Feature: An NUFN Success Story

This woman was found on a city bus by an NUFN member:

She has a tattoo on her left eye! And it's a nickel! Our scientists have attempted to reconstruct what the world looks like to this woman:

We told her the truth about nickels, and she began to panic. How could she have been so blind‽ She joined the NUFN right away.

She now keeps her eye coated in a thick layer of mustard:

The NUFN: changing lives, one eye at a time. Φ

Feature: Nickels Restaurant and Nickelback

You might recall that we have something against Nickels Bar and Grill (owned by Celine Dion). Paul H, a long time contributor, has informed us that the "Nickels restaurant near the Gloucester Centre has closed." Thanks you, Paul H.

The March 2009 NUFN Member Survey contained many questions about Nickels Bar and Grill. To the question "When you think about Nickels Bar and Grill, what emotion do you feel?" 22% of respondents answered "Anger" and 78% answered "Outrage."

Needless to say, the NUFN has also had a strained relationship with the band Nickelback. We've always interpreted their name as meaning "bring the nickel back."

Brandon V brought the following Ottawa Citizen article to our attention. It looks like we're not the only ones with a Nickelback problem.

Feature: Help the NUFN!

We have some exciting news for you. Preliminary lab tests seem to indicate that mustard may not be the only way of neutralizing nickels! The three strategies listed below also show promising results.

The NUFN needs your help! This summer, try one (or more) of the three strategies below, and tell us whether or not it neutralized the nickel. Send us pictures if you want, and we'll feature them on the website.

Option 1: The Shoe

Intructions: Attach a nickel to the bottom of your shoe and walk on it for at least 24 hours. This action should neutralize the nickel.

Option 2: The Beard

Intructions: Grow a beard (or wear a beard-like hat). This has been found to give the beard wearer immunity to nickels' harmful effects.

Option 3: The Nail Polish

Intructions: Paint your nails with gold nail polish. This should make you immune to nickels.

Send your findings to nufn.canada@gmail.com.

Remember to always have mustard handy when you're testing out these new strategies. Be safe this summer!

Feature: A Question from a Member

Dear NUFN,

French's® has just come out with a new "dipping sauce." My question to the NUFN: Is the French's® Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce a valid substitute for normal mustard? I, along with many others, want to be sure that this new "dipping sauce" has the elements musterium and mustrite in adequate amounts to effectively neutralize the effects of any said nickel. Thank you for your understanding Φ.

-- Conrad M

Dear Conrad M,

Thanks for your question. We recently tested French's® new honey mustard dipping sauce. It does contain musterium and mustrite (the two elements necessary to neutralize nickels), but it contains them in much smaller amounts than standard mustard. Hence, you require 10 times more French's® Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce than standard mustard to neutralize the same nickel. In short, if you're going to use French's® Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, use a lot!

Sincerely,
NUFN

STAY ALIVE
DITCH THE FIVE

Feature: New, Fresh, but Safe Day 2010

New, Fresh, but Safe Day 2010 (NFBS 2010) is coming up fast. If you're a new NUFN member and have never heard of New, Fresh, but Safe Day, here's a short explanation:

New, Fresh, but Safe Day (held annually on June 22) is the NUFN's only official holiday. We take this day to celebrate all the new, fresh, but safe things around us-fruits, for example. Also, this day marks the founding of the NUFN: June 22, 2006.

Tell the world you're celebrating NUFN's New, Fresh, but Safe Day by attending our event on Facebook.
(Please note that we're not actually holding a specific event. Selecting "Attending" on Facebook just means you're celebrating New, Fresh, but Safe Day!)

Stay tuned for more New, Fresh, but Safe Day details in the weeks to come.

Feature: Saint Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all our members!

Feature: This Baby's Nickel-free

Here's a picture of our youngest member sporting his NUFN Bib.

Thank you to Heather S for sending us this photo.

Feature: Year-End Report

2009 was a great year for the NUFN; thanks for being a part of it! We've gained about 70 members this year. With the help of many members, we produced three "award-winning" videos. This is also the year the NUFN Secret Handshake was released. And who could forget the NUFN Emoticon?

During 2009, the number of visitors to the NUFN website more than doubled (from about 1000 in 2007 and 2008 to about 2000 in 2009).

Stay tuned for more NUFN in 2010.

Feature: A Xmas Message and a Special Gift

As you visit your family this holiday season, be sure to tell them the truth about nickels. And watch out when you're at other's homes-they might not have mustard readily available in a nickel-related emergency.

Also, we have a special Christmas gift for all our members who use the Firefox web browser. It's an NUFN Firefox theme-cool!

Here's how you get it:

1. Make sure you use Firefox.
2. Download the Personas add-on. (Quick and easy).
3. Visit this link and click on "Wear this Persona."

Merry Christmas!

Feature: Member Does Her Speech on NUFN

One of our members, Valérie C, decided to do her speech on the NUFN. She informed her classmates about the dangers of nickels. What was her mark? She got an A+!

We'd like to congratulate Valérie C on her excellent mark and thank her for supporting the NUFN.

Feature: New Items at NUFN Store

Check out the new items now available at the NUFN Store! We now offer a Sigg water bottle, a keepsake box, and a throw pillow.

Feature: NUFN Fall Survey Results

Below are the results of the NUFN Fall Survey. We had some interesting findings.

How often do you visit the NUFN website?

Once a day - 64%
Twice a day - 11%
More than twice a day - 25%

How would you rate the NUFN website?

1 - Really Great - 11%
2 - 0%
3 - 0%
4 - 0%
5 - 6%
6 - 3%
7 - 3%
8 - 14%
9 - 22%
10 - Amazing - 42%

Have you watched the most recent NUFN video, "Three NUFN Raps?"

Yes - 58%
I'm about to! - 42%

How often do you perform the NUFN handshake?

Once a day - 44%
2-5 times a day - 19%
More than 5 times a day - 36%

How much mustard do you have in your fridge?

3 bottles - 47%
More than 3 bottles - 53%

Sex

Female - 33%
Male - 67%

Age

10 and under - 8%
11-13 years - 0%
14-16 years - 28%
17-20 years - 39%
21-30 years - 3%
31-40 years - 3%
41-50 years - 0%
50-113 years - 6%
Over 113 years - 14%

Where do you live?

Ottawa, ON - 58%
Montreal, QC - 8%
Waterloo, ON - 8%
Guelph, ON - 3%
British Columbia - 3%
New Zealand - 0%
United Kingdom - 0%
Germany - 0%
Other - Extraterrestrial - 14%
Other - Terrestrial - 6%

How long have you been a member?

Less than 6 months - 22%
6 months to a year - 22%
Over a year to 2 years - 19%
Over 2 years to 3 years - 14%
Over 3 years - 11%
I'm not a member - 11%

Comments

"Great website. It has kept me from relapsing into using nickels."

"YAY! :)"

"i wish i could be newer, fresher and safer."

"I want NUFN to do with nickels."

"I've been slowly spreading the word around my residence in university about the dangers of nickels. And a little bit of resetting the home page on the staff computer at camp IAWAH may help in our recruiting. As in the wise words of Dr. Seuss: How I love green eggs and ham! I do, I do oh Sam I am! I will eat them with a pickle, but I still won't eat them for a nickel."

"The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false."

"I always keep multiple varieties of mustard in my fridge. It is both delicious AND effective!"

"NO USE FOR NICKELS!"

"Best survey ever!!"

"Nickel-free for 6 months and counting!"

"Stay nickel-free; that's the way to be!"

"I love all these options...! Very funny."

"...do I really have to make a comment? uhm, ok! I will. There :)."

":):)."

"i hate nickels."

"The NUFN has changed my life. FOREVER! Thank you NUFN!"

"i think NUFN should be integrated into the elementary school curriculum... if kids learn young they will be accustomed to this way of life before being corrupted by peer pressure in secondary and post secondary education. together we can be the peer pressure Φ."

"all-knowing, omniscient, perspicacious, sagacious, sapient, owlish, sapiential, sage, informed. that's how i feel when i receive an email from the NUFN."

"You guys make my day."

"i haven't used a nickel in almost a year."

"Nice website.
Stay alive-ditch the five.
Stare vivo-il fassato il cinque."

"funny guys."

"Throwing nickels in the garbage will only work at sporting events, where mustard is guaranteed to be there. McDonalds has no condiments guard."

"i am a huge NUFN fan!!! :P"

"I would rather eat a container of pablum than deal with nickels."

"NUFN ROCKS :D"

"Generic sentence of praise."

"Stay alive, ditch the five."

"Everywhere I turn, I hear complaining, reams of complaints as people complain about being "nickled and dimed". Thank you for taking the battle to the streets, and pointing out the dangers of being so flippant with the N word.
May your days be filled with sunshine, lined with happiness, and free of nickels."

Feature: NUFN Emoticon in Action

Some of our members have already started to use the new NUFN Emoticon in Facebook posts. Check out a few examples below:

You can use it too: Φ or .

Feature: New NUFN Emoticons

Have you ever wished you could express your feelings about nickels without so much typing? We've come up with a solution!

Introducing...

• ...the NUFN emoticon (image version): and
• ...the NUFN emoticon (text version): Φ.

Now, instead of typing, "I don't use nickels," just send "."

This emoticon is great for MSN Messenger and similar programs, but what about services that don't allow image emoticons, like Facebook? The solution: just use the text version of our emoticon: Φ. Copy and paste it into your wall posts!

Feature: Back to School with the NUFN

Many of you are returning (or have just returned) to school. School can be fun, but you are often faced with difficult choices. Peer pressure can be a powerful force, especially when it comes to being nickel-free.

Here are just a few easy ways to keep the nickel-free spirit going during the year:

• Don'’t use nickels in the vending machines or in the cafeteria.
• Start a nickel-free support group at your high school, CEGEP, college or university.
• Tell your teachers or professors about your views on nickels in your assignments. Perhaps you could do a science project on the effects of nickels. Even a short paper will do.

We wish all our members a successful, nickel-free school year!

Feature: New Video: "Three NUFN Raps"

Check out the latest NUFN video put together by some of our Quebec members: "Three NUFN Raps."

Feature: Secret NUFN Handshake

It's finally here: the NUFN secret handshake. We thought New, Fresh, but Safe Day was the perfect opportunity to release it.

Learn the secret handshake this July, practise it with your friends, and be ready to be tested in August!

Step 1

Start by engaging in a normal handshake with your right hand.

Step 2

Next, one of you offers your left hand and says, "Stay alive."

Step 3

If the second person accepts the left hand and says, "Ditch the five," you have successfully completed the handshake and can be assured you are both members of the NUFN.

Step 3 (If left hand is rejected...)

If the second person does not accept the left hand and says something like, "What are you doing?" quickly point at his or her shirt and say, "That's a nice shirt you have." Disengage from the handshake, for this person is not a NUFN member.

Feature: A Letter to Graduates

Many of you, our 180 members, are graduating from high school this year. Some of you are moving for work, university or college.

Just remember, though, whether you live in Ottawa, Windsor, Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Kingston, Vancouver, London or Montreal, you are still a member of the No Use For Nickels Organization.

Over the past four years, the NUFN has grown and flourished because of the work you have done. We now claim members originating from all backgrounds as young as eight weeks and as old as 82 years. We have both male and female members in grade five, eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. We also have members attending universities across the country. We've gained many of our members by word-of-mouth. You have been that mouth.

Some of you have refused nickels in your change, and some of you have told your family and friends (even strangers) the truth about nickels. Some of you participated in our contests, and some of you were in this year’s video, "Are You Nickel Free?"

Next year, in your post-secondary or workplace environments, remember to tell your new friends about the dangers of nickels. Remember to support them in their journey toward a nickel-free lifestyle.

Thanks again for supporting us these past years, and know that you should be proud of the work you have done in support of the NUFN. And keep in mind, whenever you need some support, the NUFN is just a click away!

And of course,
STAY ALIVE
DITCH THE FIVE

Feature: New, Fresh, but Safe Day 2009

New, Fresh, but Safe Day (held annually on June 22) is the NUFN’s only official holiday. We take this day to celebrate all the new, fresh, but safe things around us—fruits for example.

Also, this day marks the founding of the NUFN: June 22, 2006.

In previous years, we’ve been sure to mark the day with general awards (2007) as well as random nickel checks of members (2008). Stay tuned for this year’s special event.

Happy New, Fresh, but Safe Day, everyone!