Red Products

What RED Is

(RED) was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT)RED branded products. A percentage of each (PRODUCT)RED product sold is given to

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The Global Fund. The money helps women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.
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What's the meaning of the parentheses or brackets? Well, we call them "the embrace." Each company that becomes (RED) places its logo in this embrace and is then elevated to the power of red. Thus the name -- (PRODUCT)RED.
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You, the consumer, can take your purchase to the power of (RED) simply by upgrading your choice. Thus the proposition: (YOU)RED. Be embraced, take your own fine self to the power of (RED). What better way to become a good-looking samaritan?!
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The Lazarus Effect

Thanks to the Global Fund and (RED) money that you've helped generate with your (RED) purchase, an extremely effective medicine to treat HIV is becoming widely available to people in Africa. And it's as simple as two pills a day. It's so effective, in fact, it can return a person to vibrant health in about 60 days. Choose (RED) to make an impact.

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The (Red) Manifesto

All things being equal, they are not...

Note: read more on the webpage, it's copyrighted...

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The Global Fund

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was established in 2002 with the support of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the world's leaders, to dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases. Since its creation, the Global Fund has become the dominant financer of programs to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, with $10 billion invested in 136 countries...

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MEASU(RED) RESULTS

The Global Fund has selected established grants with sound performance to receive money raised through (RED). To date, (RED) partners have generated more than $60 million for the Global Fund. No overhead is taken out of these funds – 100% of this money flows to Global Fund financed AIDS grants in Ghana, Rwanda, Swaziland and Lesotho. In these countries this money is helping to finance comprehensive national HIV/AIDS programs led by the ministries of health, to provide antiretroviral treatment for children and adults, to assist in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, as well as essential counseling and testing activities to reduce the overall risk of HIV transmission.

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Webpage for Red Products: www.joinred.com/products/gap/ or shop here:

www.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=16591&tid=gpvan011

Note: not all the tee-shirts are red, actually only one of them is - for Women & Men

Art Car Parade

Saturday - May 10, 2008
9:00 - 1:00
Art Car Tailgater

See the entries up close and learn about the vehicles from the artists themselves as they line up along Allen Parkway, Taft to Shepherd before the parade.

Saturday - May 10, 2008 1:00-3:00
The 21st Annual HOUSTON ART CAR PARADE
More than 250 art car creations


Starts at Taft and Allen Parkway inbound towards downtown, left on Bagby and around Heritage Society, back down Allen Parkway outbound and ends at Shepherd.

Saturday May 10, 2008 3:30-6:30
Party on the Green


Art Car Awards Ceremony and Celebration -follows the parade, Art Cars can travel to the Discovery Green, Houston's new downtown park, for an artists' party featuring live music...
The 2008 Parade Winners will be announced from the main stage at 6:00 pm

The 260+ art cars will be competing for awards in the following 14 categories:

Mayor’s Cup
Parade Participants’ Choice
People's Choice
Best Art Cars (4) - decorated, embellished or augmented 4 or more wheeled vehicles.
Judges select 4 winners in the Best Art Car category.
Best Contraption—carts, chariots, constructions, couches, lawnmowers, wagons, wheelchairs,
wheeled sculptures, oversized inchworms...
Best Cycle—decorated uni-, bi-, tri-cycle, motorized or not, includes scooters.
Whole Foods 365 Daily Driver—art car used as a daily means of transportation.
Best Lowrider—painted, hydraulic, chopped.
Best Music—ensemble on decorated vehicle or marching band.
Best Painted—painted or airbrushed.
Best Performance—show on wheels.
Best Political Statement—political overtones, overt or otherwise.
Greg Blankenship Skater Award — best decorated group or individual on skates.
Carruth Youth Award - Best Entry by Youth Group—created by 4 or more under age 18.

Webpage: http://www.orangeshow.org/

or http://www.artcarmuseum.com/

or read more at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Art_Car_Parade

or even more at: www.americantowns.com/tx/houston/news/2008-houston-art-car-parade-93163

The Green Way to Dump Electronic Junk

Article from:

Toxic Trade News/ 21 April 2008

The 'green' way to dump electronic junk

Are you trying to rid your house of unwanted technology?
Here's help by Jennifer Alsever (MSNBC contributor), MSNBC

David Best, president of Prism Software, unloads a truck full of old computer equipment during an e-cycling event near the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.©Dawn Villella / AP

21 April 2008 – Erik Hodne's Denver basement contains two computers, two printers, a stereo receiver, two VCRs, six cell phones, three cordless phones and two Palm Pilots.
Hodne is not a collector, and the machines carry no sentimental value. But like most Americans, Erik can't figure out what to do with his old tech trash. The 36-year-old surgical tools salesman considered selling some of the items, but he hasn't had time to figure out how much they're worth or how to erase the machines of any personal information.

"I feel guilty throwing them in the trash," said Hodne. "I have got this big 36-inch TV. It's huge. What am I going to do with this thing? Chances are it will go the basement until one day I can figure out what to do with all this stuff."

Millions of Americans are equally perplexed when it comes to disposing of old technology. Between 1980 and 2005, 180 million electronic products accumulated in storage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And in 2005, Americans tossed an estimated 1.5 million tons of computers, TVs, scanners, printers, faxing machines and cell phones into the trash.

The piles of e-waste will undoubtedly grow in coming months, as the switch to digital television looms. Starting in February 2009, broadcasters will no longer use analog signals, which means an analog TV that works fine today will be rendered useless without a digital converter box or a subscription to cable or satellite service.

The government has issued discount coupons for people to buy digital converter boxes from electronic retailers, and set up a Web site to answer questions about the digital TV switch, recycling and buying energy-efficient TVs.

So what do you do with your unwanted technology?

Reselling, Donating, Recycling...Choose Carefully

Recycling

Recycling can save energy and valuable resources, including the mining of precious metals and the manufacturing new plastics. Yet most people do not know where to take their equipment. There are more options than you might realize.

You can go to the EPA site for a list of manufacturers and technology companies that offer recycling and links to their programs.

Waste Management, the $13 billion garbage collection company, is planning to expand aggressively into recycling electronics. The company joined Sony last year to open 75 recycling drop-off sites, and the two companies ultimately plan to open 1,000 locations within 20 miles of 95 percent of the population. “We see it as a huge opportunity in the next three to five years and beyond,” said Waste Management’s Richard Abramowitz. The drop-off centers will recycle Sony products at no cost to consumers. The sites will charge $5 to $50, depending on the market area and size of the equipment, to recycle other brands. To find the nearest drop-off center, you can call 877-439-2795.

Staples recycles laptops, printers, monitors, computers and fax machines at its 1,400 stores for $10 each. The retailer also accepts peripherals like computer mice, keyboards, cell phones, PDAs and rechargeable batteries for free.

Dell Inc. also offers free recycling of Dell branded products with no purchase required and will recycle other branded products with the purchase of a new Dell computer. You can check out their options at Dell's recycling Web site.

You can drop off your old cell phones off at AT&T stores and cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink cartridges at Best Buy stores. Motorola’s recycling program lets you print prepaid shipping labels online and send in any brand cell phone to be recycled. Participating K-12 schools can earn money for each phone returned. The Collective Good will also collect and recycle your old cell phone.

Read the rest at the webpage link: http://ban.org/ban_news/2008/080421_green_way_to_dump_electronic_junk.html

Or go to http://www.staples.com/ & click on their "Eco-Easy" link & then again at Recycling Made Easy

Or go to: E-bay to look up the Rethink Initiative

Or call 1-800GotJunk or go to www.1800GotJunk.com

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Note: I have an old printer/scanner that I'm going to take to be recyled at Staples here in Houston, TX...though I may have to pay a recycle fee, something like 10 bucks, it will be worth it - until more is being done to recycle computer parts here in Houston (there are other places in Texas, for example: Dallas or Austin or San Antonio) & one day it may all become free, or better yet they pay you?! Hah!! :o)

Divine Chocolate

Our Mission and Fair Trade

The mission of Divine Chocolate is to improve the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa by establishing their own dynamic chocolate brand.

We strive to:

=Make a quality and affordable range of Fair Trade chocolate bars accessible to chocolate lovers everywhere.
=Raise awareness of Fair Trade issues among retailers and consumers of all age groups.
=Be highly visible and vocal in the chocolate sector and thereby act as a catalyst for change.

What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade aims to build dignified trading relationships between consumers in the

North and producers in developing countries. This involves changing the way that conventional international trade works, so that:
=producers receive a guaranteed price for their goods, and the security of long-term trading contracts
=producers benefit from guaranteed minimum health and safety conditions
=producers, their workplace and the environment are not exploited
=strong democratic businesses with real participation develop
=leadership development with gender equity is fostered
=education and training opportunities for producers, especially women, are actively promoted.

Webpage: www.divinechocolateusa.com/

Note: They have 70% Dark Chocolate, just bought a bar at Ten Thousand Villages here in Rice Village - Houston, TX - will report on the taste next chance I get?! Yum...it's good for you too, really it is?! ;o)

Also check out their Webpage: www.tenthousandvillages.com/

Gratitude Sign

The Gratitude Sign

Ever wonder how to say thank you when you see a military person in uniform?

See a simple way to do it from across a room or as you are passing by, say in an airport...

Please click on either of the links below to see a short movie about making "The Gratitude Sign"

Webpage: www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

YouTube: www.youtube.com/gratitudecampaign