Ann Arbor Masturbator Arrested

Yup, you heard it right.  Ann Arbor, and specifically Oxford Housing Residents at the University of Michigan can breathe easier knowing that the publicly-masturbating perpetrator, described as a man, of medium build, 5'8" tall, and wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up and covering his face, was arrested on March 9th.  This is the report on the University of Michigan Police website:




On March 9, DPS and Ann Arbor Police Department officers arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with several indecent exposure incidents near and on campus in late 2010.

Christopher Filipek, 30, who is not affiliated with the University, was arraigned today (March 10) on 6 counts -- four counts with AAPD cases, two counts with DPS cases (at Oxford Housing) as well as a felony sentencing enhancement of Indecent Exposure by a Sexually Delinquent Person. DPS Crime Alert #2010-16 from Nov. 23 has been canceled. Additional charges may be authorized as the investigation continues.










You heard that right.  Felony.  For masturbating out of some windows.  He, said The Michigan Daily, a student newspaper, with the felony sentencing, will be qualified as a "sexually delinquent person".  That right there could put him in prison for life.  The newspaper goes on to say that the arrest was the result of a three-month investigation, which involved intensive measures including surveillance, according to their source, Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokeswoman, Diane Brown.

Filipek was only a person of interest initially, but when he was arrested on January 14th for prowling in the Oxford housing area, he became a suspect in this case.  One of the pieces of evidence against him was pictures on his cell phone he took of people through their windows.  It is unknown whether these are pictures of students.  Brown concludes by saying that it's difficult to determine whether this behavior would have escalated into anything else, but states that she's "pleased to get him off the street and have him deal with the consequences".

I couldn't agree more.

Resources for Reusing!

Here's the article for reusing that I know you all have been awaiting for so long... :P


BLANKETS AND CLOTHS OF ALL KINDS

Reuse your blankets and towels by donating them to a shelter, either human homeless or a pet shelter... The homeless will have something to keep them warm, and puppies will have something besides a concrete floor to lay on.

NATURAL MATERIALS

Here, we're talking about things that are directly from nature, and although some of these things don't necessarily fill up landfills THAT quickly, these reusing projects are fun to do, no matter how helpful they are to the environment... so after that disclaimer, here we go...

Fruit and vegetable seeds, although they may not take up that much space in a trash bin, really don't need to be thrown out when you can try your hand at growing them... it's a fun way to use each part of your food.

Any food that you don't eat (but not meat, bones, grease, or the like) can be put in a compost pile.  If you live in an apartment, there are countertop composters that have a carbon filter to keep smell down.  You can add the resulting "compost tea" to houseplants and window trellises, and make them GROW.  Do a quick search for compost tea if you don't know what that is... maybe that's a new post.

PLASTIC BAGS

Plastic bags are that thing that we're so worried we over use, and many of us eco lovers either are incredibly guilty when they use them, or refuse adamantly to use these demons... :) SO what can you do to reuse the ones that you DO use?  Here are some ideas:

The easiest and most common way to reuse those bags (I do this myself) is use them as liners for those smaller trash cans often found in bathrooms and bedrooms.  Just reusing it once (yes, we know it still ends up in the landfill) can make it more convenient for you when you don't have to go digging your hands through the bathroom garbage to empty it (gross).  Another idea that's very similar to this one is to use the plastic grocery bags as doggy poop scoopers.  No one likes scooping poop, but these bags need a second job, and this is better than buying special bags just for doing so.  These are ok solutions, but the bag still goes to the landfill... Here are some more ideas:

If you have a small hoard of bags (as many people do), don't feel shy in using them to replace packing peanuts when you ship something to a friend or through ebay.  You don't have to buy biodegradable peanuts, (or those AWFUL non-biodegradable ones), and you can reuse that pesky army of bags.

Here's another one that's pretty ok... you can use the bags in your car to collect trash that accumulates while you're driving... think banana peal, mcdonald's wrapper, diet coke bottle... you can recycle the contents of the bag when you get home, but this is a good way to keep everything contained.

You may want to donate plastic bags to a thrift store or charity that might be able to use them, so that they don't have to buy new bags.  Call and see if they can use them... along in this vein, you may want to post a craigslist ad for them, stating that reusing your bags would be very green, and save the business money.  Individuals may use them for projects.  Who knows?

If you take your lunch to work or school, use them as a lunchbox, OR use them to contain tupperware of things that might otherwise leak and leave a mess (soups).  In your kitchen, keep a bag around your flour, sugar, and other ingredients that tend to make a mess... this will help keep ants out, and make clean up a lot easier. 

PAPER BAGS

Some very cool ideas for reusing what you chose to be the greener option of "Paper or Plastic?"

Bonemeal is an excellent source of nutrients for all the plants in your garden. You can easily make your own by first drying your leftover chicken bones in a microwave oven (depending on the quantity, cook them for 1-4 minutes on High). Then place the dried bones in a sturdy paper bag and grind them up using a mallet, hammer, or rolling pin. When done, distribute the powder around your plants and watch them thrive.

Add paper bags to your compost, cutting them up and wetting them before stirring them in (so that when they dry they don't just blow away).  Earthworms really really really love paper bags (and CARDBOARD)  :)

A tutorial on how to make your paper bag into an oversized mailing envelope:  http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2008/07/26/recycled-paper-bag-mailer/

If there's a forecast of snow, put your wipers up to a diagonal angle, and place a sliced open bag underneath both wipers so that the whole windshield is covered.  in the morning, before you turn on your car, lift wipers and remove snow by pulling on the bag.

Many fruits -- including avocados, bananas, pears, peaches, and tomatoes -- will ripen better when placed in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening process of any fruit, place an already ripe apple or banana peel in the same bag and store it at room temperature. To ripen green bananas, wrap them in a damp dishtowel before placing them in the bag. Once your fruits have adequately ripened, you can halt the process by putting them in the refrigerator.

Cut open one or two paper bags and spread them out over your countertop when peeling vegetables, husking corn, shelling peas, or any other messy task. When you're done, simply fold up the paper, and toss it into the trash for a fast and easy cleanup.

Cut open one or two paper bags and spread them out over your countertop when peeling vegetables, husking corn, shelling peas, or any other messy task. When you're done, simply fold up the paper, and toss it into the trash for a fast and easy cleanup.

Need to wrap a present in a hurry? You don't have to rush out to buy wrapping paper. Just cut a large paper bag along the seams until it's a flat rectangle. Position it so that any printing is facing up at you, put your gift on top and fold, cut, and tape the paper around your gift. If you wish, personalize your homemade wrapping paper by decorating it with markers, paint, or stickers.

Finally, Use a paper bag to create a book cover for your child's textbook... she'll be able to decorate it, and it'll leave her book in tip top condition... here's a tutorial:  http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/paperbag.html.


I'm incredibly tired and work is piling up at home, so I'm going to leave it at that for now, but I'll be back soon to post more ... PS, i wrecked my computer, so i have to do this from the libraries and computing centers around campus... ah what i don't do for my readers.... :P  anyway, hope you enjoyed.  See you soon!

Great News for Today, March 11th

I was browsing the web, and I found some great stories out there, that I'd love to pass along to readers... Here go some links

RUSSIA/US RELATIONS

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/europe/12russia.html   - An article by the New York Times that talks about Putin's recent meeting with VP Joe Biden, and how Mr. Putin threw him for a loop early in their meeting.  (BTW, I'm all for the liberalization of visa regulations with Russia and the United States, but I'm not quite sure what getting rid of visas entirely would mean for the two countries.)


ROYAL WEDDING 2011

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/travel/13journeys-royal.html?ref=travel   - A pretty cool look at what's available to people wishing to celebrate the impending Royal Wedding (Kate and William of England), and what you can do to save (or spend) money going to London at that time.  Some wonderful travel tips, and plenty of cool cool cool things to do.


JAPAN'S EARTHQUAKE AND FLOOD

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?_r=1&ref=world   - If you haven't heard the news about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, read this article now.  If you have heard about it, read it anyway.  It's a great outline of what's going on over there, and something everyone needs to be aware of.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/11/world/asia/100000000718996/tc-031111.html?ref=world - This is a video of the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan this week.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/maps-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-damage-in-japan.html?ref=world   - Maps showing the impact of the quakes from a birds-eye-view. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12nuclear.html?ref=world - Covers how the crisis in Japan provided huge difficulties for one nuclear power plant there, and why citizens had to evacuate the area.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/20110311EARTHQUAKE_zoomer.html?ref=world - a link to a pic you can zoom in on that shows the damage caused in one neighborhood.  nothing is salvageable. 

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/11/world/asia/100000000718996/aftermath-of-the-earthquake-in-japan.html?scp=1&sq=japan&st=cse - video showing effects of flood.  stunning.


HOW TO BUTCHER A CHICKEN

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/10/magazine/100000000715898/how-to-butcher-a-chicken.html  - A chef takes you through how to cut up a whole chicken you buy from the supermarket (note: this is not how to kill a chicken, just how to cut it up correctly).

LATEST FROM WISCONSIN:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/us/12wisconsin.html?ref=us - article outlining the governor's latest solution.


VERY COOL APPLICATION:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/07/25/us/scotus-quiz.html?ref=supremecourt  - see how your views stack up to the rest of America's, and the Supreme Court's.






This is something I'd like to do very much:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/garden/10texas.html?pagewanted=2&ref=garden

and pics of it:  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/10/garden/20110310-TEXAS-SLIDESHOW.html?ref=garden#1

Photos I just love

Hunted in much of India, this guy survives in a national park there... National Geographic

Japanese Macaques, Nagano, Courtesy of National Geographic

An Enormous Murder... of CROWS, Courtesy of National Geographic

A Green Sea Anemone... National Geographic

 

BAHAHAHA

Hope you enjoyed.

  See you later.

Reduction (of your landfill contribution)

So the last post I did was on Recycling, and what a post it was!  This one's going to cover how to reduce first your intake of non-recyclables (and recyclables), and how to reduce your output.

Just because something is recyclable, doesn't mean that you should buy as much as you want of the product.  Recycling takes energy and water to complete, and isn't the best solution.  Reduction is, in my opinion, the best of the three (recycle, reduce, reuse).  Reusing is the most likely to happen out of the three (besides just tossing the item out) <<< BAD.  :)

If you reduce what you take in, the company that makes the wasteful product will make less of it, as there seems to be less demand for the product.  If they make less of it, less natural (and sometimes non-renewable) resources are used up.

You'll also need to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals and hazardous materials you buy.  This isn't so much for not filling landfills as it is for not destroying our groundwater sources and rivers.  SO much of our municipal water (and backyard well water) comes from rivers and groundwater.  rivers go to lakes and oceans and ruin wildlife with the pollution they carry.  This is water people and animals depend on for survival, so let's do our part to consume less toxic materials.

You'll save money if you reduce your intake, and you'll save your community money if you reduce your output.  They have to pay for that trash being taken to the landfill too.  Consider where else that money could go in your community if you didn't have so much being allocated to landfill filling.  fantastic.

Here are some ways to reduce your intake:

If you notice that one brand has way way way too much packaging, look for another brand with less.  Buy the brand with less packaging, and be sure to write the company of the product indulging in wrapping, letting them know why you switched to the other brand.  Let them know that there are other people out there who think the same as you, and you require less packaging for your groceries.

Use canvas bags rather than the disposable plastic bags given away at supermarkets.  Settle the Paper or Plastic dispute once and forever with the best option of all: Canvas.  It's an initial expense, but it's worth it in the long run.

Purchase goods that are durable, not disposable.  Some coffee shops here in Ann Arbor will give you a discount if you bring your own mug or cup to the shop, instead of using their paper cups.  There are now ceramic cups that look just like the paper ones that you get from the coffee shop, but they're more insulated, they aren't disposable, and they'll last SO long.  Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:

Isn't that cute?

Plus you've always got the option of not buying a new mug, and just using that one you got from the company picnic, or as a reward from your bank, or whatever... another pic:

Again, adorable, and it saves trees!

If none of the coffee shops in your area will let you bring in your own mug for a discount, (or even for no discount), suggest they start a program.  Talk to the manager if you have to.  Tell them to just consider it.  If one shop in town does this, let the other ones know that they should start similar programs.  It's so great for the environment, and it would actually save them the cost of buying those cups!  

Other things to consider:  don't do paper plates, and don't do the plastic ones either (nor the foam ones).  all difficult to recycle.  Buck up and wash the dishes.  Have little hands help with the drying if necessary, but DON'T use those landfillers just cause they're "convenient".  Not a good idea long run, and really a money waster.

That brings me to dish washing:  A dishwasher has been shown to be one of the best options   "The Bonn study proves that the dishwasher uses only half the energy and one-sixth of the water, less soap too. Even the most sparing and careful washers could not beat the modern dishwasher. The study also rated the cleanliness achieved, again in favor of the washing machine (sorry grandma)." (treehugger.com)   If you have no dishwasher, say you live in an apartment without one, just use as little water as possible, reusing a half-full sink of water (plugged up) to do the initial wash, and install and aerator to reduce the water you consume during the rinse.  

Re-wear jeans and shirts that really don't need to be washed each time.  You can reduce your laundry by a third!  how excellent.  And Kleenex is propagating this idea that hand towels are really bad for you... and maybe they are.  Invest in some hand sanitizer if you're really worried about the germs.   And maybe keep your hand towels out of reach of the dog's mouth.  Don't use those paper towels.  Bad.  Bad consumer!  :P

Buy appliances only when the old one breaks, or is severely obsolete (think VCR).  Buy the best new one you can buy, that uses the least amount of electricity.  You want it to last a LONG time, and not be an energy hog... you'll save money on your bills and save the environment.

My final plug:  Buy these to replace all burnt bulbs:

These are the new bulbs... get one today.

They're pricey, but they'll last longer than you'll be able to remember when you last put one in.  It's worth it.  You can not just throw these away, after nearly 20 years, they'll have to be recycled because they contain small amounts of mercury.  There is no threat imposed by the mercury, unless your kid is eating the lightbulbs, in which case, you've got more problems on your hand than a little mercury.

I hope you've enjoyed this post as much as I have: and here's a little picture for you all to enjoy... See you next time, when we talk about Reusing!  

Bahahah

Recycling

Earth Day is coming up, and I really thought I should wait.. but then, why should I?  Let's make this the best Earth Day ever and get a head start on our recycling!  Yay!

Ahh, to have such a great, green planet...

Recycling is such a great thing to do for our planet, and reducing our intake is even better!  I'll post on recycling first, then reducing in another post.

These days, one can recycle almost anything.  You can recycle plastic, metal, batteries, light bulbs... paper, appliances, even car batteries and old food!

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publiced/Earths911.htm

That there ^^^ is a link to a wonderful website that will find the nearest recycling location based on your zip code!  Fancy!  

Let's talk about plastic.  As a growing industry world-wide, plastic producers are thriving.  There's plastic cartons, jugs, containers, boxes, wrap, and SO much more.  There are 7 different kinds of plastic when it comes to recycling though, so let's take a minute to talk about which ones are harder to recycle than others, and why.

First off: generally, you can't tell one type of plastic from another by touch or smell, so the industry developed those little recycle symbols with the numbers in them, so that you can tell one kind from another.  The wrong kind of plastic in a recycling batch can mess up an entire melt!  What a waste!  

These are the plastic symbols I'm talking about.

Fortunately, these symbols ^^^ make it easy for everyone to recycle correctly.  Let's talk about each one, using an image!

And now you know!  

Lets delve a little further into it about a few of these.  Just because the "recycle" sign (above) is on your containers does not mean that the packaging is recyclable!  HUH?!?  well, that sign, obviously the recycling symbol ONLY denotes what kind of plastic it's made of, not its recyclability!  weird, right?   Well, rules are rules, so let's learn some:  Generally, only types 1 and 2 are accepted in the bins that the city or trash company will pick up from your curb.  Always check with your garbage company, or whoever picks up your recycling.  Before you drop off your recycling, check with the faculty at the drop off location.  Better yet, call them.  Save yourself the trip, and sort right at home!  

The kind of plastic that goes into #5 plastic isn't really recyclable.  Those yogurt containers and plastic strawberry baskets are really a waste.   Preserve Products offers pickup at select Whole Foods Locations. Simply stack your containers until you have enough to justify the trip.  Fantastic.

Most caps (think on top of a milk jug) are a different kind of plastic than the container (jug) is.  If they have a symbol, great, if not it is easiest to throw them out.  Alternatively you can call the milk company and find out what the cap is made of.  Finally, reusing the caps as kitty toys is a great option, as those cats love both the ring on the milk jug and the cap more than the expensive toys from the pet stores!

Try using canvas bags for all your shopping, there are stylish ones, there are cheap ones, and once you have a collection, you won't have to buy any more for a long time.  Sure you're saving the store money by not using their plastic bags, but you're also saving the environment.  If you are in a bind and you really have to use the bags, look for stores that recycle them to make new bags!  One that I know of off-hand is Walmart.  I'm not a huge Walmart fan, but when I really really really need something for super cheap, it's my guilty pleasure to save money there.  More about reusing plastic bags in the next post.

GLASS and METAL RECYCLING

Glass bottles should not be recycled with windows, mirrors, or any other type of glass.  The easiest way to recycle most glass bottles is to go to a national grocery chain and deposit them there.  If you live in certain states (and the bottle was bought in the same state) you can get money back for them!  Clear glass is valuable, colored glass really isn't, but recycling is better than chucking it out your back door or into a landfill.  

Aluminum (pop) cans can and should be recycled in grocery stores.  You get the money back, and it's convenient.    There are steel (tin) cans that are shaped like pop cans (think, Slimfast cans) that should NEVER be recycled with aluminum cans.  They're different, and it will ruin the batch.  You don't have to remove labels on soup cans.  Wash only enough to remove food from inside them, as the recycling process gets the metal so hot, all contaminants are destroyed.  

If you buy soy milk, as many people who recycle do, you'll find it incredibly hard to recycle.  The packaging (that box that seems to be made of paper) is actually made of layers of plastic, metal, and paper.  As you can imagine, that's pretty hard to recycle.  Here's a number to call to find out more about where you can recycle these things.  800-888-6488    P.S. Juice Boxes also fall under this category.  

PAPER RECYCLING

Wow.  So many types of paper!  Who knew?  (I did/do!)  So here are our different categories, and what each one means to us recyclers: 

White Office Paper is the poodle of the dog show: fancy and prized.  Colored paper, contaminated paper, and low grade paper is not acceptable in this group.  The paper wrapping this stuff comes in, funnily enough, is not high enough grade to be recycled in this group.  It belongs in the Mixed Paper group.

Corrugated Cardboard is accepted in some recycling plants, but always check first.  If not, you can drop it off at many supermarkets, and at places like Sam's Club.  Remove all tape, but don't bother with removing the staples.

Newspapers can sometimes be recycled on the side of the road, sometimes only at recycling plants or drop off places.  Remove all rubber bands, plastic inserts (if any), and product samples.  Tie them up with some twine (not plastic twine) or put them in large brown paper grocery bags.  And you're set!

Some phone books are made with a special glue that breaks down in water, while other phone books use a glue that interferes with recycling. Printed in your phone book should be information on the source and type of paper used, the nature of the binding, and where locally phone books can be recycled.  Note that many phone companies continue to use virgin rain forest to produce directories. In many communities phone books are only accepted during the time new directories are distributed.

Finally: Mixed Paper is the catch-all for paper recycling.  It's gotta be clean, dry, and free of food, plastic, and  wax, but staples are ok.  Plastic window envelopes are ok.  

These guys are A-OK for mixed paper recycling!

There is paper that can't be recycled, and here are some examples: food contaminated paper, waxed paper, waxed cardboard milk & juice containers, oil soaked paper, carbon paper, sanitary products or tissues, thermal fax paper, stickers and plastic laminated paper such as fast food wrappers, juice boxes, and pet food bags.  It's just too bad, ain't it?  Reduce your intake on these, friends.

REFRIGERATORS AND AIR CONDITIONERS
Most older refrigeration equipment contains freon, a chemical know as a Chlorinated Fluorocarbon or "CFC" for short. Each molecule of a CFC can destroy over 100,000 molecules of the earth's protective ozone coating, leading to increased risk of sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer for the entire population of the planet (human AND animal).
If you are throwing away an old refrigerator, heat pump or air conditioner please be sure the CFC's are drained out and recycled first. Use only a hauler who will perform this important service -- call and ask before you let them take your old equipment away. Before having your car's air conditioner serviced, ask what the shop does with the freon. Never allow a leaking refrigeration system to be recharged.
A number of international treaties, federal and state laws govern the use of CFC's. Handlers of refrigeration equipment can get information on laws and recycling equipment from the American Refrigeration Institute.

SINGLE USE BATTERIES:

Use the ones you have as you need them, and never buy them again.  Although they are collected, they are usually just thrown into more expensive landfills, rather than being recycled.  After you are done with that, please, please, please invest in NiMH batteries.  A good comparison and shopping site is www.greenbatteries.com.

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES (not car batteries)

Rechargeable batteries are commonly used in portable telephones, computers, power tools, shavers, electric toothbrushes, radios, video tape recorders and other consumer products. There are a variety of different battery types, some of which contain quite toxic materials.
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is an industry funded group promoting battery recycling. Manufacturers pay a fee to use the logo shown to the right, and to support the costs of the eventual collection of the batteries they sell. Look for (and even insist on seeing) the RBRC logo on rechargeable batteries you buy.
For a nearby drop-off location:

• Call 1-800-8BATTERY.
• Visit the RBRC drop of location finder.
• Try your local Radio Shack store.

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead (Pb) batteries can all be recycled. Several states now prohibit consumers from dumping rechargeable batteries into the normal trash. Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries ("NiCads") contain cadmium, a metal that causes blood and reproductive damage, among other problems. Most of the Cadmium in our waste stream comes from batteries. These batteries pose little hazard in use (the Cadmium is in a stable form), but are a danger in landfills.
Worn-out batteries are often easily replaced. While many batteries are custom shapes (just you so have to buy a special battery) the chemistry inside is identical. A clever repairperson can replace just about any rechargeable battery.


MOTOR OIL, TIRES, and CAR BATTERIES:

all recyclable, all nasty for the environment if just thrown out.  You've heard it before and you'll hear it again... NEVER just dump out your motor oil.  It will go straight to the rivers and groundwater, completely unfiltered, and it will kill animals, and provides the possibility of getting you and your neighbors very very ill if drunk even in minuscule quantities.  BAD idea.  Many auto stores take oil, including Grand Auto, R&S Strauss, Pep-Boys and Wal-Mart. Some states have laws requiring any business that sells oil to take used oil back from consumers.  Many quick-lube shops take oil (the industry association encourages it) Call them first to find out!    Anti-freeze tastes sweet to animals and children (even to adults), and WILL kill.  horribly.  Keep it out of reach of young ones and curious cats and dogs, then get rid of it safely.  Never mix anything with motor oil.  It makes the oil un-recyclable.
Usually you'll have to pay a fee from 1-5 dollars to get rid of your tires properly, but it's worth it.  Tires have that air that's caught in the middle, making them usually rise to the top of landfills.  Water collects on the inside, breeding mosquitoes, and spreading disease. Finally, your old car battery may be worth money, and even if not, any car parts shop will take it off your hands.

SOME INFO ON COMPUTER PRINTER RELATED ITEMS


Most printer cartridges are easily recycled, refilled or re-built. But printer vendors sell the printer cheap, and make their real money selling supplies. They don't want you be environmental.
The "right" environmental solution is to sell new cartridges with a postage paid mailer for returning the old one. Some forward-thinking companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, have been known to do this, especially for laser printers. Sometimes you can find free envelopes for donating cartridges to a refiller, but don't bother with refill kits. They may save money, but they are messy, and you use as much plastic as a new cartridge.  You can turn these cartridges in to any Office Supply or stores like it (just call to find out!).
To make a difference, buy recycled paper for your printer (because of the fine grain, it can look better than regular sliced trees). Grab piles of "blank on one side" paper from work, and use the other side. And always buy recycled. See The Yahoo! Recycled Printer Supplies Listing.
Encourage your company to buy a printer with duplexing (two sided printing), and to hire a company to take away waste paper regularly. WARNING: You may have a recycle bin at your company. Stay a little late one night and ask the cleaning people where it goes. You may be in for a shock.




FINALLY... (wowowowow long post) COMPOSTING


Food and yard scraps placed in a special bin are converted into valuable garden soil in a matter of weeks. Compost bins are available at garden stores & nurseries. Composting can easily reduce by half the volume of material a household sends to a landfill. If you don't care about accelerating the processing, just keep adding material at the top. Just try to keep a balance of dry "brown" materials and fresh "green" material. For more technical information, try visiting the On-line Composting Center.
Lots of things you'd otherwise throw away can be composted, including wine bottle corks, cooking oils, certain types of foam packing peanuts, used paper towels, dryer lint, etc. If it is natural, you can probably compost it without trouble!

And that's more than you'll ever need to know about recycling!

Beautiful

The Fight for Preah Vihear

This is an essay I submitted for my Political Science Class.  Hope you enjoy!

The Fight for Preah Vihear

                For the past several years, Cambodia and Thailand have fought for the land surrounding one of the area’s oldest landmarks: the Preah Vihear temple.  In a debate that began in the late 19^th century, the two actors are currently warring over, not the temple itself – which lies in Cambodia’s borders – but over the land surrounding the temple.  Because of two specific institutions, International Justice Court and UNESCO, along with both actors’ interest in power through security, material welfare gained through having more land and through tourism benefits of having a UNESCO World Heritage Site on their soil, and finally through the ideological goals of containing a religious temple so old and important, Cambodia and Thailand find themselves fighting a war, even today, over an 11^th century building, and a small amount of land.

                The Preah Vihear temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice by a vote of nine to three.  This ruling was based off of a map created in 1907, that showed the border of the two countries following a watershed for dozens of miles, the agreed border between the countries.  On this map however, at the point of the temple, the border swerved into another direction, away from the still-present watershed.  Thailand was angered by the 1962 ruling, as the map used did now show the agreed-upon borders between itself and Cambodia.  Thailand did hand over the temple, but did not relinquish the surrounding land, and claimed that the border was never officially marked at that point.  In more recent years, the issue has resurfaced because of a Cambodian application in 2008, saying that they rightfully owned the land surrounding the temple, causing Cambodia to withdraw and resubmit its application, this time only requesting the temple become a World Heritage Site.  Thailand still did not agree to this, as the only way to easily access the temple was through Thailand; the Cambodian side of the disputed land is thick rainforest.  Nevertheless, the Preah Vihear temple became a World Heritage Site on July 28^th, 2008.

                For the two countries, Cambodia and Thailand, it is possible to reach an agreement.  They could stop fighting a war today, and agree upon boundaries, either through bargaining or cooperation.  If Cambodia were to take the temple, and Thailand were to claim the land surrounding the temple, the two could list the Preah Vihear as a jointly-owned World Heritage Site.  Since the only way to the temple is through Thailand, that country is going to get most of the tourism benefits, along with the benefits of owning more land.  Cambodia would have the religious site, their name would remain on the World Heritage Site roster, along with Thailand’s, and the war would be over.  This is an example of what I see as the best possible outcome for both countries.  If the fighting were to continue however, I can only see bargaining as an option.  Bargaining has failed in the past for Cambodia and Thailand, but a successful bargain would have to be agreed on by both parties, as it usually is by most warring actor sets, after both parties are tired and/or near dead from war.  In this situation, one will be left with less than what they entered the war with.  Thailand may gain everything: the land, the temple, the W.H.S. title.  They again, the Cambodians may do the very same thing.  UNESCO might even retract the World Heritage Site title.  Many warring entities often refuse to cooperate because they feel that they can get something even better if they keep fighting and win the bargaining stage.  If they do reach the bargaining stage however, the only have a small chance of winning everything, if that!  This depends entirely on how many actors there are, how much material good and how many lives have been lost warring – a country that “wins” the bargaining may have still lost trillions of dollars and many, many troops.  Lives have been lost in the war over Preah Vihear, and citizens have been killed.  Even recently, in early February of 2011, Thai officials visited Cambodia to negotiate the dispute.  During this time, there was a clash between troops and causalities occurred on both sides.

            This international war started as no more than a “he said/she said” argument: Thai soldiers claim Cambodians shot first, and Cambodians claim the Thai troops ruined the stones on a wing of the temple by shooting at it, before the Cambodians ever fired a bullet.  The real conflict began with a problem of commitment, however.  The Thailand government originally had no issue with the revised application to the UNESCO by Cambodia.  It was the Thai people who pressured the government to reclaim the lands and the temple.  With the pressure coming from the people, the Thailand government was forced to break the agreement they had with Cambodia to make the temple a Cambodian World Heritage Site.  The two have not reached the point of bargaining or cooperating yet because they are so tied up in fighting each other.  Neither side will give up and agree to bargain because they have invested so much in the war already. 

            The fight over Preah Vihear is not simply a fight for a building that it can appear to be at first glance.  Nor is it only a fight for sacred grounds.  Although it is both of those things, it encompasses so much more.  These two countries, Cambodia and Thailand, are fighting for power, land and revenue, and for a religious temple so old and sacred, it is currently one of only a very few World Heritage cites of southeast Asia.  This 11^th century is only part of what is sending these two nations into battle.  

A picture of the Preah Vihear temple