As production manager, I’m concerned about the constant consumption of paper products tapping out our resources. I’ve assumed that print must be less “green” than electronic delivery of information.

But I’ve learned a few things that have prompted me to re-evaluate. For example, did you know that paper truly is sustainable? We recycle nearly 60 percent of all paper, recovering it to make new products. The paper and forest-products industry replenishes more than it takes and ensures the sustainability of our forests by planting 1.7 million trees every single day, more than three times what is harvested.

On the other hand, the United States recycles only 18 percent of its electronic devices, and many of those are not being reused to make new products.

The Digital Dilemma
We must mine and refine dozens of minerals and metals – including gold, silver and palladium – to make a computer, not to mention the extensive use of plastics and hydrocarbon solvents. The lifespan of a computer is short. Electronics have become the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.

Twenty percent less CO2 is used per year by a person reading a daily printed newspaper versus a person reading web-based news for 30 minutes a day.

We disposed of 1.84 million tons of electronic devices in U.S. landfills in 2006, and we will dump an estimated 30 million-40 million PCs annually in the coming years. eWaste now constitutes our single-largest toxic waste export.

Have we just replaced one monster with a bigger one?

We should continue recycling paper goods and make sure our choices regarding electronic products are based on data-driven comparative analysis of lifecycle, carbon footprint and total environmental impact. The paper industry has been addressing sustainability for decades and it is paying off. We need to do the same with our electronic media.

Have you found an effective solution to recycling your outdated electronics?

1. Rein it in. Journalists are pressed for time. Only interested in what they (and their audiences) want to know. And really don’t appreciate the interruption. Focus your writing.
2. Write slowly. Reread your work and rewrite as necessary. Remember the old saying, “Measure twice and cut once.” Cut – i.e. submit – factual work ready to publish or air.
3. Know the reader. Will this run in a national aviation magazine or in a weekly business tab? No matter how cleverly you craft your prose, it won’t get picked up if the lingo rings untrue.
4. Keep it active. Slash passive verbs and keep your tense present whenever possible. Past and future tenses tend to create leaks where energy seeps out. Imagine the wicked witch slowly melting.
5. Amuse yourself. Sprinkle in the unexpected. Never under any circumstance include a quote that says, “I am excited to announce blah, blah, blah.” You can do better.

What tips would you add to this list?

At Greteman Group, we don’t really need an excuse to dress up and have a good time. So we’re all pretty big fans of a holiday that encourages such behavior.

This year, for Halloween, we decided to split up into three teams – designers, account strategists and support – for a costume battle royale.

And now, we turn to you, our faithful, dedicated, beautiful readers, to help us decide which team will win the inaugural GG Costume Contest.

So take a look at the photos and then vote on your favorite.

Designers – Dia de los Muertos

Support Team – Sickos

Account Strategists – Design Envy

Painting by David Friday

Be sure to click the thumbnails for a larger view of the images.

Elly Fitzig and David Friday at Commerce Street Gallery
Candy colors and expressive marks unite the works by these artists, so expect a really fun show by two of Wichita’s nicest people.

Commerce Gallery at the Go Away Garage
508 S. Commerce
7:00-10:00 p.m.
Visit the Go Away Garage website.

"The Multidimensional Deconstruction of Meditator" by Victor Rose

Victor Rose at Riney Fine Arts
Victor’s work is as intellectually challenging as it is soulful. As he describes it, his new works have “figures and objects that are abstracted into completely flat shapes, then presented in a raised but flat sculptural relief and also painted in a different position than the relief.” If that’s not entirely clear, just know that the work will play with your eyes and your mind – in a good way!

Riney Fine Arts Center Gallery
Friends University
2100 W. University
5:00-7:30 p.m.

Painting by Curt Clonts

Curt Clonts at Diver Studio
Curt has been keeping busy, and will be showing almost 50 new works on paper, paintings and sculpture. According to the artist himself, “you will find MUCH color, happiness, edginess and humor in these new works.”

Diver Studio
424 S. Commerce
7:00-11:00 p.m.
Visit the Diver Studio website.

Which shows are you treating yourself to this month?

Farmer Shelley gets ready to pick some carrots for her trick-or-treaters.

I do a pretty good job controlling my obsession with sweets, but this time each year – with Halloween just around the corner and the holidays quickly approaching – I find it’s difficult to escape the temptations around us. And it never fails that I’ll end up with a bowl full of Halloween snacks that didn’t get handed out. I’m trying to hold fast to the mantra of moderation when it comes to enjoying these holiday sweets. If not, I’ll at least be partaking in options from this list of healthier food choices for trick-or-treaters. Most of these options can be purchased in large quantities at any store.

• Dark chocolate
• Mini-pretzel packs
• Cheese/peanut butter and cracker packages
• Trail mix
• Yogurt-covered raisins
• Mixed nuts
• Mini-bags of popcorn (unpopped)
• Dried fruit
• Fruit cups

What are your favorite healthier Halloween options?

What started out as an unsure group of 14 students has turned into an evolutionary student-led company, never-failing recruitment tool and an ample amount of networking. Being able to be joint-CEO of the Barton International Group at Wichita State University has allowed me to partake in all of these outcomes, but any member you ask won’t say it was a cake walk to get to them.

Everyone understood going in that we would be forming, storming, norming and hopefully performing at high levels as a team. We held Wichita State’s Barton School of Business and its faculty’s reputation in our hands. We were faced with providing real results, or receiving real consequences.

And the Pace Quickens
After our success with working with Spirit AeroSystems at its new Malaysian plant last summer, the idea of the Barton International Group took off. Students showed interest and faculty members offered help. As we have started our second year of the program, we have a senior associate team (made up of 12 of last year’s members) as well as the new associates which encompass 17 fresh faces.

Just like a real company, promotions, demotions and firings are all realistic options. Each member understands this concept and works hard to form ideas, delegate instruction and create satisfactory results for the betterment of the Barton International Group. A little overboard? We like to think not. We know this is just a prelude for the expectations of our future employers.

What has been your most valued learning experience?

Traffic was steady at Bombardier’s static display. Part of the draw: two new Learjet 60XR Signature Series aircraft (produced in Wichita). Both offer large-cabin-concepts in a midsize jet.

Just before this year’s NBAA convention in Orlando – the industry’s 62nd – the Wall Street Journal ran the article “As Aviation Jobs Take Off, Wichita Frets Its Future.” In it Peter Sanders reported that aviation-manufacturing jobs lost during this downturn probably will not return to Wichita, rather future growth will happen abroad.

Locally, there’s a big push to get President Obama to Wichita – and to have him voice support for business aviation, an industry that contributes more than $150 billion annually to the U.S. economy. We hope Obama comes and tours our manufacturing plants. We’ve worked hard to become the Air Capital of the World. It’s a mantle we must retain.

Feeling Wichita’s Presence
Touring the still-mammoth convention center and its 1,000-plus exhibitors and the 100-aircraft-strong static display, we saw Wichita everywhere. In addition to the manufacturers – Bombardier Learjet, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft – there were many other familiar players: FlightSafety International (which operates five of its 40 learning centers here), Signature Flight Support (at Mid-Continent Airport since 2008), Dallas Airmotive (which just opened a facility here in April ‘09) and too many allied businesses to name.

Signature Flight Support’s poolside party drew post-show attendees by the hundreds. Junkanoo entertainers kept the mood festive. No long faces here.

The industry hasn’t begun a full-fledged rebound yet. But it will. And when it does, Wichita will be ready.

What do you see as Wichita’s biggest asset in retaining the aviation crown?

Blondie, "Autoamerican," 1980

Early in my career, design was all about being cool and trendy. The latest Blondie album cover inspired by her platinum persona. Punked out and plaid Viviane Westwood, designer to the infamous Sex Pistols. I knew design had power, but didn’t realize how much.

Architecture has the ability to shelter you from the elements, to meet your basic human needs. But design can inspire you to vote. To join a cause. To change the world.

After a couple of decades in the business, I realize design isn’t about stunning imagery or hip colors (although both certainly help). It gives you the ability to connect. To tell stories. To understand others. It breaks down complicated ideas into simple, understandable bites of information that inspire action. Design at its best promotes new ways of seeing, learning and engaging.

Design Starts With Asking the Right Questions
When you walk through our door, the questions begin. What is your brand essence? What do you own that no one else can claim? Who are we talking to? What motivates them to action? How do we launch stories straight into their heart? What sticks and won’t let go? What questions have we not asked?

Good design demands being insatiably curious, part Sherlock Holmes investigating, probing, part Indiana Jones exploring, taking risks. Design requires thinking. Turning things upside down, inside out.

Nothing less will mine that evasive, golden nugget of truth.

What do you think? When was the last time great design made you think?

For a change of pace, Paul Bowen’s Flying magazine cover story from the September issue is entertaining, inspiring and educational.*

Click here to read it online.

*And yes, this is a shameless plug for my dad. He always seems to be bragging on me, so I take the opportunity to do the same whenever I can.

I first discovered Dia de los Muertos when I became fascinated with the art and life of Frida Kahlo. I visited her home in Coyoacán, Mexico and viewed her massive collection of the large skeleton puppets and figurines of Catrina (the Lady of the Dead with the large brim hat). I was not only attracted to the colorful, bizarre artistic expression but was captivated by the devotion given to the dead. I’ve since been accumulating these quirky hand-painted skulls, called calaveras.

Honoring Departed Loved Ones
In Mexico, plans for this special day are made throughout the year. People collect photos and memorabilia. They cook favorite foods to offer to the deceased. From November 1 to 2, they build altars and decorate with bright-orange marigolds, thought to attract souls. Families gather, tell stories and share anecdotes about the deceased. They wear their clothing. Have picnics at the grave site. Light scores of candles. They even stock the altar with their loved ones’ favorite tequila. In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors children and infants, while November 2 is devoted to deceased adults. It’s the Mexican version of Halloween – without the commercialism and with a profound respect and reverence for dead.

We throw our Greteman Group version of Day of the Dead in the form of an authentic Mexican potluck. The feast, remarkable in its variety and creativity, is amazing; from moles (sauces) and sugar skulls to every kind of pepper dish and not to-be-be-forgotten guacamole. Our chefs rise to the challenge. They’ve learned a profound truth. By taking time to acknowledge and celebrate those who have gone before us, we live more fully.

What’s your favorite tradition that helps you keep your memories alive?