As I was prepping my family's dinner dishes for the dishwasher, it struck me that we — a collective "we" — are paying for what is, in essence one of the main necessities for our survival as a species. If we were really truly a land of the free, shouldn't free access to water in one's home be part of those basic liberties? So this got me pondering the idea of how to provide said free water even though the liquid itself is becoming something of an endangered species. As I ruminated, I came up with a general concept that I think might work.
This plan is based on a couple of presuppositions:
1. The average person uses roughly 80-100 gallons of water per day, or about 3,000 gallons/month, so a family of four (two adults, two tweens), consumes about 12,000 gallons/month.
2. This plan is based on the city level as that's on the level that I pay my water bill.
Here's the plan:
(a) The free part: Each household gets a free allotment of water use based on a formula of expected water usage for that household (based on number of people in the homes, ages, requirements, etc...). However, the formula will err toward the lower number, so people will get their daily requirement, but they'll have to start thinking about how their going to use it, and will shift their usage accordingly: shorter wash cycles, shorter showers, more efficient toilets, and so on. This formula is based on basic needs, so things like pools, hot tubs, spas, are not included.
(b) A tiered payment system: So let's say based on the above formula, my family (two adults, two young children) is alloted 240 gallons/day, or 7,200 gallons/month, and we've adjusted accordingly. But it's summer, and we want to fill our 400 gallon kiddie pool. Now is when paying for the water comes into play. We can either prepay for that month - like a prepaid credit card - based on our expected needs, or be billed according to how many gallons over we are. Or we really like our green lawn and don't mind paying the extra 200 gallons/month usage to keep it lush.
To incorporate all of these various ab0ve-and-beyond usage requirements, a payment plan would be devised based on a tiered system. For example, if you are over your requirements by say 5-200 gallons for one month, you pay a low per-gallon fee (which would actually be higher than our current rates). If you use between 201 and say 500 gallons (and these numbers are fabricated), you'd pay a slightly higher fee, and so on. At this stage, because rates would be higher than what we're paying now, the water company/companies would still be generating income. Let's face it, a typical family at some point is going to go over the limit. As a consumer, this will help me because if I know I will be using more water than usual (in the pool scenario), I can start budgeting ahead of time, or I can take advantage of a water credit system.
(c) Water credit system: Working on the same premise as the pay-as-you-go model, the credit system would reward you for going under your alloted use. So let's say that I manage to lower my water usage down to 2,000 gallons/month.
With those extra 400 gallons, I can either store them up for future usage (the pool in the summer), or I can return those unused credits back to the grid and receive a credit in the form of a refund or some other non-monetary reward system. Maybe there can even be a donation system where we can donate our unused water credits toward a local charity or something and get a credit/reward as well.
Obviously, for businesses, there would have to be a different model in place, but you could also provide a similar provision and formula for a business, rewarding them for creating a water-efficent working environment.
This system would work in several ways:
(a) As consumers, we would figure out how to make the most of our free alloted water and take steps to make those gallons last longer: more efficient toilets and showerheads, less frequent lawn watering (or re-planting our lawns with more drought-tolerant flora), washing clothes less frequently, and so on.
(b) Because there would be times when the average household would need to increase their water usage, income would be generated. Because these fees would be higher than they would otherwise be in our current situation, water companies would be recouping costs.
(c) Because water demand would drop, the amount of energy and resources needed by the water company to deploy this water would drop as well, lowering their costs in supplying the water.
(d) Cities benefit because the standard of living would improve, making the city more attractive for more people to come in, buy homes, and pay property taxes on those homes.
That's my plan. Phew, after all that, I need a drink. Of water, that is.
What do you think? Let me know your opinion or idea on how we can save water. Send us a note to editor@bakidsmagazine.com.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Mother's Day Claremont Hotel Overnight Giveaway
Mother’s Day Overnight Renewal Package at the Claremont Hotel
One lucky Mom and her special guest will be pampered guests at the luxurious Claremont Hotel for one night of rest and relaxation as only they can provide. Their Spa Renewal Getaway package includes two 50-minute spa treatments, overnight accommodations in the Elite Spa Room, and unlimited use of the Hotel’s pools, fitness classes, gym, and more.
The winner will also receive a Boudoir Photography session ($225 value) courtesy Lani Allen Photography (www.laniallenphotography.com), a special Chloe and Jane gift set (www.chloeandjane.com) and an eyebrow makeover from La Di Da Lounge (http://www.ladidalounge.com/).
To Enter
Send your best hand-made Mother’s Day Card (and yes, Daddy can help) to the address below no later than May 9 (include your contact info):
Mother’s Day Contest
c/o Bay Area Kids magazine
P.O. Box 30442
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
One winner will be picked at random and notified via e-mail or phone. All entries become property of Bay Area Kids magazine. Select entries may be posted online or in the magazine. Claremont gift certificate expires March 31, 2010. Good luck!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Five Christmas Classics (you've never heard before)
Holiday Jukebox
Tired of the same ol' Christmas "classics"? Are you ready to shoot your nearest relative when "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" comes on the radio? Do you swear you will take somebody out next time "I want to wish you a Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad)" is played at the mall? Us too - that's why we searched high and low for new Yuletide classics: songs we guarantee won't mess with your inner wiring, even when your children are requesting you play it again ... for the fifteenth time.
And yes, this is a work in progress, so please send us your underground favorite songs to estrong@bakidsmagazine.com.
Happy Ho Ho Holidays!
1. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. Originally released in 1953, this charming song (sung by 10 year old Gayla Peevey), will have your child singing along in no time.
2. Don’t Shoot Me Santa. Las Vegas’ the Killers serve up a South-of-the-Border plea to the Man with the Bag.
3. The 12 Pains of Christmas. Bob Rivers’ irreverent—and hilariously spot-on—summary of the holiday season.
4. Honky the Christmas Goose. Just saying the title makes you laugh. Funnier still, this 1965 ditty is sung by Johnny Bower, who used to play hockey for the Toronto Maple Leaves
5. Dominick the Christmas Donkey. "Hey! Chingedy ching,hee haw hee haw. It’s Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey." We kid you not.
BONUS TRACK:
6. Father Christmas (Give Me Your Money). The Kings sing about a Santa Claus bell-ringer getting mugged outside a general store by a bunch of kids.
For your listening pleasure. If you like your holiday music on the eccentric side, tune in your virtual radio to San Francisco-based Somafm.com, and click on their "Xmas in Frisko" station.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Songs about Getting Old
In honor of celebrating my 40th Birthday party (and remember kids, 40 is the new 30!), I decided to compile a list of songs about getting old. I would include some "classics" by Bob Dylan and such ... but I don't really like Bob Dylan and such. Also, after I put the list together, I realized a lot of these are kind of dark. My birthday's on Halloween, so go figure.
Feel free to add your own (send suggestions to estrong@bakidsmagazine.com)
(In no particular order):
1. Slit Skirts, Pete Townshend
"Slit skirts, Jeanie never wears those slit skirts,
I don't ever wear no ripped shirts,
Can't pretend that growing older never hurts."
2. In this Diary, The Atari's
"Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up.
These are the best days of our lives."
3. Not Another Cliche, Coward
"Come on, come on, I'm not another cliche
Come on, come on, I'll never be a cliche
4. Those were the Days, the Limeliters (though sung by many others)
"Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way"
5. This Train Don't Stop There Anymore, Elton John
"I used to be the main express, All steam and whistles heading west
Picking up my pain from door to door,
Riding on the storyline, Furnace burning overtime
But this train don't stop, This train don't stop, This train don't stop there anymore"
6. When I'm 64, The Beatles
"Will you still need me, will you still feed me,When I'm sixty-four."
7. Ride On, AC/DC
"Got another empty bottle,
And another empty bed,
Ain't too young to admit it,
And I'm not too old to lie
I'm just another empty head"
8. Too young too feel this damn old, Garth Brooks
"And the white line's getting longer and the saddle's getting cold
I'm much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
I'm much too young to feel this damn old"
9. Dream On, Aerosmith
"Every time I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone It goes by, like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
10. Return to Oz, Scissor Sisters
"Once there was a man who had a little too much time on his hands.
He never stopped to think about getting older.
But when his night came to an end, he tried to grasp for his last friend
and pretend that he could wish himself health on a 4-leaf clover."
11. Dancing in the Ruins, Blue Oyster Cult
"It doesn't matter if we turn to dust;
Turn and turn and turn we must!
I guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight!"
12. Closing Time, Leonard Cohen
"The whole damn place goes crazy twice
and it's once for the devil and once for Christ
but the Boss don't like these dizzy heights
we're busted in the blinding lights,
busted in the blinding lights of closing time"
13. Time, Chantal Kreviazuk
"Time, where did you go?
Why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don't go so fast
I'm missing the moments as they pass
Now I've looked in the mirror and the worlds getting clearer
So wait for me this time."
14. A Pirate Looks at Forty, Jimmy Buffet
"Yes, I am a pirate, Two hundred years too late.
The cannons don't thunder,
there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over forty victim of fate; arriving too late
Arriving too late."
15. Forever Young, Alphaville
"It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever"
So now it's your turn, let me know what songs you'd like to add to this list (email all suggestions to estrong@bakidsmagazine.com) and I'll post them as I get 'em.
Feel free to add your own (send suggestions to estrong@bakidsmagazine.com)
(In no particular order):
1. Slit Skirts, Pete Townshend
"Slit skirts, Jeanie never wears those slit skirts,
I don't ever wear no ripped shirts,
Can't pretend that growing older never hurts."
2. In this Diary, The Atari's
"Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up.
These are the best days of our lives."
3. Not Another Cliche, Coward
"Come on, come on, I'm not another cliche
Come on, come on, I'll never be a cliche
4. Those were the Days, the Limeliters (though sung by many others)
"Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way"
5. This Train Don't Stop There Anymore, Elton John
"I used to be the main express, All steam and whistles heading west
Picking up my pain from door to door,
Riding on the storyline, Furnace burning overtime
But this train don't stop, This train don't stop, This train don't stop there anymore"
6. When I'm 64, The Beatles
"Will you still need me, will you still feed me,When I'm sixty-four."
7. Ride On, AC/DC
"Got another empty bottle,
And another empty bed,
Ain't too young to admit it,
And I'm not too old to lie
I'm just another empty head"
8. Too young too feel this damn old, Garth Brooks
"And the white line's getting longer and the saddle's getting cold
I'm much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
I'm much too young to feel this damn old"
9. Dream On, Aerosmith
"Every time I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone It goes by, like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
10. Return to Oz, Scissor Sisters
"Once there was a man who had a little too much time on his hands.
He never stopped to think about getting older.
But when his night came to an end, he tried to grasp for his last friend
and pretend that he could wish himself health on a 4-leaf clover."
11. Dancing in the Ruins, Blue Oyster Cult
"It doesn't matter if we turn to dust;
Turn and turn and turn we must!
I guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight!"
12. Closing Time, Leonard Cohen
"The whole damn place goes crazy twice
and it's once for the devil and once for Christ
but the Boss don't like these dizzy heights
we're busted in the blinding lights,
busted in the blinding lights of closing time"
13. Time, Chantal Kreviazuk
"Time, where did you go?
Why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don't go so fast
I'm missing the moments as they pass
Now I've looked in the mirror and the worlds getting clearer
So wait for me this time."
14. A Pirate Looks at Forty, Jimmy Buffet
"Yes, I am a pirate, Two hundred years too late.
The cannons don't thunder,
there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over forty victim of fate; arriving too late
Arriving too late."
15. Forever Young, Alphaville
"It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever"
So now it's your turn, let me know what songs you'd like to add to this list (email all suggestions to estrong@bakidsmagazine.com) and I'll post them as I get 'em.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
My solution for our economic slowdown
Here's some very quick math: The Congress approved a $700 billion bailout plan. There are, according to the latest census count, about 228,889,959 citizens in the United States over the age of 18.
If instead of writing checks to big corporations for the $770 billion, which yes, might eventually trickle down to us at some point, they were to distribute that amount equally to every adult in this country, we'd each receive a check for $3,058 in the mail.
Now imagine how quickly this economy would spur ahead if we were each given an extra three grand to spend - on bills, on Christmas and Holiday gifts, home improvements, clothes, or vacations. I think we would see faster and bigger results this way than by bailing out multinational companies.
There, that's all I'm going to say on that.
If instead of writing checks to big corporations for the $770 billion, which yes, might eventually trickle down to us at some point, they were to distribute that amount equally to every adult in this country, we'd each receive a check for $3,058 in the mail.
Now imagine how quickly this economy would spur ahead if we were each given an extra three grand to spend - on bills, on Christmas and Holiday gifts, home improvements, clothes, or vacations. I think we would see faster and bigger results this way than by bailing out multinational companies.
There, that's all I'm going to say on that.
Friday, October 24, 2008
In a galaxy far far away
Okay, one addendum to that last post about memories.
In the second box, under a bunch of other crap, I found a stack of comic books that I found to be worth over $600 - so that's nice. But, most important, I also found ... all my old Star Wars toys. For all you Star Wars geeks, that means the original Millenium Falcon and Star Destroyer playsets, and also a lot of the characters: Han Solo, Darth, C3PO, R2D2, Luke Skywalker, Chewie, and so on.
Even better, I brought all of these out for my daughter to see, and she went nuts (my son did too, but mostly he was excited because he just found some new chew toys).
So naturally, I figured it was time to introduce her to the Star Wars movie. It was a proud moment to sit on that couch with my arm around my daughter, watching the opening scroll. We bypassed some of the more gruesome moments, but overall, a success.
In the second box, under a bunch of other crap, I found a stack of comic books that I found to be worth over $600 - so that's nice. But, most important, I also found ... all my old Star Wars toys. For all you Star Wars geeks, that means the original Millenium Falcon and Star Destroyer playsets, and also a lot of the characters: Han Solo, Darth, C3PO, R2D2, Luke Skywalker, Chewie, and so on.
Even better, I brought all of these out for my daughter to see, and she went nuts (my son did too, but mostly he was excited because he just found some new chew toys).
So naturally, I figured it was time to introduce her to the Star Wars movie. It was a proud moment to sit on that couch with my arm around my daughter, watching the opening scroll. We bypassed some of the more gruesome moments, but overall, a success.
Boxed in memories
My parents recently moved to California from the Midwest and along with their furniture, they also brought a bunch of boxes that were, according to my mom, full of my junk. These boxes were gleefully unloaded on my front porch, as my parents were pretty happy to unload themselves of the extra baggage.
So I lugged the mystery boxes into the living room and into a corner, where I basically ignored them for a couple of days, not ready to delve into what could be lurking behind those cover flaps.
Finally, however, curiosity got the better of me, and armed with an exacto knife in one hand, and a glass of cabernet in the other, sat down in front of the first one, took a deep breath ... and coughed my lungs out. That's a lot of dust!
I am not one that keeps "things" around for very long. Photos, old projects, things that others might cherish as memories from long ago - every two years I cleanse my life of a lot of these things, not because of the bad memories, but because I need to make space for newer junk. Looking back I probably threw some sentimental objects out that I would have cherished down the line, but then again, if these objects aren't around to arouse my sentimentality, I won't miss it either.
Looking through these boxes, however, I realized that my parents were quite the opposite. Inside I found papers and art projects from my youth that, though now as a parent I can see they probably kept, are not things I want or want around. Old art pieces from when I was six? Why would I want those - so I can look back and see how far my talents have brought me? Wow, I was a really bad artist back then, but look at me now?
There were also some old compositions I wrote for Freshmen lit class. Really? Do I need to look back at my attempts at poetry and romantic stories that were thinly veiled autobiographical accounts of my schoolgirl crushes? Hmmmm .... nope.
Some of the stuff - yearbooks and college directories - are great because I can Google classmates and find out how far they've come (or not - for some reason many of these people can't be Googled at all, so either they're off the grid, or doing things in their life that don't merit a Google hit.)
I know many people will say But those are your memories, you can't just toss those away! Someday you'll look back at it all, or be able to show it to your grandchildren. To which I say No, I won't look back at most of it, because most of it isn't worth looking back at. It's the same for a lot of our memories and past experiences. Sure they shaped us into what we are today, but that doesn't mean they all need to be remembered or cherished. Their job is done, it's time to move on.
So I lugged the mystery boxes into the living room and into a corner, where I basically ignored them for a couple of days, not ready to delve into what could be lurking behind those cover flaps.
Finally, however, curiosity got the better of me, and armed with an exacto knife in one hand, and a glass of cabernet in the other, sat down in front of the first one, took a deep breath ... and coughed my lungs out. That's a lot of dust!
I am not one that keeps "things" around for very long. Photos, old projects, things that others might cherish as memories from long ago - every two years I cleanse my life of a lot of these things, not because of the bad memories, but because I need to make space for newer junk. Looking back I probably threw some sentimental objects out that I would have cherished down the line, but then again, if these objects aren't around to arouse my sentimentality, I won't miss it either.
Looking through these boxes, however, I realized that my parents were quite the opposite. Inside I found papers and art projects from my youth that, though now as a parent I can see they probably kept, are not things I want or want around. Old art pieces from when I was six? Why would I want those - so I can look back and see how far my talents have brought me? Wow, I was a really bad artist back then, but look at me now?
There were also some old compositions I wrote for Freshmen lit class. Really? Do I need to look back at my attempts at poetry and romantic stories that were thinly veiled autobiographical accounts of my schoolgirl crushes? Hmmmm .... nope.
Some of the stuff - yearbooks and college directories - are great because I can Google classmates and find out how far they've come (or not - for some reason many of these people can't be Googled at all, so either they're off the grid, or doing things in their life that don't merit a Google hit.)
I know many people will say But those are your memories, you can't just toss those away! Someday you'll look back at it all, or be able to show it to your grandchildren. To which I say No, I won't look back at most of it, because most of it isn't worth looking back at. It's the same for a lot of our memories and past experiences. Sure they shaped us into what we are today, but that doesn't mean they all need to be remembered or cherished. Their job is done, it's time to move on.
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