i haven't put too much thought into my list but here are a couple things (besides the usual suspects:
- go to spain to eat tapas and see gaudi
- get a pixi cut or shave head entirely
- go skydiving, cliff diving, scuba diving, or snorkeling
- learn how to knit / crochet, use a potter's wheel, solder correctly, or weld
- make my own jam
- learn archery, rock climbing, knife-throwing, or how to throw a javelin
- at least once, watch all the current best picture nominations for an oscar
- more spelunking! ...well, more walking through caves anyway
- on a windmill tour (like this one)
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
beardie
i never fail to be anything less than waaaaay impressed when i visit etsy.com. so rather than simply moon about it to myself and favorite things, i'm going to start putting them up on my site.
a few months ago i was a bit obsessed with breads. yarn beards. soooo cute!
a few months ago i was a bit obsessed with breads. yarn beards. soooo cute!
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| etsy store: i made you a beard felt beards ~$18 yarn beards $40 |
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| etsy store: delicious beards child beards $15 adult beards $25-30 |
Friday, December 24, 2010
fix the clones
51% americans think it's more likely scientists will clone dinosaurs in their lifetime than congress will fix social security - newsweek
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
save the rain!
a few months ago there was an article in the la times about resources conservation that mentioned rainwater harvesting (i know it's big in some australian communities, but know nothing about it stateside). i did some quick research and here's a short summary: for homes in the burbs, there are two main kinds of simple rainwater collecting: one that stems from your rain gutters, and the other really low tech way of regular plastic barrels with large openings on top. seeing as how it does rain much is so cal, the rain gutter way is the more practical and efficient way. for more info about the gutter way, including a pictorial how-to go here.
i seem to remember hearing that even during the rainy season, california is always suffering a drought. but with all the rain lately (it's rained like a week straight! and it isn't really intermittent either; it's all day long), i wonder if we (the govt, that is) are doing anything to try to hold onto the rain water.
i couldn't find any answers for that, but i did find out from the california energy commission website that "Energy represents the largest controllable cost of providing water or wastewater services to the public. California water and wastewater agencies spend more than $500 million each year on energy costs. [their italics and bold]" i also read on the national resources defense council website that "The California State Water Project is the largest single user of energy in California. In the process of delivering water from the San Francisco Bay-Delta to Southern California, the project uses 2 to 3 percent of all electricity consumed in the state."
i get that $500million a year isn't that much when compared to the rest of california's yearly budget. i also get that 2-3% is hardly anything at all. but we could be spending this money and energy on other things, no? and seeing as how southern california's rainy season is especially short you'd think we'd be trying to retain as much water as we could when we actually got it for free!
i seem to remember hearing that even during the rainy season, california is always suffering a drought. but with all the rain lately (it's rained like a week straight! and it isn't really intermittent either; it's all day long), i wonder if we (the govt, that is) are doing anything to try to hold onto the rain water.
i couldn't find any answers for that, but i did find out from the california energy commission website that "Energy represents the largest controllable cost of providing water or wastewater services to the public. California water and wastewater agencies spend more than $500 million each year on energy costs. [their italics and bold]" i also read on the national resources defense council website that "The California State Water Project is the largest single user of energy in California. In the process of delivering water from the San Francisco Bay-Delta to Southern California, the project uses 2 to 3 percent of all electricity consumed in the state."
i get that $500million a year isn't that much when compared to the rest of california's yearly budget. i also get that 2-3% is hardly anything at all. but we could be spending this money and energy on other things, no? and seeing as how southern california's rainy season is especially short you'd think we'd be trying to retain as much water as we could when we actually got it for free!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
drive tips
a friend of mind is organizing a food drive and asked me to help. and while looking up donation drop-off locations, i came across this tip sheet on how to effectively organize a successful food drive. this is the third drive i've helped organize so i've edited / added a few things so if you do a small drive of any kind (food, shoes, clothes...), hopefully this list will help. (i haven't done any large community drives so this tip sheet is missing a lot of info for that. but these basics should still hold.)
"Market" through your work, church, sports team... – This way you already have a good pool of people and you can have get in on the weekly announcements or emails already being sent out.
But if you go through your work, church, sports team... make sure you ask the higher ups for permission first! – It's unlikely your boss will say no to a food drive, but it's possible your company is already working on one. Even if there are no conflicts of interest, it's good to get your superiors involved. Besides, they can network to other departments as well.
During the drive
Have informative promotional materials – Make it clear which charity you'll be contributing to, include a list of most wanted items, provide a website or flier so people can learn more about the issue. Also encourage financial contributions for those who don't have material goods to donate.
Place your donation boxes and
After the drive
Before the drive
Do research – not every food bank (or whatever) is the same, i.e. they don’t all need the same stuff.
Do research – not every food bank (or whatever) is the same, i.e. they don’t all need the same stuff.
Contact the organization for tips and other information – your contact person may give you different information than what’s on their website. For instance, when I emailed soles4souls, my contact said that shoes in any condition were okay, but their website specified “gently used shoes.”
Determine the start date and duration of your drive – a shorter length is generally better, otherwise people will keep holding off on donations.
Set a goal – this will help you decide how much to publicize and how long to run it.
Get containers – a lot of organizations will provide them for you.
Consider a theme – example: Valentine's day - Give from the Heart
"Market" through your work, church, sports team... – This way you already have a good pool of people and you can have get in on the weekly announcements or emails already being sent out.
But if you go through your work, church, sports team... make sure you ask the higher ups for permission first! – It's unlikely your boss will say no to a food drive, but it's possible your company is already working on one. Even if there are no conflicts of interest, it's good to get your superiors involved. Besides, they can network to other departments as well.
During the drive
Have informative promotional materials – Make it clear which charity you'll be contributing to, include a list of most wanted items, provide a website or flier so people can learn more about the issue. Also encourage financial contributions for those who don't have material goods to donate.
Place your donation boxes and
After the drive
Remember to send out a thank you (email, poster, flier), which should include final results and how to help in the future.
Encourage other to help package everything up - A lot of people would like to see your project through, so let them.
Let your charity know how much you collected and when you are dropping it off or shipping it in so that they will be expecting you.
Encourage other to help package everything up - A lot of people would like to see your project through, so let them.
Let your charity know how much you collected and when you are dropping it off or shipping it in so that they will be expecting you.
Monday, December 13, 2010
efficiency (other stuff)
other simple ways make your "footprint" smaller:
- don't use disposible razors & use re-chargeable batteries
these are too obvious to explain!
- don't use plastic tampons
why plastic is even an option! cardboard biodegrades much faster and while it may be less "smooth" but unless you're doing it wrong, even with cardboard you'll never get a papercut. an even better option than tampons / pads is a mooncup; buy it only once and you can use it for the rest of aunt flo's life!
- use smarter toilet paper smarter
two smarters but at least four ways to save! unless you had an accident, you won't need a fistful of tp, so use as little as you need. you go several times a day, so that one or two extra squares really adds up. be sure to buy tp containing as much post-consumer product as possible; it's the 21st century, so green doesn't have to mean scratchy. and even awesomer, scott now offers a tube-free roll which doesn't have the cardboard tube in the middle. another option is to buy bleach-free tp. our tp is normally whitened using chlorine in not the most environmentally friendly processes. so be sure to get (starting with most environmentally friendly): unbleached, processed chlorine free (pcf) or totally chorline free (tcf). tp that is elemental chlorine free (ecf) or stuff using chlorine gas is no good! (source)
- get the largest size you can
if you're going to finish it anyway, why get little bottles? getting shampoo (toothpaste, cereal, detergent...) in the larger size means you'll cut down on packaging. but also you'll save $ since it's generally cheaper to get the large size , and even if not, you save on not having to drive back to the store so frequently.
and while the tsa only permits 3fl oz or less per item for your carry-on, that doesn't mean you can only buy that size. get it once and re-fill it with your regular product later. this is esp important because even when the bottles are recyclable, the sorting machines normally miss them cause they're too small. in other words, recyclable or not, most little containers end up in landfills!
- always decline extra packaging
if you're picking up only a couple things, why get a bag? or if you've already got one bag, why get another? this also means you can avoid other shoppers' dirty looks when you blunder into them with all your stuff. also, a lots places wrap your purchase in tissue paper. but unless this is a gift, you don't need that extra paper. and some places will wrap your glassware in tissue paper. but if you also bought a shirt, have them wrap your stuff in that instaed.
- give eco-packaged gifts, not cards
if you're giving a present, why not just include a name tag instead of a card? added bonus, you won't have to think up something witty or cute to write. also, while you can re-use old wrapping paper (which is, admittedly, a hassle), you can gift-wrap in other smarter ways by using unexpected materials: tissue paper (which is a lot easier to re-use), in-side-out paper shopping bags which you can customize with your own illustrative artwork, colorful plastic shopping bags, magazine papers, old fliers / posters, floral arrangement tissue cloths, old clothing cut up, the list goes on!
or if you're tired of your current wrapping paper, instead of buying a new roll, trade with a friend. that way you'll both have "new" wrapping paper!
- return used giftcards
most chain stores have their giftcard display right at the cash register anyway. so if you've finished yours, return it there.
- return dry cleaning "swag"
do you really need those filmy plastic protectors or cheapo wire hangers anyway? if you don't have time to return them on the spot, return the next time you dry clean something.
my list is pretty specific so obviously there's a ton of stuff i'm missing but i'm sure you get the point. our daily lives have so much unnecessary stuff that in nearly every aspect of our lives could we do doing something to better ourselves and the environment.
- don't use disposible razors & use re-chargeable batteries
these are too obvious to explain!
- don't use plastic tampons
why plastic is even an option! cardboard biodegrades much faster and while it may be less "smooth" but unless you're doing it wrong, even with cardboard you'll never get a papercut. an even better option than tampons / pads is a mooncup; buy it only once and you can use it for the rest of aunt flo's life!
- use smarter toilet paper smarter
two smarters but at least four ways to save! unless you had an accident, you won't need a fistful of tp, so use as little as you need. you go several times a day, so that one or two extra squares really adds up. be sure to buy tp containing as much post-consumer product as possible; it's the 21st century, so green doesn't have to mean scratchy. and even awesomer, scott now offers a tube-free roll which doesn't have the cardboard tube in the middle. another option is to buy bleach-free tp. our tp is normally whitened using chlorine in not the most environmentally friendly processes. so be sure to get (starting with most environmentally friendly): unbleached, processed chlorine free (pcf) or totally chorline free (tcf). tp that is elemental chlorine free (ecf) or stuff using chlorine gas is no good! (source)
- get the largest size you can
if you're going to finish it anyway, why get little bottles? getting shampoo (toothpaste, cereal, detergent...) in the larger size means you'll cut down on packaging. but also you'll save $ since it's generally cheaper to get the large size , and even if not, you save on not having to drive back to the store so frequently.
and while the tsa only permits 3fl oz or less per item for your carry-on, that doesn't mean you can only buy that size. get it once and re-fill it with your regular product later. this is esp important because even when the bottles are recyclable, the sorting machines normally miss them cause they're too small. in other words, recyclable or not, most little containers end up in landfills!
- always decline extra packaging
if you're picking up only a couple things, why get a bag? or if you've already got one bag, why get another? this also means you can avoid other shoppers' dirty looks when you blunder into them with all your stuff. also, a lots places wrap your purchase in tissue paper. but unless this is a gift, you don't need that extra paper. and some places will wrap your glassware in tissue paper. but if you also bought a shirt, have them wrap your stuff in that instaed.
- give eco-packaged gifts, not cards
if you're giving a present, why not just include a name tag instead of a card? added bonus, you won't have to think up something witty or cute to write. also, while you can re-use old wrapping paper (which is, admittedly, a hassle), you can gift-wrap in other smarter ways by using unexpected materials: tissue paper (which is a lot easier to re-use), in-side-out paper shopping bags which you can customize with your own illustrative artwork, colorful plastic shopping bags, magazine papers, old fliers / posters, floral arrangement tissue cloths, old clothing cut up, the list goes on!
or if you're tired of your current wrapping paper, instead of buying a new roll, trade with a friend. that way you'll both have "new" wrapping paper!
- return used giftcards
most chain stores have their giftcard display right at the cash register anyway. so if you've finished yours, return it there.
- return dry cleaning "swag"
do you really need those filmy plastic protectors or cheapo wire hangers anyway? if you don't have time to return them on the spot, return the next time you dry clean something.
my list is pretty specific so obviously there's a ton of stuff i'm missing but i'm sure you get the point. our daily lives have so much unnecessary stuff that in nearly every aspect of our lives could we do doing something to better ourselves and the environment.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
gifting
it's december, which means it's time to run around town buying gifts for people. i'm lucky in that 1. i don't have many people to shop for 2. some the people i do need to shop for have gift lists and 3. i only have one or two white elephant / secret santa things i do.
and maybe it's because i don't have many people to shop for that i try to get the best gift i can. i put a lot of thought into it and i price shop so i can get you as many things as possible! (i used to be very bad at gifting btw, it's only the last 10 something years that i've gotten better at it)
however very few people seem to care as much as i do. even when it comes to my best friends (and we do a secret santa thing so you only need to shop for one person. furthermore, we have online wish lists) i feel like i've gotten the short end of the stick a few times. and these are my best friends we're talking about! (and yes, mr snarkypants, they consider me to be one of their best friends too ::sticks out tongue::)
as for white elephant gifts. i don't cheat. i don't buy a bunch of random crap and throw it together. i also don't gift according to msrp. if i paid only $5 for something that normally retails for $20, i go buy another $15 worth of stuff to make up the difference (if the white elephant price is supposed to be ~$20, that is). i also take my time with these gifts and really try to think about what would be best suited for that group of people. if it's mixed gendered i'm not going to get something that's marketed to women only. and i also don't much like gag gifts, because i probably wouldn't want to get that myself.
example: i was considering getting exercise stuff this year (because a lot of the people at that party are members of sport teams). i went to marshalls (cause for $20 you can get a ton of stuff there) and looked at the exercise equipment. for $20 i could get three things, but i want to give a "complete" (or at least varied) workout. so i'm not going to give a kettle bell and a weighted medicine ball. i'm also not going to get you an exercise band with handles and another without. because, really, what's the point? also, i would like to get you items from the same brand, because that just looks nice (and with their selection, that would have been totally possible). however, the person i was shopping with was getting frustrated with my, er, choosiness. but i'm just giving what i would like to receive! and no, i don't necessarily know these people but still, i feel like you should always do your best at whatever your doing. or, haha, it's kind of karma too. if you can't be bothered to pick out a thoughtful gift, don't be pissed when you get something crappy.
anyway, i just wish that people would put more thought into things.
oh and btw, every year i've done this particular white elephant party, my gift has been stolen. usually to the max number of times allowed. which is a pretty damn good feeling. so if for nothing else, be thoughtful so you aren't embarrassed when some immature asshole makes a face in front of the whole group and says "...what is this? this present sucks."
and maybe it's because i don't have many people to shop for that i try to get the best gift i can. i put a lot of thought into it and i price shop so i can get you as many things as possible! (i used to be very bad at gifting btw, it's only the last 10 something years that i've gotten better at it)
however very few people seem to care as much as i do. even when it comes to my best friends (and we do a secret santa thing so you only need to shop for one person. furthermore, we have online wish lists) i feel like i've gotten the short end of the stick a few times. and these are my best friends we're talking about! (and yes, mr snarkypants, they consider me to be one of their best friends too ::sticks out tongue::)
as for white elephant gifts. i don't cheat. i don't buy a bunch of random crap and throw it together. i also don't gift according to msrp. if i paid only $5 for something that normally retails for $20, i go buy another $15 worth of stuff to make up the difference (if the white elephant price is supposed to be ~$20, that is). i also take my time with these gifts and really try to think about what would be best suited for that group of people. if it's mixed gendered i'm not going to get something that's marketed to women only. and i also don't much like gag gifts, because i probably wouldn't want to get that myself.
example: i was considering getting exercise stuff this year (because a lot of the people at that party are members of sport teams). i went to marshalls (cause for $20 you can get a ton of stuff there) and looked at the exercise equipment. for $20 i could get three things, but i want to give a "complete" (or at least varied) workout. so i'm not going to give a kettle bell and a weighted medicine ball. i'm also not going to get you an exercise band with handles and another without. because, really, what's the point? also, i would like to get you items from the same brand, because that just looks nice (and with their selection, that would have been totally possible). however, the person i was shopping with was getting frustrated with my, er, choosiness. but i'm just giving what i would like to receive! and no, i don't necessarily know these people but still, i feel like you should always do your best at whatever your doing. or, haha, it's kind of karma too. if you can't be bothered to pick out a thoughtful gift, don't be pissed when you get something crappy.
anyway, i just wish that people would put more thought into things.
oh and btw, every year i've done this particular white elephant party, my gift has been stolen. usually to the max number of times allowed. which is a pretty damn good feeling. so if for nothing else, be thoughtful so you aren't embarrassed when some immature asshole makes a face in front of the whole group and says "...what is this? this present sucks."
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
saturday night!
in lucky magazine: "buy clothes to wear on a tuesday afternoon, not a saturday night--few people lead saturday night lives"
Friday, December 3, 2010
movies
i love watching movies, tho i normally don't get to watch nearly as many as i'd like. the last few weeks, however i've watched tons!
500 days of summer - very cute! i liked it
harry potter and the half blood prince - (again) not bad
harry potter and the deathly hollows - okay, prob not great that i walked away most excited about the wedding dress being an alexander mcqueen tho. for someone who's never read the books, there were too many questions i was left with (to be answered in the next movie apptly [my friend who did read the series said so])
a single man - very beautiful, tho a bit slow. and quite heavy handed i thought. good tho.
an education - interesting movie. cute, but in a good way.
splice - very very weird. creepily sexual. lol, i knew it wasn't really going to be a "thoughtful" or "philosophical" movie, but, lol...
brothers - good. worth watching. it doesn't cover any new territory from other war movies, but it was well acted. best of the bunch.
super size me - funny. educational, but really, you just learn details. we already knew all this didn't we? ...tho of course i am watching this movie many years afer it's release (lol, there's one scene showing gas prices: $1.67) "every time i drive past a fast food place i'm going to punch my kid in the face"
500 days of summer - very cute! i liked it
harry potter and the half blood prince - (again) not bad
harry potter and the deathly hollows - okay, prob not great that i walked away most excited about the wedding dress being an alexander mcqueen tho. for someone who's never read the books, there were too many questions i was left with (to be answered in the next movie apptly [my friend who did read the series said so])
a single man - very beautiful, tho a bit slow. and quite heavy handed i thought. good tho.
an education - interesting movie. cute, but in a good way.
splice - very very weird. creepily sexual. lol, i knew it wasn't really going to be a "thoughtful" or "philosophical" movie, but, lol...
brothers - good. worth watching. it doesn't cover any new territory from other war movies, but it was well acted. best of the bunch.
super size me - funny. educational, but really, you just learn details. we already knew all this didn't we? ...tho of course i am watching this movie many years afer it's release (lol, there's one scene showing gas prices: $1.67) "every time i drive past a fast food place i'm going to punch my kid in the face"
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
personality
Bill Bryson in A Short History of Nearly Everything - "Protons give an atom its identity, electrons its personality."
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