Things that Go Bump in the Night: A Green Halloween Party for Grown-Ups
One can say there are three Halloweens. There’s the one that’s every child’s favorite holiday–they get to dress up, let their imaginations soar, and run around gorging themselves on candy, which will act as a secret lunch for the next week. (Often, they’ll learn an important lesson about overindulgence, which is, of course, forgotten by the time next year rolls around.) There’s also the Halloween that is genuinely frightening, with dead branches scratching across rattling windowpanes, and autumnal shadows creeping across misty cemeteries. The mystery of the changing seasons is thrilling for both kids and adults.
The third Halloween, though, is just for adults. It’s a weekend of wild parties, where inhibitions are loosened, and people dress up in the sexiest or most outrageous costumes. For many, it’s the biggest weekend of the year. Just because you’ve decided that this is one night to be someone else, though, doesn’t mean your alter-ego can abandon their ecological responsibilities. Here’s how to have a spooky, fun, uninhibited green Halloween party.
What Can You Do: Leonardo DiCaprio, Climate Change, and the Politics of Passion
One of the harder things to do in public life is to escape from a box in which you’ve been put by a relentless media, or even well-meaning fans. For someone like Leonardo DiCaprio, who was known as a talented actor before the world-smashing success of Titanic made him a heartthrob, the transition back to being an “actor” was particularly difficult. He was Jack, and made young girls swoon around the globe. While that has its advantages, it can become difficult to be taken seriously.
But he kept working at it, collaborating with great directors, including an enduring relationship with the legendary Martin Scorsese. He’s been nominated for several Oscars, and after a strange transitory period, he’s been fully accepted as one of the most dynamic and talented actors of his generation, able to bring a startling intensity and depth to any performance.
Jessica Alba’s Honest Company Shows How You Can Weave Meaning Into Environmentally-Friendly Businesses
When starting a business that wants to be socially-conscious, there always seems to be a gulf to bridge: that between commerce and conscience, between the demands of the market and the demands of your soul, and between the great idea you have and the realities of capitalism. To put it bluntly (if overstating the case), between profit and prophets.
While the reality is, of course, that you need to make sure you do both, the truth is that they don’t have to be in conflict. This was recently shown to us by eco-friendly superstar Jessica Alba, whose principles seem to be as flawless as her skin, when her Honest Company raised $70 million in front of an IPO valued at $1 billion.
Of course, lots of companies that are harmful or indifferent toward the environment and the health of their consumers and the planet make a lot of money, so that clearly isn’t the end-all be-all. But the Honest Company is a little different. It combines being wildly-successful with an incredibly-focused mission.
The Most Sensual Places to Light Ecologically-Friendly Candles
Before the rains came, the earth was fire. This molten planet burned fiercely for millions of years, a fire that created continents and that still pulses below our feet. It bubbles up in volcanoes, whose red hues paint the sky with flames. Fire created our planet, and it is to fire that we turn our souls. We stare at flames, draw strength from them, and lose ourselves in their flicker.
It’s no wonder that candles draw our attention, and are used to create a mood – mysterious, romantic, sometimes foreboding, always sensual. Candles can always make any gathering special, even if – especially if – it is just for two. Here are some of the best ways to use ecologically-friendly candles to enhance any mood.