Acrylic is a clear plastic that resembles glass. It also has properties that make it superior to glass in some applications. Common brands of high-grade acrylic include Polycast, Lucite and Plexiglass.
There are two basic types of acrylic: extruded and cell cast. Extruded or “continuous cast” acrylic is softer, more easily scratched and the cheaper castings often contain impurities. Cell cast acrylic is the higher quality variation. This process yields greater consistency and can produce a sheet that is ten times stronger than glass at half the weight!
Acrylic is the material of choice for shower doors, bath enclosures, windows and skylights. It is many times stronger than glass, making it far more impact resistant. It also insulates better than glass. Acrylic can also be sawed, whereas glass must be scored.
Thick glass will have a green tint, while acrylic remains clear with a transparency rate of 93%. Acrylic is easily shaped as with bow-front aquariums. Chemical welding at the molecular level “melts” any seams into one piece of solid material. Seams that are welded and polished become invisible.
Though previous generations of plastic will yellow, turn brittle and crack over time, acrylics remain clear and durable. There is ample evidence of this claim including evaluations of WWII fighter planes that featured acrylic bubble-tops. Modern airplane windows are also acrylic. With reasonable care, acrylic will remain new looking regardless of age or exposure to sun. Although acrylic scratches more easily, unlike glass, scratches are easily buffed out.
Acrylic that is exposed to a direct flame will melt. Its performance under various conditions is predictable for any given formula. Extensive testing has been conducted on the question of flame resistance and, though acrylic will eventually burn, there are formulations that are actually used as flame retardant coatings.
Acrylic just over one inch thick (32mm) is bullet resistant. Many window enclosures feature bullet-resistant acrylic. Examples include the the Presidential motorcade, the booth-vehicle known as the Pope Mobile, bank teller stations and drive-throughs.

More investors acting on faith
Faith in the investment markets is taking on a whole new meaning as religious funds and advisers are attracting money like never before. As religion enters more and more cultural touch points, from novels to films to politics, it’s rather logical that it would enter the world of finance in a similar way — and by that I mean big!
marketwatch.com

AMERICA’S STRUGGLE OVER VALUES
The most striking findings are: 1) a majority of Americans across the board (74 percent) believes that America has suffered a moral decline in the past 20 years; and 2) a majority (64 percent) believes that the news and entertainment media are a major influence in that decline.
fredericksburg.com

Religion rocks…
…When pride in religion comes minus any prejudice against other faiths
Check Our Sources

Next generation embraces traditional values
A new, unprecedented ethnic-mix of youths in California yearn for the traditional values of family, safe neighborhoods and religion, according to a poll.
contracostatimes.com

The religion of money
Yuppies, you’re also fanatics, slaves to money and status. You despise people who have chosen to live modestly for reasons of ideology.
ynetnews.com

Hispanic values detailed in poll
U.S. Hispanics view religious and political life as intertwined, often worship in ethnic congregations and embrace a spirit-filled, charismatic style of Christianity, a new survey says.
stltoday.com

The light bulb, the symbol of bright ideas, doesn’t look like such a great idea anymore, as lawmakers in the U.S. and abroad are talking about banning the century-old technology because of its contribution to global warming.
Established players in the lighting industry and a host of startups are now grooming LEDs to take on the reigning champion of residential lighting, the familiar pear-shaped incandescent light bulb.
Point Source

How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions.

Steaming video or audio of an hour with Amy Goodman and John Perkins, a former respected member of the international banking community. In his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man he describes how as a highly paid professional, he helped the U.S. cheat poor countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars by lending them more money than they could possibly repay and then taking over their economies.

www.democracynow.org

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In the past few weeks, the USDA has once again attempted to weaken the federal organics standards that so many Americans have worked hard to enshrine into federal law. These changes would have allowed food labeled as “USDA Organic” to contain hormones and antibiotics in dairy cattle, pesticides on produce and potentially contaminated fishmeal as feed for livestock. As happened with a number of other outrageous recent USDA actions, citizens groups and the organic food industry rallied in opposition, and were successful in reversing the proposed changes.

The newest round of protests against such changes reminds us of the more than 200,000 letters Americans sent to the USDA back in 1997/98 pleading with the agency to not allow toxic sludge, irradiated food, and GMOs to be included in a list of allowable food growing practices for the then-new federal organic food regulations. The USDA backed down then as well, in the face of the outpouring of public opinion. It seems we have won again. Or have we?

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