Steve Jobs greener Apple update

Yesterday we were listening closely to Apple's announcement of their new MacBook line up - Steve definitely put a lot of emphasis on the green elements of the new MacBooks - reduced toxics, more energy efficient, less packaging. All good news, but in our campaign for greener electronics we were looking for the new MacBooks to be the first computers completely free of toxic PVC plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).

A check of the full specs revealed the MacBook Pro, MacBook and MacBook Air - as well as the LED Cinema Display will now have internal cables free of PVC and will have internal components containing no BFRs. Not quite the breakthrough we were hoping for. These new MacBooks are currently on a similar level of toxics reduction to the Sony Viao laptop series on PVC, and the Lenovo Think Vision in monitors. The BFR free internal components represent an improvement from the bar set by the Vaio line.

However while most, including us, were examining the specs of the new MacBooks, Steve released a long awaited (but much less hyped) update to his May 07 Greener Apple statement made in response to our successful GreenmyApple campaign. It makes very interesting reading, here are the highlights:

On toxics:

The greatest of these challenges has been eliminating PVC and BFRs, which many other companies have only promised to phase out of certain parts like enclosures or printed circuit board laminates. In contrast, we are removing asave money policy for the bridesmaid dressll forms of bromine and chlorine throughout the entire product, not just PVC and BFRs. Apple has qualified and tested thousands of components and mechanical plastics as bromine and chlorine free, and we are in the final stages of developing and certifying PVC-free power cables.

I'mdifferent dress patterns different personalities proud to report that all of Apple's new product designs are on track to meet our 2008 year-end goal(to eliminate PVC and BFRs).

On recycling:

In 2007, we achieved a recycling rate of 18.4%, which blew away our target of 13%. Our goal for 2010 was 28%, and we'll beat that in 2008-two years ahead of schedule.

On climate change:

We decided to measure the emissions produced at each stage of a product's lifecycle, from production and transportation to consumer use and eventual recycling. Starting today, Apple will report this information for each new product we introduce, so our customers will better understand the progress we're making.

By far the most significant announcement is fact that Apple is on course to be completely PVC and BFR free across in product range. This will be a first for a computer maker and lays down the challenge to competitors such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Toshiba. All have pledged to remove these chemicals in 2009 from PCs but if Apple has solved the challenges involved there's no excuse for any of these companies not to follow Apple's lead on toxic chemicals elimination now and not wait until the end of 2009. The increase in recycling rate and more disclosure on Apple's carbon emission should ensure Apple's score increases in our next version of the Guide to Greener Electronics.

While Apple, and other top electronic companies, still have many challenges on the road to truely green eldressing your bridesmaids in perfect bridesmaid dressesectronics, it can only be a good thing to see a top CEO and high profile a public figure as Steve Jobs devoting significant time to environmental concerns at Apple.

--Michelle

REVIEW: Stranger by Megan Hart

Sorrow, like songs, is never the same. ~Grace Frawley


Grace Frawley is the funeral director of Frawley and Sons funeral home, a long time family business that she recently took over from her father. Grace has been working hard at filling her dad's shoes in the business and also making small changes and improvements in order to keep a competitive edge in the business. She's diligent with her business responsibilities, and also very patient and compassionate with her clients all of whom are in varied states of emotional distress. Constantly exposed to people losing and grieving for their loved ones, Grace has decided to live her life without the risk of suffering those horrendous losses for herself. She doesn't want anything to do with marriage, or even boyfriends, so Grace hires escorts for dates and often, if not most times, for sex.

Regularly using an escort service and paying for sex is Grace's deepest kept secret and suits her just fine. Grace prearranges her dates with the escort agency with specific instructions on where she'd meet her escort and includes the pretense under which they would meet and proceed to a private place for sex. Her sex life is exciting and satisfying, and most of all, she's safe from the emotional attachment of a relationship that inevitably ends in loss and pain. Until the night, that is, that Grace signed up with the agency to pick up a stranger at a bar and proceed upstairs to a room for sex, and she hooks up with Sam Stewart instead. It isn't until after Grace leaves Sam's room after a night of hot, passionate, unforgettable sex that she checks her voicemaisave money policy for the bridesmaid dressl only to find out her hired escort missed their date and she picked up the wrong stranger. Or is he the right one?

Once again, Megan Hart has written an otherwise straightforward story of a young woman who avoids romantic relationships, and transformed it into a thought provoking, insightful story of self reflection and discovery that is perfectly layered with dramatic realism and sensuality that is simply unforgettable. Right from the start, the reader learns that Grace pays for sex because she doesn't want the emotional entanglement and the inevitdressing your bridesmaids in perfect bridesmaid dressesable pain and loss that follows when either the relationship fails or worse, when the one you love dies. But why does she go to such lengths to avoid relationships? What really makes Grace Frawley tick? Can the right man make her change her ways? Is the joy of love worth the risk of losing that love? All of these questions are explored through this riveting story told from Grace's point of view as she struggles to keep her emotional attachments in check.

Stranger is not just the story about Grace Frawley and her sexual escapades. Stranger is the story about Grace Frawley and how she learns about love and loss taking risks through her relationships with the people around her. It's about her relationship with her father who can't help but keep his nose in her business in more ways than one. It is about her relationship with her sister who has the seemingly picture perfect happily ever after with a husband, two kids, and a nice suburban life, but is struggling with her own happiness. It's about her relationships with her office assistant and her intern, and how to balance friendship with professionalism. It's about her relationships with all the families in their various states of emotional well being that pass through Grace's life because she is the one they turn to in preparing their loved one for final good byes. It's about her relationship with Jack, her regular escort at the agency, with whom emotional barriers begin to falter for both parties. It's about her relationship with Sam Stewart who was once a stranger, but ends up teaching Grace a few things about joy, love, and intimacy, and whether experiencing all that is worth the risk of losing it at any moment.

Grace sincerely believes she's doing the best thing for herself by remaining emotionally detached from any guy she goes out on a date with or has sex with. Her confidence in this arrangement, though, begins to falter both with her regular escort Jack and even more so when Sam shows up in her life again after that fateful night of picking up the wrong stranger. The pace at which Grace allows herself to become emotionally involved with a man after having such resolute feelings on the matter is realistic and codressing your bridesmaids in perfect dress 2nvincing. I liked that she struggled with allowing herself to love someone until practically the very end when it was almost too late. I liked that she learned that decisions about love aren't just about herself, but about the other person, too.

Realistic characters, natural dialogue, beautiful erotic and romantic trysts, and thought provoking insights on life, death and love all exemplify Megan Hart's signature style of erotic fiction. The characters and their stories will remain on your mind and in your heart long after you've closed the book.

GRADE: A

Stranger was released on January 1, 2009. Visit Megan Hart at http://www.meganhart.com .

Sexy or tacky ?.....

Last wednesday I met up with my friend Ellie for a quick coffee and as we parted, I told her I needed to go to the florist shop down the main street of the village. I was thinking about red roses and instead of going straight to the florist, I entered the shoe shop next to it and heard myself saying : "holà, quiero unos tacones altissimos...en rojo" (hi, I want very high heels..in red).
And this is what I came up with....


mmm....I think I made a mistake...luckily they were very cheap. But I'm afraid they are also very cheap in the other meaning of the term. At least, Monchéri laughed. He found them...interesting and dfantastic dresses for the bridesmaids in your big dayifferent from the boots I usually wear. You see, lately this has been my preferred uniform. (Ifind your bridesmaid dress in discount've got the same velvet trousers in several colors and wear them all the time. sorry about the pic taken halfway in the shade)


still I think perhaps one day, I'll wear the sexy/tacky red boots...

but I love my black boots so much...life is tough isn't it ? (am standing in front of a stained mirror, hence the black spots)

talking about shoes....isn't this one a darling ? My friend Tim took this photograph which you can find on his etsy shop here. (do you remember the picture of the flamenco dress ? that was Tim too....do have a look at his shop !). And my banner, it's Tim too....

Mis queridos, my lovelies, I'm afraid I'll be very flighty this week
as my friends and I are busy little bees preparing our outfit
for a fancy dress party this coming saturday.

I will show you mine on wednesday....In when a weight challenged girl be your bridesmaidthe mean time, stay cool and be in love !



ps : I can't leave comments on some blogs where a word verification is asked (Cynthia, Khaled et al..) So annoying ! Does anyone have the same problem ?


pics : Marian, me

Money shoe pic by Tim Irving