Reproductive Rochester

In my previous post on the "Upstate" debate, I touched briefly on the idea some of us "Upstaters" have proposed that it may be more beneficial for the supposed Upstate and Downstate regions of New York State to secede from one another. I neglected to address how that could potentially change the political make-up of this region of the state. It has been suggested by some that in the unlikely event that New York State was rent in twain, with New York City, Long Island, and possibly some of the Hudson Valley counties as the new New York State and the rest of the state as a new entity, this would leave the downstate region as a Blue State thanks to all the forward-thinkers and liberals in New York. It is theorized that we of the former "Upstate" region (what would we be called? Old York? New Netherlands? Upstateland?) would become a Red State - after all, what would be left of us would be a great deal of farmland and small, largely rust-belt cities, both of which tend to embrace what might be considered "traditional family values."

As for me, as a dirty-hippie-tree-hugging-bleeding-heart-liberal, this would surely lead me to many beating of breasts and gnashings of teeth during election seasons, the main time I actually pay attention to politics. However, when I heard of this thought initially, that we of the "Upstate" region (Upstaters? Upstatians?), it led me to ponder about my own region - are we in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region so conservative? While the Mayor of Rochester has been a Democrat for as long as I can remember, the town elections tend to be a fairly even spread between Reds and Blues.

When I think about how I measure the political temperament of an area, one of the things I take into account is how open it is in terms of sex education and reproductive rights. Whilst I tend to bumble a good deal in terms of different political causes, I personally believe in everyone's access to information and resources in terms of contraception, honest reproductive options (versus misleading scare tactics), and affordable pre-natal care.

In terms of this, I believe that Rochester scores pretty well. Our primary resource is Planned Parenthood of the Rochester and Syracuse region, and our particular chapter is really quite active. This includes education, advocacy, and resources. This Thursday, 6/24, they are sponsoring their first Sex and Justice on Tap, a get together to meet their steering committee for REAL (Rising Educators Advocates & Leaders for Planned Parenthood, "a group of young, professionally and socially active people who are dedicated to building and strengthening PPRSR ties in the Rochester community") and to collaborate and raise funds with the aim of assisting all in having access to the information to manage their own sexual and reproductive health. Why is it called "On Tap?" because it is being hosted by Tap & Mallet, a small gastro-pup in the trendy South Wedge area, who is even offering complimentary drinks and nosh (and by the way, their drink selection is amazing and their food delicious - expect a post about them upcoming!). I think it's inspiring that a successful local business is putting itself out there to support a cause they believe in this manner. Kudos to you, Tap & Mallet.

If it were simply this, I would smile to myself that an awesome business is supporting a cause in which I believe. But wait, there's more! What is even more inspiring to me is when young people can also take a stand for their beliefs - hell, it's uplifting enough that they even form their own beliefs, let alone that they express them.

Enter Max Kamin-Cross. He's a Pittsford teen I had never heard of up until recently. Apparently, certain students in his high school had planned a pro-life day, including wearing shirts with such phrases as "Abortion Kills A Person." Now, I know when I was a teenager some kids wore shirts like this, and while I knew they were entirely within their rights to do so, it still made me silently seethe. Not young Mr. Kamin-Cross. He wrote to the local Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America who donated shirts, pins, and bumper stickers to him and his own cohort of students who chose to wear their own Pro-Choice shirts. Interestingly, on the day of the scheduled "day of the shirts," only 25 wore pro-life shirts whilst over 100 wore pro-choice gear, an interesting turn of events given that Pittsford is a predominantly Republican area.

Politics aside, here what is even more inspiring about that story: Kids on both sides of the debate were involved. Both voiced their opinions in a non-offensive, respectful manner. Remembering how confrontational high school could be, I suppose it is likely that individuals on both sides of the fence could have been outright jerks about their particular viewpoint ("I AM RIGHT YOU ARE WRONG AND SHOULD JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!") - but still, this was, in essence, an organized, passive protest. The fact that young people are doing that, regardless of their beliefs, did that, is enough to give me hope that when these kids enter the world they will aspire to create the change they wish to see.

Green Granola Girls

As I have mentioned before, I like to dabble in a variety of crafts - admittedly, with varying degrees of success. When I was younger I would try to utilize scraps of fabric, stray pieces of pretty ribbon, and bits of yarn. In today's language we would probably say that I was a budding found-objects artist. In reality, my collection of materials just made me look like a bag lady with a collection of odds-and-ends to sell to have money to feed her 86 cats.

Whilst I now turn to more conventional materials for my craftings, I greatly admire others' ability to reinvent something lowly into something high-end. So, when I read about EvenOdd in the Democrat & Chronicle, I admit I kind of squeed at the thought.

You see a lot of businesses with vinyl banners promoting their "OMG COME TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR GREAT DEALS - WHILE THEY LAST!" but what happens when the sale is over? Well, usually businesses just throw out those banners. That's not so green friendly. The awesome ladies at EvenOdd, self-described "granola, hippie types," take such castoffs as these and "upcycle" them - i.e. they recycle them into something more upscale than the original intent - into some pretty bitchin' bags:



They make bags of all sizes, from messenger bags to reusable shopping bags. The D&C article also indicates the ladies are interested in branching out into wrist cuffs and also clutches. What's even cooler is that they have "recycling partners," local agencies that donate their old banners and other items to EvenOdd for materials. Not only do they prevent these items from going into the landfill, every bag is an original creation!

Their green creations are made out of their Neighborhood of the Arts studio (also their home) and sold in the South Wedge trendy boutique Thread. With prices between $20 and $60, the cost is admittedly somewhat more than conventional bags. Still, when one considers that traditional bags tend to be mass-manufactured in sweatshops overseas, it is preferable to spend some more money on a unique, locally-made, creative endeavor. In the end, as with so many things, it's about quality over quantity, and EvenOdd has the former in spades. Don't believe me? Check out their website and consider buying a bag there. Then you can brag, "Oh this? One of a kind." Just like you, right?

Be a Hedonist!

Valentine's Day is fast approaching meaning we can expect more overpriced roses, tacky lingerie, and cheap boxed chocolates than you can shake a stick at. You know, assuming you were inclined to shake sticks at things.

What's that? You want something fancier? Something that's still budget-friendly, but better quality? Something that helps support the local economy? Well, my dear friends, you are in luck.

Hedonist Artisan Chocolates are among the most fabulous of fabulous chocolates I have had the pleasure to eat - and I am a big fan of chocolate, folks. I first tasted their wares when they were at the South Wedge Farmers' Market - and to sweeten the deal even more, the ladies were just lovely human beings, very friendly. In my opinion, it's one thing to have a good product, but it's so much better if you're a nice person. They even have a blog!

The flavors they had are unusual but never contrary; no matter how unexpected, they somehow match in such a way as to make me think, "And why didn't I know about this before?!" My personal favorite is the lavender truffle, something I thought would taste like someone poured a scented candle on a ball of chocolate but instead was delicious: It was rich and savory with an earthy taste that edged on a pleasant sort of bitter from the cocoa and the flowers. Floral notes not your thing? They do also have truffles from the Keuka Lake wine trail, spiced truffles, drinking chocolates, fruit and nut collections, and various barks.

Not only this, but their chocolates have been earning them national attention as of late. They got a small spot in Country Living in a feature called The Online Farmer's Market. They were also mentioned in Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Unreserved A Chocolate Lover's Buying Guide, so if you like sweets and wine together, know you're in for a treat with these bad boys.

Their chocolates are available several places locally and in the Finger Lakes, including farmers' markets, Hedonist's brick and mortar store, and also online. Hear that, folks? No matter where you live, you can get them right now. What are you waiting for?

Edit: The business is owned by life partners and has been featured in the top ten lesbian Valentine's gift ideas, so I have added the LGBT friendly tag.

In addition to the feature in Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Unreserved, they have been featured in the local newspaper, Democrat and Chronicle with wine pairings, so I have added the wine tag as well.