Remember that episode a few months ago when Scarlett Johansson chose to be Sodastream's "brand ambassador" rather than being an Oxfam ambassador? She defended her decision by saying that at least Sodastream provided Palestinian jobs in the occupied territory where its plant is located.

Well, the Seattle chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace* vehemently disagrees with her characterization of the situation and makes a damn good case against it in a brand-new website called Burst the Bubble. I'm convinced.

But I'm writing this not six feet from a Sodastream machine. I don't use it (I'm not a carbonation person), but my family is addicted to it. Is Talking Rain, or the equivalent, better? This is how corporate ethics abuses persist. Trying to chase them down is Sisyphean, and that breeds apathy, and that amounts to carte blanche. Perhaps someone local would like to consider creating a small carbonation machine company.

^{*Jewish Voice for Peace is a fascinating organization that re-maps the intersection of identity and activism. The group is made up of Jewish folks who fight for the trampled rights of Palestinians. They face resistance and criticism from friends and family who feel they're betraying their heritage.}