Flash – Page 5 – Flash Know

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

To put it succinctly; there is an island out there on the Pacific Ocean somewhere between California and Hawaii. It is not an island to take a vacation on, nor one to honeymoon in.
It is a floating island of garbage consisting mainly of plastic and it is known as Garbage Island. The island is also known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The currents of the Pacific at this point come to a gyre and trap the garbage accumulated in their journey making an island that is about two times the size of Texas.
Professionals have been trying to fix this mess but the island is not easy to clean since ecosystems have adapted, have flourished and have become part of the ocean food chain. Sadly enough, Garbage Island is not the only island of this type floating in the oceans; it’s just the biggest, and in fact the Atlantic and Indian Oceans also have trash vortexes of their own.

In this crowded world we need to conserve, recycle and not litter in respect to all unborn creatures, human or non, who in order to survive will eventually have to deal with the consequences caused by those of us who are ignorant or unconcerned.

Cabinet Pulls And Knobs

In some cases, rubber plumbing washers can enhance cabinet pulls and knobs by providing better bearing on the cabinet, provide more finger space, dramatically reduce scratches due to finger nails and add a splash of color.
When used one cannot tell they are plumbing washers.

Most of the plumbing washers are black but salmon, baby blue and reddish are easily found.
The washers can be flat or beveled, come in different sizes and some of them will easily buff to a luster with a small rag.
Using these washers will require a longer screw to make up for the added depth.
They can be used singly or as a stack of multiple sizes for a pyramidal effect.

Electrical Tip:
These rubber plumbing washers can also be extensively beneficial when used to bring forward a light switch or a plug in the wall so that they can be as flush as possible to the wall surface to receive the decorative plate.
This problem usually happens when the existing wall gets a “new face” and a new thickness added onto it, thus leaving the electrical boxes further back.
Replace the screws on the outlet with longer ones and impale the washers as needed.
It works!

Plastic Storage Jars: A Closer Look

These days plastic jars with lids to store dry foods are sold in stores for at least $5.00 ea..
Retail stores also sell foods and many other items in plastic containers which come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, and with no doubt we pay for them.
Fortunately, we can reuse the containers of the products we purchase rather than just donate them to the garbage companies to capitalize on our recycle.
The labels usually come off easily with paint thinner, rubbing alcohol or can at times be water soluble. The mouths of the jars are of standard sizes and come with colored lids which can be interchanged easily to suit. The jars offer transparency of the contents and keep us neat and organized.

When searching for an item, cupboards with clear plastic jars can be visually scanned at once and render an organized and elegant look.
Plastic storage jars will also allow you to fit more in the cupboards since product packaging comes in all different awkward sizes that do not relate to one another and therefore rob space.

SOME TYPES OF CONTAINERS

Large jars for bulk: These are very nice and very good quality large mouth jars good to hold bulk such as types of rice, beans, sugar, flour etc. They were found at Costco some time ago and Biscotti were sold in them.

Tall jars:
These long and skinny jars are made of a thinner thickness of plastic but they are great for long items such as spaghetti. Target sold nuts and the sort in them. They can also be found at the Popcorn Factory and some flavors have been spotted at the Burlington Coat Factory for a much better price. Sometimes the lids are in aluminum and sometimes in plastic.
Shown in the coffee jar is a flexible cutting mat which becomes very handy in delivering the goods with great speed and minimal spill.
The shape of the jar makes it rapidly possible to pour straight into the coffee maker.
No spoons, no measuring cup and all in the wrist.

Hexagonal/Oval jars:
These jars were found at Costco. Both types had Chocolates Of The World and the hexagonal ones had jelly beans.

Both types of jars hold the same volume.

Square tall and short jars:
These square food jars come in few different sizes and heights. Some of them may have lids that flip open to pour, they have built in handles and can be found anywhere. They are very handy for potato chips and cereals.

Peanut butter type jars:
This is a very common classic peanut butter jar but it could be found at Target holding nuts.
The plastic is tough, thick and durable. Very handy in the garage to hold screws, nails, nuts and so on.

Cheese type jars:
Found in supermarkets usually in two sizes these Parmesan cheese jars are handy to store goods and food. Their lids flip open allowing pouring or sprinkling.
They can be very handy for smaller quantities needing storage such as sour gummy bears and worms on the go, pastina, polenta, dry beans and so on.
Very handy for delivering Miracle Grow with no mess.

Spice jars:
Many types of small plastic storage jars are in the spices section of supermarkets. They provide an interesting assortment and are very handy for arts and crafts as well as many small items.
The ones shown are the Mrs. Dash brand. The lids come in different colors and the plastic is thick and strong.
Use them to also store the different kinds of beach sands of the world you encounter on your vacations. You will be surprised in the difference in the colors of the sands.

CD Containers:
When the compact discs are all used up we end up with a container that works well in impaling all kinds of tapes we have roaming in the garage. This container makes it a focus that this is the only place where the roll of tape we left behind should be. The rolls of tape could however at times be too wide to fit. With the center rod removed, these containers could hold other kinds of items.
The CD containers also stack and interlock rather nicely.

Tip:
Samples of jars above have proven to be good every day gifts to friends, highly desired donations to elementary schools or local industries such as Goodwill.
Give plastic jars a second life and help reduce waste on the planet!

Painting With Coffee

Coffee in conjunction to India ink can produce lovely art works.

Make strong coffee and when cold, brush the coffee on bond paper, water color paper or Strathmore board and apply several layers to build the shade of brown you desire.
The look will be one of water colors and the beauty of the coffee verses other edible liquids such as juices and wines is that it will leave neither pulp nor residue on your canvas.

When using paper for art work it might be wise to obtain acid free paper or museum board. These will keep the paper white for years to come and while there are different kinds of papers, alkaline paper can last 1000 years.

The bamboo artwork shown was not done on acid free paper so yellowing is occurring, but in this case it works.
Would you not rather tell a friend that your painting was done with gourmet coffee rather than water colors?

Roasting Coffee

Green coffee beans can be roasted to perfection with a pop corn popper. The picture shows a Toastmaster pop corn popper, model TPC2.
Two minutes after insertion, the coffee beans should start popping.
Six minutes from the start the raw beans should be a shiny and greasy brown perfection. The longer the roast, the darker the beans.

Tips:
Roast outdoors. The beans will make lots of smoke and the aroma should be shared with neighbors.
Careful, the beans could burn if left too long.