Science Horizons

Have you ever wondered what is used to create those team mascots that jump around acting crazy and exciting the fans with their antics? Well, depending on the inspiring creature they are modeled after, there can be many different materials used on the exterior of the mascot, but the initial form is usually made of polyethylene, a type of plastic known for its durability and flexibility. In the past, mascots were usually made of fiberglass which is a heavier and less flexible material, making it impractical upon the invention of polyethylene. Today polyethylene is the most widely used plastic on the planet, thanks to its wide range of uses including building a sturdy and long lasting mascot!

In addition to sports team mascots, there are corporate mascots, school mascots, international mascots, organizational mascots and even municipal mascots for cities and towns! Since there are so many different types of mascots, they can be made of many different materials. Sometimes papier mache or cardboard are used in creating mascots on a limited budget. These mascots may have to be replaced intermittently due to their more fragile construction. The head on these mascots are especially prone to damage and consequently may have their appearance subtly altered each time they are replaced. Other mascots use only a fabric shell, such as wool, double knit, plush or spandex in their construction and can either be covered with added materials or serve the purpose alone. Once in a while, the mascot consists merely of the human form wearing a costume of some type, like a pirate or a gladiator.

Some large mascot costumes incorporate a harness system that straps the shell onto the performer and holds it away from the body. Heads on these types of mascot costumes may consist of a hockey-type mask with a chin strap to keep them in place and are covered with a suitable material that matches the rest of the costume.

Since mascots come in many shapes and forms, the shell is covered with a wide array of suitable and appropriate materials including faux fur, paint, feathers or fabric. Of course, most mascots have eyes which come in many shapes and sizes and depend upon the species of mascot. The feet of a mascot are very important, as it spends a lot of time running and jumping around and even performing various acrobatic tricks. Often, the feet of a polyethylene mascot will be made of the same material since it can really take a beating. Sometimes, the feet of a mascot, as well as a beak or snout or similar protrusion, will be made of Styrofoam or an equally suitable plastic. Whatever the material, the feet must have some type of skid resistance built in to accommodate the constant movement.

Above all, since the mascot is such an active part of any team, the costume construction should be durable, flexible and last through an inordinate amount of wear and tear. This will assure the effectiveness of a mascot through many a season.

A Nutt Recreation and Leisure B, Business, c, custom mascots, e, mascot, mascots, p, plastic, r, recreation, Recreation Sports, Recreation and Leisure, s, sport, Sports, u

Its hard not to get discouraged when you watch TV about all the upgrades and changes people are making to their yards without getting a bit frustrated, especially if you dont have an unlimited budget. I was there until I decided to do something about it last year. I simply looked at what I could do within my budget and I have been able to do far more then I had ever thought.

Our culture is all about what you cant do or dont have. I decided to put together a list of what I could do, along with a list of what my friends could do as well. Between all of us there was a plethora of experience, knowledge and talent. I knew my friend may not have time to help me but they would be glad to lend me their knowledge and experience and a few tools, if needed.

I was always taught you have to start with the end in mind so the wife and I sat down on an afternoon and went over everything we could possible want. We had things from trellises to raised beds to a shed and a greenhouse. We also included an expansion on the deck.

When you look at a project like this it is easy to get discouraged by the shear amount of work. I called in a friend who is in the construction business and he suggested we do the hard stuff first; deal with the fence and deck. So I expanded the fence to the borders of our property and made the deck larger as well.

Once we did the hard work and got the expansion completed and fence moved we sealed it all and placed some great post caps and finials on the posts as well as some deck lighting. It really looked great and we had just started with the changes.

One the construction was completed we have been able to purchase everything else in kits as we can. This has allowed us to consistently work on it over the winter months and we continue to work on it still. It is sometime excruciatingly slow but overtime has really coming together nicely.

What I love about the kits is they come ready to assemble and install. Of course the shed took longer to put together than the raised beds but it was still quicker than I had thought it would be. Weve been able to do the renovations that we choose to do at the rate we can afford. We think we will be completely done by the end of summer this year. Im almost sad because I have had a blast and Ill have to find something else to do. My wife is thinking kids are next; Im thinking a new kitchen!

Don Dell Gardening arbors, garden decor, Gardening, greenhouses, iron, kits, metal, pergolas, plastic, raised garden beds, sheds, trellises, vinyl

After studying everything I could get my hands on at the library about landscaping and renovating a yard, I finally was ready to tackle my yard. Ive been saying this for a year now and I realized I needed a little help to make sure what my wife and I wanted was going in the right direction.

My wifes sister new someone that was in the landscaping business and suggested we contact him. So we scraped enough money together to hire him for a consultation, which was money well, spent. Since he knew up front that we would do most of the work he designed the yard with that in mind.

After taking the time to listening to us he came back with a very simple plan where we were able to accomplish almost 90% of the work ourselves without a hitch. Laying the patio blocks and getting them even and right was the most difficult thing we had to do and thankfully, we had some much needed help that day.

The way he designed everything was around kits that we could purchase and put together ourselves. This was great because we got to do the shopping and ordering once we found what we liked and the kits came ready to put together and put up. We were able to get a pergola, a couple of benches and an arbor that my wife just loves.

Its amazing how many options there are for flowerbeds. We went with raised garden beds for a couple of reasons; they can be put anywhere and theyre really pretty and easy to care for. The plus was they also came in kit form and was a breeze to put together.

Im no different from most guys; I like the shed and the grill. I can mow the yard and congratulate myself on a job well done with a grilled steak and a beer, not necessarily in that order. My wife loves the garden and all the ornaments and garden dcor she has bought for it all.

The one thing we both love is our new Rion 8 x 12 Hobby Greenhouse. I was shocked by how easy this was to put up and get ready for plants. Again, it was a kit and was pre drilled. It took hand tools to get it together and we were lucky to have an old garage slab to place it on and it looks fantastic!

I now look out over our beautiful yard at the flowers and vines crawling up the trellises, the beds starting to bloom and vegetables peeking trough the soils and realize what a great yard I have; one to be extremely proud of and we did the majority of it ourselves. Now all we have to do is enjoy it!

Bobby Owens Family arbors, Family, garden decor, garden structures, greenhouse gardening, greenhouses, Landscaping, outdoor decor, pergolas, plastic, raised bed gardening, raised garden beds, renovating a yard, sheds, trellises

Its funny how you convince yourself by watching others do things on TV that you can do it too. Thats the way Ive been the past few years until my wife told me I was either going to do something with the yard or she would hire someone to do it. I decided I better get cracking!

We cut back considerably and saved enough money to hire a landscape design firm that helped us get some good ideas. They knew we only wanted their help with ideas and that we wanted something we could feasibly do together with family and friends. My brother-in-law suggested this and I cant tell you how glad we were once we did the consult!

After listening to what we wanted and how we would like to function in our yard, together we came up with a great layout and plan that we felt we could pull off. This hardest part was the large patio out back and we did hire then to help for a day to get the rock laid and finished correctly. Other than that, we pretty much did the entire yard.

What really helped was that we were able to get some of the larger features and garden structures in kit form. They came pre-drilled and ready to put together. We were able to get an arbor that framed the entrance into our yard from the front and a pergola that shades a part of our patio. We placed a beautiful teak bench underneath to create a great sitting area.

Its amazing how many options there are for flowerbeds. We went with raised garden beds for a couple of reasons; they can be put anywhere and theyre really pretty and easy to care for. The plus was they also came in kit form and was a breeze to put together.

Of course, my favorite thing is the gas grill we bought and put on the patio and the shed to store all the lawn and garden tools and equipment. My wife and her mother have had a blast finding the garden dcor to place all around the place.

The one thing we both love is our new Rion 8 x 12 Hobby Greenhouse. I was shocked by how easy this was to put up and get ready for plants. Again, it was a kit and was pre drilled. It took hand tools to get it together and we were lucky to have an old garage slab to place it on and it looks fantastic!

I now look out over our beautiful yard at the flowers and vines crawling up the trellises, the beds starting to bloom and vegetables peeking trough the soils and realize what a great yard I have; one to be extremely proud of and we did the majority of it ourselves. Now all we have to do is enjoy it!

Chelsea Thompson Family arbors, Family, garden decor, garden structures, greenhouse gardening, greenhouses, Landscaping, outdoor decor, pergolas, plastic, raised bed gardening, raised garden beds, renovating a yard, sheds, trellises

After studying everything I could get my hands on at the library about landscaping and renovating a yard, I finally was ready to tackle my yard. Ive been saying this for a year now and I realized I needed a little help to make sure what my wife and I wanted was going in the right direction.

Luckily I knew someone from a local organization that was an experienced landscape designer and my wife agreed to use part of the money we had saved to hire him. Since we wanted to do most of the work ourselves, he helped us by creating a design that we could pull off with some help from friends and family.

After listening to what we wanted and how we would like to function in our yard, together we came up with a great layout and plan that we felt we could pull off. This hardest part was the large patio out back and we did hire then to help for a day to get the rock laid and finished correctly. Other than that, we pretty much did the entire yard.

We had looked at some of the things we would like to incorporate into the yard and he came back with a great idea, find them in kit form; so we did. What we didnt realize is all but one of the ones we loved were in kit form already so the only one we had to find that wasnt was a pergola. The arbor and garden furniture all came ready to put together and install.

Another thing we bought in kits was a series of raised beds that we are using not only for flowerbeds but also to grow some herbs and vegetables. We were able to place them in several different spots so we can enjoy them in every season with the exception of deep winter.

While my wife loves the garden and all the knickknacks she has bought for it and the yard, I love the grill and shed. We have decided that its best to scope out what we like and make that our own personal domains.

But there is one thing that we both agree is the best thing we did and that is purchasing our 8 x 8 Rion Green Giant Greenhouse. Its the perfect size for us and was easy to put together and took no time at all to get it installed.

Its a pleasure to come home in the evenings and just take a look out over the backyard at what we created. I have no idea what took me so long to make this happen but I am so glad we finally did it. I learned that I can make a great yard and that I truly love my yard!

Chelsea Thompson Family arbors, Family, garden decor, garden structures, greenhouse gardening, greenhouses, Landscaping, outdoor decor, pergolas, plastic, raised bed gardening, raised garden beds, renovating a yard, sheds, trellises

The United States produces millions of tons of waste every year. Nine out of every ten tons of plastic waste are not recycled. So where do those tons of discarded plastic go? Eventually most trashed plastic ends up in our oceans. Then add nurdles. Nurdles are small plastic pellets that are part of the manufacturing process. In 1992, approximately 60 billion pounds of these plastic pellets were being made annually. The American Chemistry Council, that represents the nations largest plastic and chemical manufacturers, reported an estimated production of 120 billion pounds in 2007. Nurdles are shipped by trains, trucks, and ships. Some of these tiny pellets escape on the wind and rain, floating down storm drains and rivers to the ocean. There the nurdles join other plastics, such as water bottles, gas and oil cans, and even kayaks on their way to the ocean. As the plastic floats along in the sun, it becomes brittle and begins to crack into small pieces and particles as fine as dust. Once in the ocean some plastic dust is deposited on our beaches. The remaining plastic moves to any one of five ocean gyres. A gyre is a rotational dead zone in the ocean. All debris flows into these gyres and is trapped there. The debris and the chemicals it brings with it are poisoning the water and causing the ocean temperature to rise, worsening the problem of global warming. Estimates are that the debris in the North Pacific Gyre covers an area twice the size of Texas and weighs three million tons, mostly plastic.

Turtles and other marine animals mistake the bits of plastic for food or get tangled in the debris. Most will die from choking, poisoning, or starvation. Tests show that plastic to plankton ratios are six to one.

Although the EPA has known about this problem for years, they have done nothing about it. All five gyres in the world are polluted to some degree.

Charles Moore is a marine researcher at Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach. He has been studying the North Pacific Gyre for 10 years. Moore says, “The ocean is downhill from everywhere. Its like a toilet that never flushes.”

Plasma gasification is a process that burns waste, using a plasma torch. This technology leaves no hazardous waste and produces hydrogen that could be a source of energy. Testing and permits will take time to complete. Until plasma gasification becomes mainstream, we need to recycle all our plastic.

Recycling should be a way of life for all of us. Making new things from old trash is simply eco-smart. We can begin today to repair this planet by recycling our plastic trash.

Rebecca Odenkirk Technology ecology, Environment, garbage, global warming, gyres, natural resources, plasma gasification, plastic, pollution, Recycle, Science, Technology, trash, waste