7.31.2008

FREECYCLE IT

By Sally Deneen, from TheDailyGreen:
"Let’s say you have a perfectly good fish tank or swing set or computer you no longer want, but it’s too much of a hassle to drag it to a thrift store – where it may be turned away, anyway.
A fun way to find new homes for stuff is posting your items at Freecycle.org, a grassroots, volunteer-driven Internet movement committed to the notion that one person's trash is another person's treasure. Think of it as an on-line message center that connects people who want to get rid of stuff with those who can use it. Members of the free web site can give and receive items for free.
"It’s a "free cycle" of giving, which keeps good things out of landfills, reduces waste and saves resources. Begun in 2003 when Deron Beal sent out an e-mail announcing the Freecycle Network to about 30 or 40 friends and a handful of nonprofit organizations in Tucson, the Arizona-based nonprofit organization since has spread around the world. So far, there are more than 4,000 local Freecycle Network groups (reachable via Freecycle.org). Among rules: All items must be completely free with no strings attached. No illegal or adult-themed materials are allowed.
"No item is too big or too small to post at Freecycle. Offerings have included comforters, beds, mattresses, a 10-year-old glider rocker that rocks smoothly but its arm joints are broken, a working dryer, clothing of all kinds, a satellite dish, Halloween costumes, jogging strollers, file cabinets, computer stuff, picture frames, vases, kids’ stuff, an avocado green refrigerator that must be picked up the next day, coupons for infant formula… You get the idea. Imagine if all of that ended up at the dump. The network estimates that it’s daily keeping more than 300 tons of stuff out of landfills.
"If you’re in the market for an item, you can browse the listings or tell the community what you’re seeking. You never know what people have tucked in the attic. You sure can’t beat free! "

7.28.2008

WE IS BACK!

After five days with no power, and seven days with no internet connection (Grrrrrr!), we is back from the dark ages. Pix of some downed trees to follow.

7.20.2008

SPEAK UP!

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up." ~ Martin Niemoeller, German Protestant Clergyman

7.16.2008

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF POLITICS 2008


Despite the seriousness of the coming election, JibJab nails the quirkier aspects of the campaign... and life.

LIAR, LIAR

From ThePoliticalCat:
"How many flip-flops has John McCaincient made? Anybody know? Yes, hello? Wanna take a guess? Sixty-one is the current count, folks. Yup, that's right. SIXTY-ONE flip-flops. You can bet his good buddies in the mainstream media haven't covered more than a handful. Alternet details them. No peeking, now! See if you can assemble your own list before you go over there to look. Complete with links and cute Godzilla pitchers. Enjoy!"

7.05.2008

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, MORRY!

We'll be celebrating my brother Morry's Gotcha Day this weekend. We'll have treats (sugar-free for me), and he will get a toy and extra hugs and belly rubs!
All this for a doggy who started out as a stray in Chicago. He was then transferred to the QCAWC, a no-kill shelter in northwestern Illinois. My momma saw his picture on their web site; they called him a Corgi-Chow-mix. (He certainly has the short legs of us Corgis, and the big, orange-red fur of the Chow-Chows.) His bio said that he should not be around any other dogs or cats.
Welp, my momma visited him, and he seemed to be a "sweetheart;" but she could tell that he became very riled up when he saw other dogs. So my momma decided to bring me to meet and visit him; she also brought a pocket full of treats. Within 15 minutes, we were able to be eating our treats side by side. I think he could tell I'm alpha to every doggy I ever meet.
Momma took me out there two or three more times until she decided he was ready to bring home.
It took a while for him to get use to Rya and Jordan; he spent quite a bit of time on a leash, at first, getting corrected when he was getting agressive. But finally, he understood that he would get his food and his treats, and get loved even when the other dogs were nearby.
Now, he's the official watch doggy of the family. His favorite spot is on the living room couch, watching the front yard and the street, making sure that no other dogs, cats, or squirrels walk past without a warning.