The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a natural insect repellent – one that doesn’t contain the chemical DEET. It’s made from nootkatone, an essential oil found in Alaska yellow cedar trees and citrus fruit. Because it actually kills insects, it can also be used as an environmentally friendly insecticide. Because it’s volatile and breaks down quickly, it won’t contaminate soil or have a high impact on non-target insects, such as bees and butterflies. It’s non-toxic, non-greasy, dries quickly, smells like grapefruit and can be added to soaps and sunscreens. It’s a bug repellent that won’t “bug”.
“Clean the World” is an Orlando-based nonprofit founded in 2009 that recycles many of the 1 million bars of used hotel soap that are thrown away every day. Clean the World started with 80 Orlando hotels and in 2011 signed an agreement with Starwood’s 500 North American hotels for approximately 1.6 million pounds of soap a year. Clean the World provides collection bins to the hotels. The collected soap is taken to 1 of 4 recycling plants, sterilized and turned into 2-ounce bars – 10,000 bars a day. Clean the World then distributes the bars to domestic shelters and more than 40 countries. It’s “one hand washing another”.
When Galia Slayen, an eating disorder survivor, was in high school, she made a life-size Barbie doll as part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. If Barbie were an actual woman, she would be 5’9” tall, have a 39” bust, an 18” waist, 33” hips and a size 3 shoe. Slayen estimates Barbie would weigh 110 pounds and have a body mass index of 16.24 – under 17 being linked to anorexia. Because of her pencil-thin legs and freakishly disproportioned body, Barbie would have to walk on all fours. Obviously, Barbie “toys” with young girls’ perception of beauty.
Retailers have several ideas that are good for them because they get us to spend more money. For example, when there isn’t a dollar sign in front of a price – such as on expensive restaurant menus – we spend more. When 5 items are offered for $5, it’s another way of advertising 1 for $1 – we don’t have to buy all 5 items. Finally, prices ending in 9, 99 or 95 are called “charm prices” because we’ve been culturally conditioned to associate 9-ending prices with better deals. It seems that when we are shopping, there’s buy and there’s “bye”.
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