Sing, it’s Friday!
July 30, 2010 by admin · View Comments
When was the last time you sang? Maybe it was this morning in the shower. Or maybe it was in 9th grade choir, 15 years ago. Singing is therapeutic. It has an emotional purging quality and improves your overall breathing. Not only that, but it makes your speaking voice sound better, more resonant.
So stop reading this blog and go find a song and sing for 5 minutes. It’s an order. I’ll do the same. This is what I’ll be singing:
Voices inside my Head - The Police
Beth
Literal Lawn Chairs: Grass Sofas Brighten up British Summer
July 30, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Summer means more time spent outdoors in the sun, but the National Trust of Great Britain found that British families are spending an average of 43 hours per week inside and on the sofa. That’s a grand (or not-so-grand) total of 13 weeks per year. To get people out of the house and into nature, the National Trust has unveiled ten huge grass sofas in locations all across the UK. There are no TVs, no laptops – just unique spaces for quality outdoor family time.
The massive furniture was grown in about a month using all natural materials: straw bases covered with blankets of green, growing grass. These peculiar outdoor living rooms all consist of a sofa and a coffee table, letting British families get out of their homes but still spend time together in a familiar setting.
The growing living rooms were placed in a handful of picturesque natural locations, with some even making appearances in town centers. The National Trust endeavor uses humor rather than stern authority to coax families out into the beautiful British landscape this summer.
(all images via: Inhabitat)
Relaxing on a sofa in the sun, in some of the UK’s most beautiful outdoor spots, might be the best way we can think of to spend the summer. With a mug of tea and a plate of biscuits, a family outing to one of these living rooms would make for a splendid afternoon.
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Literal Tree Houses: Amazing Homes Built with Whole Trees
There’s something primitive about the sophisticated homes designed by Whole Trees Architecture: they use whole, young-growth trees in amazing, beautiful ways.
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The Electronic Cigarette: One Way to Go Green
July 29, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Marc in Food & Health, Technology & Gadgets. ]
At this point, most people are well aware of how cigarettes and their smoke affect health, but not nearly as many are aware of how they affect the environment. Trillions of cigarettes are created each day, and when they’re smoked, their is nothing to do but toss them away. Now that the addictive affects of cigarettes are well documented, there are a ton of smokeless alternatives coming to the market that promise to lessen the health affects, and the environmental effects, of smoking.
(Images via e-cig-environ, diytrade, 7gadgets)
A lot of people love to puff on their old pipe, but as the smell of pipe tobacco once brought to a mind a library full of books and a fireplace, it now brings up images of tar filled lungs. One solution is an electronic pipe that gives you the chemicals your body has become dependent upon, without sacrificing the pipe that has become such an indelible part of your image.
(Images via trendhunter, soccerphile, safetobacco, ecigaretteblog, electroniccigreviews)
Electronic cigarettes are touted as an environmental asset, as they are reusable, and can help offset the 4.5 trillion non biodegradable cigarette butts piled into landfills each year (source: tobacco control). Some of the earlier solutions and cigarette alternatives look more like torture devices or spy gadgets than the cigarettes we’re used to, but some of the newer ones look sleek and even light up as you inhale, or let out a smoke-like vapor when you exhale.
(Images via best4smoke, coolest-gadgets, shopgomi, amazon, alibaba)
Smokeless ashtrays are not as effective at preventing worldwide pollution from cigarettes, but at least they incentivize people to dispose of their cigarettes properly, and not just toss them to the ground. Most smokeless ashtrays are intimidating and appear straight out of a sci fi movie, but attempts have been made to add a little aesthetic improvment (and gadget aesthetic).
(Images via delhi, realecig, blogcritics, free-press-release)
E cigarettes can now be reloaded on the road. With mini docking stations that look more like a GPS, the excuses for not switching from environment harming cigarettes to electronic versions, are becoming hard to stand behind. People used to rally behind their victimization by money grubbing cigarette companies, but these alternatives allow you to ease off (or fully indulge) one’s addictions, without spreading the burden of the harmful smoke and litter onto the rest of the community.
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Green is glorious. It’s even better when you can utilize “green” gadgets and your green thumb. Here are 20 wild and sometimes weird gadgets for the plant enthusiast.
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Fuad Abu Hamed - Social Entrepreneur
July 28, 2010 by · View Comments
Fuad Abu Hamed, a Palestinian businessman living in East Jerusalem, recently won the first Social Entrepreneurship Award from Hebrew University, for his work training young Arab women to learn business skills and start their own small businesses. by Harvey Stein.
The Social Entrepreneurship Series
July 28, 2010 by · View Comments
Preview for The Social Entrepreneurship Series — a DVD collection created by Ashoka’s Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship. This series highlights leaders who are finding new ways to tackle the world’s biggest problems. Some of the world’s most experienced social entrepreneurs share their experiences responding to local problems, engaging their communities in solving them, and accelerating change. To buy the films, visit dvd.ashoka.org.
David Blaine explains his Secrets
July 28, 2010 by admin · View Comments
Magic is a wonderful and amazing thing. And David Blaine is one of our contemporary magicians. Take a few moments to watch this video where he explains some of this secrets. Talk about self-discipline!
David Blaine - Secrets Revealed
Beth
Muhammad Yunus, Lecture, Part 4
July 28, 2010 by · View Comments
On 29 May 2009, Nobel laureate Professor Yunus spoke to a packed audience at RIBA as part of the British Council’s 75th anniversary lecture series Talking without Borders. In his inspirational speech he presented his vision for a new kind of economic relationship - social business - where social good has greater value than profit maximisation. For more information on Talking without Borders please visit www.britishcouncil.org/75th-Anniversary
Emerging Models of Social Entrepreneurship in India: 2 of 4
July 28, 2010 by · View Comments
For more go to: www.khemkafoundation.org A unique panel discussion that explored emerging models of social entrepreneurship in India, by their brightest proponents, was held during the pre-awards function for India’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2007 in New Delhi on Dec 1st 2007. The panelists include SEY finalists: Dr. Harish Hande, SELCO; Rajendra Joshi, Saath; Pravin Mahajan, Janarth; and Chetna Gala Sinha of MDM. Members of Parliament Yashodhara Raje Scindia and Sachin Pilot also participated along with Arun Maira, Chairman, CII National Council on Corporate Governance and Regulatory Framework.
SIFE MICROLENDING Saint Anselm College
July 28, 2010 by · View Comments
Ranking Member Sam Graves (11/6/09)
July 27, 2010 by · View Comments
Ranking Member Sam Graves (11/6/09) HR 3737 - Small Business Microlending Expansion Act of 2009
