Category: environment

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Fish Galore!

There was some good news for some American fisherman today when a group of experts announced that there were plenty of fish for everyone. Due to the new management systems that were put in place, fish stocks have risen and many species can withstand being caught in good numbers.

Overfishing is still a major problem for the rest of the world. Whether its whales or tuna, some species are in danger of being wiped out. Many countries rely on fish as a major food source and it would be nice if everyone could agree to limits that are acceptable as well as sustainable.

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Every House

Every house that I know of has one room that is always used. That room would be the kitchen. It always seems to be one of the most central locations for people to cluster. That’s why I think it’s important to ensure that it is decorated nicely in order to make the house a home. Recently, we decided to install wine glass racks in our kitchen in order to make it look nicer.

One problem that we had in our kitchen was a lack of space. We found that we could squeeze out a little more room by taking advantage of a hanging wine glass rack. We got all the glasses off the shelf and out of the way. That gave us other opportunities to use the space we made available. Not only that, it has enhanced the look of our kitchen.

We were very happy with the results we had in the kitchen and so we thought we would try it in the basement. We have a den in the basement that has a small bar. We thought that adding bar glass racks would help our décor there as well. I am glad to say that it did and now our bar looks great. We had a small party recently and everyone liked the way it looked. I guess we will be able to throw a few more parties now, knowing that we have what it takes!

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Indian Elephants

The land of India is home to many endangered species. While the tiger is probably the most famous, the elephant is high on the list. Male Indian elephants have valuable ivory tusks. This has caused poachers to target them instead of females that don’t have them. The ratio of male elephants to female is in some cases as much as 100-1.

Another problem the elephants are facing is the growing loss of habitat. Development has interfered with their traditional traveling corridors. Efforts are under way to help the elephants through a variety of methods by the Indian government. I hope these efforts will work and these wonderful animals can be saved.

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The House, Our Home

The wife and I have been working to fix up the old homestead. We have had a wonderful time working together on various projects around the house. This year, we have concentrated a lot of our effort on the outside of the house including getting our lawn and gardens into shape. We think that the outside of the house is just as important as the inside. We have worked hard to find ways to improve the view of the house from the street.

One thing we are really happy about is the addition of an address plaque. We put the plague by the street and surrounded it with plants. We also added some rocks and figurines around it. It looks great and makes it easy to find our house. We didn’t know about home address plaques before, but now that we do, we are glad to have found one that fits our style.

One of our neighbors commented on the plaque and asked for more information about it. I told him to get on the internet and type in address plaques and he would find a place to get one for himself. I am sure that over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be seeing one in front of his house as well. While I am sure that our house will never be perfect, I am glad that we made this one fine addition.

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Electronic Recycling

One thing that I believe is really important is to make sure that you recycle your electronic items. Things like cell phones, televisions, and iPods contain many chemicals and other dangerous metals that can contaminate our ecosystem. By ensuring that these items are recycled, we can go a long way toward protecting our earth.

Here are a few tips to go by when recycling. Most stores nowadays offer free recycling programs. You can drop off your electronic devises at the store or send them back to the company that made them. There are also companies that will buy your electronic items that are still working. I hope everyone will take a little time to ensure they do their part in protecting our world!

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This January is Bringing a Lot of Snow

I usually don’t mind winter – especially just the colder temperatures. I don’t even mind snow very much, if I do not have to drive it it and be someplace important by a particular time. Otherwise, driving on snow is stressful because the people around here freak out and cause a lot of wrecks, tying up traffic. And they tend to close school at the mere mention of snow – before the first flake even touches the ground!

The biggest danger in this area from winter weather is an ice storm. Snow does not do anywhere near as much damage to trees and property as ice does. The ice is heavy and takes down entire trees and electric poles, as well as making roads treacherous to drive.

This January we have already had some snow and ice, and the Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting a lot of very cold weather this winter. I think January was bring us a lot of snow this year. I predict the kids will be missing a lot of school because of the weather this winter.

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The Fridge!!

One of the major intersections around our house is the refrigerator. It seems the kids are always in front of it and looking in. I have been known to open it and stare in myself. The thing is that I know for the most part what’s inside, but still hope to find a hidden morsel that will assuage my hunger. The fridge has many other uses as well.

We have many magnets on our fridge which hold any number of papers. Some are the kid’s school papers which have good grades on them and some contain semi-important phone numbers. Of course we have the usual amount of pizza places and Chinese take-out flyers. If you want something to be noticed, I think the best place to put it is on the fridge!

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Food safety

There has been some debate lately over whether or not farmers should need licenses to sell small amounts of food. Vendors at farmers markets are pushing for deregulating strict laws that put an unfair burden on them they say. Selling a few of mom’s apple pies takes a lot of government red tape that makes it almost impossible for mom to make a few extra dollars.

Those in the food safety industry are saying that controls need to remain in place. They say food borne illnesses are a threat to the public and not having the ability to inspect where food is produced will hamper their ability to maintain public safety. Small food processors also say that they could lose thousands in sells to those who don’t have to pay for inspections.

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Test your smoke alarms

Before the holidays get here, I would like to remind everyone to test their smoke alarms at home and also at work if you have any responsibility for that.

I have already seen that there have been several fires in my area where people have lost their homes. There are always a lot of fires this time of year when things are dry, and many are caused from decorations people put up for the Christmas holidays. Sometimes too many lights overload the electric circuit. Another danger with outside lights is that sometimes squirrels get on your roof and chew on the wires. And really old lights can get frayed from being unwrapped, hung up, taken down and wrapped again.

Chimney fires are also very dangerous and totally preventable if you just have your chimney checked and serviced regularly by a chimney sweep. If you use the fireplace more than 3 or 4 times each winter, you should have the chimney checked annually. if you burn soft woods like pine or burn those paper logs in your fireplace, you will have more creosote build up in your chimney than if you burn just hardwoods like seasoned oak. An honest chimney sweep will tell you if it needs cleaning or can wait a season, and it does not have to be expensive.

So, be very careful and make sure everything, from the holiday lights to your chimney, is in working order. Make sure your fire extinguishers are good as well. Remember that it is better to be safe then sorry.

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Winter clothes

I really need to buy some more winter clothes. Being a guy, I don’t shop for clothes that often, but I do believe I am overdue at this point. I need thermals, boots, jeans, long sleeved shirts, and a new heavy coat or jacket. That is a long list for me. I guess I let things go a little bit too long. I don’t like to look ratty, but at this point looking at my winter wardrobe, I have to admit that it is.

Now to decide how much I want to spend before I go. The hardest part will be finding work boots. Most of the work boots out there are either overpriced or if they are reasonable they fall apart too easily. I could order a pair online, but with work boots, you really need to try them on and make sure they aren’t going to hurt your feet. Work boots stay on your feet an awfully long time to end up with ones that don’t fit right, or aren’t comfortable.

I will probably have to go to the mall or to Tractor Supply for the boots, but that is ok. I can get everything else there too, with one exception. The thermals cannot be bought there. I am picky about those and I have to go to a sporting goods store for them. They have the best ones made in the Ski section. Well I am off to see what I can find. Talk to you peoples later.