less. Or, I suspect, both. I am by habit a rather thrifty person, even in… Continue reading Cold outside, inside — but action
Having banks on the brain
A person I respect — wise, patient and politically savvy — asked me credit unions today. It seems the excesses of the large, national banks, epitomized by their recent collective fee increases, led him to consider a credit union in place of the large national bank that he uses. I mention this, not to suggest… Continue reading Having banks on the brain
The underwear post
I’m just going to grit my teeth, be grateful that the last two months of blog posts are back, summarize the facts of the substantive post I wrote today — now it’s gone! — and then back up my databases . . . . I found some sweatshop-free underwear I like. Boxer-briefs. Not too snug.… Continue reading The underwear post
Where I buy clothes
I like my clothes to be hard wearing, plain cut and American made, with union made as a plus. Also, I won’t buy any more leather. After years of searching here and there, suffering poor quality or poor service, I have settled on a few vendors, including one whose parcel arrived today. For pants, jeans,… Continue reading Where I buy clothes
I like All American Clothing
As regular readers know, I have a commitment to ethical consumption, which means in part a strong bias towards the working conditions of the people who make the things I buy. And today is that made-up sound bite of an observance, Cyber Monday, when people will either shop online or not. But what, if anything,… Continue reading I like All American Clothing
Stand up for Hartmarx workers
My mother’s opinion of Hart, Schaffner and Marx suits — “they’re good” — has stuck with me, even though I was too young to wear (or buy) suits at the time. And because they exist, people like me, who buy whenever possible U.S.- and union-made clothing had a vendor. And they’re still good suits. Well,… Continue reading Stand up for Hartmarx workers