Enjoy Life Foods
January 15th, 2007
If you have food allergies, whether commonplace (dairy) or completely obscure (tree nuts?), you’ll want to check out the offerings at Enjoy Life Foods.
All of their products are gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens: no wheat, no dairy, no peanuts, no tree nuts, no eggs, no soy, no fish and no shellfish! They are also free of corn, casein, potato, sulfites and sesame.
Admittedly, it’s tough to imagine what ingredients might be left to make food out of, but the offerings are quite varied — breads, bagels, cookies and chocolate chips! — and might give some hope to those of you who don’t have a lot of good food options.
Bon Appetit!
Miyim Simply Organic
January 15th, 2007
These stuffed animals are cuddly, adorable, and best of all, organic!
Why bother to go organic? According to miYim, the manufacturer of these beautiful plush toys,
Organic products do not use toxic chemicals and carcinogenic pesticides, reducing the appearance of such chemicals in your groundwater, air, soil and life.
Using organic greatly eliminates the threat of toxins and allergic reactions from the finished product—a huge consideration in today’s allergy ridden world. Choosing organic is a great way to eliminate the exposure your kids have to the unnatural and synthetic products that may cause these allergic reactions, from an early age.
Organic products ensure the protection of nutrient rich land and fertile soil that we appreciate today and preserve the earth for future use for generations to come.
Buying and using organic gives us the opportunity to support nature’s framework and promote a healthier life for our children and their children.
These plush toys cost around $30 and would make a fabulous baby shower gift! Click here to find a retailer near you!
Save the Polar Bears!
January 13th, 2007
It breaks my heart to post items like these. As our polar ice caps get smaller, so too do our polar bear populations.
According to CARE2,
More and more bears are starving to death, and more and more of their babies are dying before reaching adulthood. In fact, of polar bears studied between 1990 and last spring, only 25 cubs per 100 females survived. That’s less than half the survival rate of polar bear cubs studied from 1967 to 1989!
The public has been asked to comment on the listing of polar bears as a “threatened” species. Sign CARE2’s electronic petition to list polar bears as “threatened” — it takes about 60 seconds to let the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department know where you stand!
$100 Laptop Launches in 2007
January 11th, 2007
According to BBC News, the first batch of computers built for the One Laptop Per Child project could reach users by July this year.
The scheme is hoping to put laptop computers into the hands of people in developing countries for as little as $100.
Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Thailand and Rwanda are among the first countries to sign up to buy the machine.
Though not everyone is convinced of the idea (Bill Gates being among its most vocal detractors), I certainly applaud Mr. Negroponte’s efforts to bring technology to the developing world. It’s an example many more in the business industry could and should follow.
To learn more, check out the frequently asked questions on the OLPC website.
Lean Times
January 11th, 2007
Just in case you thought you were having a bad day at work, apparently the desks of civil servants in the UK are now being taped off in order to show employees where their pens should go.
Labeled “workstation training,” the pilot exercise at National Insurance offices is part of a UK-wide drive to encourage staff to tidy their desks.
The exercise is part of the “Lean” program, recommended by private consultants, which has required public sector workers to clear their desks of all personal items.
According to the BBC,
[A union spokesman said,] “The scheme is demoralising and demeaning. Staff know how to order their desks themselves.
“We had a situation in some offices in Scotland where staff were asked ‘Is that banana on your desk active or inactive?’, meaning were they going to eat it?
“If not, it had to be cleared away.”
Perhaps it’s somewhat comforting to know that government seems to function equally well across the pond as at home?