Raising Canes
SO YOU’RE WORRIED about your parents’ secu-
rity and you’ve thought about getting them, oh,
a stun gun, or maybe a light saber. Not necessary.
All they need is a cane. Martial arts instructors
across the country are now teaching cane-fighting
techniques, which use simple jab and arm-hook maneuvers to
keep assailants at bay. Adapted from stick fighting—which uses
slim, hand-held objects—cane fighting also is taught as a part of
exercise and rehabilitation programs. Contact the Cane Masters
International Association (800-422-2263; canemasters.com) for
seminars and training DVDs. —Alissa Ponchione
EP 2
STEP
3
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEVE SANFORD. MANEUVER GUIDELINES: CANE MASTERS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION. PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT):
ALEAIMAGE © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; HIDESY © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; UYEN LE © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; GVICTORIA © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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We may think we’re helping the environment, but sometimes—oops—
our earth-friendly actions are no help at all. Check out these four
common goofs (and how to fix them) — Leslie Quander Wooldridge
Save the Planet the Right Way
Working alone would be
great if you weren’t always by yourself. Enter
coworking spaces for
telecommuters and the
self-employed. With
layoffs leading people
to consider freelance
work, these sites—now
in more than 50 U. S.
cities—feature meeting rooms and open
spaces with desks or
tables. A big benefit:
You meet “coworkers”
from a range of fields.
You can rent space
part-time or full-time.
Daily costs start at $25
to $35, with cheaper
packages also available. For local spots,
visit coworking.pbwiki
.com. —Laura Kiniry
MYTH
Organic
fruits and
veggies are
the greenest
foods.
FACT Not always.
When organics are
shipped long dis-
tances, the transport
uses lots of energy
and releases tons of
pollution.
QUICK FIX Buy
from local growers
who don’t use arti-
ficial agents—you
don’t al ways need an
“organic” label.
MYTH
Using paper
bags is
better than
using plastic
ones.
FACT They’re both
bad. Paper-bag
production kills 14
million trees a year
and creates more air
and water pollutants
than plastic-bag
manufacture.
QUICKFIX Say no to
paper and plastic at
stores—carry reusable cloth totes
instead.
MYTH
Hand washing
dishes saves
water and
energy.
FACT Doing dishes
manually actually
uses more water and
energy than running
an efficient, fully
loaded dishwasher, a
German study found.
QUICK FIX Do use
your dishwasher,
but skip the prerinse
cycle and do full
loads every time.
MYTH
To save power,
just turn off
electronics
after using
them.
FACT Home electronics can still use
energy when off, with
75 percent of power
used at this stage.
QUICKFIX Unplug
dormant devices,
such as blenders and
DVD players, or buy
a power strip that
senses idle items and
cuts electricity. ;
