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Libertad's Journal

libertad
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12/12/2010 19:48 #53250

Bubble wrap and packaging peanuts
Does anyone want any of this? I think I might put it on craigslist. I really do not have enough room to keep hoarding everything. I also have a garbage bag full of plastic grocery containers that are not recyclable in Buffalo yet. I think I might have to hold them until April when the recycling changes occur.

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tinypliny - 12/12/10 21:54
What is a Woop Woop - are they suede shiraz-coloured dancing shoes all the way from Australia?!

12/06/2010 19:52 #53219

Dying to go back to the gym!
I can't wait to start working out again. This was only 15months ago and I had much better muscle tone and definition. I couldn't afford the gym membership and now I am really dying to go back. Hopefully the gym I want to go with will give me a reasonable deal when I sign up after the holidays. If not, I'm out.

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I also can't wait to go see my fam in FL. My skins is dying for some sunlight. Psoriasis hates the sun. At the same time I love shade and dark shadows.

tinypliny - 12/09/10 03:25
LOL You may be lazy, but I am SUPER-lazy - so I guess I might as well ditch all the yoga plans. I looked at all those pictures they have up on their Bikram yoga site (yes, this is the "hot one") and just looking at them gives me a complex. How can 20 people in the same room all have "the perfectly sculpted body"?! They say that no experience or flexibility is required but I think that is a way of reassuring people rather than the truth... My brother can easily stand on his head for more than 10 minutes and he calls himself a "beginner". yeah right.
mike - 12/08/10 23:49
me and my friend jill kinda got embarassed/forced out of a bikram yoga class (that is the hot one right?). I felt super overwhelmed cuz everyone else was so good but at the same time we are kinda lazy people to begin with so we prolly wouldn't have stuck to it very long anyway.
tinypliny - 12/06/10 21:31
I am thinking that yoga/hip-hop fitness could help me with better dancing form in salsa. One of my salsa instructors does yoga and the other does hip hop and both are perfect dancers. I could just watch them in wonder for an infinite period of time...
tinypliny - 12/06/10 21:28
I am considering joining bikram yoga classes at Evolation Yoga studio on Elmwood & Delevan... but I am dilly-dallying because it doesn't seem as appealing as more salsa and hip hop...

11/27/2010 21:44 #53172

Mason Pearson Brush
I want this brush so bad. It only costs $130 and (e:mike) won't let me have it.

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Why settle for an ordinary hairbrush when you can have one that will give you a lustrous, healthier head of hair every time you use it? Mason Pearson handcrafts this brush with a blend of the finest boar and nylon bristles. Special spiral tufts draw your hair’s natural oils along the entire length of the hair shaft for added strength and a healthy shine. The pneumatic cushion stimulates the scalp without irritation. True, this brush is expensive, but it's worth every penny.
Features a combination of natural boar bristles and nylon bristles, and a pneumatic cushion
Handcrafted in England since 1885
8½" long.
Mason Pearson hairbrush stimulates the scalp and creates lustrous hair.


libertad - 12/06/10 22:05
I use coconut oil a lot now. On my hair and skin with good results. I haven't tried any of the other things you suggested. I really just want a good brush and this one seems to be it. If anyone knows of a brush that has the same qualities but are cheaper, please let me know.

So far nobody has convinced me that I don't want this brush.

tinypliny - 12/06/10 21:39
Hmmm... have you ever tried massaging your scalp with coconut oil and then conditioning with either:

-- Henna mixed into a paste with water (will colour you hair reddish brown...) or
-- Moong-dal powder mixed into a paste with water or
-- Fenugreek seed powder paste with water
-- Indian gooseberry (amla) paste (I don't think you can get this here, though...)

All three are excellent for scalp stimulation and promoting an exceptionally silky dense hair growth.

100% boar hair bristles are found in many cheaper brushes in the market. I think they can easily be a replacement for this costly one. I think its the vintage nature of the brush and probably the brand name that is pushing up the markup on the one you posted.
libertad - 11/28/10 13:32
I know someone who has this brush and she loves it. I really like this scalp massager I have and would imagine this brush would feel so great. Obviously, I don't have much hair so I am looking for the scalp stimulation. These are new brushes not antiques...that would be kind of gross unless you just wanted to display it. I found them on Amazon for $90. There are a lot of things I need to do with my money before I can justify making this purchase!
paul - 11/28/10 11:49
Can it really work? Is it so expensive because its an antique or are they still produced? I am pretty sure they did not have nylon in 1885.

11/15/2010 22:12 #53108

Goodbye Marion
My friend Marion died last week. Her memorial service was at our Buddhist community center on Saturday. Every time I saw Marion she always encouraged me and gave me her undivided attention. I really am going to miss her and her amazing spirit.

This photo really shows how high of a life condition she had right up until the last breath. Her type of breast cancer was particularly painful as it ate away all of her chest. It was like being burned alive very slowly. In this picture she was on Morphine and Methadone. Despite this she was so alert and so determined to overcome her illness. When her doctor told her that she only had two weeks left (at the time of this photo), she fired her doctor.

I dreaded going to the memorial service. It turned out to not be as painful as I thought it would be and at one point it really felt like she was sitting next to me with her arm around me. When she died in her daughters house, all of the lights and cell phones went dead. I'm really not surprised considering the amount of energy she had stored up. Marion has six, very loved children.
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libertad - 12/06/10 20:26
I love this picture, I miss Marion.
leetee - 11/18/10 11:25
Condolences, (e:Libertad). I agree, she was lucky to have you as a friend. Anyone who has you as a friend is lucky.

Thanks for sharing some of who Marion was with us. Uplifting to see someone face the ending stages of life with such grace and bravery.
lilho - 11/17/10 13:32
she was lucky to have you as a friend.
libertad - 11/17/10 10:36
Awe thanks guys. I just wanted to put this up to share with you all how great she was. If the person we were posing for sends me the pic I'll add it to the blog. I hope she does.
mrmike - 11/16/10 22:07
Condolences, Dave
heidi - 11/16/10 21:50
I'm sorry for your loss, (e:libertad).
metalpeter - 11/16/10 18:50
I should say something but not sure what to say really other then sorry for your loss......
matthew - 11/16/10 09:18
Sorry for your loss, (e:libertad)
tinypliny - 11/15/10 22:57
She looks like a brave, energetic and beautiful woman! I am sure her life touched many many people in several ways. Death is never an end.

11/04/2010 10:37 #53054

Recycling changes
I'm very excited about the new changes to the recycling program for city residents. Especially the fact that they will be expanding what we are able to recycle. I'm hoping that the city will try a bit harder at education this time, as I really can't believe the kind of crap people are putting in their recycling bins. Below is the latest from Buffalo News.



Changes to city recycling program include pickup every two weeks

By Brian Meyer

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
November 4, 2010, 12:00 AM





Get ready for an extreme makeover of Buffalo’s recycling program.

The Common Council voted, 7-1, Wednesday to approve a five-year contract that includes major changes in recycling practices.

Next spring, the city will distribute new 65-gallon totes to every property. The larger containers will replace those tiny blue bins that property owners have used since the program was implemented citywide in 1990.

The city also will reduce recycling pickups to every two weeks. Currently, recyclables are picked up every week.

Another big change will involve Buffalo’s move to “single-stream” recycling, which will allow people to toss more types of items into their new totes. Crews will not have to perform curbside separation chores.

The new plan is built into a contract that lawmakers approved at Wednesday’s meeting. Allied Waste Services, the city’s current recycling vendor, submitted the lowest of three bids. The city will pay Allied $1.2 million and will absorb the costs of buying new totes.

Crews will begin distributing the totes in April or May, so the conversion will not take place during snowy weather, Public Works Commissioner Steven J. Stepniak said.

Even some Council members who back the changes acknowledged that the city faces challenges. Majority Leader Richard A. Fontana said it will be tough for some people to remember which weeks they are supposed to recycle.

“You have one person on the street who puts it out [the wrong week], then you’ll have a whole street put it out because they saw someone’s tote out,” Fontana said.

He thinks the city should distribute calendars that would stick to the top of people’s totes. Stepniak said a number of strategies will be used to make sure people understand the changes, including an aggressive public education campaign.

“It’s worked in other communities, and I think our residents are just as sharp as other communities,” Stepniak said after the meeting. “We can make this work.”

Some lawmakers worry that homeowners who have small lots won’t have enough space to accommodate two totes. Properties already have one city-owned trash container.

Will crews continue to pick up recyclables that are placed in the little blue bins? Stepniak said problems will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Voting against the contract was South Council Member Michael

P. Kearns, who said there are too many unanswered questions. Kearns wanted the city to consider taking back operation of the recycling program, which was privatized in 2003. Stepniak said such a move would not be cost-efficient.

In other Council action, lawmakers unanimously adopted a resolution that encourages waterfront planners to consider building a state-of-the-art Great Lakes-themed aquarium on the Memorial Auditorium site. Advocates believe the attraction would be a catalyst for attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and new businesses to the inner harbor.



bmeyer@buffnews.com



james - 11/28/10 02:41
HA! Ironically Kearns introduced a resolution looking into single-stream recycling. This is hilarious.

I could chime in on the privatized v. public issue, but with Buffalo so many of her city-run programs are run by appointees who are completely incompetent. Stepniak is one of the few good commissioners the mayor has appointed but at this point I would say the city is better off giving money away to private companies who know what they are doing than being mismanaged by idiots who are appointed.

At least with private companies their contract comes up for renewal. We got rid of American Anglican Water after years of fuck ups but it takes elections to get rid of people that are in charge of hundreds of thousands of dollars. And in this town elections don't change as much as they should so...
libertad - 11/06/10 09:53
Keeping the recycling privatized at this point seems like the only option. We don't have money to be idealists with everything. It is great to go to twice a week pick up because all of those trucks driving around picking up recycles is kind of counterproductive.

I also thought about whether they would allow the old recycling bins to be recycled. My guess is that they will allow it under new recycling rules. Maybe my building will start recycling now since there will be new totes.
leetee - 11/05/10 10:07
Being able to recycle more items is a blessing. The wee blue bin in the corner of our kitchen pantry gets full enough, so i am glad for bigger totes.
matthew - 11/05/10 09:33
I like the idea of using the bigger 65 gallon totes. I hope they have lids. That should help with the litter problem around the city.
tinypliny - 11/05/10 09:02
Just read this - thanks for the email. :-) I don't know whether I should be excited or not... It's 1.2 million given out by politicians to a private party. The political cynic in me wonders if this will be just about distributing those shiny new totes and forgeting about it or actually doing something with existing infrastructure. Those new totes will also be made of plastic. What happens to all the old ones then? Will they be recycled? New things are not always an answer to minimalistic recycling. Maybe I am being too doubting.
libertad - 11/04/10 20:40
I'm really hoping that this will cure my worst OCD behavior. Out of sight out of mind? I think that twice a week pick up is a great idea. It is such a waste to be doing it every single week.
mike - 11/04/10 19:16
now you can't judge other people curbside bins! maybe it will lessen your recycling insanity!