Happiness is Infectious

So smile more! Apparently, happiness really does rub off - a person's happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected.

One really cool example - a friend who becomes happy and lives within a mile increases your likelihood of happiness by 25%.

Make happy friends and be happy! Especially in the challenging times we're facing now. Happiness is more important than ever.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/12/04/happiness.infectious

One Farmer's Field of Dreams

Remember that movie? With Kevin Costner? Side note, even his insanely over-budget, complete flop of a production, Waterworld eventually broke even after about 10 years of DVD sales. So, seems like movies is a pretty good business.

Anyway, thanks Cheryl for sending this article along. What a great story. Farmer opens up his farm at the end of the harvest season for people to come pick food for free. He was done with his CSA and figured, why not give a little back. 40,000 people showed up!! Amazing:
http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/farmers-donate-their-remaining-harvest-40000-show-up/

Closing the loop on CFLs

So.....I'm not sure how to say this....but I have 3 ziplock bags with broken CFLs in a closet that I have had no idea what to do with...until now! Our local trash company (think they're pretty big, not just in Austin) has a really cool website with some cool recycling products - one of them being a recycling kit for CFLs. Yay!

Every time I've broken one I've freaked out because of the Mercury in them (http://budurl.com/cfls). I open all the windows, try to leave the room for a while. I'm not sure it does much good since I think most of the exposure is pretty immediate, but it at least keeps it from lingering.

They say the best thing to do is to put all of the pieces in a ziplock to keep them from continuing to off-gas mercury. So I have done that like a good boy...but then what. I couldn't throw them away because the bag will get torn pretty easily somewhere along the way and the mercury will be let out again. Certainly don't want it to end up in a landfill where the mercury eventually finds its way back into our drinking water. So they have lived in my closet. Waiting for news on their fate. And with out further adeiu:
http://budurl.com/wmgreen
If that ever stops working:
https://www.thinkgreenfromhome.com/ThinkGreenFromHome.cfm

Alternative MBA program

For anyone is not familiar with Seth Godin, he's a best-selling author of 10 books with his latest being Tribes and I think is really a brilliant marketing thought-leader. He's offering an alternative MBA program where you go hang out with him for 6 months starting in January. Sounds like an amazing opportunity to me and I wish I was in a position to apply. Applications are due December 14th:
http://budurl.com/godinMBA

Rodale Institute veteran to lead USDA NOSB

This is great news for the Organic agriculture industry. The Rodale Institute is often called the founding force behind Organics. It has been around for decades and completed the first research on the advantages of Organic agriculture.

Putting such an industry veteran and true believer in Organics atop the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board) ensures strong regulations for the Organic industry. I'm very excited about this news:

http://budurl.com/nosb