â┚¬Å”Steve Jobs was born out of wedlock, put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college, then changed the world. What’s your excuse?â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ @jwmoss
I have to admit it was on my mind again, as it has every year since I was a young guy watching it on our small black and white television. I have to do that Time Square New Year's Eve thing. It didn't help that one of my NYC transplant friends, Art, was tweeting live from Time Square. He had made his way there because he's a huge Lady Gaga fan. I would honestly rather play canasta in a hot tub with Mitt Romney and Mel Gibson than see Lady Gaga, but I still would have gone.
â┚¬Å”Since time flies consider mapping out what you’d like to achieve this year,â┚¬Â tweeted Richard Branson on new year's day (who would argue advice from this guy â┚¬â€œ not I) and I took his words to heart. So I've made my mind: 2012 will be the year I check NYE in NYC off my bucket list. Well, I guess technically 2012 and 2013 will be the years thatâ┚¬Â¦oh hell, you get the picture.
I hope your celebration leading into the new year was grand, if not at least safe. Brendan and I went to a house party thrown by friends. Now in its 10th year, they do an art trade party. People bring art they've created then haggle with other attendees to trade each other's art. It's quite a nifty thing and our art collection grows â┚¬â€œ eclectically and in size â┚¬â€œ each year we go.
This year one room was converted to a silent auction area. People would bid on artwork and the funds went to support a local food bank. The amount garnered from this simple act of kindness? Over $1800!
You know I always like to be honest with you, so let me just admit that I didn't buy anything in auction. My biggest contribution to the evening was approving Brendan's art trades and drinking free beer. I tried to auction off an empty bottle of beer I drank from, but my efforts were unsuccessful. (Apparently the last lesson 2011 had for me is that any celebrity I have may be in my own head.)
So here we are late in the day on the first Monday in 2012. I've had some time off lately, so getting my head back in the game is currently set to snail mode, but I wanted to get these Ripples out to you.
Welcome Back, Kanamori
Teaching: The Noblest Profession
It's amazing the impact our teachers make on our lives. Have you ever sat there and tried to remember how certain thoughts got into your head, then realized it went back to a teacher you had in elementary school? That's happened to me. When I watched this heartening video posted by Elephant Journal, I immediately knew I had to share it with my 5th Grade teacher Miss Fanning. She still out there in the trenches shaping lives and I knew Mr. Kanamori would inspire her, so I posted it on her Facebook wall. Here's to all the teachers â┚¬â€œ let's hope they're actually paid what they deserve someday!
You Are My Sunshine
Sun powers Orlando man's electric car
You may be doing a lot of the environment, but I bet Bob Stonerock out does you. Bob has outfitted his house with solar equipment so well that he is selling surplus power back to the Orlando Utilities Commission. Think about that next time you're rushing down to OUC with the bill you forgot to pay â┚¬â€œ or wanted to try to forget. Now Bob is driving a Volt and since he plugs it in at his house, the Orlando Sentinel surmises that Bob drives on sun. I kind of see it that way too.
DéjàBrew
Recycled Beer Bottle Candle
Upon reflection, trying to pass my empty Shock Top bottle was probably not the best reuse. This gentleman, who goes by the rather no nonsense moniker of â┚¬Å”homebrewsoapsâ┚¬Â on Etsy, is probably onto something though by making candles out of used suds bottles. Cute and clever â┚¬â€œ it might just be that unique gift you're looking to give the beer lover in your life.
Saving Christmas
String Lights Made Into Slippers in China
This is a fascinating video, but it left me with all kinds of questions. How do you make sure your old Christmas lights get recycled? Why in the hell aren't we recycling them in the USA? We ship them to China to be recycled? When the camera isn't on, do you think they all bitch about their job? They seem surprisingly content in their occupation. Anyway, this is what's happening to the extraordinary amount of Christmas lights we throw away.
