Note to those who have already e-mailed me:  No, I’m not a pot user - really I don’t even like being around the smoke. However, I think it’s silly to pay taxes to fight a war against a plant which is less dangerous than alcohol, is a viable medical treatment for certain conditions, and could make us tons of money if we taxed it. Would the legalization of marijuana in the United States be good for the environment? Do I hear a resounding yes from the peanut gallery? Thought so.... [Read more]

I’m sorry. Not just for the title of this project which was…mmm…lacking… but because it’s taken me so long to summarize my volunteering experience. I kind of got back handed by life about a week after I cut my hair and I’m still trying to stand up. The good news is I have almost found my footing and expect to be my old snarky self shortly. At this point I should say something profound about the 50 volunteer projects and how they changed my life. Of course they did - anything I type... [Read more]

Let’s pretend you’re a big clothing retail chain who’s a bit profit minded and unscrupulous because you’re a corporation and you answer to share holders.  Naturally, you wouldn’t want the poor to be seen in your clothes.  It sends the wrong message if your sportswear can be bought by anyone. You definitely don’t want your product ending up in the hands of those in poverty or, heaven forbid, people in the grip of a natural disaster, like say an earthquake in Haiti. Lord knows what would... [Read more]

I think this volunteer episode is better told with bad photography (see below). Disjointed thoughts on my final volunteer mission: It’s fortunate that I was doing this haircut for charity and for this blog or, honestly, it would not have happened. The morning of the scheduled chop I was face down in bed with my hands stretched beside me like a drowned Ophelia mumbling, “It’s for the children. I’m going to look like Peter Pan on Broadway. It’s for the children.” Days earlier I had... [Read more]

Holidays, in general, mean family time. Millions will return home to be with people who, in some cases, they spend little time and have even less in common with - except a shared genetic code. It should come as no surprise then that the Holidays rank as one of the most stressful times of year. One particular familial quirk that might become apparent to you, loyal Celsias readers, is that your parents/grandparents/extended family might not care that much about the environment. On a recent excursion... [Read more]

“Have fun being the person everyone avoids eye contact with.” – My brother, Austin, upon hearing that I was going to collect donations in front of Macy’s as a Salvation Army Red Kettle Volunteer. What are those stalwart Salvation Army employees or volunteers thinking as they stand in the cold collecting your donations to feed the hungry during the holidays? Not sure but here’s a cross section of my thoughts on the occasion. Upon arrival in front of Macy’s – Three and a half hours... [Read more]

Having cancer gave me membership in an elite club I’d rather not belong to. –Gilda Radner Every non-profit organization needs volunteers to do promotion work. If you work in marketing or media, can write a decent press release, know how to solicit donations, or throw a fundraiser then there is no charity you can’t help. I avoided promotion work so far because this blog is promotion work and I didn’t want to be redundant – that and writing about promotion work is BORING. However, during... [Read more]