Well, sort of.  More accurately stated, the title of this post would read: “Discount Armani Comes To A Computer Near You“, but that includes, Morgan hill, does it not?  That’s right, no more heading south to the Gilroy Outlets in hopes of finding a new Armani Exchange opening up. Now you can access those great Armani deals on designer jeans (and other great Armani clothing) from the comfort of your own home.

For example, check out my favorites, the spotted bleach jeans pictured above.  They’re only $125 through Armani Exchange and that includes postage with their Free Shipping on orders over $100.  They are even offering quite a bit of their Armani Denim for under $100 per pair.  Such as the Light Urban Destruction and New Zenith Boot Cut for only $98 per pair.  These jeans are not only hip and stylish, but you’re know they’re of the highest quality as well or they wouldn’t be sporting that fashionable Armani label.

As if those great prices and free shipping weren’t enough, if you purchase a full price pair of denim from Armani Exchange between 7/7/09 – 7/19/09 (either online or in a brick and mortar store) you will receive an Armani Exchange gift card worth $20 off you next purchase of $100 or more (valid 7/30/09 through 8/15/09).

There’s only one thing better than a sale on Armani Exchange Denim, and that is, of course, free jeans!  Well, we’ve got you covered here as well.  Armani Exchange is giving away a pair of jeans every day in July and you can get your chance to win by texting the keyword “DENIM2″ to ARMANI (276264).  Just click text A|X for full details on this summer denim contest.

Giuseppe Armani Devotion 2179F

US $250.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 12:30:59 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

BNWT BLACK MENS ARMANI™ SHIRT D.G SIZE XXL

US $16.82 (10 Bids) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 12:13:07 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

BNWT BLACK MENS VERSACE™ T SHIRT d.g armani™ SIZE L

US $34.45 (14 Bids) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 12:11:39 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

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Morgan Hill has plenty of furniture stores.  Like most areas, many of these furniture stores seem to be perpetually going out of business – a situation that makes absolutely no sense to me, so if you have any insight into this phenomenon please leave a comment to explain.  Both Zaira and I will thank you profusely!  But that’s not really what I wanted to share with y’all today.  No, I wanted to share my frustration with the lack of bed selection in these various furniture shops.

You see, since moving to morgan hill more than two years ago I’ve been sleeping on a metal framed futon that was clearly not designed for someone of my girth.  At six feet tall and two hundred and fifty pounds I constantly have the metal frame work pressing into one or more parts of my anatomy despite purchasing thicker mattresses.  They all wear thin too quickly.

Compound this problem with the fact that I live in the smallest room in my apartment and have Zaira (my 12 year old daughter) visiting on a regular basis and what I actually need is two beds that occupy the same (or less) space than my current futon.  Not a likely occurence I know.  But I just recently discovered Time 4 Sleep’s selection of guest beds.

They have several models that consist of a single mattress on a platform (better fo rmy back) with a second mattress that slides underneath the platform when not in use (perfect for when Z stays over).  This is exactly what I need.   These beds are compact, affordable, and solid.  The only question remaining is – why can’t I find one around here?

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Over the weekend I was enjoying my early afternoon french toast at Just Breakfast when a couple of young mothers occupied the table next to mine.  They were soon embroiled in a heated (but good natured) debate on the environmental impact of disposable diapers versus cloth diapers.  Now, I’ve always avoided this debate for three reasons: 1) I’ve always avoided being around infants in diapers anyway so it’s not really my decision to make, 2) I believe there are more pressing concerns in today’s world than environmental impact, and 3) aren’t cloth diapers clearly better for the environment?  However, I’m also a person who values knowing the truth more than being right all along, so I decided to investigate “disposable mother’s” claims that an independent study proved they were less damaging to the environment than cloth diapers.

Google led me to an article in London’s Sunday Times “Blow to image of ‘green’ reusable nappy” which was published back in October and shares the results of £50,000 study by England’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).  Amongst that reports conclusions-

The report found that while disposable nappies used over 2½ years would have a global warming , impact of 550kg of CO2 reusable nappies produced 570kg of CO2 on average. But if parents used tumble dryers and washed the reusable nappies at 90C, the impact could spiral to 993kg of CO2.

In other words the government determined that disposable diapers have a smaller carbon footprint than cloth diapers. Those responsible for commissioning this report were biased, which is always the problem with studies of this sort. Of course, as the article makes clear, in this case the bias was towards cloth diapers. Since the results came out in the opposite direction, DEFRA “has told its media managers not to give its conclusions any publicity”.

Knowing there’s always more than one side to any news story I headed out into the ‘green’ blogosphere to see what environmentalists had to say about this article.  Not surprisingly, I couldn’t find a single environmentalist who said “Wow, I was wrong, disposable diapers are better than cloth diapers”.  Nope, instead I found all sorts of rebuttals to the findings and claims that the study was biased or “bad science”.  For example, Jennifer Lance wrote at Eco Child’s Play-

I don’t think the report considered the impact on landfills of disposable diapers, and I think that further research needs to be done. I can’t embrace these findings, as there are many factors that were not considered. What about diaper services that reuse the same cloth diapers many times for many families? I don’t know any families that just dispose of their cloth diapers when their children have completed their toilet learning. If they are still in good shape, they are passed on to other families. If they are stained and falling apart, they are used as rags. I still think using cloth diapers was the best choice for my children’s health and the environment despite this report.

Further evidence that environmentalists are the most stubborn of idealists who are more concerned with perception than reality lies in the comments on that post-

Amber-
I’ve read that report – it was buried for a reason. Not only was it bad science but it made a lot of assumptions that are simply not true. Like you mentioned, cloth diapers get reused for up to five children. The water used to wash cloth diapers is about the same as the amount used by the same number of kids to flush a toilet – so a child in toilet training uses the same amount of water as a child in diapers. It also ignores much of the steps required to produce and transport disposables. I actually wrote a blog about it, but yes, you are right to question and ultimately dismiss this study. It wasn’t out of embarrassment for the results – but for the way they were obtained and, therefore, their inaccuracy.

Elizabeth-
I don’t think I believe this report at all. I’m sure the footprint required to make the disposable diapers wasn’t included, as well as certain other factors.

Stephanie-
I agree that they must have overlooked the landfill issues. The carbon is only a part of the issue overall, but so many people pay attention to just that fragment.

Greenbaby-
We heartily (and I mean heartily!) disagree with the findings of this study! After pouring through each bit of research, we found that it contains several flaws which make it rather inconclusive. If we really thought disposable products were the same as washable, wouldn’t we all be eating on disposable plates, using disposable clothing, and skipping cloth rags for paper towels? There’s something undeniably obvious about the fact that cloth is fundamentally more eco-friendly.

Karen-
That’s a very interesting report but I’m afraid when it comes to the environment I can only be supporting the use of cloth diapers.

As you can see, most greenies simply dismissed the scientific evidence out of hand, not giving a single fact to back up their beliefs. But let’s take a look at their objections, shall we…

1) “It’s bad science“-

From reading the article and the comments all of the claims of “bad science” are based on intuition and feelings instead of facts.  Notice the language used: “I don’t think the report considered“; “I’m sure the footprint required to make the disposable diapers wasn’t included, as well as certain other factors“; “they must have overlooked“; and, of course, my favorite – “There’s something undeniably obvious about the fact that cloth is fundamentally more eco-friendly“.  Not a snippet of evidence that there was “bad science” involved here at all, just a lot of feelings and certainties without any scientific backing.  (I was unable to find Amber’s blog post which supposedly contained some actual arguments against the study, BTW, if someone can send me a link I’d love to read it.)

2) “The water used to wash cloth diapers is about the same as the amount used by the same number of kids to flush a toilet“-

I’m not really sure what the point of this statement is.  The comparison is cloth diapers versus disposable diapers.  Magically potty trained at birth children aren’t really relevant here.  Besides, aren’t cloth diaper users still flushing the solid waste down the toilet?  I’d hate to think they’re transferring soiled diapers directly to the wshing machine where the fecal matter would mix with their other clothing.

3) “Only looks at carbon footprint“-

While it’s true that this study only looked at carbon footprint, that’s because they’ve already studied the other impacts. The last study commissioned by the UK government was concluded in 2005 and was a lifecycle analysis for the Environment Agency which took four years and cost more than £200,000.  According to the BBC (emphasis mine)-

Whether parents use disposable or cloth nappies makes little difference to the environment, a report has concluded.

The Environment Agency studied the impact of three types of nappy from their manufacture to their disposal.

Disposable nappies, bought by 95% of parents, led to 400,000 tonnes of waste dumped mainly at landfill sites.

But re-usable nappies affected the environment in other ways, such as by the water and energy used for washing and drying them, it found.

The agency says it is the most independent and thorough study yet carried out in the UK.

It compared the environmental impact of disposable, home-laundered flat cloth nappies and commercially-laundered cloth nappies delivered to the home.

So, even when manufacture, transport, etc are taken into account there is still no environmental benefit to cloth diapers.  Which brings me to the world’s most annoying objection-

4) “The impact on landfills“-

According to the same BBC article cited above, disposable nappies only made up 0.1% of rubbish at landfill sites in the United Kingdom. So diapers aren’t having a massive impact on landfills.  And then there are companies like Knowaste that recycle diapers, removing 98% of a disposable diaper from the trash stream and turning the different materials into plastic wood, roof shingles, vinyl wood sidings, shoe insoles, wallpaper, and biogas or green energy. So there doesn’t have to be an impact on landfills at all!

Besides, the whole concept that we’re “running out of room” to put our garbage and/or have landfills is absolutely ridiculous.  If you took every man woman and child currently living on the Earth (6,706,993,152 as of July 2008) and moved them all to Australia we’d each still have roughly a third of an acre of our own private land (Australia is roughly 2,967,909 sq mi. There are 640 acres in a square mile which means there are 1,899,461,760 acres in Australia.  Divided by the Earth’s population, we each get 0.28 acres).  That would leave the entire rest of the planet empty.  Do you not think we could fit both recreational area as well as vast amounts of landfill space on all of North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia?  Of course I’m not suggesting that we undertake such a ridiculous plan, but it should clarify that the Earth has plenty of empty land that could be used for waste disposal.

Conclusions-

Just as I didn’t expect to learn that cloth diapers were not better for the environment than disposables I also didn’t expect this post to be nearly this long. Seems I was wrong on both counts. Thanks for sticking with me all the way to the end. It seems science has spoken pretty loudly: there is essentially zero difference in environmental impact between disposable and cloth diapers. So the remaining question is, why won’t the environmentalists accept these simple facts? If you have the answer to that question I’d love to hear it.

Comments are always welcomed and even encouraged.  If you have an opinion (either way) please take a moment to comment below so we can all become better educated and better citizens of Earth.

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By now, everyone should know that keeping your home closed up tight in the winter can save quite a bit on heating bills. Since winter has finally arrived (with a vengeance) here in Morgan Hill I know that we’re running our heater more and more each day and I assume you are as well. With the economy getting staler and staler few of us can afford to install winter-proof windows, but have you considered simply adding vinyl shutters to your existing windows?  They can go a long way towards better insulating your home and stopping the heat leaks that cause higher gas costs.

I’ve noticed that many Morgan Hill homes already have decorative shutters on the windows.  Well, with exterior shutter hardware from Larson Shutter you can make those decorative shutters functional for even less than buying new shutters and still get the energy savings.  If that savings on top of savings isn’t enough, how about we stack one more bit of savings on top: free shipping through the end of the year!  Are you out of excuses yet?

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Following their Black Friday special I’m happy to share the Nikon Hunting Christmas Promotion with y’all.  Their superb Christmas package consists of a ProStaff rifle scope, ProStaff 550 Rangefinder, and a DVD with great hints and techniques for mastering the Nikon BDC (Bullet Drop Compensating) Reticle.

They’ve also still got amazing prices on Nikon ProStaff Riflescopes, Monarch Rifle Scopes, Buckmasters and Omega Riflescopes.  Plus, they’re still offering a $25 or $50 Nikon Pro Gear Gift Card with the purchase of Nikon Monarch Binoculars, Trailblazer Binoculars, Nikon Action 10×50 Binoculars or any other Nikon ATB Binoculars!  My binocularsare scheduled to arrive later this week, so I’ll be sure to let y’all knowwhen they arrive!

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A few weeks back I wrote about the new binoculars I discovered during my adventure with the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center.  I also shared the great gift card deal from Nikon as well.  Well, as Christmas nears, the deals are getting even better.

Be sure to check out the Nikon Ultimate Hunter’s Package Promo which consists of a ProStaff 3-9×40 Riflescope with BDC Reticle, a ProStaff Laser Rangefinder, a Silent Technology Rangefinder Case, a Mastering a Long-range shot with BDC DVD, and a $50 NikonProGear Gift Card for only $299.95!

But if you’re not a hunter don’t go away yet…

They are also expanding their free gift card promotion from the few models I announced before to cover Nikon Monarch Binoculars, Trailblazer Binoculars, Nikon Action 10×50 Binoculars and any Nikon ATB Binoculars!

So, no matter why you’re trying to see what’s “all the way over there” more clearly Nikon not only has the best optics products but now they’ve got some of the best prices around as well.

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“The world takes a literary turn when viewed through the lens of Letter Perspectives.”

That’s how Texas mother Heather describes what she does at Letter Perspectives. Essentially she has collected dozens of black and white and/or sepia toned photographs of evreyday objects that represent letters. When visiting her website to order some of this “Name art” you’ll be presented with a simple design tool (pictured right) where you can spell out your family name, philosophy, or other single word, using the photographs she’s taken of the world that surrounds her.

Once you’ve designed your own personal artwork with her amazing photographs you can then select from a wide array of custom mattes and various framing options as well.  Or, you can just have the photos themselves delivered for you to integrate into your own art or craft projects.

The process is truly painless and the majority of the photographs are absolutely stunning.  Sure, some letters are more difficult to find natural iterations of then others, but in addition to the nature imagery I chose to use there are also rustic themed images and sports pictures as well.  You can see the finished product at left for my name, but take a few minutes to visit the site and tryit for yourself.  I think you’ll be quite pleased.

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I’m not much of a holiday shopper. Instead, I’m the kind of guy that prefers to present personal gifts for people whenever or wherever I come across them, rather than waiting for the calendar to recommend that I do so. This year, however, I’m giving in to the holiday shopping spirit as one of my roommates has made serious progress on keeping his room clean.  So I decided to buy him a vacuum.

I checked the local spots and just wasn’t happy with the prices I was seeing.  After all, he’s just a roommate.  So I headed online and came across Blair, which is a department store of sorts.  Well, not only did they have a great price on the vacuum I was looking for, but a quick stop by my favorite site for online coupons, Savings.com, where I found a plethora of Blair coupons for everything from free shipping to discounts of up to 80%.

As if that’s not motivation enough, Blair is currently running a contest where you get to pick your own prizes:

• Grand Prize: Buick LaCrosse CX or $25,000 (I went for the cash)
• First Prize:  Washer & Dryer or $2,000 (cash again)
• Second Prize32″ LCD TV or $1,000 (this time I went for the television)

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MAXXED Energy Pops wants to give me a new Xbox 360 Elite Bundle and a $100 Gift Certificate and a 12-pack of MAXXED Energy Pops, but they can’t do it without your help. You see, if they just mailed it to me, it might look unfair. So what they (and I) need you to do is click on the big widget at the bottom of this post. Every day

Once you do, you can also enter to win the Xbox 360 Elite Bundle, or a $100 Gift Certificate, or a 12-pack of MAXXED Energy Pops. But don’t get your hopes up, cause those bad boys are coming to me You see, I really need all that extra energy. How else am I going to keep y’all informed about all the amazing events and special happenings here in Morgan Hill? Especially with summer coming on, energy is at a premium right now! And all you need to do to share some with me is click on the MaXXed button below!

Oh yeah, you can slo enter to win their Keep Going Sweepstakes and win a Xbox 360 Elite Bundle or some MAXXED Energy Pops of your own. Sound good to you? After all, we can all use a little extra energy!
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