Sunday, April 27, 2008

Zipper Day

”Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay—My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way—Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!”
~Ray Gilbert

(
from Disney’s Song of the South)


In spite of the miracle of Velcro, it appears that the zipper, and annual Zipper Day, are here to stay. Never heard of Zipper Day? It’s when all people, adolescent or octogenarian, can proudly display and play with their zippers.

Be annoying and obnoxious…yes, that’s right…up and down, up and down, up and down. This zippy holiday only comes once each year, so make the most of it. But may I suggest monkeying with the zipper on your coat rather than the one on your pants or dress? (Noodling around with either of those in public might just send the wrong message—but that’s for you to decide!)

The modern-day zipper is the culmination of a series of improvements made over more than twenty years by inventors and engineers. First, in the early 1890s, a mechanical engineer from Chicago, Whitcomb L. Judson, an appreciator of gizmos, doo-hickeys, and Rube Goldberg-esque thing-a-ma-jigs, invented what he called the “clasp-locker,” the precursor to what we know as the modern day zipper. Alas, though poor Whitcomb proudly exhibited his new closure device at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, it was a complete and utter failure (OK, he did sell a grand total of 20 clasp-lockers to the Chicago postal service, but that was it!). His original device was more like a mechanized version of the button hook than the zipper we know of today, and he sadly died in obscurity in 1909, long before his revolutionary idea caught on and became one of the most commonly used and well-known technological advances of the 20th Century.

In 1913, however, the Swedish-American engineer, Gideon Sundbach, successfully improved on Judson’s primitive contraption, turning it into the item we all know and love—a simple, but brilliant contraption meant to temporarily join two pieces of material when engaged and then as easily, separate them when disengaged. The name “zipper” was actually coined by the rubber tycoon, Charles Goodyear, who flipped over the onomatopoetic noise the closure made on his newly patented vulcanized golashes—“z-i-i-i-i-p” up, and “z-i-i-i-i-p” down.

Simply put, a zipper is two strips of fabric tape with hundreds of oddly shaped interlocking “teeth” stuck onto the two pieces of fabric intended to be joined. A separate element called a “slider” (No…not that famous White Castle mini-burger we all crave when we’re drunk!) is moved up or down between the rows of teeth temporarily but securely joining the two separate sides, creating a perfect closure. We find zippers on anything from Elvis-inspired jumpsuits, haute couture evening gowns, tents (in some instances, indistinguishable from evening gowns), jeans, corsets, handbags, parkas, slipcovers, sleeping bags, hoodies and go-go boots.

While the basic principle has remained the same for nearly 100 years, the material for zipper teeth now includes plastic as well as the original metal. The teeth, regardless of what they are made of, dovetail together in an ingenious yin-yang-like fashion. In Chinese philosophy, yin-and-yang describes the contrast of exact opposites (earth and sky, water and fire, the left and the right), which, when combined, create a perfect unity of opposites…kinda’ like the slider on a zipper causing a perfect yin-yang interlocking of the teeth.

What most people fail to realize until it’s too late, however, is that like most types of gear and equipment, zippers also require some maintenance every now and then to prolong their usable life. Forcing zippers takes its toll on both the zipper and zipper slider (Think about how many times the slider “pull” has come off in your hand at the most inappropriate or inconvenient of times—forcing you to run for the pliers or a paperclip make-do!).

The flotsam and jetsam of life should be removed regularly from zipper teeth (if we were discussing your pearly-whites we’d both be on the same page about regular brushing and flossing.) An occasional lubricating with paraffin (a wax candle will do) grazed across the connecting teeth will both grease-the-works and add protection. Also, if your zipper is rusted or stuck, never force it. Instead, when seized up, if manufacturer’s cleaning instructions permit (or you test a hidden patch for color-fastness first), soak the garment with said stuck zipper in white vinegar, or better yet, brush it on along the front and back of the zipper (hopefully with you not in it.) The acid in the vinegar should dissolve whatever tiny particles may be causing the malfunction.

Regardless of the functionality of your zipper, whether “yin-ing” or “yang-ing,” always be mindful to “close your barn door!” Remember, XYZ-PDQ (Examine Your Zipper Pretty D@MN Quick!)

Made ya’ look!


Michael De Jong, is the author of “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing,” (
www.zencleansing.com) produced by Joost Elffers Design and published in 2007 by Sterling Publishers. He lives in Jersey City with his partner, dog and three (now four) goldfish, all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in “CLEAN” because of his own allergic reactions to commercial cleaning products, and he is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by a family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of “CLEAN” books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing” can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. Take the “zen-cleansing” quiz at Latitude U. www.latitudeu.com

Please consider the environment.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Earth Day and
the complexity of care.

“Ever mindful what it cost; Ever grateful for the prize…”
~ Joseph Hopkinson.


Every April showers us with special events and holidays. There’s Publicity Stunt Week, Straw Hat Week, National Reading a Road Map Week, National Coin Tasting Week (ya’… really!), Argue About Gun Safety Week (did I already say “ya’…really?), National Bubblegum Week, National Lingerie Week and the not-to-be-forgotten Egg Salad Week. But squished into the tail end of the month is just one day devoted to our planet… Earth Day. Just 1/365th solitary moment in the whole expanse of a year devoted to the place we all call home. Not even a month or a week, just a day.

Well, the truth be told, Earth “Day” gets even a bit more confusing because with the same name but two different dates on the calendar, the United Nations has Earth Day penned into their agenda for late March but the rest of us global citizens celebrate it officially on April 22nd. In any event, I suppose we should be grateful that there are actually two days a year dedicated to arouse our sensitivity for our delicate mother-ship, planet Earth.

The United Nation’s date (the 21st of March) is when we mark the beginning of the Vernal Equinox by welcoming in the first signs of spring—early bulbs breaking through the thawing ground, though often left to survive the dangers and unpredictability of foreboding late snow flurries and frost. Ever-hopeful, the days begin to grow longer, and nature begins to stir from under the four-month long frozen blanket of winter.

The lifelong activist and Earth Day founder, John McConnell, believed that love and prayer were more powerful than the destructive nature of man, and suggested his dream of Earth Day at a
UNESCO Conference on the Environment in 1969. In hopes of celebrating the Earth's life and beauty, McConnell created the Earth Day Proclamation for Global Awareness, detailing mankind’s responsibility for stewarding, cleaning and preserving our planet for future generations.

In 1970, the April 22nd event that ultimately blossomed into the more widely recognized Earth Day, was founded by seeds originally planted by Senator Gaylord Nelson. Using activist tactics, he organized huge college grass-root protests over what he saw happening to the environment. With only limited media coverage to get the ball rolling, 20 million demonstrators, and thousands of schools and local communities participated, with each year bringing greater and greater awareness and activity to the issue.

But regardless of when it is celebrated, whenever I hear the name “Earth Day,” what first comes to mind for me is the word “care.” And interestingly, “care” is one of those rare words that implies the notion of both “giving” and “taking.”

Let me explain.

We can “give care” or we can “take care.” (And it’s easy to confuse the two but they are really very different things.) By “taking care” we lose ourselves in private, thoughtful, reflective, and introspective, self-preservation. By “giving care” we offer help, aid or support to those around us—an external activity. Both are equally important, for without taking care, we have no care to offer.

So let’s all “take care” on Earth Day 2008 to “give care” to those we love, to our communities, to our cities, to our states, to our country, to our planet. Sounds like a huge undertaking, no? Well, in reality it can all begin with the simplest of activities that you were probably going to do anyway: Spring Cleaning. (It’s what you do in spring, isn’t it?)

Only this year, I am suggesting that we mix things up a bit—literally and figuratively. Instead of unconsciously reaching for those expensive, toxic products locked away under the kitchen sink, let’s be more mindful of the effects of our actions. I propose that this year, we make a clean sweep by using some safe and wholesome ingredients you probably already have around the house to create healthy, non-toxic cleaning recipes that are equally, if not more effective! It might come as a surprise, but commercial cleaning products—you know, the ones that are made “new and improved” on a yearly basis—are actually only a modern, and highly successful, 20th Century marketing "convenience.” Prior to the technologies of the Industrial Revolution, the means to produce mass-market pre-mixed cleansers didn’t exist. And while I am no Troglodyte, and actually enjoy many of the benefits of modern conveniences and technologies, I do try to use those that are helpful and life affirming, and opt for healthier alternatives to those that I know are harmful and life-threatening.

OK—so back to Spring Cleaning. First, let’s clean the windows and let all that glorious springtime daylight fill your home. Wipe away the winter grime with a simple but highly effective solution of one teaspoon of white vinegar added to a re-cycled spray bottle filled with warm water. Squirt it on and wipe it off with re-cycled newspaper, and you’ll be amazed at how shiny your windows (and mirrors) will be. And your entire bottle of new glass cleaner cost you only about $.02, to boot! (Remember, the price of store-bought cleansers takes into account the costs of advertising, shipping, packaging, supermarket real estate, etc.—while a simple bottle of white vinegar costs under $1.00 and can last over a year.)

Next, by mixing one cup of baking soda, one cup of borax (yes, it’s still made and you’ll find it in the laundry detergent section of your grocery store), and a pinch of table salt, you’ll easily create a gentle, non-toxic bathroom and kitchen cleanser that works great. Sprinkle it on, give it a good scrubbing and rinse it clean with warm water. And here’s my favorite tip: if you use the cut side of a half a lemon as your scrubber, you’ll have the added benefit of that wonderful, natural, fresh citrusy scent.

Remember, whatever you use to clean your windows, mirrors, sinks, bathtubs, showers or toilets—either these homemade recipes or those store-bought chemicals—all gets washed down the drain and into the ground water. The only difference is that these easy, non-toxic recipes don’t pollute and aren’t harmful to the flora and fauna of our lakes, streams and oceans—and you won’t even have to use rubber gloves while cleaning because they’re so gentle. Plus, your family and pets won’t be exposed to air-bound chemicals or toxic residues.

Your house will not only shine and smell fresh, but Mother Earth will thank you because you’ve just taken the first step towards grass roots environmentalism! Everything in the glass cleaner and all-purpose cleanser you just used is chemical free, not to mention costing next to nothing as well! Store-bought cleaning products are a poisonous, chemical nightmare. The list of their side effects to children, adults and pets are mind numbing. And when those pollutants leave your home, they join forces with the pollutants leaving all your neighbors’ homes. Collectively they wreak havoc on our environment, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, all those expensive, fancy “new and improved” commercial products are the number one pollutant we know of—harmful to animal and plant life.

So I suggest that this year, we all not only celebrate Earth Day by taking care of others, and ourselves but by also offering care. Former Soviet President Gorbachev once suggested that it took only 5% of the leadership of Russia to create Perestroika. Just imagine what a “caring” 5% of the population could offer right here and right now to make an environmental difference locally and globally.

At least for just this one-day, show the world not only that you care,
but how you care.


For Earth Day Festivities I’m having book-signing events with Macy's on April 22nd at the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island and again on Saturday April 26th at the Herald Square Macy's on 34th Street in Manhattan.
I hope you'll stop by!


Michael De Jong, is the author of “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing,” (
www.zencleansing.com) produced by Joost Elffers Design and published in 2007 by Sterling Publishers. He lives in Jersey City with his partner, dog and three (now four) goldfish, all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in “CLEAN” because of his own allergic reactions to commercial cleaning products, and he is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by a family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of “CLEAN” books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing” can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. Take the “zen-cleansing” quiz at Latitude U. www.latitudeu.com

Please consider the environment.


Sunday, April 13, 2008

Thomas Jefferson’s B-day
Happiness comes when your work and words
are of benefit to yourself and others.

~Buddha


Archaeologist, architect, author, horticulturist, inventor, paleontologist, and statesman – the one-man Renaissance that was Thomas Jefferson was born into a well-healed family in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He studied at the College of William and Mary, and because of his extensive travels and all of the nifty stuff he stumbled across while exploring, he’s responsible for introducing vanilla ice cream, macaroni and the indoor cook stove to Colonial America, all before becoming the third president of the United States of America.

Though quite the ladies’-man, he was also self-conscious of his lanky, fair-haired, and freckly silhouette. Luckily for us all, Thomas Jefferson was a keen observer of humankind and an articulate writer and journalist—and rather than yammering on-and-on and waxing poetic as did many of his peers in the Continental Congress, Jefferson chose to contribute his flair for the written word over his audible voice to the new American patriotic cause. Muted by his insecurities and humility, in 1776, at the young-ish age of 33, Jefferson penned our Declaration of Independence, a document relating the loftiest ideals of death to tyranny and the birth of Democracy in fledgling a country.

The first draft of the Declaration of Independence addressed “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.” Jefferson, in his infinite wisdom, insisted on the change that all these years later still reads:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

I’m guessing that Jefferson didn’t merely mean the happiness we get from “The Partridge Family” reruns, or being the first on our block with a new I-Phone, but rather, the happiness we feel for and with those around us. The pursuit of our dreams to rise above our station in life, and provide a better world for our children than the one we inherited. To be honestly happy when others have something good happen to them (though, even Jefferson would have hated whoever won last week’s Mega Millions lotto!). The kind of true happiness that allows us to move beyond our conventional barriers, to embrace a faith that embraces us back, to be content, to be grateful, to show gratitude for the little stuff and to be joyously willing to share ourselves with the world. Whatever our current situation, our new Democracy would allow us to pursue happiness any-which-way.

Folks find happiness in so many different ways. Sarah Jessica finds hers in her Jimmy Choo pumps. For Oprah it’s her huge (ummm…) viewer-ship and a fresh bar of soap for each hand washing. Tiger finds his center when he’s got a nine-iron in his hands. Ozzy is one with the universe when he’s pulverizing what’s left of his vocal chords. And Brittany, well let’s just say she seems to be doing more pursuing than finding at this stage in her life.

And where do I pursue my happiness? Well that’s a piece of cake—a hunk of it that is. Especially when it’s glopped and crusted onto our stainless steel range. Thanks to founding father, and foodie Thomas Jefferson, he himself prepared the way to my never-ending joy. As proud as he may have been to have invented the first “modern” built-in kitchen stove, generations later I’m my happiest when our stove sparkles. (Believe it…I’m really that shallow.)

Instead of using the expensive commercial stuff to make the stovetop sparkle and shine, I apply a generous sprinkling of unadulterated baking soda directly onto the greasy-grimy-goopy mess of an overspill. With a lightly dampened dishcloth and just a touch of elbow grease, our entire oven is as clean and shiny as the day it was delivered. (Remember: Never, never, never use those green, wire or steel wool pads on your precious metal surfaces. Treat them like gold and they’ll shine forever.)

Had Jefferson done the same, his stove might still be in the same condition as when he invented it. But then again - he was kinda’ busy pursuing so many other things that gave him happiness.

Michael De Jong, is the author of “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing,” (www.zencleansing.com) produced by Joost Elffers Design and published in 2007 by Sterling Publishers. He lives in Jersey City with his partner, dog and three (now four) goldfish, all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in “CLEAN” because of his own allergic reactions to commercial cleaning products, and he is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by a family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of “CLEAN” books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing” can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. Take the “zen-cleansing” quiz at Latitude U. www.latitudeu.com

Monday, April 7, 2008

No Housework Day
“After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse.“
~Quentin Crisp


I have bunches of hobbies, obsessions, and pastimes and I’m guessing that you do, too. But to my detriment, I never remember how to relax.

I’m always working on a little of this-and-that, and I just love-love-love a project. (It’s how I procrastinate.) I’ve been an artist my entire life and always have a painting-in-progress that I pick at now-and-again. I have a knitting project that, at this point, is so out-of-control it’s probably best not to even discuss that bundle of insanity. I’ve also been faux-finishing our dining room for the past five years, and am finally starting to see the light at the end of that particular tunnel. (You try painting an entire room with only an artist’s brush!)

But beyond the madness I manage to invent for myself, I also always manage to clean just a little every morning. After making a pot of coffee and tossing back at least half of it, I hit the ground running well-caffeinated. On an average day, for instance, like many of you, I’ll chase the vacuum cleaner around, run a load of laundry, and sweep the backyard—oh, and on a good day, I’ll write some of my weekly blog and work on the manuscript for my next book, too, all before noon.

And then there’s my list of other projects waiting in the wings—and I mean an actual list. By the side of my computer I have a running “to-do” list. That list includes things like patching the roof; finish painting some of the trim-work around the house, and somehow retiling the bathroom. Much to the chagrin of my partner and friends, I just can’t sit still.

S-C-R-E-E-C-H !!!

What was that!!?? No, not a car crash—that was the sound of me slowing down, me stopping to smell the something-or-other, me sitting still to take a breather. And ya’ know why? Heh?

It’s “No Housework Day.”

I’m not certain what smart-alek came up with “No Housework Day,” but for sure it was some wise-en-heimer with a laundry list of stuff to do like mine who made up the perfect-excuse-of-a-holiday as a way to put it all on a back burner. “No Housework Day” is a day all about just saying, “No.” (Nancy Regan would be so proud!)

Just say “No” to garbage. No to laundry. No to washing windows. No to cleaning grout. No to vacuuming. No to turning the compost. No to bundling the recycling. No to everything.

I’ve made a vow to honor this faux-holiday, as painful as it may be—and hope that you will, too. But in a day filled with the word “no,” how about filling some of it with the word “know.” What about something like: “Know how to have fun” or “Know who’s important” or “Know what’s important” or “Know what’s what.”

And know guilt—oops, I mean, and no guilt.

So instead of sweeping a room with a broom, sweep a room with a glance. Instead of hunting for dust-bunnies, let the suckers multiply. Rather than washing a load of laundry, take a load off. Today’s tip isn’t for cleaning it’s for cleansing. Try this one on for luxurious:

First, cut two lemons into super-skinny-slices and put them in a large bowl. Dribble half-a-dozen drops of olive oil onto the citrus slivers, and finish by adding three cups of sea salt and giving it all a toss. Now it’s hands off while the concoction cures for at least five minutes. Then pour your “citrus derma-dip” into your tub filled with hot, steamy water. Lock the bathroom door, put on some soothing music, light some candles, submerge yourself into your citrus soup, feel the warmth loosening you up, and settle in for a comfy, lazy, r-e-a-l-l-y l-o-n-g soak. (If they knock and complain…tell ‘em to cross their legs, ‘cause you’re busy doing nothing!) You’ll reappear recharged and revived.

Be good to yourself and know how and when to say “No.”

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Michael De Jong, is the author of “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing,” (
www.zencleansing.com) produced by Joost Elffers Design and published in 2007 by Sterling Publishers. He lives in Jersey City with his partner, dog and three (now four) goldfish, all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in “CLEAN” because of his own allergic reactions to commercial cleaning products, and he is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by a family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of “CLEAN” books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing” can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. Take the “zen-cleansing” quiz at Latitude U. www.latitudeu.com

Please consider the environment.