What to do with those plastic packing peanuts: Okay, so I decided to shop online and the boxes have started to arrive. Which led me to wonder what to do with all those plastic peanut packing things. It appears there’s a trade association called the Plastic Loose Fill Packaging Council and they run the Peanut Hotline, 800-828-2214, which is the national reuse program for plastic packing peanuts. No kidding. There are over 1,500 collection sites in the US. Use the database on their website to find one close to you. Here’s some more about packing peanuts.
(I wonder if there is a Bubble Wrap Council.)
(via: ResourceShelf)
The other Rex’s list is growing ever longer: Rex Sorgatz’s 2005 version of his annual list of lists is proof enough that this whole year-end list thing is out of control. However, as he explained to me recently, there’s something intriguing about them.
Quote:
“In the process of becoming a listophile, I’ve evolved a two-part theory about the motivations behind our ineluctable desire to make lists.
First off, we live in a culture where events fly by so fast that history never has time to establish itself. (VH1’s “Best Week Ever” is the personification of this — a week is as far back as we can see, and pop culture events from three days ago already feel like ancient history.) Lists allow us to peer back with the context goggles on.
Secondly, with this surfeit of media and culture reportage, lists allow people to establish an identity. By saying “These Are The 10 Best Albums of 2005,” you’re allowed to declare some ownership over this vast culture machine that spits out much more than we can possibly consume. In that sense, making a list is a little like starting a blog — it’s an attempt to take back the media and recontextualize it as your own.”
Technorati Tags: lists
When the weather guy blogs: One of the things I love about Nashville is that it’s just far enough north to get a snowfall a couple times each winter (or as I say, “Just enough snow for people to believe they can drive in it but not enough for them to actually know how.”) I guess because I grew up where it never snowed, I’m still awed by it.
However, snow is still the exception here. And usually (at least in my memory) it’s more likely to snow in late January and early February than in December. In other words, it snows here on Christmas about as often as Vanderbilt beats the University of Tennessee in football. So that means, we’re due.
Personally, I don’t hold out much hope that this will be the year it snows on Christmas, but, still, when did that stop people from talking about the weather. This afternoon, one of WKRN’s meteorologists, Davis Nolan, made a post on the station’s weather weblog, NashvilleWX.com that displays not only how hard it is to predict snow three days out, but also how a weblog can be used to provide a deeper discussion and examination of a specific story.
Bottom line on the prediction, however: It definitely may, or may not, snow on Christmas.
Technorati Tags: nashville
Bye magazine: It’s not often that the launch or
suspension of a custom magazine is newsworthy, but when it’s published
for the U.S. State Department for an audience of Arab youth, it’s
significant enough to gain media coverage beyond the
rexblog.
This afternoon, the State
Department announced it is suspending publication and conducting a
review of its Arabic language magazine, ‘Hi,’ to assess whether the
magazine is meeting its objectives effectively.” “During the period of
this review, the print version of ‘Hi’ magazine will be suspended.” The
magazine’s Web site, himag.com, will remain active
during the period.
(rexblog flashback: Hi Magazine
announcement: 3/22/2003.
Disclosure: I am a friendly competitor (and friends) with the folks who
publish Hi.)
Technorati Tags: magazines, custom publishing
Folio: magazine looks back, forward: In a twist on the prediction thing, Folio: Magazine asked everyone who’s ever read a magazine to make industry predictions for 2006. I predict some of this will happen and some won’t. Also, I’m honored to be included in Folio:’s 2005 year-in-review for my serial do-goodness (September 6). By the way, I think the folks mentioned in the May 17 entry do have better things to do…and I hope they are amused by the shout-out — at least some folks are listening to what they (we) have to say.
Technorati Tags: magazines
Gee, Dawna won: I just ran across an item about Martha Stewart’s version of the Apprentice having its finale last night. And Dawna, who goes way back here on the rexblog, won. The magazine publisher from Tampa. Go figure. (Nadine Heintz, on the Inc.com weblog, says the episode was blah.)
Second quote of the day: Scott Adams is concerned that he’s listed among the “Most Influential Management Thinkers in the World” (he’s #12, right below Richard Branson).
Quote:
“I’m not entirely sure who I’m influencing with my world-class management thinking, but it can’t be a good thing….Still, I have to admit I’m feeling quite heady from this honor, and already planning my next management influence. I think I’ll see if I can influence all managers to dress as Ronald McDonald based on the theory that a happy workforce is a productive one. If this doesn’t put me in the top ten Influential Management Thinkers by next year, I can honestly say that I don’t know what will.”
Technorati Tags: humor, dilbert
For the home folk: Some guides to Christmas decorations can be found here and here. Unfortunately, on of the area’s most legendary over-the-top displays is taking a vacation this year.
Tragic: Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy’s son, 18, found dead in Tampa suburb. As a father and as a longtime admirer of Tony Dungy, my heart aches for him.
Quote of the day: Rogers Cadenhead says, “I’m nine years into the profession of computer book authorship and still waiting for my first groupie. We might be the category of authors with the lowest adoring-fan to copies-sold ratio in publishing.”
Technorati Tags: publishing
