Honolulu comprises 80 percent of Hawaii's population and generates nearly 1.6 million tons of garbage a year. Now, a new organization attempts to curb our landfill usage. THROW TO GROW is a Hawaii based food waste recycling project that implements rapid anaerobic composting in an effort to address our continuing landfill overflow problem. The group says this process represents a much more sustainable way to manage food waste, but has yet to be implemented on an industrial scale.

The website, ThrowToGrow.com, will launch in conjunction with a Kickstarter campaign. Kickstarter is a popular “crowd-funding” resource for creative minds. Throw to Grow will be asking for donations through mid-January, to:

-Raise money to fund research pilot for larger scale waste recycling systems that will work to naturally reduce our food waste.
-Educational outreach to help teach kids and the community that what is now seen as waste can actually be harnessed for energy.

Visit www.ThrowtoGrow.com for the kickstarter link.

Additionally, in celebration of this new trash revolution movement, Throw to Grow will be releasing original short movies each week that feature local pioneers of the green movement here in Hawaii.  These Throw To Grow Originals can be accessed at www.Throwtogrow.com.  Below are some of the featured persons:

-Pamela Boyar & Annie Suite - Founders/Owners, Haleiwa Farmers Market, Ala Moana Farmers Market, Hawaii Kai Farmers Market
-Daniel Anthony - Owner/Farmer, Mana Ai.  Keeping the tradition of poi pounding alive
-Rochelle Ballard - World Champion Pro Surfer and Fouder/Owner of Surf Into Yoga

If successful, Throw to Grow could mark the beginning of a new trash revolution movement, where abundant waste becomes an abundant resource!

Just in time for holiday parties and those rollicking New Year’s Eve celebrations, advertising and design agency TDA Boulder has teamed with Internet security company Webroot to take the company’s tongue-in-cheek “bad idea protector” mobile. The Colorado firm takes a fresh spin on the Social Media Sobriety Test, with mobile apps and a holiday-themed website designed to make you think twice before tweeting, posting or any other poor decision you might make after a little too much holiday cheer.

New this year, the mobile Holiday Party Sobriety Test apps take people through a number of coordination and cognition tests on their smartphones or tabs (compatible with iOS 5 and Android devices). If your scores are low, the app will advise you to think twice before your next move and serve you up search results for a nearby cab company based on your phone’s geo-location capabilities.  The apps are available for free download at www.webroot.com/sobrietytest.

Revelers who are still tempted to post that tacky photo can turn to The Webroot Social Media Sobriety Test.  Introduced last year, it is a browser plug-in that helps prevent “under-the-influence” posting on sites including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Tumblr, as well as custom URLs (like blogs) and/or web-based email accounts such as Gmail or Hotmail.  Users can customize which sites they wish to block and at which hours of the day or night are the most personally vulnerable.

For access to their social media, users must pass one of a variety of randomly selected sobriety tests such as “drag your mouse in a straight line,” “type the alphabet backwards,” or “follow the finger.”  Browser compatibility includes Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

“We’re working with Webroot to offer this as a humorous reminder to anyone who’s likely to enjoy beer, wine or spirits this holiday season but wants to avoid the over-sharing that can occur when one has had one too many,” says Jonathan Schoenberg, Creative Director at TDA_Boulder, commenting about the Sobriety Tests.  “It’s a whole new world with Androids, iPhones, Facebook and Twitter, as many have learned to their peril.  The consequences of a stupid tweet or an ill-advised photo can be instantaneously spread around the globe. It’s our hope the Sobriety Tests will come to the aid of all who are in need of its protection.  Because we know nothing good happens online after 1 am.”

I like the premise of this app and got a chuckle out of it, but personally, I don't drink enough to ever need one of these tests. With all the stuff going on in my life, I don't have the time to get inebriated, and with age, I don't hold my alcohol as well as I did in my 20's, so I usually just avoid it. Readers, you're going to have to let me know if you use this and how it worked!

For more information, www.webroot.com/sobrietytest.  Remember, the stupidity you avoid this holiday season could be your own.

I like eco-friendly items, so when my friend Trini Kaopuiki told me about some reusable holiday gift bags her mother in law is sewing and selling, I wanted to pass the word along.

1. They're beautiful under the tree.
2. They're fast and easy to use (throw gifts in, tie attached ribbon and you're done!) No more spending hours wrapping Christmas gifts!
3. They're ECO-FRIENDLY! Recyclable and no trees harmed in their production! No rubbish on Christmas morning heading to our land fill!

"I keep my bags within my family and reuse them year after year!  They're great!" said Trini, of the bags that her mother-in-law sews.

Sounds perfect for those oversized kid's toys that would otherwise be so hard to wrap.

Prices are:
XS - $5
S - $10
M - $15
L - $20
XL - $25

NOTE:  Certain prints only come in certain sizes.

If interested, write her at stclark@hawaii.rr.com.

My friend Christine was at my house last weekend. When she was done with our visit, she was having a friend, Tracy, pick her up. This friend apparently wanted to meet me, but I wasn't aware of this until he was in my driveway.

I had no makeup on. I hadn't done my hair, and I was wearing comfortable shorts and a shirt. It was a very... lived-in look. Most times, when I'm just cruising at my house, I don't dress up. Some women do, but I am not that woman.

The car pulled up and I gave her a hug goodbye in my foyer. "No, come outside," she said.

"Oh... can I say goodbye here?" I asked. I was trying to hide from new people.

"Can you meet Tracy?" she requested.

"Do I have to?" I winced.

"Come on. Real quick?" she implored.

I didn't want to make a fuss or be difficult, but who doesn't hate the mini-ambush? "But I look horrible," I complained.

My daughter and her friend, Kira, were playing the living room and heard me. "My mom looks horrible-er," she volunteered, as if that should make me feel better. It kind of did.

I laughed and went outside, met this guy, didn't die of makeupless shame.

I went inside and laughed at Kira again. "Horrible-er?" I shook my head.

Still unaware of the vast humor in that little interchange, Kira expanded on the definition. "Yeah, she didn't even change out of her pajamas, and her hair is up to here," as she held a hand about four inches above her head.

When it was time to deliver Kira back to her house, which is three homes up from ours, Claus suggested we go inside and tell Joann we were there to witness this morning-hair horribleness. I'm sure her mom Joann will love hearing how she was part of a comparison of whose mother was more terrible looking in the morning.

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Also reach me via DianeAko.com

With the holiday season upon us, children across the country look forward to seeing Santa and parents are often subjected to standing in long lines only to have a few rushed minutes with the old jolly fellow.

To offer parents a less stressful (and free!) way to have their kids meet Santa, Paltalk.com, a well-known provider of software and technology for real-time, rich media, interactive social networking, will allow children and adults to meet Santa over video chat.

Beginning December 15th, Santa will be video chatting every day from 1 pm to 11 pm EST for anyone who wants to log-on and speak with him.

The turn-by-turn video chat platform ensures every child will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Santa. With less of a line, children will have the chance to speak with Santa without any outside pressures rushing them along.

Children are welcome to log-in through Paltalk.com and speak with Santa while accompanied by an adult. The video chat room is constantly monitored by administrators to ensure the safety and well-being of all users.

Sign up is free. You’ve been good this year, so log here to say “hello” to Santa and let him know what’s on your wish list!