Net Sieve

Another post for the environment – yeah!

When you think of recycling HDPE (High Density Polyethylene – but you knew that), you probably think of all the plastic that you can you can throw into your recycle bin. But that’s not all there is to it. Some HDPE, such as Virgin HDPE Granules is repurposed before it even gets used. Virgin HDPE comes from scrap plastics left over from the production of many different items. This plastic is called virgin because it was never used or abused and doesn’t have the colors or wear and tear (including possible contaminants) of plastics recycled after their lifetime of service. This is pure, clean plastic that takes color well and can be used for any type of production.

That’s not to suggest that your dutifully recycled HDPE isn’t useful or good – it’s still excellent for many uses – so don’t stop recycling it. It’s just nice to know that a recycled motor oil container won’t be holding your Diet Coke tomorrow. At least I think it’s nice to know. What it will be is possibly a grocery bag or outer packaging material or … well, there are too many to list. So now you know. Just because your recycled plastic may not be “virgin” any longer, it’s still a good time.

You don’t need to have 20 kids or 200 friends and family to figure out that buying birthday cards can get real pricey real fast. And time consuming. Well, forget that because “all life all online” is just getting better and better.

What I’m talking about today is CardsDirect’s online birthday cards. They offer a great assortment of cards (not just birthdays) at prices that are better than most store prices without the hassle of slumping out and picking a card from a disarrayed rack. Plus you can personalize the cards right online. You can even bulk up and save time and money by planning ahead and having your cards ready.

If you’re a mom, you know what a time saver this is just for birthday cards. But think about all the thank you cards you’d like to send (or knew you should have sent but didn’t have the time to get one). Mothers – for some reason – are expected to remember every holiday or otherwise important day and be there with the appropriate sentiment. What are you Super Mom now? Well, you can be with CardsDirect.

Here’s a sample card that’s one of my favorites:

OK, now you’ve saved time, made those special people happy, remembered to pick the kids up from wherever … wouldn’t some fresh-baked bread be nice?

Can’t say I’ve seen this freeware before – hope you have some bitchin’ use for it:

The program “Satellite Antenna Alignment” is used to calculate the angles necessary for installing satellite dishes. The main difference from similar software is the possibility to calculate the position for all satellites at once. Thus, you get a clear picture about what satellites can be physically visible from the location where the dish will be installed. It should be kept in mind that the program makes a purely theoretical calculation according to formulas and in real circumstances a lot of additional factors should be taken into account when a satellite dish is installed. These factors include various obstacles (buildings, trees), the landscape, the altitude, transponder orientation, polarization, etc.

Anyone may use this software free of charge for private, non-commercial usage. Knock your satellite selves out.

How cool is it to live in New York? Well, however cool you thought it was, it just got cooler with the Dial7 limousine service.

Never worry about the weather or traffic again with your own personal car service featuring hundreds of classy and comfortable vehicles available 24 hours a day, with door-to-door service 7 days a week. Get where you’re going in a limo, a discreet sedan, or a rugged van when winter hits the roads.

All you have to do is dial 7 sevens to call up limousine service LaGuardia, Manhattan, New Jersey, New York City, JFK, Brooklyn – the whole Tri-State area. Forget parking. Ride in style with your own safe and courteous driver.

While we’re on the topic of free things …

Duane Shinn, who allegedly has “more fun teaching piano than should be legal,” is offering free course of Piano lessons & piano chords. Just sign up for the newsletter and you’ll get 101 free lessons in your inbox. They arrive about every five days, so you have time to practice before the next one comes in.

And if you like what you hear, Duane has tons more available. You can learn jazz, gospel, improvisation and more. Have fun!

Now this is something I can totally get on board with … Books on Board has an incredible selection of nearly 200,000 ebooks from major publishers and small presses at hard to believe prices. No matter what your preferred format – Adobe pdf, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, or Palm/ereader, BoB has it.

Their genre list is quite impressive as well. You can find some of the best Horror, Mystery, Thriller and Romance Authors represented here. They also have a great selection of non fiction titles, too, including Self Help, Business, Sports, Spiritual and Textbooks.

Oh, and you get these great prices with no membership fees. Sweet.

One of the best parts of technical innovation is when the technology reaches the living and working space. If you need an example of what I mean, take a look at the Workbenches from Formaspace. I really dig the layout of their LAN stations, which you can have customized to fit your tech needs.

Formaspace focuses on serving the technical, drafting, industrial, laboratory, and material handling fields by providing unique and indispensable furniture, accessories, and services.

Mmm … Maple tool benches.

If you’re looking for some glitter for a hard to shop for friend this season – and something that shows you care, you should look into the personalized Medical Alert bling at American Medical ID.

This isn’t your standard medical bracelet. They have they have bracelets, medallions and necklaces in sterling silver, 10Kt gold-filled, 10Kt and 14Kt gold in a number of fashionable styles. You get free engraving of medical information, such as conditions, prescribed medication, allergies, and emergency contacts with your purchase.

What a nice way to show your love.

I’m not sure what car insurance laws and regulations are like in the UK, but it’s good to see that there are options for online service there as well as in the States. I haven’t walked into an insurance agent’s office in … wow, over a year and a half and that includes my home insurance and my life insurance.

I can’t help but believe this ability to do so much of the process online accounts for so much of the savings on policies that are out there now. Even though I hold the above three policies at three different companies, I’m saving more than I used with an off-line company that gave me two out of the three.