tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139891132024-03-07T07:26:52.374+00:00Junkk Male RE:ViewJunkk.com promotes fun, reward-based e-practices, sharing oodles of info in objective, balanced ways. But we do have personal opinions, too! Hence this slightly ‘off of site, top of mind' blog by Junkk Male Peter. Hopefully still more ‘concerned mates’ than 'do this... or else' nannies, with critiques seen as constructive or of a more eyebrow-twitching ‘Oh, really?!' variety. Little that’s green can be viewed only in black and white.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.comBlogger3975125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-86607154237939232882016-01-31T17:56:00.003+00:002016-01-31T17:57:44.863+00:00Thanks for all the support...<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't worry, that does not mean what such a headline can usually mean!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Though of course we are always grateful for anyone taking the time to swing by and see what's here and on Junkk.com itself:)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, the eagle-eyed may have noticed that of late that has not been much... at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Simply pressures of work and responsibilities elsewhere... plus costs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Running a site, finding content, etc, even writing a blog, all takes time, and there has simply been none for a while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With luck things are starting to settle, and when that happens a little can be put aside to get back in the saddle up-loading ideas and other stuff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There will be changes, and some are sort of happening, if in limbo, now, and have been for months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The main aspect is the moving of the site from a dedicated (expensive) server with major hosting costs to a much cheaper WordPress version.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sadly this will mean some loss of functionality, so we're looking at what people never really were bothered about, and dropping all that simply to keep the bits that are liked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This may... almost certainly, also involve a massive amount of transcribing to get the data from the old site over in a from the new whiz-bang stuff can read. We're talking converting a hand-illuminated script Guggenheim Bible to Google. Not easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But we are going to try.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh, and that thanks? It's to David Jenkins at </span><a href="http://www.logicc.co.uk/">http://www.logicc.co.uk</a> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">who took over a clunker decades ago and have nursed it along ever since, and are now helping us as we port over as and when we can.</span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-12449351102497237992015-08-26T12:27:00.000+01:002018-02-19T12:22:11.429+00:00RE:USE 'EXCHANGE' SITESGot <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">something</span> that's too good for the skip but not going to get a bean on eBay? And at last has filled the last iota of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">space</span> in the loft? Give it away! What you need is a nice e-way to do it.<br />
<br />
There are LOTS. And as most, if not all, are free, I think it's worth giving 'em all a go.<br />
<br />
So, in no particular order (well...):<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Junkk</span></span></span>.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">com's</span></span></span> <a href="http://www.junkk.com/junkkbrowse.asp?slevel=0z1054z1077&parent_id=1077"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">JunkkYard</span></span></span></a> </span>- a bit buried away, but does have some nice features. As you need to be registered, and that involved your postcode, it will tell you how far away 'it' is. Which can be handy. And you can select the radius of how far you want to travel.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.2recycle.co.uk/">2 recycle.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://http//www.Bigwardrobe.com">Bigwardrobe.com</a> - clothes related - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/gb">craigslist</a> - has a free section<br />
Note (US-based): http://videos.komando.com/watch/8528/komando-com-reports-3-sites-better-than-craigslist-to-buy-and-sell-items?<br />
<a href="http://www.ecofreek.com/">ecofreek</a> - (US based) - <span style="color: red;">NEW</span> - to be reviewed <br />
<a href="http://www.efreeko.co.uk/">efreeko.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.flog.co.uk/">flog.co.uk</a> -<span style="color: red;"> </span> to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.freebay.co.uk/">freebay.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.freecycle.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">freecycle</span></span></span>.com</a> - Or .org. The Daddy of us all. You'll have to burrow a bit to get 'your' area.<br />
<a href="http://www.ilovefreegle.org/">freegle.org</a> - A freecycle spin-off - all a bit political, mind<br />
Guardian - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/01/top-10-swap-websites">The top 10 swap websites</a> - If they say so<br />
<a href="http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenCycleSussex/">GreencycleSussex</a> -<br />
<a href="http://www.letslinkuk.net/">letslinkuk.net</a> - to be reviewed - barter of services<br />
Times - <a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article4276453.ece">Online swap shop Freecycle booms as middle class feels squeeze</a><br />
Times - <a href="http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article4831109.ece">Freecycle: the big green giveaway</a><br />
Times - <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/interiors/article5579332.ece">Something for nothing</a> - they <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> keen at the Thunderer!<br />
<a href="http://www.fridgemountain.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">fridgemountain</span></span></span>.com</a> - to be reviewed. I'd guessed that it's fridges, but as I'd hoped there is now some feedback to say that it does more.<br />
<a href="http://www.frn.org.uk/donate.asp">Furniture Reuse Network</a> -<br />
<a href="http://www.gigoit.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">gigoit</span></span></span>.org</a> - to be reviewed. Great name!<br />
<a href="http://www.giveortake.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">giveortake</span></span></span>.org</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.greenhomeshop.co.uk/">greenhomeshop.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.gumtree.com/other_gumtrees.html">gumtree</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.hitflip.co.uk/"> hitflip.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.iflyerz.com/">iflyerz.com</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/">musicmagpie.co.uk</a> - Music to my ears... they pay. All things CD & R.<br />
<a href="http://www.rag-and-bone.co.uk/"> rag-and-bone.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.recycle.co.uk/"> recycle.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.recycle4free.com/">recycle4free.com</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.rehomeyourstuff.co.uk/">rehomeyourstuff.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.reuze.co.uk/"> reuze.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.snaffleup.co.uk/">snaffleup.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed - Hat tip: Dave of <a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?slevel=0z0z1142&parent_id=1142">Solarventi</a><br />
<a href="http://www.swishing.org/">swishing.org</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.vskips.co.uk/#postcodeAreas">vskips</a> -<br />
<a href="http://www.whatsmineisyours.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">whatsmineisyours</span></a> - to be reviewed<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Not Free</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bytestart.co.uk/"> bytestart.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.cashgenerator.co.uk/">cashgenerator.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.cex.co.uk/">cex.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.gazelle.com/">gazelle.com</a> - US-based (we do get readers there)<br />
<a href="http://www.ebay.com/"> eBay</a> - to be reviewed.. like I need to!<br />
<a href="http://www.snaffleup.co.uk/">snaffleup.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.stuffusell.co.uk/"> stuffusell.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Swap</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bigwardrobe.com/">bigwardrobe.com</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="https://www.bozowi.co.uk/">https://www.bozowi.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.iswap.co.uk/home/home.asp">iswap</a> -<br />
<a href="http://www.oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/"> oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com</a> - to be reviewed<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/TheLibrary.aspx">readitswapit.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed - books<br />
<a href="http://seedypeople.co.uk/default.aspx">seedypeople.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed - Gardening focus<br />
<a href="http://www.staffshare.co.uk/home/index.html">staffshare.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed - staff time!<br />
<a href="http://www.swapcorner.com/Home.php">swapcorner</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.swapcycle.co.uk/">swapcycle.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.swapandplay.com/">swapandplay</a> - More IT<br />
<a href="http://www.swapshop.co.uk/">swapshop</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.swapitshop.com/">swapitshop.com</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.swaptree.com/">swaptree.com</a> -<br />
<a href="http://www.swapxchange.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">swapxchange</span></span></span>.org</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.swopex.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">swopex</span></span></span>.com</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.swapz.co.uk/"> swapz.co.uk</a> - to be reviewed<br />
<a href="http://www.u-exchange.com/">u-exchange.com</a> - to be reviewed - houses<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Borrow</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://neighborrow.com/index.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">neighborrow</span>.com</a> - to be reviewed. It's US-based, but hey, it may catch on<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Charities </span>(who will take stuff, often quitebig)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/shops/index.html">Oxfam</a> -<br />
<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">There'll</span></span></span> be more. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">And I'll</span> add 'em when I find 'em.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Or </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">you</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> could tell me about them too. Many are 'too be reviewed'. If you know something, good or bad, add to the comments and that'll prompt me to check and highlight.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Articles</span> - Junkk - Hat tip Ecologist<span style="font-weight: bold;"> - </span><a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/329180/what_went_wrong_with_freecycle_in_the_uk.html">What went wrong with Freecycle in the UK?</a><br />
<br />
Guardian - <span style="color: red;"></span> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/13/waste-recycling">Fed up with Freecycle? Try these top 10 alternatives </a>- One person's top 10 is another's grist to a growing mill. One day I'll add any in the lists to make my list bigger:)<br />
<br />
Guardian - <span style="color: red;"></span> Accusations of very tight control split UK recycling network from US parent - Blimey, who would have imagined a free reuse initiative could end up so 'political'. Good job Junkk is benign... {Homer growl} for now:) Actually, as JunkkYard is pretty much left up to the users, I'd be hard pressed to figure how I'd influence anything. Maybe I should, as it is kinda languishing.<br />
<br />
But it seems some just can't resist trying to 'take control', and that is not my style.<br />
<br />
<b>Medical Product-related</b> (A new category)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="http://intercare.org.uk/">http://intercare.org.uk/</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="http://uk.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/our-planet/complete-the-cycle">http://uk.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/our-planet/complete-the-cycle</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-58996170362676392322015-06-19T15:08:00.002+01:002015-06-19T15:08:28.322+01:00There Will Be Blood - Or... 'RE-evolution, read in tooth and claw'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUruMaw814lnkjae_M7wUy6RFepFzQyWuYMPoHdznUaa6HdTVHZW9mfuoRTtE2iXN94SaQJ-dH3udpV7P1Sc7AjfEIfBQq2FmlrpaW_orlSGFdzkCUs7GLg1g11AqhmA5R3R2a/s1600/Digit-ail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUruMaw814lnkjae_M7wUy6RFepFzQyWuYMPoHdznUaa6HdTVHZW9mfuoRTtE2iXN94SaQJ-dH3udpV7P1Sc7AjfEIfBQq2FmlrpaW_orlSGFdzkCUs7GLg1g11AqhmA5R3R2a/s320/Digit-ail.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(Note: In the spirit of reuse, no fingers were harmed to make this post, at least recently - </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">we just used a shot from a while ago)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>There Will Be Blood.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Likely a lot of sweat, too.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most certainly a few tears.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For sure fingers getting raw as keyboards are pounded.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because big changes are afoot with Junkk.com.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many, most... hopefully for the better, but there are going to be some compromises.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will not have escaped the notice of many that, whilst once buzzing, the site has languished a bit, along with this blog.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly the hoped-for revenue streams to hire the staff to run it have not materialised, and while much is on 'autopilot', a lot still needs human TLC. This always costs, in time and hence money. Just keeping it open has annual fees that were proving hard to sustain in its original configuration.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Time To Evolve</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have also reviewed the site to see what has worked, what has not; what has been used... and what has not. And then looked at what exists now that did not when it was created. So much now free that cost and arm and leg back in the day. Plus a quaint glitchiness that could often task the most patient IT guru to track down.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we are 'evolving' it, and moving the site to a WordPress platform that is going to be a lot cheaper, easier to use (for admin and visitor) and, we hope, bring Junkk.com back up to date.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, there will be sacrifices, sadly.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Less Is More</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot is going to go. Frankly much was outdated and/or simply unused by even us, much less anyone else.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Already the trusty home page is gone... though that was by accident! In moving server it vanished and we can't seem to get it back. No more updated links to latest ideas or blogs, and banner advisories (though with luck the new design will permit such things to return).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, taking the current sections, what's likely in & out?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?slevel=0z301&parent_id=301">ABOUT</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every site needs and has one. So there will be something like this, if updated.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/mregister.asp?slevel=0z600&parent_id=600">Registration</a></b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Probably no longer needed. The legal protections are covered by sensible disclaimers common to any free info site, and we are parking facilities that needed anyone to register.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was also a cost to registering under the DPA with the ICO. We'll probably remove the database to save on the cost this incurred. Betting a large chunk are hotmails long since changed and now ineffective to access the site or the site to access the users.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?slevel=0z301z1141&parent_id=1141">Newsletters</a></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No names; no need. And, looking at the dates... no loss.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To be fair, there were a bunch more, but they did dry up a long while ago.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were (still do; there will likely be one last hurrah to advise of all these changes nearer the handover day) using a very ethical mailing system, that even on 'mates' rates' as they liked our style was 1p a pop. When you are in tens of thousands of mailings that adds up.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again, it's possible that WordPress and maybe Mailchimp might one day allow something to be re-instituted.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.junkk.com/forum.asp?slevel=0z1054&parent_id=1054">COMMUNITY</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We really let this go once Chief of Stuff Emma departed. Is a forum necessary when we have this blog? We'll see. They are not quite the same, and WordPress may make running one easier than it was before for those left (well, Junkk Male and First Lady PJ).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also WordPress is up to date on integrating with all the social media tools we can with luck engage with on site and interactively: twitter, FaceBook, Pinterest, etc.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.junkk.com/junkkbrowse.asp?slevel=0z1054z1077&parent_id=1077">JunkkYard</a> will likely bit the dust. Pity. It was an idea ahead of its time and did a bunch of things even Freecycle didn't when it started. Still a few nice aspects compared to many exchange sites still.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One deciding factor will be if the <a href="http://www.junkk.com/mregister.asp?slevel=0z600&parent_id=600">registration</a> goes too. That was needed to locate the swapper and swappee.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/feedbackform.asp?slevel=0z366&parent_id=366">ANSWERS</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Definitely going. Oh, there'll be some means of getting in touch, but given the spammers of Eastern Europe and the Far East were all who got in touch to sell their handbags and Viagra... we'll pass.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With luck WordPress has a nice, free 'Captcha' verification script to ensure we only deal with humans in future.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/info.asp?slevel=0z657&parent_id=657">LOCAL</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Never say never, but likely toast. Even when businesses had it for free, and were handed their own admin. privileges, they never updated their own pages.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact the only use seemed to be people getting in touch to say links are dead, etc.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/news.asp?slevel=0z608&parent_id=608">ARTICLES</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's hoping. Chief of Stuff Emma put a lot of work into these, they are useful, can be updated and it's a pity to lose it all. We've found it all ports easily enough over to here on Blogger, so Wordpress should work too. There was a concern on images, but with luck these can be stored on the new site and work still. Definitely a 'spare moment' task as we create and populate the new site pages over the coming months.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?slevel=0z625&parent_id=625">SHOP</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hey... one day. Never opened for business 'til now!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, last but most certainly most...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.junkk.com/ideas.asp?slevel=0z622&parent_id=622">IDEAS</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <b><i>BIG</i></b> one, in all sorts of ways.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are what made, makes and will make Junkk.com special.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But clearly WordPress can't handle what we envisaged and created decades ago, and still serving as we speak. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hence a lot of the functionality will sadly need to be parked if not lost. Such as the data sections. No great loss, as apart from JunkkMale it looks like few used it anyway.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We're looking at how best to port over the best ideas in ways so they can still be searched and shared, and of course such that new ones can be imported.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mostly this will be another cut 'n paste job from the old site to the new, and more bleeding fingers.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions (preferably not involving more time or money) to help, we're happy to hear them!</span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-33320080949788657862015-05-27T15:33:00.000+01:002015-05-27T15:33:36.401+01:00Grrrrrrr..... and stuff<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK, it has been a while.... too long.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I share and post fairly regularly on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/85233204082/">the FaceBook page</a>, but I have neglected the main site, I admit.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No excuses. Just... stuff. Money, work (that pays), more stuff, IT matters....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Big changes afoot. Our sons are all grow'd up and take their 'A' levels in a few week's time, then are off abroad for two years to do National Service in Singapore.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which makes where we are too big and a very expensive proposition to keep running. And at the same time as a physical move we need to look at saving money everywhere we can (those boys are coming back with luck to 3 years' Uni, and while abroad no parent ever has not found the need to send a care package of dosh). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One area is the Junkk.com site. It may have been designed to run ad infinitum without human intervention, but that is not really the case. She is a grand, glitchy old lady and needs constant TLC. Maintenance. And there are operational costs, from email to site hosting to server fees.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we are actively looking at paring down. Easier said than done when all the modern, cheap ways of doing things (look at this on Blogger... images, video... in one click!) take one look at the scripts Junkk.com was written with (especially the core searchable Ideas database) and run away gibbering that they have found evidence of an older lost civilisation. At least they still talk... sort of (hold that thought).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which brings me to my actual Grrr as a relevant post for JMR on an 'eco' topic, as it is all run on a whirring grey box on a desk, after all.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a Mac person. I started with an Amstrad about 35-40 years ago and then some DOS PCs, but as soon as I got my first 128k (which I still have, in its box, along with G3's and all manner of colourful jobbies) in the mid 80's that was me hooked. Been with 'em ever since, for writing, graphics and all the rest.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My needs now are simple(r). Mainly eMail, surfing, watching videos, social media and some .doc stuff. Plus a few desktoppy apps, like iPlayer, Calendar, Address Book, etc.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And to do this I have been happily using a succession of Minis (currently I do most on a £60 Android tablet, for heaven's sake!). For the money not too powerful, but a nice small footprint... does the job. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then the rot started. I started finding little warnings popping up, that stuff I was using couldn't now be used, unless I upgraded my OS. But... to upgrade the OS I needed to upgrade the hardware. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why?</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a 500GB hard drive. With all my photos and music and decades of writing it is only half-full. I need a C-130, not an F-35. It works just fine.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First it was my Final Cut Pro, then it was my FileMaker, and Bento....</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up Flash, and Firefox, and Chrome. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The latter are free, but I paid for the former. All, useless.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now, as I decide to back up the last month from my tablet...</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/help/8058">https://www.dropbox.com/help/8058</a></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>'Beginning March 23rd, 2015, the Dropbox desktop client will no longer be available for download on OS X Tiger 10.4 or OS X Leopard 10.5. If you are currently running the Dropbox desktop client on these versions of OS X, you will no longer be able to sign in to your existing account or create a new account through the desktop client.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You may be signed out of your account on the desktop client as early as May 18th, 2015, and will not be able to sign in again until you update to OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.'</i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like I say... Grrrrrr.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would dearly love Apple, and all those who write for them, to explain to me why I should ever invest several hundred pounds on a not very high spec piece of IT kit that clearly is designed around early obsolescence more as a primary requirement.</span></div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-11779110312855700272015-03-05T14:34:00.002+00:002015-03-05T14:34:29.948+00:00CATEGORY - Pooh Corner<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It seems I was once ahead of myself, and stories under this heading already exist.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, in keeping with the new system, let me formally establish this as a category, with this one:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>PEE</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/05/university-installs-prototype-pee-power-toilet">http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/05/university-installs-prototype-pee-power-toilet</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a few too many 'coulds' & 'mays' to be totally reassuring, plus I am unsure quite what happens if a person caught short is moved to progress from No. 1 to a higher order of waste management, as it were.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The comments to the piece are often robust and raise various questions and offer a few answers.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>POOH (watch this space - from a distance)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-2139471293248293502015-03-02T16:26:00.001+00:002015-03-02T16:26:02.087+00:00SCReeeeeeeeeCH!So there you are driving along.<br />
<br />
The sun is out; the sky is blue.<br />
<br />
All is well.<br />
<br />
Then, suddenly, ahead you see a honking great sinkhole take out the road ahead.<br />
<br />
So you make that sound in the headline, stop, and thank your lucky stars it did not present a little later while you were over it.<br />
<br />
Some may have noticed I have been trying to upload here the Articles on various topics Chief of Stuff Emma created many moons ago, as these will be lost once we move from the IT equivalent of Illuminated Script to more contemporary versions.<br />
<br />
First Lady PJ had already asked why we would be on WordPress when I was moving yet more to Blogger, and whilst true I thought I had a top answer, namely the rather fortuitous coincidence that whatever Junkk.com was written in was the same as Blogger, so I literally could highlight, copy and paste all her work en masse... text, links, images.<br />
<br />
However, it has now dawned....<br />
<br />
Because the whole point to the move is not only to move to a more modern format, but also try and save running costs too.<br />
<br />
And when Junkk.com Classic gets parked, so too will its databases, including all those lovely royalty-free images that pretty up the articles so well. It goes off line, I'm guessing more 'X's than a Castlemaine stand at a porn conference.<br />
<br />
So... if not return to drawing board, at least a short further pause for thought. But at the end of the rainbow there is always light, right?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2HDl7zxQJeJsl9lsl_RK-LuutPPteUtZdw6bsPSS496scsPA_EHWJuE7VU4okATo5UkN675-k-rEv8DA3olMk6T8pN-UeaNurmCX0ICBnr0n0Y0Jj_a3HNmpzkIUA8VUocNd/s1600/Monmouth+Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2HDl7zxQJeJsl9lsl_RK-LuutPPteUtZdw6bsPSS496scsPA_EHWJuE7VU4okATo5UkN675-k-rEv8DA3olMk6T8pN-UeaNurmCX0ICBnr0n0Y0Jj_a3HNmpzkIUA8VUocNd/s1600/Monmouth+Rainbow.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-70656158082798238182015-02-28T16:36:00.001+00:002015-02-28T16:36:35.273+00:00CATEGORY - Fashion <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h2 style="color: black; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 5px;">
Clothing</h2>
<div class="page" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.7em;">
<br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Clothes 1 " src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/o9fde40d427d4043fm14.jpg" /><br /><br />Clothes and linen can reused many times, and many of us take our old clothes to the local charity shop, or make rags out of them for dusting. There are some other uses for your old clothes, and you can be really creative with old clothes. You can revamp them by dying them a different colour, or by adding sequins etc. Take a look at some of these ideas below:<br /><br />* Make washcloths or hand towels from worn bath towels just by hemming them.<br /><br />* You can make napkins from the backs of worn shirts. Just cut a square and hem it.<br /><br />* Shirt pockets make neat holders for bathrooms and bedrooms. Sew them onto strips of hemmed material, or glue them to cardboard or plastic. Fill a stand-up picture frame with them for handy storage.<br /><br />* Soft materials such as knitted t-shirts make excellent, washable substitutes for 'facial tissues'. Remove makeup with them and quit staining your washcloths.<br /><br />* Save buttons, zips and trim for other projects- even if you can't sew. They can be used to make earrings, cuff links or lapel pins.<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Clothes 2 " src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/d2d2uf9ucbfa096isf6n.jpg" /><br /><br />* Woven cotton is great. Hem it and use it to clean windows and mirrors, or to polish chrome or dry dishes and countertops.<br /><br />Source: About.com </div>
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Eco Fashion</h2>
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<img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/3at9cb3y9aaed3edd73a.jpg" /><br /><br />Environmental fashion. Many have felt these two words didn't belong together. Just like chalk and cheese. But unlike chalk and cheese, eco fashion is fast becoming the latest trend. Gone are the days where 'hand-me-downs' were classed as uncool. (Although my canary coloured wool jumper from my sister will always be uncool!) Gone are the days where being trendy costs you œ300 a t-shirt too.<br /><br /><b>Why the big trend?</b><br /><br />There are a number of factors. Many consumers are becoming more and more aware of where their purchases come from and what they are made of. Consumers are making more ethical decisions in every part of their lives, so why not express themselves in what they wear too? People who choose to eat organically may prefer to wear organic clothing, and vegan's may prefer to wear vegan made clothes. Designers such as Stella McCartney have firm ethical principles behind their designs. Some people hate waste so will rather purchase fashions from eBay or go to a charity shop. Vintage clothing is a timeless trend, and also eco friendly as it is preserving clothes that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Even period costumes are sought after. People have always been eager to express their individuality/personalities/feelings through clothes, and many people feel that through eco fashion they can do that. After all, every woman's nightmare is turning up to a party/ball/dinner and discovering someone else is wearing the same outfit.<br /><br /><b>So where can I find some great new clothes and accessories then?</b><br /><br />There are loads of places online you can check out. Here is just a selection for a variety of tastes:<br /><br /><b>General Stuff</b><br /><br />Check out this website for organic sportswear clothing:<br /><a href="http://www.eponasport.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.eponasport.com</a><br /><br />Check out this website for trendy eco fashions:<br /><a href="http://www.howies.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.howies.co.uk</a><br /><br />Check out our article on organic clothing here:<br /><a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?parent_id=1033&slevel=0z1033" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">OrganicClothing</a><br /><br /><b>Recycled Stuff</b><br /><br />Check out TRAID for unwanted clothes that have been turned into funky fashion items:<br /><a href="http://www.traid.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.traid.org.uk</a><br /><br />Emmeline 4 Re is a label available at Topshop's Oxford Street branch. These clothes are reworked from old clothes donated to the Salvation Army. We think this is for a limited time only, so be quick!<br /><a href="http://www.topshop.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.topshop.co.uk </a><br />Call 0845 121 4519<br /><br /><b>Vegan Stuff</b><br /><br />For vegan shoes and other interesting items check out:<br /><a href="http://www.freerangers.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.freerangers.co.uk</a><br /><br />Vegan fashions:<br /><a href="http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.veganvillage.co.uk</a><br /><br /><b>Further Information</b><br /><br /><i>Eco Fashion in the News</i><br />Brooklyn Eco Fashion in the Moutains for Telluride AIDS Benefit Free Box Fashion, Reused Bike Tires, and Habana Eco-Eatery Hit the Runway...<a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/2/prweb349304.htm" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.prweb.com</a></div>
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Making Your Clothes Last For Longer</h2>
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The fashion conscious people amongst us all may feel that being fashionable and eco don't really go hand-in-hand. Well, it can. Here are a few tips to stay trendy, and still be eco at the same time!<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/12yc5fabjedbd6ea7e7c.jpg" /><br /><br />* Fix fallen hems with Wundaweb Invisible Hemming Tape (sold in many high street shops), which irons and bonds the hem. We have tried it here at Junkk.com, and it really works well. Chief of Stuff at Junkk.com saved her favourite pair of jeans by using this stuff, and that was almost two years ago, and the jeans are still going strong!<br /><br />* Some people may prefer the ripped trouser look, but if you don't, Vilene Softline Superlight Iron-On Interfacing (sold in many high street shops) can be used to temporarily fix the problem. All you need to do is iron it on from the inside.<br /><br />* Spare buttons tend to come with new garments, so remember to keep these and use them whenever another button falls off and gets lost. To get a new button in the same position as the rest, fasten up the other buttons and lay the garment on the floor, flat out.<br /><br />* Have you got clothes where the colour has faded, or you just want to change the colour? Then use Dylon Machine Dye (sold in many high street shops, or check out www.dylon.co.uk for further information). It costs approximately œ4.80 for a pack that will dye 500g of clothes in a washing machine. Again, Junkk.com's Chief of Stuff has also tried this out, and it works brilliantly. And don't worry about ruining the washing machine - she didn't have any problems - just follow the instructions on the pack.<br /><br />* Have a clothes swap party with your friends - trade unwanted items for items you do want! Or buy and sell items on eBay (not as much fun!).<br /><br />* Straight line dresses can be made into tops simply by cutting off the skirt and hemming.<br /><br />* Wash your clothes less! Items such as coats/jackets/jeans etc, which do get smelly when worn in a smoky pub, need not be washed to get the smell out. Hang out on the washing line for a couple of hours or spray with Febreze (sold in many shops). Alternatively, make you own by putting a cap full of fabric Softener like Ecover into a spray bottle (reuse one you already have), top up with warm water and shake, and you have your own! Not recommended to use on dry clean only garments or silks, or anything other than fabrics/carpets etc.<br /><br />* If you have stained a garment, and the stain just won't budge, take a good long look at it. Can you cover it up with something? You don't have the world's best seamstress, but with a little creativity you will go far!<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/ns85f72ef7cbsn9e86d0.jpg" /><br /><br />* Darn your socks! It is quite simple to do. Not sure how? Check these instructions out here:<br /><br /><a href="http://frugalliving.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Darn_Sock0962933254.htm" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">How to Darn Socks</a><br /><br /><b>Further Information</b><br /><br />Join in the discussion here about Eco Fashion (need to register first) here:<br /><a href="http://www.junkk.com/forum_thread_view.asp?slevel=0z602z721&parent_id=721&Forumid=4&Forum_threadid=302" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Eco Fashion Forum Thread</a></div>
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Organic Clothing</h2>
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Most of us enjoy buying clothes. Many people use clothes to express their identities, their feelings, their individuality. So what about 'eco' clothing? Currently there doesn't seem to be an official organic standard for organic clothing. Natural clothing may consist of cotton, hemp and linen, but these may not always be as green as people think. Here is a low down of the advantages and disadvantages of 'organic clothing'.<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/e70491013d8f5c85271f.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>Cotton</b><br /><br />Cotton is produced very intensely. There are a lot of the pesticides used in the process. Chemicals are needed to scour off the fibres waxy layer to allow dye retention. Raw cotton is also bleached white with chemicals such as chlorine. Some crops are 'organic' and these are free from pesticides and other chemicals. Unbleached cotton may have been grown with pesticides, so this label doesn't mean as much. Organic cotton is produced in 15 countries, but that only represents 0.6% of overall production.<br />PAN UK is a organic cotton project for further information check out:<br /><a href="http://www.pan-uk.org/Cotton/cotindex.htm" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">PANUK</a><br /><br /><b>Hemp</b><br /><br />Hemp is the common name for a tall annual herb (Cannabis sativa), and is used for non-drug production. Hemp has natural strong, durable fibres, which has made it popular. Although there has been some stigma surrounding hemp due to its links with marijuana, but these crops are grown contain virtually none of the active substances that are found in marijuana. Pesticides aren't used in the production of hemp. Hemp has a multiple of uses, in food, (hemp seeds) clothing, fuel, and beauty products.<br /><br /><b>Linen</b><br /><br />Linen is fabric made from yarn or flax, which grows much quicker than cotton, and also needs much less chemical weed control. Linen is great for the summer months as it has a cool effect. Linen can be found in many qualities from lightweight sheets, to strong sacks.<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/e4bec7uf52a8c03eeaew.jpg" /> <br /><br /><b>Silk</b><br /><br />Silk is a very lightweight, fine, yellowish fibre produced from the silkworm. Fabrics that are produced are satin, crepes, ribbons and taffeta. It is another natural product, but can be treated and soaked in chemicals during the production process.<br /><br /><b>Other fabrics</b><br /><br />Not strictly organic, but still good for the environment as it is less going into landfill - clothes are now being made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles or tyres.<br /><br /><b>Further Information</b><br /><br />Here are a few alternative clothing companies you can check out.<br /><br />The Natural Store - a mixture of organic clothing<br /><a href="http://www.thenaturalstore.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.thenaturalstore.co.uk</a><br />01273 746781<br /><br />Green Baby - organic clothing and green nappies for babies and children<br /><a href="http://www.greenbaby.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.greenbaby.co.uk</a><br />0870 240 6894<br /><br />Eczema Clothing - 100% organic cotton clothing, specialising in people with eczema<br /><a href="http://www.eczemaclothing.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">www.eczemaclothing.com</a><br />01524 730093<br /><br />Yaoh - organic vegan hemp products<br /><a href="http://www.yaoh.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">www.yaoh.co.uk</a><br />0117 9239053 </div>
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Shoes</h2>
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<b>Shoe Recycling</b><br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Golf Shoes" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/a9va402r0a59cd8cc12e.jpg" /><br /><br />Approximately 300 millions of shoes are purchased each year in the UK. Shoe prices have decreased in recent years, due to lower costs of production (unfortunately sometimes slave labour in other developing countries). This has made it more unlikely for adults to buy used footwear. Young people in particular will buy shoes and then throw them out when they become 'unfashionable' rather than because they have worn out. Charity shops tend to be given more shoes than what they can sell. Many shoes also end up in the bin. Shoes are made out of a variety of materials, so when burnt, they can release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Did you know that over 2 million shoes are thrown away every week in the UK?!<br /><br /><b>Where can I take my shoes to be recycled or re-used?</b><br /><br />Shoes, in reasonable condition, can be taken to either a textile recycling bank, or a separate shoe bank (these are usually situated together). Alternatively, take them to your local bring bank, where many have recycling facility for shoes. Make sure you pop the shoes, tied together, into a bag before taking them.<br /><br />Alternatively, if your shoes are in good condition, get your mates together and have a shoe and clothes swapping party. Save some money, bag yourself a new wardrobe, and save the planet too!<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Shoes" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/d2a2r6b17d1ea5af3g12.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>What happens to these shoes?</b><br /><br />Once these shoes are collected and sorted for suitability, they are usually sent to developing countries around the world. They are sold to l9ocal tradesmen who then refurbish the shoes and then sell them on. This creates much needed local employment and a supply of shoes for people who need them, at affordable prices.<br /><br /><b>Further information</b><br /><br />Check out Fashion UK, which is a funky fashion website that regularly features recycled shoe and textiles information.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.widemedia.com/fashionuk/news/2005/08/16/news0003483.html" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Fashion UK</a><br /><br />Nike also has a Reuse-A-Shoe program, check out the link below for more information on this.<br /><a href="http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=27&cat=reuseashoe&subcat=global" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; text-decoration: underline;">Reuse-A-Shoe<br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Little shoes" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/d87btd1fc2e3c9ce50cc.jpg" /><br /></a><b><br /></b></div>
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Textiles</h2>
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<b>Textile Recycling</b><br /><br />Textiles are made out of fibres, or extended linear materials such as thread. Materials can include wool, silk, linen, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, cotton, hemp, grass, nylon, acrylic and polyester, to name just a few. Methods used in making textiles include knitting, weaving, bleaching, dying, carding, braiding, crochet, and embroidery.<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Textiles" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/f4be0rc180a63a0497a6.jpg" /><br /><br />Textile recycling started in Yorkshire over 200 years ago. The rag and bone man would come and collect unwanted textiles (amongst other items), and would sell them on, or reuse them for something else.<br /><br />Textiles include clothing, bags, furnishings, towels, carpets, nets, rugs, and flags. 3% of textiles end up in the household rubbish.<br /><br /><b>Where can I take my textiles to be recycled?</b><br /><br />It is quite easy to recycle your textiles. Pop your unwanted goods into a bag, and pop to your local supermarket car park (many have textile recycling banks now) before you do your food shop, or check with your local council where your nearest textile recycling bank is. Many textile recycling banks can also be found in your local amenity centre. Clothes can also be donated to charity shops. Make sure they are in reasonable condition before taking them to the shop.<br /><br /><b>How are textiles sorted and recycled?</b><br /><br />Textiles are sorted by hand into over 100 different categories and grades. This is done with a lot of care, as many of these items will be reused again, rather than recycled. Some textiles such as cotton rags are recycled into industrial wipers for cleaning purposes. Garments in good condition will be resold. The rest will be recycled into other things such as sound insulation panels, roofing felt, and upholstery.<br /><br /><b>Further information</b><br /><br />Check out the Association of charity shops website to find the nearest shop.<br /><a href="http://www.charityshops.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.charityshops.org.uk</a><br /><br />The Textile Recycling Association is the industry body for people/organisations working in this area. Check out their website here.<br /><a href="http://www.textile-recycling.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.textile-recycling.org.uk</a></div>
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Closer to (our) home are RE:threads, which we had a small part in, naming the company and designing the logo</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-89541040332837641892015-02-28T16:20:00.000+00:002015-02-28T16:20:10.014+00:00REVIEW - The Greener Homes & Building Show 2006<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
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The Greener Homes & Building Show 2006</h2>
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<img src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/b67b3b40b0b017e3211d.jpg" /><br /><i>Dr. Larch Juckes Maxey of Sundance shares his alternative fuel wisdom...</i><br /><br /><b>May 20 & 21 - Royal Welsh Showground, Bulith Wells, Powys</b><br /><br />Getting there was half the fun. And quite the adventure. Bulith Wells is in the heart of some gorgeous Welsh countryside, and as the crow flies seemingly not to far from our Ross-on-Wye base. But as the Volvo meanders, it did take some reaching, along with a certain amount of motion-related issues from the kids in the back. For this was a weekend event, and where Dad goes, so must the whole tribe.<br /><br />At first I thought I was in the wrong place (and have the brochure to prove it), because as we entered we found ourselves slap-bang in the middle of a vast and sprawling agricultural show - the 2006 Royal Welsh Smallholder & Garden Festival - of which the one I had come to review was a small part.<br /><br />But everything is relative, and the Green Homes and Building Show occupied a fair sized space in an indoor hall, around which I spent a most worthwhile period whilst the family enjoyed the various flora and fauna elsewhere outside.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/zd6e2257c25c7a63a22p.jpg" /><br /><i>A window on what's available in the world of greener homes...</i><br /><br />Set around a central area set aside for seminars and demonstrations there were about 50 stands, in a more freeform arrangement than the more traditional trade show. There was a lot of free space, which in one way was nice, but I could have hoped for more, and perhaps more variety. It certainly left me kicking myself that there was not a Junkk.com stand, as the rates were very reasonable. And remember we're still sore from our outing to the Ideal Home and the recently cancelled MAD* shows.<br /><br />Of course, thanks to its location, there were not as many visitors as at a major London or NEC event, but by golly there were a lot of folk, showing how hungry for such things people are.<br /><br />The exhibitors covered a fairly broad range, from the hi-tech to the crafty. Other than admiring the quality and styles, I must confess to being less than interested in high-cost construction stuff, of which there were a fair number. Where I did get interested was with the alternative energy sources, such as solar and heat pumps. The thing to bear in mind is that these guys are there to sell, and it is always best to get a spread of advice and quotes before rushing in. There were also some fun, and highly topical, stands, with one favourite being 50 Cycles, which is an electric bike. One of these recently won a hill-climb event I blogged on recently, and I was impressed at the endurance and performance figures.<br /><br />As it was a relatively short visit (and frankly the show stands really only could sustain a few hours tops), I sadly missed a few very worthwhile seminars over the two days, but did catch one on Biodiesel which was well worthwhile.<br /><br />Was it worth it? At about an hour plus from us, I'd say very much so. A bit of a trek otherwise. But don't forget that by being part of a bigger family-friendly event it is actually a great day out all round. And professionally I met a few potential gurus for Junkk.com's category sections.<br /><br />And I'm very encouraged by the interest being shown by the general public in such issues and those offering solutions.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/96ecf0yq2bb47c192619.jpg" /><br /><i>A showcase that's catching a lot of attention!</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review by Peter Martin, Junkk Male</b></div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-59803927693406330922015-02-28T14:18:00.000+00:002015-02-28T14:18:16.416+00:00CATEGORY - Easter<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Ok, this one can go up, stay up a while, get promoted and even re-cycled soon - the stores already have all their merchandise in!)</span><br />
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Easter Time</h2>
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<br /><br />It is traditional to give Easter cards, eggs and flowers around Easter time. Unfortunately, these gifts also create a lot of waste. Here are some different ideas for Easter gifts, which also benefit the environment too.<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Easter Eggs" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/b8ebb8f58drv1fe8ecyq.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />* Instead of buying flowers, buy a plant from your local garden centre - it lasts longer!<br /><br />* Send a E-Easter card. Check out this website for some freebies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.free-greetingcards.co.uk/easter_greeting_cards.htm" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.free-greetingcards.co.uk/easter_greeting_cards.htm</a><br /><br />* Recycle your cardboard and foil from your chocolate eggs. Cardboard can be used to help make your compost.<br /><br />* For low packaged or organic eggs go to<br /><a href="http://www.naturalcollection.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.naturalcollection.com</a><br /><br />* For luxurious chocolates that come in a pretty recycled box, check out<br /><a href="http://www.rococochocolates.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.rococochocolates.com</a><br /><br />* For an alternative gift, œ15 can buy 20 chickens for farmers in developing countries.<br /><a href="http://www.sendacow.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.sendacow.org.uk</a><br /><br />* WWF have gifts for all occasions, including Easter. Check out<br /><a href="http://www.wwf.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.wwf.org.uk</a><br /><br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Chicken with her Chicks" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/0eaee6dd3fh01ypd6abv.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>For the Children - Making an Easter Bonnet</b><br /><br /><b>What you need:</b><br />* A2 paper or a broadsheet newspaper<br />* Yellow and green tissue paper<br />* Selection of coloured papers and cards (you can use old birthday cards etc.)<br />* PVA glue<br />* Scissors<br /><br /><b>What to do:</b><br /><br />1. Take two sheets of A2 paper or four double pages of a broadsheet newspaper and divide into pairs.<br /><br />2. Lay the pairs across each other in a cross shape.<br /><br />3. Place the centre of the paper cross onto the head of the person whom the hat is for and press it down over their head.<br /><br />4. Ask your model to place their hands on their head underneath the paper (to ensure the hat is not too tight), while you run masking tape around the outside - several times - to form the crown of the hat.<br /><br />5. Remove hat from head and trim brim to desired size.<br /><br /><b>Decorating the hat</b><br /><br />1. Using PVA glue, stick yellow tissue paper to the outside of the hat and underside of the brim. Leave to dry.<br /><br />2. For a grass effect, cut strips of green tissue paper and stick to brim with PVA. Leave to dry.<br /><br />3. Cut out a selection of paper flowers, stems and leaves from card and coloured paper.<br /><br />4. Cut out leaf shapes from green tissue paper.<br /><br />5. Stick petals to stems and arrange round the crown of the hat.<br /><br />6. When in desired position, stick down with PVA.<br /><br />7. Glue leaves onto stems.<br /><br />8. Cut out more small flower shapes in matching colours and stick around the brim.<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Easter Bunny" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/dd1b0dae82fgzbze412a.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Bird's Nest</b><br /><br /><b>What you need:</b><br />* Plastic food containers, 8 and 15cm diameter<br />* Elastic bands<br />* Twigs and grasses<br />* Unbleached greaseproof paper or tissue paper<br />* Scissors<br />* Ribbon<br />* For large nest: 2m of narrow brown ribbon (4 colours each 2.5mm wide)<br />* For small nest: 1m of 4x2.5mm ribbon in orange green, yellow and red<br />* Easter chicks<br /><br /><b>What to do:</b><br />1. Place two strong elastic bands around a 15cm diameter circular plastic food container (the container needs to have flattish sides, otherwise the elastic bands won't grip).<br /><br />2. For the smaller nest, use an 8cm diameter container and only one elastic band.<br /><br />3. Cut twigs of differing thickness and dried grasses into varying lengths (these need to be longer than the height of the container).<br /><br />4. One by one, carefully place the twigs side by side underneath the elastic bands. Ensure that the twigs are close together so that the plastic underneath is hidden, but do not squeeze in too many or else the elastic band may snap or slip, sending the twigs flying!<br /><br />5. Place grass or bamboo leaves between the twigs to create a feathery effect.<br /><br />6. Tie ribbon (approx 1m) around the middle of the nest to hide the elastic bands.<br /><br />7. Scrunch unbleached greaseproof paper or brown tissue paper, and put into nest.<br /><br />8. Fill with a variety of small Easter eggs, sweets or biscuits and some Easter chicks.<br /><br />Source:<br /><a href="http://www.ivillage.co.uk/parenting/school/schfun/articles/0,,186624_627660-1,00.html" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">www.ivillage.co.uk/parenting/school/schfun/articles/0,,186624_627660-1,00.html</a></div>
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Easter Day</h2>
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<img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/xca043a97f6bavbaf560.jpg" /><br /><br />It's that time of the year again. Its been a pretty cold and gloomy winter, so here at the Junkk.com Towers we are looking forward to Easter as it really symbolises spring. As many of you know, Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus 3 days after his crucifixion. Many people now feel that Easter like many other important days of the year has become over commercialised, and this in turn goes hand in hand with creating more waste. Easter Day doesn't have to be about unwanted packaging and waste. It is quite easy to give and receive gifts that have a low impact on the environment. We have a few suggestions that may just give you some inspiration to have a greener spring.<br /><br /><b>Alternative Cards</b><br /><br />Why not make a card using scrap material around the house? Not only is it more fun than buying a card, it is also cheaper and more thoughtful too!<br /><br />Eco Friendly Cards have a range of handmade cards made from recycled materials. Check out the featured Easter Card below of the nice little chick:<br /><a href="http://www.ecofriendlycards.co.uk/?pagename=Happy%20Easter%20Painted%20Chick" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.ecofriendlycards.co.uk</a><br /><br />Moon Dragon Card provides a range of cards made from sustainable materials and are also free from chemicals such as bleach. Check out their range here:<br /><a href="http://www.moondragoncards.com/store/page.php?jssCart=23bc9e9b2dc2846c4ed222c02924fe59&xPage=treefree.html" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.moondragoncards.com</a><br /><br />And lastly, and we always suggest this: send an e-card! Check out<br /><a href="http://www.myfuncards.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.myfuncards.com </a><br /><br /><b>Alternative Gifts</b><br /><br />World Vision provides a range of alternative gifts in their catalogue. You can send anything from sheep, organic crop production, solar panels for a clinic, a fish farm, to a heard of goats! Check out the website here:<br /><a href="http://www.greatgifts.org/GiftSelection/home.aspx" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.greatgifts.org</a><br /><br />Okay so you still want an Easter egg this Easter? Well check out Green and Blacks. They produce great tasting organic and Fair Trade chocolate. So you may feel guilty about your waistline, you won't feel as guilty about the impact on the environment. Check out the website below:<br /><a href="http://www.greenandblacks.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blanks'">www.greenandblacks.com</a><br /><br />Fancy getting away from it all over the Easter period? Well check out Natural Discovery, which provide alternative more sustainable breaks where you can stay in green accommodation providing a range of difference experiences. Check out the website:<br /><a href="http://www.naturaldiscovery.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.naturaldiscovery.co.uk</a><br /><br /><b>Alternative Activities</b><br /><br />Easter holidays are an ideal time to spend time with the family. To keep the children busy with a few of these alternative activities if they get bored.<br /><br /><i><b>Easter Egg Dyes</b></i><br /><br />Painting eggs is an Easter tradition. Why not try natural homemade dyes instead? Check out this website which can provide instructions on how to make homemade dyes and how to paint your eggs:<br /><a href="http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=113&s=eastereggs" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.thegreenguide.com</a><br /><br /><i><b>Easter Basket Idea</b></i><br /><br />Make your own Easter baskets. This can be done in a number of ways. Here is one example to get you started:<br /><br /><i>Step One</i><br />Find a decent sized empty tissue box. Cut the top off, and trim the sides. If you use the square size, the only thing you'll have to do is colour the insides if you want to make it look prettier, punch three holes on the centre of two sides and attach a piece of ribbon (or whatever else you have around the house) for a handle.<br /><br /><i>Step Two</i><br />You need to make three holes otherwise it will be too flimsy. Glue the ribbon to the inside of the basket on the bottom, and then bring it out through the first hole, in the second and out the third one near the top.<br /><br /><i>Step Three</i><br />If you use the rectangular size, cut it in two and slide the two pieces together to make a square basket, trimming as necessary. Glue the pieces together, and then finish as with the square basket. You can then add your gifts to it. (Source: Frugal Living.com).<br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/ddbcec5c1ece2e28cofe.jpg" /><br /><br /><i><b>Tuna Can Bunny Rabbit</b></i><br /><br />You will need for this: a tuna can (or alternative). Some scrap material, markers, glue, paper, and some cotton ball.<br /><br /><i>Step One</i><br />Cut a piece of scrap material to cover the outside of the tuna can, and glue it in place.<br /><br /><i>Step Two</i><br />Use your imagination, paper, scrap material, markers, and anything else you want to decorate the can to look like a bunny. Glue on the cotton ball for the bunny's tail.<br /><br /><i>Step Three</i><br />Once finished, let the glue dry, and then fill will goodies. Maybe handmade chocolates?<br /><br /><br />For further craft ideas check out these websites:<br /><a href="http://www.happy-easter.com/crafts.htm" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.happy-easter.com</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.allcrafts.net/easter.htm" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.allcrafts.net</a><br /><br /><br /><b>Further information</b><br /><br />Got any Easter tips you want to add to the forum? Check out the forum thread here (you need to be registered first):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.junkk.com/forum_thread_view.asp?slevel=0z602z721&parent_id=721&Forumid=4&Forum_threadid=472" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Easter Tips</a><br /><br />Do you feel that Easter has become too commercialised? Do you feel that it has a negative impact on the environment? Add your thoughts to the forum here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.junkk.com/forum_thread_view.asp?slevel=0z602z721&parent_id=721&Forumid=4&Forum_threadid=389" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">Easter - A Waste?</a></div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-82837983169146278612015-02-28T14:14:00.000+00:002015-02-28T14:14:27.643+00:00CATEGORY - Valentine's Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><b>History of Valentine's Day</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">Every year on February 14th, cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts are exchanged between loved ones and secret admirers. There are a number of versions of the history of Valentine's Day, and its patron saint.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><img a="" align="left" alt="hearts" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/h5ecab27cf95enfbca1c.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* Some experts state that it originated from St Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14th 269 A.D. Legend says he left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, and had signed 'from your Valentine'. * Valentine's Day started during the Roman Empire. In Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno, the queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The feast of Lupercalia followed the day after. During this time, boys and girls didn't mix. Although one of the customs was name drawing. During February 14th, the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Every young man would draw a girl's name from the jar, and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl he had chosen. More often than not, they would end up falling in love and marrying. Saint Valentine had served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius had trouble finding soldiers and believed it was because young men didn't want to leave their loved ones or families, so he banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine still married couples in secret. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14th to honour St. Valentine.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Valentine Facts</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* In the 19th century, printed valentine cards were on sale and became very popular. In 1825 the post office handled more than 200,000 letters on Valentines Day. * British people spend around £34 million on flowers to say 'I love you' (Source: Flowers and Plants Association). * Approximately 1 billion cards are sent every year. * In America, Valentine's day is the second most celebrated day of the year (after Christmas day). (Source: Kids Growth.com) * Over a million people give fresh flowers (Source: Flowers and Plants Association). * Worldwide, over 50 million roses are traded on this one-day alone. (Source: Flowers and Plants Association).</span><img a="" align="left" alt="Roses" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/k12ab17aba1ea0ccckab.jpg" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><b>How to be Green this Valentine's Day</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">Here are a few suggestions to win someone's heart this Valentine's Day. Less waste in the landfill, less harmful and the environment! And here a little tip for the men - it makes you look more thoughtful and considerate too! A winner with the ladies! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* Send an e-card to your loved one (or yourself!). There are lots of websites that let you send e-cards for free. Try some of these links:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.myfuncards.com/">My Fun Cards</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bhf.org.uk/realvalentine">BHF</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yahoo.co.uk/">Yahoo</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* Save on packaging, and by an 'experience' like a spa day</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thesanctuary.co.uk/">Sanctuary</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* If you buy chocolates then buy them from Fair Trade.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.org/">Traid</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* Name a star after your loved one, try out</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.starlistings.co.uk/">Stars</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* For a quirky gift you could buy two goats for an African Orphan's Dowry</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.goodgifts.org/">Good gifts</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* The WWF have some great gifts for Valentine's Day, ranging from a heart trinket box, to chocolate foam bath (no you can't eat it!).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wwf-uk.org/">WWF</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* Buy a plant instead of flowers, it lasts longer! If you do buy flowers though, make sure they get up in the compost bin, rather than the kitchen bin! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">* All cards can be recycled either through your kerbside collection or the local bring bank. </span><br />
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Valentines Day - The Most Romantic Day of the Year?</h2>
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<img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/d7jd7b9a8hcb0dcb08bc.jpg" /><br /><br />Its that time of the year again. The shops are stocked with lots of red and pink fluffy gifts and cards for lovers to give to each other on Valentines Day. But what do you do if you want to be romantic but in a more sustainable way? Well we have some suggestions below. You will win your loved one over with some of these ideas because it also shows you are being thoughtful and considerate about the environment too!<br /><br /><b>The Card</b><br /><br />There are many pretty cards in the shops, but producing them uses a lot of resources. And around 24 million Valentine's cards are sent in the UK each year. But there are alternatives. Why not send an e-card? There are many free e-card websites on the Internet. If you have time, then make your own card. This adds a personal touch, and you can use lots of materials that you have lying around the house. You can be as creative as you want. The team at Junkk.com usually make their own Valentines cards, and it goes down a treat with loved ones. If you end up buying a card, then check to see if it is made from recycled paper. Here are a few suggestions:<br /><br /><i><b>Ecards</b></i><br /><br />Find a wide selection at My Fun Cards:<br /><a href="http://www.myfuncards.com/" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.myfuncards.com</a><br /><br />Devil Cards has some great cards too:<br /><a href="http://www.devilcards.com/category.php?ec_cat=35&lan=en" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">Devil Cards</a><br /><br /><i><b>Making your own cards</b></i><br /><br />Check this out for card making:<br /><a href="http://www.4ormore.co.uk/projects/cards.htm" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.4ormore.co.uk</a><br /><br />This website will give you inspiration for making cards:<br /><a href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/making_valentine_cards.htm" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.activityvillage.co.uk</a><br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/b4e5h21b0ab1781hefm2.jpg" /><br /><br /><i><b>Buying a Card</b></i><br /><br />Check this site out for eco friendly cards with unique designs:<br /><a href="http://www.ecofriendlycards.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.ecofriendlycards.co.uk</a><br /><br />Eco Maximus provides greeting cards and other gifts made from elephant dung!<br /><a href="http://www.ecomaximus.co.uk/ourproducts.htm" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.ecomaximus.co.uk</a><br /><br /><b>The Gift</b><br /><br />Sending a gift to a loved one doesn't have to be bad for the environment. Here are a number of alternative gifts ideas that may inspire you. Just remember to use minimal packaging and if you are wrapping something up, use recycled paper and string, or even newspaper! If you do want to send flowers, why not buy some flowers locally and get them wrapped in paper, and hand deliver them yourself? This is better for the environment than getting a company to deliver them for you. If you still want to buy chocolates then why not try out organic chocolates, and watch out for the excess packaging. If you're any good in the kitchen you could make your own!<br /><br />Send your love a tree at the Tree to my Door website:<br /><a href="http://www.tree2mydoor.com/valentines_gifts.asp" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.tree2mydoor.com</a><br /><br />WWF again have some lovely gift ideas this year:<br /><a href="http://shop.wwf.org.uk/store/Range.aspx?act=cid1041_1" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">WWF Shopping</a><br /><br />How about giving an acre of rainforest to your loved one?<br /><a href="http://www.worldlandtrust.org/supporting/valentine.htm" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.worldlandtrust.org</a><br /><br />Check out the chocolate truffle recipe here:<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_chocolate.shtml#recipe" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">BBC Food</a><br /><br />Short on money? Then send Virtual Cyber Hugs on this website:<br /><a href="http://rats2u.com/calendar_gh/calendar_hugs_kisses.htm" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">Virtual Cyber Hugs</a><br /><br />If that really doesn't inspire you, and you still want to send flowers and chocolates then check these websites out:<br /><br />Organic chocolates:<br /><a href="http://alotofchocolate.co.uk/chocolates/valentines-day-chocolates/" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">A lot of Chocolate</a><br /><br />Interflora now does a range of plant gifts:<br /><a href="http://www.interflora.co.uk/catalog/category.xml?category_id=2001053" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.interflora.co.uk</a><br /><br /><b>Proposing</b><br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/8fb7eceeec92j83dd831.jpg" /><br /><br />Planning on bending down on one knee? Well you have probably given some thought about the ring! (We hope so anyway!) Diamonds, a girl's best friend or silver and gold jewellery have a considerable impact on the environment. Consider some of these alternatives:<br /><br />Based in America, but will ship to the UK, (although you need to think of the environmental aspects of shipping) check out this website that do eco rings:<br /><a href="http://www.greenkarat.com/" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.greenkarat.com</a><br /><br />Alternatively think of buying an antique ring, or ask close family if there is a 'special ring' that has sentimental value that can be used. Finally, good luck! </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">Most of all have a happy Valentine's Day!</span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-51340163441060911582015-02-28T14:11:00.000+00:002015-02-28T14:11:10.399+00:00CATEGORY - Christmas <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(No way I'll remember to come back to this nearer the time, so best to get it logged and up now)</span><br />
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Santa's Green Christmas</h2>
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<br /><b><u>Introduction</u></b><br /><br />Christmas is a great time of the year for most of us. And also an extremely busy time. Running around buying presents, wrapping them up, making last minute preparations, and putting up the decorations. Christmas time is also a busy time of the year for waste. An extra 3 million tonnes of waste is produced over the festive period, and this includes up to 1 billion Christmas cards. Ever wondered how you could be a bit more 'green' over Christmas, but also save a bit of time and money too? Well this section explains how to do just that. Read on and be inspired..<br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/a2f393122483edf3d4c3.jpg" /><br /><br /><b><u>Green Santa's Top Festive Facts</u></b><br /><br />* Royal Mail delivers approximately 150 million Christmas cards and packets during the run up to Christmas. If all the Christmas cards were laid end to end they would span from London to Sydney and back more than five times! (Source: Spelthorne Borough Council).<br /><br />* It is estimated that during the Christmas period over 83 square km of wrapping paper will end up in UK rubbish bins, that's enough to cover an area larger than Guernsey. (Source: Waste Watch)<br /><br />* During the Christmas period we use between 20-30% extra glass and cans than at any other time of the year.<br /><br />* Over six million trees were bought last Christmas in the UK, most of which were thrown out after December creating over 9,000 tonnes of additional rubbish, almost five times the weight of the London Eye. (Source: Spelthorne Borough Council).<br /><br />* The waste produced over Christmas is the equivalent to 400,000 double decker buses, stretching all the way from London to New York City. Half of this waste can be recycling, but only 10% of it is.<br />(Source: Spelthorne Borough Council).<br /><br />* Santa Claus was originally green, and not red. Coca-Cola bought the rights and changed him to red in 1931 (source: www.coca-cola.co.uk)<br /><br /><b><u>What's the Point?</u></b><br /><br />There are a few advantages of re-use and recycling, apart from the obvious one of it being good for the environment!<br /><br />* It can save you money. Yup it really can! For example, re-using old Christmas cards for name tags for presents, or doing your Christmas shop online can save you money. By doing little things like that, the pennies will add up!<br /><br />* Doing things such as food shopping online saves you time. You don't have the hassle of finding a parking space, then lugging the kids round the aisles, and then spending half an hour to queue, then there's the packing and trying to get it all home again. Shopping for your goodies can be done in the comfort of your own home while drinking a cup of tea.<br /><br />* It gives you a sense of satisfaction. Many people feel particularly bad about throwing so much stuff away and this gets highlighted at Christmas when you're stuffing 6 black binliners full of wrapping paper, ready for the dustbin men to take away.<br /><br />* Finding a second use for something that has been cluttering up your storage space for the past six months creates more space. It is amazing what junk can be turned into. And in many ways everyone does reuse and recycling a lot more than what they think. People who love antiques are basically keeping old material out of the landfill. Car boots sales and garage sales are another example.<br /><br /><b><u>I'm dreaming of a Green Christmas.</u></b><br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/f1d1876b5db7fa6a6cd3.jpg" /><br /><br />There are lots of ways to make your Christmas a bit greener this year. These are tips, which will also save you a bit of time and money too.<br /><br /><b>Christmas cards and Gifts</b><br /><br />* If you do want to give out cards, then make sure they are from recycled material. Alternatively, save some money and send e-cards instead. There are plenty of websites that let you send free e-cards.<br /><br />* An alternative to giving Christmas cards is to give the money to charity instead, which many people do.<br /><br />* Keep the Christmas cards that are sent to you. They make name tags for Christmas presents for next year.<br /><br />* Alternatively, recycle your Christmas cards. Retailers such as Tesco and WH Smith do Christmas card recycling during January.<br /><br />* Shop online or buy most of your Christmas presents from one place. This helps cut down on emissions and pollution, and it also means you get to miss the Christmas rush!<br /><br />* Try and avoid sticky tape when wrapping presents, use ribbon or string instead. Sticky tape doesn't biodegrade, so can only be used once. Ribbon and string can be used again.<br /><br />* Buy greener gifts for you friends and family. There are many online stores that sell some fabulous presents that are ideal for Christmas. Alternatively buy from charity shops or buy gift vouchers or tickets. Some of the websites you could try are:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.recycledproducts.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">recycledproducts.org.uk</a> - Which gives you a good in-depth guide to a wide range of gifts.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.organicdelivery.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">organicdelivery.co.uk</a> - For organic lovers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.naturalcollection.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">naturalcollection.com</a> - Some good ideas here.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kwytzakraft.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">kwytzakraft.com</a>- For alternative Christmas gifts.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tiffanytomato.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank">tiffanytomato.com</a> - For something a little different.<br /><br />* Take unwanted gifts to charity shops instead of throwing them away (like Aunt Ada's knitted pink jumper that is ten sizes too big for you) or sell it on eBay! One man's junk is another man's junkk.<br /><br />* Buy presents that don't require batteries.<br /><br />* Buy presents that are going to last all year rather than until Boxing Day!<br /><br /><b>Food and Drink</b><br /><br />* Do your Christmas food shopping online, or buy fresh produce from local shops. This reduces the amount of packaging that is used.<br /><br />* When going to the Christmas and January sales, take your own shopping bags with you.<br /><br />* Write a list of what food you want to buy, so that you don't over spend. It is easy to buy lots of food at Christmas that you never get round to eating so it ends up in the bin. If you have a garden, compost your Christmas leftovers, including potato and carrot peelings.<br /><br />* Buy food in refillable containers.<br /><br />* Buy foods that are packaged in material you know that you can recycle in your area.<br /><br /><b>Wrapping and Decorating</b><br /><br />* Use alternative methods of wrapping paper such as newspaper, or old fabric instead. Or simply put gifts into bags, as this reduces the amount of wrapping needed. If you do decide to se wrapping paper, make sure it is 100% recycled. One idea is to keep wrapping paper from this years present and save it to wrap next year's presents up.<br /><br />* There is a bit of debate about what type of Christmas tree to go for. Artificial ones have been made with various chemicals, and plastics, which in itself isn't too good for the environment. On the other hand, they can be reused year after year. A real tree can only be used once, but doesn't contain harmful chemicals, and of course was not made from plastic. We recommend that if you buy a real tree, go for one that can be re-potted into the garden after, so that it lives. If you prefer to stick with artificial trees, then buy one that is made from eco-friendly products. Of course you don't even have to buy a Christmas tree at all.<br /><br />* Check out your local council to see if they are running a Christmas tree recycling scheme. Many councils now provide this facility over the Christmas period.<br /><br />* If you buy your Christmas decorations, make sure that they are durable, and will last you for years.<br /><br />* It is much more fun and better for the environment if you make your decorations. There are a few decoration ideas on this website, to help you get started.<br /><br /><b><u>Christmas Decorations - a few ideas to get you started</u></b><br /><br /><b>The Glitter Angel</b><br /><br /><u>You need:</u><br />* A one litre soda/lemonade bottle<br />* String<br />* Craft glue<br />* Glitter<br />* Small ball ornament (alternatively a widget from a beer can for example)<br />* Piece of gold tinsel<br />* Waxed paper lined cookie sheet<br /><br /><u>Step one:</u><br />Cut the bottom off the bottle. Dip the pieces of string into the craft glue and water solution. This needs to be the consistency of thick cream. Then coil the string around the bottle starting from the bottom. Cover the whole bottle like this.<br /><br /><u>Step two:</u><br />On a waxed paper lined cookie sheet, shape a long piece of glue soaked string into an outline of angel wings. Fill in the wings with dipped string coiled into lacy patterns. Before the glue dries, sprinkle with glue.<br /><br /><u>Step three:</u><br />When the wings are dry, glue them to the body. For the head, glue the ball on top of the bottle. Crown the angel with a gold tinsel halo. Use glue to stick it down.<br /><br /><b>Paper Chains</b><br /><br /><u>You need:</u><br />* Left over clean tin foil<br />* Christmas wrapping paper from last year<br />* Another other scrap bits of paper and card<br />* Glue<br /><br /><u>Step one:</u><br />Cut the card, tin foil, and paper into strips.<br /><br /><u>Step two:</u><br />Stick the two ends of the strip of paper together with the glue. With the second strip of paper, link it through the first one before you glue it together. Continue until the paper chain is to your required length, or you run out of material!<br /><br /><b>Glittery cones</b><br /><br /><u>You need:</u><br />* Pine cones collected from your garden<br />* Flour and water (optional)<br />* Glue<br />* Glitter<br />* String (optional)<br /><br /><u>Step one:</u><br />Mix the flour and water together to form a paste. Paste this on the pine cone.<br /><br /><u>Step two:</u><br />Sprinkle the glitter over the pinecone and let it dry. The flour and paste acts like glue. If you prefer, use craft glue. Either place on your tree, or tie some string to it and hang on the tree.<br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/a104k5ek1b167bnccu86.jpg" /><br /></div>
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Seasons Greetings</h2>
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<br />It seems like only yesterday that we were writing the last Christmas feature. Well here we are again, full of new ideas, (and some old ones just to remind you!) to have a fantastic Christmas without costing the earth.<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/c6n.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>Some Festive Facts</b><br /><br />* Around 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are thrown away over Christmas - that's the equivalent weight of more than 50,000 festive polar bears!!! When buying gifts, try to avoid items that are excessively packaged. (Source: <a href="http://www.durham.gov.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.durham.gov.uk</a> Durham County Council)<br /><br />* Around 4,000 million sprouts are bought in the week before Christmas (Source: Friends of the Earth)<br /><br />* An extra 500 million aluminium and steel drink cans will also be used over the festive period - vent your festive frustration by crushing your tins before placing them in the recycling banks. (Source: <a href="http://www.durham.gov.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.durham.gov.uk</a> )<br /><br />* More than 80,000 tonnes of old clothes are thrown away over Christmas - if you get a whole new wardrobe, donate your unwanted clothes to charity shops. (Source:<a href="http://www.durham.gov.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.durham.gov.uk</a> )<br /><br />* More than 10 million turkeys are bought each year at Christmas time. (Source Friends of the Earth)<br /><br />* One of our favourite facts from last year is that Santa Claus was originally green, not red. The guys at Coca-Cola bought the rights and changed him to red in 1931.<br /><br /><b>Reduce your festive footprint this year</b><br /><br />* Buy seasonal fruit and vegetables and meat from the local farm shop/high street shops. This reduces food miles, and your food will also taste fresher. It also reduces packaging waste.<br /><br />* Make a handmade recipe book. Gather family recipes that you enjoyed from childhood, or recipes from your friends, and give it as a gift.<br /><br />* Dedicate a tree to someone. Check out <a href="http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.woodland-trust.org.uk </a><br /><br />* Check out <a href="http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.oxfamunwrapped.com</a> for gifts to benefit third world countries. You can purchase a goat, a donkey, and school dinners for 200 children, trees, essential medicines, toilets, and many more items.<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/9c2d7fbcc2032d1281da.jpg" /><br /><br />* Adopt an animal from the WWF. Animals include dolphins, pandas, tigers and elephants. Check out <a href="http://www.wwf.org.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.wwf.org.uk </a><br /><br />* Check out <a href="http://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.traidcraftshop.co.uk</a> for some fair trade gifts.<br /><br />* Make a fair trade/organic/local food hamper as a gift to friends and family.<br /><br />* Check out <a href="http://www.doybags.com/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.doybags.com</a> for some funky recycling handbags which will make great presents.<br /><br />* Combine a practical gift with a love of music and buy a vinyl clock from<a href="http://www.popsters.co.uk/" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="blank'">www.popsters.co.uk</a> artists include Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Kinks, REM, Oasis, and many many more.<br /><br /><b>Just a festive reminder</b><br /><br />* To reuse cards from last year for gift tags.<br /><br />* Use string/ribbon instead of sticky tape for wrapping presents.<br /><br />* Buy everything in bulk so that less packaging is used.<br /><br />* Make Christmas decorations from stuff in your home, it will save you buying more decorations!<br /><br />* Compost food leftovers.<br /><br />* Instead of sending Christmas cards, send E-cards instead. </div>
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<br />The Junkk.com team would like to wish everyone a Merry Green Christmas and a Happy New Year.</div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-84369627143332871032015-02-28T11:20:00.000+00:002015-02-28T11:33:45.743+00:00CATEGORY - Entertainment <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><i>(Working my way through the article archives steadily. One great thing is I have found that the formatting on the site pages is 'read' here on Blogger... text, images, links. Great stuff. I have 'updated' a few, but this one needs a bit of attention. Sadly Blockbuster didn't make it this far. I know there are other donation or swap opportunities. I'll leave it up as is as VHS tapes still lurk in lofts and do offer potential in reuse)</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">Own up. Are you one of the millions of Britons who have shelves full of VHS or DVD movies which you never watch, that are now just gathering dust?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">According to industry estimates,* there are over a billion VHS movies in British homes plus nearly half a billion DVDs. That's around 75** per household and the equivalent of over 350,000 years of movie watching pleasure.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">With this growing mountain of movies, Blockbuster UK believes it's high time that film fans gave their movie collections a bit of a spring clean and brought unwanted or unwatched titles into their local Blockbuster to trade them in for store credit or cash. They can also use the visit to check out some movies they haven't seen.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">The company recently launched a nationwide service that offers customers the chance to Trade-In unwanted movies, games and games hardware. One Cambridgeshire woman has already traded-in over 2,000 titles from her 6,000 strong collection, simultaneously clearing her loft and loading her wallet!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">Up until now, the most traded-in movies have tended to be the big budget hits including The Matrix, Independence Day, Men in Black and Titanic. Even some of Hollywood's less than successful films like Heavens Gate, Cutthroat Island and Howard the Duck have a place in someone's collection or are on another fan's waiting list.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">So whether it's streamlining a movie collection for a bit of extra cash or clearing out a few completed computer games, Blockbuster has the answer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">According to Alex Sparks, Managing Director of Blockbuster Entertainment Ltd, "With the success of DVD, many people have cupboards full of old videos that they'll never watch again. Conversely, there are movie buffs who can now at last afford to add 'hard to find' VHS copies to their film collections. So everyone benefits."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://theverybesttop10.com/reuse-and-recycle-vhs-tapes/">http://theverybesttop10.com/reuse-and-recycle-vhs-tapes/</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thriftyfun.com/Uses-for-Video-Tapes.html">http://www.thriftyfun.com/Uses-for-Video-Tapes.html</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ideas-for-reusing-an-outdated-collection-of-vhs-and-audio-tapes-185883">http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ideas-for-reusing-an-outdated-collection-of-vhs-and-audio-tapes-185883</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/recycle-reuse-vhs-tapes.htm">http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/recycle-reuse-vhs-tapes.htm</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.crookedbrains.net/2013/02/creative-ways-to-reuse-old-vhs-tapes.htm">http://www.crookedbrains.net/2013/02/creative-ways-to-reuse-old-vhs-tapes.htm</a>l</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20070129/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-vhs-video-tapes">http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20070129/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-vhs-video-tapes</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;">*The British Video Association estimates that VHS volume sales between 1985-2004 were 1,135,000,000 and DVD sales between 1998-2004 were 494,000,000.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">**Calculations based on 2001 Census showing 21.7 million households.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-64947654685059826622015-02-27T14:57:00.000+00:002015-02-27T14:57:31.758+00:00CATEGORY - Design<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Design</h2>
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The team at Junkk.com are always on the look out for new and creative ways of turning everyday waste into something more useful and appealing. Imagine our delight when Jason Bottomley contacted us about his creations!<br /><br />Jason makes contemporary products and furniture out of containers and ready made products i.e containers, bottles and other everyday items.<br /><br />Here are a few examples of his work.<br /><br /><br />The pendant lights are made from Perrier Bottles.<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Perrier Cluster" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/ta183p83ace0a7d6te03.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Storage Pods are made from office water cooler containers.<br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Storage Pods" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/wu8ba310ea7fe519e519.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />as are<br />the Jack & Jill Stools.<br /><br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Jack and Jill Stools" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/e9e97fu198ef9af1d808.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The 117 Peg Light speaks for itself really!<br /><br /><img a="" align="left" alt="Peg Light" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/0cdd9adafd5b0da0a0pa.jpg" /><br /><br />Jason has kindly agreed to become one of Junkk.com first 'guru's', providing us with expert information to any questions our readers may have! If you have any queries or want further information about Jason's work then send us an email and we will make sure he gets it.<br /><br /><a href="mailto:info@junkk.com" style="color: blue; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;">info@junkk.com</a></div>
Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-91071945693527491562015-02-26T18:33:00.003+00:002015-02-26T18:33:48.186+00:00CATEGORY - ARTS & CRAFTS<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Going to try and do at least one a day, porting over from the site, I guess, just starting from the top of the list.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arts & Crafts</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: 0.7em;">Arts and Crafts Information</b><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">The term 'Arts and Crafts' means a host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with ones hand or skill. Arts and crafts can be in the form of knitting, weaving, patchwork, card making, scrap booking, collage, beadwork, and decoration. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;"><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/act409a8bl401e7b8ah1.jpg" /></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">Arts and crafts often play a big part in a child's development. It helps develop and encourage imagination, creativity and skill. Nowadays you can buy many craft materials from shops. Glue, glitter, beads, cardboard, paint, paper, ribbon, stickers, paper, pens, plastic etc. It can all add up. Alternatively why not take a look at some of the items your about to throw away. Everyone remembers the classic washing up advert when the child is waiting for his mother to finish the bottle so that he can use it to make something. Here are a few examples of potential art and craft materials:</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Washing up liquid bottles - make the robot body, or a water pistol</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Plastic milk bottles - great for making ships and robots</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Toilet rolls - great for a number of things such as decorations on the Christmas tree</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Ready made meal trays - pirate boats</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Caps off plastic drinking bottles - various colours can be turned into board games, into robots, used for building ships etc. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Shoelaces - used to tie things together (not to tie up a brother and sister!)</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">* Newspaper and magazines - for paper mache</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">This isn't just for children though. Many people make a living from making things such as cards (quite popular in card shops) patchwork quilts to handmade candles. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 0.7em;">For community groups such as brownies, scouts, or schools, why not take a visit to a scrap store to get art and craft material? A scrap store is where people can donate material they no longer want, for community groups and schools to use. Sometimes a small fee is involved. </span><br /></span><a href="http://www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk/Scrapstore%20UK%20Directory.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk/Scrapstore%20UK%20Directory.aspx</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.scrapstoresuk.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">https://www.scrapstoresuk.org/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/124836/no.5_scrapstores_england_and_wales.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/124836/no.5_scrapstores_england_and_wales.pdf</span></a></div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-63396146130109534622015-02-25T15:46:00.003+00:002015-02-25T15:46:58.447+00:00CATEGORY - FUNEREAL<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CATEGORY - FUNEREAL</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Note: as we re-design the site these will crop up here on the blog, erring more on being just sources of further info - never claiming to be exhaustive. Happy to add to main text if advised of anything interesting or worthwhile in comments below</span></i>)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Certainly the option of creating a low footprint appeals, and if the opportunity to endure is presented in nice ways too, well why not?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Ported over from <a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?parent_id=929&slevel=0z929">one of</a> Junkk.com's soon to be parked Article pages:</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><b>Environmentally Friendly Funerals</b><br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/039c3facccc3fc3uu24a.jpg" /><br /><br />So planning your own funeral is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but it is something that perhaps people should give more thought it. After all, planning a funeral for a loved one can be very traumatic, life changing and expensive.<br /><br />Traditionally, a funeral is a ceremony that marks someone's death. Funerary customs comprise of beliefs and customs used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself to prayers, songs and other rituals undertaken in their honour.<br /><br /><b>What is a traditional funeral?</b><br /><br />Although in different cultures and religions the service maybe different, traditionally in the UK, a person's death is usually marked in two/three stages:<br /><br /><i>Visitation</i><br /><br />Once the person has been placed in a coffin (or casket), close relatives and friends can go and give their last respects, and say goodbye. Alternatively, the person can be laid out at their home until the service takes place.<br /><br /><i>Funeral service</i><br /><br />Traditionally mourners will be dressed in black as a sign of respect. A clergy from the decedent's or bereaved's church or religion conducts the service. A service may include readings from the bible or other sacred texts, hymns, prayers, songs. A eulogy is usually given by a relative or close friend to highlight happier times.<br /><br /><i>Burial</i><br /><br />This service happens after the funeral service where mourners can give their last respects before the decreased is buried or cremated<br /><br /><i>Wake</i><br /><br />After the funeral and burial service there is usually a gathering of the deceased's family and friends, which gives the chance for the mourners to recall memories of the decreased. Sometime a buffet and drink is provided.<br /><br /><b>What is an Eco-Funeral?</b><br /><br />Some people want to be remembered by having a less traditional funeral, and it is more common nowadays for people to have 'eco-funerals'. Although some of the stages of a traditional funeral may remain the same, more environmental choices can be made in regards to the type of coffin you have and where you are buried.<br /><br /><i>Eco Coffins</i><br /><br />There are many types of environmentally friendly coffins, which people can choose from. These may include bamboo, wicker, cardboard, wood from sustainable forests, biodegradable, to name just a few.<br /><br /><i>Alternative transport</i><br /><br />The hearse that traditionally carries the coffin can be replaced with horse drawn hearse, or even a motorbike hearse.<br /><br /><img border="1" src="http://www.junkk.com/upload/afc21f1a1f1aaf1ajp16.jpg" /><br /><br /><i>Woodland burial</i><br /><br />As the grave is in a natural setting, it is envisaged that as the woodland matures, it will be a haven for wildlife and flowers, which can the mourners a sense of peace. Many people like the idea of this. Many woodland burial sites will not supply double graves because it means unearthing and disturbing plants and wildlife. Some may feel that this isn't as environmentally friendly as cemeteries whereby arrangements can be made to have several people buried together, creating more space. A few months after burial, a tree can be planted to help encourage the woodland to grow. It is also important to know that many woodland cemeteries will not allow spots to be reserved.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Taken from the Blog (And added to ITanic Vs. until we know)<br /><br />Cremation or burial?<br /><br />Despite most in the eco-sphere on this topic surrounding casket design (Cardboard, bamboo, etc), I must confess to having treated it as a bit of a niche thing, despite death, along with taxes, being a bit of a growth industry, along with the global population.<br /><br />And that is a key consideration. Because if there's more and more of us standing on top of the earth, there's an ever more limited series of places to stick folk under it. And once we start fighting with the guys planting bio-fuel crops, it could get ugly.<br /><br />Of course it already has to an extent. When I lived in Singapore over a decade ago, large numbers of ancestors were quietly, if rather unceremoniously JCB'd from their eternal slumbers and popped in an urn in a wall if they were lucky.<br /><br />So pretty much my whole experience, including personally with my Dad, has been cremation.<br /><br />But in the whole dental filling (mercury) pollution and simple combustion products (heat, gas) scheme of things, is it a good idea?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Links:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>General</b> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b2101; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">For more information about alternative funerals, and advice on how to arrange funerals, please check out these organisations:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://greenburialcouncil.org/home/what-is-green-burial/">http://greenburialcouncil.org/home/what-is-green-burial/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/">http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.woodlandburials.co.uk/">http://www.woodlandburials.co.uk/</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Caskets</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We opted for a wicker version for my Mum, and it was a beautiful creation that I am sure she would have approved of.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ecoffins.co.uk/">http://www.ecoffins.co.uk/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.naturalwovencoffins.co.uk/">http://www.naturalwovencoffins.co.uk/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://coffincompany.co.uk/wicker-coffins">http://coffincompany.co.uk/wicker-coffins</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ecopod.co.uk/">http://www.ecopod.co.uk/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.naturalendings.co.uk/">http://www.naturalendings.co.uk/</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Urns</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://urnabios.com/">https://urnabios.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/urnabios">https://www.facebook.com/urnabios</a></span><br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-22229406238819571712015-02-25T14:40:00.001+00:002015-02-25T14:45:53.101+00:00Breakthrough!Ok, hubris is a capricious mistress.<br />
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That should be 'Breakthrough?'<br />
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We're creeping towards slimming the site down to move it to the new platform... a lot, but as an inveterate hoarder (how else would Junkk.com have been created) I was/am loathe to lose neat stuff, and opportunities to share.<br />
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Currently, beyond 'IDEAS' (ironically, or in protest at what we propose, not working yesterday and on go-slow today), there is:<br />
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* ABOUT<br />
* COMMUNITY<br />
* ANSWERS<br />
* LOCAL<br />
* ARTICLES<br />
* SHOP<br />
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Most look simple enough to move to a Wordpress format, with the possibility of interactivity retained.<br />
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But I was looking at <a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?slevel=0z608z746&parent_id=746">ARTICLES</a> and thought it a pity that all the great work Chief of Stuff Emma would get lost, and all the bits 'n bobs I stumble across in my travels would not be collated and archived any more. Well, beyond the FaceBook group, which few are aware of and is not searchable.<br />
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But... of course it can be! Here!<br />
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I just need to create a Page Label and category, and away we go. Then link the new ARTICLES page to it.<br />
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Whenever I see a new story I can just call it up and update. No idea when, but of course all the old material can also simply be ported across in this way too.<br />
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Ironically, and with dark humour, thanks to the latest share on the FaceBook page, the first to be created is likely to be CATEGORY - FUNEREAL, with info and links on eco-funerals, etc, of course inspired by and based on <a href="http://www.junkk.com/index.asp?parent_id=929&slevel=0z929">this page</a>.<br />
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Seems apt as we design away on the new site Phoenix to rise from the ashes of the old.<br />
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Well, that's the theory. Here's hoping!<br />
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ps: Also, as a plus, it means we may still snag a few pennies from Google adwords by not sending visitors away elsewhere:)<br />
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<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-50546705610588560002015-02-20T16:45:00.001+00:002015-02-20T16:50:48.769+00:00Un-social media, hours, funds... etc...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Warning: this rare post is one of those Junkk Male 'stream of consciousness' efforts.</span></b></span><br />
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It has been a while. </div>
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Make that a long while.</div>
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No excuses. Reasons aplenty... time, health, money... the usual. But at the end of the day, it's down to me that really not much has happened on Junkk.com (or other, associated parts) in a rare old while.</div>
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And while sorry is actually the easiest word, doing something takes a whole lot more.</div>
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<b>A BIT OF CONTEXT</b></div>
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Junkk.com was created almost 20 years ago. I hesitate to use the term 'ahead of its time', but nice people have and do, and it is true. It has always been meant well in compliment, but also carries a sense of curse too.</div>
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The concept was pretty unique back then, and remains so in some key areas today. As far as I am aware, no other 2nd/Re-use site has the searchable database of household products and materials, detailed descriptions and data, and associated ideas.</div>
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Likewise other innovations, such as JunkkYard, that was created around the same time as Freecycle, but had images from the outset, and nice features like poster-to-beneficiary distance guide and safe intranet contact.</div>
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And it all cost.... a... mint. Yet now, most would be achievable with free scripts and/or cheap apps.</div>
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<b>MONEY TALKS, LOSERS FUND POOR BUSINESS MODELS</b></div>
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I actually didn't mind the money, and was lucky to see much often at least half-offset by match-funded grants from supportive bodies.</div>
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But as with many things, especially in the world of innovation, it is easy to forget that content, maintenance and repair never go away, and carry on as long as the entity exists. In Junkk.com's case, although as much as possible has been created to evolve and endure even if I can no longer chip in, it has operational costs before factoring in the time to source and upload and administer.</div>
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I was happy and able to bear these costs at the start and for a long period thereafter. I believed in Junkk.com's potential and still do. Not just as a 'green' service, but as a possible money-earner.</div>
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At one stage we had three permanent staff, and one contracted. Me, First Lady PJ, Chief of Stuff Emma, and Head of Prose & Comms Anita. And that team achieved a lot. In our heyday we were running 150,000+ unique visitors... a month. </div>
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I was inventing and writing. PJ was composing and designing. Emma was doing everything from creating and updating category info to fielding questions and modding the Forum. Anita was helping with PR that got us noticed everywhere... big time.</div>
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But just as Coke and Pepsi as brands need to keep advertising even when they are at the top, so Junkk.com needed... needs this 24/7, 365/365 to maintain and grow. </div>
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A few roles were left out at the start. My fault. There was no business management and, crucially, media sales. To be fair to myself I tried to find them, but those who may have helped (by which I mean taken a cut) never materialised. Then it was 'come back when you hit 500k visitors'. I wonder if that would be true now? many less popular sites seem to muddle along on a lot less.</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible.com">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible.com</a></div>
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Even those with staff and funding struggle:</div>
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<a href="http://order-order.com/2015/02/11/official-report-local-authority-websites-are-rubbish/">http://order-order.com/2015/02/11/official-report-local-authority-websites-are-rubbish/</a></div>
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And those with deep pockets were seldom interested unless they had control, or things had tangibles they could grasp. Even then, green can be a hard way to turn a profit.</div>
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<a href="http://www.edie.net/news/5/WRAP-writes-off--1-65m-debt-from-struggling-Eco-Plastics/">http://www.edie.net/news/5/WRAP-writes-off--1-65m-debt-from-struggling-Eco-Plastics/</a></div>
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So much of the funding we got went on consultants to tell us what we already knew; for instance that we needed specialist staff. But for which funding was not, apparently, available. And not one of scores of state-supported quango advisers appeared able to put us in touch with complementing talents.</div>
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So as mortgages needed paying and kids feeding, with no revenue, we had to cut back, in staff and hours, which on a website means content. And content on a site is king, though when this king moves on there is no new one to rise in their place.</div>
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Hence, stagnation... followed by reversal.</div>
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<b>TIME TO SPRING FORWARD!</b></div>
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But not all the news is bad.</div>
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Despite the woeful support from within, the site has performed its ongoing function well, if with a few stumbles only a binary whizz could explain happening. For some reason a 'yes/no', on/off, 1/0 set of codes can and does suddenly acquire a life of its own and pull a sickie or has a wobbly.</div>
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Better still, it chugs along at its core, quietly absorbing new data like Voyager beyond the constraints of the solar system.</div>
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And, amazingly, people still swing by. Not many to contribute sadly, but for sure to visit.</div>
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I have no recent stats on Junkk.com from Google Analytics as I am a self-confessed ITiot (we had them, and they doubtless still exist...somewhere), but looking here on Blogger the Junkk Male RE:view blog alone gets several thousand visitors a month still. And that too has been pretty dormant for... too long.</div>
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Anyhoo, with great responsibility comes great ambition, so we (First Lady and I) are looking at a SWOT of what we've had, what worked, what didn't, what can't and where we can go next, to try and reinvigorate things but also draw down the running costs. </div>
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Thanks to kids leaving the family nest we had one of those conversations with our lawyers on wills and legacies, and the subject of trusts and leaving funding to projects came up. I would like Junkk.com to endure no matter what. Calculating annual costs threw up the monthly hosting, the annual <a href="mailto:info@junkk.com" target="_blank">info@junkk.com</a> fee, domain renewal, ICO licence and an amount for servicing. That still added up to a fair capital amount in trust to provide operational cost cover annually.</div>
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<b>RUTHLESS PEOPLE</b></div>
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So paring down is clearly necessary.</div>
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Certainly there are vast chunks (like the forum - I dare not look at it) and things like Junkk Questions (which takes up my day winnowing out spam) that can simply be dropped, though with luck not lost if ever they need need firing back up. Doubtful as it is all pretty much older than the ark. A vast capital outlay down the pan, but the old girl is holed and hard to keep afloat on old tech. It created the brand at least, which lives on.</div>
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We're looking at creating some kind of WordPress site, with the possibility of linking a few things to it. Apparently keeping the home page and video is not a problem. Sadly, the searchable database... is.... may be. </div>
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Would that be such a loss? Looking back, although many kind souls did share ideas, few have of late, and almost nobody has bothered ever to fill out the data fields to match dimensions or materials.</div>
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Most else can be reproduced, and now with free scripts that when the site was created cost thousands... yes... thousands. We are of course looking at other things like a tip jar at least, which seems common these days, and easily included. </div>
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<b>INCOMINGS, AND OUTGOINGS</b></div>
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Interactivity is mostly handled now by either the blog (for which this post is admittedly the first in months) or the 'Here Are Some We RE:made Earlier' FaceBook page. This latter I do keep bubbling daily with snippets, though few respond. I do always try to reply though. I did/do have a twitter feed, but need to remove that as a link as it has become more a personal, maybe too personal ramble around all my interests, from politics to music, green to the ad world, etc. </div>
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I wish twitter had the ease of switching and linking that FaceBook has. I can find stuff online and post it in one click to the relevant category with the latter. With twitter you need to close out and sign in with the new timeline. When you have several to match varied interests, that can be a headache.</div>
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Plus, with any such direction away from a server you own and control, there is always the risk of a plug being pulled. Hard to commit too much passion to pages if it all may get lost! Plus of course revenue goes to the hosts; not the content creators. I wish I knew a bit more about back-ups, the Cloud, etc, in this regard.</div>
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But it all works and is easy, from posting to sharing, especially things like images or videos. There must be a way to auto-port new FaceBook posts to the Junkk.com homepage at least. I also have a huge backlog of nifty products as data, and a fair few of these as new ideas to upload.</div>
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I currently could not tell you how the Junkk.com admin system gets a new still on the home page, as it was and remains so complex. But one thing above all is clear on a new design... KISS!</div>
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Anyway, a lot of soul-searching, number-crunching and pondering here. And while we're at it, if anyone who knows their stuff and way around the back-end of a website has any suggestions... we're open to 'em. </div>
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Yours in evolution....</div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-79224560236672564612014-06-19T17:11:00.000+01:002014-06-19T17:11:22.839+01:00Junkk Social Media...um - Too rare, not very well done:( Sorry!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The recent 'Your Green Future' Event we were part of, was a wake up call.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In two days a lot of folk swung by, checked out the ideas, liked what they saw, took a card... and came back home to sign up to the Junkk.com site.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was only because of a few bounces that came into the Junkk.com mailing address PC that I was reminded to check the nether regions of our steam-driven admin back-end, and especially the registration database.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Logging Jam</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were a lot in there. The total now is over 4,000 (many, as we'll come to, doubtless lost to the disposable email sky... or hotmail, or gmail fairy). That's the ones signed in and already up.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were also a large number stalled in our awful 'double opt in' system (sign up, get sent an email, re-confirm to activate. All genius for security, but less spiffy in a world of spam, filters and firewalls). This originally seemed like a good plan, imposed on us by those who know better. Long gone now, but as the guy who agreed, the buck stops with yours truly. Time has moved on.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I just spent a lot of it going through scores that were in limbo, approving manually. Amazingly, very few 'spammers', who are easy to detect. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many new friends still as a result of the Poundland packaging (if sadly likely to end soon), the Joy of Junk book, mentions on such as the FoE or Guardian, or shows like the one just held in U of Worcester.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish I could change the system for the better. I am sure it can be. All things can of course change, be improved, evolve...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But they almost always also take time, and if it's Junkk IT, that means 3rd parties and money, as I don't know my HTML from my SQL. And as such skilled consultant fees I don't have currently.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, things must change, so ways must be found.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Spring Into Summer Cleaning</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the summer hols reading on the beach will include a bit of drastic editing of pages that have been left fallow too long to serve now, and hiving off bits that it's possible free scripts and social media plug-ins from such as FaceBook and Blogger and Wordpress can do easier, better and much more integrated.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've noticed Facebook or twitter pages or articles I follow or find all can be shared in the blink of an eye, as I do now especially on the 'Here Are Some We RE:made Earlier!' FaceBook page linked from the Junkk.com home page.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe I can also reproduce the categories within these, to get these shares archived in a way to easily search under various topics again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will of course be a bunch of work, but with luck doable. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Looking For Help In All the Right Places</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am also looking at converting Junkk.com to social enterprise or even charity status to see if this can help find more help, especially in terms of the warm bodies (as funded staff or volunteers) to get us back to when we were running 150,000+ unique visitors and climbing monthly.</span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-17136951595516027492014-06-13T14:34:00.001+01:002014-06-16T11:53:54.540+01:00IDEA - Kelly Kettle, plus some musings on efficiencies & enviROIs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the joys (of many) of this lark is what you can stumble across. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, of course, who. Which can always lead on to all sorts more fun stuff.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other day on twitter I shared a link to an electric 'eco-kettle' (I'll save detail on this for another day, as this thread is set to head off on enough tangents already).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suffice to say it was... is... claimed as a very green way to boil water.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was convinced enough to be tempted, and shared this intention on said twitter, FaceBook, etc. I believe I added a caveat on its claimed values until bought and tried.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What followed was a most interesting serious of exchanges on what it takes to boil water, as you do, with an impressively credentialed gentleman who goes under the name of Roger Tallbloke. On many matters, but especially science and even more so that of climate, well worth a follow:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/RogTallbloke">https://twitter.com/RogTallbloke</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://tallbloke.wordpress.com/">http://tallbloke.wordpress.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that too often over-used and abused (esp. by our glorious 4th estate) term, I think he'll allow me to also confer upon him the accolade of on occasion erring on the 'controversial', but then who worth their salt is not?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But he and I do share a love of science, engineering and, crucially, second-use design (which we will get to soon, promise).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However reductions of waste and promotions of efficiencies do also score high with us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So let me simply share what he did with me to my apparently incorrect notion that an electric kettle was the most eco (we shall suspend such as health & safety, speed, style & convenience factors for now) way to get water hot:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>RT:</b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-weight: 300; line-height: 34px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Electric is a lot less energy efficient than gas for domestic water boiling.</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 34px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>JM</b>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Really? Presumed an element within water was much more efficient than what first needs to heat pan & gets lost around edges.</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>RT</b>: </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>A lot of energy wasted heating air in bubbles forming on element which then rise to surface and lost to atmosphere. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Well designed gas kettle loses little heat because turbulence makes heat cling to sides and be absorbed through to the</i> water</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>RT</b>: Other forgotten factor in elec vs gas is transmission losses for elec. Mad use of high grade energy for instant gratification.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He then topped the lesson with a lovely design example, including data:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>RT</b>: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My 2oz kelly ketttle design boils a pint in 4 mins with 16g denatured alcohol. around 56% efficiency.</span></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O4JsZ38q2GlRlfRE5RSSGq78524jJVmIhA1dzEl0-23BRELtJWbDXuSL-fosY89Nt-U9VahX91wF6KlgHmv4N-_Ajb29DisAnkTUAAtwz_N-Zdo2UcD2eK8pY6JOsv4i4szE/s1600/KellyKettle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O4JsZ38q2GlRlfRE5RSSGq78524jJVmIhA1dzEl0-23BRELtJWbDXuSL-fosY89Nt-U9VahX91wF6KlgHmv4N-_Ajb29DisAnkTUAAtwz_N-Zdo2UcD2eK8pY6JOsv4i4szE/s1600/KellyKettle.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Tangent - Interestingly enough, I just took delivery of a 'Junkk' Stirling Engine kit (sadly half the parts missing) that looks just like this. It will be subject of another post once finished, so watch this space. Clearly aluminium beer cans also have their re-uses.)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has offered to expand when he has a moment, which may happen here, or on the 'Idea Page' on the site I have created in complement.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roger has kindly amplified in significant detail:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">For those who don't know what a kelly kettle is, look at this cross section:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><a href="http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/kelly-kettle.jpg">http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/kelly-kettle.jpg</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">Usually made from 16 gauge aluminium (old ones in copper), they are too heavy for solo backpackers but great for windy campsites.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">So I made this lightweight version using UK and USA beer cans (they do the big in america). Rather than using wood for fuel I keep it clean using ethylated spirit (denatured alcohol). The stove at the bottom has two sets of flame-jet holes which heat both the inside and outside of the kettle. A simple aluminium windshield made from an extra large beer can opened out is used as necessary.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">The kettle sits on the stove and uses a large american Fosters can with an internal chimney made from a UK beer can of smaller diameter. They are jointed with aluminium solder (and a lot of patience and swearing).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">The chimney has flutes folded into it so it tapers from a wide circular base to a narrow 5 pointed star at the top. This raises the velocity of the combusted gases, creating the 'draw' to make the boil happen quickly. The 'hat' in the photo is a section of UK beer can with exhaust holes in and it conducts exhaust gas heat back into the water.</span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">Updates posted - 16/05/14:</span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>If you take care with drying times, you can use superglue for jointing and it'll last 20-30 boils.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I also make smaller versions with pint UK beer can + 2x red bull cans for chimney. Tricky jointing. Just enough for a cuppa. 1oz</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The UK version uses a 4g stove made from a lip balm tin - 'internal' jets only. In use here on Red Pike</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally comes the tricky bit as I need to refer to the blog there and the site page here, but to cut and copy across I need to publish both, go back and then re-edit. Or something.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-68985656916995155242014-06-11T13:22:00.001+01:002014-06-17T12:52:16.933+01:00EVENT RE:View - Your Green Future<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yourgreenfuture.org.uk/">University showcase events</a> have got a bit grander since my undergraduate days.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oPLuUffsr2h5fV3PCpr4gj_kjfZCUWnbF_ZSrYoBcOTjsoSC5A7ZQYZsDXPZfbg7m8pcQedNLeRJqoEs3tw09sc0HxaCCrRJUJx0zHA5_PjfPPfLZjKpX8Q-YwCLxt4iAILr/s1600/UopWRiverside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oPLuUffsr2h5fV3PCpr4gj_kjfZCUWnbF_ZSrYoBcOTjsoSC5A7ZQYZsDXPZfbg7m8pcQedNLeRJqoEs3tw09sc0HxaCCrRJUJx0zHA5_PjfPPfLZjKpX8Q-YwCLxt4iAILr/s1600/UopWRiverside.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week Junkk.com was invited to bring along our RE:use ideas stand to this event, spanning two days.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In that time about twenty schools attended, sending pupils ranging from about 10 to 16 years of age, in class batches of about 30.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuniLh4se-PPy3u4I6n1CTsJl2WVOHegNInNqxluOlvDkSPTAUgVd9EfaQxEs-DHG9HracoaidLbAlsrfatrX5dKbv1pJKYaSfQY4vZFnyjzw5eyXDQkZv4iPtvFYmOoV49301/s1600/SchoolGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuniLh4se-PPy3u4I6n1CTsJl2WVOHegNInNqxluOlvDkSPTAUgVd9EfaQxEs-DHG9HracoaidLbAlsrfatrX5dKbv1pJKYaSfQY4vZFnyjzw5eyXDQkZv4iPtvFYmOoV49301/s1600/SchoolGroup.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amongst a variety of other things (I lost my stand-assistant son the second day as he ended up as a judge on a Dragon's Den feature elsewhere) the classes roamed the exhibition hall tasked with gaining an appreciation of what various 'eco' companies were, what they did, how their products or services contributed to sustainability, etc, plus what was involved career-wise should these be seen as appealing avenues to pursue.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The hall presented an eclectic bunch.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to several University of Worcester (host campus - ironically where 'Chief of Stuff' Emma graduated from and who carried out our RE:tie market research) departments (including Computing and Robotics, with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTIFs_ILu1w">3D printer set-up</a> I found most interesting given our RE:tie prototyping adventures and future design ambitions for new product ideas) & council sustainability offerings, there were such as <a href="http://www.greenbuying.co.uk/">Green Buying</a>, marketing green products, <a href="http://www.world-aluminium.org/">World Aluminium</a>, the <a href="http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/">Canal & River Trust </a> and the <a href="http://www.imeche.org/">Institution of Mechanical Engineers</a> (who had a Stirling Engine model that has inspired my next Junkk project - watch this space... Already located and ordered from amazon to reverse engineer!).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsUawEg9tuoJzEN_rOm9qh1Y3etATAwpydR138KACrbmGQygmMjMy2Jl9KDN6jBDty7dA2FAcU5bDkcxj3C97H8G5A0XxnzmlLoiEKg1qRRuP1AsINEfHcXC-qmKXKboLptnG/s1600/Stirling+Engine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsUawEg9tuoJzEN_rOm9qh1Y3etATAwpydR138KACrbmGQygmMjMy2Jl9KDN6jBDty7dA2FAcU5bDkcxj3C97H8G5A0XxnzmlLoiEKg1qRRuP1AsINEfHcXC-qmKXKboLptnG/s1600/Stirling+Engine.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plus of course, Junkk.com (son included):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXo7tHvsd_H7YRZae5wpJVrxzq2VJO-pnGY55PYvf1WvODIdKF-mjS2ShnUeldJHokSx1HIjSnutdC8p4yu-DYh7QLutxGD74kahpoc2XVe_ycOcKUUiBUbxLkwuUp5auYgme/s1600/MyGreenFuture+Stand-+Kipp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXo7tHvsd_H7YRZae5wpJVrxzq2VJO-pnGY55PYvf1WvODIdKF-mjS2ShnUeldJHokSx1HIjSnutdC8p4yu-DYh7QLutxGD74kahpoc2XVe_ycOcKUUiBUbxLkwuUp5auYgme/s1600/MyGreenFuture+Stand-+Kipp.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was nice was the level of interactivity we could all offer the students, which made it very much a 'hands-on' experience'. This stand from <a href="http://www.actonenergy.org.uk/">actonenergy</a> had a thermal imaging camera and, as you can see, yours truly was hot stuff:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0SmSYnxRQ8yeeQ-tq4iH3LlOruUVQ0O6LehwGnjHQvHLBTvBGljW_FZZ9nrMpNluQWUGZaBQi4xSR_XdbADaGKvMGeTb0Niaiz6ek1gsLUXxs63dYikAXY92CmvN6LKhDOnP/s1600/Infrared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0SmSYnxRQ8yeeQ-tq4iH3LlOruUVQ0O6LehwGnjHQvHLBTvBGljW_FZZ9nrMpNluQWUGZaBQi4xSR_XdbADaGKvMGeTb0Niaiz6ek1gsLUXxs63dYikAXY92CmvN6LKhDOnP/s1600/Infrared.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were sadly few opportunities for distractions, especially when I lost my lovely assistant, but I actually did come up with a new idea whilst there that I'll be adding to the site soon which many of the kids really liked... a totally easy cable labelling system... and also noticed another possible opportunity whilst rummaging under the table. If ever there looked to be a mass volume item that currently needs buying whose function surely could be met free with 'Junkk' materials, this is it:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKXr6qyXffDVBEU5663RZ9ytjpiTN0WHirKQgN8bVBGmxnwZKrVaYaDkYrGsuXpLZkFFsF_rBsxFAcm90AEqEa3YBH09XyzIZo0y8S0I5IlkrhYT56iCp_R9nn_SiDHRpvYe-/s1600/UoWCables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKXr6qyXffDVBEU5663RZ9ytjpiTN0WHirKQgN8bVBGmxnwZKrVaYaDkYrGsuXpLZkFFsF_rBsxFAcm90AEqEa3YBH09XyzIZo0y8S0I5IlkrhYT56iCp_R9nn_SiDHRpvYe-/s1600/UoWCables.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So how was it all? Was it worth it?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall, yes. Kids, like adults, come in all shapes and sizes, so we got the 'get it over with' box-tickers, the 'why bother?' brigade but... also some real sweethearts vowing to go back home to search the site for inspiration. That is always nice.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the teachers who visited were also very positive. Even got a few guys from various eco NGO/charity outfits swinging by. All very keen for us to come and exhibit at their fayre/expo/whatever.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trouble is, Junkk.com exhibiting takes a lot of time and often money to get there. I was kindly offered expenses to be at this one but really it doesn't help much on the mortgage. Looking around the hall almost all others there I am pretty sure were getting paid in some form for their time too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I need to get my head around this better. As clearly there are opportunities to see such contributions getting official support/sponsorship. And though not eco, which at least does carry a raft of benefits educationally, this example of what can get funded (a lot)* made me smile:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2651797/Artists-20k-grapple-concept-thing-ness-Taxpayer-funded-projects-denounced-self-indulgent-waste-money.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2651797/Artists-20k-grapple-concept-thing-ness-Taxpayer-funded-projects-denounced-self-indulgent-waste-money.html</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whatever else, no one can accuse Junkk.com of being a waste:)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was thinking of attending <a href="http://www.socialenterprisewm.org.uk/events/hello-social-enterprise-staffordshire-networking-26th-june-2014/">this</a>, but it is a fair old hike. But maybe turning Junkk.com into a social enterprise or charity is, ironically, a way to actually cover costs if not make some money.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We do serve a pretty useful, as well as re-useful purpose, after all!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Addendum - 17 June 14</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For wry smiles, this also served well:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/16/my_reg_hell_lily_cole_sobs_to_the_times/">http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/16/my_reg_hell_lily_cole_sobs_to_the_times/</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Especially seeing this: <i>"</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><i>The FoI requests revealed Cole had been awarded the second £150,000 of her award despite failing to fulfil the criteria. Nesta told us Impossible.com had been released the money for "achieving scale" – despite not actually having launched. That's quite an achievement. When asked if it could define "scale", Nesta failed to respond."</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">That's quite an amount.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Maybe it's more 'who you know' than 'what you are actually trying to achieve?'</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Interestingly. NESTA is getting a lot of profile across normal and social media with <a href="http://www.longitudeprize.org/">its latest largesse.</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">One hopes the most money goes where it will do the most good, less expenses of course. The results, and numbers (beyond that eye-watering £10M to play with), will be interesting.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, FreeSans, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">We used to submit to such prizes, but given the effort required vs. what seemed to win, we have tended to avoid them now.</span><br />
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-73176700260572538422014-06-03T17:36:00.001+01:002014-06-03T17:36:57.573+01:00BINGO!Check out this TVC:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWgCQgzJOU4&feature=player_embedded">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWgCQgzJOU4&feature=player_embedded</a></span><br />
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I am... excited.<br />
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This is a huge brand not just paying CSR lip service to second use, but building a major marketing campaign around it.<br />
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This post will with luck be added to as I request more info.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.designboom.com/design/coca-cola-2nd-lives-caps-campaign-ogilvy-mather-06-03-2014/">http://www.designboom.com/design/coca-cola-2nd-lives-caps-campaign-ogilvy-mather-06-03-2014/</a></span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-21624666164733534062014-05-23T15:17:00.001+01:002014-05-23T15:17:26.830+01:00EVENT - Your Green Future - Worcester WR2<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>We've been invited to <a href="http://yourgreenfuture.org.uk/events/worcester-2014/exhibitors">an event</a> designed to inspire the next generations...</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Junkk.com will be on hand to show as many reuse ideas from the site as we can squeeze in the car, and look forward to with luck getting the kids' imaginations fired up.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Small caveat... not too sure, but it looks like it may be invitation based, so call to check before turning up. There's a form to apply on the website.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>WHAT</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Your Green Future</strong> - New Opportunities in a Changing World</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>WHERE</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">- </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">University of Worcester, </strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Riverside Building, 113 Hylton Road, Worcester, WR2 5JN</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>WHEN</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">- </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thursday 5 June</strong> and <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Friday 6 June 2014</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Parking</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">: Parking is available. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>TIMING</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">: All day</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Events/Agenda - </b>From the event PR:</span></div>
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This event is for <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">schools in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. </strong></div>
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The event provides a unique opportunity for 11 to 19 year olds to explore, with business, the growing opportunities in a low carbon, resilient future. </div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">School students will work with over 30 businesses and education and training providers in professionally developed interactive workshops. They will explore cutting edge innovation, develop business ideas for food and fasion products, negotiate a new climate change agreement, and reduce a settlements energy needs</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>URL </b>: <a href="http://yourgreenfuture.org.uk/events/worcester-2014">http://yourgreenfuture.org.uk/events/worcester-2014</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;">It will be a welcome return for Junkk.com to the University, as their Research Department were the ones who conducted a highly valuable, positive market survey on the potential of RE:tie commercially a few years' ago.</span></div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-60081582751192398942014-05-07T14:52:00.001+01:002014-05-07T14:52:32.150+01:00An expo a day helps you work, res... no, work is pretty much it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday's Greenlinks event came and went without incident.<br />
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Or much of an audience, sadly. I can't help but feel that few, if anyone, knew it was happening outside a rather select collection of folk. I certainly didn't see any mention in any local media we get.<br />
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But as always quality was on hand to compensate for lack of quantity.<br />
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Certainly the chats I had with fellow exhibitors and those public who did visit were good fun.<br />
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I did notice one thing, and that was the age range, which started at retiree and headed North. Can't see much evidence that 'da yoof' find the environment a pressing concern. However I may be able to play a small part in turning that around, as I was as a consequence of the stand and message(s) invited to present next month at a University of Worcester event.<br />
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Really not much else to report as the exhibition mix was the usual grant bodies, solar guys and that was about it.<br />
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The talk by Simon Crowfoot of ecotricity about the e-Highway was interesting, if as much for what he cheerfully admitted was unknown as some intriguing facts on electric cars and charging them around the UK.<br />
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I had thought Junkk.com's revenue model was doomed by reality, but theirs seems little short of suicidal. Unless all of a sudden everyone does get a Nissan Leaf, in which case I don't give out much hope for the UK's carbon credit status, chances of getting a cuppa during a Bank Holiday travel rush, or out of a motorway service station e-point any time soon if everyone wants their 20min free juice up every 120 miles.<br />
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I am thinking maybe life is more defined by Shank's Pony, and the wisdom of ensuring that whatever you exhibit, make sure one item is a stool.Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-40252565310556509512014-05-02T12:14:00.001+01:002014-05-04T12:22:59.895+01:00EVENT - Health, Wealth and Green Living - The Courtyard Hereford - 6 May<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I should mention that Junkk.com will have a stand, which will look pretty much like the last time we were there:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Certainly caught the eye of event guest Vince Cable, MP.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">There will be new 'reuse' ideas on display of course.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It is also a business networking event, so this time our main thrust will be to seek partnerships to turn creative second use concepts into viable, sustainable profit centres.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">We're especially interested to chat with social enterprises with workforces keen and/or skilled in arts & crafts, to look at synergies for mutual reward. Plus funding agencies or those with complementary talents, such as marketing, sales, business, etc.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>WHAT</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Health, Wealth and Green Living</strong> - Greenlinks Green Biz Event with H&W Chamber of Commerce </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>WHERE</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">- The Courtyard, Hereford, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">HR4 9JR</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>WHEN</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">- on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Tuesday May 6th after work</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Parking</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">: Parking is available. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>TIMING</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">: 6.00pm doors open for the evening until 9pm</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Events/Agenda - </b>From the event PR:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">6.00pm<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Exhibition Opens<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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7.00pm<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Guests to auditorium</div>
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7.15pm<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Welcome from Chamber of Commerce</div>
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Introduction from Henry Jerwood, representing Eco Business West Midlands</div>
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Simon Crowfoot, Ecotricity, including Q&A</div>
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8.30-9.00pm<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Exhibition re-opens</div>
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9.00pm <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Event Close</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This year our guest speaker is <strong>Simon Crowfoot,</strong> MD of Ecotricity's '<strong>Electric Highway</strong>' project which has installed <strong>recharging points for Electric Vehicles in every motorway service station in the UK</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Now that the last obstacle to electrifying our transport system has been removed, we are on the brink of a transport revolution - and the implications for both individuals and businesses are enormous.<br />Come and find out what the issues are, and take a look at some of the exciting <strong>new designs of electric cars </strong>which are about to take over transport in the future!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Tickets for Simon's illustrated talk £5 from The Courtyard Box Office 01432 340 555</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>URL </b>: <a href="http://www.hwchamber.co.uk/events/special-events/green-business-showcase-06-05-2014">http://www.hwchamber.co.uk/events/special-events/green-business-showcase-06-05-2014</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span></span></div>
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Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13989113.post-15862760900643301502014-04-14T12:38:00.000+01:002014-04-14T12:47:05.708+01:00All Good Things Probably Come To An End - Poundland's Neil Ballard DepartingSeveral years ago I had taken a stand a packaging expo.<br />
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Part Junkk.com, part RE:tie, I was 'selling' the notion of designed-in reuse.<br />
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Sadly, considering the investment, both financial and in time, no takers.<br />
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However, there was one small silver lining, and that was in the form a gentleman (in all senses of the word) and his team who stopped by to chat about what I was up to and pushing.<br />
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I thought nothing of it really at the time, beyond enjoying the conversation I had with them.<br />
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Until, later, I got a funny little email from him. Paraphrasing, it read:<br />
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<i>"Hope you don't mind,"</i> he wrote, <i>"but we were so impressed with your concepts, we have decided to put your website URL on the company homepage, and all our packaging."</i><br />
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It marked the start of a great period (check the 'Labels' links to see the back and ongoing story), I hope, for all parties involved in the relationship.<br />
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Certainly Junkk.com benefited and still benefits from a significant signing uptake from those who have bought stuff from Poundland and seen the Junkk.com URL on the packaging.<br />
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However, sadly, in the course of one of our infrequent catch-up chats recently, I have learned that packaging manager Neil Ballard, the man who made all this possible, is moving on.<br />
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And, selfishly, I was also disappointed that he suspected that with him going, so would the mutually-rewarding relationship.<br />
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But it was great, fun and great fun while it lasted.<br />
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I hope all Poundland shoppers who discovered Junkk.com and were inspired by the profile provided by Neil via the packs have enjoyed what they have found... and will stay on to continue doing so.<br />
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But as an era clearly passes, thanks Neil!Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11550976834509947355noreply@blogger.com0