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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earthday was a bust!

Today was a long day. I wanted it to be good. I wanted to fix all our food at home and have a picnic and plant some plants, make "Earth" cookies and work on cleaning up around our house. But instead my Earth Day didn't go over that well. It started out at 8am when Johns alarm clock went off. He went and opened the chicken coop then climbed in bed and started to go back to sleep. we needed to get up though. I asked several times for him to get up. I even pleaded with him a couple times. By then the dogs were trampling me. Roxie was going back and forth between chewing up hangers that she strategically places around the house, so that I can't find them, then she brings them out when ever I try to sleep, and a giant stuffed squeaky bone. That she likes to bring up and put right in your face and squeak it over and over. Mind you this is a toy she drags around the house and into her kennel. This toy is covered in hair! So hair goes every where. And it the chewing and squeaking isn't bad enough, Sophie, the chubby dog that can stand to lose a few pounds, comes over and lays down with her paws on my chest, and her warm, sticky, stinky breath panting in my face. So no sleep for me!I get up and of course by then I am annoyed, my blood sugar is low, I am hungry, grumpy, and just over all in a bad mood. I normally have oatmeal with peanut butter, flax, and brown sugar. But yesterday I chopped down on a oat hall. My stomach was already sick so I decided sticking that in my month this morning would result in throwing up. So I skipped the oatmeal. Wanted a smoothie. I couldn't find the bullet blinder! It is lost somewhere in the stupid, messy kitchen. So then I think biscuits.. passed on that too. Because the kitchen was a mess. So what did I have half an apple & yogurt. I go to take a shower. Wake John up when I realized it is already 10am. I need to go to the City tax office to get a license sticky for the year. Because mine expired 2 months ago and I am just now noticing... Finally get ready come back out to the computer desk and one of the cats has knocked the yogurt I forgot about onto the key board & mouse... So then I need to clean that up! and you would think it would get better right... Ha..It only keeps going down hill...

I called the DMV at the beginning of the week because I never received my new registration. They tell me to go to the city tax office and they will give me one and I can buy the new sticker. John and I bicker on the way to town (about 30 minutes) not really about anything big. Just knit picky little things which we never see as anything big. We make it there and they tell me that they can't help me. Because I don't have the new registration. I tried to explain that the DMV told me to go there and she got pissed and copped an attitude with me. So I asked if I could use her phone to call the DMV. She states that calling the DMV will not help me over the phone so she doesn't know why I need to use her phone. So I went back out to the car pissed! She was such a B****. I was so mad. She didn't need to get an attitude!

The we need to take some aluminum cans to get recycled. They have been laying in bags, in a pile, for far to long. So we took in I think 57 pds today and they gave us $28.50. Last week we took in 22 pounds and Got $11.00. we still need to take in like 5 bags but we have almost taken them all and I am sure it will look much better. we are working hard to get everything cleaned up outside this year.

Then we drove another 20 minutes to the DMV office and waited for around 30 to 45 minutes. The guy there was really nice and helpful. He answered all my questions. I got our new sticker. $30.00 down. But he was really nice! Then we had to wait another 20 minutes for John to get a new drivers licences photo. His had our old address on it... we moved almost 4 years ago.. oops...

After that everything was on the up and up. I guess. We went to Lowes and got some landscaping posts, flowers, bricks, organic garden soil, and a hanging plant for in the house. I miss having green, living plants around the house. The cats kill all my plants. So John let me get a $10 small hanging basket. It is super cute. We ended up spending about $74.oo after his veterans discount was taken off. The landscaping logs were on sale for $1.98 each and we got 8. The organic garden soil was on sale too. It was $4.98 for 1.5 cu ft. So I got 4 of those for the new flower bed. I got some dark red, pink, and white lily bulbs and some other misc plants to plant around them. So that was a good stop. But none of that money was on budget... Not good.

Went to the store and got Cat, ferret, and chicken feed. Then went to target. Spent some more money thats not in my budget. Bra $10.99, Johns new shoes $29.99, Tracfone $39.99, 4 GB Memory Card, on sale for $12.99, 7th generation dish soap $2.49 & laundry detergent $7.99, some other small stuff. Spent around $125.00. I had forgot to transfer money so the transaction wouldn't go through. So I had to go to the ATM and fix it. But when I went to the ATM to transfer money the bank receipt said I had $7000.00 more than what we did.. Yeah right!!!!! :) No. I went back and the atm had lied.. Stupid ATM! :) I had only went to target to look at the Nikon D3000 which I really have been thinking about picking up. I wish it wasn't so expensive. But the cameras didn't have batteries so I couldn't play with it and check out its features :(

Didn't get to go grocery shopping, get the cypress for the garden, forgot to get my shampoo again, what was I thinking spending all that money.. Now I just look back in regret knowing I should have....

O yeah to beat it all I go online to set up my electric bill payment and instead of the normal $80 or less... It is $243!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Money I don't have!!!! So I guess they have been estimating my bill for the last 3 months. I just seen that on the news the other night that people may have a surprise. But I thought my last bill had been read. It was $55.. What the heck is the power company doing. They will be getting a nasty phone call from me tomorrow!!!

Tonight again we didn't do anything... We have watched Hurt locker, Where the wild things are, and getting ready to watch Brothers.

So crap Earth Day. I am sorry Earth. I had planned more. I wanted to celebrate your gorgeousness. I wanted to do something good for you. But I failed. I hope next year I can make it up to you.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Eating animals

Words Meanings

I was waiting on my husband one day, in our local Walmart, sitting at a Subway Restaurant, located inside the Walmart, not eating but taking up their valuable table space and getting dirty looks from the employees, while reading the Word Meanings Chapter of Eating Animals. When my husband finally showed up the first thing I had him do was sit down and read the first sentence of:

Excerpt from CFE
"Common Farming Exemptions make legal any method of raising farmed animals so long as it is commonly practiced within the industry."

I had heard of this before when I was much younger and had forgotten the term. Until reading the Word Meanings section of Eating Animals it never really dawned on me again. But it definitely really made me sick to think that its not bad enough that the animal industries have the government eating from the palm of their hands. But they really are setting their own laws and regulation with this one little sentence. As long as everyone else is doing it, its fine and seen as perfectly acceptable. So the old saying your parents told you while growing up...

"If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?

and in this question yes everyone in the Factory Farming industry fines it acceptable to hold animals in deplorable conditions and deny them of every god given right that they should have. So when these people were growing up, were they never asked this question, or did they just not learn the lesson.

Just because everyone else is doing it, it doesn't make it good or acceptable.

But then again I guess most adolescents go with the crowd and jump... Ignorance, stupidity, & insanity... Which were not listed in the Word Meanings section. But I feel this law is ridicules and should be described as so.

I bet my parents regret asking me that question so many times when I was growing up. Maybe thats what gave me a mind of my own. A feature that my Dad doesn't seem to find very acceptable and tells me "You wasn't brought up that way". Meaning I will speak up for myself if I feel I am being dismissed or taken advantage of, or if I have something to say. I am not rude about anything but I will speak my mind. I am myself and thats what I am meant to be. I was never one to stay with a crowd anyways but... Who knows if they wouldn't have asked me this so many times maybe it wouldn't have stuck, and maybe, just maybe I would have never found my way into a lifestyle that is not seen as the "in" thing to be. Because I have no need or want to be with the "in" crowd just because I can. Eating meat might be the thing every one else is doing but again that does not make it responsible, respectful, acceptable, or the right thing to do.

My husband was just as annoyed as I was about this "law". "Law" because it is horrendous and any Representative who helped put this in place is really saying do what you will as long as you fund us. "Law" obviously only means pay me enough and I will write up anything you want. So you really have no responsibility for the cruelty you put onto these animals. Because every one is doing it and getting paid not only from peoples pockets but from subsidies... So sad and embarrassing to live in a country were this is acceptable.

I really liked going through the Word Meaning section and I thought it was going to be boring and just stuff I already knew. But it was more than just definitions and really put a new look upon certain things I thought I really understood. Not that I didn't understand, but gave me a new way to think about certain topics. Like the Small elevator comparison to Battery cages.

There are some statistics listed. I really haven't learned alot about fishing/dredging/ etc. And the amounts of fish. But some statics in this book opened my eyes more to how much bycatch there is in the industry.

Excerpt from Bycatch
"Shrimp account for only 2 percent of global seafood weight, but shrimp trawling accounts for 33 percent of global by catch."

There is also a list of what sea animals are considered "Bycatch". A long list...

Good section of the book.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Spring Storms Bring laziness, Ebay, & Dinner

Well today it has rained on and off all day which means the husband and I was lazy for most of the day. We have been having storms but at least the severe ones have seemed to go around us.
I did get some movies watched though. We watched Food Inc..... Finally, Death on a Factory Farm, which I had DVRed a while back on HBO, and Sherlock Holmes. We cleaned up after the animals, took care of the chickens, did some dishes, shopped on ebay...., made dinner, and did one load of laundry.. But other wise laid around and had a lazy day... And John, I, and the dogs have enjoyed it.

Shopped on ebay for the first time in probably a year. Ever so often I get in the mood for some ebay shopping. Tonight I was watching some Wii games & Wii remotes plus some books. I hate it when people run items up before the last few minutes. I wish they would figure out if you bid at the last minute things are not ran up in price so much. So I always wait till they last 10sec to place my max bid. Some times even less time than that. I did get the 2 items I bidded on tonight. A wii remote & numbchuck for $25.45 and they are the actual Wii brand not some knock off that isn't actually Wii. To purchase the Wii mote & numbchuck new would cost around $60 so I had never invested in a 2nd remote. So I am happy we are finally getting a 2nd. The other item was the Martha Stewart encyclopedia of crafts. Won it for $15.03 on amazon it is $23.00. I really want the MS Encyclopedia of Sewing ... Its only $20.00 on amazon. But I haven't ordered it yet. I am still watching some games & books on ebay but I might have gotten it out of my system with tonight's winnings.

Dinner tonight was simple and didn't take long at all. I roasted half a head of organic cauliflower & a bunch of organic broccoli with salt, pepper, & organic olive oil, baked sweet potatoes with a little organic olive oil & organic brown sugar. We also had Morningstar riblets in burrito shells fried in a skillet. So quick and simple but really good.

Chicks, Chickens, Gaint Eggs, & Gardening

The Chicks are growing and becoming out going little ones. They run around with their little wings flapping. One will start and then the others will follow. So sweet. They jump up and lay on Lil Bantis back and she clucks a calming motherly cluck. So sweet. She is loving being a Mama. Yesterday was the first day they went out and into the grass. They pecked, scratched and ran around. Lil Banti took her first dust bath in a can't tell you how long. Actually she decided to take it in the only bare spot she could find... The chick feed... I know crap picture. She laid there flopping he feathers in the dirt & chick feed and I think she was actually teaching her babies while enjoying it herself. They starter trying. They would lay and copy her. The lil white chick fell over on her back and had to use her little wings to put her self back on her feet. But they laid and basked in the sun. They loved it. To bad it rained and was cool out today. They never came out. But they are very healthy. They are feathering so fast. It is hard to believe. We have had them for a little over a week now and they are even starting to get tail feathers. Their food intake is steadily increasing. They are a joy to watch. Just like the other chickens. I love watching them all. They still are not out around the other chickens. Gaia & Mabon especially look at them like they are walking meals. So it will be a good while before they are allowed out with them. But they are being raised right beside them so they can get used to each other.

Two of the chickens are laying huge eggs ever so often. Except in the last 8 or 9 days I have seen 4 of these giant eggs and I have brought them in to weigh them. Regular Eggs are between 2.0 and 2.3 grams. The big eggs are 2.8-3.2 grams. So a whole gram bigger than normal. I think it is Gaia definitely lays some big eggs. The light colored huge egg I have no clue who laid them because we only get that color sometimes... Not very often. Some of the eggs are shaped weird, a weird color, or uneven colored. I am not sure what to think about these eggs. The Vet said not to worry if it wasn't frequent. But when one chicken lays 2 in a week that is kinda frequent. Am I doing something wrong? I don't know... But I hope I can figure this out.

Regular Size Top. Bigger Bottom. Size Comparative. Uneven color. Mis-shapen egg

I did finally figure out who the most of the different egg colors belong to though. From Left to right. Gaia, Ivy, Mabon, Big Red, And Isis.

Started working on the garden beds yesterday too. Cleaned out 2 of them with Johns help. I didn't use them last year so they had totally over grown with dandelions and weeds. So I cleaned them out and fed the weeds to the chickens. They really enjoyed them. Then we covered the beds with black garden bed covering until we add more organic soil and straight sow or plant starters. So no more weeds... Still need to cover the other place we are starting a garden bed..

Grass is starting to grow on the little hills of dirt we have been leaving there to spread out. So we better get to it. I am also going to put a garden bed in front of the front porch but I am not sure that is going to get done while the growing season is still realistic. I hope so though. I am still so excited about this growing season. I hope it turns out great. But so far I am not having luck with my starters. I have very few plants starting. I think that first rain storm did my plants in by moving the seed out and around. Starting plants in containers seems to be much harder than starting them in the ground. I have never really found any info about it either. Luckily I checked out a book from the library yesterday. Its called Good Garden Magic. This book has a lot of good, basic info that I am finding useful. It is understandable and is almost like having someone there to tell you basic gardening techniques. Its not a large book but to me its very useful. I plan on ordering a copy soon. We did a couple other things too. When we went to the library we walked. That was the first time we have walked to town in years like 6 or so years. But I enjoyed the walk and John did too. We hung out at the library for an hour and then came home.

The day before we went to Books- A- Million and sat for a few hours looking through books. I haven't done that in a couple years either. I miss just going and having a laid back day with John. It was so nice!

This 4 day weekend has been really, really great! :)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Eating Animals- Sharing 2 Paragraphs from Chapter 2.b

Just finished reading the 2nd chapter of Johnathan Saffran Foers book "Eating animals" Two paragraphs I would like to share:

"More than any set of practices, factory farming is a mind set: reduce production cost to the absolute minimum and systemically ignore or "externalize" such costs as environmental degradation, human disease, and animal suffering. For thousands of years, farmers took their cues from natural processes. Factory farming considers nature an obstacle to be overcome."

"I felt shame for living in a nation of unprecedented prosperity- a nation that spends a smaller percentage of income on food than any other civilization has in human history-but in the name of affordability treats the animals it eats with cruelty so extreme it would be illegal to inflict on a dog."

On to chapter 3....

Lil Banti and her Babies

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Garden Planning is turning into plants

Planted my garden starters about 8 days ago and I am starting to see the first plants. So excited yet again this year to have the starters sprouting these tiny little plants that will feed us this summer. Hopefully...

In the past I haven't had the best luck with starters so my fingers are crossed and I will watch them vigilantly so they will hopefully make it this year.

In the 8 days since planting they have already had drowning rain early one morning when I was still sleeping and fought the strong gusts of wind that has just brought in a cold front. Yuck... The rain happened a couple days after planting the tiny seeds into there little starter holes. Problem was it drenched them and I am not sure if the seeds stayed in their own little starter holes. Ha ha right... So now we just have to wait and see what comes up and in what starter packs so I can re- separate them. The wind also took its affects on my poor, little, defenseless, starters. My whole Red & white swiss chard starter blew away... Stupid wind. Now the warmth of the sun is hiding behind this cold front and I will have to bring them in tonight. But hopefully they are going to be ok. But I am already seeing green. Some of the cosmos, lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, and a couple other things were peaking out of the soil. :) Some of those were laying on top of the soil from the rain beating down so hard. So I had to put them back into the soil. But still excited :)

I got a couple more packets of seeds to plant. I am going to plant Organic mammoth sunflowers & Organic Autumn Beauty sunflowers both for the chickens. Plus I picked up some Cat Grass seed for the kitties but I am assuming it is just over priced wheat.. I guess we will see once it grows.

Breakfast for Dinner- Potato hash & scramble & Almond milk gravy

Tonight John and I buckled down and got the kitchen cleaned up. So I decided to make a big dinner of breakfast. It took about 30minutes to make and was so good.. But John and I both over ate and fell into a food comma and about an hour and a half later.... fell to sleep...

This recipe is enough for 4 to 6 people at one setting. Or 2 to 4 people for dinner and breakfast the next morning :).

Potato Hash & Tofu Scramble

3 Potatoes, Cut into small cubes (Leave a potato out if you want to cut the recipe down)
1 to 2 Sweet Peppers, Chopped ( I used some organic frozen peppers that I froze a while ago.)
1 onion, Chopped
1 Light Life Veggie Sausage pack
1 pack fridge tofu in water (Drain well)
1 or 2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Turmeric, for color
Olive oil
Vegan Butter of choice

Chop up all the veggies and set aside. Heat large skillet w/ Olive oil. Add onions & peppers. If peppers are frozen let the water cook off of them before you add the potatoes. When onions are translucent & peppers are getting soft add the some butter, potatoes & paprika. After you add the Potatoes add a Lid for 7 minutes. Until half ways cooked through. You can add the sausage straight to the pan to break apart & brown at that point. If your skillet doesn't have enough surface space get a big pot and brown the light life sausage then add to the potatoes and peppers. Start letting the potatoes brown. You can either use your favorite tofu scramble recipe or just use the ingredients in the recipe and through the drained tofu in with the potatoes and peppers to cook. Or you can cook it separately and then add it back to the mix. Then heat everything together for a few minutes. Thats what I did. So that it gets cooked and not mushy & doesn't break apart. Chuck your tofu like an egg would look. Add salt & pepper to taste.

  • You could also wilt some greens into this. If I would have had fresh spinach I would have.
  • Could also add mushrooms
  • Tons of different options for something like this :)

I also made Biscuits from Garden of vegan. Which is just a simple regular biscuit recipe. I even left out the vinegar. And we also had Almond milk gravy. which is quick and simple.

Almond Milk Gravy

4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Butter or/ and oil
2 to 2 1/2 cups Plain Almond milk

Put Oil & butter in pan to heat. Add the flour and whisk together. Cook a minute or so then add a little milk at a time. I normally add about half a cup and whisk till it gets thick. This way you won't have chunks or flour/butter floating in the gravy. I add the pepper and salt. After the first half cup of almond milk. This is basically a pepper gravy so add a good amount of pepper. But it would also make a great sausage gravy if you started out with the lightlife veggie sausage. Add the half a cups of milk till if is the consistency that you want. Don't let boil. It may separate or spoil. I always leave it right under boiling.

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Book Eating Animals- Story Telling

Somethings have past through my mind long ago and not really triggered an emotion. But then to read it on a page and really discover that my children will never eat any foods I grew up with or food that our families make, will never be able to have cake at a birthday party or ice cream at a summer stand, or eat at a family reunion. It will really be different. I think this hits me more now for some reason. But I know it is for a greater good. For teaching them respect and that life is not ours to take and give as we please. Life is something to be cherished, be it animal, human, insect, etc. That life is the most important thing to that individual just like our lives are to us. Memories are what we make them. If we hinder ourselves by saying, but they will never have this, then we are not doing them any good. Find new traditions. Families who are interested can work on some of their recipes and make one of them vegan but really close to what it was. Its not hard. Find places that serve something vegan an make it a once a month trip. Or even make it a tradition when you travel to stop by one particular place to grab vegan ice cream. Celebrate Earth Day, & World Vegan Day, etc. I long for the opportunity to show & teach my children about life. And I know even though their child hood will not have some of the things I grew up with, that it can be great with new traditions. So I will not let these things hinder my family & I. :)

I know there are so many reviews of this book floating around. Good ones, Bad ones, and everything in between. And I was really expecting, after seeing some interviews of Mr. Foer and reading other reviews, to give this book a bad review. But right now I am thinking it has some interesting info in it and I am going to keep my mind open to give his book a fair review. I like how he is telling about his journey as the books unfolds. and I think a good number of people can relate about their feelings on family & how it can be affected by taking on this lifestyle.

"What would happen if I didn't eat any vegetables?"

I have a link on my site that tells how people find my blog. There is all kinds of searches that come to my blog. But this one was kinda strange.....

"What would happen if I didn't eat any Vegetables?"

So I thought I would answer this persons search....

You would be constipated w/o fiber from vegetables. You intestines would have to work very hard and still would not totally empty your body of waste. The lower your daily fiber the more increase in the risk of colon cancer. Since fiber cleans out your system. When bacteria sits in your body from not totally eliminating it it can cause all sorts of problems from bad breath to cancer. Eating lots of meat to make up for the loss of your other foods will also increase your risk of colon cancer. And digestive issues because meat breaks down slowly. Meat and dairy also causes on acid effect in your body which makes greater risk for disease. Breaking down of food in the body takes oxygen. The longer it takes to break down a food the more oxidation occurs. Oxidation causes free radical build up in the body. This is not good for you. Depending on if you are male or female your risk of breast cancer or prostate cancer also increases. It increases your blood cholesterol levels which increases your chances of having a heart attack. Risk of disease from eating a diseased animal is also presents. Specially with all the info on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) commonly known as Mad cow disease. You will not know if you have contacted this disease until you are alot older because it can sit dormant in your system. In humans it is called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Also most all chicken has tumors and it is not known if eating tumorous meat can cause tumor growth in a human body. Though thoughts are that it could because tumors are cells that grow out of control for some reason. Introducing a tumor cell to your body could cause cell development. Mass raising animals also has other issues like pesticides on the animals, in the animals food, antibiotics that no longer work because they are always in meat and so strains of viruses become immune to them. So when people are sick they have to come up with new antibiotics to treat the virus that can no longer be killed by the original antibiotics. I could keep going but there is so much information to give.

Vegetables are very important to the diet. They give you tons of vitamins, along with fiber. They lower your risk of a lot of cancers. There are tons of different veggies and tons of ways to cook them...

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Lil Banti's Baby

Well Lil Banti's Baby was born today sometime before 1pm. When I found the baby he was already gone. His little body had either started breaking down or never fully formed. I think it was the later. His head had not fully capped forward meeting the front of his skull. His belly to his tail had also not formed or was breaking down. His little black & white feathers all though wet looking had already dried in a slick looking clump.

We could hear his little chirps on Friday. We sat outside for hours waiting for him to find his way from his shell. Lil Banti would answer him back in soothing motherly clucks. Then there would be quite for a while. We heard his little voice. It sounded so strong. We have been looking forward to his birth. I'm not sure what happened & we of course really didn't get the chance to meet him. But he will be missed everyday in our chicken yard when his bright little chickadee face isn't there to greet us.
Rest In Peace Lil One and know that you were & are loved.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Garden Planning Part 2 & A Spring Memory of my Grandfather

I planted rhubarb last year that I got from my grandfathers garden after he past away. I was so worried that it would not come up this year after all the horrible weather we had this winter. It was so cold outside. I planted it in pots which worried me even more. Because I thought it would definitely freeze and kill them. But I must have had some luck because this year even when it was still chilly outside I started seeing a few rhubarb shoots. It made me so happy! I didn't lose the plants and spring was finally here. I did however lose one. Or it just hasn't started coming up yet. I planted one in the ground because my pot was not big enough for it. It was the largest in the group and I have yet to find it. We finally moved the dirt where I thought I had put it. Because we are moving our garden beds this year. But I didn't find any roots of anything. So I am not sure where I put it. But for the other ones. I am so happy they are doing well. I plan to bring a few more home this year so I can have enough to make a few pies. It is nice to have a piece of my Grandfather right out side. Every time I walk past I think of him. The garden in general makes me think of him. He raised a huge garden every year. He always sent us home with potatoes, corn, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Yummy fresh veggies. He past away in the middle of march last year. So there was never a garden planted or planned. He had been sick for a while. After he had past spring came and the rhubarb came out of the ground to greet us with the presents of his garden. It reminded me of a time he cut a rhubarb stalk from his front yard and told me to try it. He told me it was a little sour but good. I wouldn't try it. I was alot younger when that happened. So after the rhubarb came up I asked my Grandmother if I could take some of the plants home. And she told me I could have as many as I wanted. We took a few and left the rest. Some other people also took some of it. This year I am going to get some more. And find a big beautiful pot or make a nice raised garden bed just for the rhubarb. So I can make many Rhubarb strawberry pies year round and think of him.

Well made it to the store Thursday. Picked up the most of what I needed. what everything that I needed at that point. I have just recently thought of a few more tings I would like to pick up and plant...

Anyways, Friday I went outside on a bright, beautiful, warm afternoon and planted all the other plants that I intend on growing this year. Except for the few that I am going to direct sow. Soon I hope. Depending on when the husband can get some more stuff in line.

I love planting starters. I hope they work out this year. I am almost wondering as warm as it has been if I should have planted them straight into the ground. It has been strange this year going straight from Furnace to Air conditioning. I hope this summer isn't going to be overwhelmingly hot & humid... yuck.

But the garden is on its way and I am very excited this year to have so many different plants. At this point I have planted 30 different varieties on plants and I am going to straight plant some more soon. We just need to finish moving the garden beds around and decide exactly where they are going. which with the way we procrastinate could be a while but I am in hopes that we can pull it together to have a gorgeous garden this year. So I can learn to can & not need to purchase stuff like organic canned tomatoes for $2.50 to $3.50 a can...

Here is the list that I planted the other day. I still need to count how many I planted.

12. Organic Peppers, Cali Wonders, Burpee,9
13. Organic Peppers, Carnival Mix, Burpee,9
14. Organic Peppers, Habanero, Burpee,9
15. Organic Peppers, Jalapeno Early, Ferry Morris, LYS,9
16. Organic Onions, Scallions, Burpee
17. Organic Head lettuce, Butter Crunch, Burpee,9
18. Organic Head lettuce, Bibb, Ferry Morris, LYS,9
19. Organic Lose Leaf, Flame, Burpee
20. Organic Swiss Chard, Red & White Mix, Burpee,9
21. Organic Pumpkin, Sugar Baby, Burpee
22. Organic Watermelon, Sugar Baby, Burpee,3
23. Organic Watermelon, Jubilee, Burpee,3
24. Catnips, Store Brand, LYS,9
25. True Lanvender, Burpee, LYS,9
26. Organic Basil, Burpee, LYS,9
27. Flower, Snap Dragon, Store Brand, LYS,9
28. Flower, Cosmos, Burpee, LYS,18
29. Organic Eggplant, Black Beauty, Burpee,9
30. Strawberries, Allstars, 10

I have been keeping track of all my plants this year with the quick to print "Seed Starting Worksheet" from the Martha Stewart website. I list organic or not, type of seed, brand, how many I planted, and the date. Then I will go back later and fill in the Planting date and some notes on the weather, what I used on them, and where they were planted, how much sun light they got, etc. I kept notes a couple years ago on one that I actually purchased and I have lost it since. But I really like to know what works and what doesn't and the weather and maybe why something didn't work or why it worked so well.

Easter Dinner at My parents house

I actually cooked today! and I had fun doing it. For the most part. I did however kill cookies... oops. Don't know exactly why they did turn out. I have been wanting to try these cookies since I purchased this book a while back and was just waiting for the right moment. Vegan Cookies Invade your cookie jar has alot of cookies that look so yummy. But I was specially looking forward to the Lazy Samoas (Toasted Coconut Chocolate Cookies) on Page 173-174. The recipe said that the batter should be very thick. Mine for some reason wasn't. I told John before I even put them on the baking sheet that I thought it needed more flour. But I didn't add it. So they spread completely out and ruined.... Good thing I didn't melt the chocolate. But I will definitely give these another try! Everything else turned out nice. We had Tofurky ( Johns choice), Sausage stuffing, Baked Cauliflower, Roasted Sweet Potatoes & White Potatoes, Green Beans, & Roles.

I love stuffing. and saying that I only have it 3 or 4 times a year. Normally only holidays. All those carbs are better left to just a few times a year. But I have been adding extras to the carbs lately. Instead of just plain stove top stuffing. Last year I added Celery. This time Lightlife Vegan sausage. Be careful when you purchase you stuffing. Alot of stuffings have chicken, turkey, clam or pork in them. So make sure to get a brand that doesn't. Watch out for milk additives too. I can find stuffing but regular bread crumbs normally have milk & egg listed.

Vegan Sausage Stuffing

1- Light Life Vegan Sausage
4- Servings Stuffing Bread of choice
Veg Broth
Vegan Butter
Olive oil

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Cook the light life sausage while breaking it up into small pieces about the size of the stuffing. Brown & set aside.
I make mine in the microwave normally. Even though our bag doesn't give instructions for the Microwave. I use the bread & broth measurements on the bag. I Put the Veg Broth & a Table spoon or 2 of butter into the microwave till it boils. Bring out and add the bread stuffing. Mix well make sure it is all wet and that there is enough moisture to make it soft. Then pop it back into the Microwave for a few more minutes. After taking it from Microwave place the Casserole lid over it to keep the moisture in to soak into the bread.

Baked Cauliflower

Whole Head Cauliflower
Olive Oil
Garlic- Optional

Preheat oven to 350F
Cut up the whole head of cauliflower into bite size pieces around the same size.
Place in a large bowl and drizzle with enough oil to coat all florets. Add your salt & pepper. I add garlic by just crushing a few cloves and throwing them in. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. I also turn it at least once so it can brown more.

Baked Sweet & White Potatoes

2 Sweet Potatoes
2 White Potatoes
Olive oil
Herbs- Optional

Preheat oven to 350

Chop Potatoes into bite size wedges. Place in bowl with drizzled Olive Oil to coat. Add salt & Pepper. Add the herb of choice. I used Oregano. Turn at least once or twice. To help brown. Bakes for about 1 hour. ( These are actually very pretty when cooked. Don't look at he blurry picture and think it wasn't. Just a crappy photo :) oops. )

We had a good time at my parents house. I wish we would do it like once a month. Instead of just on Holidays. I think it would be nice to sit that time aside.

John & I
My Mom & Dad
My Lil Sis Chey & My Mom
My Plate
Johns Plate, My little Sister even made everyone place cards.
The scraps the go to the Chickens. They work as my compost crew... :) Waste not ! They even played chicken football with the apple ends. What I call chicken foot ball. Where one grabs the best piece that every one else wants. And then the chase is on! Someone else grabs it! Then the hen tries to tackle the rooster. Its very cute. I will have to video it next time.


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Mysterious Odors? They Might Be Coming From Your Grout!

Ever walk into a home or property and smell a faint but offensive odor and can't quite figure out where it's coming from? If you have odors that you can't quite identify the source, it just might be coming from your grout lines.

Think about it. Unsealed grout is porous. That means it is full of tiny holes. Everything that comes in from the bottom of shoes can get deposited and ground in. Food and drink spills, pet accidents, and other substances can get trapped in the holes. Trapped moisture can result in mold and mildew forming. Regular sweeping, mopping, or even janitorial services clean the surface but do not remove contaminants embedded in grout lines and may even drive these unwanted substances in further.

Stone and tile restoration contractors resolve with all kinds of problems, from polishing dull floors and countertops to repairing chips and cracks to etches, stains, and more. But, did you know that removing odors from grout lines is another valuable service your stone restoration contractor can help you with?

Professional deep cleaning can break down and flush out contaminants, sanitize grout lines, leave you with clean and fresh results impossible to achieve with regular cleaning methods. If the source of the odors is biological, an enzyme treatment can be done.

Don't forget to have your grout lines sealed following a deep cleaning. This will protect them from spills being able to penetrate beyond the surface.

The next time you smell a faint odor and can’t tell where it is coming from, remember, the source may be your grout lines. Having your grout lines professionally cleaned will not only leave your home or business looking better, it can clear the air and resolve some mysterious odor problems.

This is one of a series of articles written and published  on behalf of Stone and Tile PRO Partners.

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Posts Tagged ‘anodized aluminium’

Marriott Renaissance Hotel by Christian Olufemi Architekten & Brumann Innenraumkonzepte GmbH, Vienna – Austria

December 17th, 2015

KriskaDECOR decorates the exclusive Hotel Marriott Renaissance placed in Wien.

Kenzo store, Milan – Italy

September 23rd, 2015

Spotting an amusing sculpture depicting a hand lifting spaghetti from a bowl – the only local reference – passers-by are drawn into a brightly lit space where racks in anodized aluminium and glass display cases contrast starkly with marble floors and clothes from Kenzo’s latest collection.

Ecuador’s pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

July 2nd, 2015

At the ongoing Expo Milano 2015, Ecuador surges the scene with a vibrant pavilion which encapsulates Ecuador’s diverse cultures and landscapes. Nine metre tall façades are sheathed with a multicoloured membrane of hanging chains.

Health Clinic Ruukki by alt Architects & Karsikas, Siikajoki – Finland

June 8th, 2015

New Health clinic is a sympathetic, small-scale public building.

Mobi Customizable Geometric Lighting by James Dieter

June 5th, 2015

Lighting as sculpture has become running theme on Selectism with pieces such as the “Constellation” and “Apollo 8” balancing form with function.

Manifold lamp by Ingo Maurer

November 8th, 2011

Anodized aluminium in black. Five identical metal parts connected by flexible joints. Manifold is a suspension, table or wall lamp.

Intersection coffee table by MDF Italia

September 30th, 2011

Coffee table made with a sheet of natural anodized aluminium, milled and curved, lacquered with a white epoxy powder coating or in mirror-polished stainless steel.

UFO suspended aluminium lamp by Pepe Tanzi

August 16th, 2011

Ufo provides direct light downwards. It is in anodized aluminium in three finishes: natural, black and gold. It is available in three different sizes and as adjustable spot light.


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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Analysis of "Are All the Break-Ups in Your Poems Real?" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Original poem reprinted online here: "Are All the Break-Ups in Your Poems Real?" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Originally read: June 26, 2013
More information about the Poet: Aimee Nezhukumatathil

I envision this poem as an Italian sonnet.  not because of the fourteen lines, but because in the octave there's definitely a question (played with) and there's definitely an answer (serious in taking into consideration the humor).

The title isn't the question though...even though it's in the form of a question.  "Are All the Break-Ups in Your Poems Real?"  Ah, this question and the cousins of this question, "Is that poem based on a real event?" or "how much do you put of yourself in your work?"

The question is how far can the personal question go in regards to literary work.  The first lines represent straight-forward actions and scenes, "If by real you mean as real as a shark tooth stuck / in your heel, the wetness of a finished lollipop stick, / the surprise of a thumbtack in your purse--"  Note that these images are so specific that they edge on fictitious.  Not that these actions and scenes can't happen in real life, but in a poem (and in writing in particular) -- the more specific, the more I question. Why this specific moment?  In so much detail?

"Yes, every last page is true, every nuance, bit, and bite."   But whom is it true for?  The more involved the reader, the more the reader takes the actions and scenes and builds meaning or theme from them.

But the speaker recants, but implants a seed of redefinition, "Wait.  I have made them up--all of them--/ and when I say I am married, it means I married / all of them, a whole neighborhood of past loves."  The key words are "past loves."  Not so much the person, but the moment.  The speaker is playing with the audience interpretation and takes it further.  Past me stated, "mocking the question" and on one side the speaker, but on the other, the speaker, by writing and publishing the break-up is married (defined as a binding contract) to the moment -- recognized hand and hand down the street as "this break up" poem and "that break up" poem.

"Can you imagine the number of bouquets, how many / slices of cake?" And her's the "question" in the octave.  It's not what is stated, but the purpose.  Here the speaker is taking control of the questioning, turning the question on its head.  And instead of addressing the "truth" and "sincerity" as to define poetry -- the speaker is turning more towards the absurd to define the rest of the poem.  Now the answer portion relies on this question.

The funny parts here are how obedient her husbands are, "one chops up some parsley, one stirs a bubbling pot / on the stove.  One changes the baby, and one sleeps / in a fat chair."  Note the lack of names here which adds an illusion of control, but also anonymity.  Not who they are, but what each individual can do.

"and every single / one of them wonder what time I am coming home."  This last part of the poem brings the control back to the speaker -- not the reader or the moments -- in a fun and humorous way.  Also note the cheeky line break of "every single" in which the speaker leaves each one...wondering.

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12月3日思‧英文討論會: Against School

Questions to Ponder:
1. What is education?
2. What is school?
3. What is the difference between education and school?
4. Do you enjoy learning things?
5. Did you enjoy going to school? What did you like about it? What didn’t you like about it?
6. The author says “We suppress our [children’s] genius only because we haven't yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women.” Is this true?
7. How do you manage educated people?
8. Is the best way to let them manage themselves? If so, how would that work?
9. The author, speaking about American society, says that we have become a nation of infantilized adults, unable to lead ourselves, and that this was intended to happen by those who designed our school system. Do you think this is true about Americans? Is this true about Taiwanese?

Discussion Question: Do we really need school? I don't mean education, just forced schooling: six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year, for twelve years. Is this deadly routine really necessary? And if so, for what?

Choose a position:
Position A) ___________________________. create your own position!)
Position B) Our current school system is basically fine, just needs some adjustments, like__________________.
Position C) Our school system needs to be changed radically. I suggest_______________________.
Position D) Kids don’t need ‘school’ at all, they just a place to go that has all the resources they need to play and teach themselves what they need to learn next.

If Position D needs more information on alternates, they can take a look at these two articles:
A Few Words on SVS

Four chapters from Kingdom of Childhood:
Growing Up at Sudbury Valley School

Excerpt 1: By John Taylor Gatto - September 2003, Harpers Magazine

John Taylor Gatto is a former New York State and New York City Teacher of the Year and the author of 'The Underground History of American Education'.

 The parts of the article in bold face are the key sentences in the article.

1. I taught for thirty years in some of the worst schools in Manhattan, and in some of the best, and during that time I became an expert in boredom. Boredom was everywhere in my world, and if you asked the kids, as I often did, why they felt so bored, they always gave the same answers: They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it. They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around.
2. They said teachers didn't seem to know much about their subjects and clearly weren't interested in learning more. And the kids were right: their teachers were every bit as bored as they were.

3. Boredom is the common condition of schoolteachers, and anyone who has spent time in a teachers' lounge can vouch for the low energy, the whining, the dispirited attitudes, to be found there. When asked why they feel bored, the teachers tend to blame the kids, as you might expect. Who wouldn't get bored teaching students who are rude and interested only in grades? If even that.
4. Of course, teachers are themselves products of the same twelve-year compulsory school programs that so thoroughly bore their students, and as school personnel they are trapped inside structures even more rigid than those imposed upon the children.
5. Who, then, is to blame?

6. We all are. My grandfather taught me that. One afternoon when I was seven I complained to him of boredom, and he batted me hard on the head. He told me that I was never to use that term in his presence again, that if I was bored it was my fault and no one else's. The obligation to amuse and instruct myself was entirely my own, and people who didn't know that were childish people, to be avoided if possible. Certainty not to be trusted.
7. That episode cured me of boredom forever, and here and there over the years I was able to pass on the lesson to some remarkable student. For the most part, however, I found it futile to challenge the official notion that boredom and childishness were the natural state of affairs in the classroom. Often I had to defy custom, and even bend the law, to help kids break out of this trap.

8. The empire struck back, of course; childish adults regularly conflate opposition with disloyalty. I once returned from a medical leave to discover that all evidence of my having been granted the leave had been purposely destroyed, that my job had been terminated, and that I no longer possessed even a teaching license. After nine months of tormented effort I was able to retrieve the license when a school secretary testified to witnessing the plot unfold. In the meantime my family suffered more than I care to remember.
9. By the time I finally retired in 1991, I had more than enough reason to think of our schools—with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers—as virtual factories of childishness. Yet I honestly could not see why they had to be that way. My own experience had revealed to me what many other teachers must learn along the way, too, yet keep to themselves for fear of reprisal: if we wanted to we could easily and inexpensively jettison the old, stupid structures and help kids take an education rather than merely receive a schooling. We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness-curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight, simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids to truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then.

10. But we don't do that. And the more I asked why not, and persisted in thinking about the "problem" of schooling as an engineer might, the more I missed the point: What if there is no "problem" with our schools? What if they are the way they are, so expensively flying in the face of common sense and long experience in how children learn things, not because they are doing something wrong but because they are doing something right? Is it possible that George W. Bush accidentally spoke the truth when he said we would "leave no child behind"? Could it be that our schools are designed to make sure not one of them ever really grows up?

11. Do we really need school? I don't mean education, just forced schooling: six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year, for twelve years. Is this deadly routine really necessary? And if so, for what? Don't hide behind reading, writing, and arithmetic as a rationale, because 2 million happy homeschoolers have surely put that banal justification to rest. Even if they hadn't, a considerable number of well-known Americans never went through the twelve-year wringer our kids currently go through, and they turned out all right. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln? Someone taught them, to be sure, but they were not products of a school system, and not one of them was ever "graduated" from a secondary school.
12. Throughout most of American history, kids generally didn't go to high school, yet the unschooled rose to be admirals, like Farragut; inventors, like Edison; captains of industry like Carnegie and Rockefeller; writers, like Melville and Twain and Conrad; and even scholars, like Margaret Mead. In fact, until pretty recently people who reached the age of thirteen weren't looked upon as children at all. Ariel Durant, who co-wrote an enormous, and very good, multivolume history of the world with her husband, Will, was happily married at fifteen, and who could reasonably claim that Ariel Durant was an uneducated person? Unschooled, perhaps, but not uneducated.

13. We have been taught (that is, schooled) in this country to think of "success" as synonymous with, or at least dependent upon, "schooling," but historically that isn't true in either an intellectual or a financial sense. And plenty of people throughout the world today find a way to educate themselves without resorting to a system of compulsory secondary schools that all too often resemble prisons. Why, then, do Americans confuse education with just such a system? What exactly is the purpose of our public schools?

14. Mass schooling of a compulsory nature really got its teeth into the United States between 1905 and 1915, though it was conceived of much earlier and pushed for throughout most of the nineteenth century. The reason given for this enormous upheaval of family life and cultural traditions was, roughly speaking, threefold:

1) To make good people. 2) To make good citizens. 3) To make each person his or her personal best. These goals are still trotted out today on a regular basis, and most of us accept them in one form or another as a decent definition of public education's mission, however short schools actually fall in achieving them. But we are dead wrong. Compounding our error is the fact that the national literature holds numerous and surprisingly consistent statements of compulsory schooling's true purpose. We have, for example, the great H. L. Mencken, who wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that

"the aim of public education is not to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States... and that is its aim everywhere else."
15. Because of Mencken's reputation as a satirist, we might be tempted to dismiss this passage as a bit of hyperbolic sarcasm. His article, however, goes on to trace the template for our own educational system back to the now vanished, though never to be forgotten, military state of Prussia. And although he was certainly aware of the irony that we had recently been at war with Germany, the heir to Prussian thought and culture, Mencken was being perfectly serious here. Our educational system really is Prussian in origin, and that really is cause for concern.

16. The odd fact of a Prussian provenance for our schools pops up again and again once you know to look for it. William James alluded to it many times at the turn of the century. Orestes Brownson, the hero of Christopher Lasch's 1991 book, The True and Only Heaven, was publicly denouncing the Prussianization of American schools back in the 1840s. Horace Mann's "Seventh Annual Report" to the Massachusetts State Board of Education in 1843 is essentially a paean to the land of Frederick the Great and a call for its schooling to be brought here. That Prussian culture loomed large in America is hardly surprising, given our early association with that utopian state. A Prussian served as Washington's aide during the Revolutionary War, and so many German-speaking people had settled here by 1795 that Congress considered publishing a German-language edition of the federal laws. But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace "manageable."

17. It was from James Bryant Conant-president of Harvard for twenty years, WWI poison-gas specialist, WWII executive on the atomic-bomb project, high commissioner of the American zone in Germany after WWII, and truly one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century-that I first got wind of the real purposes of American schooling. Without Conant, we would probably not have the same style and degree of standardized testing that we enjoy today, nor would we be blessed with gargantuan high schools that warehouse 2,000 to 4,000 students at a time, like the famous Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado [where two students shocked the nation one day by systematically murdering their classmates and teachers with automatic weapons, after which they committed suicide].
18. Shortly after I retired from teaching I picked up Conant's 1959 book-length essay, 'The Child the Parent and the State', and was more than a little intrigued to see him mention in passing that the modern schools we attend were the result of a "revolution" engineered between 1905 and 1930. A revolution? He declines to elaborate, but he does direct the curious and the uninformed to Alexander Inglis's 1918 book, Principles of Secondary Education, in which "one saw this revolution through the eyes of a revolutionary."

19. Inglis, for whom a lecture in education at Harvard is named, makes it perfectly clear that compulsory schooling on this continent was intended to be just what it had been for Prussia in the 1820s: a fifth column into the burgeoning democratic movement that threatened to give the peasants and the proletarians a voice at the bargaining table. Modern, industrialized, compulsory schooling was to make a sort of surgical incision into the prospective unity of these underclasses.
20. Divide children by subject, by age-grading, by constant rankings on tests, and by many other more subtle means, and it was unlikely that the ignorant mass of mankind, separated in childhood, would ever re-integrate into a dangerous whole.

Inglis breaks down the purpose - the actual purpose - of modern schooling into six basic functions, any one of which is enough to curl the hair of those innocent enough to believe the three traditional goals listed earlier:

21. 1) The adjustive or adaptive function. Schools are to establish fixed habits of reaction to authority. This, of course, precludes critical judgment completely. It also pretty much destroys the idea that useful or interesting material should be taught, because you can't test for reflexive obedience until you know whether you can make kids learn, and do, foolish and boring things.

22. 2) The integrating function. This might well be called "the conformity function," because its intention is to make children as alike as possible. People who conform are predictable, and this is of great use to those who wish to harness and manipulate a large labor force.

23. 3) The diagnostic and directive function. School is meant to determine each student's proper social role. This is done by logging evidence mathematically and anecdotally on cumulative records. As in "your permanent record." Yes, you do have one.

24. 4) The differentiating function. Once their social role has been "diagnosed," children are to be sorted by role and trained only so far as their destination in the social machine merits - and not one step further. So much for making kids their personal best.

25. 5) The selective function. This refers not to human choice at all but to Darwin's theory of natural selection as applied to what he called "the favored races." In short, the idea is to help things along by consciously attempting to improve the breeding stock. Schools are meant to tag the unfit - with poor grades, remedial placement, and other punishments - clearly enough that their peers will accept them as inferior and effectively bar them from the reproductive sweepstakes. That's what all those little humiliations from first grade onward were intended to do: wash the dirt down the drain.

26. 6) The propaedeutic (=providing introductory instruction) function. The societal system implied by these rules will require an elite group of caretakers. To that end, a small fraction of the kids will quietly be taught how to manage this continuing project, how to watch over and control a population deliberately dumbed down and declawed in order that government might proceed unchallenged and corporations might never want for obedient labor.

27. That, unfortunately, is the purpose of mandatory public education in this country. And lest you take Inglis for an isolated crank with a rather too cynical take on the educational enterprise, you should know that he was hardly alone in championing these ideas. Conant himself, building on the ideas of Horace Mann and others, campaigned tirelessly for an American school system designed along the same lines. Men like George Peabody, who funded the cause of mandatory schooling throughout the South, surely understood that the Prussian system was useful in creating not only a harmless electorate and a servile labor force but also a virtual herd of mindless consumers. In time a great number of industrial titans came to recognize the enormous profits to be had by cultivating and tending just such a herd via public education, among them Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.

28. There you have it. Now you know. We don't need Karl Marx's conception of a grand warfare between the classes to see that it is in the interest of complex management, economic or political, to dumb people down, to demoralize them, to divide them from one another, and to discard them if they don't conform. Class may frame the proposition, as when Woodrow Wilson, then president of Princeton University, said the following to the New York City School Teachers Association in 1909: "We want one class of persons to have a liberal education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class, of necessity, in every society, to forgo the privileges of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks." But the motives behind the disgusting decisions that bring about these ends need not be class-based at all. They can stem purely from fear, or from the by now familiar belief that "efficiency" is the paramount virtue, rather than love, lib, erty, laughter, or hope. Above all, they can stem from simple greed.

29. There were vast fortunes to be made, after all, in an economy based on mass production and organized to favor the large corporation rather than the small business or the family farm. But mass production required mass consumption, and at the turn of the twentieth century most Americans considered it both unnatural and unwise to buy things they didn't actually need. Mandatory schooling was a godsend on that count. School didn't have to train kids in any direct sense to think they should consume nonstop, because it did something even better: it encouraged them not to think at all. And that left them sitting ducks for another great invention of the modem era - marketing.

30. Now, you needn't have studied marketing to know that there are two groups of people who can always be convinced to consume more than they need to: addicts and children. School has done a pretty good job of turning our children into addicts, but it has done a spectacular job of turning our children into children. Again, this is no accident. Theorists from Plato to Rousseau to our own Dr. Inglis knew that if children could be cloistered with other children, stripped of responsibility and independence, encouraged to develop only the trivializing emotions of greed, envy, jealousy, and fear, they would grow older but never truly grow up. In the 1934 edition of his once well-known book 'Public Education in the United States', Ellwood P. Cubberley detailed and praised the way the strategy of successive school enlargements had extended childhood by two to six years, and forced schooling was at that point still quite new. This same Cubberley - who was dean of Stanford's School of Education, a textbook editor at Houghton Mifflin, and Conant's friend and correspondent at Harvard - had written the following in the 1922 edition of his book Public School Administration: "Our schools are ... factories in which the raw products (children) are to be shaped and fashioned .... And it is the business of the school to build its pupils according to the specifications laid down."

31. It's perfectly obvious from our society today what those specifications were. Maturity has by now been banished from nearly every aspect of our lives. Easy divorce laws have removed the need to work at relationships; easy credit has removed the need for fiscal self-control; easy entertainment has removed the need to learn to entertain oneself; easy answers have removed the need to ask questions. We have become a nation of children, happy to surrender our judgments and our wills to political exhortations and commercial blandishments that would insult actual adults. We buy televisions, and then we buy the things we see on the television. We buy computers, and then we buy the things we see on the computer. We buy $150 sneakers whether we need them or not, and when they fall apart too soon we buy another pair. We drive SUVs and believe the lie that they constitute a kind of life insurance, even when we're upside-down in them. And, worst of all, we don't bat an eye when Ari Fleischer tells us to "be careful what you say," even if we remember having been told somewhere back in school that America is the land of the free. We simply buy that one too. Our schooling, as intended, has seen to it.

32. Now for the good news. Once you understand the logic behind modern schooling, its tricks and traps are fairly easy to avoid. School trains children to be employees and consumers; teach your own to be leaders and adventurers. School trains children to obey reflexively; teach your own to think critically and independently. Well-schooled kids have a low threshold for boredom; help your own to develop an inner life so that they'll never be bored. Urge them to take on the serious material, the grown-up material, in history, literature, philosophy, music, art, economics, theology - all the stuff schoolteachers know well enough to avoid. Challenge your kids with plenty of solitude so that they can learn to enjoy their own company, to conduct inner dialogues. Well-schooled people are conditioned to dread being alone, and they seek constant companionship through the TV, the computer, the cell phone, and through shallow friendships quickly acquired and quickly abandoned. Your children should have a more meaningful life, and they can.

33. First, though, we must wake up to what our schools really are: laboratories of experimentation on young minds, drill centers for the habits and attitudes that corporate society demands. Mandatory education serves children only incidentally; its real purpose is to turn them into servants. Don't let your own have their childhoods extended, not even for a day. If David Farragut could take command of a captured British warship as a pre-teen, if Thomas Edison could publish a broadsheet at the age of twelve, if Ben Franklin could apprentice himself to a printer at the same age (then put himself through a course of study that would choke a Yale senior today), there's no telling what your own kids could do. After a long life, and thirty years in the public school trenches, I've concluded that genius is as common as dirt. We suppress our genius only because we haven't yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women. The solution, I think, is simple and glorious. Let them manage themselves.

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text:
The Quinoa Quandary

Published on Friday, February 15, 2013 by Common Dreams

Quinoa: To Buy or Not to Buy… Is This the Right Question?

We’ve been hearing a lot about quinoa lately. While US consumers prize it as a delicious ‘super-food,’ there is growing anxiety about the impact of the quinoa boom in the Andes, and particularly Bolivia, the world’s top producing country. The media has focused primarily on the fact that global demand is driving up the price of quinoa, placing it beyond the reach of poor Bolivians—even of quinoa farmers themselves—leaving them to consume nutritionally vacuous, but cheap, refined wheat products such as bread and pasta. By this logic, some suggest, northern consumers should boycott the ‘golden grain’ to depress its price and make it accessible once again.

Others point out that the impoverished farmers of Bolivia’s highlands are at long last getting a fair price for their crop—one of the few crops adapted to their arid, high altitude environment. In this view, global markets are finally “working” for peasants, and a consumer boycott would only hurt the hemisphere’s poorest farmers.

In short, the debate has largely been reduced to the invisible hand of the marketplace, in which the only options for shaping our global food system are driven by (affluent) consumers either buying more or buying less. It’s the same logic that makes us feel like we’ve done our civic duty by buying a pound of fair trade coffee. This isn’t to dismiss the many benefits of fair trade or other forms of ethical consumption, but the so-called quinoa quandary demonstrates the limits of consumption-driven politics. Because whichever way you press the lever (buy more/buy less) there are bound to be negative consequences, particularly for poor farmers in the Global South. To address the problem we have to analyze the system itself, and the very structures that constrain consumer and producer choices.

Read more at Common Dreams…

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1st RevsPhoto writers meets~

Last month, I had a chance to visit both of our main writers, Revs and Atoya at Kuantan. We were having some discussion about our cars, the upcoming future for revsphotoblog and the automotive in Malaysia. I had arrived there with my trusted 510, 'Cassie'. Hoping to looking foward for next meet up.

Thanks, asuramaru~

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The History of the Rhodesian Ridgeback

The following article is reproduced from the booklet of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Council of the UK, comprising of the four UK clubs, in conjunction with the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Ireland.

This booklet is intended as food for thought for anyone considering owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback for the first time. It does not presume to give all the pros and cons but, if after reading this, you are still interested in Rhodesian Ridgebacks then the Officials and Committees of the breed clubs will give you all the help they can.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback can claim its origins in South Africa although little is known of the very early history.  It appears likely the forerunner of the Ridgeback we know today evolved from the Hunting Dogs of South West Africa, ridged dogs highly prized by the native Hottentots, and the European Settlers sporting breeds.  Cornelius Van Rooyen, a big game hunter, developed the breed and found they possessed excellent instinctive hunting abilities, and an abundance of courage, ideal for use as lion hunting dogs.  The dogs worked by harassing the lion, using constant and cleverly made feint attacks that held the lion at bay giving the hunter exactly what he was looking for, a deliberate shot at close range.  To do this effectively needed a dog of courage, agility, endurance and instinctive skills.

The Parent Club was formed after a meeting, which resulted in a standard being drawn up, at the Bulawayo Kennel Club Show in 1922 and the Rhodesian Ridgeback was recognised by the South African Kennel Union two years later.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks were first seen in this Country in the 1920's, when a member of the Player Family, of cigarette fame, imported a pair.  They attracted a lot of attention when exhibited at the Kennel Club show at Crystal Palace and started to gain a popularity which has not diminished to this day.

Ridgebacks Today

The Rhodesian Ridgeback, so called because of the ridge on the back formed by hair growing in the opposite direction to the remainder of the coat, is a handsome, strong, muscular and active dog.  A magnificent sight to see in the show ring or running free, but please do not be tempted just because of this.  If you are thinking of owning a Ridgeback (most people will say being owned by a Ridgeback) then you should give consideration to the fact that it is very likely to change your way of life, whether you are prepared to change and whether a dog of this type will fit in with you.  The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a unique hound but is not a suitable dog for everyone.

If, in the early weeks of its life, care is taken to acquaint it with people, other animals, traffic, strange noises, wearing a collar and lead; in a secure and loving environment, you will be rewarded with a loyal companion for many years.  It is important to start from day one with firm, but fair and consistent discipline; they are a powerful dog, but can be quite sensitive, harsh treatment is most definitely not the way to train them.  They need a varied training program to keep them interested, little and often works wonders!  They are intelligent, responsive and trainable, but like all hounds are independent thinkers. Some early basic obedience training and socialisation is highly recommended to keep such a large dog under proper control, there are many ringcraft and obedience training classes giving valuable guidance and advice.

They make devoted family companions and guards, but should never be classed as a guard dog.  They are good watchdogs, usually not barking without good reason and although Rhodesian Ridgebacks tend to be "sofa dogs" enjoying lazing around, they do need to be properly exercised.  A quick trot around the block is not good enough, about one hour a day is the requirement to keep them in good condition, so be prepared to give up this amount of time.  When exercising them it is advisable to be mindful that on a lead they can easily pull you off balance and when free running have a surprising turn of speed; also that like all hounds they enjoy chasing leaves, papers, other animals and joggers!!  You need to be Master.

They are athletic so it is important to have a properly high fenced garden or yard, preferably large and you should remember that like all breeds of dog if left alone for long periods of time they will, if bored, become destructive.  Therefore if you are away from the house for long periods of time then quite definitely the Ridgeback is not for you.

With this said they are a pleasure to have around the house, although be warned they will choose the sofa in preference to their own bed.  Their coats are easily kept in tip top condition, although they have short hair they do need grooming regularly.  This is a good way of keeping in touch with his health and welfare, it also helps to keep hairs off your clothes and the furniture.

They are clean of habit, dignified, intelligent, affectionate and faithful; they are not unfriendly but are aloof with strangers, preferring to be introduced.  Ridgebacks as a rule are very good with children, they love well-behaved children but as with any dog, children must be taught not to tease and pester them, both children and dogs must be taught to respect one another.  It is important to provide the dog with his own bed in a quiet place.  As they love human company, travelling is rarely a problem, they are happy just to be in your company.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks love any activity, free running being a favourite. A number of Hound Societies organise Lure Coursing and a group of Rhodesian Ridgeback enthusiasts organise occasional race meetings, where some Ridgebacks soon realise they can catch the hare much quicker if they go the wrong way round or across the middle of the track. Some discover the "hare" is not real and it is beneath their dignity to chase a plastic bag.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks usually prefer running to showing but they do this reluctantly to please the human pack members. All General Championship Shows and many Canine Society Open Shows have classes for Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The breed clubs organise a total of 8 shows per year just for Rhodesian Ridgebacks, match meetings, educational seminars and fundays, all of which serve as social occasions for owners. Many long-standing friendships have been developed due to their common interest in this charismatic breed.

What to do if a Ridgeback is for you

If you have decided that you would like to share your life with a Rhodesian Ridgeback make the appropriate preparations before buying. Read all you can about the breed; there have been a number of books written about the Rhodesian Ridgeback, the most well known being "The Rhodesian Ridgeback, The Origin, History and Standard" by T. C. Hawley. This is available from all Rhodesian Ridgeback Clubs who will give advice on available literature. Visit some of the many shows, talk at length to Exhibitors; arrange to visit Ridgebacks in their home environment, most owners will be happy to have you visit their homes and be only too happy to talk "Ridgeback".

Find a breeder whose dogs you like and find out as much as you can about how to feed and raise your puppy into a well behaved and liked member of society. Some questions to ask breeders are:- Have the parents had their hips x-rayed?  Have the puppies been checked by someone knowledgeable for the hereditary condition, Dermoid Sinus? Also enquire if the puppies have been bred within the Kennel Club and the Breed Clubs Code of Ethics.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Welfare
The Rhodesian Ridgeback Welfare Charity and Club Rescues exist to look after Ridgebacks found abandoned or whose owners are unable to keep them and need to find them new homes. This is why you will find that great care is taken by reputable Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders when selling their puppies. You may be subjected to "the third degree". If you feel you could offer a new start to one of these Rhodesian Ridgebacks the Rescue Officers from all clubs would be happy to hear from you.

If not put off after all this perhaps you should have a Rhodesian Ridgeback!

For further information and advice please contact us.

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Saturday, May 30, 2009

We had the chance to see No Doubt and Paramore in concert last Saturday night at Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ. We got lawn tickets for $15!! Last concert we saw was Ricky Martin (great show) and we paid $75. This show was sold out and lots of fun. Paramore has 2 songs on the Twilight movie. Rich and I have been fans of No Doubt for quite awhile. Fun fact about Gwen Stefani is her whole name is Gwendolyn Renee Stefani and she was born Oct 3, 1969. She bounced and jumped thru her whole show. Not sure how she does that as she and her husband had 2 babies 2 and a half years apart. She kept telling us to jump but there was not a bathroom close enough for me to do that:) It was a diverse group of people there. One girl told me she liked my shirt (it was black tiger stipes with pink neckline) and another said "some guy is undressing behind you!" I thought what the heck until I turned around to see that it was just my husband taking his shirt off. It was outside and it was 90 degrees!! Told the lady it was ok as it was just husband! Hope another band comes along soon that we can afford to see!

LisaLou May 30, 2009 at 7:47 PM

Sounds like fun! I saw paramore last summer it was awesome! glad you had fun.

Mary June 2, 2009 at 6:01 PM

Erin June 4, 2009 at 7:57 PM

I read this a few days ago but didn't get a chance to comment :)

You are so lucky!!! I'm glad you got the opportunity to go to the concert.