Opel Troya

ah ha

Do It Yourself Paper Dresses

Pattern for Dress One: Model Femke

Directions for Dress One: Model Femke

1. Print out all the panels belonging to Model Femke and enlarge each page by 333%.
2. Carefully cut them out along the dashed line.
3. Begin with the front panel of the bodice. Fold pleats as indicated and fix by stitching at mark. Close the darts by folding the indicated lines into each other. Finish by stitching them together.
4. Prepare the back panel of bodice by sewing upper and lower part together. Cut a slit at the indicated line.
5. To complete the construction of the bodice, lay the printed side of the back panel over the printed side of the front panel. Sew shoulders and left side along the seam lines. Turn bodice right side out
6. To make the skirt begin by stitching the two panels together on the left side. Fold the pleats as indicated and stitch to fix along indicated marks.
7. Pin the skirt to the bodice by matching the marks on each respective section. Sewing the seam on the interior side, fix the bodice to the skirt. After completion turn dress right side out.
8. To make the drawstrings, fold paper along the indicated lines and reinforce the length with a straight stitch. Finish the dress by attaching the drawstrings to the indicated cross marks on the right hand side of the skirt with a short stitch.

Buy the Large sheets of Paper to make this fabulous dress.

"Mod" Paper Dress, circa 1967

Paper Dress, circa 1967
Donated by Mrs. Richard Johnson

During the 1960s, massive changes in society inspired young people to set themselves apart from the established order. A profusion of new materials, including plastics, metallic fibers, and even paper, were used to help break down old standards. This made for daring, shocking, and often frivolous fashions. The new, the wild, and the colorful were embraced and celebrated. Women of all ages raised their skirt hemlines in order to step out in the stylish mini-skirt.

The paper dress shown here demonstrates the "mod" look. The dress is complemented by Capezio "ballet" flats. The overlapping hippie movement utilized a more natural approach in order to achieve the back-to-the-earth fashions. When the two collided, they sparked the punk look of the late 1970s.

courtesy of the Wilmette Historical Museum: http://www.wilmettehistory.org/costumes/1967.html

Copy Paper Commercial - Very Funny!

That thing would not make sharp clear copies at that distance. Maybe he is amazed by how much paper she has wasted.

Paper Machine Video - Making Paper

"feel the heat . . .hear the hard noise and experience the stress again by braking the paper in the machine! Every minute without production costs a lot of money"

NewPage to Buy Stora Enso North America in 2.5 Billion Deal

Sept. 21, 2007 - NewPage Corp.has signed a definitive agreement with and Stora Enso Oyj by which NewPage's parent company, NewPage Holding Corp., will acquire Stora Enso's paper manufacturing operations in North America.

Under the terms of the deal, Stora Enso will receive approximately $1.5 billion in cash, a $200 million note, and a 19.9% equity interest (approx. $370 million) in the new company. In addition, NewPage will assume net liabilities of about $450 million.

The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close during the first quarter of 2008.

"We are excited about the acquisition as it is clearly part of our strategic vision to lower our overall cost and accelerate our ability to achieve sustainable financial returns above our cost of capital," said Mark A. Suwyn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NewPage. "This is also important in order to help us compete with illegally dumped and subsidized foreign imports."

The deal includes Stora Enso's papermaking operations in Biron, Kimberly, Niagara, Stevens Point, Whiting and Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin; Duluth, Minnesota; and Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada.

For the year 2006, Stora Enso North America generated $2.0 billion in revenue and an adjusted EBITDA of $295 million.

According to NewPage, during 2006, the combined company on a proforma basis would have generated $4.1 billion in revenue and an adjusted EBITDA of $583 million.

The combination is expected to generate approximately $265 million in annualized cost savings. "These cost savings combined with our increased scale will enable us to make further high-return investments in lower cost capacity, increase supply chain efficiencies and product availability and enhance environmental leadership," said Rick Willett, president and COO of NewPage.

"Today, both companies enjoy leading reputations for high-quality products and superior customer service, and we believe the integration will provide our customers with a stronger, more efficient platform for improvements to product and service quality as well as new product innovation," Willett added.

"This combination is very exciting for the SENA team due to the expanded scale and capabilities for our customers and a stronger platform for all of our employees," said John Gillen, president and Regional Manager of the North America Region for Stora Enso North America. "We're enthusiastic about working together with a NewPage team that shares the same cultural values of customer focus and continuous improvement through the engagement of all employees."

The sale of Stora Enso North America Inc., which comprises Stora Enso's publication and fine paper operations in North America, will reduce the Group's annual production capacity by 3.0 million tons and the number of personnel by 4,350. Stora Enso is retaining Corenso North American operations and the associated company Thiele Kaolin Company Inc. Corenso produces cores and coreboard for industrial use in various fields of business and Thiele produces china clay for the paper industry.

The new company will retain the NewPage name and will be headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio.

NewPage, headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, is a leading U.S. producer of coated papers in North America. The company produces coated papers in sheets and rolls with many finishes and weights to offer design flexibility for a wide array of end uses. With more than 4,300 employees, NewPage operates integrated pulp and paper manufacturing mills located in Escanaba, Michigan; Luke, Maryland; Rumford, Maine; and Wickliffe, Kentucky; and a converting and distribution center in Chillicothe, Ohio. The mills have a combined annual capacity of approximately 2.2 million tons of coated paper.

Stora Enso Oyj is an integrated paper, packaging and forest products company, producing publication and fine paper, packaging board and wood products - all areas in which the Group is a global market leader. Stora Enso's sales totaled EUR 14.6 billion in 2006. The Group has some 44,000 employees in more than 40 countries on five continents. Stora Enso has an annual production capacity of 18.2 million tones of paper and board and 7.4 million cubic meters of sawn wood products, including 3.2 million cubic meters of value-added products. Stora Enso's shares are listed in Helsinki, Stockholm and New York.

Stora Enso North America is a leading producer of coated and supercalendered papers, and a premier producer of specialty papers. Other products include newsprint, elemental chlorine-free kraft pulp, totally chlorine-free mechanical pulp and recycled pulp from recovered paper. The company produces 3.0 million tons of paper annually and had revenues of $2.3 billion with about 4,350 employees in 2006.

SOURCE: NewPage Corp.

Georgia-Pacific Appoints New CEO and President and New Chairman of the Board

ATLANTA, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia-Pacific LLC today announced
that Joe Moeller, 64, the company's chairman and chief executive officer,
will return to Koch Industries as vice chairman and a member of its board
of directors, effective Nov. 1, 2007. Moeller will continue as a member of
Georgia-Pacific's board of directors.

Jim Hannan, 41, Georgia-Pacific's president and chief operating
officer, will be promoted to CEO and president. Hannan joined
Georgia-Pacific in December 2005 as executive vice president and chief
administrative officer. He was named president and chief operating officer
in 2006.

Dave Robertson, 45, who currently serves as Koch Industries' president
and chief operating officer, is assuming the additional role of chairman of
Georgia-Pacific's board of directors. Robertson joined Georgia-Pacific's
board in 2006.

"Since joining Georgia-Pacific, I have been impressed with the talent
of our leadership team and the passion and commitment of all employees,"
Moeller said. "I have the utmost confidence in Jim Hannan and the strong
team leading Georgia-Pacific today. With this leadership, the company's
future prospects could not be more promising."

Hannan added, "I am honored to have had the opportunity during the past
couple of years to work directly with Joe, and all of us at Georgia-Pacific
thank him for all he has done for our company. This is a great company and
a great place to be. We're investing in our growth and success, and I'm
excited about leading the team into the future."

Headquartered at Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading
manufacturers and marketers of building products, tissue, packaging, paper,
cellulose and related chemicals. The company employs approximately 50,000
people at more than 300 locations in North America, South America and
Europe. The familiar consumer tissue brands of Georgia-Pacific Consumer
Products LP include Quilted Northern(R), Angel Soft(R), Brawny(R),
Sparkle(R), Soft 'n Gentle(R), Mardi Gras(R), So-Dri(R) and Vanity Fair(R).
Dixie Consumer Products LLC, a Georgia-Pacific company, manufactures the
Dixie(R) brand of disposable cups, plates and cutlery. Georgia-Pacific has
long been among the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of
building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large
do-it-yourself warehouse retailers, with brands such as Plytanium(R),
Ply-Bead(R) and Wood I Beam offered by Georgia-Pacific Wood Products LLC
and DensArmor Plus(R), DensGlass Gold(R) and ToughRock(R) offered by
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC. For more information, visit http://www.gp.com.

Kimberly-Clark to expand consumer trials of recycled product lines

The Post-Crescent

Kimberly-Clark Corp. announced plans today to expand its consumer trials of Kleenex Naturals brand facial tissue and Scott Naturals brand bathroom tissue and paper towels in the U.S.

The company said the products, which have been available in select Wal-Mart stores since late 2006, contain a mix of high-quality, post consumer recycled fiber and virgin fiber.

Gordon Knapp, K-C president of North Atlantic Family Care products, said in a statement the lines meet a growing interest from consumers who value recycled products but do not want to sacrifice quality or softness.

The Naturals brand line will be available in more Wal-Mart stores this month and be offered at a limited number of K-Mart stores as well.

International Paper heads to the wild Russian East

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Vast and largely desolate Siberia is home to one of the world's largest stands of untouched timber, full of red pine and larch coveted by the pulp and paper industry.

These remote northern Russian woods are also right next door to China, where demand for paper and consumer packaging for the country's booming middle class has far outstripped supply.

Closing the gap between the two is exactly where International Paper Corp. (IP) wants to be, positioning itself in Asia, where paper and board production is expected to surpass output in the languishing North American market by 2015.

In August, International Paper, the world's biggest paper and packaging company by sales, formed a 50-50 joint venture with Russian mill operator Ilim Group Holdings. If all goes well, one analyst predicts the deal could add almost 10% to the company's 2008 per-share earnings.

It's not a move without risks, PricewaterhouseCoopers analyst Craig Campbell said, citing potential political instability, poor infrastructure and a fractured market with numerous competitors. "But it does have potential," Campbell said. "Ilim is the biggest player, a smart player, with older mills that could benefit from new investment."

Indeed, International Paper agreed to invest $650 million in Ilim. The venture is expected to tap cash flow from operations and additional debt to sink another $1.5 billion into Ilim's four mills -- two of which are in western Russian -- over the next five years. International Paper has predicted the investment will eventually lift profits through equipment upgrades, allowing for greater capacity and high-product development.

Meanwhile, in pulp-starved China, International Paper has a 50% stake in Shandong Paper & Sun Coated Paperboard Co., which it purchased in December for $28 million. In addition to coated paperboard, Sun makes bleach board, used to package food and consumer staples like those used by International Paper's biggest customers, McDonald's (MCD) , Wal-Mart (WMT) , Cadbury-Schweppes (CSG) , Revlon (REV) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) .

The strategy hasn't been good for the stock, which currently trades at about $36, or 12.2 times analysts' average 2009 earnings estimate of $2.93 a share, as calculated by Thomson Financial. Rivals MeadWestvaco (MWV) and Weyerhaeuser Co. (WY) trade at 17 times and 20 times analysts' estimates, respectively.

Furthermore, International Paper sold almost all its North American timberland to raise $11.3 billion to help pay for the venture, along with its investments in Brazil and Eastern Europe. After paying off about $6.2 billion in debt and buying back about $1.4 billion in stock, that's still a lot of cash investors might not see again if the Russia-China gamble fails.

"The unknown is worrisome, sometimes for the right reasons," Chief Executive John Faraci told MarketWatch. But, he added, IP has been in western Russia since 1999. "We know how to do business there, and we've been successful."

J.P. Morgan analyst Claudia Shank said Faraci and International Paper already have had great success with similar operations in Europe, growing earnings before interest and taxes at its Kwidzyn, Poland, mill by 67% between 2001 and 2006.

The deal with Ilim is expected to close before the end of October, and International Paper has already appointed a new CEO there and placed several members on Ilim's board of directors and in key executive positions. Furthermore, Faraci said he anticipates additional cost efficiencies, not built into the value of the deal, between International Paper's Russian and Chinese operations.

China wants goods; Russia wants business

Double-digit economic growth has made China one of the world's hottest markets for paper and packaging products. And as long as its middle class continues to grow in hand with the country's rapid urbanization, demand for fast food, over-the-counter medication and other packaged consumer staples should keep growing.

China's paper mills and packaging plants are severely underdeveloped, with small "mom and pop" shops often using antiquated equipment, said Bruce Manchester, senior managing director at RSM EquiCo, a financial-services firm. That's a plus for International Paper, which has the capital and business structure needed to boost capacity, cut costs and grab market share.

The big challenge is securing a steady supply of pulp.

For the first half of 2007, China's pulp demand was up 15% from a year ago, according to data from the credit-rating agency Fitch. In the same period, U.S. pulp demand rose 7%, with much of the increase tied to shipments of recycled linerboard to China.

The Russian forest holds about 20% of the world's timber resources, by both area and volume, and nearly 32% of the world's commercially productive forest, according to Midway United Ltd., a Boston-based firm that has been logging timber in the country for about three years. More than half of that is in Siberia, which includes the Russian Far East.

The region is similar to Canada in size and population, with most residents clustered in the south near the China and Mongolia borders and along the Trans-Siberian railway linking Moscow to the Pacific port of Valdivostok.

About 65% of Siberia's timber grows in the desolate north, where permafrost and severe cold hamper road construction and settlement.

Russia's timber industry has been experiencing a re-emergence of sorts. Production fell off soon after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Moscow has more recently been encouraging investment in the sector to upgrade Soviet-era equipment and to help diversify an economy heavily dependent on oil and gas production.

"It's an interesting time over there, and it's one of the last true frontiers for the timber industry," Midway United's director of operations, Murphy Vanderbilt, said. "The industry is pretty well developed, but it's in great need of capital improvements and infrastructure," Vanderbilt said, adding that most of the tree-cutting operations resemble old-fashioned logging camps.

The Forest Stewardship Council, which certifies what it calls sustainable forestry management, has said Ilim is ahead of other Russian companies in terms of operations upgrades, worker safety and environmental impact. Of about 25 million hectares of commercial forest in Siberia being managed, only about 6 million is FSC-certified, of which 4 million is leased by Ilim.

International Paper performed almost two years of due diligence before diving into the venture with Ilim, but in analysts' view the greatest risks are tied more to the political climate in Moscow than the physical challenges of Siberia -- most evident in Moscow's reassertion of national control over its oil and gas industry.

Several Western oil companies, among them Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) and BP PLC (BP) , have been forced to relinquish some operations to Russian counterparts after state officials accused them of failing to live up to the terms of their original production licenses.

©1997-2002 MarketWatch.com, Inc. All rights reserved. See details at http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/docs/useragreement.asp.

The Skinny on Chlorine Free Papers

Our Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) papers have been bleached without any chlorine - or have not been bleached at all. All of our cotton papers, for example, are TCF.

Another common bleaching process in the paper industry is Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), which is a bleaching agent that utilizes a pollution prevention technology to eliminate persistent, bioaccumulative toxic substances in mill waste-water. The bleaching agent is a derivative of chlorine called chlorine dioxide, which is less harmful to the environment than elemental chlorine. What this ensures is an environmentally safe method to bleach the paper without the harmful chemical effects of chlorine.

For more information on Chlorine Free paper, please visit this informative website: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Paper/ChlorineFree/Default.htm

Staples calling all Specialty Paper Sellers, You Know Who You Are

Staples called this week. It got me to wondering about the world's largest office supply store and why they don't sell more of the Specialty Paper.

Paper.com is very good at selling Specialty Paper and we have about 40,000 types online.

Staples sells "Specialty Paper" too, about $300mm per year. However, Staples defines specialty paper a bit differently. They are referring to anything that is not white and 8 1/2 x 11 as specialty paper.

It is interesting to me that we all define specialty paper so differently. For Staples it represents about 300 papers. For Paper.com it represents about 40,000 papers.

In fact, for Paper.com the most bizarre and unusual papers are probably specialty papers. Edible papers. Waterproof papers. Earth friendly papers. Handmade papers. Therhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifmal papers. Carbonless papers. Paper made of plastic, like Tyvek papers or Yupo papers which are synthetic papers for watercolor projects.

How about textured papers? We have laid finish, linen finish, , rough, smooth and supersmooth. Exactly how smooth does a paper have to be to be supersmooth?

Or, we can consider inclusions. Paper is usually made by pulping cotton or wood into a pancake batter substance that is sprayed on a screen like you would find on a screen door, but finer. Water drips through the screen and the fibers of the wood or cotton line up and bond together naturally so that when its dry, its paper. During this process it is common to drop leaves, flowers, and other items into the paper during the drying process so that these items become part of the paper. Each sheet of paper is unique. Paper.com sells thousands of these unique, specialty papers, both by the sheet or by the pack.

Here is today's interesting specialty paper, Stone Cinnamon, an embossed paper:

Leonardo DaVinci's Favorite Brand of Paper is Fabriano Medioevalis

Leonardo Da Vinci’s favorite brand of paper was Fabriano Medioevalis.

You can find the citations at The Paper Project website:

1268 . . . Paper made at Fabriano, where it is still being made . . .  Papermaking reaches Southern Italy, where until recently, some of the oldest handmade paper mills in Italy were operating near Amalfi, in the Naples area. First mention of the Fabriano, Italy, paper mills (1276). First mill established in Bologna, Italy (1293).

Paper.com sells Fabriano Medioevalis papers today.

In addition, Paper.com sells paper from the Cartiere Magnani paper mill in Pescia which has been producing paper since 1404.

How Much Paper Is There In One Tree?

How many pieces of paper will one tree make?

It depends on the size of the tree. According to the Boise Cascade Corporation a cord of wood measuring 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet—or 128 cubic feet—produces 90,000 sheets of bond-quality paper or 2,700 copies of a 35-page newspaper.

Paper CD Case

You'll need this after you burn a copy of High School Musical 1 or 2.

How to fold the paper case:

1. Fold the left and right sides (lines labelled "1" and "2").

2. Fold the bottom edge up to the line labelled "3". Then fold it back. This part will be the pocket.

3. Fold the top edge down to the line labelled "4" and then fold it back. Then fold the top edge down the the line labelled "5" and then fold it back. This will make the spine and top flap.

4. Spread the sides of the pocket to the sides to create "wings". Beginners can do this by folding lines "6" and "7" (first wing) and then lines "8" and "9" (second wing). Or, fold "6" and "8" and then "7" and "9". The fold lines may be off slightly depending on your printer.

Steps 5-7

DIY: Paper Wall Hanging

Materials:

30 sheets papyrus and/or handmade paper cut to desired size (maybe try these or these maybe)
100 split-ring key tags
Craft knife
Metal straightedge
Scotch tape
Hole punch
Pencil
Ruler
36"-long wood lath or dowel
2 cup hooks
2 eye hooks
10 pieces of 4"-long raffia
2 pieces of 24"-long raffia

Note: These directions will yield a decorative panel that's 36" x 60", 5 panels across by 6 panels high. To make a larger or smaller panel, simply add or subtract rows until the desired size is achieved.

Directions:

1. Measure and cut the papyrus or handmade paper to desired size. We used 8" x 10" as our size.

Source

Paper Math

How to determine ream weights
To determine ream weight (500 sheets) of any given size sheet, multiply the square inches in the given size by the given basis weight; divide the result by the square inch area of the basic size.

sheet size x basis weight / area of basic size = ream weight

Example: Find the ream weight of a sheet of 70lb. text paper.

23 x 35 x 70 / 25 x 38 = 56,350/950 = 59.32 lb. ream weight

How to determine M weights
M weight is the weight of 1,000 sheets. The M weight can be obtained by multiplying the ream weight by 2.

ream weight x 2 = M weight

Price per thousand sheets
cwt. price x M weight / 100 = price per 1,000 sheets

Source: Mohawk Paper

Sarcasm Aside: Paper

Sarcasm Aside: Paper

Nice post on some important paper, such as Andy Warhol's Souper Dress, the first folio of Shakespeare, and the Frank Gehry paper lamp. So cool.

The secret to Hokage?

I've watched 400 hundred hours of Naturo this summer and found these papers from Japan inspiring.

This sheet features black/grey/gold umbrellas. It's a silkscreen paper with a design originating from famous Yuzen patterns.

This red wave pattern may as well come from the hidden village of leaf.

These papers are Black Ink Products and distributed by Graphic Products Corporation.

Paper and Bureaucracy

Electronic records are on the rise, but paper’s here to stay

Agencies are busily working to digitize vast troves of records they produce each year, but don’t count on a wholesale shift from boxes to computer chips.

Hard copies are here for the duration, experts say.

"Paper is not going out of style, and it’s not going away," said Matthew Eidson, director of operations at the National Archives and Records Administration’s Suitland, Md., records center.

In fact, even as electronic records increase, the quantity of paper produced by agencies is also growing, records managers said. And in the near future, that will likely continue.

Source

Pope's Hat Flying Napkin Paper Airplane

Pope's Hat Flying Napkin paper airplane

Well back to airplanes... this design looks like a Pope's hat, uses origami paper cut into a square and you do the fold-overs only on one half. The flight path is unique- it drops almost vertically for 10' or so and then glides a long long way. Perfect for flying out the window.

It is best thrown overarm with the heavy end first. It can be made to spin like a stunt plane. When the plane is cut in half you make one of the curled up sides more strongly bent than the other. This will give different drag on either side and cause the plane to spin.

Astrobrights®

Astrobrights® is a line of bright-colored papers from Wausau Paper. There are 27 shades, all cleverly named, available in both text and cover weights for direct mail, cards, posters and flyers. I'm choosing to give them this shameless plug because papers called Solar Yellow™ and Pulsar Pink™ are just cool and because that's just the way we roll around here.

Here are some of my favorties:

If a tree falls in the woods...

When we fold a paper and then tear it, why does the tear-path follow the fold?

Paper is an aggregated web of vegetable cellulose fibres usually prepared from wood pulp. The fibres in this planar web are bound to each other by a kind of bonding known as hydrogen bonding.

The internal structure of paper can be described as follows. There is a distribution of the fibre sizes; the finer ones interpenetrate into the web of larger ones and small clusters of these hold together the larger ones and so on.

Read more

Where in the world is Mr. Paper?

Mr. Paper is a scrapbook and papercraft(ing) fiend. Last week he was mildly irritated (spewing pulp and whatnot) because he couldn't find stickers licensed by Disney for World Showcase in EPCOT.

Fearing the couch pit, the Paper.com support staff mobilized and found a swanky solution! You can use stickers by Jolee's for Mexico, Italy, and the USA. While not officially licensed Disney stickers, they do feature most of the landmarks from World Showcase.

Did you stay at the Polynesian? Use the Hawaii stickers to add flair to that scrapbook page.

As an aside...

I saw pictures of Mr. Paper binging at the luau and those stickers would serve as a nice distraction.

World Rock Paper Scissors Society - Home

World RPS Society - Home

Paper.com would like to recognize this fine site.

"What separates RPS from other sports is the extent to which gamesmanship is a factor in even the most casual play. Effective gamesmanship allows the player to deceive an opponent into making a predictable throw or have them miscalculate one’s next throw. The key to successful gamesmanship is never to let the opponent realize that he is being manipulated."

The 7th Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship

The 7th Rock,Paper,Scissors World Championship in Toronto this week.

Does ESPN cover that? Paper.com would like to sponsor this event. Are there sponsorship opportunities available? You know who we're rooting for.

Making Paper the Old Fashioned Way

Getting Back to Basics: Making Paper in a Tupperware Tub with a Mesh Screen.

limit the use of toilet paper to one square of tissue per lavatory visit...

TorontoSun.com - Other News - Doing your part to save the planet seems a whole lot easier if you're a celebrity. Or a heavy drinker.



Fri, June 1, 2007
Doing your part to save the planet seems a whole lot easier if you're a celebrity. Or a heavy drinker.

By MARK BONOKOSKI




"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."

-- Albert Einstein

The Governator, green in celebrity, has now come and gone, leaving the message that the collective "we" can renew our planet's climate.

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger, it was pop rocker Sheryl Crow, once engaged to eco-friendly Tour de France pedaller Lance Armstrong, who had been putting the chill to global warming by using her now-completed tour of U.S. colleges to engage young minds into thinking of easy ways to leave a smaller environmental footprint, the latest catchphrase for living green.

One of her ideas, posted on her blog, was to limit the use of toilet paper to one square of tissue per lavatory visit.

Agence France-Presse picked up on that story PDQ, and blew it around the world in a cybersecond, forcing Ms. Crow to explain to the gullible the next day that she was only joking.

Thank God for that.

Trust me, it is not as easy as it sounds.

BIO BUS

Sheryl Crow had been travelling the campus circuit in her de rigeur bio-diesel bus with global warming activist Laurie David, who was also the producer of the Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth, the now-ubiquitous documentary film based on former U.S. vice-president Al Gore's supposed 30 years of research into greenhouse gases.

And, leading up to April's Earth Day celebrations, Sheryl Crow and Laurie David appeared to be in 100 places at once -- spreading the message on every medium possible.

This, of course, was good -- just as it is good that Ms. Crow recently became an adoptive mother, another celebrity in-thing.

The Einstein quote attributed atop this column, by the by, was lifted off Ms. David's blog, thereby employing at least two of the four Rs proposed by Environment Canada -- reuse, and recycle.

Save the world. Pass it on.

It was while lugging a collection of empty wine bottles to the beer store the other day -- all to save the world and reclaim the deposit foisted upon us by the Liberal government of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty -- that I happened to hear a public service announcement on the radio about Alcoholics Anonymous.

And, because a columnist's mind is always in gear, it crossed this one's mind that AA is probably one of the least-recognized environmental groups on the entire planet. This comes at the heels of Toronto Mayor David Miller's recent whine that Toronto stands to lose millions of dollars to the new provincial deposit-return program for wine and liquor bottles because there will be less blue box content to sell to the glass market.

After analyzing just two months into the returns program, Toronto's acting manager of solid waste management, Geoff Rathbone, declared there was already a 50% to 80% drop in the amount of glass tonnage collected by the city.

Imagine, however, the tonnage that would have been lost if all those alcoholics in Alcoholics Anonymous were still drinking, and had been contributing like saints to the blue box program? The city would have to file for bankruptcy.

And imagine, too, how high the landfill would have been if those same AAs were still drinking at a time prior to the blue box's invention?

All this might seem quite ludicrous, of course, but, then again, Sheryl Crow had to return to her blog to tell her audience that she was only kidding about using one square of toilet tissue per lavatory visit after Agence France-Presse had the hip people of the world literally bending over backwards as they attempted to follow the singer's suggestion.

115,000 MEMBERS

Because it has never kept formal membership lists, mainly because anonymity is sacrosanct, Alcoholic Anonymous' head office out of New York estimates on its web site that there are nearly 6,500 registered AA groups in Canada, with approximately 115,000 members. Because of the anonymity factor, however, it could be double that.

In the GTA, according to the head office here, there are at least 15,000 active AA members who, if one entertains the premise of them suddenly going back on the grog, would unquestionably be stretching the returns section at the beer stores to their limit, or filling the landfill sites to capacity with their oft-secretive daily consumption of wine and spirits.

These numbers, therefore, are numbers that cannot be ignored, especially when no Einstein is needed to indicate their economic and environmental impacts are far from insignificant. Yet, ignored they seem to be.

A few weeks ago, for example, this newspaper asked our federal leaders what they are doing in their personal lives to leave a smaller environmental footprint. This, of course, was before Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten suggested we all flick off.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his environment minister, John Baird, refused to play along with the Sun survey -- shame on them -- but the rest of them did, with Liberal leader Stephane Dion, the NDP's Jack Layton, and the Green party's Elizabeth May getting high marks from the Sierra Club of Canada for their commitment to reducing greenhouse gases.

All three, believe it or not, claim they actually turn off the bathroom tap while brushing their teeth, undoubtedly brushing with eco-friendly baking soda, one can only presume.

And all three, of course, recycle their glass, although the type of glass they recycle was never broken down.

Did some of that glass -- most of it? -- come with California vineyard labels, as was being pressed this week by Arnold Schwarzenegger? And, if they did, were they returned for refund, or relegated to the blue box to assist their respective city's bottom line? These questions were never asked nor therefore answered.

Elizabeth May also said the only paper in her entire house is toilet paper, and that it is 100% recycled. She did not say, however, if it was also reused. Or if she used only one square at a time.

It's tough questions such as these that most often never get asked.

Paper.com Listed In The Top 500 Retail Internet Sites

Selling over 30,000 types of paper, Paper.com has been listed as one of the Top 500 Internet Retail Sites. John Engel, Founder and President of Paper.com states, "I think this is tremendous recognition of all the hard work Paper.com has done assembling a unique assortment of paper products from around the world, from literally dozens of manufacturers ranging from office supplies to scrapbooking and stationery. Paper.com has brought all of these together into the largest paper site on the Internet, and this award demonstrates that Paper.com must be number one in our industry for customer service and selection of paper products at a competitive price."

Paper.com has a wide selection of different paper products that suits every customer's need: office, school, scrapbook, invitations and more. Customer support services are readily available via phone, live chat and email. There is no doubt that Paper.com is one of the top online retail sites.

Copy me if you can...

Abagnale's Watermark Signature on High-Security Paper by Standard Register Will Help Thwart Document Crime, Check Forgery

DAYTON, Ohio, May 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Frank Abagnale, the former con artist turned worldwide document security consultant, believes criminals attempting to copy, alter or steal checks or other original documents will be immediately deterred by a new high-security watermark safety paper bearing his name.

Abagnale, whose youthful exploits as a forger and imposter were depicted in the motion picture Catch Me If You Can, and Standard Register, a document services company and a leading provider of document protection technologies, created the paper, which can be used for checks, registrations, titles, gift certificates, college transcripts, entrance passes, tickets, vouchers and coupons - key targets for document fraud and crime.

Read more

Paper.com offers security/safety papers made by Georgia Pacific. Once a document is printed on the security paper if a copy is made a basket weave pattern will appear on the copy to indicate its originality. We've experimented with the product around HQ and it's neat (to borrow a word from the 50s) technology. I'm always astounded at how much innovation there is in this venerable industry.

Georgia Pacific Security Paper 8 1/2 x 11 #24 (500 Sheets) in Blue, Green, Grey and Yellow.

Hobbies | Scrap mania | Economist.com

You know when The Economist says scrapbooking has gone upmarket then the party's over...



Hobbies | Scrap mania | Economist.com

Announcing the Paper.com Affiliate Program...

This is a list of sites announcing the new Paper.com affiliate program:

http://ewealth.com/showthread.php?t=11349

http://affiliateguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1648

http://affiliate-marketing-forums.5staraffiliateprograms.com

http://im4newbies.com

http://www.revenuesource.com

Paper.com Announces New Affiliate Program

Paper.com Announces New Affiliate Program

Paper.com announced today the start of a new online affiliate program utilizing AffiliateTraction’s TrackAssure affiliate software as an addition to current advertising efforts.

A leader in art, office and educational paper supplies since 2003, Paper.com has served as a comprehensive source of consumer and corporate paper products such as greeting cards, wedding invitations, business cards, office supplies, stationary, envelopes, graph paper, transfer paper, photo paper, printable stationary and more. Paper.com claims to have over 8,000 types of paper in stock and available for immediate delivery.

According to Paper.com’s John Engel, the choice to start an affiliate program was a logical extension of current efforts. “An affiliate program allows us to extend our reach to new audiences without the time and effort involved in negotiating advertising purchases. AffiliateTraction’s services were very attractive to us, because they offer a comprehensive solution to affiliate marketing that includes software, promotion and management.”

According to Greg Shepard, CEO of AffiliateTraction, an affiliate program allows anyone to earn commissions for their efforts that result in sales. “It is very simple,” says Shepard. “Anyone can be an affiliate. Even without a website, affiliates can earn commissions through a simple website link we provide. The link can be e-mailed to friends, shared in online discussions, printed on business cards or flyers, and more.”

Mr. Shepard also made clear that AffiliateTraction offers help to those without experience in affiliate marketing. “Someone with no experience whatsoever can make money, and with the proper knowledge one can earn a healthy income,” says Shepard. “Best of all, we offer all of our affiliates help in implementing their promotional efforts through valuable tools, online tutorials and support by phone and email.”

Affiliates who sign up for the Paper.com affiliate program will earn a 10% commission on all sales they refer and are paid monthly when earnings have reached $25.00 or more. The Paper.com affiliate program is also configured so that even if a visitor is referred and does not return to the site to purchase anything for up to a year, the affiliate is still credited with the commission.

For more information about the Paper.com affiliate program, visit http://affiliates.paper.com

For more information about Paper.com, visit http://www.Paper.com

For more information about AffiliateTraction’s services, visit http://www.AffiliateTraction.com

PAPER CALCULATOR

This shows how to multiply a three digit number by another three digit number by using lines and dots on a paper. I have never seen this done before, but it is an interesting trick.

Rock/Paper/Scissors Peace Conference

That rock isn't so tough. I think paper can take him. They should have sent in a heavyweight paper, maybe a 300gsm Crane's Lettra. Instead, this is clearly a flyweight paper...

"I will take that as a motion that we can execute Paper..."

Picture (er, Paper) This!

Fold your own paper pinhole camera.

The legendary Dirkon pinhole camera template was first published in Czechoslovakia in 1979. Graphic designer David Balihar had the text translated into English so it would be accessible to all fans of this camera technique.

Source and PDF.

Feeling a bit macabre? Try this papercraft.

Related

Paperinside.com is a blog devoted to paper toys! Here's another.

Are you a Disney fanatic? The Disney Experiece sells paper kits modeled after park attractions.

Holy Pink Batman!

A good prank gone horribly pink. See what happens when some rowdy friends, armed with pink wrapping paper, redecorate Jacob's flat whilst he's away.

Art installation or gaudy tomfoolery?

Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

Before You Choose Paper Brightness

How white is white? In terms of paper, there are many different levels of whiteness or brightness. Paper brightness affects the images printed on the paper, especially the vibrancy of the colors.

Measuring Paper Brightness

The brightness of a piece of paper is typically expressed on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the brightest. The multipurpose bond paper used in copy machines and desktop printers generally has a paper brightness in the 80s. Photo papers are normally in the mid to high 90s. However, manufacturers often use terms such as Bright White or UltraBright instead of numbers. These labels can be deceiving and not truly indicative of the brightness or whiteness of the paper.

Source

Winston's Favorite Bright Paper
Mohawk Strathmore Pure Cotton 24# - Bright White - 8 1/2 x 11

I have a sweet spot in my heart for Mohawk after touring their mill in upstate New York.

Project Iraqi Kids

Project Iraqi Kids is an effort to generate funds to buy school supplies for shipment to US units in Iraq to distribute to school children as they move through the cities and villages on security operations. The aim is to win "the hearts and minds" of the Iraqis and show them the real face of America. This project is being lead by the American Legion Post 256 and is supported by four churches: TV Community Church, TV First Baptist Church, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church. There are also six service organizations that are sponsors. They include:

TV Lions Club
TV Kiwanis
Tellico Lake Rotary
The TV Polish Heritage Club
The TV Retired Military Club
Knights of Columbus of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church


You can also take part in this special mission by donating a Paper.com Gift Certificate to the American Legion to buy the school supplies including backpacks, soccer balls, soccer uniforms and inflating pumps. Let's help our GI's help these kids!

Paper.com Robot Insurance

I found this image here. In addition to paper robots, the site features other cool toys and spaceships made of paper. The paper robot looks like the new imagery used by Finch Paper that we saw at the On Demand Show in Boston.



Finch Papers from Paper.com

Finch Color Copy 24# Writing 12 x 18 - Bright White
Finch Laser 24# Writing - 8 1/2 x 11 - Bright White

In case you're wondering...

Paper.com carries Old Glory Robot Insurance.