Santa Goes Solar...Kind Of!

Although I might have a creative mind...when it comes to real-world application of said creativity...I sometimes miss the mark. This is my attempt of a solar panel on my gingerbread house.

Five Days Until Green Christmas

Why not swing down to your local thrift store, or purge your own closet and make a clock out some really cool vintage stuff. Swing over to Clockworks to pick up a clock kit, then you're off!



Have a few records laying around the house? Then try making a unique business card holder for the green-person in your life this Christmas/Chanukah! If you don't feel like making one, then for $30, you can pick it up HERE!

Lastly...stop wasting energy! Check out this new Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector. (Link is to one of my favorite new sites!) This looks like something that would keep me occupied for hours.

Green Christmas...Redneck Style

Going 'green' isn't just for progressive people who see the importance of conserving our natural resources while leveraging technology for the better good of the ENTIRE WORLD! No...even some of my family and friends who now claim to be "born again rednecks" can get into the Green!

Here's how it works. After watching your favorite NASCAR driver navigate in what must be a very difficult continuous left-banked circle and waste gallons of fuel and oil...take the empty box left over from your favorite beer and make this hat!

Or you can click HERE to buy one! PS 90's goatee optional!

Iraqi Medical Center Goes Green

In a country where four-six hours of continuous power is rare, The Ameriya Clinic in Baghdad now has continuous power. It's source...SOLAR power. Why doesn't the entire Middle East use solar? Everytime I've been in Iraq it has been hot and sunny!

Here is the link to the TV story over on AFNEurope

What Is Wrong With This?

So I went out and bought some re-usable bags and this is what I got.

What is the deal with this. Isn't the purpose of these great green bags to not have to use the plastic bags? Only at AAFES...your friendly shoping store. Thanks. Does anyone else see the humor in this?

On the flip side...these bags are huge. You can almost fit an entire shopping trip into one bag. The even better news...I hope you think this is better news...I'm going to send one of these bags to one of you. Fingers crossed...it just might be you!

44 Days Until Green Christmas - Refurbished Computers

I've decided to help all of my friends out by recommending "green" Christmas gift ideas. So, with this post...I officially welcome you to AFNBroadcaster's Green Christmas Countdown 2008. Some of the ideas will be things you'll have to buy and others...maybe you could make yourself. In fact, I will try to make them first. Ofcourse, I'll take plenty of pics.

If you're like me...you want a new laptop for Christmas. My laptop blew up shortly after leaving Iraq...My summer vacation home. Since this time, we bought my oldest son a Macbook, and he in return gave my youngest son his super-fast desktop computer. So now...everyone has a computer...except me. I did however reuse some parts of my now defunk laptop. I purchased a Rosewill external hard drive case and put my old hard drive in it. There was a lot of cool stuff on that drive...and it is till mine. :)

So I stumbled upon a post on Digg and read an interesting article on why you should buy a refurbished computer. I was sold after reading the first fact on why we should buy a refurbished computer. The facts really do speak for themselves.

Fact #1: The economy is busted right now. One of the sticking points
people have with refurbished laptops is that they may not be getting
top-of-the-line performance and features. While this is usually true, it is
important to seriously analyze your computing needs and determine what you
really need vs. what you really want. For example, in a recent Question of the
Day, I asked Giz readers whether
they really need a $1000 laptop. Out of nearly 9000 votes, 42%
responded "No", 21% responded "Yes, but only because I like to have the best of
everything", and 19% responded "Yes, but only because I am unwilling to
sacrifice on the OS." Basically, this implies that many of us are buying more
laptop than we really need

I can't remember the last time I paid full price for anything. This is not only a green way to shop...but for my pocketbook...the right way to shop. You should read the rest of the article.
Why You Should Buy a Refurbished Laptop

Green Christmas List...Continues

I LOVE TO BBQ. I can't think of too many things I don't like to throw on my BBQ. I've also upgraded my BBQ to a Weber Genesis. Now I have even more reason to throw pieces of meat and fresh veg onto my piping hot grill until they get a nice and charred. YUMMY! My current home in Italy has motion detecting lights outside with compact fluorescent lamps. This makes me happy, but they really don't help me out around the magic-making area...my Weber! So, I'd like to add this fantastic item to my Green Christmas list. A must for all men.

This is a solar-powered, LED BBQ grill light. At $58, I think it is a pretty good bargin. I guess the only thing to talk about now is Charcoal v. Propane? I'm a propane man!

Green Christmas List Starts Today

I was surfing the internet today and found a perfect green christmas gift for every dad. When we moved to Italy I bought a push mower. I do enjoy the workout. But this product is the "best of the best." I love this line from the product review:

Not only does it appeal to the environmentally-conscious part of us, but it also appeals to the "I really hate mowing the grass" part of us.

If you want to read more check out EcoGeek

A Great Re-Use Project

We order a lot of stuff online because we live overseas. This means we have a ton of cardboard boxes. They usually pile up in the garage until I get a good car-load full to take them to the ECO-Center. Each city in Italy has one. Plus, there is one on base. Just about everything is recyclable. (Not as much as Germany!) Another benefit of living in Italy is...well maybe it isn't a benefit. Cut to the chase...there are a ton of wild weeds here. Shelly and I spent a good bit of time (and money) to make our raised garden look nice...only to be taken over by three different kinds of killer weeds. One looks and smells like thyme. Another is like an ivy...and this guy spreads fast! The last is a crazy looking fella. Not even sure what to compare it to. I've let these menacing plants take over for the past few months. I've been waiting for the weather to break so I wouldn't have to pull them out more than once. Well today was the day. In Italy, most stores are closed...well almost always it seems...but every month, all of the stores open on one particular Sunday. That was TODAY! I swung by a garden center I've had my eye on and bought some small rock. I know what you're thinking. Rock won't save my little gnome! And you'd be right. This is where Green This! comes into play. Shelly and I planted a real nice zero-scaped garden...complete with solar lights from IKEA. (Our home away from home.) Turns out...the weeds require very little water too. Herbicides are out. Both because we don't like them..and you can't buy them here. Landscape fabric is too expensive and the last time we used that method it didn't work. So, Shelly...the smart one jumped on the internet and found out...sure enough...cardboard boxes work better than the expensive landscape fabric! The added benefit. We're re-using a product by recycling it into our garden.

So with two hours of work, Shelly and I cleaned out the garage, removed all of the wicked weeds from hell, reduced, reused, and recycled cardboard boxes, plus made our garden look that much better. Of course I didn't buy near enough rock to cover all of the cardboard. That's OK because the folks at the garden center where really nice. When I go back I just might pick up another gnome for the yard. By the way...not in these pics...two real cool gazing balls. Plus, the plants are from IKEA too. Really! What can't you buy from this awesome Mecca?
You can see there are still some freedom fighters on our steps. Impossible to cover these suckers with cardboard. So we will use a secret weapon on them later this week: Hot water and salt! Die suckers!


Unfortunately we were unable to reuse all of the recyclable items in the garage, so I will have to take these items to the ECO-Center in the morning.