Stay Vocal

New Contest For Music Lovers

(12.30.08) In the vein of Willy Wonka, we have decided to hold a lucky sticker contest. With each CD that we sell in our online store, we will be including a FREE Gandhi Sticker, but one of these Gandhi stickers includes a special winning message on the back. If you are the lucky person who receives this sticker, you will win 22 FREE ReUse CD’s.

Check out details on the contest and prizes here.

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New ReUse Bag For Record Collectors

(12.15.08) Recently, our friends at Alternative Tentacles contacted us about teaming up for a project. A month or so later, it has come to fruition.

This joint effort with Alternative Tentacles Records was made specifically to be the perfect record shopping bag. This huge organic canvas reusable shopping bag can easily carry up to 50 LPs. It can obviously hold plenty of other things as well. The design is infamous artist Winston Smith’s original AT logo.

Alternative Tentacles Records was established in June of 1979 and is most likely the longest lasting (and still active) underground record labels around. Although it is perceived by many as a “punk” label, having released records by Dead Kennedys and others, it is actually best known for its impact on the world of underground culture. To learn more about AT, check out the Alternative Tentacles website.

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ReUse Or Bust!

(12.04.08) As we are now an official “Green” business, it’s important that everything we do and sell reflects our commitment to reusing. To further emphasize this, we plan to offer 100% ReUse items by the start of 2009. In order to do that, though, we have to move out all of our non-ReUse, “new” items that we made in the past. So, we created the ReUse or Bust Sale and hope that you can help pave our path for the coming year.

Please note: There are very limited amounts of the items left.

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Officially Approved: Festival Wrap Up

(12.03.08)

From Alex

On November 14-16, STAY VOCAL took part in Green Festival in San Francisco. I felt really lucky to be involved with the event, as it has strict environmental standards on who can set up. But the night before the festival began, I felt even more fortunate, as I got an email confirming that we are an approved business in the Co-Op America Business Network (Note the new seal at the top of the page).

So what does being a member of the Green Business Network mean? In Co-Op America terms, it means that we’re a member of a select group of businesses that pledge to “reach beyond contemporary practices in addressing the needs of consumers, employees, communities, and the environment.” In my terms, it’s the “green” equivalent of getting my medical license. This is truly an accomplishment for me, as it was only about 6 months prior that I decided to go strictly ReUse. It seems like that was definitely the right choice.

Now, let’s get back to the festival.

Having been on numerous festival tours with bands before, I was used to the insanity that ensues when there are hundreds of vendors in one small area. From arriving at the venue to setting up to tearing down, everything was confusing. And it certainly didn’t help that the event was in downtown San Francisco. Luckily, I had some amazing help throughout the weekend from my great team: Kaitlin, Lisa, Jasmine, and Priya. We also had some additional help from our next-door neighbors at the event who were veterans of the Green Festival.

Alchemy Goods, is a very like-minded company, whose main products are messenger bags made out of used bike tires. Be on the look out in 2009, as their owner, Eli, and I spoke about some possible collaborations. This is just one example of how the festival was a great place to meet people who are committed to making the world a better place.

Green Festival also enabled the showcasing of some new SV items, including clothing from Rebecca Crouse and tote bags from Alana Joyner. The biggest hit, but not a real surprise, was Alyssa D’Amico’s collection of ReUse monsters. Each one comes with a ReUse tag with their name and a brief bio on how they stay vocal. It wasn’t a surprise that they all found new homes that weekend. Be on the watch for some new friends coming soon!

During the few times that I left the booth that weekend, I tried to find as many free food samples as possible. When you’re on your feet in the same 10×10 area for 7-10 hours a day, you get hungry. Fortunately, there were plenty of food vendors handing out samples and I was even able to acquire an entire box of Nature’s Path frosted pop tarts which DO NOT have gelatin (a.k.a. cow hooves) like that “other brand”.

My first experience at Green Festival was no doubt a positive one and SV will certainly be at future ones, possibly even as soon as March in Seattle.

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Buy Nothing Day - Friday November 28th

(11.27.08) This Friday, November 28th, we will be celebrating Buy Nothing Day, an informal day of protest against consumerism. In addition to closing our online store, our website will be turned off for the day, as there are some technical updates that need to be made. Learn more about Buy Nothing Day and why we’re choosing to take part here.

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Contest Over, New ReUse Bag Available

(11.21.08) The “Love Mother Earth’s Body Already” Contest has been over for a couple of weeks now, but we’re finally ready to announce the winner. As always, we got some great designs sent in and it was a tough decision. But between everyone at STAY VOCAL and Eve’s Rib Clothing, the consensus was Rachel Caldwell’s design.

The new STAY VOCAL reusable shopping bag with her design on it is now available in our online store. With the sale of each bag, $1 will be donated to the National Eating Disorder Association.

• Material: 100% Organic cotton canvas
• Handle Size: 1 .5” wide x 23” long
• Bag Size: 18” wide x 15” high x 5” gusset
• Made in the USA

From both STAY VOCAL and Eve’s Rib Clothing, we would like to again thank everyone who entered the contest.

Order this bag before November 27th and receive 3 FREE stickers and 3 FREE pins.

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Unique ReUse Wall Clock Auctions

(10.25.08) Our good friend Josh Nelson has created some unique, one of a kind ReUse wall clocks for us. The clocks can be seen and bid on at the following eBay auctions:

Zildjian ZXT Rock Hi Hats Clock

Zildjian ZXT 18” Rock Crash Clock

Josh Nelson is the drummer/singer/songwriter for the Kansas City, MO punk rock and roll outfit Bent Left. He and his closest colleagues have combined to form the organization known as Recycled Rockstar Ind. in an effort to further promote political, social, and environmental action and awareness through the arts. All of his works of visual art are one-of-a-kind pieces that are created primarily from reused or recycled materials, and they are often designed to recover the aesthetic and acoustic qualities of used musical instruments. More information about these projects is available at www.myspace.com/recycledrockstar

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What Will The Future Weather Be Like?

(10.16.08) There’s a new “green” movie on the horizon and we’re excited to be a part of it. Jenny Deller is the brains behind this new film entitled, Future Weather.

Future Weather is a coming-of-age film about Laduree an aspiring conservationist whose plans to save the planet from global warming are trashed when her single mom skips town to find herself.

The movie is set to begin production in Summer 2009, but Deller has already created a vast community based around the movie. You can visit futureweathermovie.com to learn more about the movie, the people behind it, and you can even contribute. You can also read the Future Weather Report, the movie’s blog site, where Alex Eaves recently contributed an article about STAY VOCAL.

Watch the trailer for Future Weather.

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Online Store Overhaul: 300+ New Items

(10.03.08) To get ourselves prepared for the upcoming San Francisco Green Festival, we have been very busy creating hundreds of new ReUse items, most of which are unique or one of a kind pieces. But instead of waiting until November to unveil our new creations, we’ve decided to offer some of them first to the STAY VOCAL community in our newly revamped online store.

Most recently, we have been working hard to expand the ReUse clothing line. From basic logo t-shirts to band merchandise to intricate pieces of wearable art, there is certainly ReUse clothing for all styles, tastes, and age groups. And it’s not just t-shirts anymore. We’ve got hats, sweatshirts, sweaters, skirts, and even some our first pairs of ReUse pants.

Unfortunately, we can’t talk about all of the items we’ve been making, as there are literally over 300 of them right now, with new items being added on a daily basis. But we’ll focus on some of our favorites.

One of our new lines of t-shirts is surely something enjoyable for anyone from anywhere. STAY VOCAL “Local” T-Shirts feature our Make Yourself Heard Face Logo strategically placed on a t-shirt from a specific location. The ReUse New Orleans shirt is one of our favorites.

Maybe you’re interested in creating your own ReUse shirt, though. That’s where our “What Do You Do” Series comes in. These shirts give you a chance to make yourself heard by providing a blank line for you to write in how you make the world better.

One of our more experimental new items, the brainchild of owner Alex Eaves, is our new “Inside Out REUSE! Huge Font” Series. How do you reuse a piece of paper? You flip it over and use the other side. Well that’s essentially what we’ve done with these t-shirts. All of these shirts have been flipped inside out and printed on the opposite side.

If you’re not a t-shirt wearing person or your job calls for something else, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Whether you work in a gas station, hospital, or an office, there’s a ReUse clothing item for you.

In addition to our clothing line, we’re also showcasing some of our truly one of a kind creations like tote bags and journals, made from all sorts of materials.

Thanks to our friend Kyle, the STAY VOCAL online store recently received a big upgrade. The clothing section is now broken up into three sections: men, women, and youth. We have also separated our T-Shirts into a few different categories so that you know which ones are unique and which ones are not.

Here at STAY VOCAL, we’re very excited about the progress we’re making in creating quality ReUse products. With each item we sell, we’re not only keeping materials out of the landfills, but we’re also saving energy and materials that would be used to make new products. More importantly, we’re inspiring new ideas for positive change.

STAY VOCAL is certainly not alone in spreading the ReUse movement. A lot of people have been doing a lot of things to help us as of late. We owe a big thanks to Alyssa D’Amico, Becki Crouse, Brianne Epley, Eric Guntor, Erin Dacayanan, Goodwin Graphics, Joan Eaves, John Babson, Julie Tremonte, Ken Eaves, and Tori Babson.

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Green Festival: Our Biggest Event Yet

(10.02.08) A week or so ago, when we mentioned that STAY VOCAL is going to be taking part in our biggest event yet, we meant BIG in many ways. On November 14th, 15th, and 16th we are going to be part of “Green Festival” in San Francisco, a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America.

To put it into numbers, there are going to be over 40,000 people from all over the world attending the festival each day. The festival features more more than 300 green businesses and nearly 50 speakers.

Some of the businesses exhibiting at the festival are Equal Exchange, Honest Tea, Organic Valley Family of Farms, and Satori Movement.

Speakers during the festival include Van Jones (President of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland), Chuck D (co-founder of legendary political rap group Public Enemy), Greg Palast (New York Times bestselling author and journalist for the BBC), and Kevin Danaher (co-founder of Global Exchange).

In their own words, Green Festival is “a walk through a sustainable community. It begins with finding solutions to help make our lives healthier—socially, economically and environmentally. Individuals along with business and community leaders come together to discuss critical issues that impact us at home and abroad. Organizations and businesses showcase programs and products that restore the planet and all that inhabit it. Neighbor-to-neighbor connections are formed, and skills are shared to empower people to create positive change in the world.” (www.greenfestivals.org)

STAY VOCAL and our reuse movement will be exposed to our biggest audience yet. But what makes this more exciting for us, is that by having been asked to take part in this event, we have truly been recognized and rewarded for our efforts.

Not just any company can be included in this event. Green Festival™ is the only green event that screens exhibitors for their commitment to sustainability, ecological balance and social justice using Co-op America’s green business standards. We feel extremely fortunate to receive this recognition.

In addition to the speakers and exhibitors, there will be an Organic Food Court, Music Stage, Kids’ Zone, Green Home Series, and Film Festival.

To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, please visit the Green Festival website.

If you do plan on attending, come see us at our booth. We love meeting members of the STAY VOCAL community.

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NEW CONTEST: It's Time To Love Mother Earth's Body Already

(09.28.08) STAY VOCAL and Eve’s Rib Clothing are joining forces to promote positive body image for Mother Earth by reusing. But we need your help.

Check out our new Love Mother Earth’s Body Already Contest for your chance to design a ReUse bag and win some great prizes.

IN RELATED NEWS…. Eve’s Rib Clothing is currently a finalist in this month’s ideablob contest and they could sure use the votes of the SV community. So get out your username and password for the ideablob site and vote for Eve’s Rib.

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Brief Update From STAY VOCAL's Alex Eaves

(09.19.08) Hey everyone,
Things have been a bit quiet lately in the STAY VOCAL online world, but by no means have they been quiet overall.

First of all, we did not become a finalist in the Member’s Project Contest. It was a disappointment, but hey, I can’t win all of the contests! Thanks to all of you who took the time to nominate my project. There are some great finalists though, so for those of you who voted, check out the top 25 here.

In better news, we are going to be making a major announcement next week concerning the biggest event STAY VOCAL will have been part of yet. We are also going to be announcing a major overhaul to the SV online store. There are going to be a lot (and I mean A LOT) of new ReUse items for men, women, and kids. I personally have made many of them and I have to tell you, they’re awesome. But I guess I have to think that. But really, they are.

Until next week,
ALex

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How Would You Change The World?

(09.05.08) If you could change the world and make it a more fun place to live in , how would you do that? You’d have unlimited resources to do this, but it can only be one thing.

Got an answer? Then you should definitely enter the contest being held by our friends over at HAVEFUN Skateboarding.

The grand prize includes a Barack Obama Skateboard Deck, as well as some great ReUse prizes that we have donated.

The contest runs through October 2nd, so get over to HAVEFUN Skateboarding.com and enter today!

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Make Yourself Heard And Love Your Body Already!

(09.04.08) Next month, we are going to be announcing an exciting contest with our friends at Eve’s Rib Clothing. Eve’s Rib is a company that promotes positive body image and self esteem in girls and women while donating a portion of their proceeds to the National Eating Disorders Association.

We hope this will be the first of numerous collaborations between the two companies, as we share strong passions to change the world in a positive way.

In the meantime, Eve’s Rib is currently in the running for this month’s ideablob contest and they could sure use the votes of the SV community. So get out your username and password for the ideablob site and vote for Eve’s Rib.

If you already deleted your account, you can easily sign up again!

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STAY VOCAL Team To Walk For Farm Animals

(09.03.08) On September 27th, Alex Eaves and Brianne Epley will be leading the STAY VOCAL team as they take part in the Walk for Farm Animals 2008 in Chico, CA. Along with many others, the SV team is walking to raise money for Farm Sanctuary.

Farm Sanctuary is a national non profit organization that rescues animals from factory farms, slaughterhouses, and sometimes just bad owners. They have HUGE sanctuaries in upstate New York and northern California.

To donate, learn about Farm Sanctuary, and see an awesome picture of Alex with some pigs, visit the STAY VOCAL Firstgiving page.

You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to Farm Sanctuary by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation.

Please send our page on to anyone who might like to donate!

And hey! If you’re in the area, we’d love you to join our team and walk with us.

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STAY VOCAL Featured In Chico E-Zine

(09.02.08) The Fall issue of Community Seeds Magazine was just released and features a 2-page spread on STAY VOCAL.

Community Seeds is a FREE online e-zine based in Chico, CA. Like STAY VOCAL, Community Seeds evolved over the years into a company heavily focused on being eco friendly. In addition to the online zine, the web site provides a local directory for Chico, as well as the surrounding areas of Durham and Paradise.

Check out the article about STAY VOCAL in Community Seeds HERE.
-Click on View Fall Issue near middle of page
-Go to page 46-47

Let us know what you think!

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You Can Be A Part Of A Huge Change

(08.29.08) You’re probably saying, “More news about this?!” I know, I know… but think about this: without you and the rest of the STAY VOCAL community, we would not have been able to win the Ideablob contest in May and push so far forward with ReUse. And now I want you to be part of an even bigger push forward.

I’ve only got 3 days left in the Member’s Project Contest and I need at least 200 more nominations to get better consideration for my project, Bagging The Disposable Bag.

But with you and the rest of the SV community, this should be easy…but it’s not?!



It literally will take 30 seconds to register your nomination.

You can cancel your registration to the site upon receiving the first email.

You DO NOT need to be an AMEX card holder to nominate. Just sign up as a “guest member.”

In addition to your nomination, here is how you can be a huge help:

1. Forward this email on to anyone and everyone you know and tell them to nominate the project Bagging The Disposable Bag.

2. After making a nomination, leave a comment which is towards the bottom of the page.

3. If you have a MySpace or Facebook page, use the picture below as your default until the contest ends. Let us know if you do, so we can add you as a Top Friend!



Thank you SO much!

Let’s make our goal of a ReUse World more possible,
ALex

My Project

And if you have another 30 seconds…
Break the Bottled Water Habit

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Reuse Board Sports Site Features STAY VOCAL's Alex Eaves

(08.29.08) Recently, we became aware of an organization in San Diego called Rerip.com. They provide opportunities to reuse and reride board sports (skate/snow/surf) equipment. At the same time, they make people aware of the need to reduce their impact on the planet. Obviously, we had to contact them.

There are plans in the works for future engagements together, but for now, Rerip.com has made our own Alex Eaves their current featured skater.

Check out the Rerip.com interview with STAY VOCAL owner Alex Eaves here.

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Flat Tires And Good Food: Warped Tour 2008

(08.22.08) By Alex Eaves

From July 22nd to July 29th, I rode with my friends in the band The A.K.A.s to promote their ReUse line of merchandise on Warped Tour. While the days went on forever and the van was tight and smelly, it was a great experience and I look forward to doing it again.

My first day with the band was surely the most memorable. I met up with them in Massachusetts, where I showed up just in time to help dismantle their merch tent and treck through the insane downpour of rain. After leaving the venue, we drove to our friends Matt and Tiffany’s house, where most of us dried off and ate some amazing vegan food.

At about 4:30 in the morning, we woke up at a gas station to the driver’s statement of “Hey guys. We have a problem. We’re missing a tire.” As we all slowly climbed out of the van, we saw that one of the tires on the trailer had completely shredded away. Who knows how long we had been riding the rim? Unfortunately, this wasn’t a car that we could just jack up, so we emptied almost the entire trailer out to let weight off. Luckily, the gas station wasn’t busy at the time and hopefully the attendant enjoyed the CD that the band gave him.

For the next six days, we traveled through Buffalo, Camden, Uniondale, Scranton, Englishtown, and Pittsburgh. As Warped Tour is always a circus, each day was a bit different. We would show up in the morning and have no idea where our merch tent would go, no idea when the band would play, no idea where we’d park, etc. But it was all part of the fun, at least for a week.

Unlike most bands, The A.K.A.s enjoy spending most of the day in their merch tent talking with fans and trying to recruit new ones. This turned out to be great for me too, as many people were intrigued by the ReUse merch line hanging along a rope on the side of the tent.

Not only did The A.K.A.s and I help promote ReUse on Warped Tour, but we also helped our good friends Tara and Erin at Warped Eco Initiative. They are on Warped Tour promoting green energy with a solar powered stage, as well as running the Warped Tour bottle and can clean up. Each day, dozens of people scour the venues collecting thousands of bottles and cans to recycle, which in recent years would simply be thrown away. Every concert tour needs a Tara and an Erin.

Another highlight of the tour was that I finally got to meet Emile Goss in Buffalo, who has been a huge help with SV as of late. Up until then, I had really only seen his South Park avatar, so it was good to find he wasn’t actually a cartoon!

Going on Warped Tour for seven days, was just enough time for me to start to get frustrated and homesick. Pittsburgh was a great way to end my stint on Warped Tour, as it’s one of my homes away from home. I saw a lot of friends at the show like Jeff and Scott from The Atomic Family and #2 and Jesse Jones from Anti-Flag.

I have to say, it was a bit sad to leave the band, as I grew a lot closer with them real quick. But when I took my bags out of the van and headed towards a house to sleep in, it felt great. I’d like to thank The A.K.A.s for letting me tag along and let me relive my merch glory days. I’d also like to thank Lisa with Warped Tour for making it easy for me to be on the tour, especially getting me a meal ticket! I definitely had enough of the soynut butter sandwiches and instant packets of miso soup during the first few days.

CLICK HERE to see even more pictures from my stint on Warped Tour 2008.

- ALex

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Learn To Reuse More / Break The Bottled Water Habit!

(08.21.08) Hopefully at this point, with the economy how it is and the facts coming out about bottled water being just bottled tap water, you’re not wasting your time buying bottled water. But if you’re still drinking bottled water, now is a great time to pledge not to, because you can win some amazing prizes and make huge enviornmental strides.

LEARN TO REUSE MORE AND TAKE THIS PLEDGE NOW!

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In a $2.5 million contest this time!

(08.19.08)




Hey everyone,
I’ve entered another contest to win part of $2.5 million. The money will be explicitly used to create ReUse communities, providing reusable shopping bags for every resident of a town(s) and having all stores in the town(s) get rid of disposable bags. Please take a moment to nominate my project, Bagging The Disposable Bag.

By the way, it’s easier to sign up and vote for this than it was for the ideablob contest!



Thanks a lot!
ALex

P.S. Tell all of your friends and family!!!!!!!!!

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New Gift Certificates

(08.16.08) We all have those friends or family members who just don’t get the concept of reusing. You know the type: the ones STILL double bagging their gallon of milk. Well now we have something to help get them started: the STAYVOCAL.COM Gift Certificate.

Unlike simply giving someone a reusable bag that could easily end up buried in a closet, the SV gift certificate enables them to pick out their own ReUse items, while at the same time they learn all about the concept from information on the website.

Our gift certificates are good for all items in the STAY VOCAL online store. At this time, our gift certificates are sold through PayPal. If the recipient of the gift certificate does not have a PayPal account, they can easily set one up when going to redeem their gift.

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STAY VOCAL Donation To Fire Victims

(08.15.08) Today, STAY VOCAL made a donation of $252.70 to the Chico Red Cross. While it was not the $1000 we were trying to raise, anything and everything helps.

We would like to thank everyone who purchased a sticker during our fund raising weeks in July. We also want to send out a BIG THANK YOU to our friend Matt Frawley and the band Rancid.

At the Rancid’s recent show in Providence, RI, there were multiple donation boxes at the merchandise area. Matt was also generous enough to donate his entire weekly per diem to the cause.

While the fires might be settling down in Butte County, the destruction they caused won’t settle for a while. If you would like to make a donation, please send it to Chico Red Cross, 1398 Ridgewood Drive, Chico, CA 95973, or to use a credit card, call 1-530-891-0885.

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From Delivering The Paper To Being Featured In It

(07.26.08) From 4th grade through 10th grade, STAY VOCAL owner Alex Eaves delivered the Boston-based newspaper The Patriot Ledger. Recently, the tables turned and Alex and STAY VOCAL were featured in the paper.

Check out the Patriot Ledger’s article on STAY VOCAL here.

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ReUse On Warped Tour With The A.K.A.s

(07.18.08) Next week, The A.K.A.s will be heading out on the traveling circus known as the Vans Warped Tour. Not only will they be performing live every day, but they will also be sharing their passion for ReUse with fans throughout the day.

Since 1995, Warped tour has excelled at fusing together music and extreme sports. But for the past few years, they have brought environmental consciousness into the mix.

For most of their dates on the tour, The A.K.A.s will be performing on a solar powered stage, a new idea from the tour’s owner, Kevin Lyman. The band also plans to speak to fans at the the Warped Eco Initiative tent, which works with non profit organizations to raise awareness of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

In the band’s own tent, there will be a wide variety of A.K.A.s shirts printed on ReUse garments that STAY VOCAL recently donated to them. The band will also be selling their new reusable shopping bag.

For the first week of the tour (7/23-7/29), STAY VOCAL’s Alex Eaves will be joining the band to talk to fans about reusing and why it’s so important. If you’re interested in checking out some of the 100+ bands that play every day in the 100+ degree hot sun, check out the STAY VOCAL events page. And if you do go, be sure to bring a reusable bottle to fill with water throughout the day!

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FREE Autographed Posters With A.K.A.s Bag Preorder

(07.17.08) Be one of the first 50 people to preorder the new A.K.A.s reusable shopping bag and receive a FREE A.K.A.s poster, signed by all 5 members of the band! Orders will begin shipping the first week of August.

This bag is our first one made from EcoSpun, an extremely durable material made from 100% recycled soda bottles!

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Watch Alex On ABC News Right Here, Right Now

(07.11.08) As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Alex appeared on ABC News discussing STAY VOCAL and the ideablob.com contest. Only a handful in our community were able to watch it, so we have been waiting to share the segment with you. And until today, Alex had not even seen the entire segment himself. But now everyone can view it right here.

We also have some pictures from Alex’s visit to ABC in New York City.

Enjoy!

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Help Us Raise $1000 In 2 Weeks For CA Fire Victims

(07.10.08) As we continue to cross over to a strictly ReUse company, we have decided to use our remaining stickers for a good cause. For every sticker that you buy in the STAY VOCAL store, we will donate $.50 to the Chico Red Cross, who have been setting up shelters, providing meals, and funding the many families who have been affected by the Butte County Wildfires. Our goal is to raise $1,000 over the next 2 weeks. Spread the word and let’s make it happen!

---

Hi everybody,
I am currently spending a lot of time in Chico, CA, which is about 20-25 miles away from the massive wildfires in Butte County. As a Massachusetts resident, I’m not used to this at all. For a few weeks, I have been told that this is normal, but currently, people who have lived here for 50 years have never seen it this bad.

Almost 50,000 acres have burned, around 50 homes have been destroyed, and thousands of people have been displaced. But it’s not just the fires that are the problem.

Even though I am 25 miles away, I am still affected by the fires. As Chico is in the valley, the smoke comes down from the foothills and blankets what should be a sunny sky. The ashes also float in like a light snowfall. It’s a scary time for me, so I can only imagine what it’s like for those closer to the fires. So I have decided to start helping out immediately.

If you would like to make a seperate donation, please send it to Chico Red Cross, 1398 Ridgewood Drive, Chico, CA 95973, or to use a credit card, call 891-0885.

Thanks so much everybody,
ALex

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Hanover Day 2008 & The "Big Check" Presentation

(07.09.08) A few months ago, I heard about “Hanover Day,” an annual summertime event in the town of Hanover, MA. As STAYVOCAL is based in the nextdoor town of Norwell, I thought this would be a great opportunity to promote our ReUse concept. So, I signed up for a booth and planned to have my cousin Cassie take care of it, as I was going to be in California at the time.

Things changed, though, as SV ended up winning the ideablob contest, and after talking with my new friends Ami and Jennifer at Advanta, I realized that Hanover Day would be a perfect place to celebrate the contest win. I’m glad they helped me decided on that, because it turned out to be a great day.

Hanover Day 2008, which took this past June 21st, was a great time that I shared with a lot family and friends. Even my cousins from northern California were there, some of whom I had never even met. Through our booth and the “big check” presentation, many new people were introduced to SV and the ReUse concept.

As part of the celebration, Advanta hired an ice cream truck to hand out free ice cream and popsicles to the crowd. On a day when the temperature reached near 100, there couldn’t have been a better surprise.

If you’re interested in seeing pictures from the event, please visit the Hanover Day 2008 STAY VOCAL collage page.

We also have the brief 2-minute video of the presentation above. The video is a little shakey, but the audio is perfect!

I’d like to thank Ami, Jennifer, and Emily at Advanta, as well as Katie from Hanover Day for helping make the contest celebration so enjoyable and stress-free! I’d also like to thank all of the family and friends who braved the heat to come celebrate. Luckily, only 1 person had to leave early because of the heat.

ALex

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STAY VOCAL Featured In 2 More Boston Newspapers

(07.03.08) As a result of the ideablob.com win, STAY VOCAL has been getting a lot of great press lately. We wanted to share two recent articles from Boston area newspapers.

The Boston Herald (June 22,2008) wrote an article about STAY VOCAL and the ReUse focus. The Norwell Mariner (July 3, 2008) focused their article more on the contest win.

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SV'S Alex Live on ABC TV, Tuesday 6/24

(06.23.08) I have some rather exciting last minute news. Tomorrow, Tuesday June 24th, at 4PM, I will be appearing LIVE on ABC News Now. The 7 minute segment will focus on ideablob, their recent May contest that STAY VOCAL won, and our ReUse concept. You can watch the show live on abcnewsnow.com or check your zip code at the bottom of their home page for other viewing options.

In other news, this past week has been incredibly exciting and busy and I will have a lot to report soon!

Thanks so much,
ALex

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Thank You All!!! FREE T-Shirt, Pins, & Stickers

(06.12.08) As a thank you to everyone who voted for us in the May ideablob.com contest, we are offering a FREE combo pack in the STAY VOCAL online store. We would not have won and be where we are without your continued support.

Starting immediately, you can order the FREE pack which includes:

• 1 ReUse T-Shirt (Pick Your Size)
• 2 Pins
• 2 Stickers

To take advantage of this offer, simply add the Thank You Pack to your order. There is no minimum purchase required. Limited to the first 100 orders. Shipping is not included.

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STAY VOCAL's ReUse Concept Wins Idea Contest!!!!!!

(06.11.08)

Please watch the video above!

For any of you interested in the final vote counts, we received a total of 951. Over the first 8 days of voting, we received a total of 410 votes, but in the last two we got 541!

To celebrate our win, our friends at ideablob.com will be joining us at Hanover Day 2008 on Saturday, June 21st. The event runs from 10am -4pm at Sylvester Field, which is located on Rte 139 in the center of Hanover.

At 11:45, ideablob.com will present STAY VOCAL with one of those commemorative “big checks.” Afterwards, they will stick around to serve refreshments to our friends and family. So, if you’re in the area, please come join the party.

Below is the official press release available on ideablob.com

SPRING HOUSE, Penn., (June 10, 2008) — Advanta Corp. (NASDAQ: ADVNB; ADVNA) announced today that Alex Eaves of Norwell, Mass. is the May winner of ideablob.com’s monthly contest for the best small business idea, as voted on by the ideablob community.

Eaves’ company, STAY VOCAL, began as a skateboard company focused on producing positive messages about social and environmental awareness. The company recently transitioned to focus solely on its line of ReUse products, which include clothing and accessories made from used materials, as well as being a source of information about music, news and events.

“With natural resources diminishing, and so much ‘stuff’ already available, it’s imperative that people learn to reuse more,” said Eaves. “With this award from ideablob.com, STAY VOCAL can expand and I can bring the ReUse line of products to new customers.”

Eaves plans to use the award money to revamp the STAY VOCAL Web site to make it focus more on ReUse products, and to inform people how to be more environmentally conscious in their daily lives.

“Boston has become a leading hub in the social entrepreneurship movement, with three social entrepreneurs from Boston winning the ideablob contest,” said Ami Kassar, Advanta’s Chief Innovation Officer.

Previous winners from the Boston area include John Struder and his idea to expand his sweatshop-free clothing company, No Sweat Apparel, and Naomi Bar-Yam and her idea for the Mother’s Milk Bank of New England, an organization serving babies, hospitals and families throughout New England.

Because Eaves is an Advanta Business Cards customer, he is eligible to receive 1,000,000 rewards points on his Advanta BusinessCard (or the $10,000 cash alternative) in addition to the $10,000 monthly contest prize. Advanta will present Eaves, who chose the cash alternative, with his $20,000 award at a special event later this month in Boston.

Ideablob.com is an active community where small business owners and entrepreneurs are sharing business ideas and receiving feedback, advice and support from the community. Experts from various industries take part in the ideablob discussions and offer their input on how burgeoning entrepreneurs can capitalize on their ideas.

Advanta, one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market, awards a $10,000 monthly prize to the best eligible idea, as determined by the votes of the ideablob community. In recent months,

Advanta has awarded the monthly prize to software developers, non-profit leaders and several social entrepreneurs.

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Big D And The Kids Table Join ReUse Movement; Bag PREORDER

(06.10.08) By Alex Eaves

Today, we welcome some of our hometown friends to the growing list of bands who support our ReUse movement. Big D and the Kids Table have been part of the Boston punk/ska scene for years. While the music world and world in general have changed drastically since they formed in Boston in 1997, the band has never given up their love of ska music or positive outlook so evident in their songs.

I first began seeing Big D in the late 90’s opening for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and over the years, we met up periodically at shows in Boston, on Warped Tour, and we even did a short tour together in 2005 when I was with Anti-Flag. The guys have always been supportive of the positive movements I was working with, whether it was Anti-Racist Action or STAY VOCAL. But when the band began its “Try Our Your Voice” campaign, it was a no brainer that we would finally join forces.

Our newest addition to our ReUse shopping bag line is emblazoned with the band’s “Try Out Your Voice” logo and will surely encourage people to stay vocal everywhere it goes. Preorder the Big D and the Kids Table bag before June 16th and receive a FREE pack of 5 STAY VOCAL stickers and pins.

To learn more about the band and listen to some of their music, please visit Big D’s STAY VOCAL Music page. You can also help spread the word and download our Big D ReUse Flyer. Be sure to print them on the back of used paper or use new recycled paper.

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Third Graders In Hingham, MA Already Changing The World

(06.09.08) By Alex Eaves

Last Monday I had the pleasure of speaking to over 100 third graders at Foster Elementary School in Hingham, MA. This was my first time speaking to elementary school students about ReUse, besides my plethera of nieces and nephews of course. Surprisingly, these kids already knew a great deal.

I had a great time with the students, and was amazed at how much they knew about reusing already. I couldn’t believe it when I asked the first group of 60 students how many of their parents use paper or plastic bags at the store and only about 4 or 5 raised their hands! When Vice Principal Betsy Connolly had told me that all of the students had taken the school’s “Green Team Pledge,” she really meant it.

After a brief discussion about ReUse, as well as the school’s amazing recycling program, we broke into different groups and made some Reuse art projects. Some of the students took the empty boxes that our ReUse bags come in and made ReUse “people” out of them. One student in each group laid down and the other students traced the outline of their body. Then the students added their own artwork to the project. Some “people” had reusable bags or mugs, some had ReUse t-shirts, and some of them were performing environmentally friendly actions like recycling. But as shown in the picture to the right, all of the people were very unique!

While some of the students were busy creating the ReUse people, others made ReUse Father’s Day Card envelopes. I have a massive collection of junk mail “Business Reply By Mail” envelopes and the students made their own artwork on the envelopes. Then they took the envelopes home to finish the project and make a ReUse card to give to their father for Father’s Day.

My experience at Foster certainly makes me want to work with kids even more. They are the future of this world and if they grow up respecting our Earth, then the planet can have a long and prosperous existence.

I would like to thank Vice Principal Connolly, the third grade teachers and students, and Parent Representative Eileen Pouch for arranging everything.

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THANKS TO EVERYONE!

(06.01.08) The voting for the idea contest is now over. There are not enough minutes in the day for me to thank everyone who showed us so much support over the past 10 days. From friends to families to people we work with to people we have never even met, the support was utterly amazing. Even if SV does not win, I know that we have the support of you all. And that is more than enough to keep pushing to make this world a better place.

We will not know anything for a few days. There is a lengthy process to verifying the winner of the contest. A company can’t just give $10,000 away to anybody!

Thanks again and again and again and again and….......
ALex and STAY VOCAL

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3 Days To Vote ! ! !

(05.22.08) As we mentioned before, our ReUse Concept is 1 of only 8 finalists in an idea contest this month. The grand prize is $10,000 to further advance our idea. If we win, we will be able to do many things with SV to advance the ReUse concept and continue to make this world a better place for you, me, and everyone else.

All we’re asking for is about 90 seconds of your time to vote for us. You do have to register and confirm with an email address, BUT you can cancel anytime. It’s really not a big ordeal to register, but winning this prize would be mean a lot to our advancement.

Please encourage any friends and family members to vote. That would be awesome! But honestly, every vote counts.

Well, here is the link to vote. Just click on the vote box and proceed.
http://ideablob.com/ideas/2083-ReUse-Because-you-can-t-recycl

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Taking Our ReUse Bags A Step Further

(05.21.08) We now have a 100% Recycled Cotton version of our “Paper or Plastic?” reusable shopping bag. Not only does this bag help keep plastic out of the waste stream and trees off the chopping block, but it also preserves precious cotton crops.

ORDER a set of 5 between now and Monday, May 26th and get a 6th bag, FREE!

Orders will ship next week.

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You Can't Be Too Young To Reuse

(05.21.08) On June 2nd, Alex Eaves will be speaking to and working with the 3rd graders of Foster Elementary School in Hingham, MA. With the help of Mailorder Mom and others, he will be demonstrating the concept of ReUse with different activities, including t-shirt making. This is the first day of a week full of a variety of “green” ideas being presented to the students at Foster Elementary.

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May 15th: Buy 1 Get 1 Free 1 Day Sale

(05.14.08) On Thursday, May 15th, buy any PIN or STICKER and receive a duplicate, FREE. Maybe you have a friend or family member that would want one too. There’s no limit, but supplies may run out quickly.

Check out the STAY VOCAL Pin and Sticker Selection

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New Street Team To Promote ReUse

(05.13.08) Many of you have been wondering how you can get involved with STAY VOCAL and promote our ReUse concept. Now it’s easier than ever.

Our friend Emile Goss has started up a STAY VOCAL Street Team. If you’d like to join, please visit the STAY VOCAL Street Team Myspace Page.

Currently, the street team is promoting the use of reusable shopping bags with the STAY VOCAL Bag Selling Program. Not only can you help people learn to reuse more, you can make money at the same time.

JOIN TODAY!

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Stay Vocal Or Shut Up Tour On Hold

(05.13.08) By Alex Eaves

Due to vehicle problems that just wouldn’t stop, Bent Left was forced to cancel most of their remaining “Stay Vocal Or Shut Up” tour dates. Currently, the band is taking a short break with relatives in CA, where I got the chance to meet up with them last week.

While taking some time off in Kansas City recently, the band realized that their van had seen it’s final touring miles. So, they made a quick decision and boarded a train bound for San Francisco with a bass, a guitar, and some drum sticks. After playing their biggest show to date in San Francisco, the band played shows in Tahoe and Chico, where I met up with them this past Wenesday.

I was pleasantly surprised to meet the band in such high spirits, considering everything that they’ve been through. And even after 2 gruesome games of pick up basketball, William and his bandmates put on a great show at Chico’s Zombie House that night.

As always, this band won’t quit. After taking a much needed break in the Monterey area, the band will board another train and play two shows in Nebraska, before making it home to Kansas City, where the band will regroup, work off some debt, and purchase a more reliable vehicle to hit the road with. We’re all looking forward to the continuation of the tour this summer.

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New STAY VOCAL Magazine Column

(05.09.08) STAY VOCAL’s Alex Eaves will now be writing a column for our friends at AMP (American Music Press) Magazine. The column is appropriately entitled, “STAY VOCAL.”

The column first appears in the April/May issue, which is available now. The focus of this month’s column is “Bringing ReUse Into The Music World.” The SV online store is also featured in the current issue’s “You Are Not What You Own” column.

If you’d like to pick up a copy, you can get one for $1.50 at Interpunk.com.

Thanks Matt, Brett, and Lisa!

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Thanks! Now we have a 1 in 8 chance.

(05.08.08) Thanks to all of your support, STAY VOCAL is 1 of 8 finalists for the May idea contest!!!

From May 22 – May 31, you can go back to www.ideablob.com and vote to make it the winning idea.

We’re pretty excited about this.

Thanks again for all of the support thus far and please pass this on to anyone you can encourage to vote,
ALex and STAY VOCAL

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One of A Kind Strike Anywhere Chuck Taylor's

(05.05.08) We just listed our second pair of One of a Kind Chuck Taylor’s in our eBay store.This pair of Chucks was designed by Thomas Barnett, lead singer of Strike Anywhere. The lyrics are from a new song he wrote about women’s rights.

We started the bidding for these sneakers at the exact price that we paid for them. 50% of all profit after that will be donated to Thomas’ charity of choice, The Syrentha Savio Endowment.

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Want SV's Owner To Speak At Your Event or School?

(05.04.08) After a very successful appearance at Bridgewater Raynham High School in Bridgewater, MA recently, STAY VOCAL owner Alex Eaves is ready to take ReUse on the road. If you’d like Alex to speak at your school/event about the ReUse concept, please contact us at info@stayvocal.com.

We’d like to thank Shirley Wood and all of the students at Bridgewater Raynham High for making Alex’s first ReUse speech a great time. Check out the jumbo sized web site!

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Erik Davison's Art To Be Featured On New ReUse Bag

(05.04.08) The votes are finally in for our “Everybody Make Some Noise With The A.K.A.s” design contest. The winning design was created by Erik Davison. These bags will be available for pre-order soon, as the band is getting ready for a long summer of touring.

From both STAY VOCAL and The A.K.A.s, we would like to again thank everyone who entered the contest.

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We Have Another Chance - Vote Before May 7th!

(05.04.08)

Well, STAY VOCAL didn’t win last month, but our ReUse concept has another chance to win an idea contest this month. Long story short, all you have to do to vote for us is: click, click, type, confirm. It takes about 90 seconds.You can unsubscribe any time.

If we win, we’ll be able to make some big ReUse moves with SV. We’ll be able to bring out more positive change for more people. Let us know if you vote, so we can give you a virtual high five!

Thanks a lot,
ALex and STAY VOCAL

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ReUse Moves In To Chico, CA

(05.03.08) This past Thursday, a STAY VOCAL rep set up at Thursday Night Market in Chico, CA. This will be the first of many Thursdays through September where Chico area residents will be able to check out the latest ReUse line and learn more about how they can bring ReUse into their lives. If you’re in the area, be sure to come check us out.

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Help Us Help You - Vote For STAY VOCAL Now

(04.17.08) Hey everyone, we just entered our ReUse concept into an idea contest. All you have to do is click the button below, then click the “vote” button on the following page. If we win, we’ll be able to bring out more positive change for more people.

Thanks a lot,
ALex and STAY VOCAL

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***30 Hours / 30 Dollars Sale***

(04.15.08) UPDATE
We’re offering 2 FREE Original ReUse Shopping Bags to any skateboard order for the last 1 1/2 hours of the sale.

You may be asking yourself, “why am I getting this email, I don’t skateboard?” Well, chances are you probably have a friend or family member who does and they would surely benefit from this sale. The average price for a new skateboard deck is $50.
Also, many skateboard decks are sold as art pieces. And with only 100 made of each design, STAY VOCAL decks are extremely limited and could become “collector’s items” down the road. (We hope people skate them and then reuse them for a shelf, though).

ALEX EAVES

UPDATE
We’re offering 2 FREE Original ReUse Shopping Bags to any skateboard order for the last 1 1/2 hours of the sale.

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Some Things Should Not Be Reused

(04.14.08) Whoever was in charge of making it so that US presidents can only serve two terms was definitely thinking ahead. Check out our Limited Edition President Bush ReUse T-Shirts.

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STAY VOCAL Spreading The ReUse Message At Numerous Events

(04.09.08) STAY VOCAL will be featured at a number of events in Massachusetts this month and beginning in May, will be seen regularly in Chico, CA.

On April 18th, Alex Eaves will be speaking about ReUse at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School in Bridgewater, MA.

A few days later on April 22nd, STAY VOCAL will be amongst many exhibitors at the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) New England 6th Annual Green Expo, “a vendor fair featuring energy efficient, recycled, less-toxic, organic or otherwise environmentally preferable products and services.

That following weekend, STAY VOCAL will be a part of the South Shore Natural Science Center’s Earth Day Celebration in Norwell, MA on April 27th.

And finally on May 1st, STAY VOCAL will begin setting up every Thursday at Thursday Night Market in Chico, CA. This weekly event features farm-fresh produce, delicious food, arts and crafts, live entertainment, and a STAY VOCAL booth!

For a list of all our events, please visit the Events Page

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SV Tour Dates Cancelled; New Ones Added

(04.08.08) Due to unfortunate financial and vehicle issues (see post below), Bent Left was forced to cancel a few of the Stay Vocal or Shut Up Tour dates. But on the positive side, they are by no means throwing in the towel. They have actually added many new shows across the country in CA, IN, MA, MI, MO, NJ, OK, OR, SD, and WI. If these touring warriors come through your town, be sure to check them out. Many of the shows are FREE!

UPDATE (4/12): Even more shows added in IN, UT, and VA!

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YOU Can Help Keep The Stay Vocal Or Shut Up Tour Alive

(04.07.08) Long story short, the touring van for the Stay Vocal Or Shut Up Tour is in need of some major repairs and unfortunately, Bent Left has run their funds dry. They’ve already canceled some dates, but with your help, they can be back on the road reusing veggie oil for fuel and spreading their good word. You can read the full story on Bent Left’s Myspace Page

If you would like to help out, you can use the easy donaton feature below:

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Bent Left Now Reuses Veggie Oil On Tour

(04.01.08) We just got a very exciting email from William of Bent Left: “Our van was dropped off at golden fuel systems this morning and will be running on veggie oil by tomorrow afternoon.”

Bent Left is currently in month 4 of their Stay Vocal Or Shut Up Tour and from here on in will be reusing veggie oil whenever possible to fuel their trip. To see when Bent Left will be passing through your area, check out the STAY VOCAL Events Page.

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Shaquille O'Neal Teams Up With STAY VOCAL

(04.01.08)

BUT WE’RE NOT JOKING ABOUT THIS:

For every order placed from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM on April 1, we will be including 1 FREE patch, 1 FREE pin, and 5 FREE stickers.

VISIT THE STAY VOCAL STORE

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STAY VOCAL Featured In The Boston Globe

(03.30.08) In today’s Globe South Section of The Boston Globe, there is a feature story on STAY VOCAL and its founder, Alex Eaves. We’d tell you what the article was about, but we’d rather have you read it yourself. It’s more fun that way.

For all of you who do not live in the South Shore region of MA, we have uploaded a .jpg version and a .pdf version for you to read. You can also read the article (minus the pictures) on The Boston Globe website.

An interesting side note: Alex actually went to college AND worked at The Globe with the reporter, Emily Sweeney, but they did not know each other. Funny how things work out.

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We're Going ReUse, Because You Can't Recycle The Planet

(03.30.08)
After almost 5 years of having ReUse as one of several core ideas, STAY VOCAL has decided to make ReUse our primary focus. We will be phasing out much of our current product line, while bringing in more truly reused products and new products specifically designed to be reused, like our reusable shopping bags and travel mugs. Our goal is to become THE source for ReUse products and information, while encouraging everyone to reuse more.