Good Economic/Ecological Practices for Consumers

Honey seems to be a reasonably good alternative to prevent infections in wounds if you are allergic to antibiotic ointments like Polysporin / triple antibiotic creams (containing  neomycin ,  polymyxin ,  bacitracin ), none is handy, or you prefer not to use antibiotics. The best articles I've found on this subject are: http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2001/november/Molan/honey-as-topical-agent.html http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2011/10/15/honey-as-an-antibiotic-ointment-treatment-for-wounds/

Over time most bathroom sinks and shower drains get clogged with smelly combinations of hair, soap, and grease. Many people don't want to deal with it so pour toxic chemicals down their drains to try to clear it out. However, this is expensive, dangerous, and really doesn't work well -- the chemicals don't dissolve hair effectively.  Here is a quick, simple, cheap, and more effective solution -- albeit a bit stinky. Plus it is much better for our environment and world. Steps: 1) Get rubber gloves, a bucket/trashcan with liner, and either a straightened coat hanger with a small hook bent into one end or a Zip-It ( Amazon , HomeDepot ). 2) Remove the sink stopper/strainer or shower drain cover. 3) While wearing rubber gloves, use the coat hanger or Zip-It to snag the goopy hair balls from your drain. 4) Replace drain cover. 5) Wash sink or shower flower if necessary. Yes this is yucky and smelly but you don't need a plumber or dangerous chemicals and it works fas...

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke When we look at life in the United States (and many other countries) and place it within the context of human history, we are wizards! With a few finger strokes we can instantly pull up information on any topic from a vast globe spanning library far beyond any that existed before. With a few more strokes we can instantly communicate to individuals or millions of people across the world with text, sound, pictures, and video. Or we can watch or read just about any movie or book ever written. Slim, black, pocket sized obelisks allow us to do much of this on the go. We can fly, travel the world, and avoid or recover from innumerable mortal afflictions that would otherwise have killed us not so long ago. Clean drinkable water is instantly available in our homes. Automated machines carry us comfortably in climate controlled convenience from place to place. Our biggest challenge: how do we use...

These days many accounts are getting hacked, especially email, because the password was weak (too short), the computer was infected, or someone was fooled by a phishing attack -- going to a site that looked real, so they entered their password, but the site was actually fake. Plus many use the same password repeatedly -- so one compromised password can give access to many systems. Your email account is especially sensitive because it often contains records for many of the systems you use, as well as lots of other confidential information about you and others. And your email account is how many other systems verify your identity. Here are a few of the things that could happen if your email is hacked: personal (and possibly sensitive) information is revealed, your other accounts get broken into, you send dangerous infected emails to your friends, and all your email history and contacts are deleted. It just takes once and most of you probably don't want strangers to have access to all...

After much experimentation, research, and trying out various bags when grocery shopping over the past 3 years, here is the best reusable grocery bag I've found yet: SteppingStones natural unbleached EcoSac GlobalGrocer cotton canvas bag ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E8X3J8/ ). SteppingStones ( http://www.bags4you.com/index.html ) is based in Cambria California and this particular bag is currently made in India. SteppingStones seems to be as green a company as you can find in their operations, materials, supply chain, and product design. See http://www.bags4you.com/company/company.html What I like best about the GlobalGrocer: - very sturdy (can hold very heavy groceries or serve as a book bag even -- they are very versatile) - great handles -- not too short, not too long, and wide enough to hold easily - can sling handles over your shoulder or hold in your hand - folds flat - quite large so holds a lot (but not too large) 18" x 16" x 7" - very tear resistant...

If you want a deodorant that works very well, saves a lot of money, and is much better for the environment and you, I strongly recommend the Thai Deodorant Stick. Please note that it is primarily a deodorant and not that good an antiperspirant. If you need an excellent antiperspirant, use something else. However most people do not need a high-powered antiperspirant every day. For instance, if I'm headed into a situation where it is critical that I stay dry (like a tense presentation in front of many people under hot lights), then yes I still use a good antiperspirant such as Dry Idea Roll On. However 99% of the time (even for most presentations -- and I give a lot of presentations) a good deodorant is all I need every day. Plus sweating is a good thing. It keeps you cooler. To use the Thai Deodorant Stick effectively, it is best to wet it slightly and rub it back and forth on your underarms making sure to cover them thoroughly. This takes a little more time than typical liquid ...

Many gleefully trash Wikipedia , but nonetheless it is one of the most helpful and practical resources on the internet along with Google search. While most articles are not eloquent prose, as a whole Wikipedia is the largest and best first stop when investigating a topic. It is a wonderful example of what people can accomplish when they work collaboratively. My hat is off to Jimmy Wales and all the others who created Wikipedia. It's a self sustaining information ecosystem that is constantly cleansing itself and making itself better and better every day. Knowledge is power. Power to the people. It's as simple as that. For some other perspectives upon Wikipedia's 10th Anniversary, please read: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/01/all-star-thinkers-on-wikipedias-10th-anniversary/69523/