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perispinel · 6 years ago

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OK K.O. Episodes Review!

I got Hulu Live just to watch em!

Gar Trains Punching Judy: A great funny episode, with the starring role of Melissa Villasenor doing some great work which I greatly enjoyed! It was also a pretty meaningful episode, showing Gar getting himself a bit more emotionally stable after all the hardships of his life- and all in all, it was funny seeing how K.O. was just plopped into this plot without really having any big role in it! 10 outta 10 for this one!

Beach Episode: This is a pretty nice, chill episode I think- I like the idea of them having a second job exclusively for the summer at the beach, even if it probably won’t appear again after this! Beach episodes are always fun, and this is no exception! I love Enid’s Naruto-style training, along with her Jaws-style revenge! And the fact that Raymond’s “swimsuit” is just a speedo and nothing else is just feeding into that fanart and that Radmond~ that Baywatch reference managed to be simultaneously subtle and glaringly obvious, and the landfill plot comes off as a lot less preachy when it’s combined with all this silliness with all the fun beach combat. ANyone else love that Raymond of all people is the one to agree with working together? All in all, this was a great episode, ten outta ten! (P.S. Rad and Raymond were put on the same board, coincidence or ship tease?) OK A.U.: Heck yeah, a canon alternate universe! This is definitely not the way I expected this episode to begin, with a “our life is much harder than yours” kinda plot, but it is a great way to begin an episode about being transported to another universe! I kinda hope that the Alternate Universe Warlock becomes a popular character in the fandom due to how easy he’d be to use for fanfiction! I love this perspective into what its like to be a Boxbot- unlike Mr. Gar, he doesn’t show any sympathy and is perfectly willing to reboot you if you ever disobey! It makes being a Boxbot seem kinda scary, although that was kind of a given. And man, I love the way these humanizations of the Boxbots look, exactly how I would’ve imagined them! I loved how the original moral ended up being completely thrown away when it turns out that when he created this alternate universe, he didn’t give them the same memories. And nice callback to the “Let’s Watch the Pilot” episode! ten outta ten, hopefully this becomes a popular one!

K.O.’s Health Week: This episode has such a Sesame Street vibe to it, or like an episode of a cartoon from the ninetees where they were forced to give out morals without any relevance to the plot or characters. In fact, I am totally certain that this is meant to be a parody of those kinda kid’s shows, with K.O. in place of someone like Elmo or Sonic from Sonic Sez. This episode is definitely establishing K.O. as having some pretty wacky toonforce, being able to just climb into someone’s mouth and shrink into the size of a tiny toothbrush to literally wipe out plaque. This episode seems like it was both meant as a way to teach cute lessons to kids and as a way to show K.O.’s trait of wanting to be a hero to anyone. I enjoy the way they managed to rope in the Boxbots into the plot, and both this and Beach Episode show that in the right circumstances, they can get along well! It looks like this episode might’ve been more than just a silly “the more you know” gag- it was showing that K.O. needs to take care of himself! It’s nice to see that even though the Boxbots still got pummelled, they were on good terms with K.O. by the end. Maybe eventually we’ll have a plot with the Boxbots questioning their villainy? Anyway, ten outta ten for this!

Rad’s Alien Sickness: I absolutely love this already, with Venomous and Fink getting their own villainous intro to signify their new role in Boxmore! I had no idea we would get to the point of biological warfare being used against the Bodega Trio, but Venomous is the kind to definitely pull that off! It seems maybe they were using Rad’s persistence against him in order to make them fall apart, which is pretty clever for someone who hasn’t been there for that long. Their depiction of Rad’s sickness managed to be pretty gross without being overly realistic, as all fluids are replaced with just blue. I love how K.O. has proved to be the perfect pal, helping his friends with whatever is ailing them, and the fact that he got desperate enough to use leeches and crystals is adorable and funny. Anyone else surprised to hear the term “enabler” used in a kid’s cartoon? And I just love the fourth wall breaking of them saying they barely see Ernesto! Honestly, this episode just proves how much better of a villain Venomous really is, as he basically using his real villain skills to do what Boxman always wanted to do- almost, at least! Well, ten outta ten, I can’t wait for the finale! (not sure whether that cocooning thing is more funny or creepy.)

Dark Plaza: It should typically be a good sign when an episode begins with a cheesy laughtrack and everyone being happy, but the last episode to do that was Let’s Take a Moment, an episode packed with big reveals and twists, so I am already feeling something coming. And already I was right, with Foxtail and Elodie showing up with a bunch of construction workers and giant pointy ships! THis episode is already getting heavy, with the supposed hero wanting to bulldoze Lakewood Plaza to start extracting glorbs and Carol’s secret being revealed to Gar! Oh boy, I love the parallels- in the heat of the moment, Gar is telling off Carol and saying something he’s bound to regret while it rains down hard, just like Carol did all those years ago. Gar seems to have completely given up and is gone, time will only tell if it lasts. Oh boy, subversion of expectations- instead of T.K.O. coming out to save the day, he’s stopped from fighting, and two months pass to reveal that they actually did win! Villains win! I mean, heroes win really, but you get it. It’s pretty dope that the heroes have formed a resistance, and they have such cool new outfits which I bet will get plenty of fanart! The fact that Mr. Gar had the blueprints to the Plaza encoded with holographic morse is pretty clever, and I am into this fun heist mission being pulled off! Ms. Mummy’s appearance was a surprise indeed, and I also didn’t think we’d get to see P.K.O. again, but this episode is full of surprises! The callback to the Key to the Plaza from the Plazalympics is pretty cool, as I was almost certain that was just a gag. It probably originally was a gag, but now it’s not! I also love the fact that Plazamo from Crinkly Wrinkly’s story turned out to be real, and he wasn’t just making stuff up- he just has a weird way of remembering things. I am very hopeful that Elodie will come around- she seemed remorseful back then when she actually destroyed the plaza, but it seems now she’s been completely turned. This episode is doing well to prove both how tough K.O. is and how powerful Foxtail is, and I love it!

Nice to see Mr. Gar return to save the day, and Carol too! And man, Elodie is stone-cold brutal- turning on her own superior just to prove she can, and that all in all she still loves Enid. It’s also sweet that they’re still having such an emotional moment with her even after all she’s done- Foxtail did have good intentions, after all. I think that all in all, that was a pretty good season finale. I expected something with Shadowy Figure, and sadly we didn’t really get any hints at it, but I’m sure next season is gonna do something about that. Eleven outta ten!

#okko #okkospoilers #ok ko spoilers

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adelaidecity · 6 years ago

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Would you bring your own container to the grocery store to reduce waste?

Updated January 10, 2019 14:07:35

Photo: Reusable straws, bamboo straws and reusable drink containers have become popular. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher) Reusable coffee cups have become a household staple for many Australians, now some people are stepping up their game in the supermarket. Key points:Reusable cups, straws and containers are becoming popular among shoppersThere are no requirements in the Food Standards Code on people bringing their own containersMore people are buying items like cups and lunch boxes to reduce waste Bring your own containers are growing in popularity as people continue to look for new ways to reduce the amount of plastic waste they create. Adelaide resident Karen Murphy is one of them. She brings reusable containers and biodegradable, compostable bags with her whenever she goes to the shops. Instead of using the typical plastic bags and plastic containers most shops rely on, she hands over her own and asks that they fill them up. "The first series of the War on Waste, it kind of wakes you up to how much waste we are putting in our landfill bins, recycle bins," Ms Murphy said. "So I guess even though we have always been good at using those things, it really inspired me to get down and really reduce it even more."

Photo: Karen Murphy said she always looked for ways to reduce plastic waste. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher) Ms Murphy said at first it was tricky because some shops were unsure about the safety and logistics involved in her request. But over time, she has developed strong, ongoing relationships with butchers, delicatessens, grocers, fish mongers and bakeries that were willing to let her use her own containers. "It's about going to those smaller retailers, because they have a lot more flexibility than the larger stores," she said. "You create that relationship with people, they know I come in every week." Food safety concerns often cited Ms Murphy said in her experience, butchers and fish mongers were the most resistant. "Food and safety is one of the main reasons they say no, they are working with food that has a high risk of contamination from bacteria," she said.

Photo: Ms Murphy requests that the butcher uses her plastic containers when she buys meat. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher) She said she typically used compostable bags for fresh meat that would go into the freezer. Once they were used, they could be broken down in her green bin or compost. The mother-of-two was the first to admit it required planning, but remained adamant that it was achievable. "It does seem inefficient and takes a little bit of practice, but you do get the hang of it," she said. Inspiring businesses to get on board Damian Holmes, who has been a butcher for 33 years, said he was surprised by Ms Murphy's request when she first asked to be served in her own container, but said he was happy to help. "The customer is the customer, and you do what the customer wants. You look after their needs and requirements," he said. Ms Murphy said she favoured his business because the shop also used tongs, instead of plastic gloves or plastic bags to handle meat, which meant no plastic waste was involved in her purchase.

Photo: Mr Holmes said he was happy to help with requests for reusable containers. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher) Mr Holmes said he weighed containers before they were filled, to make sure that customers were only charged for what they purchased. He said Ms Murphy had even inspired him to reduce the plastic his business relied on. "In the old days we didn't have this much plastic, I remember when I was wrapping meat in paper, I'm 55 that's what we always used to do, so why not get back to what we used to be?" he said. "It's an art, it's a tradition and I'm a traditional butcher." What do the regulators say? Mr Holmes said hygiene was a concern, but if he was concerned about the cleanliness of a container, he would wash it for customers before he used it. "If the lady wants to use her container and we don't think it's clean enough, we will wipe it, we will wash it, and show her that we did the right thing by her," he said. Despite concerns from some businesses, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) said there were no requirements in the Food Standards Code regarding people bringing their own containers to purchase food. "It is up to the retailer to determine the measures they put in place to ensure food is safe and suitable," FSANZ told the ABC. "Use food-safe containers, covers and packaging to protect food. Only re-use packaging or other materials if safe for food don't repeatedly use packaging designed for single use. "Ensure containers are clean. Wash them in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly." Committed to reducing plastic Another of Ms Murphy's favourite shops is Fabian Muller's Adelaide grocery store and she said she shopped with him because he was committed to reducing the amount of waste his shop generated.

Photo: Fabian Muller says his business works closely with farmers to try and reduce waste. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher) "We work closely with our farmers to try and reduce a lot of our waste," Mr Muller said. "With our greens we are able to return the crates that they come in, or we give boxes back to our farmers so they can be re-used. "We have a little garden out the back that all of our compost goes into as well. "We are lucky because we are in the organic space, and 80 per cent of it comes from South Australia and we have direct relationships with [producers]." Kate Pardey, who owns a gift shop in Adelaide's CBD, said she had seen a noticeable increase in people purchasing items to help them reduce waste. "Lunch boxes, beeswax wraps, reusable straws and reusable water bottles are really taking off," she said. "KeepCups are still selling like crazy though, ever since last Christmas. "We haven't been able to keep [them] in stock we've run out of them 12 times in the last year." Topics:recycling-and-waste-management,environment,food-safety,food-and-beverage,community-and-society,adelaide-5000,sa First posted January 10, 2019 08:30:01 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-10/plastic-container-movement-to-reduce-waste-gains-momentum/10697022

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liezlslearnings · 3 years ago

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Business Leader with a Heart

When I decided to take up MBA, I don’t really think about so much where to enroll or what should I consider in looking for a Graduate school. I ended up choosing De La Salle University because it’s closer to my work given the prior covid set-up of face-to-face classes, but of course its prestigious name is an enticing consideration for me to enroll. However, during my time in La Salle I learned how unique it was especially for the business school, and what it sets it apart to other schools. You would have thought that Master’s in Business Administration is teaching you to run business, to earn profit and be successful, but the Lasallian way teaches you how to do it in a right way.

(Own photo from 1st day of Class)

Recalling way back semesters, I also had the Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics and CSR as a subject. A Lasallian business leader is not solely for profit but on how to apply ethics on every decision making of a company or business. I also learned about CSR or the Corporate Social Responsibility on how companies give back to the community. Most companies have CSR to help the environment and the communities by building schools, making campaigns, etc. It gave me a redefinition on how should I be once I become a leader. Other subjects are also training us to use our sound judgment in decision making by applying the Lasallian Framework.

During my Aim2Flourish project. I got familiarized with what is a Social Enterprise all about. A social enterprise is “defined as a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose. Social enterprises seek to maximize profits while maximizing benefits to society and the environment, and the profits are principally used to fund social programs” (Investopedia). We were tasked to find a local social enterprise business so that we can share their noble stories through Aim2Flourish website. That’s how I discovered about the EcoBoom diapers. These diapers are made of bamboo and fast decomposing compared to normal diapers. These bamboo diapers decomposes for 147 days compared to regular diapers that takes 400-500 days to decompose and sitting still on the landfills. But what I like the most about the experience in doing the project is I get to know the person behind the Social Enterprise and why she choose sustainable products for business. I met Ms. Valerie Pineda, the owner of EcoBoom Diapers, and she shared and somehow teaches me how to live almost zero-plastic. She shared that her love for the environment makes her start on her own will to live with less plastics and eventually sharing and encouraging her friends to do the same. Some of her ways are using menstrual cup, using shampoo bars, and using reusable bags. With her eagerness to lessen waste, what she’s doing is to continuously researching for a sustainable alternative products that she can offer in the Philippines. Ms. Valerie inspires me because of the mindset that she has on how she is doing business. Her company name is called NewEarth Ph, aside from diapers, she also has baby wipes, eco-friendly washable paper bags, and compostable face mask. She is dedicated to provide eco-friendly products for the Filipino with a goal to lessen waste. I was inspired with her devotion because not all businessman spoke like how she values our environment more than profit.

(Photo grabbed from Google)

Now, that I am almost at the finish line of my MBA journey, with few terms left, I am very happy that I chose this school. Lasallian MBA values and principles is the best built for a successful business leader. There is a huge difference between a leader and an ethical leader, but the latter is how a Lasallian business should be.

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techslideits · 3 years ago

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How to authorised e waste recyclers in india

Telangana govt showcased right Startups in sustainability space to the international basin of , registered assembly absolute entrepreneurs, startups and chummy entrepreneurs from fifty four countries on Tuesday, day two of the TiE Sustainability acme .

The predominant Secretary of IT Mr Jayesh Ranjan while speaking on the commencement the outdated day talked about within the remaining years considering the fact that Telangana was shaped, the state has confirmed in endless domains how sustainability can be performed. In assiduity to that eleven startups have been made to existing their companies to the international viewers.

speaking on the event Ms Shanta Thoutam from the IT branch talked about, in when the Telangana accompaniment became formed it just had and ordinary startups. these days there are more than startups. Telangana is the start-up accompaniment of India. It has T-Hub, which pioneers India’s leading innovation ecosystem. It synergises startups, companies, governments, academia and traders to drive transformative alternate she informed.

The state has ‘WE-Hub’, India’s aboriginal accompaniment-led incubator completely for girls. although ladies entrepreneurs are on the rise, nevertheless girls entrepreneurs in India and the world over continue to accept difficulties in entry to basic & proper basement; acceptable trade connections.; reasonably priced childcare; acclimation expert & very own lifestyles; enterprise expertisebasics;. Counselling & existence coaching; group to aid women Entrepreneurs; busline & security. We Hub bridges this hole, she added.

She batten about photo CoE, which is featuring components corresponding to mentoring, know-how guide and allotment for Gaming, action, VFX, computing device and so forth

T-Works is a further initiative introduced to support the ecosystem Ms Shantha talked about. it is India’s biggest prototyping centre in Hyderabad constructed to actualize and have a good time a culture of hobbyists, makers and innovators who explore and experiment devoid of the concern of abortion.

She introduced initiate-u.s.in the Sustainability area which encompass: waste Ventures; Marut Drones, Ewoke studio, Banyan Nation, apricot Innovators, Eto Motors, Sanshodhan, an e-decay alternate Pvt. Ltd; D’Cal Hardwater Softner, Hala mobility and Architude.

Roshan Miranda explained their junk to value event. We assemble waste from your doorstep and pay you. We assignment with additional decay pickers. I gave up my job in the country and ventured into this because it maintains me satisfied, he talked about. and delivered it gave him bifold happiness. The reason why we begun this changed into to alter the recyclable waste that become ending up in landfills. We desired to accomplish americans realise that there s a lot of price in waste and with this thought, we began this mission.

Prem Kumar of Marut Drones explained his journey. A group of proficient and experienced individuals building end to conclusion options to enable and calibration bombinate operations readily he pointed out. He defined how they used drones to address the mosquito threat. It has helped obtain a major drop in the incidence of malaria and dengue circumstances. although we received ability years lower back we don’t have abandon from the risk of mosquitoes. we have recognized it as the leading ache factor and developed technological options round it, he noted. And delivered that their Marut Drones’ HepiCopters are being used for door delivery of medicine from the sky in addition to temperature-managed vaccines.

Now it’s SeedCopter is spraying seeds from the sky in inaccessible locations deep interior the forests and arresting terrains. It hopes to bulb lakh berry assurance this monsoon.

Shruti Rawal of Ewoke flat is enthusiastic about driving sustainability within the apparel and bolt industry, and conscious burning.

founder of Ewoke – A architecture label for sustainable fashion, she is an alum of the national convention of trend know-how. She started Ewoke with a vision to empower girls with the clothes they wear while authoritative a good have an effect on on society and the atmosphere. Shruti shared her experience. being an eco-conscious adult, I always thought about the fashion industry which used to contribute % of world carbon emissions.

I always thought of proposing an choice. That sooner or later resulted in the delivery of Ewoke. I all started Ewoke with a transparent mission to curb climate alternate. All our fabric are biodegradable and recycled, with a basal carbon brand like hemp. We supply our drops from wood and shell. The main motive in the back of this is to supply acceptable garb which is the brand new fashion, she brought.

We put sustainability into practice manner returned in says Rashi Agrawal, administrator at Banyan Nation. it s India’s first vertically integrated authorised e waste recyclers in india business that uses information intelligence to integrate a largely congenial supply chain. She gave an illustration of how Unilever turned into making decent progress against a decay-free apple. It tremendously stepped up its use of recycled artificial. and how few manufacturers were the use of bottles created from recycled plastics. surf excel acclimated % of its bottles made from recycled plastic.

water Warrior Kalpana Ramesh explained her event and how she has been impacting association. My dream is to see baptize tanker chargeless homes. We should have self-sufficiency in baptize. Kalpana Ramesh took over the prime minister’s address on the eve of women’s day in the past and gave a call to the public to turn into water warriors.

Sikander Reddy Thandra of coral addition explained that they have constructed a cell app-based mostly platform making beat studying & announcement primary and foolproof for Utilities and consumers. Our features help utilities to get rid of the guide punching in beat reading and greatly reduce the time taken for the month-to-month announcement aeon at a lots reduce can charge than the presently incurred can charge. Ours is a captivating cocky beat studying app. It also offers insights into energy burning, he explained.

Rajeev YSR, vice president of Eto Motors mentioned probably the most polluted cities on the earth are in India. we re India’s no. EMaaS electric advancement as a carrier company. We focus on the giant-calibration deployment of multi-manufacturer electric fleets for cleaner cities. We strengthen and install a variety of clear advancement services that are sustainable.

we are anticipating revolutionizing the electric powered mobility account not handiest in key cities of India however also on the foreign anchorage. We set up electric automobiles all across the nation and we own and operate the agile with an intention to greater the livelihoods of drivers. With shared mobility, we are already seeing a lot of people relocating from vehicle ownership mannequin to automobile entry model, he added. He thanked the government of Telangana for creating an Ecosystem for digital cars.

Dr S. Shalini Sharma of Sanshodhan talked about that they permit corporates in lots of cities and societies throughout Hyderabad to identify and at once transfer their e-decay to government-approved, technically ready recyclers. India generates more than two million tonnes of e-waste annually. It additionally imports a significant volume from developed countries. you can do away with historical electronics sustainably in affiliation with us, she referred to.

Uday of D’Cal tough baptize Softner defined how their invention machine turns difficult water smooth for one-tenth the cost. it s a trouble-free process because the installation doesn’t crave any pipes, plumber or electricity. All a consumer has to do is drop the bottle-fashioned gadget within the water tank. The artefact has bought an overwhelming response and they are exporting to america also.

Srikanth of HALA advancement defined that it s India’s first multi-modal experience-administration belvedere. the use of the app, you can ebook a vehicle of option in three clicks.

Ms. Vijayadurga Koppisetti founding father of Architude referred to her infra-tech startup leverages tech to deliver green building options to safeguard the environment. local weather exchange calls for that the building business undertake greener and sustainable solutions, an architect Vijayadurga Koppisetti explained.

She mentioned greener solutions are not most effective important to look after the ambiance however also the fitness and well-being of the occupant. every year, four actor deaths may also be attributed to affliction from family unit air pollution, she delivered.

all of the startups in the sustainable house expressed their beatitude over the style the government of Telangana has been assisting them by means of developing conducive ecosystems for them to flourish.

#https://virogreen.in/#authorized-e-waste-recyclers-in-india

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fortnegrita · 7 years ago

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28 times black people were effortlessly environmentalists

i got inspired by all the posts wishing me a happy black history month, that i had to jump in and big up the numerous ways that black folks stunt in the world of sustainability. and no, this isn’t a list filled with facts about 28 eco-leaders in the black community, that’s a whole other post that needs to be published.

this is 28 things commonly known in the black community that we take for granted, but are very much so actions of environmentalism. and it’s more than 28 ways, i could go on for millions of years, like my ancestors, but we’re sticking to 28 because, well, you know why.

1. black people reuse old containers. whether is that tin can that had shortbread cookies in it one christmas, or butter tubs, or that crisco can full of grease. instead of purchasing tupperware made from virgin materials, we cut back on manufacturing and go the ‘feed two birds with one hand’ route. if i buy this butter tub, i will have butter now, and a food container later. genius!

2. emancipated ourselves through slave revolts and the underground railroad. yup, our most warrior moves in our modern history, was also an anti capitalist move. this is huge! capitalism, and the consumerism by product, is the biggest contributors to climate change; it exploits natural resources like metals found in your phone and coal used to light factories. our demand for things whether it’s cotton to make a pair of trousers in the 1700s or a new cellphone in 2018; it’s all increasing unused carbon in the air.by resisting, we slowed down demand. also, since agriculture is a leading contributor to climate change because of pesticides by abandoning the agriculture fields, where sugar and cotton both strip the soil of it’s nutrients, we gave the land a major rest.

3. our mommas told us to ‘turn off the damn lights.’ yes, she was trying to save her coins, and why not?! the energy system is monopolized anyways, why spend money with a company you are forced to be in a relationship with. two, cutting down on electricity is cutting doing on fossil fuels (coal or gas) extracted from the earth. this is important because carbon is energy, and energy is never gained or loss, it simply goes some where else. so keeping your momma’s kitchen light on when you not in there, means more coal with be extracted from earth, burnt to put energy into a grid and then sent to your momma’s house via a power line. once the energy it burnt it is exhausted into the air. so instead of that energy being in in the ground it’s now in the atmosphere, making the air warmer, making places that aren’t typically hot like the Arctic, melting archaic ice, rising sea levels, and in the future possibly pushing you and your momma out of your house because of horrible flood damage, and now your property is considered a floodplain.

4. multiple families living in a single home. my family like many black families and even families of color have lived with multiple people outside of their nuclear family in the house. most of my childhood, some extended family lived in my parents’ house. my aunt and her kids, my uncle, godmother, granddad. how is a crowded house an environmental plus? homes take up lots of energy, imagine all those people forgetting to turn off your mommas lights. :-D trying to keep homes warm or cold require an insurmountable amount of energy, the more people in one house means less energy usage, also more body heat. and don’t front like your favorite memories weren’t created in a house full of people.

5. our elders tell us ‘no ins and outs.’ again, an issue of energy usage, when children run in and out of the house they ar eletting air (or heat) out of the house making our controlled climate sysmtem to work harder to keep our home at a certain temperature.

6. when yall packed snacks for outings. moms probably made an amazing tuna salad for the beach. you may have missed out on boardwalk fries and pizza slices, but look at the upside, oyu avoided so much packaging all those years.

7. when the matrons kept a few good plants. whether it’s hanging from a macrame-styled planter or in her garden, greenery is always good for the air. also photosynthesis is a sink in the carbon cycle, meaning is absorbs carbon helping to decrease carbon in the atmosphere.

8. when families sit on the porch. a seemingly idle activity, but it is a huge element of community activism. how else are neighbors suppose to talk about their kids asthma, the rotting smells of landfills, or getting more fresh foods into their neighborhood? on the porch is where conversations are sparked that could lead to policy change, closing landfills, or even, the drafting of something as powerful as the ‘principles of environmental justice”. also, healthy communities = healthy planet.

9. when that plastic grocery bag has 237 lives. conditioner cap, fried chicken batter bag, lunch box, bathroom trashcan liner. it’s in our DNA to be resourceful, why buy cheap single use showers caps when you can use a plastic bag before you turn it into a trash bag?

10. seeing the potential in a 98% empty toothpaste tube. there’s no such things as waste, and there’s still toothpaste in that tube. my trick? pinch the head of your tooth brush directly into the tube cap.

11. our enslaved ancestors made a meal out of pig intestines. being from a 5% household, i’ve never been into pork, but i find beauty in my ancestors’ ingenuity to turn literal shit into sugar. this is zero waste at best. globally family of the diaspora have used every part of their preferred animal. the ancient tribes of the americas who use every part of the buffalo, my carribean yardies who can cook a mean goat and save the leftover for mannish water. zero waste takes a lot of creativity, to avoid the trash can, the most convenient, yet unfortunate option.

12. when you sick, take a nap. medical care, one of the largest expenditures for the american budget. lot’s of infrastructure, products and people banking on your sickness so they can ‘cure’ you. chances are high that you can sleep off whatever is wrong with you, before you need to go to see a physician.

13. the montgomery bus boycotts. for 381 days, black commuters in montgomery, opted-out of the bus system. Considering the amount of fuel it takes to get a city to work for 381 days, black commuters help to cut fossil fuel usage and decrease particulates and carbon released into the air from the bus’ tail pipes.

14. when we take public transit. yes, contrary to #13, but public transit i still an alternative transportation option to cars. the us has the third largest vehicle per capita at 795 people out of every 1,000 people. cars reliance contributes to climate change with exhaust of particulates making the atmosphere warmer, water runoff (subsequent flooding) from asphalt (impervious) roads, maintenance and upgrades, all demanding more manufacturing, more carbon usage.

15. since we still don’t have complete road infrastructure in our countries. this is tricky, because people praise roads for their ability to offer accessibility to jobs, but it also means an increase of development, gentrification, removal of indigenous folks from land they’ve stewarded for centuries, more trash flying in to sacred places, etc…. the best way i can say this is there’s no jobs on a dead planet.

16. crafted the principles of environmental justice. in 1991 we, with our brown and yellow brothers, crafted the principles of environmental justice, during the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, shout out to Ms. Dana Alston. the list of principles is the coldest thing i’ve ever seen written on behalf of the planet. my favorite principles?

#4 Environmental Justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.

#9 Environmental Justice protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care.

#8 Environmental Justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms the right of those who work at home to be free from environmental hazards.

17. black americans stayed in the south. post reconstruction era, for those of us that took the road less traveled. we stayed in the south and maintained a connection to the land. we stewarded the land, keeping rural farms in black ownership for over 100 years while also expanded their resourcefulness (see #21 remedies) as black southerners were intentionally isolated from resources (racism). shout out to fannie lou hamer.

18. moved up north. contrary to staying in the south, folks moved up north during the great migration for ‘opportunities.’ sure, there was a lot of industrial jobs, but what’s bigger than that is the minimized lifestyle. thanks to red lining, black people were racially discriminated against and only able to live in ghettos, confined to centralized areas in the uban core, making walking to work or public transit more accessible (see #14), living quarters were smaller so know need to heat an empty house ( see #4), condensed purchasing because a lack of homes square footage and funds (see #)

19. hand me downs. yall got a shirt that made it through a whole line of cousins? yea, me too. we are in a time where american hands me downs are stifling clothing markets in african countries, so getting your big cousins bedazzled jeans aint so bad. and my soap box, never buy brand new baby clothes, like fah what!?!!

20. you got mcdonald’s money. easily one of the corporations that hate black people and the planet the most. and even though that corporation hates both black people and the earth, it exploits both. micky d’s takes our money, bombards our neighborhoods, feeds us crap and makes us look like clowns in marketing campaigns. all while contributing to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes cases, so no, we ain’t got no mcdonald’s money.

21. home remedies and traditional african medicine. before capitalism saw an enterprise in the health of people, our ancestors were developing cures and ailments with plants found in nature;; tonics, elixirs, poultices, YOU NAME IT! some modern day remedies include; red clay and vinegar for bee stings, chickweed tea if you’re sick, mint for digestion, rubbing your skin with eucalyptus to keep mosquitoes away. onions on the bottom of your feverous feet and #12 above. a few of my favorites.

22. marooning. from north african moors to the somalian gypsies on caravans through the dessert, to the isrealites in exile from egypt to nanny in the jamaican mountains to the escaped slaves on the coasts of ecuador and columbia to the geechee folks on the gullah islands to MOVE in Philly; we are the the original off-the-griders. going into maroon communities (like many communities built after revolts and ‘making it’ north) we relied heavily on the earth for livelyhood including food and shelter, it reconnected us with the land in a very intentional way. we ain’t new to this we true to this. we’ve always been nomads, when a place doesn’t provide us with our most basic needs, we dip. this is eco-friendly for several reasons. 1. we understand the importance of living of the land, and because of that we are better stewards of the earth. 2. in maroon cases we didn’t have the infrastructure like running water, so we may have depended on natural catchment systems, 3. we likely composted food and human waste to create our own safe and sanitary waste systems.

23. black farmers. as much as we predominately run from the idea of farming, there are many black families that continue our legacy of farming. our legacy of farming didn’t start in the slave trade. matter of fact, some of us were kidnapped to american because we could grow a particular crop, like rice (which the us affectionately calls ‘carolina gold’). farmers are the most concerned citizens about the state of the planet. climate change and the human impact on agriculture could mean a food scarcity and lost of jobs. there is a growing number of young farmers filling in the intergenerational gaps between them and the elder farmers, so that we don’t loose these skills. we are grateful.

24. being financially poor. there is a positive feedback between the increase in climate change and the increase in global affluence. and that is because as more people have more disposable income, they buy more dispensable things. for instance, shoes in every color instead of one pair of functional shoes for work. with countries like India and Chile’s growing middle class, we are over-consuming for what the planet can handle. not that it’s glamorous but being poor means that you are contributing less to climate change. in fact, the countries most vulnerable to climate change make up 70% of the world’s population, but only 3.2% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

25. historically being sea explorers, alchemist, astrologists, engineers, masons. our skill sets run deep, and many ofthem are reliant on the earth. mansa musa, the world’s richest man, used a certain sea current to carry him and his 2,000 boats to the americas. also, you remember how we built those massive three triangular monuments, that were built without any construction equipment. that are aligned with the stars and the summer solstice, when the sun reaches it’s highest point in the sky.

26. literally the entire being. essence. and inspiration. that is george washington carver. carver the great, developed techniques to prevent soil depletion caused by cotton farming. one of his most notable techniques was crop rotation a practice used by many farmers (see #23) today. he also created 200 products from the peanut plant and another 100 from the sweet potato. he wrote literature on how to start self-sufficient gardens, uses for wild plants and how to compost. he is the GOAT!

27. reusing grease for frying. every black family got a old pot of grease. if not, check your pockets for your black card. the notorious pot of grease is symbolic to so many things; 1. your family understands that nothing should be single-use, you need a handful of uses out of everything, even cooking grease. 2. your mother knows how to save a good coin. 3. there’s been several crispy dinners cooked at your house. 4. the next fried meal gonna be fiy, because the flavors from the last four fryings have marinated at the bottom of the pan.

28. midwifery. a practice we never lost through time. even, when hospital services became available to black families, some women have always preferred a midwife to deliver their babies. in this way, black midwives are helping to usher more life onto the planet; creation being the number one late of nature. their practices tend to be holistic, and that cutbacks on epidurals and disposable hospital garbs.

that’s all folks! black people are certified everywhere, you ain’t gotta check our resumes

#black history month #zero waste #environmentalism #environmentalists #environmental justice

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philaparkandrec · 5 years ago

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Quenching kids’ thirst

Did you know that 54% of children do not drink enough water? Dehydration can put kids in a bad mood, reduce their ability to learn, and, in the long run, cause harm to their kidneys and metabolism. One way we can help kids drink more water is by making sure our water fountains are ones they want to use.

In 2017, Rec Leader 3 Patty McCole used Advisory Council funds to purchase a shiny new “hydration station” to replace Northern Liberties Rec Center’s old fountain. Since then, NLRC has kept over 22,000 single-use plastic bottles out of our streets, rivers, and landfills!

But any infrastructure investment is only as good as its upkeep. That’s where Facility Caretaker 2 Tina Perkins comes in.

“I’m glad the station is here,” explains Ms. Tina. “It should be clean. The facility should be clean. I take pride in what I do.”

On August 22, Ms. Tina will retire after 18 years with Parks & Recreation (17 of them at Northern Liberties). She is leaving the center in better shape than she found it, and the hydration station as shiny as the day it was installed.

Here are her tips:

Clean your fountain or hydration station every day: the front, the sides, underneath.

Wipe it down with the wipes PPR gives us, and then a rag with a little bleach.

Keep an eye on the fountain throughout the day for any debris – gum, sunflower seeds. Remove debris as soon as possible so other people don’t get any ideas.

Keep the area around the fountain clean and smelling good too.

With a little effort, we can keep kids hydrated and happy!

_______________________________________________________

This fall, Parks & Rec will resume installing hydration stations at rec centers across the city. Additionally, the Rebuild program will include hydration stations as part of their rec center renovation projects. Use the Finder app to locate existing hydration stations in our rec centers.

#hydrationstation #northernlibertiesrecreationcenter #northernliberties

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monkeesimmerz · 4 years ago

Photo

♡Barbara Hissy♡

traits: cheerful, art lover, outgoing

aspirations: artistic prodigy

“Barbara is the kind of neighbour who would sell you llama essential oil and invite you to a totally not pyramid scheme group. Her trailer is filled with her paintings and useless junk. But to be fair, her heart is in the right place. She’s one of the friendliest people you will ever meet! But, she might want to keep her mouth shut though. She seems to know everyone’s secrets, possibly from her psychic business.

Barbara and her husband has lived in Happy Landfill park for a very long time. According to her psychic ability. a tiny house can bring people closer together and can make you learn skill faster. Well, let her believe her own fantasy...”

hair: laundry day, seasons

all outfits will show up in game if you have:

everyday: laundry day

formal: get famous, anessasims’ luana dress

sport: discover university

sleep: bgc

party: enriques4′s lolita heart glasses , laundry day

swimwear: island living

hot weather: island living

cold weather: cats and dogs

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

download link: SOON

#ms happy landfillers #ms townies #ms del sol valley

0 notes

all-girls-deserve-a-role-model · 5 years ago

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Sophy Ron spent eight years of her childhood surrounded by garbage and toxic fumes while living in a notorious Cambodian rubbish dump nicknamed "Smoky Mountain".

—

Less than a decade after escaping, the 21-year-old is about to begin studying at the University of Melbourne and dreams of running her own business.

Her former home, the Steng Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh, has long been a symbol of the country's poverty.

Each day, thousands of people pick through the filth in the hope of finding edible food and recyclables to sell.

On a good day Ms Ron would earn 50 cents, enough for a few cups of rice to share with her parents and six siblings.

"I didn't realise it was smelly, I didn't realise it was dirty," she said.

"I slept there, I ate there, I did everything there, so it became my home."

Ms Ron said overwhelming debts left her family with no choice but to live at the dump site.

The local school only offered a place to one child per family, so Ms Ron missed out on a chance to study.

She said she followed her older sister to school and learned what she could by looking through the classroom windows.

—

Her life changed after a chance meeting at the dump with Scott Neeson, the founder of the Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF).

"He asked me whether I wanted to study English, and at that time I had no idea what English was," Ms Ron said.

"I ran home feeling happy because he promised he would take me to school."

Mr Neeson's charity, featured by the ABC's Australian Story in 2012, has provided education, housing and medical treatment to thousands of people in Cambodia since its launch in 2004.

The poverty rate in Cambodia dropped from 53 per cent in 2004 to 13.5 per cent in 2014, according to UNICEF, but children's living conditions remain poor.

—

In a 2018 report, the United Nations agency said a third of children under four were stunted and about half aged between five and 14 did not have access to proper toilets.

Ms Ron said she vividly remembered her first day of school, aged 11, when for the first time she saw groups of children laughing and playing.

She was also a quick learner and a good communicator; by 2016 she was on stage presenting a Tedx Talk in English.

'I hope it changes my life'

—

Through CCF, Ms Ron was able to secure a scholarship to complete a foundation year of study at the University of Melbourne's Trinity College.

She graduated in June, paving the way for her to start a Bachelor of Arts degree when the new semester begins this month.

While Ms Ron said she loved life in Melbourne (apart from the cold), she hoped to eventually return home to start a business and continue working with CCF.

Her uplifting story of transformation has been featured in Cambodia's local media in recent weeks, and Ms Ron said she hoped it encouraged others to donate to charity.

"I can't really describe the feeling. I hope it changes my life in the future," she said.

"I have this message throughout my life journey: a not-giving-up message. It doesn't matter in what circumstances."

#|| All Girls Deserve A Rolemodel ||#Continent || Asia #Topic || Education #Topic || Poverty #Topic || Pollution #rolemodel #role model #female rolemodel #girl rolemodel #rolemodel for girls #feminist #feminism #girl power #girls change the world

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/business/i-paid-160-for-a-pair-of-limited-edition-nappies/

'I paid £160 for a pair of limited edition nappies'

Image copyright Cecilia Leslie / Instagram

Think washable nappies, and most of us will envisage a burdensome, time-consuming – not to mention smelly – commitment reserved only for the most dedicated eco-warrior.

But, for many a convert, cloth nappies are a hobby, a passion, and even an obsession.

“Cloth bumming”, as it’s called in inside circles, is no longer just about the environment or saving money, but also about fashion and the clamour to get the most sought-after designs on your baby’s bottom.

Some fans collect nappies in the way others amass handbags. Limited editions are snapped up at lightning speed to be posted for resale at nearly 10 times the retail price.

Social media communities are flourishing and even have their own lexicon.

So what is it about cloth nappies that draws such a cult following?

‘Not just a frivolous hobby’

Image copyright Cecilia Leslie / Instagram

Mother-of-four Cecilia Leslie has built up a stash of about 500 nappies.

The full-time midwife is now a cloth nappy “influencer” with more than 22,000 Instagram followers.

Like the vast majority of “real” nappy users, the 32-year-old from Edinburgh originally set out on her “cloth journey” to reduce plastic waste and save money but, over the years, it became a hobby.

Image copyright Cecilia Leslie / Instagram

“I fully intended for my use of cloth to be solely functional. But, once I started, it became more of a case of wanting all the pretty patterns. I joined quite a few communities online, where there was a lot of hype about having all the prints.

“I’ve got a lot of limited editions, which sell out quickly. It became a bit of a game trying to track them down – I used to source them from Canada, Australia and the USA.

“I paid £60 for a limited edition print that TotsBots brought out when Prince George was born. And I once paid £160 for a pair of limited edition Bumgenius nappies – there were only 100 made.”

Image copyright Cecilia Leslie / Instagram

“Some brands will launch a collection a couple of times a year, with about five or six prints each time, and I would buy all five in one go. I’ve also been known to buy five of the same print if it’s one I particularly love.”

Is she addicted to cloth nappies? “I think I am. I feel a sense of pride about how nice it looks and it’s a conversation starter, especially at baby groups.”

Ms Leslie says she’s chatted to her husband about how he feels about her nappy habit. “He agreed the money could be better spent, but he said there are a lot worse things I could be addicted to!”

Image copyright Cecilia Leslie / Instagram

And doesn’t owning so many nappies defeat the object of a reusable product?

“I do get some negative comments about the size of my collection. Yes, it’s more than I need, but those nappies were bought at independent shops, so it’s keeping people in jobs, and I use every single nappy I own: none of them just sits on the shelf.

“It’s not producing landfill – once Isaac grows out of them I’ll sell them on and give other mums a chance to have a really good nappy in excellent condition. So overall it’s a positive thing – it’s not just a frivolous hobby.”

‘It became an obsession’

Image copyright Nicola Vandenbrouck

Nicola Vandenbrouck, mum to 17-month-old Drew, admits she’s become passionate about colourful cloth nappies.

“I only started cloth-bumming for the pretty colours. I discovered a print called Kaleidoscope and I just thought, ‘wow, that is amazing!’

“I bought it and a couple of others, just because they looked cool.

“Off the back of that I started to get into some of the Facebook groups, and it all took off from there and became an obsession,” says the quality engineer from Great Torrington in Devon.

“I have about 40 and every couple of weeks, when the doorbell rings with a delivery, my husband complains: ‘Not another nappy order!'”

‘It helped with my postnatal depression’

Image copyright Zoe Davies

Image caption Zoe Davies: “The online cloth nappy community is so supportive”

Zoe Davies, who runs a “nappy library” in St Austell, Cornwall, says using “real nappies” helped her cope with postnatal depression following the birth of her son, Theo.

“It’s something to look forward to, with new prints coming out, and they’re all happy colours. When you see them hanging out on the line it’s pleasure to see – it’s a really wholesome thing.

“The online cloth nappy community is so supportive, and the routine and ritual really helped, too. It helped me think that, even though I’m suffering with depression, here’s something that I can achieve, something I can do for good.”

‘Our royal baby nappies crashed the website’

Image copyright TotsBots

Image caption A limited edition royal baby print sold out in 90 minutes

Fiona Smyth, director of cloth nappy manufacturer TotsBots, says she was stunned by the reaction to a limited edition print, named Royal Flush, released to celebrate the birth of Prince George.

“We made 500 royal baby nappies and they sold out within an hour and a half. The website crashed. The retailers’ sites crashed,” she says.

“We charged the normal price (£18) for them but they started appearing on eBay for £150 within a week. We only made 30 of the TeenyFits, which fit babies up to 12lbs, and they’re still selling on eBay for £60 – this is for a five-year-old nappy which cost £12 new.”

Mrs Smyth adds: “Parents can be quite fanatical [when a new range is about to be released] and start stalking your website. They want to be the first person to buy and get them ‘OTB’, or ‘on the bum’, and get their pictures on social media.

“It adds a little bit of joy to something that’s not usually that much fun.”

‘Mums compete over the best collection’

Image copyright Bambino Mio

Carly Baillie is head of product at Northampton-based Bambino Mio, and manages the brand’s design output.

“People really care about what their children are wearing. They like to make a statement,” she says.

“We currently launch one collection of designs each year, but the appetite for fun designs is getting stronger and stronger.”

Image copyright Bambino Mio

Mrs Baillie says Bambino Mio has many loyal fans it describes as “collectors of the brand”.

“It does become a cult. A lot of parents buy the whole collection in one go. People write to tell us about their collections and ‘stashes’, or to request a discontinued print.

“Customers compete, in a sense, over who has the biggest and best collection and who can get their hands on all the different designs. We’ve produced a chart, so people can tick off the nappies they’ve collected.

“[Collecting them all] is a big investment, but people enjoy it.”

Image copyright Bambino Mio

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savetopnow · 7 years ago

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2018-04-05 21 NEWS now

NEWS

Associated Press

Ian Poulter takes a harrowing path to Augusta National

YouTube shooter's bizarre videos key to suspected motive

Mueller's Russia probe shows it pays to cooperate

AP Explains: Why US militarization of border isn't new

China-US tariff spat: Mostly losers, but some winners too

BBC News

How the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal unfolded

Why are female mass shooters so rare?

Trash Robot cleans up Chicago River's rubbish

What would you do with free money?

Russians protest over 'toxic' landfill near Moscow

Chicago Tribune

Woman wounded on Lake Shore Drive among 3 shot in Chicago

Teen missing from Humboldt Park neighborhood

Video captures University of Chicago police officer shooting student near campus; charges filed against student

Woman, 56, found dead with lacerations on body on West Side

Man suspected of killing his parents at Central Michigan dorm found unfit for trial, his attorney says

LA Times

Faith comes before fists for Khabib Nurmagomedov

Whodunit is just the beginning in engaging mystery 'Spinning Man'

Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco star in Netflix's brief but harrowing '6 Balloons'

Former Ram Robert Quinn happy to be out of Los Angeles and in Miami with Dolphins

The best protection for immigrants is for private citizens and groups to provide them shelter

NPR News

60 U.S. Diplomats Leave Russian Posts, Expelled Over Skripal Poisoning Row

NYC Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Black Man, Believing He Had A Gun

Brazil's Lula Must Begin Prison Sentence During Appeals, High Court Rules

Surgeon General Urges More Americans To Carry Opioid Antidote

U.S. Farmers Likely Among Hardest Hit By Chinese Tarriffs

New York Times

Stranded French Commuters Could Test Macron’s Reform Agenda

A Tiny Elevator, a Haunting Reminder in Brooklyn

ISIS, Brazil, Facebook: Your Thursday Briefing

Women Barred From Sumo Ring, Even to Save a Man’s Life

ProPublica

Four Ways to Fix Facebook

Teenage MS-13 Gang Informant Heads Into Final Asylum Hearing

How Do You Identify Fake News?

Help Us Dive Into the Swamp — ‘Trump, Inc.’ Podcast

Here’s How You Can Use Trump Town

Reddit News

Men sentenced to probation for gang-rape of 13-year-old

"Boys Don’t Cry" inmate’s IQ is too low to execute, his attorneys say

Rudy Giuliani's third wife files for divorce after 15 years

Asian-Americans Suing Harvard Say Admissions Files Show Discrimination

It's much worse: Facebook says almost every profile has had its data scraped by a third party

Reuters

Futures climb as U.S.-China trade worries ease

North Korea's Kim told Xi he wanted to resume six-party disarmament talks: Nikkei

Some Oklahoma teachers find the grass really is greener in Texas

Brazil's top court rules that ex-president Lula can be jailed

U.S. plans to sanction Russian oligarchs this week: sources

Reveal News

Nation’s largest janitorial company faces new allegations of rape

A group of janitors started a movement to stop sexual abuse

The Hate Report: How white supremacists recruit online

New documents about Jehovah’s Witnesses’ sex abuse begin to leak out

California is preparing to defend its waters from Trump order

The Altantic

West Virginia's Teachers Are Not Satisfied

This Average Joe Is the Most Quoted Man in News

The Unsinkable Benjamin Netanyahu?

Eric Garcetti Isn't Expecting Much From Washington

The Particular Horror of Church Shootings

The Guardian

Bell tolls 39 times to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr's death

Yulia Skripal says 'everyone is getting better', Russian TV reports

HSBC whistleblower Hervé Falciani facing extradition to Switzerland

Brexit: Gibraltar keeps calm but is ready to play hardball

Killing Eve review – dazzling thriller from Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge

The Independent

Skripal relative tells Russian state TV Yulia and Sergei are 'getting better': 'Everyone's health is fine'

STD Awareness Month: Children's toys inspired by sexually transmitted diseases sold in US

Masters 2018: What time does it start, which TV channel is it on, where can I watch it, odds and prize money

Commonwealth Games swimmer 'raped woman after friend had sex with her because he thought that made it OK'

Johanna Konta suffers shock exit of Volvo Car Open to world no 219

The Intercept

Muslims Accused of Plotting Violence Get Seven Times More Media Attention and Four Times Longer Sentences

Public Workers Worried That Tennessee’s Billionaire Governor Is Taking Another Run at Them

Right-Wing Media Look at Parkland Student Activists and See a Reason to Gut Public Education

Intercepted podcast: Injustice League

EPA Violated the Law by Failing to Investigate Civil Rights Complaints, Court Rules

The Quartz

We can train AI to identify good and evil, and then use it to teach us morality

Good luck leaving your Uber driver less than five stars

India cracks down on bitcoin and hints it may launch its own digital currency

It’s proving “divisive” to inform Israeli women that they don’t have to move seats for ultra-Orthodox men

Bitcoin and its crypto cousins are trading at their lowest prices in five months

Wall Street Journal

Brazil's Supreme Court Rejects Former President's Bid to Avoid Jail

Tariff Showdown Shifts to Intense Negotiation Period

U.S. Diplomat Expulsions Deepen Divisions With Russia

Turkey and Russia Forge Bond as Trump Weighs Syria Exit

Sierra Leone Inaugurates Former Junta Head as President

#news

0 notes

celticmythpodshow · 8 years ago

Text

CMP Special 26 Samhain Holiday Special 2011

Hallowe'en traditions though the years

In this Hallowe'en or Samhain Holiday Special we bring you two fascinating accounts of Samhain traditions: one modern and one Victorian, and an amazing story by a talented story-teller, Chris Joliffe - and we hope to be hearing more from Chris in the future - and 5 of the best pieces of music we reckon you'll hear for this year's Samhain! This one's a corker!

Phew!

Full Show-notes, with all credits, can be found on our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com/halloween2011

Running Order:

Intro 0:41

News & Views 1:32

The Cauldron Born by Damh the Bard 2:40

Samhain: Lowering the Veil by Jennifer Emick 9:58

Realm of the Free by Cindy Spear & Colin Mold 22:33

Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland by Lady Gregory 28:06

She is Crone by Kellianna 43:40

Forget Me Not by Chris Joliffe 47:58

The Cheshire Souling Song by Kate & Corwen 41:10

Competition Winner 57:05

Samhain Story by Chris Joliffe 58:26

The Shores of Wales by Kray Van Kirk 1:09:09

Outtakes 1:16:53

We hope you enjoy it!

Gary & Ruthie x x x

Released: 19 Nov 2011, 1h 19m

It's always great to hear from you! Email [email protected], or leave us a message using Speakpipe

The Cauldron Born

by Damh the Bard

We can do no better than start our show with Damh singing us in with his song about the Goddess that stirs the cauldron of Awen or inspiration. She is central to the story of Taliesin - possibly the greatest bard - and Damh's song reminds us that in search for inspiration we are all "the Cauldron Born".

You can find out more about Damh on his website at Pagan Music or on our Contributor Page.

Samhain: the Lowering of the Veil

by Jennifer Emick

Often controversial, Jennifer Emick has kindly written a fascinating piece about Samhain traditions for us. Jennifer Emick is an artist, writer, and religious educator. She has promoted religious understanding in the internet community for over a decade. She is the About.com Guide to Alternative Religions, the most popular source for Celtic spiritual symbolism on the internet. Ms. Emick lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

She is also the Author of The Everything Celtic Wisdom Book which you can find on Amazon which looks at Irish, Scottish, and Welsh traditions. See her Contributor Page for more details.

Realm of the Free

by Cindy Spear & Colin Mold

Cindy Spear Cindy has written another amazing poem that has been set to music by Colin Mold called "The Realm of the Free". To find out more about Cindy Spear go to her website or visit her Contributor Page.

Colin Mold Colin is a talented musician who not only plays the band Karnataka in the UK, performs as a session musician and has two solo albums to his name. His latest project is a forth-coming album, Girl On the Castle Steps, on which will you will also hear this track as well as another one with lyrics written by Cindy called Green and Gold. Find out more about Colin on his website or on his Contributor Page.

Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland

By Lady Augusta Gregory

Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932), born Isabella Augusta Persse, was an Irish dramatist and folklorist. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, and wrote numerous short works for both companies. Lady Gregory produced a number of books of retellings of stories taken from Irish mythology. Born into a class that identified closely with British rule, her conversion to cultural nationalism, as evidenced by her writings, was emblematic of many of the political struggles to occur in Ireland during her lifetime. Lady Gregory is mainly remembered for her work behind the Irish Literary Revival. [Wiki]

She said:

"The Sidhe cannot make themselves visible to all. They are shape-changers; they can grow small or grow large, they can take what shape they choose; they appear as men or women wearing clothes of many colours, of today or of some old forgotten fashion, or they are seen as bird or beast, or as a barrel or a flock of wool. ..... There are two races among the Sidhe. One is tall and handsome, gay, and given to jesting and to playing pranks, leading us astray in the fields, giving gold that turns to withered leaves or to dust. These ride on horses through the night-time in large companies and troops, or ride in coaches, laughing and decked with flowers and fine clothes. The people of the other race are small, malicious, wide-bellied, carrying before them a bag. When a man or woman is about to die, a woman of the Sidhe will sometimes cry for a warning, keening and making lamentation. At the hour of death fighting may be heard in the air or about the house-that is, when the man in danger has friends among the shadows, who are fighting on his behalf. ....

This is the news I have been given of the people of the Sidhe by many who have seen them and some who have known their power.

A.G.

The full text can be found on Sacred Texts at Sacred Texts.

She is Crone

by Kellianna

Kellianna is an American pagan artist internationally performing song and chant inspired by myth, magic, sacred places and ancient times. With guitar and vocals she brings to life the stories and sagas of the Gods and Goddesses. With frame drum and chant she honors the Earth and the Ancestors via primal drumming and powerful vocals.

This track, the incredibly powerful summoning of the Crone, is from her latest album "Elemental" - well worth checking out. You can find out more about this enchantress on her website or on our Contributor Page.

Samhain Story & Forget Me Not

by Chris Joliffe

Astoundingly, Chris is an undiscovered talent - that is, until now! This amazing bard has given us permission to use some of his amazing stories and poems in the show and we're sure that you'll love them just as much as we do.

In this show, you can hears his short poem Forget Me Not and his mythically-rich story, Samhain Story. We hope to bring you much more of Chris in the future and in the meantime check out his Contributor Page to find out a little more about him.

The Cheshire Souling Song

by Kate Fkletcher & Corwen Broch

Kate and Corwen are more than just folk musicians. They are also instrument makers and workshop leaders who perform folk music and drama, recreate Ancient music and instruments, make crafts, run workshops for schools and demonstrate at museums and other events. In some ways, they have become folk music's scientists in that their research is delving deep into the past to discover the songs (one of Kate's specialities I believe) and the instruments (definitely one of Corwen's!) of the past. We've seen Corwen demonstrate an ancient lyre on YouTube! Hold on, let's see if I can find it...

youtube

You'll find the link to their YouTube channel on their Contributor Page and it really is worth listening to more of their music and finding out about some of the instruments used by the Celts and how they sounded! I think one of the most amazing things I've read about them is on their website where it says: Never afraid to sing all the verses of a long ballad, or play newly composed material on long forgotten instruments, our music has been described as 'hypno/folk'. We aim to make music that their ancestors would understand and appreciate. You can find out more about Kate & Corwen on their website at Ancient Music.co.uk or on their Contributor Page.

The Shores of Wales

by Kray Van Kirk

"I have a different approach now to writing and performing music. I no longer record CDs, as I want to reduce the waste headed to our landfills, and I don't charge money for my songs as a deliberate movement away from the bottom line that seems to govern so much of our daily lives. So I keep writing my songs, and I sing them when I play a show, and I give them away to anyone who wants them. My graduate work takes me to interesting places on rather short notice sometimes, and I try to plan concerts around that travel, although the short notice can make it difficult."

About this track, The Shores of Wales, he says: "Every time I play this, someone comes up to me almost frantic to hear what finally happened in the story. I don't think there's a real answer- the beach is empty, the horse is alone, and William rides still. I do like the Faerie King, though- although he is careless of William's fate and casually cruel, he also lays his own soul on the line when challenged."

Find out more about Kray on his website or his Contributor Page.

Competition Winner

We announce the winner of our competition set in the Chatterbox Show SP24 and wish you all the best of the season and a very Happy New Year!

Get EXTRA content in the Celtic Myth Podshow App for iOS, Android & Windows

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Special Thanks

Psicodreamics for Spirit of Nature and Earth Prayer from the album Ancient Wisdom. See his website for further details of check out his Contributor Page.

Green Druid for the enthralling lay, Celta. See his Contributor Page for more details.

Adragante, for his track Chanson a la Marie from his album, Harmonie Cosmique. Check out his Contributor Page for more details.

Grégoire Lourme, for 1DSENS - Musee virtuel - Evasion from his album Shorts Works. See his Contributor Page for more details.

For our Theme Music:

The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details.

Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music

(in Alphabetic order)

Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page.

Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page.

The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page.

Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page.

Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page.

Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page.

S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page.

Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page.

We'd like to wish you 'Hwyl fawr!', which is Welsh for Goodbye and have fun, or more literally Wishing a Good Mood on you!

Check out this episode!

#celtic myth #podcast #mythology #celts

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csrgood · 5 years ago

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Campaigns With Heart Recognized As Halo Award Finalists

This Valentine's Day, we celebrate companies and causes working at the intersection of cause and commerce - campaigns that have heart - with the announcement of this year's Halo Award finalists.

Now in its 18th year, the Halo Awards are North America’s highest honor for corporate social initiatives that successfully engage consumers and/or employees.

"Corporate social impact initiatives that do well by doing good are increasingly complex." said Engage for Good President David Hessekiel, "With increased scrutiny from all levels of stakeholders from investors to consumers, gone are the days where simply making a charitable donation or slapping a nonprofit logo on a product is enough." Hessekiel explained. "This year’s Halo finalists showcase many ways that companies and causes join forces to generate financial and social dividends."

Fifty-seven campaigns were announced today as finalists in 14 Halo Award categories. A Gold and Silver Halo Award winner will be announced in each category at the 2020 Engage for Good Conference in Austin, Texas on May 28. Please join us in congratulating these finalists:

ACTIVISM/ADVOCACY Change For Nature: Burt's Bees and National Geographic Don’t Retire, Kid: ESPN and The Aspen Institute M·A·C VIVA GLAM Celebrates 25 Years: M·A·C ,Planned Parenthood and additional nonprofits Pride Is Good: Playboy and The Trevor Project

CONSUMER-ACTIVATED CORPORATE DONATION Dine and Do Good: Citi and Share Our Strength DSW Gives: DSW and Soles4Souls Fuel Your School: Chevron and DonorsChoose Poptivism: PopSockets

CONSUMER DONATION No Kid Hungry: Denny’s & Share Our Strength MAPFRE Insurance and Pan-Mass Challenge Spark $3 million in Consumer Donations: MAPFRE Insurance and the Pan-Mass Challenge Panda Express Year Round Point of Sale Campaign: Panda Express and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and additional nonprofits Pride & Joy: Macy's and The Trevor Project Round Up Fundraiser: Taco Bell and Taco Bell Foundation

DISASTER PREVENTION/RELIEF Supporting Grief, Loss, and Healing Together: New York Life Foundation and First Book Hydrating Our Nation’s Heroes: Anheuser-Busch and National Volunteer Fire Council Puerto Rico Library Makeover: Macy's and Reading Is Fundamental Xylem Global Humanitarian Disaster Response: Xylem

EDUCATION Drive Bigger: VW and DonorsChoose LEGO City Space - Passport to Space: The Lego Group This Way Ahead/Cozy Socks: Old Navy and Boys and Girls Clubs of America WE Teachers: Walgreens and WE

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT 40,000 Acts of Service: ESPN Pride In Service: CSX Creating “Grief Ambassadors”: New York Life and First Book Paycor Community Partners Program: Paycor

EXPERIENTIAL/EVENT Birds in Focus: Canon USA and The National Audubon Society Extra Life Human Claw Machine: GameStop Gives and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals S'more out of Summer: LL Bean and National Park Foundation Sustainable Development Goals at Dreamforce: Salesforce

GROUP VOLUNTEERISM Creating Book Access for All: Foresters Financial and Little Free Library The Power of One: Vivint Smart Home and Vivint Gives Back The CarMax Foundation Supports Play With KaBOOM!: CarMax and KaBOOM! Veterans Day of Service 2019: Activision Blizzard

HEALTH John Hancock Aspire: John Hancock The Truth About Opioids: Leidos and The Truth Initiative Teen Summer Challenge: Planet Fitness and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Wealth + Health Initiative: Transamerica and American Heart Association

INCLUSION Face Your Fierce: Abercrombie & Fitch and The Trevor Project John Hancock Signature Series: John Hancock Live in Color: Morphe and The Trevor Project Day of Inclusion: Tim Hortons and Special Olympics Canada

SKILLED VOLUNTEERISM Girls4Tech: Mastercard Smile Brands Inc. Delivers Smiles for Everyone: Smile Brands, Inc. and Smiles for Everyone Foundation Pure Storage/Kidspire Vietnam and Team4Tech Social Innovation Lab: Medidata

SOCIAL SERVICE #HireHonor: Activision Blizzard and Call Of Duty Endowment Teen Summer Challenge: Planet Fitness and Boys & Girls Clubs of America The Right To Shower: Unilever’s The Right to Shower and Lava Mae UPS Road Code: UPS and Boys & Girls Clubs of America

SUSTAINABILITY Design with the Environment in Mind: Humanscale Don’t Feed the Landfills: Subaru and National Parks Conservation Association Earth Day 2019: Allbirds and The National Audubon Society Together We Can Recycle and Reuse all Tennis Balls: Wilson Sporting Goods and RecycleBalls

VIDEO Megan | Aspiring Art Educator |Live Más Scholarship: Taco Bell Don't Retire Kid: ESPN Goodwill San Francisco: More Than Just a Second Chance: eBay for Charity Life’s Journeys: American Airlines and SU2C Share Happiness: WestJet and Make-A-Wish Canada

About Engage for Good Engage for Good, producer of the Engage for Good conference and Halo Awards, helps business and nonprofit executives succeed together by providing practical information and inspiration, opportunities to build valuable relationships and recognition for outstanding work engaging employees and consumers around social good and cause-related marketing efforts. Learn more at https://www.engageforgood.com.

Media Contact: Megan Strand, Communications Director, Engage for Good:  360.977.3343 [email protected]

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/43629-Campaigns-With-Heart-Recognized-As-Halo-Award-Finalists?tracking_source=rss

#CSR #corporate social responsibility #social good #philanthropy #employee engagement #workplace givi

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deniscollins · 5 years ago

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The World Wastes Tons of Food. A Grocery ‘Happy Hour’ Is One Answer.

About one-third of the food produced and packaged for human consumption is lost or wasted, which equals 1.3 billion tons a year, worth nearly $680 billion. Meanwhile, 10 percent of people in the world are chronically undernourished. If you were a supermarket executive what would you do with nearly unsellable food nearing midnight expiration: (1) throw in the garbage, (2) reduce price to 60 percent off at exactly 9 p.m., or (3) something else, if so, what? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

“Happy hour” at the S-market store in the working-class neighborhood of Vallila happens far from the liquor aisles and isn’t exactly convivial. Nobody is here for drinks or a good time. They’re looking for a steep discount on a slab of pork.

Or a chicken, or a salmon fillet, or any of a few hundred items that are hours from their midnight expiration date. Food that is nearly unsellable goes on sale at every one of S-market’s 900 stores in Finland, with prices that are already reduced by 30 percent slashed to 60 percent off at exactly 9 p.m. It’s part of a two-year campaign to reduce food waste that company executives in this famously bibulous country decided to call “happy hour” in the hopes of drawing in regulars, like any decent bar.

“I’ve gotten quite hooked on this,” said Kasimir Karkkainen, 27, who works in a hardware store, as he browsed the meat section in the Vallila S-market. It was 9:15 and he had grabbed a container of pork mini-ribs and two pounds of shrink-wrapped pork tenderloin.

Total cost after the price drop: the equivalent of $4.63.

About one-third of the food produced and packaged for human consumption is lost or wasted, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That equals 1.3 billion tons a year, worth nearly $680 billion. The figures represent more than just a disastrous misallocation of need and want, given that 10 percent of people in the world are chronically undernourished. All that excess food, scientists say, contributes to climate change.

From 8 to 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are related to food lost during harvest and production or wasted by consumers, a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found. Landfills of rotting food emit methane, a gas that is roughly 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. And to harvest and transport all that wasted food requires billions of acres of arable land, trillions of gallons of water and vast amounts of fossil fuels.

For consumers, cutting back on food waste is one of the few personal habits that can help the planet. But for some reason, a lot of people who fret about their carbon footprint aren’t sweating the vegetables and rump steak they toss into the garbage.

“There’s been a lot of focus on energy,” said Paul Behrens, a professor in energy and environmental change at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. “But climate change is as much a land issue and a food issue as anything else.”

Reducing waste is a challenge because selling as much food as possible is a tried, tested and ingrained part of all-you-can-eat cultures. Persuading merchants to promote and profit from “food rescue,” as it is known, is not so obvious.

“Consumers are paying for the food, and who wants to reduce that?” said Toine Timmermans, director of the United Against Food Waste Foundation, a nonprofit in the Netherlands composed of companies and research institutes. “Who profits from reducing food waste?”

A growing number of supermarkets, restaurants and start-ups — many based in Europe — are trying to answer that question. The United States is another matter.

“Food waste might be a uniquely American challenge because many people in this country equate quantity with a bargain,” said Meredith Niles an assistant professor in food systems and policy at the University of Vermont. “Look at the number of restaurants that advertise their supersized portions.”

Nine of the 10 United States supermarket chains that were assessed by the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity last year were given a C grade or lower on food-waste issues. Only Walmart did better, largely for its efforts to standardize date labels and to educate staffers and customers.

Some of the most promising food waste efforts are apps that connect food sellers to food buyers. Think Tinder, except one party in this hookup is a person and the other is an aging loaf of bread.

Among the most popular is Too Good to Go, a company based in Copenhagen, with 13 million users and contracts with 25,000 restaurants and bakeries in 11 countries. Consumers pay about one-third of the sticker price for items, most of which goes to the retailer, with a small percentage paid to the app.

In Denmark, food rescue has attained the scale and momentum of a cultural movement, one with its own intellectual godmother: Selina Juul, a graphic designer who immigrated from Russia at the age of 13.

“I came from a country where there was a fear that we wouldn’t have food on the table tomorrow, where there were food shortages,” she said in a phone interview. “When we emigrated, I had never seen so much food. I was shocked. Then I was shocked again when I saw how much food people wasted.”

In 2008, at the age of 28, she started a Facebook group called Stop Wasting Food. Within weeks, she was being interviewed on the radio. Soon after that, she came to the attention of Anders Jensen, the buying director at REMA 1000, the largest supermarket chain in Denmark.

“I was on a business trip to Scotland and I read about Selina in a newspaper,” Mr. Jensen recalls. “Around that time, we learned that every Dane was throwing out 63 kilos of food per year” — about 139 pounds — “and I was sitting in this airport thinking, she’s right.”

After the two met in a Copenhagen cafe, REMA 1000 eliminated in-store bulk discounts. As of 2008, there would be no more three hams for the price of two, or any variations on that theme.

“It exploded in the media because it was the first time a retailer said, ‘It’s O.K. if we sell less,’” Mr. Jensen said.

REMA 1000 and Ms. Juul recognize that there is a limit to how much one company can do to reduce waste. Consciousness raising was necessary. So Ms. Juul has enlisted famous Danes to join her cause.

She’s co-writing a book on cooking with leftovers with Princess Marie, who worked in advertising and marketing before marrying into the Danish royal family. Celebrity chefs, like Rene Redzepi, have spread the word. Mette Frederiksen, the current prime minister, even made it a campaign issue this year.

In Finland, reducing food waste has yet to become a political issue, but it is a selling point for at least one restaurant. Every dish on the menu of Loop, which is housed in a former mental hospital in Helsinki, is made from past-due ingredients donated by grocery stores and bakeries. Donations vary, so Loop’s chefs have no idea what they’ll be making until they walk into the restaurant’s kitchen.

“It’s like an episode of ‘Master Chef’ every day,” said Johanna Kohvakka, founder of the nonprofit From Waste to Taste, which operates Loop. “But we try to make every dish look great so that people can share images online and say, ‘This was about to be wasted.’”

Ms. Kohvakka says Loop turns a profit and could serve as a model for similar ventures. Executives at S-market in Finland make no such claims about their happy hour. Mika Lyytikainen, an S-market vice president, explained that the program simply reduces its losses.

“When we sell at 60 percent off, we don’t earn any money, but we earn more than if the food was given to charity,” he said. “On the other hand, it’s now possible for every Finn to buy very cheap food in our stores.”

It’s not unusual to find groups of S-market shoppers milling around with soon-to-be-discounted items from the shelves and waiting for the clock to strike at 9. “I’ve done that,” Mr. Karkkainen said, as he headed for the exits with his pork mini ribs.

Other Finns, it seems, haven’t fully embraced S-market’s anti-waste ethos. Harri Hartikainen, 71, was shopping one evening in Vallila and considered a 60 percent off box of Kansas City-style grilled chicken wings.

“I’ve never tried these before,” he said, dropping them into his shopping basket. “But it’s so cheap, if I don’t like it, I can just throw it out.”

#Food

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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Disney’s Haunted Mansion at 50: The Ghosts Are Still Grinning

One summer visit to Disneyland after another, a young Tom Morris stood outside a mysterious set of locked gates, peering up at a stately, old-fashioned manor sitting just out of reach and wondering what awaited inside.

When those gates in Anaheim, Calif., finally opened in August 1969, Mr. Morris and others entered what became one of the most beloved and long-lasting attractions at any of the Disney theme parks: the Haunted Mansion, a macabre ride filled with mystifying illusions, eerie inhabitants and 999 grim, grinning ghosts, having a delightful time in the afterlife.

For Mr. Morris, who later became an Imagineer (a Disney employee who designs resort attractions), every element of the dark ride was fascinating. There was something about the music — the theme song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” plays throughout the ride — the smell of the hydraulics, the “old-fashioned showmanship.” He took a spin through the Mansion twice each trip, a rare sign of dedication back when two rides at Disney required two separate tickets. And he found himself doodling pictures of the ride in class.

Surely, Mr. Morris thought, he was the only one with this level of adoration for the Haunted Mansion. Fifty years later, it’s clear that has never been the case.

The Haunted Mansion, treasured as one of Disney’s quirkier rides, has long maintained a fan-favorite status for its distinct balance of the spooky and the sprightly. Varying iterations of the attraction, including the Dutch Gothic-style Tudor version at Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Fla., have become staples at five Disney resorts around the world.

Other rides over the years have come and gone (and been given face-lifts to reflect recent Disney films). But with remarkably little deviation from the original design, the Mansion has been a constant for five decades.

Mysterious From the Start

Built in the early 1960s to resemble an old New Orleans estate, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland sat vacant for years — its exterior finished, its insides a mystery. The longer it sat, the more the mystique built. An advertisement at the gate for “post-lifetime leases” hinted at the type of ride future visitors might expect: Inquiring spirits were directed to contact Disneyland’s “Ghost Relations” department.

There were rumors among visitors about what had rendered the house off-limits for park guests. Maybe Disney had already tried to open it as an attraction, but the ride had been too terrifying. Perhaps Walt Disney himself was planning to move in, and the house would never open as an attraction.

In the end, the delays boiled down to something more mundane: Between creating other future favorite rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, breaking ground on a new park in Orlando and getting ready for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, Disney’s Imagineers were simply swamped. After Disney died in 1966, finishing the Mansion became a focus.

A creative debate between the project’s two driving Imagineers, Marc Davis and Claude Coats, inspired the Mansion’s complementary moods. Davis was in favor of a lighter, humorous approach to a haunted house. Coats wanted the opposite.

“The beginning of the attraction is more Claude Coats,” his son Alan Coats said. “It’s scarier, it’s more moody, it’s darker, it’s ominous. You think, ‘Uh oh, this is going to be scary,’ and it does really frighten a lot of people when you enter those doors.”

But as the ride’s vehicles, called “doom buggies,” whisk visitors along, the mood starts to brighten — Davis’s influence. Spirits dance through the ballroom, and the journey culminates in an upbeat graveyard party. For many fans, it’s that combination of fun and frightful that has made the ride a favorite.

“I think the Mansion taps into our wanting to be scared and realizing that we made it through safely, that we were able to overcome our fears and deal with them and come out O.K.,” Mr. Coats said.

Susan Thompson, who lives in Lakeland, Fla., spent her first ride through Disney World’s Mansion in Orlando, as a 5-year-old, crying with her head buried in her mother’s side. When she went back a year later, determined to keep her eyes open, she fell in love with watching the Mansion come alive.

Ms. Thompson, now 51, has since acquired her fair share of Haunted Mansion souvenirs: a dress reminiscent of those worn by Mansion staff and a backpack patterned with the manor’s signature wallpaper, among other items. On her twice-a-month visits to Disney World, she always returns to the ride.

For R.J. Crowther Jr., a bookseller in San Diego, the Mansion is the first attraction he has a vivid memory of riding at Disneyland. He’s since been on it more than 200 times, earning him a certificate from Disney staff that declares him an honorary citizen of the park. Mr. Crowther has also collected an “embarrassing amount” of Mansion merchandise, primarily sculptures inspired by art within the ride.

“When you’re younger, it’s just all real and magical,” Mr. Crowther said. “There’s just something wonderfully otherworldly about it that just captures people’s imaginations.”

Alyssa Ottum, another superfan, is planning a tattoo sleeve composed entirely of Mansion-related images: The exterior of the Disneyland manor is already finished, and pieces with the Mansion’s gothic wallpaper and some of the ride’s most famous characters are in the works.

For the 50th anniversary, Ms. Ottum attended an overnight event at Disneyland, complete with ghoulishly named snacks and photo ops with Mansion characters. Tickets went for nearly $300.

Haunted Memories

The Haunted Mansion’s fans extend beyond the ride’s regulars; it’s a favorite among Disney Parks employees, who are called cast members.

“Everybody that says they want to work for Disney?” said Robert Brauchler, who was a cast member for 16 years at Walt Disney World in Orlando. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, they say they want to work at the Haunted Mansion.”

The work itself isn’t extraordinary. Like those at any other attraction, cast members (clad here in green polyester tuxedos and dresses) still spend hours parking strollers in the Florida heat or loading guests into ride vehicles. What sets this attraction apart is how workers, acting as the Mansion’s eerie butlers and maids, can melt into their somber, creepy characters as part of the ride’s ghoulish aesthetic.

“If you’re having a bad day, that’s a great place to be working,” Mr. Brauchler said. “I would just stare at people and just not smile. It’d be like, ‘Hey! You work at Disney; you’re supposed to smile!’ No, I’m not. I would just walk away from them, and it’s all part of the theming.”

Mansion cast members still find time for more upbeat moments: Mr. Brauchler and another employee would sometimes sneak black-and-white photos of themselves into the picture frames in the ride’s ballroom scene. And when employees at the attraction complete their training, they crawl underneath the “doom buggy” tracks — flashlights in tow — to sign their names alongside hundreds of others on a wall beneath the ride.

Some riders, though, have a different way of leaving a mark. Every once in a while, a cast member discovers gray powder on the floor — the ashes of deceased park-goers who had a particular affinity for the ride, spread by loved ones hoping to add another spirit to the Mansion’s collection of happy haunts.

“It was like, ‘Ugh, somebody spread Grandma on the carpet again,’” Mr. Brauchler said. “We’d have to shut the ride down and go investigate it.”

He added: “All these people that think that their loved ones are going to be in the Haunted Mansion forever? Well, Grandma’s getting vacuumed up into a vacuum and getting sent out to the landfill somewhere.”

But there are plenty of other park-approved memorials at the Mansion. Many Imagineers who worked on the attraction were honored in a mock cemetery at Disneyland bordering the ride queue, its gravestones etched with rhyming epitaphs. (The cemetery was removed to make room for longer lines, but a similar one remains in Orlando.)

“At peaceful rest lies Brother Claude, planted here beneath this sod,” Coats’s reads.

It was a bit too dark for Coats’s wife, their son Alan said. She was not a fan.

Voices From the Beyond

Another Disney employee was immortalized in the ride itself. Madame Leota, the Mansion’s floating head who summons ghosts from inside her crystal ball, is the face of Leota Toombs, one of Disney’s first female Imagineers.

Her daughter Kim Irvine, Disneyland’s art director, was a teenager when her mother was practicing for the role. Toombs was the face of Madame Leota, but not the voice, and Ms. Irvine remembers her mother lip syncing the incantation in front of a mirror downstairs for days.

“One day my friends and I came home, and she was down there doing, ‘Witches and goblins and ghoulies!’” Ms. Irvine said. “They were like, ‘What’s wrong with your mom?’”

Toombs did, however, lend her voice to the end of the ride at the California park, where a small spirit — lovingly called Little Leota by fans — ominously bids visitors adieu. When Toombs died, in 1991, Ms. Irvine’s visits to the ride with her own daughters gave them a chance to hear their grandmother’s voice again.

“I always had to laugh when we would be going up the exit escalator and seeing Little Leota over there going, ‘Hurry back,’” Ms. Irvine said. “And I’d go, ‘Girls, say hi to Grandma, there’s Grandma!’ and I’d hear people around me go, ‘What a weirdo.’”

When Disney decided to create an annual holiday-themed makeover for the Mansion, Imagineers needed to record a new incantation for Madame Leota in order to match the overlay. When they approached Ms. Irvine for the part, she was initially unsure — but she knew she didn’t want anyone else to do it either.

Now, every winter, she and her mother are both a part of the ride.

“I go out in the park in the morning before guests come in to check things out and look things over, and it’s so quiet out there in New Orleans before they turn on the music,” Ms. Irvine said. “But Little Leota never turns off. So to walk by the exit there and hear her little voice just talking away to me makes me smile.”

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mavwrekmarketing · 7 years ago

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Image copyright Getty Images

Pubs are calling time on “wasteful” plastic drinking straws, which campaigners say are used only once yet take centuries to decompose. So is it time to refuse the straw and get used to sipping our drinks instead?

JD Wetherspoon is the latest pub to stop automatically putting straws in drinks, effective this week, saying eco-friendly paper straws will be offered in its 900 pubs by the end of the year.

“It’s a waste,” says Su Cacioppo, Wetherspoon’s personnel and legal director. “Personally I like a straw but a lot of people don’t even want them.”

Designer Vivienne Westwood recently backed an online campaign for people to refuse straws and start drinking from the glass – known as Refuse the Straw – which began in the US and is encouraging pubs and restaurants to follow suit.

What’s the problem with plastic straws?

Image copyright Getty Images

Most straws are made from plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene, which unless recycled take hundreds of years to decompose.

It means small plastic items like straws, coffee cup lids and plastic bottle tops are strewn in the ocean and on landfill sites – even though they may only have been used for the time it takes to finish a drink.

Ms Westwood’s Facebook post, which warned that “the straw in your cocktail or coffee will be on this planet forever”, has been shared nearly 300,000 times. “Very little is recycled, and much ends up on the ocean,” it read.

Wetherspoon, which hands out 70 million straws a year, says bar staff had complained about chucking vast quantities of used straws away during their shifts.

“This subject was coming up more and more often,” says Ms Cacioppo.

Kate Dell, All Bar One’s assistant marketing manager, a chain which gets through 4.7 million straws a year but has vowed to reduce its straw usage by one-third, says she is confident customers would be “happy to enjoy their drinks straw-free”.

What should we be doing?

Image copyright Getty Images

Simon Ellin, chief executive of the UK Recycling Association, says “nobody would be bothered” if bartenders stopped automatically putting straws in drinks and it is free for companies to implement.

“I had a pint of soda water the other day and not only did they put two straws in it but a stirrer, and I asked why they had done that – I’d imagine most people wouldn’t query it,” he says.

Paper straws are another alternative to cut waste – although Wetherspoon’s Ms Cacioppo says the business will face “extra costs” for introducing them and admits they “feel a tiny bit different – but I don’t think it’s a big deal”.

But Mark Hall, commercial director at BusinessWaste.co.uk, says it is not enough for pubs to simply phase out straws – saying people should be expected to pay tax for their straws, similar to the 5p carrier bag charge.

“Why on earth do you need a straw in your gin and tonic anyway?” he says. “The industry can do something about it, but so can we as consumers – it’s easy to say ‘no straw please’.”

Why are plastic straws so popular?

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From adding a flourish to a cocktail to apparently making a drink taste better, straws have been commonplace in almost every restaurant and bar in the UK for decades.

Rye grass straws were used for hundreds of years before the first old-style paper straw was patented in the US in 1888 by inventor Marvin Stone – which since the 1970s has gradually been replaced by plastic alternatives.

McDonald’s has even claimed its Coca-Cola tastes better when drunk through one of its straws – which are slightly wider than in other fast food chains.

The chain, which hands out free straws with its drinks, and serves 3.5 million people in the UK every day, says it has invested in recycling units in its restaurants to cut waste. “This includes our straws, which are made from recyclable plastic,” a spokesman said.

Does using a straw protect my teeth?

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But what about the damage to your teeth?

Dentists say sipping through a straw can reduce the amount of liquid with which your teeth come in contact – potentially preventing tea and coffee stains, as well as erosion from fizzy drinks.

Experts have even advised Prosecco-lovers to drink the wine through a straw to protect their teeth from the high acid and sugar content.

But Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, says people can protect their teeth by having a drink during mealtimes rather than on its own.

“However, if we are to consume them outside of these times, using a straw really can help to reduce some of the damage,” he says.