Oct
30
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With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to share some fun facts about Halloween with you.
Paper doesn’t play a huge role in Halloween. However, it is still commonly used. Some kids may still use paper bags to receive candy while many decorations are made from paper or cardboard.
According to Hallmark’s Corporate website:
- Halloween was first celebrated in the U.S. in the 1840s
- 20 million Halloween cards are sent annually
- Halloween cards were first printed in the U.S. in 1908
- Hallmark first began making Halloween cards in the 1920s
- Halloween ranks 6th on the list of top card-selling holidays
Do you send Halloween cards? I know I personally have never sent a Halloween card.
In addition to cards, paper can be used for Halloween costumes. For families on a budget, making a costume is a great alternative. Some people even prefer making costumes instead of buying pre-made or generic costumes to avoid seeing someone else in “your” costume. For some homemade costumes, paper can be a necessary item.
For example, paper or cardboard can be used to make:
- Masks
- Mummy costumes
- Paper doll costumes
- Tree costumes
- Box costumes
For more information or fun facts about the history of Halloween, visit Hallmark’s Corporate Website.
Have you ever made a homemade Halloween costume? Have you ever used paper while making that costume? If so, what did you use it to make?
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Oct
11
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Steve Jobs revolutionized today’s technological society with his Apple Inventions. Many people have visited Apple stores to express their sympathy for his passing. Some leave flowers while others simply stop by. However, one of the most ironic tributes is people are leaving sticky notes on the windows of Apple stores.
According to an article in PC Mag by Adario Strange titled “Irony: Steve Jobs Post-It Tributes Show Value of Paper in a Digital World” Strange wrote, “But what the spontaneous Apple Store tributes, with windows covered in vast paper blankets of personalized Post-It note messages from fans, inadvertently served as possibly the best advertisement for paper ever.”
Is it peculiar that people decided to pay tribute to Jobs using paper instead of digital means? I’m sure there are plenty of online tributes as well. However, I believe this is a tribute to the importance of paper in our daily lives. Even though we can take the time to sit down and write things digitally. There is something more personal about handwritten letters. It says “Hey, I took the time to sit down and write this.” I believe handwritten letters at memorials are a sincere and personal way to say goodbye.
Strange went on in the article to say, “Even more telling, the practice quickly became a global trend, with Post-It notes showing up on the windows of Apple Stores from Manhattan to London to Hong Kong, proof that the human hand still values its connection to the paper medium.”
3M recently launched an app for the iPhone and iPad called PopNotes. This app gives users the ability to leave a personalized digital post-it note. According to Post-It’s website, users can choose post-it notes in nine different colors and can either type or write the note. Users can also set reminders for certain locations. For example, when they walk into the grocery store, they can set a post-it note reminder to pop up on their phone that says, “Get milk and eggs.”
Even though this app is extremely useful, it just goes to show that the paper Post-It Notes are still extremely popular. For more information on the history of Post-It Notes, visit my previous blog post or visit Post-It’s Website.
What are your thoughts? Do you think paper will continue to play a vital role in today’s society or do you think paper-based communication is slowly going away?
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Oct
04
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Many companies, including the government, have long provided many of their documents on paper. However, paper documents may soon be a thing of the past.
According to a press release from Consumers for Paper Options (CPO), “In a recent poll, 72% of consumers surveyed said they would like for the government to continue to provide paper copies of essential documents like Social Security checks, SS annual earnings statements and IRS tax forms.” The paper version of these documents are set to be eliminated in the near future.
“The poll* also revealed that even when the elimination of paper-based documents is presented as a cost-saving measure, 72% of respondents of all political affiliations believe that the government should continue to provide important paper-based documents and records.” (The poll was conducted on September 12-13, 2011. It questioned 1,000 registered voters and was sponsored by Consumers for Paper Options, www.paperoptions.org).
According to the release, people will begin to receive social security “debit cards” instead of paper checks. This concerns me. At least a check has to be signed by its rightful owner. Although this doesn’t prevent fraud, it does make it a little harder to steal. However, it seems like these debit cards would be easier to steal than a check. Most stores don’t ask for identification, especially if you have the debit pin number. These cards may not leave a “paper trail” so to speak that would be easily traceable. It could sort of be like a throw-away cell phone.
The release also stated the poll revealed that 83 percent of respondents believe private sector financial institutions should not charge for paper-based communication. I completely agree with this statement. I want the option to decide how I want to receive my statements. I shouldn’t be penalized if I choose the paper option. I understand that this is a tough economy and businesses are trying to cut costs as much as possible. However, they also have to consider their customers. I believe it is a small price to pay in order to keep their customers happy.
What are your thoughts?
For more information, visit www.paperoptions.org or follow this link to view the press release.
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Oct
02
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Nowadays we hear of newspapers “going green.” However, one Mississippi paper is “going pink.”
In the article titled, “Your Paper is Pink,” by Dispatch staff, The Dispatch said the next few weeks of its Sunday Dispatch (the A and B sections) will be printed on pink paper during October to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In the article, Peter Imes said:
“Most of the paper we use is produced in Grenada, Miss.,” Dispatch Operations Manager Peter Imes said Friday. “When our provider offered us pink newsprint, we felt it was a great way to bring attention to National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Readers will certainly notice the pink color, but it shouldn’t affect their ability to read the paper.”
I believe this is a nice gesture by the paper and may give their paper an edge in this “non-paper” society. I believe the different color paper would make me curious enough to pick up the paper and read to find out why it’s pink.
However, the Dispatch isn’t the only paper “going pink” in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Asbury Park Press also has “pink pages” as does the Tauton Daily Gazette. There are probably more newspapers that are honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month by “going pink” as well. Have any of your local newspapers printed on pink paper?
I think it would be great if newspapers picked a different cause each year and printed special editions of their newspapers on different color paper in honor of that organization. The paper would have to be light in color so as not to make it hard to read. However, I believe the different color papers would appeal to younger generations. I think it might make reading the newspaper more fun all the while making a statement and getting the news out.
What are your thoughts?
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