Here at Slime Checkers, all our authors, editors, admins, owners…. wish you a very happy Earth Day 2013! hf556 is going to go green for the whole day, then turn red and white for St. Georges Day, that is tomorrow.

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Here’s what’s new from the Bin Weevils What’s New blog today:

To get your green thumbs on even more Earth Day stuff, be sure to check out the special stock at Bin Mart! Leave us a comment here about what you have planned to celebrate.

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hf556

This round, we had a sunshine morning by the pool and had real fun painting! Children we taught the idea of recycling – What is recycling, why recycle & what can we recycle?” before they laid their hands on the plastic bottles & paints.  As you can see from the pictures below, they were daring and creative with colours.  Using Coca-cola bottles, we created a classical looking vase and a  super colorful stationery holder.

We had a second project though – creation of 3D note holders.  What a shame I had forgotten to take some pictures of the children’s creation.  Hmmm… maybe another round.

It is always amazing to see the children’s creation – they produced brilliant designs and colours that normally adults can’t do.

HAPPY EARTH DAY 2013!!

Most of us have good intentions when it comes to the environment. But when Earth Day comes around in April, how many people actually do something special to honour, celebrate and protect the world? This year, we hope every Kidzworld member out there makes the personal decision to do something special on Earth Day – and we’ve got some great suggestions for ways you can celebrate and show you care!

Pitch In On An Earth Day Project Near You

Whether it’s a beach cleanup, tree planting or litter pickup event, find out what’s going on in your neighborhood, town or city and join in on Earth Day! Lots of people and organizations are guaranteed to be celebrating and marking the day in some special way, so find out about a planned event, sign yourself up and commit to joining in. Check your local newspaper for listings, do a quick Google search for event listings in your area or try calling an environmental organization or business to see if they have anything special going on.

Join A Green Group

You could make a big statement about how much you care about the environment and how committed you are to being green by joining an environmental group, cause or organization this Earth Day. Some organizations are free to join while others may require a membership fee. Also, you’ll have to choose a group that has goals and priorities that match your own. Finally, make sure you commit to doing volunteer work for whatever group you join – simply becoming a member isn’t enough!

Support Local Businesses

Celebrating Earth Day can be as simple as committing to buy local products that are grown and/or made as close to where you live as possible, so they don’t waste fuel being transported to your town or city. Choosing to buy organic food, clothing and other items from producers and manufacturers who are committed to being environmentally friendly is also a great way to support the cause, so do your research before you spend your money!

Plant Some Native Trees

David Archuleta-Supporting the Earth Day:)

Planting a tree on Earth Day is something many people do – and the world could always use another tree, shrub, flower or plant! Just be sure whatever type of tree or plant you are planting is going to be able to grow in your area. Do some research on the Internet or in the library to find out which plants hail from your neck of the woods. You can also explore nearby parks, nature preserves and native-plant nurseries to find out more.

Buy Secondhand

If you need to shop for a new item of furniture or clothing, a new book, stereo, TV or just about anything else you can think of, why not go green and buy it secondhand in honor of Earth Day this year? Visit antique stores and secondhand book and clothing stores in your area, or check to see if there are any garage sales or flea markets going on around town. You’ll spend a lot less many than if you were to buy new and you’ll probably find unique, one-of-a-kind items that no one else will have!

Bag The Plastic

We all know we should do this and we all say we are going to start doing it – but if you haven’t made the switch yet, Earth Day is the perfect time to pledge that you’re going to stop using plastic shopping bags and start using cloth, canvas or any other type of reusable bag in their place. It’s also a good time to commit to start recycling in your home. If you and your family don’t recycle now, you should think about starting. All you need is a blue box – just toss all recyclable materials in there instead of in the garbage. It’s that easy!

There are plenty of other things you can do to celebrate Earth Day – these are just a few ideas to get you thinking. And remember, just like Christmas, the way to capture the true spirit and meaning of this holiday is to make it a part of your life every day, long after you’ve turned over April’s page on your monthly calendar.

Credit : KidzWorld

Today is Earth Day and as writers we have a reputation for killing many trees on our way to a literary masterpiece.   This post comes from a place of guilt for all of the paper I waste and so on this Earth Day I make a pledge to do better.  We all have a carbon footprint, and with it we leave our mark on the world.  But unlike a number one best seller we leave a mark that does more damage than good.   So naturally I began to think of better ways to recycle.  Not only paper and water bottles but ink cartridges, file folders, binders and yes even articles and stories.  There are so many things that can be re-purposed if we take a moment and think through its usefulness.

Here’s an idea for paper:  Once you’ve printed on both sides of the paper you can use the sheets like you would newspaper and wrap fragile items  in them before putting in boxes for a move.  They can also be crumpled up and used as insulation for items being packed and shipped via the mail.

As far as recycling characters and plots:  You can take a short story character and give them an expanded life in a novel or a movie script.  An article written for one outlet can be re-worked and specially crafted for other outlets.  Always look for the different angles and markets that can use pieces you have already written to extend the life of the work.

Lastly, when running errands such as going to the post office or meeting with a client, group these activities so that you only make a few trips out a week.  Try to  schedule them on the same side of town to be as efficient as possible and use less gas and lessen your gas emissions.  Even when you’re working from home there are still things we can all do to make the plant a healthier place to live.

Related articles

• 5 Must-Have Green Tech Upgrades For Earth Day 2013 (earthtechling.com)
• Support Earth Day with Eco-Friendly Office Supplies (office-plus.ca)

• refreshed my hair color with organic products from Pure YL Salon

• conducted a feng shui consultation for a client’s home

• sent my clothes to an Earth-friendly dry cleaners

• ate fruits of the Earth purchased from the farmers market

• met with a furniture maker who tinkers and builds with reclaimed materials Heirlooms and Hardware

• and carved out some sweet soft meditative time of sitting together with my little darlings to read a book.

  I missed out on a hike today, but I will find my balance tomorrow. It’s meaningful to address how we are living—how we work, play, eat, and  how we rest. Are we incorporating comfort, safety and beauty into our nest, our neighborhood and on our planet? Are we feeling anxious, unkind or disconnected, or are we creating an environment that will help us settle down and enjoy a tranquil heart.

Trying to sustain or regain the balance in life always takes a little bit of effort and requires willpower. Letting go of items that no longer have use for us to make our nest more balanced or putting down the Smart phone for a few minutes to breathe some fresh spring air and listen to chirping birds will maintain our vitality and extend us into the future.

Flaunt your unique sense of self by incorporating your personality into your environment, however, be certain you carve out a space to relax and decompress, especially in the bedroom. To acquire a more restful sleep, keep electronics out of the bedroom and do not store anything under the bed since it causes energy to stagnate there.   One must in the end follow one’s heart–honor who you are and make your heart sing. Is there humming permeating from your nest?

Amuse, daydream and think in your nest and give yourself time to wind down and experience life as a poem Reclaim a time for being and not only doing.  How do you achieve your balance in your nest or in your daily life?

Here’s what’s new from the Bin Weevils What’s New blog today:

Inside this Bin-tastic issue: Earth Day nest items, new Mystery Codes, Bin Weevils Magazine HQ comes to the Bin, a big Music Sale coming soon and more!

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As I walked around the One Spark festival checking out the various booths, I came across the “Fresh, Simply Delicious” Booth (creator #168) and was immediately bought in to Jason and Hillary’s lifestyle concept of Food, Fitness, and Fun! Click on the charming couple above and you will find out what Fresh is all about!

After making a few rounds to various “creators”, I felt so proud to be a citizen of Jacksonville today! There is something special happening, the creation and visualization of ideas are taking root in our culture. Not to say that these ideas haven’t been here all along, but this is an outlet, a path. This path can only lead to good things for our city. I ran into some creators from New York who emphasized how wonderful Jacksonville is. They couldn’t say enough about the people and our city. Again I felt proud.

As I walked along the streets of Jacksonville I began to feel as if the city had just finished a long anticipated meal. That feeling you get after you finish your first plate at Thanksgiving, the FIRST plate. I was ready for seconds, I was ready to put this whole festival into little Tupperware containers in my fridge and pull em out everyday for breakfast lunch and dinner. Unlike my Thanksgiving leftovers, this movement wont spoil, it wont go bad, it can’t. Again I felt proud.

What is One Spark? One Spark is that first helping of Thanksgiving Dinner, it is the first cookie out of a box of thin mints, the first time you ever tasted a 20 year scotch. All of these things have something in common, they leave you satisfied but wanting for more. More is just what Jacksonville is going to get because from the looks of it, we are all just getting started!

Right now (April 19-26), in honor of Earth Day, Zoya is helping you get rid of your old nail polish (that may not be 5free) and exchange it for Zoya’s vegan, greener alternative polish!  There are over 300 colors to choose from! All you have to do is visit Zoya.com and add what polishes you want (no less than 6, no more than 24…pixie dust collection excluded) to your cart, then use the promo code ZOYAEARTH2013 to receive 50% off! (the percentage covers the cost to dispose of the exchanged bottles.) They ship you the bottles, and then when you receive your order, you ship your unwanted polishes back to them! This is done using the honor system…so it’s up to you if you actually send bottles in…but it would be a nice thing to do in honor of Earth Day and as a Thanks to Zoya…plus it is pretty nice getting half off!  As a polish creator myself (LaLa Lacquers), I appreciate other companies like Zoya who also make a greener alternative for those who prefer it. (Soooo…use the code YAYEARTHDAY when you shop LaLaLacquers on Etsy.com and receive a dollar off a bottle of nail polish!)

Don’t live local? Don’t worry, we will ship one to you if you win! One lucky local winner will receive the grand prize of Big Al our mascot stopping by to plant an extra special tree.

Have fun and happy Earth Day!

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Spring has arrived since our first Greening Carbondale meeting on February 28 – and welcome to it  !

Please re-join us for our second gathering- this time with walking tour of local greening efforts and workshop with Wayne Weiseman.

Details:  April 27, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.  Meet us in the parking lot of the Boys & Girls Club – - 250 N. Springer.

Please bring walking shoes, water, good spirits, and lots of ideas to offer how we can advance this initiative.

After the passing of the 1906 Education Act Local Education Authorities were empowered to provide free school meals. In 1921 this had been extended to free milk. However, an investigation by John Boyd Orr (published as Food, Health and Income in 1937) revealed that there was a link between low-income, malnutrition and under-achievement in schools. Following the 1945 General Election, the new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, appointed Ellen Wilkinson as Minister of Education, the first woman in British history to hold the post. Wilkinson had long been a campaigner against poverty and in 1946 managed to persuade Parliament to pass the School Milk Act. This act ordered the issue of one-third of a pint of milk free to all pupils under eighteen. (Spartacus)

School Milk for all children, like the National Health Service were both introduced by the 1945 Labour government. It was a brave government, supported by a unified population intent on rebuilding society , as shown in ‘Spirit of ’45‘. Policies like these demonstrate the commitment the 1945 government had in improving living conditions, health and education for working families and to help eradicate the poverty and poor health which many children faced, rickets was not uncommon. A caring welfare state  built communities and brought people together – a unified society.  Provision of milk for all children avoided the stigma at being ‘ seen to be poor’ and in need of charity.  There was real movement towards a more equal society which turned its back on the Dickensian state.

The signs that the Conservative Party opposed a more  united society were there in 1973, when as Education Secretary, a young Margaret Thatcher’s intention to remove the entitlement of school milk for all children. I remember the anger she caused and in defence of the welfare state, protested and marched chanting, ” Maggie Thatcher, Milk Snatcher.”

But the scale of the plans she had to break up the welfare state, were kept secret, and not publicised until 30 years later in 2001.  At the time it was vastly underestimated

“…. documents released under the 30-Year-Rule paint a more complicated picture of what the future prime minister was prepared to sign up to.

Shortly after election, Prime Minister Heath wrote to his cabinet, telling them: “We shall need determination and a willingness among spending ministers to accept reductions in programmes which, from a departmental stand point, they would be reluctant to make.”

And in August 1970, the new Secretary of State for Education responded to a Treasury demand for education cuts in four areas:

• Further Education fees
• Library book borrowing charges
• School meal charges
• Free school milk “

The Tories always had a plan to reverse the improvement in living standards.  Even then they knew their policies would be so unpopular it would induce civil unrest. She also introduced fees for museum entry. Since the Coalition government has been introduced , the dismantling of the welfare state in but just one term is ensured. They planned it as such because, like then they knew of its unpopularity, and have done so by deceit. It is not necessary to wait for another 30 years, the evidence is already clear, though hidden in the main by the mainstream media. The internet has allowed the lay person a voice. How long until it is silenced.  She oversaw the increase in charges for children’s meals, through the principle of entitlement for free school meals  has remained, with the belief it would invoke public outrage. Until now. Now we hear that free school meals are under threat and the return to Dickensian Britain will be complete.

 Independent

Free school meals could soon be scrapped and people paid to look after elderly neighbours as councils take desperate measures to deliver a “tidal wave” of spending cuts, ministers will be warned on Tuesday.

Austerity is based on lies, that ‘there is no money left’ It is time for some straight – talking from politicians and the lie about the structural deficit exposed. This is a time for investment not cuts. These Austerity policies being put in pace are totally unnecessary. It is a planned, ideological programme, continuing Margaret Thatcher’s great plan to dismantle the welfare state which protects us all. Undoubtedly she was clever in avoiding the truth, in Dickens’ own words, an “Artful Dodger”.

If Thatcher was ( to some degree) cautious in the rate at which she dismantled the welfare state, Osborne has no such qualms. Now, one hundred years on, the return to a Dickensian state is ensured, and Osborne  has said as much. The believe that Victorian Britain is desirable is surreal, like the worst nightmare from which we awaken, shaking in  disbelief.

We have all heard stories of Victorian Britain.  Apparently it was a golden age, or so our current government wishes us to believe. For some of us Victorian costume dramas are not merely agreeable ways to while away Sunday evening but enactments of our inner fantasies … “I don’t think there has been a better time in our history.” said Michael Gove Guardian  Clearly Mr Gove’s history is quite different to mine, and to the vast majority of people living in the UK today. The Guardian article adds:

David Cameron had stated that his goal is to defund and deconstruct the welfare state, to “dismantle big government and build the big society in its place”. His ambition is radical in the purest sense of the word, for it is a conscious attempt to turn the clock back to the historical period for which he feels the greatest affinity: the 19th century.

Victorian Britain was a land of laissez-faire capitalism and self-reliance. Government regulation was minimal and welfare was left to charity. With little tax burden and low labour costs, industrialisation turned Britain into the workshop of the world and created a thriving middle class. The state helped promote and safeguard trade through a bullish foreign policy that created a consumer’s empire. In 1839, we even went to war with China to force the Middle Kingdom to lift its ban on imported British opium.

Disappointingly, in 2010, the previous Labour government was not courageous enough to show the Spirit of 1945. The document Child Poverty Act of 2010 to eradicate child poverty is available here  for downloading. This was Labour’s plan. Spot the difference.

Section 26: Free School lunches and milk

111. Section 26 concerns the provision of free school lunches and milk. Subsection (1) amends section 512ZB of the Education Act 1996 to give the Secretary of State (or, in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers) an order-making power to extend eligibility for free school meals if the child meets prescribed conditions and the child’s parent is in receipt of a prescribed benefit or allowance.

112. The Secretary of State may extend eligibility for free school meals to a primary school child if the child’s parent is entitled to Working Tax Credit and the family has a household income below a specified threshold. Currently, the Education Act 1996 allows the Secretary of State (or the Welsh Ministers) to adjust eligibility for free school meals only on the basis of the benefit being received by the parent, rather than the age of the child. It is therefore not possible to use existing powers to extend the entitlement to free school meals to primary school children of parents who are entitled to Working Tax Credit without also extending the entitlement to secondary school children within the same family.

• Spirit of ’45 review,  Think Left 
• The truth about Thatcher Thatcher, Milk Snatcher, (UK Confidential) 2001, BBC
• Independent: Free School meals may be scrapped by councils under lidal waves of cuts
• School Milk: Spartacus Education
• Poor Brum, Think Left
• This isn’t Dickens, it’s today, Winter’s Cold, Homeless and Hungry
• Gaming the Cuts, New Local Government Network “Anyborough in 2018″
• Labour 2010 “Child Poverty Act”
• Mrs Thatcher was not the wicked witch of the west …
• Weep not for Thatcher – but for Lost Society
• LIBRARIES – At The Heart Of Power | Think Left
• A 21st Century Library Service | Think Left
• Austerity and the Labour Party
• The Courageous State, Richard J Murphy

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-cathedral-of-junk-austin-87157

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-cathedral-of-junk-austin-87157

What is UPCYCLING?

Taking an old or discarded item and making it into something better.

• A light bulb made into a terrarium
• A frame turned into a jewelry holder
• A milk jug transformed into a dog food scooper
• Soda tabs turned bracelet

Upcycling is not recycling. Recycling breaks down the item to make it into something new, upcyling uses the item to transform it into something better; Bringing it UP in quality.

Upcycling can only be limited by your creativity. Or lack of pinterest use.

Earth Day is April 22nd. Do you plan on working on any upcycling projects?

Here are a few of my favorite upcycled fashion projects found on WordPress!

• Upcycled Trench
• Upcycled Jumper to Cardigan
• Upcycled Duvet to Pajamas
• Upcycled Tie to Statement Necklace

Brit

By Jennifer Kaminski, PhD (Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and President, APA Section on Child Maltreatment)

In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I humbly offer four observations made over the last decade I have spent looking for ways to assist the field of child maltreatment prevention in making forward progress. These cannot be claimed here as new or original insights. They are simply the points on which the field has repeatedly reached a stalemate, impeding our ability to have more widespread impact on this important issue.

In a multidisciplinary field like this, one overarching and recurring obstacle is that it is easy to fall into the pattern of acknowledging only the strengths of one’s own sector/discipline/program, and only the weaknesses of others.

1.  The field would benefit by consciously adopting a different paradigm of recognizing the strengths of alternate perspectives, and strategizing how best to combine our strengths.

For example, different disciplines offer unique contributions to prevention.

• Psychology brings a wealth of expertise in research methods and fostering behavior change.
• Public health brings the additional strengths of epidemiologic data collection and capacity-building for implementation.
• Systems such as social services, education, and health care offer existing infrastructures for broader dissemination of effective strategies.

Prevention that is most efficient and effective is likely to result from collaborations that highlight rather than marginalize each discipline’s contributions.

Similarly, the Federal government has enacted national policies and regulations, and provides funding for programs and research. Implementation and action on the front-line often falls to state and local governments, communities, research teams and practitioners.

Yet private and non-profit sectors can play important roles as well, through voluntary adoption of child maltreatment prevention as a part of their missions. Partnerships across multiple sectors can capitalize on the unique contributions from each group. While such partnerships are often easier said than done, the benefits of partnering can well outweigh the work required to partner effectively.

2.  The field would benefit from acknowledging that all data have strengths and limitations.

There has long been a tension between the use of administrative and self-report data on child maltreatment. Though each has disadvantages, both tell valuable parts of the story.

• Child welfare data and medical data on maltreatment-related injuries allow for estimation of the economic burden of child maltreatment on social service and health systems.
• Self-report data provide information about the lived experiences of children and parents whether or not the maltreatment is noticed outside the individuals involved.

Each method will capture information that the others miss and each provides a characterization of child maltreatment better-suited to different purposes. If the field can consider these data as complementary rather than competing, they are likely to provide a stronger foundation upon which to base decisions about prevention strategies.

3.  As both producers and consumers of peer-reviewed publications and other communication media, those in the field can strive for greater precision in the language used to describe data and outcomes.

Broad statements such as “child maltreatment was associated with…” or “our program showed significant effects on child maltreatment” are likely to be overgeneralizations and fail to communicate the key message that child maltreatment is a complex issue that will require complex solutions.

 4. The field would benefit from resolving the tensions among evidence-based prevention approaches for child maltreatment. 

These approaches vary related to:

• when the intervention begins (i.e., before maltreatment can occur, after new risk factors such as child behavior problems emerge, or after maltreatment has already occurred),
• where the intervention occurs (e.g., hospitals, health or mental health clinics, other community settings, or in the home), and
• the degree of intervention complexity (i.e., single-component vs. multi-level).

Some programs that have been deemed effective are intended for a more focused set of outcomes (e.g., specific to pediatric abusive head trauma, child physical abuse or child sexual abuse), while others take a broader approach (e.g., covering basic child care and safety, nurturing parenting, and child behavior management). Not surprisingly, different approaches have documented effects on different outcomes, on different populations, or at different child ages.

For various reasons (e.g., the need to publish positive outcomes), members of the field often feel pressured to make grand claims about the effectiveness of one approach over all others. Ultimately, this is likely to be a disservice to the children we are working to protect.

By promising dramatic impacts with a single approach, efforts that cannot live up to such high expectations may decrease the credibility of research to provide answers to this issue. Instead of continuing to ask “which is the single best approach?”, the field may want to refocus attention on “which specific approaches are best to achieve which specific outcomes with which families?”  We can then determine what combination of strategies is likely to meet the needs of particular populations and communities.

We want to hear from you – tell us in the comments…

• What do you think members of the field of child maltreatment prevention can do to overcome these obstacles?
• How can they reconcile the tensions in the field mentioned above?

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

You may also be interested in:

This is What Child Abuse Feels Like

Silver City Galleria, Taunton
April 21, 11 am – 1 pm
Earth Day Celebration: Children will be making their own plants and cute Earth Day arts and crafts. Located in the Center Court.

Capron Park Zoo, Attleboro
April 21, 11 am – 2 pm
Earth Day Celebration: Enjoy a day in the zoo while learning about how zoos are an important part of conservation! FREE with paid zoo admission (Members enjoy this event for free!).

James White Memorial Library – East Freetown, MA
Saturday, April 20, 2013, 1:00 PM
In celebration of Earth Day we will be hosting an event at which we will be cleaning the library grounds, doing crafts, and serving snacks. Each participant will receive seeds and a small plant.

Burien Highline Kiwanis Newsletter – Guests welcome!

Kevin brought dessert tonight.  Ken signed up to bring dessert to the next regular meeting.

Birthdays / Anniversaries:  the club helped Leif and Jen celebrate their birthday.

Reports & Announcements:

• 11 members and 2 guest(s) attended.
• Brynnen and Cason V. dropped by to request donations for their annual Boy Scout fundraising dinner.  Thanks to the club for helping with that effort!
• As a reminder, the date of the Poverty Dinner has been changed to April 23 (next week’s meeting!).  If you have questions about what to bring, please contact Glenda.  Here is what members have signed up for:
  • Hot Dogs: John E.
    
  • Hot Dog buns: Frank
    
  • Macaroni Salad: Joe
  • Mac n’ Cheese with smokies: John E.
  • Apple Pie: Leif V.
  • Other Dessert: Dick T. 
  • Other Dessert: Ken
  • Saurcraut: Chuck
  • Bean Salad: Tom
  • Caesar Salad: Frank
  • Potato Salad: Kevin
    
  • Fruit Salad: none yet
  • Drinks: none yet
    
• Campsite report with Jim Jennings:
  • What is the one word you’d choose to describe Camp Schoenwald?  More info to come!
• Eagle Scout project report with John E:
  • No report this week.
• Amphitheater project with Frank:
  • Some holes have been dug despite the wet weather… we’re getting there!
• Key Club report:
  • No report this week.
• Cove to Clover Report with Tom:
  • Weenie-gate.  Fill in the blanks.  Thanks for sticking with it Tom.
• Concessions with Frank and Helen:
  • Jan is working in some of the last Soccer games, and Track meets are coming up!

Upcoming Events:

• April 23, 2013 – Poverty (tax day) Dinner
• April 28, 2013 – Cove to Clover event
• May 9, 2013 – 6:30 pm Division Council Meeting at 4412 Stone Way Ave in Seattle
• June 27-30, 2013 – Kiwanis International Convention held in Vancouver B.C.

Happy Buck Highlights:  Not reported this week.