Don't Just Recycle -- Freecycle!

The problem: Junk everywhere. And nowhere to put it but the landfill.

The solution: A communal approach that shows that one household's junk is another's salvation.

The "How-to" from Annabelle Gurwitch, from Planet Green’s Wasted television show and treehugger.com:

"The concept of 'freecycling' has exploded in recent years, especially with the website freecycle.org. You go there and type in where you live and what you need to get rid of -- it could be a baby crib you no longer need or a set of old golf clubs.

Once you've posted the availability of items, you could get dozens of responses from people near you who need them. Then, you put it on your curb and it's gone!

I worked with one woman who had a ceiling fan and aquarium to get rid of. She was ready to pay for a salvage company to pick them up. I steered her toward freecycling instead, and she got 20 responses in one day. And she was able to get baby clothes that she needed from a mom whose child had outgrown them.

I have gotten rid of our child's crayons and magic markers doing this -- someone had a day-care business and needed them."

[via USA Weekend]

Don't Toss Those Leftovers -- Use Them

What’s in your refrigerator right now? Leftovers from dinner at a Chinese restaurant? Yesterday’s pasta? A few stalks of broccoli?

Before you throw out all this, thing about combining these "orphans" into another tasty while they are still good. After all, a smart way to save on groceries is to efficiently use what you buy.

Get creative. Have a bit of coleslaw? Use it to top a turkey sandwich. Extra cooked or raw vegetables? Tuck them into salads, omelets, casseroles. One broccoli stalk won't feed two people, but you can add other veggies and a protein (beef, chicken, tofu) for a tasty stir-fry.

Surf for more ideas. Two sites in particular -- wastedfood.com and lovefoodhatewaste.com -- offer lots of food for thought.

[via USA Weekend]

New Year's Resolutions

It's time once again to make resolutions for the new year. Here are some technology-related resolutions you may wish to consider:

1. Check out electronic business reference sources available at the Troy Public Library

Researching businesses and stocks? We subscribe to many comprehensive business databases, including ValueLine, Morningstar, Standard & Poor's Net Advantage, thestreet.com and Mergent Online. Need to find information about a particular industry? Check out Plunkett Research Online. Looking for contact information for a particular business? Try Reference USA. You can access these databases by clicking the "Information on Demand" icon on the Library's homepage.

2. Use research databases available from the Troy Public Library
Everything from full text articles from Consumer Reports, Time, and Newsweek to Environmental Nutrition, Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, and Mathematics Education Research Journal can be found in databases from the Library (all of these publications can be found in Academic OneFile). You can access these databases by clicking the "Information on Demand" icon on the Library's homepage.

3. Check out an eBook or eAudiobook
The Troy Public Library subscribes to two services (NetLibrary and OverDrive) that provide downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks. You can access these services here. Try them out! (Note: first-time NetLibrary users will need to register for an account in the Library).

4. Use snopes.com
Before sending money to Nigeria, deleting JDBGMGR.exe, using Listerine to kill mosquitoes, or other things that forwarded emails tell you to do, check out snopes.com. Snopes is a site the debunks urban legends and misinformation that often comes in emails. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true in an email, it probably is.

5. Keep your anti-virus software updated
Anti-virus software is only as good as its last update. Make sure your software is current so that your computer is completely protected. Also, be sure to scan your computer on a regular basis.

6. Use an RSS reader
Do you get frustrated when you check out a favorite blog, and there is no new information? Instead of wasting time checking sites to see if they have been updated, have the updates sent to you automatically by using an RSS reader. For more information, check out this video.

7. Recycle or donate old electronic equipment
So you bought a new computer, printer, cell phone, etc...? What are you going to do with the old one? Instead of throwing it away, consider donating or recycling it.

SOCRRA Now Recycles CDs, DVDs, and Tapes

SOCRRA – the municipal corporation that coordinates recycling in Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Troy – now accepts CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and cassettes for recycling at its Drop-Off Center, 995 Coolidge in Troy, between 14 and 15 Mile Roads. The Center is open Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 6:00 pm, and on Saturday, 7:00 am - 2:00 pm.