Saturday, October 27, 2007
I did it!
My basement shower drain was clogged and managed to unclog it with a snake! Hopefully I didn't damage anything. It feels good to be able to do repairs without any help.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Social Business Enterprise
Clipped from The Non-Toxic Times Newletter. I hope this idea takes off.
For Best Results, Stir Up Fruits of All Kinds From the Bottom of the Economic Cup
As I recounted here last month, in late February I spent a couple of weeks exploring India with my family. We saw extraordinary sights at almost every turn, but the thing that made the biggest impression on me was the unbelievable poverty. It was overwhelming in every sense, and it made it hard to come home to my own life of relative luxury knowing that so many people were living in conditions so far beneath my own. Something must be done, I thought. But where do you start?
How about with something called social business enterprise? That’s the name of a new idea from Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Grameen Bank, an institution that itself has already done much to erase poverty in those places most afflicted by it.
Grameen Bank operates on a simple principle. It extends microcredit (i.e. very small loans) to impoverished people, especially women, who lack the collateral, credit history, and other trappings of wealth that traditional banks insist on before they’ll loan money. These tiny loans are used to start small businesses whose income then permits borrowers to raise themselves up out of poverty and create a better standard of living for their families. Grameen Bank empowers disadvantaged people to take charge of their destiny and improve their circumstances. It’s an idea that’s spread around the world and become a huge success story that collectively has made $9 billion in loans a few dollars at a time.
Now its creator is spreading the gospel of his next idea: social business enterprise. Social business enterprise (SBE) is based on a new kind of capitalism, one that understands there can be more than one kind of profit. A recent article in Fortune magazine summarizes this idea extremely well.
“What if we lived in a world where companies didn't measure their performance only in terms of revenue and profitability? What if pharmaceutical companies reported on their bottom lines, along with those familiar figures, the number of lives saved by their drugs every quarter, and food companies reported the number of children rescued from malnutrition?
“What if companies issued separate stock based on social returns, and people could buy the shares of those that saved more lives than others, or sell the shares of energy companies that polluted more than their competitors? What if, by raising "social capital" and investing it in sustainable businesses without a profit motive, companies could reach into new markets, expanding their core businesses at the same time they improved lives?”
What if, indeed. The world would certainly be a very different place. And in Borga, Bangladesh construction on that world has begun.
Borga is the site of the world’s first SBE, a small yogurt factory being built by the French company Danone. Here’s how the factory will work: Grameen Bank borrowers in the area will obtain loans to buy cows. The milk from the cows will be sold to the factory and turned into yogurt by its 15-20 women employees. The yogurt will be fortified to fight malnutrition and sold door-to-door by Grameen-funded vendors for a locally affordable 7¢ per cup.
Over the course of the first three years of operation, Danone will slowly recoup its start-up costs of $500,000. After that, all the revenue generated by the facility will be reinvested in the community. Danone says this one factory will produce income for 1,600 people living nearby. And its environmental impacts will be negated by the use of biodegradable cornstarch-based yogurt cups, solar electricity, and a rainwater collection system.
For its part, Danone can take credit for the wealth of social benefits its new plant will provide. Danone CEO Franck Riboud says the company may even report these benefits on its bottom line, a “social dividend” of sorts that will likely make the firm’s stock more attractive to socially concerned investors. As the factory’s influence spreads and lifts more and more people out of poverty, Danone may be even be creating a new market of loyal customers for its products. (I know I’d be more than happy to buy what I needed from the company that made it possible for me to afford the purchase in the first place.)
That’s what I call thinking outside the box. It’s the kind of answer that works for everybody from start to finish. In the end, it doesn’t cost anyone anything yet ultimately delivers all kinds of returns. That’s quite a feat. And it shows just what businesses can do when they decide to play a role in making ours a just and sustainable civilization. In fact, it makes quite a convincing case that business can and should be leading the way to that destination. Corporations certainly have the power to do that and more. It’s just a question of how evolved and involved they choose to be. Fortunately for the people of Borga, Danone has elected to be very much so on both counts.
If the Borga factory works, Danone plans to build 50 more just like it. But for now, there’s just the one. One little yogurt factory somewhere out in a corner of the Bangladeshi countryside being built on one absolutely enormous idea. Is it an idea that will erase poverty in our lifetime? I have no way of knowing. But I cannot recall ever having been so hopeful that it’s an idea that might.
For more information on SBEs and the new Danone plant, I recommend reading the excellent Fortune magazine article at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/02/05/8399198/index.htm.
For more information about microlending and Grameen Bank, visit http://www.grameen-info.org/.
For Best Results, Stir Up Fruits of All Kinds From the Bottom of the Economic Cup
As I recounted here last month, in late February I spent a couple of weeks exploring India with my family. We saw extraordinary sights at almost every turn, but the thing that made the biggest impression on me was the unbelievable poverty. It was overwhelming in every sense, and it made it hard to come home to my own life of relative luxury knowing that so many people were living in conditions so far beneath my own. Something must be done, I thought. But where do you start?
How about with something called social business enterprise? That’s the name of a new idea from Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Grameen Bank, an institution that itself has already done much to erase poverty in those places most afflicted by it.
Grameen Bank operates on a simple principle. It extends microcredit (i.e. very small loans) to impoverished people, especially women, who lack the collateral, credit history, and other trappings of wealth that traditional banks insist on before they’ll loan money. These tiny loans are used to start small businesses whose income then permits borrowers to raise themselves up out of poverty and create a better standard of living for their families. Grameen Bank empowers disadvantaged people to take charge of their destiny and improve their circumstances. It’s an idea that’s spread around the world and become a huge success story that collectively has made $9 billion in loans a few dollars at a time.
Now its creator is spreading the gospel of his next idea: social business enterprise. Social business enterprise (SBE) is based on a new kind of capitalism, one that understands there can be more than one kind of profit. A recent article in Fortune magazine summarizes this idea extremely well.
“What if we lived in a world where companies didn't measure their performance only in terms of revenue and profitability? What if pharmaceutical companies reported on their bottom lines, along with those familiar figures, the number of lives saved by their drugs every quarter, and food companies reported the number of children rescued from malnutrition?
“What if companies issued separate stock based on social returns, and people could buy the shares of those that saved more lives than others, or sell the shares of energy companies that polluted more than their competitors? What if, by raising "social capital" and investing it in sustainable businesses without a profit motive, companies could reach into new markets, expanding their core businesses at the same time they improved lives?”
What if, indeed. The world would certainly be a very different place. And in Borga, Bangladesh construction on that world has begun.
Borga is the site of the world’s first SBE, a small yogurt factory being built by the French company Danone. Here’s how the factory will work: Grameen Bank borrowers in the area will obtain loans to buy cows. The milk from the cows will be sold to the factory and turned into yogurt by its 15-20 women employees. The yogurt will be fortified to fight malnutrition and sold door-to-door by Grameen-funded vendors for a locally affordable 7¢ per cup.
Over the course of the first three years of operation, Danone will slowly recoup its start-up costs of $500,000. After that, all the revenue generated by the facility will be reinvested in the community. Danone says this one factory will produce income for 1,600 people living nearby. And its environmental impacts will be negated by the use of biodegradable cornstarch-based yogurt cups, solar electricity, and a rainwater collection system.
For its part, Danone can take credit for the wealth of social benefits its new plant will provide. Danone CEO Franck Riboud says the company may even report these benefits on its bottom line, a “social dividend” of sorts that will likely make the firm’s stock more attractive to socially concerned investors. As the factory’s influence spreads and lifts more and more people out of poverty, Danone may be even be creating a new market of loyal customers for its products. (I know I’d be more than happy to buy what I needed from the company that made it possible for me to afford the purchase in the first place.)
That’s what I call thinking outside the box. It’s the kind of answer that works for everybody from start to finish. In the end, it doesn’t cost anyone anything yet ultimately delivers all kinds of returns. That’s quite a feat. And it shows just what businesses can do when they decide to play a role in making ours a just and sustainable civilization. In fact, it makes quite a convincing case that business can and should be leading the way to that destination. Corporations certainly have the power to do that and more. It’s just a question of how evolved and involved they choose to be. Fortunately for the people of Borga, Danone has elected to be very much so on both counts.
If the Borga factory works, Danone plans to build 50 more just like it. But for now, there’s just the one. One little yogurt factory somewhere out in a corner of the Bangladeshi countryside being built on one absolutely enormous idea. Is it an idea that will erase poverty in our lifetime? I have no way of knowing. But I cannot recall ever having been so hopeful that it’s an idea that might.
For more information on SBEs and the new Danone plant, I recommend reading the excellent Fortune magazine article at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/02/05/8399198/index.htm.
For more information about microlending and Grameen Bank, visit http://www.grameen-info.org/.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
new camera
I got my new camera yesterday! WOOO HOOO! Still trying to figure out all the functions but here's a preview.
anthropological study?
My day started out with a knock at the door, it was a women and her 2 children all dressed up in their Sunday best. She said she is Johova Witness and was looking for spanish speaking people in the neighborhood. Do I know who in the neighborhood might be? I was rejected by Jovaha Witness!
The 2nd oddness: I was out cleaning out the garage and put an old metal garden edging out by the garbage can in the alley. 4 young (early teens?) black girls stopped by. I thought ok, here comes the attitude... They asked me what I was doing and what was "that". I told them and they looked all excited and asked if they could have it. Sure, no problem, that's why I put it out there. Now I'm feeling bad for jumping to conclusions as to what they were up to. So off they go with the fencing. I'm thinking cool, maybe they're planting a garden. I go on with my day...
I removed the 2 metal lazy susans from my kitchen took them outside to spray paint and go back inside while they dry. Maybe 10 minutes later I go out and one is gone! OH MY GOD! I'm furious. I spent hours cleaning and prepping those. So I walk down the alley cuz I see a bunch of kids playing down about 8 houses and then notice 2 houses down the fence and various other crap including my lazy susan. I grab it and start walking back to my house and a kid yells "Hey that's mine". Ok, I'm fuming. I said "no the fuck it isn't. It came from MY fucking yard". A few minutes later the kids come down to their pile of junk so I go over there to "talk" to them. I guess I shouldn't swear so much, they were pretty young but she fucking opened my gate and came up to my back door and took it out of my yard! It was not near the garbage, she did mistake it for garbage. Anyhow I bitch and swear and say don't take shit from peoples yards yada yada yada. As I'm walking down the alley she says bitch and I say bite me. So... Now I want a privacy fence with locks on the gate.
The 2nd oddness: I was out cleaning out the garage and put an old metal garden edging out by the garbage can in the alley. 4 young (early teens?) black girls stopped by. I thought ok, here comes the attitude... They asked me what I was doing and what was "that". I told them and they looked all excited and asked if they could have it. Sure, no problem, that's why I put it out there. Now I'm feeling bad for jumping to conclusions as to what they were up to. So off they go with the fencing. I'm thinking cool, maybe they're planting a garden. I go on with my day...
I removed the 2 metal lazy susans from my kitchen took them outside to spray paint and go back inside while they dry. Maybe 10 minutes later I go out and one is gone! OH MY GOD! I'm furious. I spent hours cleaning and prepping those. So I walk down the alley cuz I see a bunch of kids playing down about 8 houses and then notice 2 houses down the fence and various other crap including my lazy susan. I grab it and start walking back to my house and a kid yells "Hey that's mine". Ok, I'm fuming. I said "no the fuck it isn't. It came from MY fucking yard". A few minutes later the kids come down to their pile of junk so I go over there to "talk" to them. I guess I shouldn't swear so much, they were pretty young but she fucking opened my gate and came up to my back door and took it out of my yard! It was not near the garbage, she did mistake it for garbage. Anyhow I bitch and swear and say don't take shit from peoples yards yada yada yada. As I'm walking down the alley she says bitch and I say bite me. So... Now I want a privacy fence with locks on the gate.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
I survived!
***UPDATE***
I had my post-op check up today and I brought the picture with me to ask the Dr. to explain it to me. At first he didn't know what it is was and then he said "oh ya, that's a fibroid on your uterus. I looked around when I was in there and spotted it." Apparently there was a GYN near by so he asked him about it and they said it was ok, leave it alone. Here's the really really freaky thing though... When I woke up in recovery the first word that came to mind was fibroid so I asked my mom when she came in if they mentioned anything to her about me having fibroids and she said no. I told the Dr about this today and he kinda freaked out. He asked if I remembered anything else from the surgery! OMG! So maybe I over heard something while I was coming out of the anesthesia??? Lets hope so.
I had my post-op check up today and I brought the picture with me to ask the Dr. to explain it to me. At first he didn't know what it is was and then he said "oh ya, that's a fibroid on your uterus. I looked around when I was in there and spotted it." Apparently there was a GYN near by so he asked him about it and they said it was ok, leave it alone. Here's the really really freaky thing though... When I woke up in recovery the first word that came to mind was fibroid so I asked my mom when she came in if they mentioned anything to her about me having fibroids and she said no. I told the Dr about this today and he kinda freaked out. He asked if I remembered anything else from the surgery! OMG! So maybe I over heard something while I was coming out of the anesthesia??? Lets hope so.
Apparently this is my gall bladder! I did not ask for this picture, they gave it to me. I guess its better than them giving it to me in a jar.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
This is the kinda stuff that causes nightmares!
I saw this in an antique store today, didn't think to check how much is was... I don't think I could sleep with this thing in my house!
This is why I don't live in Hicksville!
I saw this pick up in a parking lot in Buffalo Minnesota today... Scary.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
No wonder I didn't get much cold water!
Thank you to Charles and Melissa for helping me replace my kitchen faucet! Whoever did the plumbing in my house was retarded. Look at how twisted it was!
An added bonus to the day was that Charles was able to get my dishwasher fixed. YEAH!
An added bonus to the day was that Charles was able to get my dishwasher fixed. YEAH!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
My house is so cool!
I started ripping the carpet off the kitchen side of the stairs today and found a secret drawer!
More pics here
Saturday, January 20, 2007
another drama
I have had an odd leak since the first week I had my house. Water was dripping down the soffit above my kitchen sink. It was a small leak but we know that small leaks become big leaks. So I called my home warranty company and got a plumber out. He said the wax seal on the toilet was broken and was probably causing the leak. $100 deductable per house call. Ok, I can handle that. Then about a month or two later I notice more leaking, alot more leaking, so home warranty company sends out the plumber again and now we can't get the leak to leak! Ran water in the tub, sink, flushed the toilet etc... Cut 2 holes in the walls to access the plumbing.
We decide to leave the claim open so I don't have to pay yet another deductable. A week later I decide to try filling up the tub and let the water out - - yep that's where the leak is. Plumber comes out cuts more holes and removes some of the tongue and groove ceiling. Finds the leak, replaces part of the drain at bathroom sink and then informs me that the sink is sluggish and will need to be snaked but he doesn't do that. Someone else at his company does and its not covered by my warranty. I have never had draining problems before so why now after he replaces the drain??? The minimum charge is $98. Ok. What can I do, I gotta have a working sink. WTF?
So I leave for work and my mom is at the house while the plumber finishes up and she sticks around to clean up after he leaves. I get a call from her saying its still leaking so I quick call the plumbing company out and they send the plumber back. He's now crabby because he's behind schedule. My mom calls me at work to ask if its ok to cut into some of the tongue and groove ceiling and before I can say NO he's alreay cutting. *(^*(^(^(
When he opens up more of the ceiling he finds that the tub trap isn't connected any more. I'm thinking it was a little loose but got knocked looser when he was working on the sink drain. So he fixes that and goes on his merry way. My mom cleans up the mess he left behind and end of story. Of course not. Its still dripping somewhere and the sink is completely clogged now. I call the the plumbing company and they are out the next morning at 8am. He finds a hair line crack in the old cast iron.
So that pipe is replaced and I ask the plumber to recheck the tub trap because my mom said the previous guy was in a hurry and didn't do a very good job. Of course there's a leak there too. He tightened up the connection and we ran water and I think its fixed. Lets hope that's the end of this chapter. I did buy 2 plungers and a toilet snake just to have on hand. Now if I could just get the kitchen faucet replaced so I don't have to turn the water on and off under the sink! I guess I'll get to learn how to patch with drywall and fix the whole in my plaster wall. The joys of home ownership...
We decide to leave the claim open so I don't have to pay yet another deductable. A week later I decide to try filling up the tub and let the water out - - yep that's where the leak is. Plumber comes out cuts more holes and removes some of the tongue and groove ceiling. Finds the leak, replaces part of the drain at bathroom sink and then informs me that the sink is sluggish and will need to be snaked but he doesn't do that. Someone else at his company does and its not covered by my warranty. I have never had draining problems before so why now after he replaces the drain??? The minimum charge is $98. Ok. What can I do, I gotta have a working sink. WTF?
So I leave for work and my mom is at the house while the plumber finishes up and she sticks around to clean up after he leaves. I get a call from her saying its still leaking so I quick call the plumbing company out and they send the plumber back. He's now crabby because he's behind schedule. My mom calls me at work to ask if its ok to cut into some of the tongue and groove ceiling and before I can say NO he's alreay cutting. *(^*(^(^(
When he opens up more of the ceiling he finds that the tub trap isn't connected any more. I'm thinking it was a little loose but got knocked looser when he was working on the sink drain. So he fixes that and goes on his merry way. My mom cleans up the mess he left behind and end of story. Of course not. Its still dripping somewhere and the sink is completely clogged now. I call the the plumbing company and they are out the next morning at 8am. He finds a hair line crack in the old cast iron.
So that pipe is replaced and I ask the plumber to recheck the tub trap because my mom said the previous guy was in a hurry and didn't do a very good job. Of course there's a leak there too. He tightened up the connection and we ran water and I think its fixed. Lets hope that's the end of this chapter. I did buy 2 plungers and a toilet snake just to have on hand. Now if I could just get the kitchen faucet replaced so I don't have to turn the water on and off under the sink! I guess I'll get to learn how to patch with drywall and fix the whole in my plaster wall. The joys of home ownership...
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
How I spent my birthday!
Lovely, huh. I spent my birthday at Abbott Norwestern Sleep Study Clinic trying to figure out why I'm waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air. The good news is I didn't show signs of sleep apnea.
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