I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything here, but I saw this article and had to share it.
1/21/2008
12/07/2007
Leaf Blowers
I hate leaf blowers. They're noisy and smelly, and not really very good at moving leaves from where they are to where you want them to be. Not to mention spending all that gas.
For doing the job, I think a rake (or on pavement, a broom) is much more effective. You can push the leaves exactly where you want them to go - first time, every time - instead of having to chase them hither and yon as with a leaf blower. A rake or broom is also much quieter, doesn't require gas or produce pollution. What more could you ask for?
So here's the question:
Given a choice between (a) a tool that is effective, efficient, and eco-friendly, and (b) a tool that is inefficient, both in terms of performing the task and its use of resources, which would you choose?
Obviously, the logical answer is (a). So why is (b) the most common answer?
For doing the job, I think a rake (or on pavement, a broom) is much more effective. You can push the leaves exactly where you want them to go - first time, every time - instead of having to chase them hither and yon as with a leaf blower. A rake or broom is also much quieter, doesn't require gas or produce pollution. What more could you ask for?
So here's the question:
Given a choice between (a) a tool that is effective, efficient, and eco-friendly, and (b) a tool that is inefficient, both in terms of performing the task and its use of resources, which would you choose?
Obviously, the logical answer is (a). So why is (b) the most common answer?
It's Been Awhile...
Boy, it's been quite awhile since the last time I posted here. Sorry aout that. I've been busy, and a little down. I felt as if I had nothing to say, so why post?
I suppose the biggest news is that i joined WeightWatchers in late September. As of last Saturday's weigh in, I've lost just over 20 pounds. I've got quite a bit more to lose, but I'm well on the way. At first, I was just doing it online, but last month I started going to meetings as well; I figured I could use the extra help, especially during the holidays.
I suppose the biggest news is that i joined WeightWatchers in late September. As of last Saturday's weigh in, I've lost just over 20 pounds. I've got quite a bit more to lose, but I'm well on the way. At first, I was just doing it online, but last month I started going to meetings as well; I figured I could use the extra help, especially during the holidays.
10/15/2007
Blog the Environment: 3 Green Things Anyone Can Do.
Good morning and welcome to Blog Action Day.
Here are some of the things that I do to help the environment. They're all pretty easy; anyone can do these things.
1. I don't own a car; I haven't done for years. Instead I take public transit or walk.
a. Four days a week, I walk to the BART (commuter train) station near my house, ride it for two stops (fare = $1.40), and then take an express bus to the office park where my main office is. This is made easier (and less expensive) because the office park sponsors a free bus pass for anyone who works there. That means that my round-trip commute costs less than a gallon of gas. Plus, taking transit means that I can spend that time doing what I want, instead of grinding my teeth because I'm stuck in traffic.
b. On Fridays, I alternate between having the day off and walking to an office that's about 1.5 miles from my house. Not only am I saving the environment, I'm getting some nice exercise.
c. The grocery store is a 20-minute walk from my house. I bought a folding shopping cart and assorted tote bags (including an insulated bag for cold/frozen things). The folding cart plays nicely with the store's shopping carts, and the checkers are getting the hang of pcking a lot of things into a few fabric totes instead of putting a few things in each of a dozen or more plastic bags.
2. I don't own a washer and dryer. I do my wash in the kitchen sink and hang it out to dry in the back yard. Yes, it takes longer this way, but I'm saving electricity, and I don't need dryer sheets to give my clothes that fresh-air smell.
3. I've replaced almost all of the incandescent bulbs in my house with compact flourescents. The exception is certain fixtures where they just don't fit, and which I'm not presently in a position to change.
Here are some of the things that I do to help the environment. They're all pretty easy; anyone can do these things.
1. I don't own a car; I haven't done for years. Instead I take public transit or walk.
a. Four days a week, I walk to the BART (commuter train) station near my house, ride it for two stops (fare = $1.40), and then take an express bus to the office park where my main office is. This is made easier (and less expensive) because the office park sponsors a free bus pass for anyone who works there. That means that my round-trip commute costs less than a gallon of gas. Plus, taking transit means that I can spend that time doing what I want, instead of grinding my teeth because I'm stuck in traffic.
b. On Fridays, I alternate between having the day off and walking to an office that's about 1.5 miles from my house. Not only am I saving the environment, I'm getting some nice exercise.
c. The grocery store is a 20-minute walk from my house. I bought a folding shopping cart and assorted tote bags (including an insulated bag for cold/frozen things). The folding cart plays nicely with the store's shopping carts, and the checkers are getting the hang of pcking a lot of things into a few fabric totes instead of putting a few things in each of a dozen or more plastic bags.
2. I don't own a washer and dryer. I do my wash in the kitchen sink and hang it out to dry in the back yard. Yes, it takes longer this way, but I'm saving electricity, and I don't need dryer sheets to give my clothes that fresh-air smell.
3. I've replaced almost all of the incandescent bulbs in my house with compact flourescents. The exception is certain fixtures where they just don't fit, and which I'm not presently in a position to change.
9/28/2007
Friday Quiz - What Type of Writer Should You Be?
| You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer |
 |
9/26/2007
What Were They Thinking? - Bathroom Design
Every day, I encounter things that seem not to have been very well thought out. Things about which I have to ask myself: "Who thought this was a good idea, and why?"
I'm going to start posting about these things once a week or so, and the first one is about a bathroom design element that seems really wrong to me.
Why is it that public restrooms almost always have a large sink with a short faucet? You know what I mean: the sink is so wide from front to back that you have to reach almost arm's length to turn on the water, and the faucet is so short that you almost bump your hands against the back of the sink when washing them. Who thinks that makes any sense at all? Besides making washing awkward, it virtually guarantees that water will be splashed around on the counter, making a mess.
What were they thinking?
I'm going to start posting about these things once a week or so, and the first one is about a bathroom design element that seems really wrong to me.
Why is it that public restrooms almost always have a large sink with a short faucet? You know what I mean: the sink is so wide from front to back that you have to reach almost arm's length to turn on the water, and the faucet is so short that you almost bump your hands against the back of the sink when washing them. Who thinks that makes any sense at all? Besides making washing awkward, it virtually guarantees that water will be splashed around on the counter, making a mess.
What were they thinking?
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