Saying no to shampoo - can I do this while working?

Recently I've been reading quite a few articles and blogs about people who have given up shampooing and I'm keen to give it a try. Why? The usual reasons are health and reduced consumption (of plastics, petro-chemicals etc.) and frugality since we spend thousands of dollars every year on similar products that we only need to use because we already use them (i.e. give up your hair's dependence on shampoo and you won't need to buy it ever again).

I'm sold on all these reasons and have one of my own to add: I don't have ANY local stores that sell shampoo (or any other hair care products) that are vegan and not tested on animals. So I currently buy these products online and have them shipped to Perth - the postage means more fuel is used to ship, drive or fly my product to me. It seems I either have to hate the planet or the little bunnies enough to have them tortured, in order to buy shampoo in the Perth eastern suburbs?!

NOT needing to shampoo is the perfect option for me and I've read on a few links such as these below, that there can be about a month period of greasy hair as your scalp re-balances to it's normal level of oil production. The problem is I work on reception and NEED to look nice every day - how am I supposed to get away with a MONTH of greasy hair?! Eek!

http://www.crunchybetty.com/3-weeks-with-no-shampoo-and
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/

I think I need to think this through for a little longer before I take the dive...

On a separate note I need to take some more photos of my outfits for the #Restyle2013 Challenge - I was away over the weekend and have fallen behind.

The style required for 3rd of August was 'white shirt' and once again I already owned a white op-shopped shirt, so I don't remember where I bought it or how much it cost. I don't work in a corporate environment so I don't need any button-down collared white shirts, this one is a bat-wing white T-shirt with a sequinned butterfly on the front - so '80s!

My boyfriend just about died of shame when I bought this home and I've only had a couple of occasions to wear it out (usually for brunch with friends or something similar where I don't mind dressing quite flamboyantly) so it's going on the 'maybe' pile for something to donate back at the end of August.

Make it Yourself

Today it’s time to lighten the mood.

Yesterday I came across this hilarious gif while perusing my daily blogs (thanks PoppyTalk!):

This cracked me up so completely (I know, simple things!) that it inspired me to write about Crafty types (like the person who made this gif) and the DIY ethos in anarchism.

Crafty people are cool. Controversial statement, I’m sure, but even if everything crafty people make isn’t cool (crochet doilies perhaps?) then just the fact that person is making something original, by hand, is very cool.

The survivalist in me thinks that we ALL need to learn more hands-on skills ourselves, in order to survive the coming apocalyptic post-peak-oil-global-warmed society that will one day befall us. But even if you aren’t anticipating the downfall of society as we know it, there’s still a lot to be gained from a hands-on lifestyle.

Growing a proportion of your own food is a simple hands-on activity that can save you money and make you healthier, as you get exercise, nutrient rich food and fresh air. Making your own clothes allows you to source your own ethical materials and create off-the-rack or unique items for a low cost.

Similarly, building (or even designing) your own furniture means you can create what you need for your own specific site. If you learn upholstery you can re-cover that great couch instead of taking it to the tip and buying a new one. Want to go one step further? Learn how to build and maintain your own tools, and you can create anything.

The potential for creating whatever you need is exponential when you consider 3D printing. Do you need a part? Just create it. Do you need a tool? Again, just create it. There are open-source designs available for building, by hand, the equipment required for ‘starting a civilization’, including how to build a basic tractor, welder, engine and power supply. See Global VillageConstruction Set for more info.

With the ability to fulfill our own needs, we no longer have to rely on the state or corporate institutions. You may ask “Why would I bother? Why shouldn’t I rely on my government and corporations fulfilling my needs?” and the answer has been given repeatedly all over the world, when things go wrong the institutions look after themselves.

Look at all the austerity measures in Europe with social services being cut back relentlessly, while the bankers who caused the crash are still claiming their million dollar bonuses. Of course, pensions and superannuation can be lost at any time when some ‘rogue’ trader blows your entire pension fund on a cocaine-fuelled gambling trading spree (there's always a 'rogue' trader when they describe it on the news, to pretend the whole stock market isn't one big casino).

So after 40 years of service to society as a good employee your pension disappears at the last minute and you’re asked to work another 10 years to make ends meet.

Of course the corporate institutions have even less to gain from making sure you have your needs fulfilled. It is their job to make you want things you haven’t got, and to make you buy those things. As long as the shareholders are profiting then human rights, ecological awareness and ethical trading aren’t even considered.

There is an alternative to working your entire life for someone else, just to have your pension disappear, you can learn to look after yourself. You don’t need to do everything, that’s where communities of like-minded people come in; they learn from and help each other.

Start small. Plant some herbs in pots for your kitchen window, or learn how to sew. And who knows, you might even develop a passion for doing something creative, and find an alternative source of income from wage slavery. And it’s not like all our creations need to be sensible or serious. Take for instance the amazing talents of this lady who created the quilt shown below.

http://stlouisfolkvictorian.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/pixelingthe-finaleotherwise-known-as.html

What funny/crazy/creative thing have you come across lately? Add a link below and share. 

Modern Anarchy

It came to me in a flash last night what links all my my favourite topics. 
I listed them yesterday as:

Self-sustainable living
Fashion: with a heavy leaning toward Rockabilly and Vintage

Sewing and other D.I.Y.

Anarchism and Self-Management

Practicing Buddhism

Being Vegetarian (I’m a vegan wannabe)

Dogs and Animal Welfare

Permaculture

Running and other awesome sports like roller derby

Alternative lifestyles

and I'm kind of giving the answer away in the title here but .... what links all my my favourite topics?

Anarchy

You see, I don't think of anarchy as something that scary people in black hoodies do, that usually involves breaking windows, blowing things up or worse. 

Anarchy to me is all about self-management. Empowerment of the people.

And we're all people, right? Like-minded people are perfectly good at getting together, forming communities and managing themselves.

Amazingly enough neighbouring communities are often willing to negotiate, be compassionate and look out for each other, even when their governments are unwilling to do so.

Look at all the grass-roots campaigns in Israel and Palestine where people are trying to bridge the gap themselves.

I know that's an idealistic example, but being an anarchist isn't all about 'fuck-ing the po-lice' or 'the fascist regime'. To me, it's about being responsible for yourself and your actions, in a way that doesn't rely on the government, the police, or anyone to tell you how to behave.

That's why trying to produce as much of your own food as possible is modern anarchy. 

YOU look after YOU.

Similarly, buying second-hand or vintage clothing (or making your own clothes) is a form of separating yourself from the birth-consumer-death cycle that most of us are in. If you aren't a 'consumer' of cheap crap from the likes of Walmart, Target, Big W etc. then their lobbying power over your government is lessened as is the likelihood of the tragic incident in Bangladesh this week.

OK, I'm definitely sliding off topic now...

But I do believe that the more self-sufficient we are, and the more conscious our consumer choices are, the better the world will be. And that, to me, is modern anarchy.

Leave a comment below. What do you think anarchy is and does it have a place in modern society?