Category Archives: Lifestyle

Fighting Food Waste

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One of the ways to combat waste management issues in America is to focus on food waste. Every day, American families throw out more food than you can possibly imagine. Restaurants, as well, dispose of leftovers, and even farmers throw out food that is imperfect or not suited for their use.

In the US, about 30-40% of all food isn’t eaten. Approximately 95% of that food ends up in landfills.

Many states and many companies are trying to work with states to solve these problems. Some states like California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont have already restricted how much food and other organic waste can be thrown away. Maryland, New Jersey and New York are currently considering similar laws. Places like the West Lake Landfill are also always looking for new and creative ways to work.

There are other very creative ways that states are offering incentives. Some states are offering tax breaks to farmers and small businesses that donate food rather than throw it away. Some large farming operations and caterers have partnered with homeless shelters to enable the shelters to receive the food that isn’t used at the end of a harvest or during a celebration party.

Similarly, some restaurants will offer a discounted rate to customers when they put out food that is less physically appealing or that has passed the “sell by” date. Others have even created apps that will connect restaurants and stores with people who are interested in the surplus.

Certainly, there is going to be waste, but there are creative ways to help society to limit that waste and to cut down on the waste as much as possible.

The Best Places to Live in America

Lifestyle,
Denver Skyline. Photo by Hogs555
Denver Skyline. Photo by Hogs555

Every year US News and World Report evaluates US cities to find the 50 best places to live. Many parameters are universally desired, such as how affordable is the housing, are there well-paying jobs in the vicinity, are other expenses low, how are the schools, and what is the quality of the healthcare? Other issues are more subjective, such as the weather, the politics, and how far away are family members.

The newspaper then got the data on 100 US cities and divided it all into five main indexes: job market, value, quality of life, desirability, net migration. “Value” is a combination of annual household income versus the cost of living. “Quality of life” looks at crime, college readiness, commuting, and other factors.

Here are the top ten of the top fifty places to live in the USA:

  1. Denver, Colorado
  2. Austin, Texas
  3. Fayetteville, Arkansas
  4. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
  5. Colorado Springs, Colorado
  6. Boise, Idaho
  7. Seattle, Washington
  8. Washington, DC
  9. San Francisco, California
  10. San Jose, California

Efficient Business Trip Packing

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Prada Luggage. Photo by o5com
Prada Luggage. Photo by o5com

Business trips are cumbersome necessity of life. Be sure to follow some or all of the following tips to make your next business trip as event-free and headache-free as possible.

Luggage

The best way to avoid losing your luggage is not to have any in the first place. Pack all you need in one carry-on bag. This will eliminate the chance that you and your luggage will separate during the trip. Always be ready for the next business trip by keeping you loyal carry-on packed with clean clothes and ready-to-go.

Keep a Copy of Your Itinerary

If you will need to make many stops in many cities, keep track of everything easily by having easy access to your complete itinerary. While you are at it, keep your passport, visa and any other essential papers easy to reach for inspection.

Laptop

Whether you travel with a laptop, tablet or any other device, be sure to bring it along fully charged. Don’t forget to bring along the charger, as well.

Take Your Business Cards

Your business cards are a great way to network, which is a lot of what going on a business trip is all about. Keep your cards and your colleague’s cards handy, and be sure to hand them out.

Chargers

As laptops, tablets and cell-phones grew and continue to grow in popularity and importance, we must remember they need to ‘eat,’ too. Airports are more and more offering docking stations for charging, and even some airplanes are equipped with SD ports to make it easier to charge.

Clothing

Try and bring clothes that are less likely to wrinkle inside your carry-on. Take along neutral colors that can be worn with a large variety of different combinations of clothing. Two pairs of shoes at a minimum should be packed.

Yael Eckstein: The Intersection of the Spiritual and Physical

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In a world which seems to be increasingly materialistic, it is like a breath of fresh air to learn about people who are working hard to combat this trend. One of those people is writer Yael Eckstein, who is also Senior Vice President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Eckstein is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Post, and has authored two books: Holy Land Reflections: A Collection of Inspirational Insights from Israel, and Spiritual Cooking with Yael. Eckstein’s articles in the JPost remind us to keep our priorities straight and be thankful for all the good in our lives. Her most recent articles discuss helping immigrants to Israel from countries where it is difficult to freely practice Judaism; the need for governments, organizations, and individuals to help the Druze community in Syria who are suffering from persecution and from Syria’s civil war; and the obligation and responsibility to care for aging, destitute Holocaust survivors.

Spiritual Cooking with Yael offers simple, healthy recipes while integrating words from the Bible, meditations, and spiritual teachings into each. The goal of the book, as Eckstein puts it, is to “transform the physical acts of cooking and eating into a spiritual experience using the proper thoughts and intentions.”

Her work with the IFCJ, as an overseer of all ministry programs and as a spokesperson, allows Eckstein to be “an advocate for those in need, and a passionate voice for the vision and mission (of IFCJ),” said IFCJ board chairman John French.

In a world which feels and looks to be overwhelmingly indifferent to the pain of others, it is inspiring to know there are people like Yael Eckstein working to help those in need.

Most Expensive Zip Code Moves East

Lifestyle

Wondering where the country’s most wealthy dwell? For the past two years the zip code of distinction has been 94027, whose numbers represent Atherton, California in what is known as Silicon Valley.

Atherton attracts some of the world’s most influential hi-tech execs such as Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, HP CEO Meg Whitman, and Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google. The median income in Atherton, according to data from the US Census Bureau, is just short of a quarter million dollars: $220,583.

That’s yesterday’s news. The new reigning zip code for the country’s most wealthy is 11962, a Long Island community called Sagaponack. In Sagaponach the median sale price for a home from January 2014 until June 2015 was $5,125,000, according to the real estate listing site Property Shark. In Atherton the median price was only $5,050,000.

Sagaponack is only two hours’ drive from New York City, in the Hamptons on the south shore of Long Island. Pop musician Billy Joel lives in Sagaponack, while the Clintons like to vacation in the town. Ira Rennert built a $248 million estate there composed of three swimming pools, a 164-seat private theater, and a car garage with a 100-car capacity.