The memory of the footage that we saw of the 2011 earthquake and horrific tsunami off the coast of Japan is fading, even just a year later. But the environmental consequences are just starting to kick in for the West Coast of the United States and Canada. It is estimated that there are about 1.5 million tons of debris that is making its way across the Pacific Ocean and will be littering our coasts for several years. It is shocking that just this April, the first major piece of debris made its way to a remote beach in British Columbia, Canada. This was almost a full year earlier than scientist had predicted. So this floating menagerie is full of everything from wood to plastics to toxic waste to well, Harley Davidson motorcycles — which is exactly what washed up in Canada — and it will be coming to a beach near you. What the impact will be and how far spread up and down the coast are yet to be seen. How will our sea creatures and sea birds deal with this onslaught of trash? How will we handle the clean up?

So please don’t think that just because you aren’t punching in numbers on your cell phone to support immediate relief efforts is done and that the tragedy is over. In this case, the tragedy for us on the West Coast is just starting. Please support your local beach clean-up groups through financial gifts and donations of your time. We are going to need all the help we can get.

I know I am going to date myself here, but seriously I grew up on “The Blue Light Special”. So I know that the concept of impulse buying has not gotten past the retailers for at least the last 40 years. I am sure my kids look at me kind of funny when I say “Blue Light Special”.  I think they think it is the name of a brightly colored cocktail or designer drug.  But hey, there are lots of things that they just don’t get. They have no concept that back in the day, we had to go to our house to make a phone call and in some homes, like my first house until I was in 1^st grade—you had to pick up the phone and see if someone else was using it before you rotary dialed it.  Actually they probably would at least have liked the name of it, “a party line”. But that sounds like one of those cheesy pay by the minute sleaze lines!  Speaking of rotary dial—I have an old phone out in our garage and the other day I brought it out to test one of our now only used for the fax machine (soon to be a museum piece) phone jack. My son took one look at it and said, “Wow, that is cool! Did this really ever work?” Good grief—that thing will work like a charm for 50 more years, unlike our cordless phones that seemed to need replacing every three years before we ditched the land lines all together.

I also have a difficult time explaining that we didn’t have personal computers—yep, you heard me—no computers in our house growing up—none of any size, shape, or speed. That must really blow them away! And of course my son still does what I did every night as a teenager—listen to music before he goes to sleep—many nights as I look in on him before I go to bed I gently take off his ear buds and put his iphone on the night stand.  When I did it, I was listening to a small battery run transistor radio that was under my pillow with the volume really low so my dad wouldn’t get mad. I went through a lot of batteries the year I was 14.

“The Blue Light Special”—Kmart, what a genius idea. The manager could at a moment’s notice have the little cart with the tall pole and flashing blue light on top, wheeled over to any item that was overstocked that day and mark that junk down. They could do this at will and go throughout the store, creating an instant buzz and getting the crowds to move through their store to multiple departments in just one visit. The light would flash and the raspy woman’s smoker voice would come over the PA system, “Today for the next 10 minutes, we are offering Lady’s double knit polyester pants for 40% off, just head on over to the flashing blue light.”  Sure my mom had come to buy some towels for the kitchen, but now she was rushing over with the crowd to get an amazing buy on some lime green bell bottom charmers. And on her way from Kitchen and Housewares to the Ladies Department she just happened to pass by the Hosiery Department and grabbed a couple of pairs of pantyhose (yet another relic from the past—they used to have an entire DEPARTMENT of pantyhose!). And yes, kids I also grew up when there was no such place as Target!!

Quote from the Impulse Shopper Study: “This was revealed in The Checkout, an ongoing shopper behavior study conducted by The Integer Group® and M/A/R/C Research.”  Big revelation?? Must have been a slow, slow day for real news.

I have now married someone who thinks that a seven-mile ride to the beach on a hot summer day is invigorating. He seems to be able to look beyond the waves of heat radiating up off the seemingly endless ribbon of black asphalt. He doesn’t mind the burning in his thighs as we grind up the other sides of the freeway underpasses. He is oblivious to the fact that there are no restrooms the entire journey, so I have nicknamed him “The Camel” and he has nicknamed me “Thimble Bladder.” Anyhow, it must be genetic — the whole biking thing — as my son is like my husband and he has no issue with taking off to ride seven miles “up hills both ways” to visit his buddies in Orange Park Acres or pedaling down to the ocean to catch some rays (and bikinis).

So where am I going with this? Back to the banana seat: a bicycle not built for two. You see this all the time; two kids on one bike. And, as a mom, your heart races a bit as you look at the second rider precariously perched on the handle bars or standing on the back axle. At first glance, you see two smiling kids wobbling down the sidewalk and the next thing racing through your mind is the idea of sitting in a dental office while the dentist tries to repair all the four broken teeth of your kid, who for some reason had to be the one who made a spectacular vault off the front when his buddy had to quickly stop. So we have a problem: two kids, one bike and a whopping bill from the dentist. What are we going to do about it? With gas through the roof, I see more and more people riding bikes and occasionally even adults are trying to double up on a single bike.

Solution: One of our past interns here at KOR has taken my old banana seat to a whole different level and I love it! The second rider is much more safe and comfortable and you can store stuff too!!!

Check it out: The Companion.

Yes, they are looking for funding and they need people to support their efforts — so if this looks like something that you would use, you know someone who could use this, or you are like me and just think it’s a great idea, kick in a few bucks and help a new business get off the ground. Small businesses can turn this economy around, so let’s make it happen. Oh, and save on gas by riding your bike to work. With the Companion seat, you can even pick up a co-worker!

The KOR Delta Hydration Vessel in Ice Blue can be seen briefly in Head Game Maker Seneca Crane’s futuristic control room scenes at the Panem government capitol, where game makers of 74th annual Hunger Games monitor and manipulate the competition. Atop the surface of the controls are various designed water bottles for the game makers. Hey, they’re working long hours to keep tabs on those Tributes — gotta stay hydrated!

You can also see the KOR Delta more closely in the interactive control room at TheCapitolTour.pn (Internet Explorer 9 required for best viewing). If you zoom around, you can see multiple instances of the KOR Delta! How many did you spot?

The KOR Delta Hydration Vessel couldn’t have been a more perfect choice to be among the assortment of water bottles in The Hunger Games with its distinct angled handle and unique yet ergonomic shape, giving it a “futuristic” look.

The city of Long Beach is full of these metal hobby horses from a twisted brain’s nightmare. I saw another one about a block from the McDonald’s on Signal Hill that was literally right next to the fence of a backyard that had a child’s swing set within two feet of the fence line. Who buys that house anyhow? I can just hear the real estate agent now:

“Oh, the oil well on the property line is one of those things you just don’t hear the sound after just a few days.”
“Actually you will find that it’s quite a conversation piece when you are having parties in your backyard.”
“The kids love it. It looks like a Transformer.”
“You can pretend you’re a wealthy Texas oil baron, ha ha ha.”

Seriously, how on earth does that mom feel good about letting her kid go out and play on that soil with that smell around them every day?

You can get a better feel for my thoughts on oil derricks from my serious essay on Iggy’s World, “The Addiction.” Here is an excerpt:

“Hundreds upon hundreds of giant mechanical insects, feasting on the crust of the earth. The continuous up and down motion as they rape mother earth of her natural resources; it looks like an alien landscape, not fit for any human. We stop the car and get out–the smell of oil is in the air. I listen to the continuous drone of the pumps and the eerie moans of the oil wells that are filling their bellies with thick black crude. They are here at our bidding, enabling our addiction.”

Well, I have to say that surely some credit is due to my blog posts about recycled prayers. I had always contended that this amazing architecture, though not to everyone’s personal taste, should remain to be used as a Holy place as its designer, Philip Johnson, intended. So I got my way and so did rumored soon-to-be-retiring Bishop Brown, but that is another controversy entirely.

Why is it, that there is always a struggle for power among religious leaders? This entire “event” was fraught with allegations of greed, pride, backdoor dealings, financial debauchery, court proceedings, family-splitting and lots of disappointed followers on both sides of the transaction. Fox ended its writeup with the following quote: “Turmoil in the ministry included the firings of Schuller’s daughter Gretchen Penner and two sons-in-law last week.” Hmmm, looks like my next door neighbors are going to be looking for work, like the rest of us!

OK, I have to stop here and change channels. Yep, right when it was getting interesting. A little back ground about myself, which I think I covered about a  year ago—a fact that most of you probably failed to take note of, not because of its lack of importance, but rather for MY lack of importance in your daily life.  It has been said, but not officially documented that my great grandmother was half Black Foot Indian. So that being “established” I would be 1/16^th   Black Foot. And since no one really knows officially that I have a Native American background, I took it upon myself to give myself an Indian Name, “Woman who changes TP”. OK back to the story.

I walk in the bathroom and the janitorial service is in there cleaning. Laying on the floor is the trash bag and inside of the trash bag among the most disgusting of bathroom trash ( I will let you use your imagination on that one) are several rolls of toilet paper. I am somewhat mystified by this. Did they get “dirty” somehow? Why were they taking the rolls out and throwing them away?

Then next morning at 6:20 AM, it happened that “moment”—the fiery image hit my brain. I walked into the restroom at the office to find that every stall, which on our floor at our end of the building is 5, there were brand spanking new, still glued to itself rolls of toilet paper.  TWO new rolls in each stall, which is 10 rolls for just our bathroom, for those of you not to keen on basic multiplication. There are two bathrooms per floor,  so that is going to be 60 rolls per night that are swapped out. ARE YOU SERIOUS!!??  “Woman who changes TP” was not pleased (can you hear the war drums beating in the background?). How wasteful to be throwing out perfectly good toilet paper all to have “new fresh rolls” every morning. And let’s face it—the ONLY person who gets to experience a new roll is the first one in the stall each morning. And now that I think about it—is that really a great thing? I personally hate having to undo the fresh roll; spinning it around trying to find the real end, peeling those pesky little strips of glued down paper, trying to get it to start unrolling. I found this so disturbing that I plan to complain to the management of the building. At the very least, they should allow the janitors to take home the partial left over rolls from the day, so that the TP gets used—heck I will take it home, then I won’t have to get stuck with those pesky glued paper strips on my bathroom floor.

And it doesn’t stop there. We’re continuing to grow, with a lot more surprises coming your way. As long as we have great partners like RKS Design and Eastman by our side, we’re never compromising high performance or high design, either.

To celebrate the KOR launch at Target, we’re giving away these exciting prizes:

• KOR Stickers for everyone (before they’re even released on korwater.com)!
• 3 KOR Aura gift sets to 3 randomly selected winners

Here’s how to participate:

1. Two ways to do it (since KOR is not at all Target stores):
   a) Find out where KOR Aura is stocked at your nearest Target using our special Store Locator.
   b) Visit other KOR retailers using our general Store Locator — be sure to call ahead to check stock!
2. If Target, go to the Sporting Goods section and locate KOR Aura. If other retailer, find the KOR display.
3. Take a photo of yourself with the display (we prefer you be in it so we know you’re not just using someone else’s snapshot, but if you’re camera shy, we won’t hold it against you ).
4. Post the photo at http://www.facebook.com/korwater, tag yourself and let us know what store, city and state you’re in.
5. On our Facebook Timeline, click “Message” and send us your name and address (all information and correspondence is confidential). Once we receive your message, we’ll verify you followed the rules by checking our wall.
6. On March 12, 2012, KOR will randomly select three winners from eligible wall photos posted since March 5, 2012 for a KOR Aura Hydration Vessel gift set of their choice (500 mL or 750 mL).
7. Tell your friends so they can also get free stickers and a chance to win a KOR Aura gift set (and support our awesome retailers, of course). EVERYONE WINS!

Terms and Conditions

• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. But since you’re at the store, why not pick up a few KOR Hydration Vessels as gifts or for yourself?
• Only U.S. residents eligible, sorry. We LOVE our friends around the world and we’re working hard with our distributors so they can roll out fun KOR promotions in your region too.
• Due to the expected high volume of this promotion, the sticker is randomly selected.
• Stickers will be sent via USPS.
• This promotion is in no way associated, sponsored or endorsed by Target Corporation. We simply want to inform people of the KOR Aura at select Target stores and celebrate the support of KOR fans and retailers.

Use the special Store Locator we created to help you find your local Target so you could get your hands on one (or a few) of these beautiful hydration vessels. As always, 1% of all sales goes toward select water charities via our Thirst for Giving program. It’s definitely a good time to stock up and hydrate in style for warmer days ahead.

Find KOR at your local Target store today!

But there is always that thought swirling through the backs of our minds of moving somewhere else and living a slower paced (read: cheaper) existence. We see articles all the time about moving to another country, where your money can buy you more and the climate is good. And of course, I start to think about how exciting that would be since we both love to travel so much, but the thought of being away from my own children causes me to step back and try to figure out if it would be worth the sacrifice. Then again, my children are being raised in a global world –- where they most likely will not be tied to any one spot; they will not be driving back and forth to a 9 to 5 job; and they could be living anywhere in the world and doing their job virtually.

So maybe I should check into the newest hot spot: Ecuador. They have inexpensive housing, cheap food, low cost labor, and rock bottom — yet quality — healthcare. Oh, and did I mention — they have Pestalotiopsis microspora?! Coincidence? I think not.

To me, it’s the hottest news out of Ecuador this year. No, these are not some kind of psychedelic mushrooms you can smoke! And don’t worry, you won’t have to head into the hospital with a mere $20 copay and $5 prescription if you happen to have Pestalotiopsis. This recent discovery by some Yale students studying in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador could be the biggest ecological news of the decade. And yet, I don’t hear anyone talking about it! (Someone quick, tell Adele -– she can have it all!)

This super cool fungus can live solely on polyurethane. Oh yeah baby, you heard it from me: it EATS plastic! And this is the kind of plastic that is around us all the time, like the stuff that makes the dashboard on your car or the hose in your garden. We are talking everyday stuff that we can’t live our lives without, like the soles on your shoes and the case to your laptop!

And get this — our newest BFF in the fungi world can live off of polyurethane in an oxygen-free environment, which is pretty much what you have at the bottom of our landfills. This is BIG NEWS, folks!

Now if only they could find its cousin fungi — the one that quickly eats dust bunnies, toilet bowl scum rings, and dirty dishes…