Articles written by Mary Ann Mcgivern

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About me - Mary Ann Mcgivern

Mary Ann McGivern lives in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a political activist, working for disarmament and prison reform. She gardens and writes plays, commentaries and political tracts.

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Creative Writing > Memoirs My true garden story: 29 of 298
Dreams of Fields of SunflowersI live near downtown St. Louis and years ago I watched the block of houses across the street from me decay. The city bulldozed the rubble and a tree into a huge hole it dug, leaving a barren clay field. That May I planted most of it with sunflowers. I paid the city a dollar for a gardening permit... More..
Business > Business (Other) How is Starbucks socially responsible?: 1 of 5
Starbucks Coffee Company issues an annual social responsibility report, "Shared Planet." While this report draws a great deal of criticism, here is what Starbucks says about its own socially responsible policy.Starbucks has three goals to achieve by 2015:ETHICAL SOURCING Starbucks plans for 100% ethical sourcing by 2015. It i... More..
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) Great gifts for gardeners: 1 of 4
Gloves! Gardeners always need gloves: leather gloves, rubber gloves, cotton gloves; gloves for stacking bricks, gloves for planting bulbs, gloves for pruning roses. If you have a friend who's a gardener, you can always please them with a gift of gloves. Tools make good gifts.Once, when I was leaving a job, my co-workers gave ... More..
Business > Marketing How socially conscious packaging influences brand image: 1 of 4
Fifty years ago, candy companies made indestructible wrappers so that when a consumer got a candy bar from a machine and threw the wrapper on the ground, that wrapper served as a product advertisement for a week. Now fast food companies brag that their packaging is biodegradable and won't contribute to litter. It's a response... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Police & Prisons Reflections: Inside prison walls: 8 of 25
The Chiapas, Mexico, state maximum security prison is in the state capitol, Tuxla Guttierez. The prison's name, Cerro Hueco or "Hole in the Hill," describes the site. In May, 2002, I drove from San Christobal to Cerro Hueco with three other North Americans and two members of Enlasse Civil, the civil organization of the Zapati... More..
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) How to make compost: 9 of 23
A Reflection on Low TechWhen I was about ten, my uncle, who was a writer, bought a farmhouse and some land in Pennsylvania. He formed a partnership with two men to grow Christmas trees. They provided the labor and expertise and Uncle Bill provided the land. The first trees would be ready to harvest in five years. When the con... More..
Local Guides > New York City A quick guide to New York City: 2 of 5
New York, the Urban Plunge1. Right off the ship, take a walk across Manhattan, 30 minutes at a brisk pace or an hour, gazing at everything.Manhattan is for walkers. Get rid of your sea legs by heading due east from your cruise dock. Cross the West Side Highway. North or uptown is to your left and south or downtown is to your ... More..
Business > Management Ethics How an organization can act socially responsible: 2 of 5
Social responsibility means organizations as well as people are responsible for the common good. There are simple cheap ways to take responsibility and there are more complex investments to benefit society. The suggestions below are in no particular order.REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLEAny organization can adopt this mantra. 1. Reduce... More..
Local Guides > New York City Before you go: New York: 5 of 12
The port of New York City offers a lot of everything. If you know what you want and where to get it, grab a cab and go. If you're not so sure where to go when you step off your ship, here are some ways to prepare for your trip.1. Plan to go walking in Manhattan (http://maps.google.com/). Getting around is easy. The streets ru... More..
Home & Garden > Annuals Are organic seeds worth the extra cost?: 6 of 12
Organic seeds are worth the extra money. Usually what seed catalogs mean by organic is that they have not been pre-treated with a non-organic (see below for a word about organic treatments) herbicide or pesticide. (You'd think non-treatment would make them cheaper!) The herbicide will kill surrounding companion plants and gre... More..