Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Is anyone using Runkeeper? Let me know so we can connect...
... and hold each other accountable! Runkeeper Pro is now free, btw. It used to be 10 bucks! I just started using it, but it has good reviews
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Keeping your credit clean if you're getting a mortgage
As of Feb 1st, banks are required to check your credit history for 120 days prior and right up to your closing day - so avoid any large credit card purchases till you close! More stringent screening means borrowers must watch credit until closing day
Friday, February 4, 2011
Video: Uncontacted Tribe in Brazilian Jungle
An amazing video of an "uncontacted tribe" taken from a plane. An uncontacted tribe is exactly that: a group of people that has not been in contact with the outside world. And getting in contact can be deadly for them because they have no immunity to even things like the common cold.
Unfortunately, these tribes tend to live in resource rich areas and there's a lot of pressure to pretend they don't exist. This video proves that they do exist and also provides a link for you to show your support.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Amazing BBC interview with Julian Assange
Assange was upset that the Swedish Govt leaked details of his case - love it! Great probing questions; more at bbcworldservice.co.uk
Monday, September 27, 2010
The argument against recycling
Whenever I read reports about how the number of people recycling has increased or how much more of our garbage is being recycled, my initial reaction used to be wow, that's great. If you think about it, though, how efficient is recycling?
First, it has to be collected from our homes, which is generally done by large trucks which crawl from house to house using up fuel. Then it's taken to a central facility (using more fuel) to be sorted.
More and more communities are using what's called single stream recycling which means that everything is in the same blue bin, as opposed to separating paper products from plastic and glass.
The argument for single stream is that more people will recycle because it's less effort to do so. Eco-Cycle calls it "the future for responsible resource conservation". The argument against single stream is now there's more work to be done at the sorting facility, which costs more in terms of equipment, labor and space.
Then there is the question of how much "junk" goes into recycling bins that then has to be discarded and carted away from the sorting facility, and the fact that apart from soda cans most items aren't worth much.
When you add up the sorting equipment, the trucks, real estate, fuel and labor costs many are questioning the net benefits of recycling, such as this article last week in the Boston Globe.
Most of what we read in the media has been about the costs of not recycling; I think we need discussion around the costs of recycling. It's easy for all of us to sit back and feel complacent about how much we're recycling.
That kind of complacency is not productive and allows us to conveniently ignore what the poor have long known: reduce and reuse is better than recycling.
First, it has to be collected from our homes, which is generally done by large trucks which crawl from house to house using up fuel. Then it's taken to a central facility (using more fuel) to be sorted.
More and more communities are using what's called single stream recycling which means that everything is in the same blue bin, as opposed to separating paper products from plastic and glass.
The argument for single stream is that more people will recycle because it's less effort to do so. Eco-Cycle calls it "the future for responsible resource conservation". The argument against single stream is now there's more work to be done at the sorting facility, which costs more in terms of equipment, labor and space.
Then there is the question of how much "junk" goes into recycling bins that then has to be discarded and carted away from the sorting facility, and the fact that apart from soda cans most items aren't worth much.
When you add up the sorting equipment, the trucks, real estate, fuel and labor costs many are questioning the net benefits of recycling, such as this article last week in the Boston Globe.
Most of what we read in the media has been about the costs of not recycling; I think we need discussion around the costs of recycling. It's easy for all of us to sit back and feel complacent about how much we're recycling.
That kind of complacency is not productive and allows us to conveniently ignore what the poor have long known: reduce and reuse is better than recycling.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Books I'm Reading
The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin, The Genius in All of Us, David Shenk, How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids will Talk, Faber and Mazlish
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Top Organic Candidates
For most of us, it's not practical to buy everything organic. That's why this list, that I gleaned from Renee Loux' book Easy Green Living, is very helpful. She lists what foods tend to be most loaded with pesticides and chemicals, so you can make informed decisions:
1. Meat and Poultry
2. Butter, Milk and Cheese
3. Strawberries, Raspberries and Cherries
4. Apples and Pears
5. Tomatoes
6. Potatoes
7. Spinach and other Greens, including Lettuce
8. Coffee
9. Peaches and Nectarines
10. Grapes
11. Celery
12. Peppers
1. Meat and Poultry
2. Butter, Milk and Cheese
3. Strawberries, Raspberries and Cherries
4. Apples and Pears
5. Tomatoes
6. Potatoes
7. Spinach and other Greens, including Lettuce
8. Coffee
9. Peaches and Nectarines
10. Grapes
11. Celery
12. Peppers
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