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Students Aim to Wring Pollution – And Millions – Out of India’s Dirty Water

8205_photo_1_high_resNewswise — If you live in the “Knitwear Capital of India,” your water probably doesn’t taste very good, if you can drink it at all. That’s because dyeing cotton for Banana Republic T-shirts, Reebok socks and truckloads of similar clothing bound for Europe and the United States requires tons of water, and the small textile firms that dominate the industry in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu cannot afford traditional wastewater treatment, so they simply dump toxin-filled water into the local rivers.… Read the rest

IT’S NOT OUR FAULT

Finally I figured it out.  Over the years I’ve attended sales and marketing seminars.  Advertising companies’ battle cry has been, “If the public doesn’t need it, create the need!”

And so they instilled within our brains, young and old alike, the need and desire for cereal that tastes like candy, products that make us attractive or smell better, detergents that make our clothes brighter or retain their color and shape longer, lawns that grow greener and make our neighbors envious.… Read the rest

WHEN THE MOON STOPS SHINING

Yes, I’ve seen a partial eclipse, but  longest total exclipe of the Century at the Point of Longest Duration is July 22, 2009.  The cruise ship COSTA CLASSICA has been chartered and is, right now, the only way to see it at the point of longest duration – 6 minutes 39+ . … Read the rest

THE ULTIMATE GETAWAY

Once I was asked what my”ultimate” getaway would be.  Then, I was raising two children who were both in private schools and I had a large home.  My dream was to go to a luxury hotel with excellent room service and “veg” for a while day on TV, not getting up until 10:00 a.m.… Read the rest

MORE TOYS…

People who travel often complain about the hassle and additional weight in baggage when they have to lug adapters and betteries for portable iPods and iPhone speakers.  Griffin Technology heard that, and introduced the new Aircurve acoustic iPhone amplifier.  At 4.7 ounces, this clear box works with the phone’s speaker, pushing the sound through a coil-shaped amplifying chamber and juicing it up around 10 decibels in the process. … Read the rest

OLAF STAPLEDON STILL ROCKS

My friend Juan had pulled some strings with NASA so that I could take a quick trip to Mars but, at the last minute there was some kind of trouble with a lift-off thing-a=magig.  My son reminded me of a book I’d read eons ago (published in London in 1931) Last and First Men.… Read the rest

CRUISE THE SEINE

When I heard that the TV program “The Highlander” was to be shown again, I couldn’t have been more pleased.  I could visit the Seine where the Highlander’s boat was moored (across from Notre Dame), and I’d wander along the waterfront visiting the artists and the stamp collectors there.… Read the rest

LATEST TECH GOODIES

There’s a “new cutie” at www.bestbuy.com called a PoGo Instant Mobile Printer which will print wallet size pics on a portable printer by Polaroid – price tag around $100.00.

Have you heard about SNAGIT which allows you to take a “snapshot” of anything on your PC screen, from a specific section to the entire screen according to “Gadget Girl”, Penny Rudicil. … Read the rest

FAREWELL TO THE WETLANDS AND BAY0US

As I flew out of New Orleans after the holidays this year, I looked down on the bayous that border what’s known mainly as the 9th Ward.  Having lived in New Orleans and Metairie (a suburb) we all knew how low the 9th Ward was, and that when there was a severe enough storm (considering that Lake Pontchartrain is like a saucer) it would flood big time. … Read the rest

SON VS. MOTHER, ROUND 2

My son, Charlie, hadn’t mentioned Mars in a while.  I knew that it was only a matter of time…

“Mom, about Mars…”  I got comfortable on the sofa and listened.  “Mars got hit by something a billion years ago, before life really had a chace to evolve. … Read the rest

A SMART MOVE

Several yeas ago, while working in a travel agency, I became aware of an outside travel representative who, several times a year, visited Europe with her husband and family.  They were often gone a month, but made no other reservations except airfare.… Read the rest

THE LITTLE TRAIN THAT COULD

From the time that I was a baby and my parents carried me on board the Trans-Canada train in the 1930’s so that I could meet my grandfather, Charles St. Lawrence Mackintosh in Vancouver, BC I’ve loved trains.  My great great grandfather, Sir Hugh Allan had, after all, helped to get the railroad across Canada.… Read the rest