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This is so cool - and I am definitely going to do a version of it. It's a hanging garden made with old soda bottles. The website is in Portuguese, which I don't read, but the pictures make it clear how it's done.

http://www.rosenbaum...horta-vertical/

The first year of our marriage, we were so poor and in debt, that we couldn't afford Christmas.  We convinced ourselves, that we didn't really need presents, we had each other.  I had discovered during that first year, that my wife was able to make money stretch further than I could, when buying things and I was better at saving money, by doing without things.

So for Christmass, I surprised her with an envelope full of dollar bills, I had squirreled away that year.
I told her she MUST spend it all on Christmass Decorations, so that we could enjoy them together next year, and remember our first Christmass together.  She said there were so many practical things we needed more, but I insisted, that all the decorations were at their lowest price after Christmass, they were our presents to ourselves to enjoy now and every year to come.  We had scrimped and saved, for a whole year and we needed to release the pressure, on ourselves, by spending on somethings that make us happy.

She did spend that money on Christmass decorations over the next week, and we excitedly decorated our home each night, like a couple of kids, with what she had bought that day.
For the last 39 years, I have giving my wife an envelope of money, Christmas day.

I say, it's the best way I know, that the present she gets, are the one's she wants, at the best price.
She claims, I'm too lazy to buy her a present, but it makes us both,
think back and remember our first Christmass together.

It's the best Christmass Present I ever gave, and it keeps on giving

The students at Castro Valley High School in California have gotten their school to compost all food waste.  It started when a group of students noticed how much food waste there was on campus.  They examined the contents of campus garbage cans.  They found that 80% of what was tossed away was compostable or recyclable.

They set out to start their own composting program on campus.  They call themselves the Compost Squad.  They will educate fellow students on what can be composted as well as make sure that it is being done.  They've all volunteered for the task.

It is interesting to note that the school has a financial interest in this project.  Efforts started last year with composting kitchen waste has saved them $10,000.  By eliminating the 80% of trash that is not garbage, they will cut their garbage bill from $50,000 to $20,000 a year.  What school couldn't benefit from some money savings?

They have been recognized as a green ribbon school by the sanitary district.
http://www.mercuryne...unchtime-scraps

When New York Times writer John Broder wrote his less than stellar review of the Tesla Model S after his test drive, Elon Musk didn't waste any time refuting many of the issues that Broder wrote about.  Data pulled from the Tesla's "little black box" is used to show that Broder may have misremembered some details of the test drive and of his own actions during the drive.

Personally, I love the graphs that they pulled from the car that detail the speed, recharging and even cabin temp during the drive.  Every vehicle on the road should have this, if not for insurance purposes then just so people can actually see how they are driving.

Elon Musk is to the EV world what Steve Jobs was to personal technology, with similar personality traits it appears.

A few choice items from Elon's blog post:

As the State of Charge log shows, the Model S battery never ran out of energy at any time, including when Broder called the flatbed truck.

The final leg of his trip was 61 miles and yet he disconnected the charge cable when the range display stated 32 miles. He did so expressly against the advice of Tesla personnel and in obvious violation of common sense.

Cruise control was never set to 54 mph as claimed in the article, nor did he limp along at 45 mph. Broder in fact drove at speeds from 65 mph to 81 mph for a majority of the trip and at an average cabin temperature setting of 72 F.

I grew up around hunting and guns.  I owned my first shotguns and rifles at 11 or 12 (can't remember exactly, it was a long time ago).  I had my small arms badge (not such a big deal) and my marksman as well in the Air Force.  I've owned hunting shotguns, rifles and handguns.  Personal hand guns in the home for personal defense are understandable, even though you will most likely kill yourself or a family member than any intruder.

Having semi-automatic and automatic weapons pass from person to person without any oversight is not American, not logical, not safe, not mature, not reasonable and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the 2nd Amendment.  The NRA began as an organization that represented the sportsman, but now is just a facilitator for the US weapons industry.  Their views are no longer based in reality as they even see simple conversation as un-American.

The NRA has become more dangerous than any mass murderer because they wrap themselves in the flag to defend people who stockpile weapons to use in the Zombie Apocalypse or for the next Democratic President, whichever comes first.
People are not the problem here, the NRA as an organization is the problem.

Owning a weapon or weapons is not at issue and people should not allow the NRA to say it is.  It's our duty as Americans not to let logical, mature and reasoned discussion get drown out by the NRA's shrieking and wailing.  Each time a Dem gets elected, weapon sales skyrocket.  Who's the winner there?  Hmm, you'd almost think the US weapon manufactureres want a Dem in the White House.  It's good for the bottom line and they have a boogeyman to throw in front of the people.

http://inhabitat.com...e-3-2/?extend=1



Farmland is shrinking across the world at an alarming rate, sparking fears of a global food crisis. In a bid to increase food security, a multidisciplinary team of architects and botanists developed the Jellyfish Barge, a floating modular greenhouse.

Designed by Studiomobile architects Antonio Girardi and Cristiana Favretto, the Jellyfish Barge is an octagonal greenhouse set atop a 750-square-foot wooden base that floats atop 96 recycled plastic drums. The simple and low-cost design was created with adaptability in mind so that it can be applied to a variety of environments for long-term use. The compact and modular greenhouse can produce enough food to support two families, and can also be easily expanded with additional modules to support a larger community.

The crops are grown hydroponically and the fresh water is provided by seven solar stills designed by environmental scientist Paolo Franceschetti. The solar stills use fans and pumps powered by solar energy to suck in and purify water; the seven stills can produce up to 150 liters a day of clean, fresh water from saltwater or even polluted waters. The Jellyfish Barge uses a mixture of distilled water and 15% seawater to water the crops. The hydroponic system can be remotely automated and controlled.