Pom, no longer wonderful.

I love Pom, producers of fine pomegranate juice products. They're yummy. Unfortunately, recently I've had to limit my consumption of Pom to their juice/tea blends due to the packaging. You see, I've become aware of the growing island of plastic in our ocean, and have decided to try to limit the amount of plastic packaging in my life starting with the easiest, beverage containers. I've limited myself to glass, aluminium or paper containers. Yeah, it's not much, but as a harm reductionist, doing something is always better than nothing.

Anyway, now Pom has decided to change their juice/tea containers from these awesome, and endlessly reusable, glass bottles...

With their wide mouth and actually functioning lids, they were pretty much perfect for a variety of storage tasks beyond refilling with liquid. I've started plant cuttings in them, I keep one in my car to refill with water, I've used them to store tacks, screws, nails and other small things, and would use them to store nuts, grains, seeds and other similar food products.

As they excitedly announced on their website, "Glass dismissed", and touted the benefits of plastic (which NEVER biodegrades) as being:
Recyclable - though did you know that more than 3/4ths of plastic is never recycled?
Less energy to produce - though it's still made from petroleum (it's more than gas folks)
Less energy to transport - I don't know how they figure this. They've increased the size of the product, meaning it weighs about the same as the smaller, reusable, glass bottle.

On top of that, they've devolved to the traditional, and practically useless, small mouth bottle design. This means that they're pretty much only good for liquid storage, unless you cut the top off, but then you lose the resealable aspect that made the glass bottles so useful. One can only reuse so many plastic beverage bottles as water containers before they have to start throwing them out. Reuse is always more ecologically friendly than recycling because you don't need to spend the energy to transport the stuff to the recycling center, or to break it down and recreate it into a new product.

Anyway, I've written them a letter expressing my dismay at their foolish choice. If you agree, feel free to write them as well. customerservice@pomwonderful.com

Statements are judgements, not questions.

This is another excerpt from a post on The Brit Girl's site.

The 63 statements/judgments to the child free...and my responses. Seriously, some people are so rude.

Every woman wants children - Oh you! So dumb!
Having children is a natural part of life - So is shitting, you want me to do that now, on the rug? This is the one thing I can control, so what's your point?
Children are the future - THAT'S why I don't have a jet pack, because asshats like you put off on the kids what could be done today. Maybe, instead of hoping that your children do something better in the future, you should do something NOW. The future is the future.
There’s nothing more important than being called Mummy. Or Daddy or parent. - That's your opinion. In my opinion, there's nothing more important than working to make peoples lives better NOW. Some people think there's nothing more important than being called Master. or Slave.
It’s different when they’re your own - Yeah, tell that to the millions of parents who abuse their children, unless by different you mean "easier to get away with abusing".
You’ll regret it if you don’t have children - I'm sensible, I can deal with regret. If you are so sensitive that you can't deal with the possibility of regret, you shouldn't have children...you should have pills.
Children are your way of giving back - No, they're YOUR excuse for not doing anything beyond your own family. My way of giving back involves actually working to make my community better.
You’ll change your mind when (fill in blank…) - Riiiiiiight...I'll let you know when that happens.
You’ll grow out of it - I'm 38, so let me know when that's supposed to happen.
You’re missing out on life (if you don’t have children) - How do you feel about this statement, "You're missing out on life if you don't drop acid?" Don't cotton to it? Now you know how I feel.
Once you have them, you will love them - Or regret them, and be forced to do a crap-ass job of raising them...if they're lucky. Personally, I'd rather just limit my regrets to my own person.
People who don’t have kids are unloved - Tell that to my husband, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, inlaws...and friends. People who have kids simply to feel loved are sad.
People who don’t have kids are lonely - Lonely? Hell, if I have enough relations and friends to start my own damn state...I have to actively WORK at being alone, just like you parents. Only I get to shit, shower, sleep and screw in peace.
You don’t leave a legacy if you don’t have kids - Leaving a legacy means what, exactly? Millions of childed, and child free, people have left this mortal coil without leaving any significant trace, and I see no problem with that. What a selfish reason to create another being.
Your life will be empty without kids - No, it is filled with the freedom to do the things I enjoy. Your life must be quite narrow in scope if you think that children are the be all end all of existence.
Having kids is what you do - As a HUMAN, I don't just DO things, I think them through and weigh the pros and cons. If the cons outweigh the pros, then I choose NOT to do them. As an ANIMAL, reproducing is something you "just do".
You must hate children if you don’t want your own - No, I just don't want to carry any in my body, or raise any, or deal with any when I don't want to deal with them. Now, if you LOOOOOOVE children so much, why don't you adopt a handicapped one, or an older one with emotional problems?
Not having children is un-natural - Tell that to the sterile, go ahead, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear how unnatural and wrong they are.
Not having kids is un-Christian - Good thing I'm an atheist.
We are supposed to have children – God says so - There is no god. If you are hearing voices telling you to do things, they're hallucinations. You may consider going on meds or getting therapy to deal with the hallucinations before you ruin your children any more.
You’re unfulfilled without kids - Really? Some of the most miserable people I've met have children. I guess if misery equals fulfillment in your wackadoo world view...
I can’t imagine life without my kids - No one is asking you to, are they? You however are asking me to completely turn my life upside down for some strange reason.
Having kids defines you - WOW. That is SAD. Really, really sad...even junkies know there's more to life than heroin.
Having children makes you grow up - Ummmm...no. But thanks for lying.
Not having kids is selfish - Give me ONE altruistic reason for having a child...I'm waiting...go ahead...please...any time now...seriously, one reason that doesn't involve "me" or "I want"... any day now... obviously, I won't hold my breath.
You’re selfish if you don’t want kids - See above, cause I'm still waiting for the unselfish reason for having children.
You must hate parents if you don’t like kids - I know many parents who I admire, respect and whose company I enjoy. That said, the cult of parenting is one large reason why I don't have children. I've experienced some parents who have a terrifying hive-mindedness that disallows for any variation.
Having children makes you a family - What a narrow and sad view of family you have. To quote myself, "Tell that to my husband, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, inlaws...and friends."
Having a child is the ultimate womanly achievement - Wow, what a pathetic view of "womanly achievement" you have if you believe simply having unprotected sex until you breed is any sort of achievement for any gender.
Having a child is the best thing ever - Funny, I've heard that about group sex, scatology and any number of alternative sexual activities, and yet...I just don't feel like swinging that way. Personally, for me, the best thing ever is my dear husband.
Nothing is more important than having children - How do you feel about Science? Technology? If nothing is more important than having children, please quit mooching.
You’re not contributing to society if you don’t have children - How is simply adding people to society a contribution? If you are unwilling to make sacrifices and DO WORK to raise children, then you are taking away from society when you add maladjusted beings to it.
You’re not doing your bit if you don’t have children - I pay my taxes, I pay my bills, I take care of myself, I do not expect hand outs from everyone else, I contribute money, time and work to my community. I'd almost say I'm contributing MORE than a person who just has a bunch of kids without thinking.
You’re wasting your life if you don’t have kids - Snore... snore...blah...blah...
But You’re smart… you’d make great parents - No, we are smart, we know ourselves, we know what we don't want to do....we don't want to be parents, so we would make shitty parents because we don't want to do things we dislike. Get a freaking clue-by-four why don'cha?
You’re (fill in appropriate blank with political/religious/racial noun) you ought to have kids - How is simply breeding to keep the numbers up anything beyond animalistic?
You’re letting your family/religion/race/country/planet down if you don’t have kids - HA! There are more than enough people. My family doesn't care, so long as I'm happy. My in-laws desires on that subject don't matter to me.
It’s a sin not to want kids - I am an atheist, sin is a made up way of controlling people through guilt or shame.
You’ll be unhappy if you don’t have kids - No, I'd be suicidally miserable if I had kids.
You’re denying your husband children if you don’t want kids - My husband knew me before we got married (imagine that!), he knew if he wanted children he'd best look elsewhere. If he wants kids, he's going to have to divorce me and find someone who is willing to have children.
You have good jobs, you should have kids - The rich are some of the crappiest parents I've ever seen. And why would I want to ruin the benefits of having a good job by having children to suck the fun out of it?
If you don’t want kids, there’s no point getting married - Tell that to the sterile, you judgemental asshole.
A child makes your life/marriage complete - We each married the person we wanted to share our life with, so it is complete. How sad it must be to have married someone and felt so unfulfilled that you needed to create another person to make it better. And what a selfish reason for doing so!
A child is how you leave your mark on the world - What is this unnatural obsession to piss all over the place to let everyone know you've been here? What a nightmare this world would be if EVERY PERSON who trod upon it felt the need to make an indelible mark.
Having kids makes you a better/stronger/kinder/selfless/person - Tell that to the Dali Lama or Mother Theresa. You know what made me a better and stronger person? Learning from my mistakes. You know what made me a kind person? My parents and life. See, it's life is easier when you're kind to people....even people you have NO RELATION TO. Woooooow.
But you were meant to have kids! - No, no I wasn't. If I was meant to have kids, I'd have some desire to.
Children make you happy - First, children make me drunk, because I think they're funnest when I'm drunk. After a couple hours, children make me annoyed, irritated, tired, frustrated, bothered and chafed. Oh, and I'm usually sticky from my spilled drink.
Since you don’t have children you couldn’t possibly understand (fill in kid related issue) - I know parents, I know children, I've babysat, I've been a nanny...I've done all sorts of child-rearing type work and what I understand is I have NO DESIRE to do that.
The rewards of having children outweigh everything you could possibly imagine - I don't believe you...and what's so selfless about having children for the reward?
Men grow up through having kids - Men don't HAVE kids, men MAKE kids. Making kids isn't being a father or a grown up. Making kids is proving your dick works, making kids is having unprotected sex with a woman. Tell me how any of that is "grown up"?
You’re obviously not cut out to be a parent - GEE! YA THINK?!! Where'd you ever get the notion that a person who has NO DESIRE whatsoever to have children wouldn't be cut out to be a parent? Shouldn't you be applauding me on my good life choices? Now take your bag of stupid and go away.
If you don’t have children you must be angry and bitter - No, judgmental people sticking their noses up my vagina make me angry and bitter. Being without children makes me happy.
Raising children is the most important job in the world - Yeah, tell that to your doctor after he's extended your life, or your child's life. Go ahead....
If you don’t have kids you don’t leave your genes behind - Oh the HORROR!!! I'm sure the world will go on just fine without my overweight, poor sighted, prone to anxiety genes tromping around. Listen, I'm not an egomaniac, I KNOW I'm not SPECIAL.
Women are programmed to want children - Where are these robot women you speak of?
Well, you’re getting married. It’s good you’re settling down and having kids - No. We're publicly celebrating our relationship, and getting tax benefits. Ooooh.
You must have a child… it’s the best feeling in the world! - I'm guessing that pushing something the size of a watermelon through a hole the size of a quarter doesn't hold a candle to an orgasm, or even being mildly buzzed.
We’re just waiting for you to have your own kids - Enjoy your lesson in futility, learn from it.
You don’t know what you’re missing - Ever dropped acid? Blown your mind on ketamine? Been tied up during sex? Knocked a girl 10 feet into a crowd of people? Had your glasses broken in a mosh pit? Driven a goth filled Champ with one working door and purple spots through the poorest part of town and had crack ho's and bums point and laugh? No? Trust me when I say, you have no fucking idea what you're missing.
If you don’t want kids, you need a psychiatrist - I'd need a psychiatrist if I had kids.
Kids are more important than the planet - Explain to me where they'd live...please.
You’re not a real woman unless you have children - Then I guess you can take that up with my x chromosomes.
They can do great things with fertility drugs these days! - Yeah, if I don't want one child, why would I want 6 at once?
Your marriage is empty without children - If you had children to make your marriage "full" you are a sad, sad person.

Why haven't you pushed something out your vagina to make me feel better about my life choices?

Well, for those couple readers who are interested, here are my answers to the 40 questions childfree people must constantly endure. Thanks to The Brit Girl.

1. Do you have children? No
   
2. Why not?I don't like that kind of work
   
3. Don’t you like children? I like returning children safely to their parents and going home without them.
   
4. When are you going to have children? Never.
   
5. Aren’t you leaving it too late? No, because I'm not having any.
   
6. When are you going to give me grandkids? (fortunately, my parents have only expressed interest in my life happiness, and never a mention of grandkids)
   
7. Why don’t you like children? They are loud, boring, messy, intrusive, painful, expensive, irritating, dull, tedious, annoying, gross...and a fuck lot of work that I have no desire to do.
   
8. Why are you so selfish? Why are you such an intrusive ass? Please enumerate the selfless reasons why you had children. Really, give me ONE SELFLESS reason why you had children.
   
9. Doesn’t your husband want children? He said he might kind of want children, I said "you won't get me AND children" and he said "I know the difference between want and need".
10. Who’s going to look after you (when you’re old, sick,) I don't believe in creating people for the sole purpose of possibly caring for me in my old age, seems kind of like slavery, which I am morally opposed to. Oh, and what's so selfless about creating someone to care for you?
    
11. Why aren’t you doing your bit for society? I work to prevent the spread of a devastating disease, I also work to help increase our communities access to free speech. I do not believe simply contributing extra people is doing anything positive for society.
    
12. Why don’t you want to be a mother? Because I do not like that kind of work, nor am I eager to change how I live my life. I like it as it is.
    
13. Why don’t you want to be a father? (I can not answer this one)
    
14. Isn’t that selfish? No, it isn't selfish you dolt.
    
15. Who’s going to pay for your pension? I believe I am...and your kids might pay my social security, but I doubt it. That said, who pays for your kids public schooling, the roads that their buses take, and the free lunch programs, and the kids insurance programs, and the after school enrichment programs? Me, with my higher tax rate. You can send me a thank you any time.
    
16. Who are you going to leave your shoes, house, clothes, worldly goods to? I do have other family members as well as many friends. Beyond that, what do I care what happens to my crap when I'm gone?
    
17. Aren’t you lonely? Nope, I know how to make friends and amuse myself.
    
18. Are you normal? Thankfully, no, I am not normal.
    
19. How can you not want kids? I have the maternal instinct of Patsy Stone, and know it is better for EVERYONE that I not have children I have no desire to raise. How can you want to force kids on me? Would you like me to "take a shot" at brain surgery too? Perhaps you can be my first.
20. Don’t you like yourself? Yes, but that doesn't mean I want to do the work of raising a child.
    
21. Do you hate parents? Parents are one reason why I don't want children, they really haven't done such a good job of being admirable role models lately, in my estimation. Personally, I'd rather not be FORCED to deal with such people. They have a creepy hive-mindedness that I don't cotton to.
    
22. What if your parent’s hadn’t had you? Then I wouldn't be here trying to validate my existence to you.
    
23. What’s wrong with you? Why are you an asshole?
    
24. What about women who can’t have children? What about 'em?
    
25. What else is there in life if you don’t have children? Work, free time, volunteering, free time, pets, fun, rock shows, friends, free time, family, free time, travel, expendable income, free time, quiet, fun, free time, roller derby, relative cleanliness, free time, girl drinks, free time, fun, and did I mention...slack?
    
26. Isn’t that what everyone does? How is merely doing what everyone else does without thinking of the consequences, selfless? Thanks Mom & Dad, for teaching me to think for myself. As I always answered to "What if everyone else jumped off a bridge? Would you follow?" , "I'd be at the bottom, taking pictures".
    
27. What’s life if you don’t have kids? Filled with the slack and privacy I require to keep from going insane. It's also fun.
    
28. What if everyone thought like you? Then only people who wanted to do the work of raising a child to be a productive human being would have one, there would be way FEWER abused and neglected children, and more people would be happier. Oh and our resources would be less stretched.
    
29. Did you have a bad childhood? I am quite lucky to have the childhood I had. I was raised to be and independent free thinker, and for this I am glad.
    
30. Don’t you want to make your mother/father grandparents? If they want more interaction with children, they are grown ups who can volunteer with children, mentor or be Big Brothers/Big Sisters. I am not keeping them from interacting with children.
    
31. Don’t you want a fambly family? I have a family, I have a husband, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins. I also have in-laws now.
    
32. What do you spend your money on? Uhhhh...DUH. Rent, bills, food, clothes, personal care items, cat food, fish food....then comes the fun....and savings.
    
33. What contribution have you made to society? See number 11. And please explain the contribution to society a parent who does nothing to ensure their child is a productive human who can interact with others is making. Thanks.
    
34. How can you deprive your husband of a child/children? He knew the deal going into it. I told him I wasn't expecting him to change his slackfilled ways, in all fairness, he shouldn't expect me to change mine. How could he deprive me of my sanity?
    
35. Why aren’t you fulfilling your nurturing role? For the same reason why I don't participate in group sex, or scatology, I just don't swing that way.
    
36. Don’t you want to have your own flesh and blood? Nope.
    
37. Don’t you want to experience being pregnant? Good christ NO.
    
38. Where’s your maternal instinct? I guess the ALMIGHTY didn't give me one. God don't make mistakes, you know.
    
39. How will you fill your life? I will alternate between activities and slack.
    
40. When are you going to Grow Up? I support myself, I do not expect hand outs or help to subsidize my chosen life style. By all standards of measurement that matter to me, I am an adult.
    

Hillary Clinton

At least Jim Jones knew when to call it quits.

Thanks for making everything suck even more for much longer than necessary.