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Thursday, October 15, 2009

new times are afoot

This place will get a jolt back to life soon, with more cooking. Because cookery, I've recently found, produces upon my face a grin bigger than the Cheshire Cat's.

Until then, here are some photos of TASTY SWEETS I MADE. NOM NOM NOM NOM.

Also check out the project I started with five friends: COOKING FROM 1,000 VEGAN RECIPES (a massive cookbook by Robin Robertson.)


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Senna (Film Review)

The race weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was one of the blackest race weekends in the history of Formula One.  The weekend started to go wrong when Rubens Barrichello’s Jordan took off over a kerb, violently smashing into the top of a tyre wall.  Incredibly, Barrichello suffered only minor injuries, despite his car being destroyed and rolling over.  But if that was a lucky escape, others would not be so fortunate.  The following day, Austrian driver Roland Ratzenburger suffered fatal injuries in a high speed crash during qualifying.  The race weekend continued, but even from the start, accidents continued.  J.J. Lehto stalled his engine at the start of the race, and fellow driver Pedro Lamy was unable to avoid driving into the back of him, sending car parts and tyres flying, and resulting in several fans being injured.  Later in the race, a tyre came loose from a Minardi car in the pit lane, injuring four mechanics.

But earlier in the race, a devastating crash changed Formula One forever.  Ayrton Senna, driving for the Williams team, crashed off the track at the high speed (190mph) Tamburello corner.  The race was red flagged as medical staff and race marshals rushed to the scene.  Senna had suffered fatal injuries to his head.

Formula One had lost one of its greatest competitors, aged just 34.

Asif Kapadia’s strong documentary begins as Senna joins the Toleman team for the 1984 season.  A memorable performance at that year’s Monaco GP marked him out as a real talent (he finished 2nd behind Alain Prost, who was in a much better car), and he joined the more competitive Lotus team for the 1985 season.  Over three seasons, Senna won 6 races, before joining the McLaren team for the 1988 season.

It was at McLaren that Senna’s career would really take off.  Alain Prost was McLaren’s star man, having won two of the previous three World Championships, and although he and Senna were regarded as the two best drivers in the sport, their relationship became strained as they battled it at the top of the standings.  The film is unashamedly pro-Senna, and portrays Prost as somewhat of a pantomime villain, as he questions Senna’s motivations and beliefs, and is shown flirting with Selina Scott during a chat show interview.

During his time at McLaren, Senna became angered by politics in F1 and believed he was being unfairly treated.  And it certainly seemed as though FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre favoured his fellow countryman Prost over Senna as the Brazilian was harshly disqualified from the Japanese Grand Prix in the 1989 season, which allowed Prost to become World Champion.  Prost left McLaren for rivals Ferrari in 1990, and the pair again fought it out for the World Championship.

Senna won his third and final World Championship in 1991.  At the end of the 1993 season, he left McLaren to join the Williams team for the 1994 campaign.

The film ends at that year’s fateful San Marino Grand Prix.  Formula One owner Bernie Eccleston opened up the vaults to allow Kapadia to pick and choose from hundreds of hours of footage and the coverage he uses of that race weekend is as tense and dramatic and unsettling as any fictional story could ever be.  Senna is shown watching footage of the Barrichello and Ratzenburger crashes and is visibly unsettled and disturbed.  His friend and F1 doctor Sid Watkins tells him he should retire instead of race, but Senna refuses and starts an F1 race for the final time.

Asif Kapadia’s is a wonderful tribute to the man still regarded as one of Formula One’s greatest ever and is enthralling for F1 fans.  It shows the passion Senna had for racing, but also for life, and what he meant to Brazil, a nation united behind one man at the pinnacle of sporting achievement.  But it will also appeal to those who have little time for the seemingly more predictable and unexciting modern day racing, and perhaps re-ignite a passion for the sport for those that have lost it.

Vulture Hound is now available to follow on Twitter ( and friend Facebook (

  • My interest in sport in general is very limited and when it comes to Formula 1 my ignorance is even greater. And yet I was completely taken by this film… mainly because it’s not just about car racing: there’s so much more to it. It’s about determinations, politics, corruption, human emotions!.
    This is film-making at its best. Great storytelling!
    I would recommend it to anyone!!
    My review:

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Sea of Bees - Gone

Sea of Bees – Gone

Julie Ann Baenziger is a young 25 year old singer and songwriter from Sacramento, California. Her voice is renowned for being high and sweet and almost angel like. However her music is dark and almost strange and she is mysterious. She taught herself to sing after being inspired by a singer in church and after moving away from home at 23, she played one-finger bass in a band. She was spotted practising one day by studio owner John Baccigaluppi who instantly saw the talent she had. She then went on to learn to play a variety of different musical instruments and began writing also. Julie Ann is now better known as the ‘Sea of Bees’ and she had her debut album ‘Songs for the Ravens’ released in 2010. ‘Songs for Ravens’ really set the ball moving for ‘Sea of Bees’ a unique country style theme mixed with some indie pop and catchy songs.

Sea of Bees now has a new single out ‘Gone’ will be released on the 5th November and is from her newest album ‘Orangefarben’ which was released earlier this year through Heavenly Recordings. The single showcases Julie Ann Baenziger’s amazing talent yet again, with this beautiful emotive uplifting song. ‘Gone’ is simply stunning and at the same time is catchy and infectious. The release of ‘Gone’ will be followed by the Sea of Bees tour, starting on the 6th November in Leeds and ending in Union Chapel in London on the 19th November. Its her biggest UK tour yet, and is not to be missed.

If you like the idea of Nancy Sinatra mixed with Ellie Goulding then download and listen to ‘Gone’ now from iTunes.

Jade Vallely


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Daughtry – Birmingham 02 Academy (Live Review)

24th March, Birmingham 02 Academy. For a first timer- this venue appears like an ugly industrial building from the outside, but inside? For a rock venue, or any music venue for that matter, it’s lush! Carpeted floors, instead of vinyl sticky stuff that will sucker your shoes off. Food stalls, a super long bar, that you actually have a chance to get at, and even comfy seats in the back for the more laid back gig-er. Bravo Birmingham 02 Academy. Bravo.

The huge stage is set, ready and awaiting the nights support act, special guests and England’s own: Charming Liars.

Charming Liars are 5 guys from London, who gambled their lives on this band. In 2011 they quit uni, and their jobs, to focus full time on the band, they moved to California in a big ambitious leap, trying their luck over the pond. In 2013 the hard work paid off, with a debut album completed, having worked with Bob Rock and John Fields, major players in the rock industry.

With an album due to drop, the guys come out with a point to prove. Having never heard their tunes before, listeners will be pleasantly surprised. With these five pretty-boys taking the stage, and a crowd full of young girls, expectation = some serious Pop tunes blasting our way. But that was wrong. Their sound is Rock, lyrical and well sung. Undeniably, Rock with a Pop edge, but Rock non the less. When you hear “pretty-boys” that comes with a negative connotation, but when they’re Rocky and Pretty? Well that’s just perfection! Their sound is emotional and poignant, polished yet raw, especially love the gravelly vocals from front man Charlie. Check them out now at www.charmingliars.com

This is not the most Pop show you could attend, by far, but for so called ‘Rock Music’, this is as Pop as it gets. There were banners, screamers, and criers. People buying shirts, and putting them straight on, no matter what they were wearing underneath. When Daughtry were on stage, the crowd were all in. As Chris- vocalist/frontman who came to fame through American Idol- opened his mouth to talk, a collective breath was drawn in anticipation. Through hundreds of gigs, you’d struggle to find another audience so happily placed in the palm of a musician’s hand. Chris needn’t be there- the crowd knew the songs, every word, every nuance. But if Chris wasn’t there? Neither would the audience be. The rest of the guys are stand ins, they’re irrelevant. Skilled musicians, yes, but important to the sound, the crowd, or the feel? No. It’s all about Chris. Everything is about Chris. His voice, his tattoos, his muscles…sorry sidetracked.. He’s a really talented singer, super talented, a true rock voice. But the new album, on reflection, is lacking in something and that was noticeable live.

Having enjoyed the night, but had enough, we left before Daughtry finished their set.


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Monday, April 27, 2009

Week 17 - Got My Weekend!

Well, I final got my weekend at home and it was wonderful! I’d had a pretty normal week for me – busy, busy, busy. I knitted at the library Monday night (I’ve started socks on a size 1 needle – eek, that’s small!), water aerobics Tuesday, started my gardening at home finally Wednesday evening, water aerobics again Thursday and then I decided to skip Book Club at the Library because it was the most inane book ever and I couldn’t imagine having an intelligent conversation about it. Add to this a couple of pretty stressful days at work Thursday and Friday and I was almost ready for my weekend.

All this led up to Spring Affair on Friday, which is a fund raiser/plant sale that I volunteer for every year and it’s one of my very favorite things to do in life. I was a plant informant and was working the Friday night pre-sale dinner for the first time ever. It meant a 4.5 hour shift, completely on my feet after a long week at work. I was a bit concerned with how my knee would hold up (it was fine) but was ready for it. All went well and I met some interesting people that I got to interact with, as opposed to the usual mob scene situation of a Saturday shift. I even met a Swedish woman, who was carrying an Ikea bag (that was what got us talking). After I helped her a few times during the sale, she came up and gave me an extra bag that she had with her. That was just the frosting on the cake of a wonderful night.

I got home ~9:30 and, tired but satisfied, ready for a shower and a long night of sleep, knowing I had no commitments for the entire weekend. Now you know that just didn’t work out, right? Since the weather warmed up, Pie (my feral adoption from UNL) stays out all day while I’m at work and is typically waiting for me on the front step when I get home ~7:00. Well I didn’t get home until 9:30, it was getting ready to storm and she was nowhere to be found. I called and called but she wasn’t coming in. I took my shower and went to bed to read, getting up several times to call her to no avail. I was more worried each time and I had all kinds of bad pictures running through my head. I finally fell asleep at 1:00, only to wake up at 4:00 and start calling her again. It appears I was an idiot to worry because as soon as the sun was up, she walked in the house like nothing was wrong. Rotten cat!

I had not planned to start my first weekend at home alone in 6 weeks sleep deprived. Oh well. I went back to bed and slept for a couple of hours before the phone started ringing and woke me up. I fell back asleep after the first call but the 2nd one got me up. I’d totaled about 6 hours, so with the help of fully caffeinated coffee (I usually drink quarter caff0), I was able to gather the energy to have a pretty productive day. I got most of my chores done and made a nice dinner Saturday, leaving me Sunday to enjoy. I watched a couple of movies, made a big dent in my sock (I’m having trouble with the wrap and turn and had to rip it out three times so will ask for assistance from my knitting buds Monday night) and cooked up a storm. So, it ended up a nice weekend after all – everything I’d hoped for actually – so I’m ready for another busy week. Life is good!

1 comment:

  1. When I read your post I thought two things...
    One, you do way too much for my energy level. Girl, where do you get all that get up and go?
    Two, cats think they own us. It is so funny when we are all upset and they are so nonchalant about it. They are definitely rotten.


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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Week 30 - Just Saying No!

This week was all about saying No! It seemed like every time I turned around, I was nixing something. It all worked out for the best in the end though.

It started Monday morning, when I was feeling foggy headed and was struggling to get moving. The final straw was driving in listening to the book for book club on Thursday – River of Doubt. It was a non-fiction account of Theodore Roosevelt’s trip in the Amazon and it just went on and on. I was halfway through the book and they’d just hit the river. Done! I couldn’t stand another second of the blather and knew dismal stuff was coming so called it good. Life is too short to read/listen to bad books. From there, the day got better and I was in a good mood by the time I left knitting. But when I approached my house, there was a dead, orange kitten in the road in front of my house. Not having a clue whose it was and not finding any neighbor who knew, I buried him in my backyard for lack of a better solution. I didn’t let it ruin my good mood though and continued in that vein, deciding not to worry about staying up late to clear surfaces for the cleaning lady. I got on facebook and told her to just do the floors and bathrooms because I wasn’t going to stress about the rest. Another No that worked for me.

On Tuesday morning, I took one look at the weather forecast and decided it was time for yet another No! I had made plans to go to a movie with my friend Nancy after work on Wednesday but the weather was going to be gorgeous again and I could not face the idea of being stuck inside on such a nice evening on the only day in the week I can go right home. I called Nancy and postponed until the following Wednesday, which meant I could ditch work a bit early and get 2 hours of gardening in before dinner. I reclaimed the rest of my veg beds and the berries. When I went in to shower just before 7:00, I felt great for the progress I made. Yet another No working in my favor.

Thursday was yet another full day – from work to the pool to book club, getting home after 8:00. But the next day was Friday so it was all good. The first closing meeting was at 10:00 so I prepped for that first thing, had a delicious lunch with Layton at McFarland’s and then met Darla at Menard’s after work. I needed an under the bed box to get my gift wrap in order, which was the first step in reclaiming the floor of my laundry room. I failed to find one at Menard’s but did get one at the next store so headed home confident in my plans to stay in and be productive all weekend.

It was hotter than blazes so I spent all weekend inside except for a brief run to the market on Sunday. By the end of the weekend, I had gone through all the wrapping stuff, reclaimed the laundry room, cleared the surfaces of my 3 problem areas (desk, bar and table) then went through all the paper. I also cooked/prepped a bunch of food for the week, including a big pot of veggie soup for my 600 calorie days. Lest you think there was no fun in there, I did make time to dye a bit of yarn for my swap and do some knitting between all the regular chores. I even skyed with my friend Eileen in Canada on Sunday morning. Progress is good!

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Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Retro Review: Virtuosity (1995)

Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch
Genre: Science Fiction Action
U.S Box Office Gross: over $24 million

Plot: A former cop who has been imprisoned for murdering the psychopath who killed his family, Parker Barnes is recruited to test out a new virtual reality program where the goal is to apprehend a computer-generated being called SID 6.7, who has been modelled on hundreds of deranged criminals. When SID manages to escape into the real world, Barnes must capture or destroy him before the soulless entity can go on a killing spree

'Not Even Denzel Or Russell Crowe Can Salvage This Derivative Action Thriller'

Virtuosity is a film that isn't as good as I thought it would be when I first saw it in my early 20s. There is a cheapness to it that really brings this movie down. Directed by the same person who did The Lawnmower Man - another film I didn't enjoy- I revisited it recently and saw that the complaints that people had towards it, were justified and merited.

The plot and story are strikingly reminiscent of that of 1993's Demolition Man, where cop John Spartan is thawed years later and criminal/killer Simon Phoenix is on the loose and Spartan has to recapture or be it apprehend him. This film takes bits of Demolition Man, Terminator 2 Judgement Day and Strange Days & practically weaves them in, but without much thought going into the characterisation and development of the narrative, properly.

Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe do well in their roles, but with Crowe especially, he came off too much like a Saturday Morning cartoon stock villain with very hammy, over-the-top, heavily exaggerated acting. His character annoyed me, greatly. The plot of Virtuosity is practically non-existent, whilst Washington's characterisation as Parker Barnes was under-developed, but I'd lay the blame squarely at the feet of the writer of this film. Supporting cast member, Kelly Lynch as the lone female/mother wasn't impressive either. The dialogue is pretty bad, all-round. The film has a very strange opening that again is played out like an episode of a kid's cartoon, with Denzel donning a horrible looking, futuristic cop outfit of blue leather (!). Thus far for me, he was my favourite thing about the whole picture and he injected some much-needed energy and sanity that this film needed. & still, it wasn't enough. The CGI special effects, whilst they were good back in the day of 1995, they still hold up today.

The story-line and the rest of the film exists for no other reason, but to show off the special effects.

It also unravels in a similar way to that of Terminator 2 where the T-1000 goes after the Terminator, Sarah and John Connor. Virtuosity is a C-grade version of Terminator 2 with a more annoying antagonist and blander chase sequences. What should have been a serious action-packed and suspenseful action thriller descends into a laughable - though not on purpose-, gimmicky and jokey offering. It appears the director succeeded unfortunately in making Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington looking silly and ridiculous; heck, he ought to have cast lesser known actors in their place instead.

Ricochet is a much better film, all-round than this offering as an action thriller - although given he has given impressive performances in the likes of Glory, Philadelphia, Malcolm X, The Pelican Brief, sometimes, it is a little baffling to see Denzel in a motion picture where his role is limited diminishing beneath under Virtuosity's effects.

Everything about Virtuosity, despite the leads, just smacks of low-grade C-grade, low budget sci-fi fare that is easily throwaway and disposable.

Final Verdict:

Denzel Washington was better in Ricochet than this poorly constructed sci-fi, action film; actually, both Russell Crowe & Denzel have starred in better movies than Virtuosity. This could've been a decent offering at least, but the director wasted no time turning it into a film, that could be easily mistaken as a terribly bad live-action Saturday morning cartoon, come to life.

I didn't find Virtuosity enjoyable and as enjoyable as I did in my 20's and in revisiting this movie, I could understand where the faults in this film lie.

Just as much as The Net rested on the laurels of Sandra Bullock, the same is true of that of Virtuosity for Denzel Washington - yet these comparisons come to an end as despite his efforts, it is still not a good movie. With somewhat dodgy CGI effects, non-existent plot, this film's execution comes off as being too corny and laughable to be ever taken seriously. And for a sci-fi action thriller, that is a no-no, as far I'm concerned.

Virtuosity is a derivative, run-of-the-mill action thriller, where for all of the action sequences and Denzel's admirable efforts, the rest of the entire film is utterly unmemorable and easily unadorned. Thus, making it not worth any one's time, - and that is really unfortunate.

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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Waiting... 3.0

A year ago I knew Waiting... needed updated and revised and re-thought out.  Little did I know the incredible growth this show would take on its journey to be birthed one more time.

Funny how inspiration hits you, and when it hits me, it hits me hard - to the core.

This past spring I rewrote the script (version 2.0) using the structure of the 2012 Workshop Production - sprucing up dialogue and thinking of new places for new songs and replacing songs that didn't work.  In April, at the wonderful table read we had an incredible array of professional Denver actors.  We heard the 2.0 show we had been rewriting for over 2 months.

Afterwards, even though the entire evening went well, I knew deep down in my gut that this show and these characters AND the actors who played these characters deserved better.

But I didn't know what to do.  So I sat in a creative funk for three weeks  - how could I spring new life into this show so full of possibility but seriously limited by an old paradigm that was a great beginning but very limiting?

Then one morning I was on the interweb looking at photos of beautiful graffiti.  Pictures that could be in a NYC art gallery but that were instead on the side of a freeway underpass wall.  And then I stumbled on an article about LA graffiti artists who were being charged with vandalism (I've always loved LA since I lived there for a bit in 2001).

Something clicked and in a split second I knew what I had to do:  change the locale of the show from a small college town to the metropolis of LA.  In that split second, a flood of possibilities came pouring in and expanded this show.

But the avalanche of ideas kept coming.  I started taking notes as fast as I could so I could get everything down.

Other major changes have transpired:  the show's main character, GG, became Latino.  His new back story:  Having been adopted by white parents (Prof and Grace) as a child, he is now in the middle of a serious personal and cultural identity crisis because of the lack of connection to his heritage, even though he is surrounded by it in LA.  His best friend, the character of Izzy, is now always a reminder to this disconnection because she has also now become Latina in the show.

And his art (graffiti) has taken on a more important role in the show.  It's the tool, or escape, he uses to find himself in the midst of all this confusion (like most artists).

Another change:  the character of Josie is now the character of Marcus, a love interest for GG and a thorn in Izzy's side.  A quasi-love triangle?

All these changes were the tip of the iceberg - or should I say - tip of the treasure chest sticking out of the ground.  Not only have aspects of the script and story majorly changed, but this chain reaction has affected the lyrics and music, too.  While the previous music was bland at best (my opinion - I always knew I could do better), the new musical vibe of the show begain to rise to the top:  A melting pot and cross pollination of West Coast Latin/Jazz/Pop - just like the amazing culture and ethnicities of the new city the show is now set in - LA, The City of Angels.

Speaking of angels, might there be an angel on my shoulder watching over me and this show?  I do believe so.  It's almost magical.  And very exciting to re-write because I believe in these characters and their stories even more.

They are now driving the bus.  The bus?  Another new part of Waiting...

Stay tuned.  The evolution of 3.0 continues.....

CASTING FOR Waiting...

Casting is currently underway for Waiting... A NEW MUSICAL - An Official Entry in The 2013 Boulder International Fringe Festival this September.

Auditioning for the following roles:

*PROF* GG's father and Grace's ex-husband. 36-45. He was a brilliant university chemistry professor. Grace's affair (they had been having problems right after they adopted GG) sent him over the edge. He couldn't deal with it. So he "medicated" himself with meth and pot. He is now homeless. Smart, witty, but under a drug induced fog. GG feels responsible for him but doesn't know how to help him. Prof feels guilty and can be passive-aggressive. GG calls him on his shit without going overboard. It's his way of showing his father that he loves him. BARITONE

*MARCUS* A masculine, confident, gay black guy, 25-35. He is putting himself through grad school to be a social worker by bartending at a local gay bar. He does it because he is attractive AND smart - he's using what he's got to make what he needs to survive. He's also taking care of his elderly grandmother who takes a lot of his time (and patience). So time is money in Marcus' world. He is attracted to GG because of his art and who he is. Marcus also supports himself by selling pot on the side. He gets GG involved because GG asks him to let him make some money to support his graffiti (paints/transportation). Plus he's entranced that someone so confident and attractive is giving him attention. BARITONE

Waiting... is the story of GG, a young Hispanic graffiti artist in the environs of the City of Angels, Los Angeles. Prof, Grace, Izzy, and Marcus are all "along for the ride" in this story about a week in the life of these Angelenos. A mix of latin/jazz/pop/rap music. It's about ALL the characters and their stories and the meshing of cultures we all experience in people, art, and music. Additionally, it's about the disconnection we feel as a society, even with people we know best, occupying space right along side us.

Waiting... is timely one-act musical with a cross-pollination of Latin | Jazz | Pop | Rock | Hip hop serving as a musical palette and canvas for its storytelling. With the city of Los Angeles mixed into the stew pot (almost like a sixth character), Waiting... is on its way. Rated R.

**Paid. Rehearsals begin at the end of August. Email resumes and headshots to michael (at) blankcanvasmusic (dot) com


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Tarot Thursdays Have Been on Hiatus

I’ve been feeling a bit guilty lately. I was off to a really good start with Tarot Thursdays, and then, they just fell off the map.

Hermit tarot card Walks Within ArtLoveLightThere’s a number of reasons – I went back to work full time. My goodness, that takes more energy than I would like to admit, especially because things weren’t, and still aren’t quite, fully resolved there.

Katana, our amazing artist, moved to Hawaii. She made the decision and moved within a month! She’s getting settled there, and we aren’t quite back to our routine yet.

And I just found out my thyroid levels were low again. That leads to very low energy, among other things. We’ve just increased my medication, so hopefully I will start feeling better soon.

Tarot Thursdays, or rather, the recent lack of them, have been on my mind, though. Each week I would think, maybe I’ll start it up again this week. And then it would be Friday again, and I’d be exhausted, and clearly, it didn’t happen.

This past weekend I did a lot of readings. We were up at Filomi Days in Port Hardy (at the northern end of Vancouver Island) on Saturday, and at the Pier Street Market in Campbell River on Sunday. My teacher taught me that when you see a card, or cards, come up over and over again in your readings, that is the message that the cards have for you.

Of course, when you do a lot of readings in a short span of time, the chances of seeing any particular card more than once are high. I’m talking about the card(s) that come up in several readings.

My messages this weekend were the Queen of Pentacles, the Knight of Pentacles, and the Hermit.

The Queen of Pentacles is the nurturer, the caregiver. She’s the one who has abundance, and makes sure that everyone has food to eat, and a roof over their head, and all of their needs taken care of. Sometimes she does this at her own expense. She may be the one who drops everything to help a friend or loved one. If she does this often enough, she’s eventually going to run out of energy. Who’s taking care of her?

The message I receive from this card is that I need to make sure I am taking time for myself and for self care. I have to practice sacred selfishness a little more often! So I had a chair massage at the Market yesterday, and my mom and I are having a spa day next week. I am really looking forward to that!

The Knight of Pentacles is the defender, the protector. While all of the other Knights tend to be the ones that rush into action, the Knight of Pentacles is the one that makes sure that the home front is protected. Whenever this card comes up, I think of the farmer or rancher walking the fences, making sure there are no holes, and that everything is safe.

The message I receive from this is to make sure I’ve put it place the items to protect what I have built. Perhaps it is time to update my will, clean up my bank accounts, make sure I’ve got a contingency fund, and get a health check up (I just saw the naturopath on Friday).

I’ve already written in depth about the Hermit. You can read that post here.

The message I receive from the Hermit is it’s time for me to do some work on my shadow side. I need to take the skeletons out of my closet and examine them. I need to look at those parts of myself that I’m not necessarily proud of. And then, I need to do something about them.

That something could be accepting myself as I am. It could be forgiving myself for past mistakes. It could be making some changes to fix some of the things I’m not happy about. Or it could (very likely) be a little of all of the above.

Regardless, I have some work to do. I’ll be in my own little world, taking care of myself, and doing some self examination.

Don’t expect another Tarot Thursday post just yet!

Tarot Thursday: Temperance

Welcome to Tarot Thursday! I’m very excited to begin this journey. Katana and I have drawn a random card for every week of the year, so there isn’t going to be any specific order to the cards presented, though I’m sure the timing of each will be perfect.

Temperance tarot card walks within artlovelightTemperance is a Major Arcana card. Major Arcana tell us about big life lessons that are going on, over-arching themes in our lives, as opposed to the Minor Arcana, or suit cards, that tell us more about day-to-day life.

It’s quite interesting to me that the first card we’re looking at is Temperance, a card that I had a challenging time getting comfortable and connecting with.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of temperance is the 19th century movement against alcohol consumption and 1920’s prohibition. Which I guess connects with moderation, sort of. Except that in this context, temperance is really another form of extremism. Hence my trouble connecting the two!

The angel that is typical on most cards reinforces the “moral high ground” image. My grandmother was a chemical dependency counselor, and was very involved with AA and Al-Anon. I’m sure that had nothing to do with my difficulty connecting with this card.

Temperance generally depicts an angel with wings outstretched, one foot on land and one in the water. It is most often interpreted as balance or moderation.

In a reading, I often interpret Temperance as everything in moderation, including moderation. It’s about finding a balance between all the aspects of your life – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – as well as a balance between the conscious and sub-conscious, or the masculine and feminine, or the active and passive. Many times this card is a reminder to take care of yourself, or to be patient with yourself or the situation.

A more enlightened interpretation of the angel on the card is allowing your higher self to guide you, to rise above the material or surface appearances.

Temperance may also indicate a need to hear all sides before making a decision. Don’t jump in with both feet! Take time to receive and process all the information.

The angel is wearing green, a reminder to listen to your heart. Green is the color of the heart chakra. The halo, or crown of fire, indicates the crown chakra open and having a strong connection with the Divine. The rainbows refracting from the halo tells us that discernment is key, the ability to break the information being received into it’s component parts and discover the important pieces.

There are two cups in this image. One is silver for the feminine and receptive principle, and one is gold for the masculine and projective principle. At first glance, it looks as if the silver chalice is pouring water into the gold, however, the flow of water is actually from the gold to the silver (projective to receptive). Information and energy flows from all directions when you are open to receive it.

This is echoed by the one foot on land, and one in the water. One foot is in the conscious world, the known and seen. And one foot is in the subconscious world, the knowing without how you know, the unseen. Valuable information and energy comes from both.

The irises in the foreground symbolize messages – in Greek mythology, Iris was the Goddess of the Rainbow, and the messenger of Hera. If the irises stand out in a reading, it may be time to tap into feminine wisdom, and listen to what Goddess has to share with you. (They also remind me of my grandmother, whose name was Iris. I looked to her for guidance when she was alive, and I respected her greatly.)

Another common image in the Temperance tarot card is the sun rising over the mountains. Mountains symbolize enlightenment, and the sun rising above them means more light shining, more awareness on the journey. However, the path to the mountains is shrouded in fog. You’re not always going to be able to see your way on the path.

We’ve chosen to make the sun a gyroscope. Balance on the journey is not a static place – we’ll see this echoed through other cards in the future. Balance requires regular adjustments, course corrections. A gyroscope is used to help you orient yourself in your space, so the gyroscope sun is a reminder to use the light, and the quest for enlightenment, as your guide, your direction.

It takes strength to maintain your balance and to stand strong in your boundaries and convictions. Sometimes it takes strength to wait for all the information before making a decision. This angel is definitely not a pushover! The angel is facing the situation head on. If that’s what catches your eye, then this is definitely a time to hold strong and not back down!

What else do you see in this card? What messages does Temperance have for you?

Mary and Katana


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The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection, A Family Collection, A National Museum, An International Treasure House
  • Mace
  • Unknown Artist / Maker
  • Germany
  • c. 1550
  • Iron or steel and gold, gilded and hatched
  • Length: 63.5 cm
    Weight: 1.54 kg
  • A984
  • European Armoury II
Images & Media
Further Reading
  • Mace, the head set with seven flanges, the shaped edges having projecting cusps with strongly reinforced points in the centre of each. The whole is topped by a short, quadrangular, pointed finial.

    Hollow, tubular haft, divided in the centre by a roped moulding. The upper half is worked with flat longitudinal ribs incised with triple lines with obliquely hatched panels between. The lower half of the haft of grip is similarly ornamented with spiral bands alternately lined and hatched. Immediately in front of the central moulding the haft is pierced for a lanyard. The flanges and spaces between retain considerable traces of gilding.

    German, about 1550.

    This mace belongs to a common type: e.g. Musée de l' Armée, Paris, nos. K 45, 46. Another was in the collection of Sir Guy Laking, sold Christie's, 19-22 April, 1920, lot 19. It is now displayed with the equestrian armour A29.

    This piece is apparently illustrated in an anonymous dealer's photograph among the papers of W. H. Riggs in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, probably priced at 200 fr. (S. Pyhrr, letter of November 1980).


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Disney Wallpaper

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Mar 21 12 9:22 AM

I am still waiting on the Apocalypse Survivors - and  Powered Armour Suit and Weapons  L&UL submissions to get fulfilled before I sign up for anything else...

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May 12 12 12:12 AM

g-s very good point, most of the L&U will never get anywhere near production

Its a bug planet its an ugly planet

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Jul 1 12 9:45 AM

Now that I've got WFs fantastic Germans and Americans I definitely want some British as well.
Commonwealth infantry is a must for Late War!
I signed up for three boxes (although this would be a minimum if they are as good as the Americans, one needs Canadians and some stalwart Jocks too after all).

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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

General Ebenezer Huntington

"After the war, in 1792, he was appointed Major-General of the State militia, which office he held for thirty years. In 1799, when a war with France was anticipated, he received from President Adams the appointment of Brigadier-General in the U. S. army. He served also in the war of 1812. In 1810, and in 1817, he was elected a member of Congress. He died in 1834. Mrs. Sigourney describes him as having 'a fine figure,with military carriage, and a countenance, which was considered a model of manly beauty.' She speaks of the 'elegant manners,' and 'decision of character,' which 'were conspicuous in him, and unimpaired by age.'"  [Source]

Letters Received By The Office Of The Adjutant General, 1805-1821, including a letter written by Ebenezer Huntington:

General Huntington played a more prominent role in the Revolutionary War, although the bio above stated that he also served in the War of 1812.

Per Wikipedia:

Ebenezer was born on December 26, 1754 in Norwich, Connecticut to Jabez and Elizabeth (Backus) Huntington. The Backus family was a prominent family from the area who's heirs would found Backus Hospital. His brothers Jedediah, Andrew, and Joshua also served during the revolution.[1]

Note:  He was a Backus descendant, as am I.

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Campbell Slough Channel in Grays Harbor County WA

Campbell Slough Channel - Cultural Feature (Channel) in Grays Harbor County

Campbell Slough Channel is a cultural feature (channel) in Grays Harbor County. The primary coordinates for Campbell Slough Channel places it within the WA 98569 ZIP Code delivery area.

In the Maps and Aerial Photos section below, you'll find links to: (1) Local area photos around Campbell Slough Channel, (2) A listing of the nearest hotels to Campbell Slough Channel and (3) Driving Directions to Campbell Slough Channel from almost anywhere. The location of Campbell Slough Channel is marked on an interactive map. The map can be searched by either business name or business category.

Campbell Slough Channel - Maps, Driving Directions & Local Area Information

Feature Name: Campbell Slough Channel
Category: Washington physical, cultural and historic features
Feature Type: Cultural
Class: Channel
County: Grays Harbor County
Latitude: 47.0025875
Longitude: -124.1079511
GNIS ID: 1503761
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Nearby Cities, Towns & CDPs

Oyehut, WA (2.7 miles WNW)
Ocean Shores, WA (3.1 miles SW)
Hogans Corner CDP, WA (3.6 miles NW)
Ocean City, WA (5.5 miles NNW)
Westport, WA (7.7 miles S)
Copalis Beach, WA (8.2 miles NNW)
Markham, WA (8.5 miles SE)
Cohassett Beach, WA (9.3 miles S)
Hoquiam, WA (10.4 miles E)
Grayland, WA (13.3 miles S)

Other Small Populated Places

Sampson, WA (3.9 miles NW)
Gray Gables, WA (4.7 miles E)
Burrows, WA (4.9 miles NE)
Tulips, WA (5.8 miles NNE)
Newton, WA (6 miles NNE)
Westhaven, WA (6.6 miles S)
Grays Harbor City, WA (7 miles E)
Copalis Crossing, WA (7.5 miles NNE)
South Arbor, WA (8.2 miles SE)
Rustemeyer Mobile Home Park, WA (8.5 miles SE)

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Elwha Ranger Station in Clallam County WA

Elwha Ranger Station - Cultural Feature (Locale) in Clallam County

Elwha Ranger Station is a cultural feature (locale) in Clallam County. The primary coordinates for Elwha Ranger Station places it within the WA 98363 ZIP Code delivery area.

In the Maps and Aerial Photos section below, you'll find links to: (1) Local area photos around Elwha Ranger Station, (2) A listing of the nearest hotels to Elwha Ranger Station and (3) Driving Directions to Elwha Ranger Station from almost anywhere. The location of Elwha Ranger Station is marked on an interactive map. The map can be searched by either business name or business category.

Elwha Ranger Station - Maps, Driving Directions & Local Area Information

Feature Name: Elwha Ranger Station
Category: Washington physical, cultural and historic features
Feature Type: Cultural
Class: Locale
County: Clallam County
Latitude: 48.0173114
Longitude: -123.5899129
GNIS ID: 1519323
Search for: Elwha Ranger Station Address & Phone Number
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Nearby Cities, Towns & CDPs

Port Angeles, WA (10.1 miles NE)
Port Angeles East CDP, WA (11.8 miles ENE)
Carlsborg, WA (20 miles ENE)

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Windy Arm, WA (1.9 miles SSW)
Elwha, WA (3.1 miles N)
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Westside Park in King County WA

Westside Park - Cultural Feature (Park) in King County

Westside Park is a cultural feature (park) in King County. The primary coordinates for Westside Park places it within the WA 98052 ZIP Code delivery area.

In the Maps and Aerial Photos section below, you'll find links to: (1) Local area photos around Westside Park, (2) A listing of the nearest hotels to Westside Park and (3) Driving Directions to Westside Park from almost anywhere. The location of Westside Park is marked on an interactive map. The map can be searched by either business name or business category.

Westside Park - Maps, Driving Directions & Local Area Information

Feature Name: Westside Park
Category: Washington physical, cultural and historic features
Feature Type: Cultural
Class: Park
County: King County
Latitude: 47.6595438
Longitude: -122.1306784
GNIS ID: 1531742
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Redmond, WA (1.4 miles NNE)
Sammamish, WA (2.7 miles ESE)
Kirkland, WA (3.9 miles WNW)
Yarrow Point, WA (4.1 miles WSW)
Clyde Hill, WA (4.5 miles WSW)
Bellevue, WA (4.7 miles SW)
Hunts Point, WA (4.7 miles WSW)
Union Hill-Novelty Hill CDP, WA (4.9 miles ENE)
Medina, WA (5.3 miles WSW)
Beaux Arts Village, WA (6 miles SSW)

Other Small Populated Places

Snyders Corner, WA (1.4 miles WNW)
Campton, WA (1.4 miles E)
Overlake, WA (1.4 miles SSW)
Adelaide, WA (1.9 miles ESE)
Rose Hill, WA (1.9 miles WNW)
Friendly Village of Redmond Mobile Home Park, WA (2.4 miles NE)
Earlmont, WA (2.4 miles NNW)
Kenilworth, WA (2.4 miles SSE)
Crossroads, WA (2.7 miles SSE)
Highlands, WA (2.7 miles SSW)

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General Water Saving Tips

  • Conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Don't waste water just because someone else is footing the bill, such as when you are staying at a hotel.
  • Replace high water use fixtures (e.g., toilets, urinals, washing machines, etc.) with more efficient models.
  • Repair all leaks!

Saving Water Indoors

Are you using more water than you thought? Take a look at your bill. The average daily water use in the nine-county Dolores/San Juan River Basin of Southwest Colorado is about 185 gallons per person per day.

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    Ruby Davis was a waitress at The Excellent Bean, a coffee shop in Wayward Pines. She knew...

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Friday, February 6, 2009

It Snowed!

Last Monday I braved snow and ice during my trek to Slough for the organising meeting. Got nicely hidden away in my special place and no one showed up! Check the date - OK, checked the place - OK. OH YES the weather. M25 closed in three places, no trains, no buses (this is UK with 150mm of snow) and nothing moving so what did they do: called it off ! What a load of wimps. No sandwiches. Nothing. I was hoping for loads of goss but nothing. Trouble is Pentster is not on any many email lists so no one tells me what is going on. I have to rely on leaks, leaks in this weather, you have got to be joking!

See the British Pentathletes on the M&S website modelling their kit:

Frightening Eh?

Factoid 4
These World Championships will be the first World Championships for any Olympic Sport to be held in London for over 25 years. Not a lot of people know that!


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The Need For Comfy Women's Non Slip Shoes

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Even though nurses look in their shoes for practicality and comfort, a soft-soled sneaker that has the capacity to keep quiet, despite movement that is continued or fast, is also incredibly important. Nurses perform in regions of a medical facility that require discretion, not just in conduct but also in movement. Infant-care nurses must be regularly quiet at any given time their costs could be sleep. Additionally , this is true for nurses who work with treating patients that require rest in order to recuperate. Shoes that generate sound against tough areas can disturb individuals, making a nurse's job harder. Quiet, shoes that are supportive are essential for almost any nurse who is not unaware of the impact of sound in their own work surroundings.

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Friday, July 28, 2017

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution –Real or Hype?

March 29, 2010 by
Filed under Food Revolution

You must watch this program. For yourself and for your kids.

Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution premiered on Friday,  a show my family had been looking forward to for weeks. Usually, the promotions for these types of programs give away all the best stuff, but not in this case, not in the least.

Goal: Overhaul the school lunch program country (just as Oliver did in the UK),

Location: Huntington, West Virginia since it has been rated the unhealthiest city in the states, a title the residents are not proud of.

What is that?

Shocker: Kids are unable to identify a TOMATO and POTATO. I am serious. The first grade classroom featured showed students drawing a complete blank when Oliver holds up various veggies for a guessing game. Sad, pathetic, and just totally unacceptable in my book.

Tear Jerker:  Oliver’s innocent request that knives be provided for the children’s lunch reveals the kids have no idea how to use them because there is no need when all they are served is nuggets, pizza (for breakfast BTW!?) and other pop in your mouth junk. This was a rather profound moment, since I never really thought about this. Oliver goes on to explain that in the UK, teaching to eat with a knife and fork is simply another part of the teachers responsibility. Hmmm.

Total Gagger: When Oliver attempts an experiment that “never fails” –it fails, and fails big time with our kids.  He shows the kids a chicken, cuts off the meat and the “good parts”, and is left with the  slimy carkus and bloody guts. All the kids scream “Ewww!!” and claim they would never eat it in a million years. Yet, after Oliver grinds it up in a food processor, and forms patties out of the pink paste, you guessed it — the kids can’t wait to crunch them down. What does this say? Oliver concludes that our kids are brainwashed to eat anything that looks familiar — form the most disgusting ingredients into the right shape, and down it goes.

Pile o' crap food represents families weekly meals

Fried Feasts: The family of focus is a morbidly obese clan chained to their deep fryer which is used to make donuts in the morning, and everything else for lunch and dinner. Their freezer is literally stuffed with frozen pizzas — just frozen pizzas.  I couldn’t help but feel compassion for the mother, a lady who cried again and again throughout her segments, as if she had just grasped the gravity of the situation. Were the tears from not understanding how unhealthy the foods she was feeding her family are? Or was she crying because of the overwhelming challenge ahead of her which would require a complete and total overhaul of their lifestyle in an effort to raise “successful” children as she put it? Don’t know. All I know is watching the family made me feel conflicted — on one hand compassionate, on the other angry at what seemed so obvious — you can’t serve a pile of fried crap to your kids day in and day out and expect them not to be obese.

Disturbing: The volume of processed foods being fed to our kids, all for the sake of convenience and $. The program features seemingly healthy mashed potatoes revealed as being frozen “potato pearls,” that when stirred with water turns into a cement like,  paste tasting blah. The camera turns on the ingredients label, which is about 3 inches long, yet is totally disregarded by the lunch ladies as being “fine.” Is this fine or is this cancer waiting to happen? Why do we consume products with a list of chemical ingredients, simply because it tastes good? I don’t know about the other moms out there, but I would gladly pay triple price for my kids lunch if it meant they could get REAL food.

Potato "pearls" ready to serve

Conclusion: Since watching this show, I have been gung ho about it, searching the site for ways to get involved, signing the petition, grabbing screenshots for this post — and then what do I see? A frickin’ Oreo sponsorship!!

Is this just another American reality show that is all hype and no bite?

Let’s wait and see.

29 Responses to “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution –Real or Hype?”
  1. Lori says:

    you can’t serve a pile of fried crap to your kids day in and day out and expect them not to be obese.

    I think the problem is that that isn’t true. Many parents DO feed their children crap day in and day out and, because of the luck of the genetic draw, don’t have fat kids. My son’s best friend is being raised by a very poor, single mom who has some cognitive issues. She is a nice woman, and she does her best, especially considering that the family lives in a home with lots of other relatives and has only a tiny bit of fridge space to store food. But, her two kids literally eat NOTHING but junk. School lunches are their healthy meals of the day. Her son comes over our house after school with a bag full of a few kinds of chips, one of those Drumstick ice cream cones, and some gummy stuff, which his mom picked up for him at the liquor store on the way home from school, and that’s what he eats from the time he gets home from school until he goes to bed. Honestly I think the only time either of her kids gets a home-cooked meal or a fruit or veggie is when they eat at somebody else’s house.

    But, neither child is even remotely fat. I have no doubt there are many kids out there who are being fed a steady stream of junk food and overprocessed foods, and who don’t eat fruits or vegetables, who are thin or normal weight. We are doing these kids a huge disservice by focusing on weight rather than health, because the assumption is often made that, if a child isn’t fat, they must be fed well (and, conversely, that if they are fat, they aren’t–which another friend of my son’s, a chubby girl who eats an extremely healthy, vegetarian diet, also shows isn’t true).

    If Jamie Oliver were focusing on health rather than weight, and acknowledged that both fat AND thin kids can have unhealthy (or healthy) diets, I think he’d be doing a much greater service to viewers.

    As to school lunches, honestly the whole issue of how schools deal with food is one reason why I’m happy I homeschool. I had my son in one preschool, in an affluent white suburb, where I was told I couldn’t pack a homemade cookie as part of his snack (and basically made to feel like a bad mother for doing so). Then we moved to Detroit, my son started attending a preschool in the inner city, and I was asked if I could please start putting chips in his lunch, because all the other kids had them and he was getting upset that he didn’t. We’ve got schools feeding kids crap and schools putting kids’ BMIs on their report cards and schools basically acting like the food and body police, and I can’t help but think that we’d be better off if we just kept schools completely away from feeding and weighing and measuring our children, and instead left that to families. But, again, I know that for a lot of kids, the food they get fed in school–no matter how awful it might seem to those of us who have the resources to prepare healthy meals–is the healthiest food they eat all day, so just leaving it to families isn’t the best idea for them.

    • Jen says:

      Your reply says it perfetly… our society seriously confuses issues of weight and health. I know some pretty skinny kids who eat lots and lots and lots of nutritionless junk food and very few fruits and veggies… but they will grow up thinking they are the “good” ones because they happen to genetically not be inclined to gain weight.
      … and don’t even get me started on the school lunches my kids get… Nachos Grande?? As a lunch entree? Seriously??
      How bout we stop worrying about the obese kids in the school and start worrying about the overall nutritional quality that all of our children deserve?

  2. vitty10 says:

    I’m sure Jamie Oliver means well, but this is quickly going to turn into another round of “Let’s hate fat people for their own good.” I really wish that there was one person out there who was actually concerned about people’s health and not just their weight.

    • mamaV says:

      Hi Vitty10! Your comment really stood out to me;

      “Let’s hate fat people for their own good.”

      Is this really how it feels? From my end of the spectrum, I don’t hate any fat person, but I do believe that when someone is morbidly obese it is for their own good to lose weight…not that it is my place to tell them this though.

      In regards to the show only focused on fat rather than health, that isn’t the case actually. True, they focus on one obese family, however the rest of the show is about all school children, most who are not obese. I can though, see how focusing on a family with obesity issues gives the impression that fat is the enemy.

      • atchka says:

        You’re rational, that’s why you know it’s not your place to tell them to lose weight. But our national policies are irrational. They DO think it’s their place to tell people to lose weight.

        Morbid obesity makes up 1% of the population. The mortality rate for those in the obese BMI category is 0.1%. Do these statistics warrant the amount of hand-wringing and doomsday predictions that we’re hearing now?

        I didn’t watch the show, and I don’t plan on watching the show, but I just thought I’d chime in on what you said. People often cite the statistic that 2/3 of our country are overweight… well, from a healthcare perspective speaking, the overweight category isn’t a problem. And statistically speaking, the real quality of life and mortality issues don’t hit until a BMI of 40 (or morbid obesity). So, it’s important to know just what the stats say about our collective weight.

      • vitty10 says:

        Honestly, it does feel like that a lot of the time. I am all ears if people are genuinely interested in helping others be healthy. It would be great if people ate better and exercised more for the health benefits. But when it’s about taking these measures to prevent obesity or help people lose weight I tune out. As we all know weight doesn’t necessarily affect your health, unless we’re talking about extremes on both ends.

        And I just don’t believe that most people are actually concerned about the health of fat people. I think that, whether they admit it or not, their concern is that fat people are lazy, gluttonous, unattractive and whatever fat stereotypes you can think of.

      • living400lbs says:

        Is this really how it feels?

        Of course. Our society lays it out pretty damn easy:

        fat = disgusting
        fat people = disgusting

        The only question is why people act surprised to find that teens who think they’re fat are more likely to commit suicide. Why wouldn’t they be?

        • vitty10 says:

          That’s the same as how people are surprised to hear that gay teens have a higher suicide rate than other teens. If you’re made to feel like you’re disgusting and wrong and that you should change yourself and that you don’t matter, of course it will affect you negatively.

  3. Hey MamaV, thanks for the post! I lived in Huntington while doing an intern in college, lovely town. My hostess was (is) a vegetarian, so I enjoyed the healthy side of things while living there. Love the show. It is a disturbing thing to find out what those kids are being fed. Just like you I was shocked to see that one of the kids did not know what a potato was. It makes me want to be more proactive for my little one. I also find interesting the cultural differences Jamie sees being from a different culture. I’ve been in the States for 12 years and I am still learning. Great show, hope that change will come from us if from nowhere else.

  4. lissa10279 says:

    I wrote a post about this show on my blog, too. It was hard not to cry looking at that mom …. though I have to say the Cakesters ad just throws me for a loop! WTF?!

  5. Krystal says:

    I haven’t seen the show, but even though my two kids are not overweight, I am trying to focus on eating whole, unprocessed, vegetarian foods at our house. It is hard – and more expensive. I just want to have healthy kids who feel good about themselves, and how can you feel good (no matter what your weight) when you are eating crap?

    I intend to watch the show with gusto!

  6. Shhhh says:

    I have set my PVR to record this series. I didn’t think I’d want to, but it sucked me right in. Why? Because of Jamie’s sensitivity. He really honestly cares.

    • mamaV says:

      agreed, whether you agree with the guy or not, he believes he is doing the right thing- which I respect.

    • Lori says:

      I don’t think telling a mother she is killing her children is very sensitive. My understanding is that, even by the most conservative estimates, even the most morbidly obese people will only have a few years shorter of a lifespan than “normal” weight individuals (I don’t know where he got 14 years from, because I’ve never seen that number. I do know that even the most morbidly obese women have a longer lifespan than the fittest men, but I don’t see people telling moms they are killing their children by daring to have boys. ;)). It seems unnecessarily upsetting to tell a mother that she is killing her children under those circumstances.

      Maybe he really cares, maybe he’s just after money/ratings. I don’t know. But I don’t think his berating a mother over what she feeds her kids and making her cry by telling her she is killing them is demonstrating any kind of sensitivity.

  7. rach says:

    you like him? you can have him. Keep him off our backs, for god’s sake.

    He’s nothing but self-serving, hypocritical, faux-righteous, money-grubbing, attention-seeking, socially-damaging arsehole.

    He has done NOTHING to improve kids’ diets over here. All he has done is fleeced the british taxpayers of £1B — yes, £1B! for very little benefit.

    And he’s encouraged the righteous ‘public health’ lobbyists to ban yet more stuff and apply impossible ‘standards’ and ‘controls’ in their ravening desire to dictate everything about our lives.

    His intentions may have been good once upon a time but he’s part of the Gestapo now.

  8. when i watched the show i thought how ironic the commercials were for processed foods during it. but really an oreo sponsorship that’s too much!! I am thankful for the show. Atleast its getting the average person more informed. i felt totally vindicated watching with my mom…she was seeing that I’m not just some extremist…the lifestyle changes I am promoting ARE IMPORTANT.

  9. atchka says:

    I highly recommend the book “Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming.” Freaking out about our food is not helpful. Learning how to eat is more important, and something we, as a nation, have been neglecting for decades.

    If you can both afford, and have time to prepare, fresh, whole foods, go for it. But if you are hamstrung by time or budgetary constraints, then processed food is not a death sentence. You can prepare a nutritionally sound meal using processed foods IF you apply the proper principles.

    • Lori says:

      You can prepare a nutritionally sound meal using processed foods IF you apply the proper principles.

      Yes. The thing I find so surprising is that it seems like we think processed food was invented in the 90s, or maybe even later. People have been eating diets heavy on processed foods since the 1950s. And, given the lore of the obesity epidemic, back in the 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s, nobody was fat, so obviously they were eating right. The whole hysteria over processed foods is very new, and I think we’re looking at the wrong thing. Sure, it’s probably better to eat more whole, unprocessed foods, but we’re still healthier as a nation than we were before the advent of processed foods.

      One thing I don’t understand is why more effort isn’t being put into making convenient, prepackaged nutritious meals that can feed a family. There’d be a huge market for that, I imagine. I’ve currently got a newborn and a dislocated tailbone (my husband and I apparently make babies with freakishly large heads, who don’t fit very well through my normal-sized pelvis), and I would LOVE some healthy, inexpensive, very non-labor-and-time-intensive options for meals. I’m lucky that, while my parents were here, my mom and I bagged up a bunch of freezer meals, but that required both freezer space and money that many people don’t have.

      And I just want to add, because I always feel the need to when the subject of “childhood obesity” comes up, that it drives me crazy that we NEVER consider that maybe a major (if not THE major) cause of the small increase in the average weight of children we saw in the 1990s was due to the massive rise in the use of prescription medications by kids. Many prescription medications have weight gain as a side effect, and many of the drugs prescribed to kids were not adequately tested on children. So many kids (as well as adults, particularly women) were medicated in the 1990s and 2000s for things like ADHD, mood disorders, asthma, and other chronic conditions that I honestly think that that alone could explain the “obesity epidemic” far better than kids eating processed food, since they’ve been eating processed foods for a few generations now.

      • atchka says:

        You know, I hadn’t even considered the pharmacological impact. That is definitely worth exploring. You’ve inspired me. Thanks!

        After reading the book I mentioned (it’s by Ellyn Satter, btw), I can’t help but wonder what impact our dieting culture (which began in the early 70s) has had on our waistlines. She makes a compelling case that parents who impose certain guidelines on eating (restricting their fat children, pushing food on their thin children) will damage a child’s natural internal regulation and either that child will go on to develop some form of an eating disorder. Either they won’t eat enough and grow poorly or they will eat too much and grow quickly. The thing she stresses is watching the growth curve… if it stays consistent (i.e., your child remains int he 95th percentile for years), then everything’s okay. But if your child’s growth deviates from it’s path, then there may be something wrong.

        Anyway, I’ve interview two women now, my wife and Mary Jo Pehl, for my podcast, both of whom talk about being put into Weight Watchers and put on various diets and how it completely screwed up their relationship with food. I wonder how many fat women have experienced this same thing.

      • atchka says:

        I did a little digging into the pharmaceutical possibility and wrote about it here… not quite what I was hoping for.

      • living400lbs says:

        I’ve read that some processed foods that went mainstream in the 50s were originally developed in the 30s and 40s to survive WWII, such as dried potatoes and spam.

        Even canning was originally an invention of the French military under Napoleon, and skyrocketed during WWI.

  10. .C. says:

    I am personally looking forward to living off my university campus next year in large part because it will allow me to further reduce my mandatory meal plan. The food here can be healthy, but sometimes it seems the healthier it is the more expensive it is. A piece of plain cheese pizza (full of grease and with white crust) is $2.19. A cup of non fat greek yogurt with 16 grams of protein, however, is $2.00. I am fortunate because I have pretty frequent access to a grocery off campus so I can buy healthy foods more cheaply there and use my meal plan dollars where I can here, but for students who need to eat all meals in the campus dining halls, they have a hard time.

    I would also like to say a word in favor of taking the emphasis off weight and onto health. I had a friend in high school named .D. When people would say, “So, what are you doing after school today?” he would frequently respond, “Well, I’m going to sit on my ass and play warcraft all afternoon, eat a box of ho hos, and I’m gonna LOSE three pounds!” And he would. He just had a weird metabolism. That didn’t make him healthy. Likewise my very good friend .J., who is about 5′ 9″ and 112 lbs, eats as much as he possibly can and looks dangerously emaciated, despite eating about 7,000 – 8,000 calories a day of pretty healthy food by my estimation. Weight is linked in large part to metabolism, but health and the nutrients we get are linked to food.

    Lastly, a personal step: I usually drink my coffee black, but when I wanted sugar in the past I would use an artificial sweetener. The last time I wanted sugar in my coffee I used natural turbinado sugar, and did not freak out. I’m feeling pretty good about my eating habits and am looking forward to living an even healthier lifestyle in the future!

  11. Nell says:

    I can’t watch the show here (obviously), but…

    I grew up on Jamie Oliver food. I can’t say his idea is all wrong- I remember being in first grade and my classmates saying that milk came from “a factory” or “the carton”. When we visited an organic farm for an excursion, three or four of them started wailing how dirty everything was and how stinky the cows were and that they wouldn’t drink milk anymore because it wasn’t clean. Chocolate milk was fine, though. HUH?

    What I read about his UK program, a lot of it was ineffectual and aimed at the most media exposure possible, but I can’t fault the guy for trying (plus a lot of his recipes are great and easy to make). When people who live in garden-studded suburbs stare dumbfounded at kids climbing a mango tree, picking ripe fruit, peeling and eating them that is just plain wrong. No matter what, it’s wrong, and kudos to Jamie Oliver for attempting to change that.

  12. Kelly M says:

    thank you for posting a synopsis of this show.
    I do believe that the real point of the program is to break down the lies and disinformation, to bring awareness and responsibility to the table for every meal. I do not however believe that ABC gives a crap about who eats what, money is money and i really doubt they care who gets hurt.
    It seems much like a similar situation to Stephen Colbert/ comedy central, he often points out the ick factor of his sponsors in what i can only assume is an attempt to induce a bit of consciousness in his viewers.

    i have seen both episodes of Jamie’s show thus far and i admire the mans passion and how determined he seems to be, i can only hope it continues and people get the message.

  13. immokalee says:

    There was a big stink on a national email list for community food researchers about how the producers of Oliver’s show refused to talk to many food activists, university researchers, and educators in community food systems who reached out to them. The show producers wanted to make it look like Jamie was the sole person out there doing this kind of work, and the fact is he’s late to the party. The general feeling from people working for food system change is that Oliver is doing more harm than good – by making human beings look like morons, by patronizing people, and by ignoring the VAST number of grassroots organizations who have been working hard to create to revolution he desires. Insiders in the business of food system change have been working hard for years to undo the image of finger-waggling snobbery and elitism that Oliver is just about to slather all over the TV. Thanks a lot, dude, but no thanks!

    Revolution, not revulsion.

  14. FatNSassy says:

    Oliver is a pathetic creature who is using this “obesity crisis” to get attention. Exploitation is what talentless people do when they have no other means of getting in the spotlight. If anyone really falls for his Jerry Springer tactics, they have far bigger problems than weight. It is exactly that kind of blind trust in con men that has lead to the social mess we are in now. From misguided faith in politicians to priests, people need to grow up and see how their own guilt is a tool of manipulation that is perpetually being used against them. Yet they jump from one con to another. Sickening!

  15. Kris Carey says:

    There are three sides to every story (yours, mine, and the truth) and I suspect that’s the case with Jamie’s show. His side and “their side” are probably both a little off the truth of the town’s situation. Still, I side with Jamie if I need to take a side.

    As the mother of two young, school-aged children (in Maryland), I was horrified and practically in tears at various points in the show. We have never allowed our kids to buy school lunches (we’re those “obnoxious” parents who buy mostly organic and, horrors, are vegetarian as well) and this show reinforced that decision. Our school lunches here in Maryland are no better than the ones shown in the show. I refuse to let my kids eat it.

    I only hope that his show helps individual parents realize that THEY need to make decisions about what their children eat — at home and at school. And if the show helps expose the ridiculousness of the USDA food requirements, then all the better.

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  1. 66/ 365 “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” « Tina M. Zappile says:

    […] have read several comments on blog posts about this show (find one example here) that claim his portrayal of the town as obese and in need of nutritional counseling is off the […]

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Friday, July 28, 2017

Why pinterest may be bad for your health…

Pinterest, like many new pop-culture social portals, has been tarnished by our weight-obsessed-sexualized-objectifying-of-females culture. Initially intended to be a sort of online scrapbook, Pinterest allows users to “pin” ideas, items, recipes and inspirations found on the internet on to a virtual cork-board. It is a way to pin your interests, hence “Pinterest.” When it first started in 2010 Pinterest’s mission was to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting,” which included favorite recipes, vacation spots, craft ideas, and other harmless categories. I use Pinterest for just this purpose but recently have found a shift in what I am seeing on the site. Recently a friend posted a link with the “50 Best Snacks under 50 Calories” which included ideas like: 1⁄2 small banana, frozen and 14 seedless red grapes, also for 49.5 calories you could enjoy 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (careful with your measurements, there is only a half-of-a calorie of wiggle room!) This pin is one example of the hundreds of thousands of pins which teach primarily women (83% of the U.S. users are women) disordered eating behaviors. Other pins include detailed instructions for dangerously restrictive fad diets and hours of brutal exercise regimens. As a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women’s Issues, specifically eating disorders, this kind of obsession with calorie counting and finding 1 point “treats” is often a symptom of a deadly obsession with weight. Far beyond the unhealthy diet tips circulating on the site there are an equal number of pictures of impossibly thin and toned women who serve more as “thinspiration” than inspiration! Thinspiration is common in pro-ana (anorexia) and pro-mia (bulimia) websites where women teach other women how to perfect their eating disorders; these sites often include pictures of emaciated women and famous thin celebrities.

Another disturbing trend that I have found, which goes hand in hand with pictures of women’s bodies-has been sexualized and objectifying content about women. One pin circulating the boards called “Posing guide: 54 portrait ideas to try right now” depicts a women posing in ways that would make my father blush. One of the 54 ideas includes straddling a chair and turning back to face the camera, seems more like a striptease than a “portrait” pose to me. The problem here is not about freedom of speech or sexuality, the problem is the covert nature of the messages that women receive about what is “healthy,” “attractive,” and “good.” The problem is the internalization of messages that harm women, messages that overtime begin to feel like our own thoughts. In reality no women is satisfied after eating “one small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter.” No women feels more valuable and beautiful by turning her backside towards the camera before she says “cheese” or should I say “reduced fat cheese.” And yet, when we are bombarded by these messages, and see other women endorsing them, we begin to feel they are truth. A woman’s physical and mental health depends on her ability to see these oppressions for what they are. If a woman is unhappy with her appearance or unhappy with her body shape and size- the diet and fashion industry boom. Your bad body image is there private jet. If we are not able to differentiate between the truth and the brainwashing about our physical hungers (see Mindful Eating– Dr. Susan Albers) and what is objectified vs. valuable about our bodies (ability to take us from point A to point B/nurture life/ run a mile/hug our partners/etc.) then we will always be vulnerable to depression, eating disorders, role conflict, and other serious issues. So I am not saying don’t use Pinterest, it is a very clever and useful tool. I am, however, encouraging you to use your feminist filter, to check in with your inner voice- the wise elder inside you that wants and knows what is best for your health. Smile at the camera because you are happy! Pose for a silly picture for laughs. Eat until you are satisfied, stop when your feel full. Listen to you own truth and become inspired!

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  1. […] now/January 2013, everybody and their mama (and some dudes, too)  is on Pinterest. There have been outcries from some that Pinterest causes women to feel entirely inadequate in their body image, child […]

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Thursday, 31 May 2012

A Thrifters Guide to the London Borough of Bromley

The lovely Lulastic has set up a 'Charity Shop Blog Hop' to help fellow thrifters to discover what wonders may wait for them a little bit further from home.

I'll start with Bromley Town Centre - most of the charity shops in the town centre are quite pricey. I find that with most Oxfam, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research shops. Not that they are crazy expensive, but they do price things up a lot higher than the less frequent shops, and you have to be careful of the Primark trap. Recently a Marie Curie shop has opened in the North end of the town centre, I managed to start my summer wardrobe with 2 dresses, 3 tops and a necklace for £10 in there the other day. Closer to where I live, but heading out of the town is...

Chatterton Road, Chatterton Village - the closest set of shops to three primary schools (and our closest shopping area) holds a few small charity shops laden with children's clothes, children's books and toys. At the end of the road there is a slightly grubby looking animal charity shop (which is incredibly un-child friendly - no buggies would fit in) but inside is a treasure trove of cheap crockery, sheets, napkins, cutlery, it takes a bit of a rummage but we've had some great finds (in fact it is my main supplier of hankies for bunting). They also often have boxes of wool, embroidery threads and needles etc. Probably not worth travelling to get to alone, but close by you can also get to...

Hayes (Kent) - the High Street along from the station is primarily charity furniture shop heaven. Three furniture stores strong there is something for every need and budget. Additionally there are a further four charity shops. All of the shops in this area are good value and the Air Ambulance shop always has some haberdashery items and baskets of cheap baby clothes. And it is a stones throw from...

West Wickham - there are a handful of charity shops on the high street in this area. We used to travel here when I was bored of Beckenham. Although, I'll be honest I think I was more enticed by a love of Starbucks than the charity shops.

Beckenham - my first home in the Bromley area, I lived there for 6 months after Kit was born. I spent a lot of time trekking up and down the street of charity shops. It's a well-trodden route by the mums in the area, and consquently it is generally quite pricey, but bargains and treasures can be found, especially at the St Christopher's Hospice shop near Beckenham Junction station, and the Barnados shop at the opposite end of the High Street (near the cinema) - I believe that it was also seen on Mary Portas 'Queen of Charity Shops' .. the star of which is not far away in...

Orpington - we've only recently started to trawl this area, but we spent the entire of Saturday there with a friend last weekend, there are just so many charity shops (plus a singer sewing shop and a lovely cafe 'Mystic Brew' which sells every tea known to mankind). It's a bit slim on decent clothes, but bric a brac is a-plenty and cheap. I managed to get some bargainous lace and scrabble pieces, which made me very happy. I don't think the Save the Children shop improved much from Mary's intervention, but I may be thinking of the wrong one.

Last but not least...

Petts Wood - there are two sides of the railway track here, the Morrisons side and the Sainsburys side. The Morrisons side has the better charity shops - in fact the ones opposite are our favourites - especially for wool and sewing bits, and children's clothes. On the Sainsburys side the charity shops have better adult clothes. I've picked up a lot of bits for me there.

Some of our recent finds.

  1. wow amazing finds!!!Very jealous of all the Miffy books! x

    1. The Miffy books are a bit of a work in progress. Although most came from one shop. We have a couple of duplicates (I'm not very good at remembering which we have!) I'll try to remember to bring them to Worthing some time and Martha can have them. :)

  2. I'm visiting from Lulastic's blog hop - and obviously live pretty near you as these are my stomping grounds too! I'm often to be found doing the coffee shop/charity shop trail in West Wickham and Beckenham, but I did my guide on Crystal Palace - not half so many charity shops, but loads of vintage and second hand.

    Thanks for the Orpington reminder, I saw the Mary Portas programme but haven't investigated yet.

  3. Hayes, Bromley and WW I know well but after this I can hear the others calling my name!
    Brilliant post! x

    1. I missed off Chislehurst - there is an awesome church charity shop there that sells everything really cheaply. :)

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