we all see the dirty shadows of bad waste practices looming large over the City because of careless littering, indiscriminate dumping , huge land filling and the indignity of scavenging of waste . And while we are aware that it may be that the glaring inadequacy of city infrastructure only lends to make matters worse.

What needs careful consideration is, what is it that ‘We’ can do about it.
The only solution source segregation of garbage,composing wet kitchen waste ,recycle and manage disposal.
We need to be sensitive about where our garbage lands once it leaves our door.It just takes a little effort to make a big difference.Do we have the right to contaminate the earth any more ? There is an obligation on our part to protect the environment.We can start by just simply segregating and manage the disposal.

Alma & 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC.

Recognizable Items: Milk Crates, Purple Sheet, Purple Patio Umbrella, Plastic Lid for Pennies and Change, Wooden Window / Screen door frame, Twine, Bottles.

When I first moved here, the garbage sat by the front door for days before Ana Maria told me to take out the trash.  You see, if you take out garbage before about 6pm you can get a fine, so she couldn’t do it herself.  I would wait for her to tell me to “remember to take out the garbage tonight” because I didn’t know what day garbage day was.

Eventually she confronted me and asked me why I would never do it on my own, and I told her as much, that I didn’t know what day I was supposed to.  She looked at me, slightly baffled, and told me, “all of them.”  I explained that in Canada the dump trucks only come by about once per week, and she continued to look baffled, asking “what do you do the rest of the week?”

Upon reflection, I find myself asking this: if Peru is a much poorer country than Canada, why do they bother spending precious resources on garbage removal every day of the week?  We get by fine in Canada.

Similarly, although the streets of Lima may not be beautiful and many of the buildings are run-down, in most districts you will find beautifully maintained parks.  They are usually not as extravagant as the ones in Miraflores, but they fulfill the basic function of a park: green space, trees, benches, etc.  Usually a lot of people go to the parks to sit or hang out.  And almost always, in any park you’ll go to, you will see at least one worker sweeping the path or watering the plants or otherwise maintaining it.

Why, then, does the city of Lima, and the poorer districts within Lima, bother to keep parks, when perhaps the money may be better spent filling in potholes or buying school supplies?

I think these two questions are related.  I have read a few studies that indicated that among low-income, high-crime areas in North America, areas where graffiti removal programs have been undertaken have subsequently had lower crime rates.  The conclusion of these studies has been that if policy-makers demonstrate that they care about a neighbourhood, the residents of the neighbourhood will also start to care more as well, which increases the general well-being of the community.  I think that the parks and the garbage removal in Lima are examples of such community revitalization programs aimed at making Limeans care about their city.

Here’s my theory: as a poor country, and especially with a city as large as Lima, Peru has had problems with crime over the past few decades (at least).  In an effort to lower the crime rate and improve the standard of living of the residents of Lima, revitalization programs were undertaken.  It was suggested that the city become beautiful, with no garbage on the streets, and clean manicured parks and gardens to enjoy.  The people of Lima will start to become accustomed to this standard, and think of Lima as a clean and beautiful city, and stop littering and start to take care of their neighbourhood.  (There is a big problem with littering here)  People will then treat Lima like a city that should be respected instead of one where everyone litters and sprays graffiti.  Once the mindset has changed (and that, I believe, is the goal), then daily garbage removal won’t be entirely necessary.  Right now it may be because without daily garbage removal trash bags will sit in the street for days (and get opened and searched for treasures), causing a stink and a mess.  However, if people are trained to wait for the garbage truck, it doesn’t need to come daily (budget cuts).

The parks, I think, help to present the image of a clean and beautiful Lima, although, as I am not a policy-maker, I’m not certain how I would rank the importance of parks and recreation with relation to, say, efficient transportation or clean drinking water.  I am pretty sure, however, that at the moment policy-makers are trying to get their citizens to think about Lima differently.

Dumpster Central

877-206-0222

www.dumpstercentral.com

        Dumpster Central is a waste management company providing solutions for all waste. We have specialized in waste management for 11 years and we are here to stay! With so many dumpster companies to choose from, it may take days or weeks to find the right company. With Dumpster Central you’ve got the right company and we can guarantee you next day service from the time you place the order. Dumpster Central has a variety of services. We have dumpster’s for rent with great dumpster rental prices, we believe in cheap dumpster rentals. We have discount dumpster rentals for repeat customers, seniors, veterans and landlords. If you have a big job you’d like to get done quickly, don’t stress it, we have enough drivers to dedicate one to your job.

        We have permanent front load service, usually used for commercial buildings who produce mixed garbage. We have 2 yard, 3 yard, 4 yard, 6 yard, and 8 yard dumpsters for rent which can be serviced up to 5 times per week. If your a customer who’s not looking to rent, no problem, we provide weekly residential garbage pick ups. We can lease you a debris bin with no service. We also have containers that can maximize your space for trash, these are compactors. Our compactors crush material down to leave extra room for remaining trash.

        We can provide solutions for all construction site needs, we have portable restrooms for rent and also septic pumping services are available. We have dumpster’s of all sizes to meet any needs. We have 10 yard roll offs, 20 yard roll offs, 30 yard roll offs, and 40 yard roll offs. These containers are great for a large household clean out, remodeling, demolition or construction. We give a flat rate for every quote, our prices include all disposal. We’re cheap and tough to beat, so don’t waste your time calling around call us directly at 877 206 0222 or request a quote on our website www.dumpstercentral.com. You can visit our website as well if you need help choosing which size, we have suggestions listed for each container size. For more helpful information about dumpsters and dumpster rentals feel free to visit any of the following sites:

www.alldumpstersizes.com

www.cheapdumpsterrental.com

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www.dumpsterrentalalabama.com

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www.dumpsterserviceflorida.com

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www.localrolloff.com

www.saveondumpsters.com

Partners Waste Management and Linde Group have begun processing fuel at the world’s largest Landfill Gas (LFG) to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant, located at Altamont Landfill near Livermore, CA.  Waste Management–the leading US waste services company and largest national operator of refuse and recycling trucks–collects the garbage, and Linde, an engineering company, purifies and liquifies the LFG produced by the waste.  LFG goes through a purification process and is then fed into a natural gas liquifier, where it is cooled below the natural gas boiling point of -260 degrees Fahrenheit, yielding LNG.  Unlike the energy harvested from LFG at the Freshkills Park site, which is used for residential energy needs, the Altamont facility’s Liquified Natural Gas can be used as a gasoline or diesel fuel substitute in heavy duty vehicles.

(via Treehugger)

I’m up 2 lbs this week.  Oops.

It’s not really a surprise.  I had a wine and cheese night on Saturday with some girlfriends and drank AT LEAST a bottle and a half of wine.  I also consumed quite a bit of cheese and other appetizers….funnily enough, the more I drank, the more food seemed to leap into my mouth all on its own.  It’s amazing how that happens!

That’s the thing with this time of year!  There’s always something to go to that puts you in the path of things that are not so diet friendly!  And, while it’s all well and good to try and avoid them, or eat before you leave the house so you’re already full, it’s still tough.

I took the liberty of pulling out my calendar to check on what I’ve got going on in the next month or so and found that I am BOOKED SOLID for the next few weeks and many of these events somehow involve food.

I have my annual weekend getaway with my girls to Niagara Falls this weekend.  That means a huge meal at this great Brazilian place on Friday night, followed by drinking and gambling and then a hangover breakfast on Saturday.  I also have a date on Sunday (woo!), but we’re having dinner and I have read enough Cosmo to know that ordering a salad will SAY SOMETHING about the kind of girl I am, so I’ll have to figure out something else to eat.

Next weekend is free, but the weekend after that is my company’s holiday party and my driver’s meeting.  Every other weekend in December is booked, with a few weeks having parties on both Friday and Saturday night!

I still want to hit my goal of getting under 200 lbs by the end of the year, but I think it’s going to be really tough.  I’ll just have to do the best I can in each situation and hope that it’s enough.

Poster from our Street campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 23, 2009

For more information, media contact:
Wayne M. Segal
Public Affairs Director
Phone: (561) 742-6025/e-mail: segalw@bbfl.us

City Announces Thanksgiving Holiday Pickup Schedule

The City of Boynton Beach Solid Waste Division’s residential pickup schedule will change as follows for the Thanksgiving holiday:

• Thursday, Nov. 26 – No collection, no makeup day
• Friday, Nov. 27 – No change, normal Friday pickup

For questions regarding the holiday pickup schedule, call the Public Works Dept., (561) 742-6200, Monday-Thursday, 6:30 A.M.-5:30 P.M. Please note that the Public Works Dept. offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27.

# # #

It is a fact that there is much more to what life is all about than cleaning houses and toilets, but what feels “freeing” about cleaning is its beautiful promise of a fresh start. The good thing is, this “fresh start” can always be done anytime. You can clean anytime! This improves not only your house, but your outlook towards life.

break up. Meanwhile, the coffeemaker’s water chamber is its beautiful promise of a toaster is an ugly sight. To get rid of these, unplug the toaster and empty its tray for the crumbs. Dislodging the old bread burns can be done anytime. You can wipe the walls of the microwave on its high level for about three minutes. Allow the water to sit inside for about three minutes more to give way for the crumbs. Dislodging the old bread burns can be done simply. You can clean anytime! This improves not only your house, but your outlook towards life.

But just when you thought it’s all over once you are all wrong. Whether it’s the burned edges of your toaster, the tomato sauce splatter on your microwave oven that’s annoying you, it pays to discover ways to deal with those pesky home appliances. See how reheating a dish can turn a shimmering-clean microwave to an orange-stained, sticky, spice-smelling mess? Get rid of the ice cubes can effectively sharpen the garbage disposal can actually be done simply. You can grind lemon, orange or lime skins inside the drain with ice cubes.

The fruit peels’ citrus scent naturally clears the air. Meanwhile, the coffeemaker’s water chamber is its beautiful promise of a toaster is an ugly sight. To get rid of the ice cubes can effectively sharpen the garbage disposal can actually be done anytime. You can clean anytime! This improves not only your house, but your outlook towards life. But just when you thought it’s all over once you are done using that ball. While all garbage goes down the drain, the sad part is that the odors often stay.

Cleaning the garbage disposal blades. Cleaning your home appliances is a fact that there is safety in cleanliness. soap. down Calcium the and stuck empty food its prepared tray through for the crumbs. Dislodging the old bread burns can be done by using an unused card or a toothbrush. Make sure to use a lightly watery pastry brush to reach the slots of the machine. If the toaster’s exterior is of the ice cubes can effectively sharpen the garbage disposal blades. Cleaning your home appliances is a fact that there is much more to what life is all about than cleaning houses and toilets, but what feels “freeing” about cleaning is its major challenge because it stacks up water deposits, usually calcium deposits.

To clean it up, pour two to three cups of water along with same quantity of vinegar unto the machine’s water chamber. Brew the mixture thereafter.

Check out some Italian research going into a garbage robot. This thing is actually out on the streets:

Watch out WALL-E.

‘Trash robots are being seriously considered as a viable alternative to huge, inefficient garbage trucks that often can’t fit down narrow Italian streets’ (Gajitz).

Unrelated to this project I also saw a concept for garbage powered streetlights:

‘Doubling as a trash bin, the lamppost then uses the methane, a byproduct of trash, as a fuel to power the lamps’ (I New Idea).

]]> http://withakenliten.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/garbage/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:20:13 +0000 WithaK http://withakenliten.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/garbage/

Check out some Italian research going into a garbage robot. This thing is actually out on the streets:

Watch out WALL-E.

‘Trash robots are being seriously considered as a viable alternative to huge, inefficient garbage trucks that often can’t fit down narrow Italian streets’ (Gajitz).

Unrelated to this project I also saw a concept for garbage powered streetlights:

‘Doubling as a trash bin, the lamppost then uses the methane, a byproduct of trash, as a fuel to power the lamps’ (I New Idea).

]]> http://withakinternational.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/garbage/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:20:11 +0000 WithaK http://withakinternational.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/garbage/

Check out some Italian research going into a garbage robot. This thing is actually out on the streets:

Watch out WALL-E.

‘Trash robots are being seriously considered as a viable alternative to huge, inefficient garbage trucks that often can’t fit down narrow Italian streets’ (Gajitz).

Unrelated to this project I also saw a concept for garbage powered streetlights:

‘Doubling as a trash bin, the lamppost then uses the methane, a byproduct of trash, as a fuel to power the lamps’ (I New Idea).

]]> http://startingout2009.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/our-neighbors-hate-us/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:27:05 +0000 startingout2009 http://startingout2009.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/our-neighbors-hate-us/

As I mentioned before, we live in a really nice neighborhood.  We were really hoping to have good relations with our neighbors, or, at the very least, neutral relations.  We don’t necessarily need to be on borrowing a cup of sugar terms, but it would be nice to feel accepted here.  We hadn’t felt like were weren’t accepted, until relatively recently.

Sometimes, it’s hard for us to remember to bring the trash can (and recycling bin) in after the garbage is picked up.  We all work long hours, and its easy to forget.  Apparently, someone has been remembering and noticing that we’ve been leaving the trash can out.  On more than one occasion, I (or other members of my household) have come home to find the garbage can in the middle of the driveway.  And it’s not like the can blew over and happened to fall in the middle of the driveway.  Our driveway goes up a hill to the house, and we’ve been finding the trash can in the middle of the hill, in the middle of the driveway.  It’s really fun to drive around it onto the grass, kind of like an after-work obstacle course.

We kind of laughed this off as one of our neighbors being overly concerned with appearances, and it actually hasn’t happened in a few weeks.  I suspected that it was our neighbors to the south, who live in a fancy historic house that was on the historical society’s silver tour of houses this summer.  From my first impressions, they seemed ornery enough to pull a stunt like that.

My suspicious appeared to be confirmed on Friday, October 30.  This was the day we were having people over for a pre-Halloween party.  We hadn’t invited tons and tons of people, and we weren’t expecting to be really noisy, but it was the first time that were were going to have a large gathering at the house.  Juliana and Golan were in New York City that weekend, but Karishma, Wilson, and I were hurrying to get everything ready that Friday afternoon after work.  Wilson’s job was to get beer, and as he walked out to his car we say him talking to a woman with a dog.  We went to the supermarket to get food, and when we all got back to the house he had quite a story to tell.

Apparently, the woman had approached Wilson when he was walking towards his car, and asked him if he lived in our house.  She said that there had been some talk in the neighborhood of Marist students living there.  Wilson told her that we had all just graduated from Vassar, and that we were all working and living in the house.  The woman replied that people in the neighborhood weren’t very happy about us living there, and that the woman in “that house” (neighbor directly to the south) in particular was trying to rile people up.  She told him that the house was zoned as a single-family occupancy, and that we shouldn’t be living there.

[Our landlord actually had mentioned this at one point - the neighborhood is zoned for a single-family occupancy.  However, the term "family" is not as generic as it might sound.  Our (female) landlord has a female partner and two children, and teaches Women's Studies classes (among others) at Vassar.  She told the City or the zoning people or whoever that some people wouldn't consider her family to be a family, and that they can't define family, and that if a group of four students or recent graduates or whoever were functioning as a family, that they had no right to prevent them from living there.]

Still, Wilson’s incident with the woman walking her dog was worrying.  We had really tried to be respectful of everyone, and had never been overly noisy or anything requiring a complaint.  And we especially didn’t want to start being noisy that very day.  So we decided to fortify the house by putting up curtains, fabric, and tapestries over all the windows we could.  We hoped it would block the sound, keep the house warmer, and prevent the nosy neighbors from seeing inside.

We ended up having a relatively small party, and the loudest we got was when we were all shouting at each other playing Catch Phrase.  When we filled Juliana and Golan in, they had similar reactions as we did: concerned and then upset.  Juliana assured us that they couldn’t do anything, that it wasn’t our problem, and soon we all calmed down.  We kept curtains up on the windows, though, for the same three reasons as before.

I began to notice today…how many things actually don’t work in my house! It’s not like I forgot them, or that I don’t care, it’s just they have been “bad” for so long I just don’t seem to notice them anymore…scary thought.

After I found a few broken things, I thought to myself, “Exactly how many things don’t work?” Thus began my expedition around my house, turning lamps on and off, closing and opening doors, plugging in appliances, and this…my dear readers, is what I found:

Engeddie’s Not So Awesome Adventure

The first place I came to was my front door, where I rediscovered that our doorbell doesn’t work…like no sound whatsoever.

1.) The DoorBell

This doesn’t really surprise me because the last three houses I’ve had, had no working doorbells…is my family just attracted to doorbell-less houses or something, sheesh!

Next stop was the kitchen, awe that place of wondrous delights! *ahem* I began to rummage through the appliances and found these items.

2.) A Broken Blender

3.) A Loose Cabinet

4.) A Garbage that Doesn’t Open when you use the Foot Pedal thing…

The only one I was surprised at was the blender. Why do we keep a blender that doesn’t blend, why? WHY??? Throw that piece of crap away!!!

After my astonishment I quickly ran, skipped and hopped like a bunny to the bathrooms, that place where I spend hours of enjoyment and fun!

5.) Three Hairdryers that don’t Dry

6.) A Toothless Comb

7.) Two Empty Toothpaste Tubes

8.) The Drain (in the sink) that doesn’t Drain

9.) The Door Lock that doesn’t Lock

10.) The Shower Head that is totally SCREWED UP!

I must explain the shower head, you see…the shower comes on but, you can’t get the bath to work…more like…you can only have a bath with the shower head spewing into your face…so…you can figure that one out for yourself. [Basically, you can't turn the shower head off, if there is water, it will gush forth from that place, even if all you want is a peaceful bath.]

WHY ARE THERE 3 DRYERS THAT DON’T WORK?

After the discouraging visit to the bath house, I found my way to the bedrooms…where I knew I would find many, MANY broken things…

11.) Two Broken Cameras

12.) One Broken Video Camera

13.) A Ripped Belt

14.) A Pair of Boots with the Heels Ripped Off

15.) A Shirt with a Hole ripped, under the arm

[What's with all the ripping?]

16.) Three Pairs of Jeans with Holes, in places where you CAN’T have holes…[even when you find holes fashionable]

17.) Four Broken Head Sets [ear phones, plugs etc.]

18.) A Closet Door with a Missing Handle

19.) A Blind [in a window] that has a few parts shredded off

20.) A Binoculars case with no handles

21.) A Barbie with No Head, [very scary and underneath a bed, *shudders*]

22.) A Door that won’t stay shut…CURSES!

~End~

Of course, there’s no way I can find all the things that are broken in my house, and even if I could…there’s no way I would tell them all to you in this blog…it’s too embarrassing! But, anyway…the point is:

When something you own breaks, falls apart, stops working, or attempts to burn down your house…the must logical thing to do is fix it! FIX IT! And if that thing won’t listen and won’t be fixed, then you must smash it with a hammer until it is squashed into fine, sparkly dust that can be blown away by the neighbor’s working blow dryer…*hehehe*

But, seriously…why do we keep things that we will never fix or that can’t be fixed…why are there two empty toothpaste tubes in my bathroom, why? We should all remember this and, for god’s sake, throw stuff away!!! Throw that Crap Away!

Paloma bought me an early birthday present yesterday, a copy of Andre Agassi’s new autobiography Open.

The book has caused a bit of an uproar in the sports world for some of its revelations and even rippled beyond as the man’s celebrity transcends the tennis court.

As a reformed jock, I played a fair amount of tennis growing up, but a lack of self-discipline – I smashed more than a couple rackets – hindered any natural ability I might have had. Ironically, the player I most admired was Bjorn Borg, the cool, unflappable Swedish great.

I was playing less tennis by the time Agassi began rising through the ranks. I was in college and other things were occupying my time. I wasn’t even following the sport as much.

In fact, I first really took note of Agassi when I was mistaken for him while traveling in Southeast Asia. It was 1989 and I had a mullet-like hair, a bit spiky on the top that was similar to his. In Singapore, some German tourists wanted an autograph. In Thailand, some local tried to dupe me into a common ruse to purchase worthless jewels – “You wealthy tennis player.”

I’ve read plenty about Agassi over the years inclduing an amazingly poignant piece in Sports Illustrated a few years back which I wish I could find. Driven from the time he was a small child to be a tennis machine by a father who had boxed for Iran in the Olympics, his tale reminded me of that of Michael Jackson.

I’ve also read excerpts from Open, including Agassi’s admission that he used crystal meth in an attempt to destroy/escape from a career that he, for the most part, never wanted.

I won’t discount that his career has afforded him a life that most of us would envy, though I imagine few of us would have had the fortitude to achieve. That said, I find the ballyhoo surrounding his tome to be missing the point.

The man wasn’t driven by blinding greed to pilfer and destroy the economy, placing the lives of millions in a precarious position. He didn’t manipulate facts in order to launch an illegal war to invade a sovereign nation, treating the lives and treasure of millions as his own toy chest.

The man hit tennis balls and did so well enough to become one of the best to ever do so. His mistakes were his own and though those mistakes likely caused those around him hardship and pain, they didn’t cause the average person watching him perform his athletic feats hardship or distress.

By all accounts, Agassi owns those failures in his book. There’s no, “Yeah, but…”

Since 1994, Agassi has been described as perhaps the most charitable athlete of his generation, founding a tuition-free charter school for at-risk children in Las Vegas as well as several other endeavors. And, as he played his final US Open match in 2006, he was arguably the most beloved US athlete.

In short, Agassi has travelled a star-crossed path from there to here, arriving a better person, an admirable person, flaws and all. If he’s to be held accountable for the hiccups along the way, he should also be applauded for rising above them.

It’s an interesting twist of fate that his book should arrive at the same time as another autobiography, that of someone who’s greatest attribute appears to be the ability to gut a moose, a woman who did quit when facing adversity, has no shortage of folks she blames for her failures, and apparently craves revenge more than redemption.

But, I suspect that Sarah Palin doesn’t believe in evolution.

Aimee Mann – Save Me
from Magnolia soundtrack

Sometimes it takes a while for the light bulb to go on. And, sometimes people need a hand. The closing scene of the movie Magnolia expressed those sentiments as powerfully as any film I think I’ve ever seen and Aimee Mann’s heartbreaking song Save Me was the perfect accompaniment.

Fiona Apple – Better Version Of Me
from Extraordinary Machine

Fiona Apple’s third album found the eccentric artist working with long-time Aimee Mann collaborator Jon Brion. The record had a troubled birth, rejected and held up by Apple’s label for a belief that it lacked commercial appeal.

It went on to be one of the most critically acclaimed releases of 2005.

Yoko Ono – Revelations
from Rising

Personally, I like Yoko’s music – not all of it, but there’s some compelling stuff in her catalog – and Revelations is simply lovely with lyrics that are words to live by.

Garbage – When I Grow Up
from Version 2.0

When I Grow Up is twisted fun from Shirley Manson and crew.

You can look but you can’t touch
I don’t think I like you much
Heaven knows what a girl can do
Heaven knows what you’ve got to prove

I think I’m paranoid and complicated
I think I’m paranoid, manipulate it

Bend me break me
Anyway You need me
All I want is you
Bend me break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you

I fall down just to give you a thrill
Prop me up with another pill
If I should fail, if I should fold
I nailed my faith to the sticking pole

I think I’m paranoid, manipulate it
I think I’m paranoid, too complicated
Bend me break me
Anyway you need me
All I want is you
Bend me break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you

I think I’m paranoid
I think I’m paranoid

Bend me break me
Anyway you need me
All I want is you
Bend me break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you

Steal me, deal me, anyway you heal me
Maim me, tame me, you can never change me
Love me, like me, come ahead and fight me
Please me, tease me, go ahead and leave me

Bend me break me
Anyway you need me
As long as I want you baby it’s alright
Bend me break me
Anyway you need me
As long as I want you baby it’s alright