Saving orangutans and insect sexy time!

Your dear Aunt Ruth was absolutely appalled to learn that many of the foods stocked in her pantry contributed to rainforest destruction! The increasing demand for palm oil is the leading cause of deforestation in Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, which is contributing to climate change and will likely result in the extinction of several species within the next decade, including the orangutan—Aunt Ruthie’s favorite orange-hued hairy animal. Ninety percent of the global palm oil supply is used in food and detergents, and 10 percent is used for biodiesel. What can we do? The answer: www.theproblemwithpalmoil.org, an interactive Web site launched by the Rainforest Action Network where consumers enter the UPC codes of products that contain palm oil. After perusing the site, Ruth decided she’ll no longer buy: Nabisco Chips Ahoy! cookies, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Jell-O pudding and several Atkins desserts (even though she’s only 10 pounds away from reaching her target weight).

Speaking of weight, actress Isabella Rossellini is looking good in her new films! Auntie Ruth remembers Rossellini most for her roles in films that push the envelope of thought provocation, blushing all the way through Blue Velvet and singing along to The Saddest Music in the World. Now, the actress has given us something else to think about: bugs. Doing it. Rossellini wrote, directed and stars in a series of short films (each about two-minutes long) for the Sundance Channel about the birds and the bees. Or rather, the bees. And the spider, and the praying mantis and the earthworm. Rossellini dances with, fights, mounts and mates various cardboard cutouts of insects as she explains how each one reproduces. The title of the collection, Green Porno, suggests, albeit ironically, the absurdity of our own censorship of sexy time. Maybe human behavior between the sheets isn’t so unsuitable for television. At least the female of our species doesn’t bite the head off of her lover in the middle of getting it on, right ladies? Not often, anyway.