I have to admit by the end of holiday dinners at my house I am exhausted, a huge thank you to my mother and mother-in-law for helping clean up all the dishes after Thanksgiving this year.  I was however scared at the thought of adding one more dish to the dishwasher so we used paper plates for dessert.  Afterwards when cleaning up I was disappointed with the fact that I chose to use them.  I get made fun of and even dismissed at the fact that I rarely ever use paper plates and napkins, except in the summer time when it almost seems unnatural to eat that grilled hotdog off of a glass plate and not a Dixie plate with the pretty summer motif that I so carefully selected.

I then decided on researching and finding affordable, tasteful, fully biodegradable disposable tableware.  There are so many products now and you are no longer limited to the overpriced set of four biodegradable products at whole foods that I really economically could not realistically afford with the large gatherings at our house, I would much rather run the dishwasher twice.

Branch is a great company that offers an array of products that are made from recycled materials.  They also have a huge selection of biodegradable dinnerware which is made from 100% sugar cane fiber.  They are unbleached and FDA approved making them a great selection for anyone’s next dinner party.  Branch also has a new line called Wasara which is made from 100% tree-free renewable materials (sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and reed pulp).  It is a very attractive and modern twist on the traditonal boring paper plate.

There are many other biodegradable, compostable and even recyclable replacements to the more common paper plate.  It is a wise choice for the environment as well as the consumer who gains the effort of recycling as well as a beautiful addition to any dinner party.

Some other great companies who make wonderful eco friendly disposable dinnerware are:

LetsGoGreen.biz

Primeware

ECO products

By: Kate Kiselka, Follow me on Twitter

Disposable Flask from Restoration Hardware – 3 for $15

Source: The World’s Best Ever

I was at Costco the other day doing some Christmas shopping and I also purchased myself quite an expensive razor. Having previously utilised what can only be described at the cheapest razor in recorded history this was quite a red letter day indeed. I had decided a while ago that I should perhaps upgrade to a more expensive facial hair removal system for a couple of reasons:

1. Every time I shaved with the aforementioned cheap razor it felt like I was scraping a layer of skin off my face.
2. Perhaps due to (1.) it left me with serious razor burn which meant that I usually took the precaution of shaving in the evening so as not to walk around looking like a burn victim all day.

Previous to the cheap disposable razors I had been using an electric shaver that could at best be described “functional.” AKA it took me half an hour to clear my face of about 75% of my facial scruff.

SIDENOTE: I only discovered two days ago that AKA stands for “also known as.” Sometimes I wonder how I survive life on an everyday basis. I mean, I always knew it was some sort of acronym, just not what it stood for.

Anyway, I had been using the crappy disposable razors for a couple of years despite all the hassle – you know when something is awful but you kind of get used to it and eventually ripping a layer of your facial epidermis every few days just become habitual? So yeah, I was a bit sceptical that an expensive razor could really make a difference.

OH HOLY GOD AND FUCK I WAS WRONG!

I am in love with my new Gillette Fusion razor.
IT IS FIVE BLADES OF PERFECTION!

Who needs five blades you ask?
I FUCKING DO!

Who needs a vibrating, battery operating razor?
ME ME ME!

Seriously, this thing is amazing. First off, the head sort of glides across my face, pivoting into every awkward crevice with the greatest of ease. The five blades effortlessly tackle even the thickest of scruff on my face, decimating what was once a jungle of days old fuzz. Even before you turn on the power, this razor is like some sort of mystical object from beyond the stars and then you flip that little switch and fuck if isn’t like you’ve landed in an alternate universe where shaving is actually pleasurable!

I AM AMAZED!

Very happy Sashimi added.

So yes, my long suffering fans… I have returned, perhaps 5 kilograms heavier than when I left, with an immeasurable desire for ostrich biltong, and a nice tan.

The holiday to South Africa rocked. We got to do some familial bonding time, and a fair amount of time got spent with the friends. Mr & Mrs B… many thanks for the awesome trip to Knysna and back… much obliged. Now come and visit us so we can return the favour. Wooz and SPF… it was great to be able to spend so much time with you guys… thanks for taking the leave and making it all possible. Chris and Lily and Megan… thanks for the accomodation and for letting us skank up your bathroom one week before your wedding.

So. This Blog has been built up by three weeks absence, and is bound to be a little longer than normal. As usual, if you want to skip the personal stuff, jump ahead to the line of asterisks at the end of this piece.

South Africa. Well well. It was an absolutely awesome trip. One of my favourite things to do in the whole world is to get a car that I like driving and then to take a long road trip. And the wife and I got to do just that with her family. The four of us piled into their car and drove off on what worked out to be an insanely expensive, but very enjoyable experience. And my god did we shop. Everything from Chutney to Cuckoo Clocks went into that car.

Let’s see, first stop was the Willows in Port Elizabeth. This was a classic little caravan/chalet place, and we got a two-bedroomed chalet for the four of us. Very comfortable, very clean and so close to the sea that even my youngest students could throw a stone into the water from the living room. We were there for two nights… and used the time soaking up some much-needed shopping. And thus began my fixation with finding the perfect pie on the holiday. See… the wife and I recently stopped being vegetarian and started eating seafood. Well… poultry has been added to the pile of edibles now… meaning that Chicken was back on the menu. (For the record, we still don’t eat mammals…. which means that yes, TURKEY is back on the menu for Christmas.) With chicken scratching at the doormat, I started in on Chicken Pies.

Woolworths to the rescue. AWESOME chicken and mushroom pie. Try it. Very good.

An aside – If it feels as if all the wife and I did on this holiday was sleep and eat, well… we feel that way too. It was a great holiday.

After PE, we drove on to Sedgefield…. chosen because it was nice and close to Knysna, which was where our friends Stompie and Jax were getting married. Yes… we did it all on this trip, weddings included. The place in Sedgefield was fantastic, the view was simply unbeatable.

Stompie and Jax threw themselves a Euro-funded Afro-ethnic wedding. And it was really a great evening. Good to be able to catch up with them again, as we hadn’t seen them since leaving Ireland. The wedding itself was out-standing and if their friends are anything to go by, they’ll be blessed in the future.

After the wedding it was a case of doing some family time in and around Knysna and George. We took in the sights of Hoekwil and Wilderness, the former very rustic, the latter full of sea spray.
Much seafood was eaten. Much chicken was eaten.

One of the highlights for the wife and I of the Sedgefield trip was a visit to the Wild Oats Farmer’s market… where local farmers sold their wares. (Mainly foodstuffs, but some raw produce too.) We got to soak up a little culture…

It was here that I found the undisputed BEST chicken pie in South Africa. The Steam Whistle Stop Pie company, operating out of god-knows where, but with a stand at the market.

After Sedgefield, there remained only the trip back to East London, which took much longer than expected. This is because of a little known family problem. Fact: If you place two women with disposable income in the back seat of a car, they will hatch plans to visit as many farm stalls as possible on the way back home. This is in a misguided effort to fill the car with very fattening farm foodstuffs and home produce. Thus, some 600 kilometres, 23 pieces of fudge, a half-dozen bottles of chutney, three full wheels of cheese, and 39 farm stalls later….. the entire Western Cape was denuded of produce, the car was groaning on its springs and we got home. To a huge dinner cooked by my sister in law.

The rest of the trip was spent with friends and family. I got to get in a fair amount of roleplaying with Wooz and the bunch, and even GMed a demo session for Jebb and his bunch. An obnoxiously large amount of time was spent virtually supine on Wooz’ patio drinking coffee… which is the perfect way to conduct oneself on holiday. Besides, the view from there isn’t half bad either.

Three weeks flew by with absolutely no regard for how much it cost us to get there, or indeed just how long 14 hours in economy class feels. (Particularly when you are bloated on fudge and chicken pies.)
There were tears, there were hugs and then we were gone.

To everyone who made the effort, thanks a hell of a lot guys, it was a vastly enjoyable experience.

************

And let’s get on with the jokes and stuff shall we?

The Truth About College:

SOCIOLOGY: For sheer lack of intelligibility, sociology is far and
away the number one subject. I sat through hundreds of hours of
sociology courses, and read gobs of sociology writing, and I never
once heard or read a coherent statement. This is because sociologists
want to be considered scientists, so they spend most of their time
translating simple, obvious observations into scientific-sounding code.
If you plan to major in sociology, you’ll have to learn to do the same
thing. For example, suppose you have observed that children cry when they
fall down. You should write: “Methodological observation of the
sociometrical behavior tendencies of prematurated isolates indicates that
a causal relationship exists between groundward tropism and lachrimatory
behavior forms.” If you can keep this up for 50 or 60 pages, you will get
a large government grant.

This weeks musical talent comes to you from the talented Ms. Nina Simone. This one is called Strange Fruit. And if it is depressing, well, it is meant to be. Give yourself a search for the lyrics. Sometimes, I am sad to be a human.

And that is that.. .. if there appears to be a lack of linkage in this blog, sorry… but 3 weeks without internet means that I didn’t find as many interesting things. Next time. K?

Ciao
Yeti out.

Here is our definition of recylable to conclude our segment on definitions of: biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable.

Recycling is the process used or waste material so that it can be used again. Recyclable products can be collected, reprocessed, and reused to make new products. Some common recyclable materials are plastic, aluminum, cardboard, glass, and paper.

If you have any more ideas on this let us know! We would love to hear anything you have to add!

Brought you you by PrimeWare Eco-Friendly Disposable tableware. Quality you can count on, Ecology you can be proud of.
www.primelinksolution.com

This is disposable sponge for body shampoo. You had better use this sponge with body shampoo.

Submitted by: anna.ippolita via Engrish Funny Submissions

Our friends at Yanko are working overtime again trying to come up with environmentally friendly electronics which won’t pollute our landfills. And this time they’ve come up with a recyclable paper laptop. That’s right. A paper computer which can be thrown away once it’s no longer wanted or needed. Considering Moore’s Law means computing power doubles about every 18 months, a disposable laptop may be a good idea. Here’s the thinking …

OLED screens are getting brighter, with higher resolution, and at a cheaper cost. Soon, they will create “e-ink” electronic paper which is foldable. Couple that with a cardboard case that replaces hard plastic or in Apple’s case titanium, printable circuit boards which actually carry a current, and you have a computer that could be thrown away when it’s no longer needed.

And the argument is that disposable cameras and cellphone have already gained acceptance, so why not a PC? Interesting idea if you upgrade your rig every year or so – which is probably the case for those who travel for a living – or those who don’t want to risk their most expensive computers while they’re on vacation.

Only time will tell if the idea would catch on or the price point would be cheap enough to make it feasible. But there are already $10 laptops being developed in India, and it’s conceivable that said computer can be built almost like a newspaper is printed, so chances are, this could be a winner.

Hat Tip – D’Vice

found @ http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20091106/disposable-laptops-popular-future/#more-33235

I got a letter yesterday from my health insurance stating that they are no longer covering my Dexcom sensors, starting from August. I was confused because they’ve covered them in the past. Based on the code they listed, I assumed I had hit my DME cap for the year (this was my first full year on the sensors) and would need to appeal.

However, after spending 1 hour talking to 5 reps, I found out that the health insurance has randomly decided they are “disposable” since I throw them out after 7 days and they don’t cover “disposables”.  I imagine that “disposables” is intended to cover things like alcohol wipes and cotton balls, which they should rightly not cover.  However, 7 days is hardly “disposable”.

Edgepark (the company that provides the sensors) is already working it and their argument is that they’re not considered “disposable” since they are used in conjunction with a Durable Medical Equipment (the receiver).

I won’t know anything for at least 5 business days, but it is good to know that Edgepark is trying to regain my coverage.  I really cannot afford to either a) pay full price for the sensors or b) limit my use of them to every other week or similar.  I just hope this gets straightened out.

Have you ever thought about how much life would stink if you were a disposable razor? Hear me out.

I sometimes try to figure out what would be the worst possible thing in the world to be. Currently, being a tampon is at #1.  A multitude of other items have made the top 10 list as well.  These things include toilet paper, coffee filters, toe nail clippings, disposable razors, Q-tips, dumpsters, floss, boogers, and thongs.

Seriously, think about it.  How awful would it be to be a piece of toilet paper or a disposable razor or a string of floss? Imagine it: you are totally and completely necessary to us (well, to most of us), but after you are used, you are tossed into the toilet or trash.  That’s it.  You do the job, and they are done with you. And to make matters worse, humans are grossed out by you even though they need you.

How horrid to have such an unappreciated (and generally ephemeral) life.

For the most part, we really need these things, but they disgust us after we use them.  As such, we just toss them aside with no thought to it.  And no appreciation! Have you ever found yourself thanking the inventor of coffee filters or thongs? Have you ever thanked your nose for forming boogers for without them you’d have dirt and debris flowing right on into your body through your nasal passage?

I really don’t know why I think about this.  This summer, a friend psychoanalyzed me. She thinks that maybe it’s some fear that resides in the deep recesses of my mind.  A fear that, like these things, I am actually disposable.

Anyhow, I’ve got to clean out this coffee pot and ditch this coffee filter. I just hate the look of wet coffee grind. It really grosses me out.

H, out.

Biodegradable, compostable, recyclable – what do they all mean? Today terms like these are constantly thrown in our faces everywhere we go. Some might know what they mean, but most of us are at a loss. Remember the days when all you could do was recycle? Well those days are long gone, and its time to catch up!

What are your ideas on what these terms mean?? We would love to hear your thoughts!!! See posts to come for our definitions…

Brought you you by PrimeWare Eco-Friendly Disposable tableware. Quality you can count on, Ecology you can be proud of.
www.primelinksolution.com

I’ve long been teased for appearing to be of Oriental descent. I fit the (often wrong) stereotype: tiny, dark hair, and eyes that disappear into slits when I laugh.

The other day we were talking about iPods and I got to thinking about Josh’s that Pat and Jan gave me…and how it refuses to function. It keeps showing me a picture on the iPod of an iPod with a frowning face.

So, what does my iPod have to do with China? It’s the fact that a broken iPod is disposable. The only thing separating me from another one is a scant 2 or 300 dollars; NOT the fact that there are no more iPods being produced. The fact that this generation can easily run out and replace whatever is broken is a departure from the generations before us. Back then there were limited quantities. Now we are in an over-saturated market with very little concern of exhausting our resources, and we are losing our ability to place value on things.

And that idea made me think about people. Since when did we start buying into the notion that the people in our lives are disposable? The idea that we can use them, manipulate them, change the original way they came to us to fit our likes and dislikes, and can toss them aside when we’re done with them (should we lose them, break them, or just flat wear them out)? I’m afraid that the notion that everything we want in a person can be found in an Oriental Trading catalog – to fit our mood, our season, in a plethora of colors and more of them than we could ever want – has seeped in.

Do we REALLY value the people in our lives? I’m pretty sure there are no other Tina’s like me. I didn’t have a twin (even if I did, we’d have different personalities), there’s not a robot-version of me (I’m not a craaaazy Stepford wife) and I’m pretty sure if you got rid of me, there’d be a Tina-shaped hole in your life that no one, no matter how much better or worse then me they are, will fill.

This idea goes both ways. For example. I will forever have an Aaron shaped hole in my life. Even if and when I move on and find another relationship, he came into my life and changed the landscape of it – and his departure will leave a mark.

I occasionally feel non-existent or replaceable in other people’s lives, and I feel like my friendship is of so little value to some people that it and I can be tossed aside whenever I’m not performing right or being right or fitting their ideal; but what really saddens me is that I did those same things to him.

PAUSE

& HEAR ME NOW: I do not want him back. We didn’t work and that’s ok. What’s not ok is that I had this unrealistic man in mind. I was broken and even though I said I didn’t, I expected him to be the ideal. He couldn’t. I wanted to take the man and change him, beyond the line of what is normal. I wanted to tailor him to the catalog specifications. However, I couldn’t, and there’s only one of him.

Now. This too goes both ways. He replaced me in his life. When he was done with me he would move on to the next thing (and trust me, that list was lengthy).  The little plastic toy that our relationship had become, the one that was picked up and put down with ease, is also the one that will leave a memory or two; hopefully some of them fond. I was remarkably dispensable but still left a hole because he allowed me into his life for relationship with him.

And so, I look at our broken relationship in which we each bear responsibility and at the other relationships in my life. How many more people am I doing the catalog search on, in which I order them as the product and then insist on changing them, instead of valuing their normalcy, their flaws, and their brokenness? How many people will I see as replaceable, and how many will leave a hole that I won’t even realize the size of until they are gone?

What in society has caused us to think this way? Why can’t we [all just get along] all just accept the people in our lives for who they are – even when they don’t know who they are? Why play games and try to change everyone and then toss them aside when they aren’t meeting our standards?

Why not do the following: give them room for their bad moods, their stress, their hurt and pain? Why not treat them like they are the only one (because they are) and cherish that while we have it? Why not cherish each relationship at whatever stage it’s at – because some will grow, but some will disappear? Why not stop looking at everyone as use for our selfish gain, our play-thing, our person to create and mold and instead simply commit to relationships, even when they SUCK?

If we are Christians, isn’t that what we’re taught to do anyways (in kinder, gentler words and with scripture notation)?

Why not embrace the real and the limited and value it like we know we should?

Maybe no one else in society thinks this way, and I’m just engaging in the classical game of transference. But, maybe not.

**Yeah – THIS mindset drives me CRAAAZY: The Onion’s New Device, Old Device

They did it with cameras and it worked perfectly. If it’s environmentally friendly, then why not? The is a new idea proposed and it will probably takes years to become reality. Click below for the breakdown.

Je Sung Park when he says that disposable cameras and cell phones have gained acceptance, so why don’t we take the next step and bring out a disposable computer. His Recyclable Paper Laptop is quite a raw version and could do with some refinement. It uses recycled paper or pulp material all packed in layers.

I’M SURE THE VARIOUS COLORS WILL BE ADDED IN YEARS TO COME..

(Via: Yankodesign)

Before I gave birth to my baby, I had to make a decision on if I wanted to go with cloth diapers or disposable diapers.    I went with disposable diapers because that is easier for me.  However, let’s look over the advantages and disadvantages of cloth diapers/disposable diapers.

Cloth Diapers

Advantages

1. This is cost effective.  You either purchase a batch and launder yourself when they are soiled or you can use a diaper service which “rents” cloth diapers.  When I heard of this- I thought that was filthy and those germs could spread!  Actually- there are a strict standard for the professional cleaners specializing in diaper service that shows they are more cleaner than the ones that you launder yourself!
2. This is environment friendly since they would not fill up the landfill like disposable diapers.
3. This will not expose the baby to the chemicals like those found in disposable diapers.
4. This reduces the frequency of diaper rash because they do not “mask” wet diapers/soiled diapers.
5. “Breathable” which allows the baby to be cool and comfortable.
6. Last but not the least, helps with potty-training because the baby is more aware of being wet and is eager to try the toilet.

Disadvantages

1. Time-consuming for laundering.  Your best bet like I mentioned earlier is to use a diaper service (Be sure to ask how to store the diapers until pick-up day! Some may require you to wash off/rinse off the poop)
2. Keeping the dirty diapers in a contained area which will not contaminate other areas in the house.  You could use Diaper Genie to keep the dirt diapers in until time to wash to reduce the STENCH especially after the baby starts eating baby food- this is not something you would enjoy smelling daily.  I personally think that it is not safe to do this.  For me, I would be washing every night for this.

Disposable Diapers

Advantages

1. CONVENIENCE!  You can throw these away easily.
2. No laundering needed.
3. Does not leak like the cloth diapers

Disadvantages

1. You have to have diapers on hand- if you run out, you will have to drop everything and go to the store to get more diapers.  If using a diaper service, you would be able to order more of what you need on a weekly basis.
2. The cost is high for these.  You cannot control on how much pee/poop your baby which means some weeks you would use more then less in other weeks.
3. Fills up the landfill and possibly contaminate the groundwater.

When debating on what you would like to do- I recommend you contacting local diaper services and see the costs and compare that with the cost of diapers and see which is more convenient for you.   For those who experienced with cloth diapers- share your experience!  Myself and others would love to hear from you!

Here’s the link for some of the facts I got.  Source

Now, here’s an alternative if you are still stuck on which to choose from.  Thank you to Kim Enos for sharing this information- G diapers.  The diaper is washable cotton cloth with the refill inside that is plastic free- basically it is a combination of cloth and disposable diapers.  Here is the link- G Diapers .  I have not tried this yet but I am going to the store to buy some and try it out! I think that this one will be the FAD soon.

Order Prints

© 2009 Q44z, All Rights Reserved

Order Prints

© 2007 Q44z, All Rights Reserved

Promises are really important. In The Lord of the Rings Frodo Baggins takes on the grave responsibility to destroy the Ring of Power. The only place it can be destroyed is in the fires of Mount Doom where it was created.

To help Frodo along the way, a fellowship is created. It includes members from all the races of Middle Earth including Frodo’s friend and gardner, Samwise Gamgee. All through the journey, the fellowship faces danger. And it gets worse the closer to Mount Doom they travel. Frodo grows more worried about the safety of his friends and even the safety of the mission.

In a powerful scene at the end of the first part, Frodo makes the decision to quietly slip away and continue the rest of the journey on his own. So Frodo steps into a boat and quietly pushes away from the shore. Suddenly, down the hillside above the shore comes his friend Sam. He crashes through the branches shouting, “Frodo! Mr. Frodo!”

Frodo yells back “Go back, Sam! I’m going to Mordor alone!”

And I love what Sam says, “Of course you are, and I’m coming with you!” As he saying this, Sam continues toward Frodo splashing into the river up to his waist. Unfortunately, Sam can’t swim. He tries desperately to swim out to the boat, but he begins to sink beneath the water.

At the last moment, Frodo reaches down and grabs Sam, pulling him out of the water. Frodo looks at Sam as if to say: “Why would you risk your life attempting to swim out to me?”

And soaking wet, Sam confesses “I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise, ‘Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee’ And I don’t mean to.”

Sam kept his promise. He never left Frodo. All the way to Mount Doom Sam journeyed with Frodo. In fact, Sam is the one who keeps Frodo going and when Frodo can’t walk any farther, Sam is the one who carries him up the slopes of Mount Doom.

Sam was faithful to the promise he made. And I believe that is a striking example of our next fruit of the Spirit: faithfulness.

Like all the fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness has its roots in the very character of God. We see this plainly in the covenant promises God makes whether it’s with Noah and his family, with Abraham and Sarah or with Moses and Israel in the wilderness. Throughout Scripture we get a picture of God making promises and keeping promises.

The challenge for us is to see these familiar stories afresh. To really notice just how extraordinary they really are. This isn’t a god who gets the world going and then walks away. Scripture reveals a God who chooses to enter into a covenant relationship with a particular people in a specific time and place. And to be bound to that covenant forever. This is extraordinary stuff! God makes promise and keeps promises. Just like Sam, God is faithful to promises made.

I believe this faithfulness reveals God’s love. Once again we are confronted with the overlapping character of the Spirit’s fruit. Just as there is no precise point on the rainbow where red ends and orange begins, there isn’t always a tidy way to distinguish between one fruit and another. What we call God’s steadfast love cannot be neatly separated from God’s goodness, or God’s kindness or faithfulness. Faithfulness is not something added to God’s love. Faithfulness is a mark of God’s love. God loves with a faithful, steadfast love. God loves this way because this is who God is.

Faithfulness is part of God’s character. And even God can’t deny God’s own character. That’s what the writer of 2 Timothy was getting at in our passage today. It’s part of an early Christian hymn that affirms God’s faithfulness. Let me read it again: Read 2 Timothy 2:11-13

The line that should pop out to us is “he remains faithful for he cannot deny who he is.” Our God is a faithful God. As disciples, we are called to the same kind of faithfulness — that same kind of committed promise keeping no matter what happens.

I guess when I get to thinking about it, faithfulness isn’t the most exciting quality. It’s not poetic like love. Not bubbly like joy. Not heroic like peace or patience. Not sacrificial like kindness. But let me suggest that faithfulness is exactly what the Holy Spirit needs from us to develop these other character qualities. Faithfulness on our part provides the fertile soil in which the Spirit best grows other fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, and all the rest.

When I think of what faithfulness is all about I’m reminded of that famous line: “90 percent of success is just showing up.” Faithfulness shows up.  And, best of all, it stays. Faithfulness sticks around, even when it’s tough, even when everyone else says, “Bail out!” In the face of an uncertain future, faithfulness has the courage to make promises, and the strength to keep them.  Faithfulness hangs in there.

And that is a rare quality. We live in a world that values personal freedom, keeping our options open, not being tied down. Our culture seems deeply committed to being uncommitted. We like things disposable: disposable plates and eating utensils, disposable contacts and cameras. And, for some, disposable relationships – relationships we can easily dump if they take too much effort, if they outlive their usefulness.

Some employers today speak of “disposable workforces” consisting of part-time employees with low wages and no benefits, employees who can be easily dismissed if no longer needed. Some couples choose to live together and “keep their options open” rather than make binding promises in marriage Some Christians join a church and then when things don’t go the way they like they jump ship.

It would seem the unofficial motto of many people today is, “You’d better not count on me.” But faithfulness says just the opposite. Faithfulness says, “Count on me. I’m here today and I’ll be here tomorrow.” It may not be flashy or exciting. It may not be wildly popular. But faithfulness is what binds us together in our families and in our friendships and in our community. Durable, dependable faithfulness. We see that in the character of Sam. We experience it in our relationship with God. And hopefully, we witness it to the world in our daily lives.

Let me pray for us…

“goes to show u dun need to take photo’s from a $1000+ camera for ppl to like “

Dan Le

A shadowy figure floats among the lights

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.

— Henry David Thoreau

In “The New Untouchables “, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman argues that in this downwardly mobile economy there is no room for average. Extraordinary is what it takes to survive and thrive in the modern workplace.

I get that.

Yet for all my appreciation for education — I hold two degrees so I do, in fact, lean in favor of Friedman’s premise that education is key to American competitiveness — his education-as-a-panacea argument oversteps its reach.

Most strikingly, Friedman’s description of a successful “untouchable” American worker isn’t a portrait of educational endowment at all. Friedman’s favorite descriptors, instead, refer to personality attributes: entrepreneur (risk taker), creative (visionary), analytical (critical thinker), and persuasive (charismatic). The obvious problem with Friedman’s pin-the-tail-on-the-wrong-donkey premise is that temperament is inborn — teachers, let alone parents, cannot instill personality characteristics that are not there to begin with.

Friedman’s eagerness to finger the usual suspects — schools — also ignores six reasons why Americans are at a competitive disadvantage in the global era. Here we examine those realities, and the future these changing times have in store.

First, there are more of us occupying this country — and this planet at large — than ever before. At some point, the mathematics of population growth have to matter. The sheer number of people in today’s workforce suggests more and more people are competing for the same jobs even as we adopt more and more technology to displace human hands. That’s not a sign of a lack of education; it’s a sign that business owners comprehend that productivity gadgets and gizmos don’t require breaks, a salary or workers’ compensation.

It comes down to the numbers.

Second, I would argue the inverse in response to Friedman’s suggestion that there just isn’t enough talent to be had here in the States. Over the past 50-some years there are more colleges turning out more graduates on an annual basis than employers of the past had access to. Many foreign nationals, in fact, come to the US for higher education opportunities. On the flip side, there are only so many engineers, M.B.A.s, lawyers, scientists and the like universities can churn out before higher-end fields become saturated in much the same way low-end jobs are chalk full of contenders.

It’s no longer merely a question of whether there are clear winners and losers on the academic front.

Job scarcity is a threat, in part, because of the decades-long trend of mergers, acquisitions and a globalized labor pool. Consider: There are generally fewer than a dozen heavyweights in a given industry — everything from mainstream media to appliance manufacturing. This trend does not bode well for domestic job expansion. And if jobs aren’t available to begin with, it is tough to gain a competitive advantage even with above-average potential. So what we are seeing, in this author’s opinion, is an over-supply of talent.

But that doesn’t mean the proponents of Friedman’s dire self-fulfilling prophecy won’t get their wish.

With less competition in a given industry there is less demand for the eager young grads institutions of higher learning infuse into the job market each year. With shrinking demand and a greater supply of contenders, salaries may also take a nosedive. America at large may become competitively disadvantaged in the years ahead precisely because the “good jobs” of today are no longer perceived as a source of steady employment or adequate pay thereby diminishing American college students’ willingness to pursue them.

Already, the very cure that causes the “employment insecurity” disease is well underway: Calls for immigration reform permitting more foreign grads to take up permanent residence in the U.S. as a form of “insourced talent” are originating from Google, Microsoft and Susan Hockfield, MIT president and author of an October 19, 2009 Wall Street Journal opinion piece ironically titled “Immigrants Create Jobs and Win Nobels“.

Sure there are a lot of average people who aren’t cut out for the highest levels of business, government and academia. Just the same, there is also an ample supply of bright, talented American citizens who, for all their desirable qualifications and qualities, will nevertheless find themselves competing toe-to-toe against peers who are just as capable and “deserving” of a career break as they are.

Somebody has to lose.

Third, failure to thrive in this Brave New Economy isn’t always linked to failing schools, as Friedman argues. Good health is arguably the number one prerequisite to productivity. Healthcare is such a hot topic precisely because we cannot remain competitive if, as a country, businesses and individuals are increasingly diverting money out of the real economy just to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of healthcare.

Beyond that, few esoteric explanations matter when perfectly down-to-earth explanations suffice. When an individual charged with hiring decisions has too many promising applicants to choose from among, what assets wins out on the last round of interviews? That extra year or two of experience? Those additional GPA points? Or would it be more honest to conclude that it comes down to how well an applicant clicks with his or her interviewers? Hands-on experience, even a social or physical attribute — whatever it may be that fits a manager’s self-styled view of the proper candidate — is just as likely to make the deciding difference.

On the flip side of the coin, there is a perverse disincentive to hire the best qualified candidates. For one, they tend to be more experienced and/or highly educated, thereby commanding greater salaries. For another, few people in the position to do so hire individuals with the obvious capacity to perform so impressively that it will ultimately threaten their own job security. Friedman is right in the sense that education and talent ought to insulate Americans from the pitfalls of a failing global experiment.

Unfortunately, it does not.

Fourth, where one lives also figures largely into one’s ability to compete. Like the tough-luck stories that abound on the streets of Hollywood, those who flock to saturated markets — Los Angeles, New York, etc. — may, ironically, find fewer opportunities to leave a lasting, positive impression due to the sheer number of people in the area who are equally worthy of consideration. An over-supply of applicants for a given position, in turn, may make it more challenging for employers to select optimal talent vs. expedient talent. Translation? Being a big fish in a vast ocean still makes you a little fish. To argue, therefore, that education can somehow imbue success and that lack of it underlies a failure is a misnomer.

It’s impossible to underestimate the economics of supply and demand.

Fifth, it’s a mistake to assume that a Third World factory worker is more “competitive” as Todd Martin, former PepsiCo and Kraft Europe executive, suggests to Friedman. Third World workers come inexpensively, and that’s one competitive disadvantage that will only heighten the more educated the American workforce becomes. Why? Because talent doesn’t come cheaply — nor do the salaries of increasingly educated job seekers struggling to repay oppressive student loan debts as a direct result of their herculean efforts to rise head-and-shoulders above the crowd.

Getting noticed in an increasingly competitive job market only ups the ante — and the price tag of success.

Sixth, the assumption that Third World products are better made by virtue of their “efficiency” is also flawed. When frequent replacements and upgrades are factored into the cost of ownership, inexpensively manufactured Third World goods are, ironically, quite pricey. Case-in-point: In 2005 I replaced a 30-some-year-old GE refrigerator made in the US as well as an old but functioning washer and dryer. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t trade anything old and working for something new, sleek and modern. Why? Because the major appliances I purchased new in 2005 — all have had repeated major breakdowns requiring multiple service calls, dozens of hours on the phone, weeks waiting for parts.

Even when consumers spend top dollar, the manufacturing source and quality of today’s big-ticket items are often quite similar — with merely a change of window dressing to imply otherwise. That’s what happens when there are so many market consolidations that an appearance of choice is just that: little more than a dozen or so name badges owned, in truth, by the same handful of Big Players. It is almost laughable the degree to which consumers on complaint websites proclaim that they will never buy brand “X” again, only to unwittingly state that they intend to replace such-and-such item with brand “Y” — yet another brand or subsidiary of the very same company who manufactures brand X!

Market concentration doesn’t grow jobs any more reliably than it promotes healthy competition.

Sparing one another the hassle and headaches of poor quality goods isn’t the only reason to care, however. The build-it-to-last ethic of decades past was, perhaps, the ultimate expression of “Green“. Why? Because durable goods were seemingly less likely to break down, destined for a landfill in an absurdly short timeframe. By contrast, “planned obsolescence” is the new norm, with a trend of shrinking manufacturer warranties to attest to the low vote of confidence manufacturers assign to their own products. Longevity isn’t a valued trait in a disposable society, but if we really want to go Green perhaps we should rethink the “dept-trap consumerism” cheaply designed and manufactured products facilitate. Sadly, modern rhetoric would have us believe that pride in one’s workmanship — a refusal to sell junk to unsuspecting consumers — is “uncompetitive”.

All talk of going Green aside, standardized manufacturing processes have made it difficult to make the case that company “A” is making a better product than “B” or “C”. Consequently, the maxim “You get what you pay for” has never been more suspect. True, you may get more for your money, but that does not necessarily translate into significantly better quality. What differs most dramatically is the amount of money corporations throw into slick ad campaigns, and the perception consumers have of branding and value.

It would be one thing if high-end boutiques were selling products made by First World craftspeople with higher price tags thanks to First World production costs. But when both low-end retailers and high-end retailers are selling inexpensively made foreign goods, who, exactly, are they fooling? Fairly or not, Third World origination suggests that income and human rights disparities favor corporate bottom lines. In the Third World, after all, it is not uncommon for workers to be denied bathroom breaks, sick days, maternity leave and most of the other benefits and protections Americans consider “civilized”. It is not surprising, then, that workers are more productive when they spend most of their lives in the confines of a factory, fearful that their only other option is a life of abject poverty and/or prostitution.

In short, the Third World is the modern-day economic equivalent of the pre-Civil War Old South: a place for slave-like child and adult labor, often conducted under sweatshop conditions. As if that weren’t questionable enough, outsourcing trends pose an unacceptable risk to national security as well.

So how does all of this tie in?

Unless Americans are willing to stoop to similar lows to compete with workers abroad, it’s not possible to rationally conclude that education, talent or entrepreneurship on the part of American workers will level the economic playing field anytime soon. America’s competitive disadvantage, rather, speaks to corporate opportunism — and to the politicians in recent decades who have crafted immigration, economic, trade and taxation policies that have enabled such heavily skewed commerce to become the norm.

Moreover, if being properly educated, creative or analytical adequately described, as Friedman suggests, the entirety of American competitiveness, I suspect we would see fewer reckless gambles on Wall Street and more evidence of long-range thinkers putting the brakes on short-term gain (scams) in the lead up to the Great Recession. In the real world, however, the “right reasons” are not always the cause for getting ahead — or, conversely, for falling behind.

THE WAKE UP CALL

So why care whether or not a newspaper columnists gets it so wrong? Because generalizations and simplifications aren’t a starting point for progress. Economists are projecting a ~10 percent national unemployment rate that’s here to stay for the foreseeable future. That can only mean more bankruptcies, more foreclosures and a greater amount of “dead weight” on America’s ability to compete. Only by taking a long, hard look at the unvarnished truth do we have any hope of fingering the right culprits, crafting the right solutions and ultimately reviving Main Street before the American Dream becomes a distant memory of a bygone era.

Doing nothing is not an option.

If Middle Class wages continue to decline as we move further into the 21st Century, who will consume the products and services entrepreneurs on both sides of the oceanic divide offer? Will young Americans, contemplating the grimness of their economic future and/or the need for ever-more costly and impressive academic résumés opt for traditional marriage and family life — the nation’s greatest driver of new purchases, everything from strollers and diapers to single family homes and minivans? Should Main Street’s economic House of Cards continue to crumble, will Third World workers have their own Friedmans urging them to blame themselves when factory orders dwindle and the newly affluent in Asia and India begin to see their own hopes and dreams falter? Or will they see it — we see it — for what it is: globalized economic forces beyond any single individual’s immediate control?

As kind-hearted as sweatshop proponents paint it — that throwing out more life preservers will rescue Third World residents from a life of “primitive agriculture” — building more life preservers than boats is a plausible scenario. Economic growth, after all, relies on expansion. For much of the world’s history markets were local, national, then regional. Globalization isn’t a sure-fire path to success: It’s an experiment that presupposes that natural resources will support endless growth. And it begs a simple but profound question: What happens when all markets are tapped out?

Working and Middle Class people — the majority of us — may not be the most educated, creative or adequately prepared lot, to hear Friedman and his corporate pal, Todd Martin, hash it out. But that doesn’t change the reality that the American Middle Class must earn a living wage in order for the economy — ours and theirs — to thrive. Yet it is telling that in Louisiana, a state with fewer college grads to begin with, Curt Eysink, director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, indicates that there is an oversupply of degreed residents “we cannot employ” because job growth projections favor vocational trades and the service sector — primarily low-wage occupations such as ticket-takers, cashiers and customer service representatives that are not so prone to the insourcing/outsourcing phenomena.

Is this a sign of things to come?

Without the discretionary income Middle Class Joes and Janes inject into the marketplace, globalized economies may become relegated to a small percentage of elite income earners pitching their products and services to other elite individuals. This may be a recipe for modern-day feudalism, but it’s no way to protect and preserve the merits of free-market capitalism, let alone a profitable market share.

As dire as it all sounds, this isn’t about being pessimistic. Opening our collective eyes is the first step in defending what matters most: family, community, culture — the United States itself. If that means rethinking our definition of progress in the 21st Century sans the usual set of partisan blinders, so be it.

This is no time for subterfuge.

If Friedman wishes to talk about education, he ought to contemplate the wisdom no book learning apparently can impart in America’s best and brightest CEOs and newspaper columnists: The foresight to realize one’s employees/coworkers are also one’s customers/consumers. That means that success at the top of the economic pyramid is only as long-lived as the Middle Class foundation upon which it rests. Excuse it, deny it, defend it, ignore it: the race to the bottom is a very real risk when good intentions go too far.

It’s foolhardy — and a threat to democracy itself — for a transnational conglomerate, an economy, a nation, to conduct business using the lowest common denominator as a competitive yardstick. And yet, globalization promises to outsource gain even as it insources pain. At best, this implies that if and when international economic and trade equilibrium is achieved Third World laborers will nevertheless be unable to sustain the lifestyle Americans have taken for granted — if only by virtue of how thin finite natural resources are stretched — whereas Americans should anticipate “economic insecurity” as a way of life. That’s why Friedman and friends argue so passionately that being wildly successful — untouchable thanks to one’s creativity, innovativeness and education — is the only position of safety (familiarity). The rest of us, apparently, are destined for a mediocre economic melting pot in a neocapitalist New World Order.

Cliché though it may sound, the proactive response to an uncertain future is civic engagement: voting wisely with one’s ballot and one’s pocketbook in support the kind of economy one wishes to see. For if there’s any silver lining to this Great Recession, it’s in bringing an abstract global issue close enough to home that we can reach out, touch it — and change it.

It’s not too late.

###

Resources:

America Out of Work: Is Double-Digit Unemployment Here to Stay?/TIME

Obama Adviser Summers Rejects ‘New Normal’ of Slow U.S. Growth/Bloomberg

U.S. Job Seekers Exceed Openings by Record Ratio/NYT

Are You Prepared for a Jobs Depression?/ere.net

How Long will America Lead the World?/Newsweek

Cap and Trade Dementia/The American Spectator

Schools As Scapegoats/The American Prospect

Is it Time to Retrain Business Schools?/NYT

Go Global, Young Manager!/Financial Post

Is a College Degree Worthless?/MSN Money

Don’t Get That College Degree!/NY Post

Cat Gets GED: Why GPAs, Degrees and Job Titles May Be Worthless/ITBusinessEdge

Too Many Doctorates Chase Too Few Jobs/San Francisco Chronical

The Three-Year Solution/Newsweek

Asking for Student Loan Forgiveness/Businessweek

Middle Class Facing Decline in Expectations, Economic Power/Retail Traffic

21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness/PDF

Jay Mathews: Why I don’t Like 21st Century Reports/Washington Post

Friedman: U.S. Education System Endangering Global Competitiveness/Education Futures

A New Look at American Competitiveness/Entrepreneurship

The World’s New Superpower/Salon

The Almighty Renminbi?/NYT

The End of the Dollar Spells the Rise of a New Order/The Independent (UK)

China will Overtake America, the Only Question is When/The Independent (UK)

China’s Economy/Brookings Institution

Lax Oversight, Globalization Erode Product Safety/CNN

Technology Made to be Broken/CSMonitor

Appliance Anxiety — Replace It or Fix It?/NYT

Up until about two years ago, I was a paper towel junkie. I mean Hard Core. Every trip to BJ’s I’d but at least one of the large megaroll packs. Lasted me maybe three weeks if I was lucky. Not select a size, not cutsey prints. plain white Bounty Mega Roll at $30 – 40 monthly. Paper towels are still something I will not go generic on or switch to another brand. I’ve tried ‘em all and they all suck except my beloved Bounty.

I have 6 pets, a 55 gallon aquarium and two kids that make alot of messes, not to mention Tyler’s feeding tube and it’s almost constant leaking. I used way too many, pulling off a big wad of them instead of really thinking about how many I actually needed. It didn’t help that they are perforated in such a way that makes you pull off two instead of one!

Take a closer look at the perforations. Every other one has less cut area than the others. smart, but sneaky. I think they’re doing it with toilet paper now too.

anyway,

When I realized that I had a problem, and saw a way to shave an easy $20 off the grocery bill, I went out to Target and bought like 4 – 5 dozen cheap 100% cotton terry cloth wash cloths and a whole bunch of  hand towels. I already did a not so full laundry load of kitchen linens twice a week, so I figured this would fill up the load. It did, so very little extra work.

I used my big plastic spray bottle of Homemade All Purpose Cleaner (see blog entry Aromatherapy and the modern homemaker for recipe) and started willing myself to reach down to the kitchen linen drawer instead of up to the paper towels whenever I had to wipe the counter, sink, floor, etc. I actually left paper towels off the roll holder and the cleaning wipes off of the counter for a while so I would be forced to use a rag. I used the lower unused rung of my paper towel holder to hang a hand towel. It worked. In a few weeks, I was used to it so I put the paper towels back. I haven’t abused them since! I still use ‘em for really nasty stuff or if i’m feeling lazy and the laundry is not done, but I have cut down a lot. Financial savings, resource savings and less trash.

Realistically you do have to figure the cost vs convenience factor.

Paper towels are sooo easy, but their impact is huge because we use so many of them. From the fuel used to obtain and process the raw materials, the wood pulp that results, the bleaches we use to make them pretty white (Dioxins are Group 1 carcinogens), the energy & materials to create, package & distribute, and our taking them home & disposal, they leave quite a footprint.

Cotton rags and homemade cleaner have their ups like being cheap, effective, resource friendly, and reusable but they are more work! They have other downsides like cotton being one of the most pesticide dependent crops in the world and the residues can stay in the fabrics. They take water, detergent & time and it can be inconvenient to store dirties, wash & stuff them back in the drawer. I kinda gave up folding them, that’s a deal breaker for me, takes too much time, not like I’m wearing them, ya know?

This whole thing was so successful that since then I have been on a mission to replace most of our disposable type products with reusable ones. Simple stuff, like cloth napkins & placemats instead of paper, sandwich containers instead of foil or plastic, reusable water bottles (i luv my 1 liter ruby maharadsha sigg, it’s indestructable and freaking cute and it makes me drink more water because I can carry it easily with the loop) http://mysigg.com/ and not buying single prepackaged serving stuff anymore. I just buy big sizes and break them down into servings in my own containers. Not buying quick, boxed, bagged, frozen or instant stuff has been a lot cheaper & healthier too.

It also encouraged me to try a little more involved stuff like cloth diapers, which are better than disposables IMHO for many reasons, and,

***WARNING! TMI ALERT! WARNING!***

cloth menstrual pads and a moon cup menstrual cup – before you say eeewww and start puking all over the place, check out this link, http://www.gladrags.com/

I promise, if you are comfortable with your body, it’s not gross. What’s gross is the trash we generate every month, same deal as the cloth diapers. Blood is a biohazard just like poo is and it does not belong in landfill, not to mention all the packaging and trash it generates. I also find both cloth pads and the mooncup to be a lot more comfortable than tampons or crinkly disposable pads both usually bleached with the aforementioned dioxins. Nobody needs that next to their bidness.

I just got these products about three months ago. I wish I had gotten them a long time ago. They would be great for a family with a lot of girls because the cost savings could be huge.

*****TMI ALERT LIFTED, CONTINUE READING AS USUAL***********

Also composting. My plants thrive on this stuff and all it is is fruit & veg scraps & bunny litter. Pile it up and let it sit, mother nature does the work for you, and it breaks down into this rich dark crumbly stuff that plants love. Totally free and keeps all of that stuff out of the landfill too. Kinda satisfying to throw a bunch of stuff on the ground and let the worms, microbes and whatnot do their work. it’s an amazing transformation.

If all of this doesn’t convince you, take a trip to your local dump and watch the machines bury trash for a while. Where will we put it all?

Think about the sheer volume of waste we, as a society, produce.

Think about what percentage of that stuff could have been reused, composted or recycled.

Think about how much does not really even need to be there because of viable, reusable options.

Think about how much it stinks and how you can’t wait to get out of there

Every little bit counts!

So, If you’re looking for a good way to be frugal, simple and save some coin, you may want to consider trying to sub rags for paper towels. Your pocketbook and mother earth will thank you!

Tis a gift to be simple…

Shine On!

I am seeing more and more positive feedback since my first article about how I quit tobacco while using an electronic cigarette. Other e-cigarette smokers seem eager to share their experiences too. Apart from poor quality copies and some brands using inferior batteries most electronic cigarette reviews have been good.

From a vapor (e-cigarette) smoker

I love using my e-cig. I quit tobacco (analog) cigarettes within a week of buying my electronic cigarette. It has saved me £100’s of pounds since swapping and I get the benefit of smoking without making everyone else breath tobacco smoke because there is no passive smoke from the e-cig.

I have the VIP003 starter kit and usually keep a VIPDIS001 Disposable Electronic Cigarette for emergencies. I bought mine direct from www.vipelectroniccigarette.co.uk even though I could get them locally. My local market did sell these but they were over double the price. I use the high strength tobacco flavored cartridges and personally think they are far smoother tasting than real cigarettes. Cartridges cost around £10 for 10. Just 1 cartridge provides around 10-15 regular smokes.