Health Talk Today

Internet

Commercial Overload

Apr 27th, 2012
by Marilyn.
No comments yet

VitaMeataVegaminAds and commercials are more prevalent than ever. I remember reading that at some point, commercials will be incorporated right into TV programs. And to some extent they are. I’m guessing that companies must pay big bucks to have a can of Coke or a box of Tide visible in a movie.

I’ve noticed that on the local news and The Weather Channel, the forcast is brought to you by XYZ company. And often there’s a company logo somewhere on the screen.

I’ve gotten used to waiting for a commercial before I view a video online. I don’t like it and I try not to watch it. But, I can’t figure out how to get around it.

Today, I found a new way for companies to advertise. I entered my username and password to login to a site. Then, I had to ”please verify you are human by following the instructions in the below graphic.” Below the instruction was an image with an ad. The captcha code was at the bottom of the image. And to add insult to injury, the captcha code pertained to the ad. But, at least I could read it. Some of the captcha codes are so cryptic, they’re impossible to interpret.

So, what’s next? We’re being bombarded with ads everywhere we look. And maybe we don’t even consciously see every ad. Do you ever wonder why you grab one product off the shelf instead of another? Could it be the subliminal effect of all this advertising?

What have you noticed about advertising today? Leave a comment with the most clever … or the most annoying advertising you’ve seen.

Marilyn Kvasnok

 

 

Glass Straws

Apr 15th, 2012
by Marilyn.
No comments yet

I’m always looking for ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. So, I was thrilled to find a website selling glass straws. What a great idea!

Glass StrawAnd right now, you can get one for free. Just write a short essay 100-200 words or create a short YouTube video and email it to Glass Dharma by Earth Day, April 22, 2012. The first 1,000 entries will receive a free Glass Dharma glass straw.

I just got mine and I love it already. I was concerned that it would be fragile. Maybe it wouldn’t even survive the shipping. But, you can see from the image that it was very well packed in biodegradable paper … no plastic. And the glass straw is thick and heavy. It’s not going to easily break.

Look close at the photo. The glass straw is in front of the brown box.

The straw was in a long, narrow cardboard box. That box fit into the larger, white box. Also included in the box was a coupon for 15% off to “expand your personal straw collection.”

Why would I need more than one? Browsing thru the Glass Dharma catalog, I learned why I would want others.

• One for each family member.

• Great gift idea.

• They come in different diameters.

• Colored dots make glass straws look festive, color code your drinks and keep the straw from rolling.

Glass Straws with a Bend Glass Straw Diameters Glass Straws with Dots

If you need ideas for your essay, here’s what I wrote …

I love glass straws because they fit right into my lifestyle.I’ve gone from green thumb to living green. After spending 20 years of summers out in the yard – planting flowers and vegetables, watering, weeding and reaping the harvest – I’m now going green with the realization that we need to take care of ourselves, our families and the earth.

So, now I’m into a more natural lifestyle. It didn’t happen overnight. It was a series of little changes that added up to a healthy lifestyle. And it doesn’t stop here. I continue to reevaluate and make little changes. So, it’s true, the only constant is change.

I now recycle more than half of what I throw away. I use very little disposables, like paper towels and plastic wrap. And I’m looking for ways to eliminate even more of what I send to the landfill.

Glass straws are a great idea. One paper or plastic straw in the landfill is insignificant. But imagine if EVERYONE used glass straws! I’m looking forward to getting mine and telling everyone I know. Changing the world, one glass straw at a time!

Marilyn Kvasnok

Ready to enter?
All the details are at: 1000 Free Glass Straws for Earth Day 2012

Have you ever used a glass straw?
Did you enter an essay to get one of 1,000 free glass straws?
Leave a comment with your glass straw experience.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Penguin Cam from SeaWorld San Diego

Mar 18th, 2012
by Marilyn.
3 comments

PenguinsAs caretakers of the earth, we’re responsible for our family and so much more. The choices we make and the things we do, can have far reaching effects. Chemicals we use in our homes. Pesticides that are sprayed on our fruits and vegetables. Hormones and antibiotics that are in our meats and dairy products. They all go somewhere. And they end up in the soil, the rivers, lakes and oceans. We can make a difference by keeping the chemicals out of our environment.

Here’s a site we don’t often get to see. Penguins being penguins.
Keep them safe. Use non-toxic cleaning products.

Frozen Planet airs tonight at 8:00 pm on Discovery Channel.

To switch views, click the “Multiview” button in the gray bar above.
Watch the penguins on land or in the water.
This is live streaming video from SeaWorld San Diego
This video cam is available March and April 2012.

WARNING: Penguin Cam can be addicting!

Do you watch other animal cams? What’s your favorite?
Add a comment with the link and let me know.

Digital Catalog
The products are always safe, always green and always work. Guaranteed.




Marilyn Kvasnok

Comcast Catastrophe

Jan 9th, 2012
by Marilyn.
4 comments

Angry Woman
Early on Friday afternoon, construction workers severed our Comcast cable connection. If you want to know how dependent – and hooked – you are on your cable service, just unplug it for a while. This wasn’t our fault. And it wasn’t Comcast’s fault. The maintenence workers who cut the line were trying to fix a water problem in the neighborhood. But, they just packed it in for the weekend and went home to their cable TV, movies on demand, surfing the web and V O I P phones. The first appointment we could get was Sunday morning. No contact with the outside world for 2 days.

Sunday morning came and went without the cable guy. According to Comcast, there was no Sunday appointment scheduled. But, he could see one on Monday. So, we wait some more. We watched a movie on DVD. We played a game. We even took down the Christmas tree. I was out of patience. I went to McDonald’s to try to get my email. I could send but not receive with their WiFi. So, that was a wasted trip.

But, there was no appointment on Monday either. Now, the appointment is Friday. FRIDAY! That’s a whole week without service. And who keeps changing the appointment? Must be Comcast.

We called and tried to reason with Comcast.

  • It’s a cleanly cut line.
  • It’ll only take 5 minutes to splice it back together.
  • We have disabled people in the house.
  • They have no way to call for help if needed.

But, Comcast wouldn’t make an exception. Time to call in the reserves. We called Mike, who’s in charge of maintenance for the community. Mike offered to call Comcast on our behalf. And Mike got results. Comcast would send someone out today to splice the cable – TODAY!

The cable guy was the nicest, most polite and friendliest technician I’ve met in a long time. He was a far cry from the Comcast customer service reps we’d been dealing with for 3 days. It didn’t take him long and we were back online. He even checked each TV, computer and phone to be sure we were completely online before he left. We owe him and Mike a big thank you for understanding our situation and taking action.

I learned an important lesson from this. Be polite, but be persistent. Be assertive, but not aggressive. And if you can’t resolve the issue, enlist help. There’s always a solution. Sometimes you just have to be creative.

How do you solve problems? Share your experience in a comment.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Good Bye to 2011

Dec 27th, 2011
by Marilyn.
2 comments


Post a comment with your favorite and worst moments of 2011.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

← Earlier Posts