Content creators, storytellers, media reps! Human beings! Learn how AI is changing work and what to do about it. They’ll even give you a peek into the future:
Continue readingAye-Yai-A.I! Fair Media Council Boot Camp To Offer Human Assistance
Repair Café South Huntington!
The Repair Café is Coming to South Huntington
The Repair Cafe is about repairing broke items together. It’s a great place to get advice, learn a thing or two, and be inspired! There are no guarantees, but a promise to try. Many find the experience itself worth the effort. Folks involved are excited to announce that the next one will be held:
When: Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 1-4pm
Where: South Huntington Public Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Rd, Huntington Station
Want to Help or Learn More? Email starflexp@aol.com
Want to Help?
Are you handy? With machines? Electronics? A needle and thread, perhaps?
Would you share this knowledge with others? Just want to keep folks from throwing good things into landfills, maybe help them save a few dollars? Come with your kids and teach them? Just come to learn and make new friends?
Get involved in The Repair Café!
Learn More!
Check out The Repair Café Long Island on Facebook.
Just scroll through the images there and look at these folks helping each other and learning so much together.
Oh my goodness!
For years now, Laurie Farber of Starflower Experiences has made it part of her mission to help people fix things rather than just throw them out. First efforts in Wyandanch were successful. Then they built on the idea. The concept survived COVID. A natural partner, libraries, LOVE it when she brings her can-do TLC to their spaces. They’ve been to South Huntington before, as well as the Harborfields Library in Greenlawn, Comsewogue in Port Jefferson Station, Copaigue, Lindenhurst, more!
She’s got calls coming in for this program Island-wide. Anyone willing to help her answer them is greatly appreciated!
Laurie Explains
You don’t have to be super mechanical. Everybody can teach or help with something.
Said Laurie: “The more volunteers, the faster folks can get things repaired. People need to be able to bring their own tools. We get a lot of TVs and lamps and small electronics. We also could use people who are good with furniture, clothing/textiles (with sewing machine), more people for jewelry, anyone for watches and clocks, and other miscellaneous things (last time we had an ironing board, bicycle, a small statue that needed to be glued back together…).
We could also make space for a mental health person who would take time to listen to folks who just have a need to talk, or anyone who can do massage (sure, we can ‘fix’ people, too!).
Anyone who’d like to do some small DIY demos like how to sew on a button, darn a sock, rewire a lamp… Join us!
Get Involved!
We imagine The Repair Café would be an EXCELLENT service project for Scouts, and really anyone who wants to promote the fine art of giving things a second chance at life, and to help make the world little thriftier and more self-reliant.
The best way to get in touch is through the Repair Cafe Long Island Facebook Page. You may also contact Laurie at starflexp@aol.com to learn more!!!
Photos of Repair Cafe’s across Long Island. Photo Credit: Laurie Farber.
$3M Needed Urgently to Save Nikola Tesla’s Last Remaining Lab
Thanks to over 100 firemen and the creative optimism of those who’ve carried this dream so far, plans for Nikola Tesla’s last remaining laboratory endure.
Continue readingGet Support for Going Green: LI Garden Rewards Program
As part of a broader initiative to address nitrogen pollution, The Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) wants homeowners to know about the LI Garden Rewards Program. Through this program, residents may be reimbursed up to $500 for installing green infrastructure on their properties such as rain barrels, rain gardens, or native plantings.
Receipts must show purchases made after 5/1/23. Funds are limited and granted on a first come first serve basis. Don’t miss out!
Folks living in the Peconic Estuary watershed can also be rewarded for removing turf or pavement, and adding rain barrels, rain gardens and native plant gardens. Residents of the Town Hempstead can also participate in a Native Plant rebate program.
About the Long Island Regional Planning Council
The LIRPC is one of the only organizations tasked with considering the long-term economic, environmental, and social well-being of Long Island as a whole. It conducts research, surveys and studies. It also serves as a forum for discourse and debate, touching on topics such as the economy, equity, tax and governance, the environment and infrastructure.
You can learn about various initiatives and insights on the LIRPC website. It’s a great resource.
Photo of Northport Harbor by Katheryn Laible
Why Nitrogen
One major focus of the LIRPC is nitrogen pollution.
Nitrogen is the leading cause of water quality deterioration on Long Island. It comes primarily from a variety of wastewater sources, and stimulates algal growth. This leads to low oxygen conditions, fish kills, and degraded marine habitats.
It also contaminates the groundwater that is Long Island’s sole source of drinking water.
You can learn more about that and the LI Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) here. We also have a great, growing resource of sustainable landscaping resources here (tell us more!).
While solutions are multi-faceted, this is a place where individual effort can make significant impact. Go for it!!
Photo of Bee on Aster by Katheryn Laible.
Come Learn: Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project
As part of a larger program, the Huntington Rotary has been coordinating a 3-part forum at Town Hall, “How to Improve and Protect Our Marine Ecosystem” featuring Aquaculture Experts at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County.
Continue readingGroundbreaking at Nikola Tesla’s Last Remaining Lab
The Phase 1 groundbreaking ceremony for the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSCW) marked a milestone in a massive international and yet deeply local endeavor to restore Nikola Tesla’s last remaining laboratory, advance his humanistic legacy, and inspire great innovation.
Continue readingRepair Café Needs YOU!!!
The Repair Café Needs You!
Are you handy? With machines? Electronics? A needle and thread, perhaps?
Would you share this knowledge with others? Just want to keep folks from throwing good things into landfills, maybe help them save a few dollars? Come with your kids and teach them? Just come to learn and make new friends?
Get involved in The Repair Café!
About the Repair Café
Check out The Repair Café Long Island on Facebook.
Just scroll through the images there and look at these folks helping each other and learning so much together.
Oh my goodness!
For years now, Laurie Farber of Starflower Experiences has made it part of her mission to help people fix things rather than just throw them out. First efforts in Wyandanch were successful. Then they built on the idea. The concept survived COVID. A natural partner, libraries, LOVE it when she brings her can-do TLC to their spaces. They’ve been to South Huntington, the Harborfields Library in Greenlawn, Comsewogue in Port Jefferson Station, Copaigue, Lindenhurst, more!
She’s got calls coming in for this program Island-wide. Anyone willing to help her answer them is greatly appreciated!
Laurie Explains
You don’t have to be super mechanical. Everybody can teach or help with something.
Said Laurie: “The more volunteers, the faster folks can get things repaired. People need to be able to bring their own tools. We get a lot of TVs and lamps and small electronics. We also could use people who are good with furniture, clothing/textiles (with sewing machine), more people for jewelry, anyone for watches and clocks, and other miscellaneous things (last time we had an ironing board, bicycle, a small statue that needed to be glued back together…).
We could also make space for a mental health person who would take time to listen to folks who just have a need to talk, or anyone who can do massage (sure, we can ‘fix’ people, too!).
Anyone who’d like to do some small DIY demos like how to sew on a button, darn a sock, rewire a lamp… we may need someone to act as “host” in watching and replenishing the coffee, cookies, etc. Anyone who wants to bake cookies or banana bread or small things that don’t require silverware or plates or who’d like to donate a basket of apples is also welcome.
Get Involved!
We imagine The Repair Café would be an EXCELLENT service project for Scouts, and really anyone who wants to promote the fine art of giving things a second chance at life, and to help make the world little thriftier and more self-reliant.
The best way to get in touch is through the Repair Cafe Long Island Facebook Page. You may also contact Laurie at starflexp@aol.com to learn more!!!
Photos of Repair Cafe’s across Long Island. Photo Credit: Laurie Farber.
Ride With Kindness Ambassador Cindy Mardenfeld to Support Diabetes Research
Cindy Mardenfeld of Infinity Relations is a great friend to Long Island and one of the kindest, most encouraging people I’ve ever met. Please help her raise money and awareness to support diabetes research!
Continue readingBeth Fiteni Wants Folks to Understand the Current Administration’s Track Record on The Environment
In a recent blog post, Environmentalist Beth Fiteni of Green Inside & Out, offers, “important facts about changes to federal environmental laws and policies that the mainstream press does not typically cover.
Continue readingSpencer’s Picks: Overcoming Pandemic Fatigue; Art, Science & Suggested Solutions; The Happiness of a Dog
Photo of Dr. Spencer Thomas atop the Uffizi in Florence, Italy. Photo by Katheryn Laible
As usual, when he’s not scrying into the mysteries of metals at the atomic level, or pondering puzzles of more efficient means of tapping energy, Dr. Thomas is bringing some light into our life. Here are a few of the things he’s brought to our attention:
Now that we’re about a month into the college semester with social distancing and remote learning, a lot of people I know are feeling a bit of a drag. You are not alone: Lonliness at Pandemic U: 14 tips for college students and their parents
Along similar themes, but more for everyone:: Your Surge Capacity is Depleted. This is Why You Feel Awful (and a couple good things you can do about it)
One thing that’s helpful is — to help! Here is a heartwarming and inspiring story from one of my very favorite professors from back in my undergrad time at Stony Brook. Bente Videbaek is an amazing person who has been working hard to make sure people have masks Facebook Page: “Humans of Mather Hospital”
When you feel a bit grounded and ready to stare some of the bigger challenges facing humanity in the face: Countdown is a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. One of the speakers, Dr. Rose Mutiso, is a friend of mine – we were graduate students together. She’s the incredible CEO of the Mawazo Institute, which supports women scientists and leaders throughout East Africa. She has also spoken at TED and written in Scientific American about the challenges that people in Africa face building digital and clean-energy infrastructure.
One for the Coltrane fans out there: The most feared song in jazz, explained. It’s not too hard for a layman to follow this breakdown of “Giant Steps,” even as it’s still among the most challenging things a musician may face
Finally, no big point here, but a bit of joy for you since we could all use it: The happiness of this dog after they put prostheses on
Spencer Thomas received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. After some time at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, we are DELIGHTED to welcome him back to Long Island as a researcher at Stony Brook University. He also happens to be Katie’s brother. For a time, Spencer studied metals at the atomic level; the way atoms are arranged in a material can change its properties; one can take ordinary metals make them stronger, more flexible, corrosion resistant, even radiation resistant. We’re still endeavoring to understand what he’s doing now well enough to explain it so simply.
Spencer believes that no matter who you are, good communication can put scientific concepts within reach. The modern world demands scientific literacy and it is the responsibility of scientists to make that possible.