Wed, 18 Apr 2007

Recycling is Good for the Environment

So, you just bought that kick ass boombox from Walmart. Stereo sound. CD player. Volume nob. And you sprung for that extra tone control.

After unboxing your electronic wonder, you overhear Al Gore the television ranting on about the environment and something about carbon footprints.

You feel guilty about all the packaging material, and how your great-great-great grandchildren will hate you if you simply throw it into the trash. Why not recycle that polystyrene foam that protected your stereo on its twenty day journey from china, across rough pacific seas, and eventually to your home!

You decide to recycle this packaging.

After some searching on your favorite meta-search engine, you come across a great foam recycling site.

This website features all sorts of great locations to recycle your foam.

Clicking on your state, Washington, you learn that you can now recycle without leaving your own home!

Wow! Recycling, BY MAIL! Send it to Crofton, Maryland!

This is really great news! You go to the UPS website and request delivery of packing materials (a box). You also buy a pre-paid shipping label. It was expensive, but its for the environment, right? Being green doesn't come cheap.

Day 2

Some UPS guy shows up with a box at your door. He mentions you were the only delivery in your neighborhood for the day, and had to drive about 10 miles out of his way to visit you. This is okay though.

You mention that you don't really have time to pack up the foam you are going to send out for recycling, so he should come back tomorrow.

Day 3

The doorbell rings. You quickly stuff the EPS foam into the box, tape it up with some duct tape, and slap on the little label you printed off yesterday. Oh crap, did you accidently check the "Overnight Early A.M." box?!? You did. No wonder it was so expensive! Darn, you wanted to send it ground. Maybe next time you will be more careful.

The UPS guy has been waiting at your door for a few minutes now, you can hear his truck running in the distance. But he doesn't mind. He has all day. Nobody needed UPS in your neighborhood today either.

You hand the box to the UPS guy.

He mentions the box is extremely light for the size. You mention that you are recycling foam. The UPS guy says, "Oh, right. Foam. Got it.". He carries your package off onto his truck, and you never see it again.

Your package takes the most expedited path using large UPS jets on its 2800 mile journey across the United States. Your foam arrives in Crofton, where its...recycled.

At least, you can sleep at ease, knowing the Earth is going to be okay. Doesn't it feel good to recycle?

[/funny] permanent link

Tue, 10 Apr 2007

Afterworld TV Series

"99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead. 99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead."

Afterworld TV is a series of 130 three minute micro-episodes slowly trickled on the video sharing site YouTube. It is just the right size for the ADD "trying to fill a couple minutes of dead time at work" person that you are.

The series features a unique CGI still/motion hybrid animation style along with a high quality naration that seems to be more of the focus of the experience. Almost like a picture story book.

Currently, Afterworld is on episode 7. Each episode is released on Wednesday, although, there is a promise for daily episodes starting in May.

Apparently, Sony bought this piece back in February from Stan Rogow Productions, more notable as the production company behind Disney Channel's "Lizzie McGuire".

[/entertainment] permanent link