The Preserve Toothbrush
This is a post about a toothbrush. It doesn't have batteries or some sort of built in toothpaste dispenser. What it does have is free postage so it can be disposed of in an environmentally better way.
How often do we get a new toothbrush (plastic) and toss the packaging (plastic) and the old one (plastic) in the trash (landfill)? The Preserve Toothbrush eliminates the waste in all of those steps.
- The brush is made from recycled yogurt cups
- The package is a pre-paid mailer for your old brush
- That gets shipped back to Preserve to get recycled.
Ideas and products like this make a difference for our environment. How big?
Is Apple Playing Nice With iTunes?
On May 25th, The New York Times reported that The United States Department of Justice had begun an investigation into Apple's conduct concerning its online digital music and media store, iTunes.
Eyebrows rose at the DOJ when it was brought to their attention that Apple's iTunes was bullying MUSIC LABELS(!!!) into not doing an exclusive deal with Amazon's iTunes competitor, Amazon MP3. Labels that got into bed with Amazon supposedly saw marketing support dry up over at iTunes. If this isn't a perfect time to say the words pot, kettle, and black then I don't know when is.
Clearly there are things going on that need 'splainin.
Vibram Five Fingers – Bikila Running Shoe
I injured my lower back running last year. I too quickly piled on too many miles. I woke up and found out it hurt to laugh, let alone run. It was a month before I tentatively approached a treadmill. A bit longer before I hit the road.
Back pain is no joke. It is amazing to me that my Dad survived seven years of back and forth with workers' comp before they finally agreed to cover his spinal fusion surgery. I knew I would heal but the wait was agonizing.
Since I couldn't run I read about it. And that is what lead me to Chris McDougall's, "Born To Run." By now, you who are reading this post have probably read "the book" (as runners seem to be calling it). I suspect you did a Google search for "vibram+bikila AND review" which is how you got here. So I'll skip talking about the book and forefoot strike running - chances are you've read all about both and just want to hear about Vibram's latest creation, the Bikila.
Here it is:
Orta San Giulio
May marks confirmation and first communion season throughout much of Italy so we headed south for a long weekend. My girlfriend's extended family lives in the northern lake region of Italy that borders southern Switzerland about 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Milan. There are several beautiful lakes in this region including Lago Maggiore, Lago di Varese, Lago di Lecco, and of course the most "famous" due to George Clooney - Lago di Como. I have to hand it to Mr. Clooney, homeboy has good taste. This part of Italy is amazingly picturesque with the Alps to the North reflecting into the pristine waters of the mountain lakes.
Sechseläuten 2010
Sechseläuten 2010 - the right way to blow up a Snowman
Each April, the citizens of Zurich gather to watch the burning of Winter in effigy by setting fire to the Böögg, basically a snowman whose head is filled with explosives. This tradition which has been around since medieval times is similar to Groundhogs day in the US except the length of the burn is supposed to correspond to the length and strength of Summer. The more time that elapses from when the pyre is set on fire and when the head explodes, the longer and more intense the Summer will be. It's a bizarre tradition but one well worth checking out simply because watching a snowman explode into a ball of flame is definitely something different to do at 6 PM on a Monday evening.