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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Bathroom Shower Curtains with Reclaimed Wood

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bathroom shower curtain reclaimed wood

I have a 7 year old son, 4.5 year old daughter and a 2 year old son.  There's not much of a thing called privacy in my house.  Thinking of my future and it's potential need of privacy, I decided to add a "shower curtain" to my master shower.

I used scrap wood taken from an old bench that my friend Kristy tried to burn down in 2000.  It was cool looking wood and I just couldn't throw it away.  So here we are, ten years later and it found it's second life.  Dan is just happy to get it out of his garage.  The curtains are sheers from IKEA.  The hooks are a couple bucks each from Home Depot.  The two dragonfly hooks on the wall outside the door to my shower are three or four bucks from Home Depot too.  Works out great for a towel and robe when taking a shower.

So here's the before:

...and the after:

On another note, our new dog Kevin has taken to chasing our beloved Milton Bradley, 10 1/2 year old Maine Coon.

  I'm gonna seek the advice of a professional on this one folks.  Kinda scary.

And can you believe tis the season?  Have you gotten your first Christmas card in the mail yet?  Our first arrived a couple days ago, ....thanks Anna!  I wanted to remind you of a fun way to display your cards:
Here's a link to my blog about my Holiday Card Display.

  1. I'm new to your blog but what a trip it has been so far! I really like your ideas. We do not use shutters in Norway but I would have done something similar if we did. Great job :)

  2. I love the privacy curtain! Awesome idea! And your main coon is not looking too happy about the antics of his former sibling. haha
    We have a main coon too. They are cool cats! I hope you can make it my soon to be planned and prepared for Valentines tea party! :)
    See you Wed. at yoga! ;)

  3. I love the look of the shower curtain with the wonderful wood board/rod. The Maine Coon is so handsome. I love the there a story behind Milton Bradley's name?

  4. Thanks! Milton Bradley the entrepreneur was from Maine. Thus, Milton Bradley the Maine Coon. He's a great cat!

  5. Awesome idea, going to do this over my french doors leading to my courtyard!!!

Comments are much appreciated and I would love to hear from you!


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Friday, August 11, 2006

Friday Night Words of Irony Blogging

One thing about the Kingston Trio, they brought folk music to the masses.

Heard on a promo for a PBS special.

Very cool design! Useful information. Go on! »
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September 16, 2011

Keine Auslieferung der Aktivistin Gülaferit Ünsal an Deutschland Gewährung politischen Asyls in Griechenland

Am Freitag, 16. September, verhandelt der Oberste Gerichtshof Griechenlands über das Rechtsmittel, das Gülaferit Ünsal gegen die Entscheidung des Berufungsgerichtes von Thessaloniki eingelegt hatte, mit der ihre Auslieferung nach Deutschland angeordnet wurde.

Nichts aber rechtfertigt Ihre Auslieferung.

Auf Grundlage eines Haftbefehls der deutschen Behörden wird Gülaferit Ünsal der Mitgliedschaft in einer „terroristischen Organisation“ beschuldigt. Die einzige Grundlage dafür ist ihre legale politische Aktivität, d. h. der Verkauf von Zeitschriften und ihre Teilnahme an Solidaritätskampagnen für türkische politische Gefangene.

September 12, 2011

Fylakio in September 2011 - "My only wish was to escape from this situation"

Yesterday we received a phone-call from relatives of Syrian refugees, who have been prisoners in Fylakio (Northern Greece) since a few days:

Today I talked with somebody who was released a few days ago from Fylakio prison about his experiences there. He didn’t want to talk about it first. He said he didn’t want me to feel sorry for something that happened to him, and make me suffer, me and my family. But I said to him: “Tell me the whole truth. The people have to know what happens in there!”
They get food once a day. The food is hardly enough to survive.
The drinking water is dirty. Sand is coming out of the tap.
The toilets are dirty.
There is no fresh air. No ventilation.
Once a months they are allowed to go out in the yard. Never they see the sunlight and they are always locked in. In 46 days they have been two times outside to breathe.
Only once, at the 3rd of September, when the prison was burning. This day they had to stand for four hours in the sun, no shadow anywhere. Collective punishment?
One guy from Syria started a hunger strike. Nobody was interested in his protest. So finally he hurt himself with a knife. The police was just watching. Later they transferred him into another cell. Seven days isolation. Afterwards they brought him back to the big cell, back to all the other prisoners. The demand of his hungerstrike had been to get released. But nobody listened. Nobody outside even noticed his protest.
Something else: Police beats people. They beat you in a life-threatening way. Beating and abusing this is normal in Greece. They beat the people in there, they torture them.
If somebody gets sick there is no doctor.
He told me:
I did not apply for asylum. I took a private lawyer who said to me if I do, I will have to stay very long in this prison and there is no chance to get asylum in Greece anyway. The lawyers always promise some things but they lie a little bit, about the chances of getting released.
The sitation inside is horrible. There is no electricity. The people sleep three in one bed. If one is falling from the bed, he can break his hands or his skull and nobody is taking notice. Once and Afghan fell down. He was bleeding heavily and nobody did anything to help.
There are different nationalities and ethnicities in one small room. If they start a fight the policemen stand outside laughing about it until the fight is over. Or until somebody gets a fracture or something else happens. They don’t care.
There are many people in one cell and all the time new people are pushed inside.
My only wish was to escape from this situation. Only to get out of there. Even if I would be deported. Anything would be better than this prison. This is why nobody wants to apply for asylum here. Because it’s so horrible in this prison and nobody wants to be forced to stay here for the whole six months – even not for one day longer!
Imprisoned refugees in Fylakio protested on 3rd of September 2011. They set the mattresses on fire. This is the ongoing revolt after a series of revolts in prisons in (Northern) Greece where people are locked because they are searching for a safe place to stay. Revolts and hungerstrikes we will make public. Publicity is the only (weak) protection against the brutal repression that follows the revolts in most cases:
On the last revolt in Fylakio, 3rd of September 2011:
Riot in Fylakio Detention Center, 4th of December 2010:
Demonstration of the Greek antiracist movement in Evros, Fylakio 18th of December 2010:
List of (some) hungerstrikes and revolts of migrants in Greece 2009 and 2010:
In August 2011 Medicins sans Frontieres announced that for almost a month, there has been no medical care to immigrants and asylum seekers in detention:

September 4, 2011

Revolt in Fylakio detention center

On Saturday afternoon immigrants held in the detention center of Fylakio, Evros, set fire to mattresses. Border police forced the inmates out of the building, where they were guarded by riot police units, while fire brigade that arrived from the city of Orestiada managed to put out the fire.

One immigrant was transferred by ambulance to the Medical Center of Orestiada.

Only recently the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced that for almost a month, there has been no medical care to immigrants and asylum seekers in detention in Evros region.

Meanwhile, greek navy and coast police keep searching for survivors from early Saturday shipwreck near the island of Kefalonia. Unfortunately the number of dead will probably rise to 19.

Source: Clandestina, Migration & Struggle in Greece


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Central Monitoring Unit

  • -

Central Monitoring Unit

Central Monitoring and Nurse Call Paging System from 1 to 40 Patients

Eliminate in-room alarm noise

The Wireless Central Monitoring Unit is capable of monitoring up to 40 Wireless Components and is ideal for facility use. Each resident can be assigned a sensor pad, motion sensor and/or nurse call button so that when triggered a wireless signal is transmitted silently to the central monitor up to 300 ft away. Audible and visual alert occurs at the central monitor and/or caregivers pager and displays the number corresponding to the wireless component. Battery Operated (4-C, not included). INCLUDES AC Power Adapter (OMGAC-04EC).

Works with cordless bed pads, chair pads, floor mats and wireless components which allows the Central monitor to be placed at a nurses station – away from the resident, thereby eliminating in-room alarm noise. Caregiver may also be notified by pager that displays which sensor activated an alert. This enables the caregiver to attend to other duties yet be alerted when a resident needs assistance.

Central Monitor alerts caregiver at nurses’ station or caregiver pager with an audible and visual display that indicates which resident originated the alarm.

Desgined to fit your fall prevention and anti-wandering needs. Add additional wireless components to the system such as nurse call buttons (OMG433-NC), floor mats, and motion sensors (OMG433-MS).

  • Works with Cordless sensor pads and floor mats which eliminates tripping hazards.
  • Expandable for your needs with optional components: Cordless Bed & Chair sensor pads, Cordless Floor Mats & Landing Mats, Wireless Nurse Call Buttons, & Remote Reset Buttons, Wireless Window/Door Exit Alarms & Motion Sensors.
    The Central Monitor can be placed at the nurse’s station to alert caregivers when residents are in need of assistance. Works with all 433 Wireless Call Systems and Components.
  • Alarms at nurses’ station or other central location audibly and display indicates which resident originated the alarm.
  • Caregiver is simultaneously notified on caregiver pager (3″x2″).
  • Nurse call button (2″x2″) allows resident to call caregiver at any time, push-button activation transmits signal to the Central Monitor and caregiver pager simultaneously, can be mounted to headboard or worn with lanyard.
  • OMG433-CMU Wireless Fall Monitor Central Monitoring Unit is programmable for up to 40 residents at one central location, and can be activated by a variety of peripheral wireless devices so that the caregiver can meet each resident’s particular needs. Each numbered slot accommodates up to 2 components programmed to allow for one resident to have multiple components monitoring them up to a total of 40 inputs to each CMU.
  • 150-300 foot range with antenna fully extended.
  • AC-04EC Adapter included.

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Additional Information about Skills Based Reporting

There are several places where you can find more information relating to Skills Based Reporting, however much of what is available online is found under a search of Standards Based Grading.  The general idea of Skills Based Reporting is similar to Standards Based Grading, but in a Skills Based Reporting environment we are teaching our students skills that are essential to be able to be successful with their next steps.  Our teachers have identified the skills based on what they teach as opposed to taking pre-designed standards that students work towards.

Two experts in the field that have done a lot of research into this topic are Dr. Thomas Guskey and Rick Wormeli.

The Association for School Curriculum and Development (ASCD) published an article titled “Seven Reasons for Standards Based Grading” that was written by Patricia L. Scriffiny.  A search on Google will give you the full text of the article, which is an excellent resource for the thought behind utilizing skills based reporting.

If you prefer watching videos, complete a search on Google for “Rick Wormeli Standards Based Grading” and you will find videos about the following topics: the 100 point scale vs. a 4 point scale, late work policies and procedures, and reassessment procedures.

We also encourage all parents to get in contact with their child’s teachers for any clarification about classroom practices in relation to skills based reporting.


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Posts Tagged ‘ramble’

FRIYAY.IMG_0552Lately, my concentration has been the pits. No focus. I’m honestly unsure where the hours are going. It’s like I just fly through each week. Before I know it, Mondays become Fridays become Mondays again.

I’m happy. Don’t get me wrong… like super happy.

Races and Girls on the Run (I’m on the board of directors for the local chapter here – have I mentioned that?) and crossfit and running and friends. All the happy.

But somehow it feels like I got onto a conveyor belt. Or one of those moving sidewalks… you know, like at the airport?

I’m talking career wise, here. I’m Type A bananas and that means I like plans and I’m always hungry for what’s around the corner. I love my current job and company, don’t get me wrong, but I like to have a long-term target, and goals for the grander picture.

I went for a walk last night before dinner and starting to think a little bit about all this. The tangle of to-do’s and could do’s and current vs. horizon.

My dad always told me while growing up that you need to have a fire in your belly. You have to have goals – BIG goals – that keep you pushing forward and reminding yourself who you are and where you want to go.

And recently I’ve been floating through…. preoccupied with the present. That’s probably a good thing, right? A GREAT thing. ‘Bout darn time. Yet still, I want a plan. I want to get my booty back to writing more frequently, and make good on that Huffington Post blogger gig (read my HuffPo piece here). And other stuff that I need to unravel in my heart. Fire in the belly, leeeeeet’s go.

But how do you hone in again? How do you recenter and look forward without losing track of the present too?

No, really – any tips?

Does anyone else feel ^^ this way too?

I’ll let you all know what I figure out….. and tthat concludes this pre-weekend ramble. 😉 I’m ready for some weekend goodness (including a doughnut).

Happy Friday! xo

Growing Up

This is going to be a babble post, okay? I’m having one of those days where there’s too many thoughts, and I need to get them out. SO… you’re welcome in advance.

In two days, I will be 29. Last year of my twenties… how’d that happen?

This song is my current obsession (hence the title of this post).

Last week was a WEEK, if you know what I mean. Technology failed me (thanks, iPhone, for completely spazzing out), work was challenging + busier than even usual, and I was just exhausted. Waking up at 5:30am on the daily and then not getting home from work til 7pm-ish is going to take some getting used to….

Over the weekend, I went down to San Diego to celebrate another friend who’s getting married in September. Two of my favorite people are getting married in San Diego, in September, a week apart from one another! Being there Saturday reminded how much I love SD. We had brunch on the rooftop of the Andaz Hotel downtown, which was just lovely.

I spy Petco Park.

A friend mailed me one of the most thoughtful (and random) birthday gifts I’ve possibly ever received – homemade pasta and sauce. I’m not kidding. Opening the box was bananas in the best way.

I finally tried Grit Cycle in Costa Mesa yesterday morning, and it was fantastic. Like a slightly toned down version of Soul Cycle. I was drinking the kool-aide within a few minutes of bopping around in the dark… too bad it’s $$$$.

In 45 minutes, I learned how uncoordinated I am when it comes to dancing on a bike (shocker), and remembered how fun spin is.

I found out that I have to work at an event the night before I’m supposed to run the Healdsburg Half in October… and the event is here, and the race is up in northern California. TBD how that is going to play out…. i may be in the market for a new fall half marathon, and forced to kiss that already paid Healdsburg registration fee goodbye.

And on a sorta related note, it appears growing up really just means letting the universe do its own thing, because if you let is, you may actually float somewhere better than you could have possibly imagined.. you just sorta have to hang on for the ride sometimes.

Aaaaaand that’s it! Do I get my birthday cookie now?

Happy Monday, lovelies! xo

Coffee Talk

Hump daaaaaaaaaaaay. Let’s chat (and caffeinate).

If we were having coffee today, we’d probably be at Starbucks, because that’s basically my office now that I work from home 100% here in Orange County (I’m in Newport Beach). As in, they know my order and ask me if I’m getting my “usual.” (<– Should I be proud or embarrassed?)

And I’d start out by likely ranting that I failed (literally) one of my two quizzes last night in Anatomy… stupid muscles, why must you all look alike? Instead of drinking my 19th soy misto for the week, I should be studying facial muscles and skull bones, because I have a big test tomorrow and another on Tuesday. BUT, guess what? I love, love, looooooooooove taking this class and being back in school (even if it’s just one class after work right now). I know, I keep telling you that, but it’s true! As cliche as this may sound, being in this class the past couple of months has helped remind me that I AM smart, and capable of learning and understanding new things (sometimes we forget that, you know?). As someone who loves running and just being active, I also find it super interesting. Aka I’m sort of excited I now know what each ends of the clavicle are called, and the names of the different features of the femur.

This is a whole new sorta nerd coming atcha now. 😉

If we were at coffee, I’d also tell you that I’m trying my hardest to transport to a state of zen at work. Like an out of the body/”rise above it” outlook so that I stop getting lost in the nitty gritty annoyances and frustrations of my day job, and the negative effect it’s had on my concept of my skill level and value as a professional lady. Raise your hand if you can relate.

I’d tell you I’m struggling to find a time balance lately, with classwork and real (aka paid) work and blogging and working out and sleeping. I need to devote some time to just getting a new and improved schedule set so that I don’t feel like a sleep deprived zombie who’s always rushing around. I don’t mind having to fit in studying, but I need to establish some balance again, and prioritize.

OH! I would also tell you I’m starting a Paleo Whole 30 on April 6th (aka the first Monday of April/day after Easter), along with my friend Kirby. Anyone else want to join us? This is not my first go round at a Whole 30, and I’ll be sharing a post soon about prepping for it and the reason why I’m doing it…. but essentially I need a kick in the booty to get back onto the clean eating train. I’ve been consistently working out since the SD Half, but my eating has been a bit……. all over the place. March has been the month of eating all the bread. Oops?

I’d probably end our coffee date by sharing that I’m going down to San Diego this weekend to see friends, and I’m on the hunt for a good podcast to listen to on my drive now that Serial is over. Suggestions?

Ummmmm, and now I’d probably tell you I have to go back to work, and earn that paycheck!

If we were at coffee, what would you want to share??

Coffee Talk

Oh, hi.

Let’s pretend we’re having coffee today, mmmk? I’m having one of those all too familiar ramble moments, so bear with me.

If we were really having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve been in a f-u-n-k this week. I’ve been letting stuff at work weigh me down, and I just really need to do like Jay-Z says and brush that dirt off my shoulder. Did I really just that?

…long week. Told ya.

I recently read a quote that hit home: “Stress is caused by being here, but wanting to be there.” <– truth.

And I’d mention that I’m super duper excited about a recent decision to dive into a freelance business, on the side of my 9am-5pm office job and blog. I just shared some deets on a brand new page here on the blog – check it out here! I’d love you forever if you share it with anyone you know who might be interested in my services.

Okay, fine. I already love you, but that would really seal the deal.

I’ve been struggling lately with time management + balance, fitting in work and class and driving all around southern California (have I mentioned  that this boy I love lives an hour away from me?) amongst others things, and trying to squeeze in sleep and writing.  I need to get my act together because for a freelance biz to be successful, you have to, well…

{And that made me think of Jay-Z again. What is going on today?}

If we were having coffee, I’d mention that I’m trying desperately to find these shoes in my size, and am failing. Apparently everyone with my size feet have already bought a million pairs. Rude.

I’d also tell you I have not run since my half a couple weeks ago. Not one stinkin’ mile. Heck, I barely want to look at my running shoes.

So, I’m on a little self-imposed vacay from running, in order to help myself not hate it forever. And instead, I’m filling my sweat-time with hot yoga and hiking, and returned to my beloved Body Pump classes at the gym.

If that’s what a running vacay looks like, I don’t mind at all.

I believe very strongly people go through seasons in their lives with just about everything, including fitness and hobbies. In this current season, I don’t feel like running long distances. And I’ve sort of realized that to me, racing feels like a second job when I’m training, and zaps out the love I have for running…. even though I deeply value the sense of accomplishment at the end of the weekend long runs. Does that happen to anyone else?

I STILL haven’t chosen a Halloween costume, and after attending a Mad Men-themed party this last weekend, my love for theme parties and dressing up has been reawakened.  (I may or may not have joined a sorority in college mainly because of the promise of themed parties.)

THIS SONG is my latest obsession. Have you heard it?

I’d also likely mention that I plan on tricking my boyfriend into watching the best Halloween movie ever this weekend, with some popcorn and pumpkin beer. Amok, amok, amok….

If we were having coffee today, what would YOU share?

Hump Day Confessions

Hi! It’s huuuuump day.IMG_3921

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that my boyfriend actually loathes when people call Wednesday “hump day,” but I love it (as you all know) because it reminds me of that darn camel in the Geico commercial…..and so I keep saying it much to his chagrin. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Speaking of commercials, I love my iPhone and am a diehard Apple fan, but I get a kick out of the latest commercials positioning Siri versus Window’s new smart phone assistant, Cortana.  Clever.

The InDesign class I’m taking requires a lot more concentration and dedicated scheduling than I’d originally anticipated, and I sort of wish I’d enrolled as pass/fail rather than a letter grade.  🙁 But I’m enjoying the challenge so far!

I forgot to mention in my training update on Monday was that I have grown to dread my shorter, mid-week runs, and I’m not entirely sure why. (The long runs are so much more enjoyable!) And that I feel like my half marathon racing days are numbered, due to the fact that my feet sort of hate running (including the one I had surgery on a couple years ago).

It rained in San Diego yesterday afternoon, and you’d have thought Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were doing cartwheels naked up and down the street for the way my neighbors were all hollering and cheering and staring on their patios and out their windows. No one appreciates a good rain storm like people in a drought, right? (<–whoa, apply it to life and that’s kind of deep.)

An awesome reader recently shared an Instagram feed that features pancake ART. What!? Check it out.

Can I tell you I am so freakin’ relieved that wedding-polooza is finally over? I’ve had weddings every month since June. JUNE.

There are just 2 (eh, and a half…) weeks til I’m reunited with some of my favs for Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas! Our wristbands arrived on my doorstep Monday. That also means just 3.5 weeks til my half!

There’s no air conditioning at my office (historical building, military base, yadda yadda). #firstworldproblems …but really, can I PLEASE get a taste of fall? I need gatorade just to sit at my desk and type. Rant over.

Care of a random raffle win at work that I almost feel like was rigged (and do not mind), I’m going to the Padres game tonight! Makes perfect sense since it still feels like summer ’round here. One hot dog, please. 😉

Got anything you’d like to confess today?

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June 22, 2017

Happy + Thankful + Blessed

I honestly feel like being thankful is something I’ve been jumping on this week. Upon my return from the States a little apartment opened up in town on a secure (and Mzungu approved) compound. So I moved into my own little place, sharing a kitchen with my so wonderful flat mate from Australia and immediately we are cooking dinner together, sharing life and taking up running.

I got to come back to a place where I already had some good friends and knew the community. I got to come back to work with kids I adore and jump back into life in Uganda.

My little place is attached to a local café that has a generator attached so when power goes out (which is still does frequently) it takes a minute and then we’re back on. I can get work accomplished no matter the weather or the Ugandan factor. It’s a week full of blessings. And after my first three months I’m so thankful. Truly.

Cutie at the soccer match.

Peter at his engagement ceremony!

Kennedy posing for his close up.

Jerrod (one of our newest additions) when we first met him.

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Laying Down the Foundation

A question that I’ve been wrestling with and mulling over for quite some time is, what is my cooking philosophy? Or as it is sometimes referred to, what is my cooking perspective? What’s that constant thread that runs through my culinary creations; a thesis, my objective, what my cooking means and stands for? I think you get the point and I think it is important for me to spell it out and capture it on paper (or I guess in this case, capture this foundation out there in the blogasphere). I think it has taken me so long to make this important declaration because I grappled with that very question: What does all this mean?

And I think I found my answer.

There are many things that I think describe my cooking and provide me with the blueprints for any creation. My cooking is honest. It’s fresh and it’s all homemade and original. It is designed to make you want to slow down and put any stresses aside so that you can savor it. Simply put, it invokes that feeling of “Oh my God, this is good”.

Not to get political on you, but I think that our nation really is in the midst of a food crisis. With fast food intake on the rise and fewer people spending money on what they eat and even less time enjoying it, it is evident that changes must be made. And that is what I am setting out to do, create fresh and easy recipes that can impress as well as nourish the soul and body. Now, before you mistake me for a “health nut” (I’m not) please understand that I am simply out to make good food taste great. While it’s true that you won’t see mounds of butter, oils, sugars, and salts in my creations as that’s a sure-fire way to loose the actual flavor of what’s on your plate. You also won’t find the use of a microwave or any prepackaged, chemically enhanced anything. What you will see is honest food, creatively combined and artistically positioned so that it pleases all of the senses and makes your soul smile. While my cooking naturally leans a little heavily on the Mediterranean side (drawing on inspiration from Italy , Greece and Spain ), I will also infuse these influences into other cuisines found globally as well as pull from ideas that originated domestically, creating a hodgepodge of yummyness.

My cooking is meant to excite and my blog is meant to inspire and to encourage you to stay in for a night, dust of those pots and pans and to create.. I encourage you to try my ideas and to tweak them to align with your tastes. Take it all in. The smells, the colors the sounds of sizzle, and enjoy the journey to the end product.

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What's Hot From The Small Boston Kitchen


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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The De-partment and Re-Wholement of Wisdom

On the macro level, truth -- and therefore intellectual honesty -- is the highest value. As Dennis Prager says, this is not necessarily so of the micro level, where there is no reason to be brutally honest at the cost of damaging relationships. In fact, we might say that on the micro level the most important value is love in its various forms: caritas, eros, and agape.

This goes to one of the fundamental inversions of leftism, as the moonbats among us often behave as if Love is All You Need on the macro level. Isn't this how Obama is treating the Mullahs? Just be nice to them, and they'll be nice back to us. When new age leftists talk about a global shift in collective consciousness, this is what they're referring to: replacing hard truth with gooey luv.

"Taking this perspective into the political realm, [Marianne] Williamson has advocated a Department of Peacebuilding and has created a group called the Peace Alliance to bring this about."

Sounds a little vague, even gooey. How would it work? "[O]ur country’s way of dealing with security issues is increasingly obsolete.... We cannot simply rely on brute force to rid ourselves of enemies.... The only way to make peace with your neighbors is to make peace with your neighbors.”

Now that is profound. It only looks like a vacuous tautology.

Williamson actually ran for congress in my district in 2014. I say this to remind you just how lonely and isolated I am here in Comedy Central. One of her ideas is "to establish a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding that would examine 'non-violent problem-solving options' to global conflict."

Dennis Kucinich is on the same page of the coloring book: "The intention is to develop an organized approach, tapping the intellectual and spiritual power of America to develop programs that would include teaching children the principles of peace: teaching them peace giving, peace sharing, mutuality, seeing the other person as an aspect of oneself, of teaching the inner equality of all people."

Here again, those are all fine goals on the micro level. In fact, we used to teach these things in public schools before the Supreme Court declared Christianity unconstitutional.

This goes to Jesus's crack about being innocent as doves and wise as serpents. You could say that on the macro level we need to be at least as wise and cunning as the serpents with whom we are dealing: Iran, North Korea, Putin, ISIS, the IRS, et al. However, the Obama left is innocent toward our foreign enemies but cunning and cynical toward domestic opposition.

We need a Department of Peace so that the left might examine non-violent solutions toward dealing with conservatives, instead of using the power of the state to harass us and limit our speech. Liberals need to see conservatives as aspects of themselves, and appreciate our inner equality.

Think about how truth works. Truth is always a kind of "opposition," at least to the extent that we haven't internalized it: there is truth, and there is what I believe, and there is no way to simply "love away" the difference ("iron sharpens iron," in the words of Solomon). One cannot make peace with truth by finding some middle ground between What Is and What I Want It To Be, but rather, by submitting to it.

But the modern education establishment is like a Department of Truth. And like the Department of Peace, it pretends to solve a problem by defining the terms away.

Think, for example, of their holiest of holies, Diversity. What is diversity but the insistence that we make peace with multiple truths, which is (literally) no truth at all? Therefore, job one of our federal Department of Truth is to use the power of the state to outlaw truth -- just as a Department of Peace would assure perpetual war (at least until our surrender and defeat).

It comes down to Wisdom and her diverse liberal alternatives. "Aristotle," says McGinn, identifies wisdom "as the habit of knowledge that puts things in their proper order."

Thus, "Ordering and judging are rooted in the essential act of wisdom, that upon which all its ordering and judging depend, namely, contemplation" (McGinn). And contemplation "considers the very object of happiness, the highest intelligible being"(Aquinas, ibid.). Thomas enlists Paul as a wingman, who says in Corinthians that "The spiritual person [i.e., the wise person] judges all things."

This, of course, has nothing to do with judgmentalism, let alone ontological or epistemological closure. Rather, it means forming a living relationship to the highest intelligible being, or O. Thus, it is the quintessence of dynamic openness, its very source and possibility.

In a manner of speaking, it is not as if we are made in the image of God once and for allah, but rather, ceaselessly being remade -- similar to how one's body retains its identity while undergoing constant change. To cease changing is another term for death.

Note also that Wisdom is what orders science. It is superior to science, and allows us to put all of the many individual scientific disciplines in their proper place: physics, biology, chemistry, neurology, anthropology, psychology, etc.

The fraudulent metaphysic of scientism is really a bad imitation of wisdom and theology, because it surely orders the universe in a hierarchical manner, but does so in a precisely upside-down manner, placing physics at the top instead of at the bottom or periphery.

In contrast, Christian metaphysics places person at the top (and center), such that this is the sort of cosmos we would expect to see, given the necessity that persons exist in it. By dis-inverting the cosmos and seeing it from this proper perspective, we can eliminate a lot of the mystification -- not mystery -- from the world.

This goes to one of the Prime Directives of the Raccoon lifestyle, which involves the demystification the world in order to re-mysterize it. Doing so requires a kind of skepticism at one end -- wise as serpents, you might say -- and open acceptance at the other -- innocent as doves or children.

This goes to the born and born-again cycle, or the continuous remaking alluded to above: "Such wisdom follows the model of the most perfect form of movement, circular motion, by beginning from principles, arguing to conclusions, and returning to the principles with deeper understanding" (McGinn).

There are many ways to express this perfect nonsense, e.g., Returning to the Oneself, borne again to the mysterious mamamatrix of our birthdeath, our winding binding river of light empties to the sea: as it was in the beginning, same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was...

julie said...

This goes to one of the Prime Directives of the Raccoon lifestyle, which involves the demystification the world in order to remysticize it. Doing so requires a kind of skepticism at one end -- wise as serpents, you might say -- and open acceptance at the other -- innocent as doves or children.

Yes, just so.

I am trying to learn how to work with animation software, for a number of reasons having little to do with making animations, but the essence of it - of creativity in general, really - lies in first understanding, and then using that understanding to create something mysterious. Sipp put it another way, as well:

"Nobody understands that you have to be able to do it first. You can't deconstruct a goddamned thing until you can do it, and if you could do it, you wouldn't get the urge to deconstruct it. Frank Gehry can't design a proper two-holer so he designs giant monstrosities to hide the fact."

mushroom said...

The micro/macro opposition is insightful. I love people. I don't care much for the people or mankind. I am easily moved to help my neighbor, but the greater good can go pound sand. The left will cut up individual babies in the name of a macro abstraction.

julie said...

Well said, Mushroom.

Speaking of individuals, anyone heard from Ben lately?

Van Harvey said...

No, is he near the fires in Washington?

julie said...

I don't think so, from what I can tell. Hopefully, he's doing okay. If his computer is offline again I don't think I have his phone number.

RW said...

The greater good can go pound sand."

Should go into Bartlett's. What a discovery this blog is!


text:
Red 2 (Review)

A large crowd converged for the early dinner special...

A large crowd converged for the early dinner special…

It was a long, long while ago, but I think that the first time a film introduced the concept of a ‘rapping white granny’ it was probably hilarious. Probably so unexpected and probably so unlikely and inconceivable to polite society, that it probably elicited surprised laughter…

The reasons are obvious. Rapping was – and is – thought of as the domain of young, dangerous, streetwise black men. Not white, creaky, precious, ‘$5 in a birthday card giving’ venerable grandmas.

Unfortunately this tired trick is still wheeled out all too frequently. Every second Sandler movie, every third Ferrell movie, every single spoof movie, with the only viewers laughing being the extremely easily pleased and the few newbies who are witnessing it for the first time.

Red arrived a couple of years ago, and critics and viewers released a collective gasp as respected, idolised and *swallow* respectable actors of a certain age wreaked elderly havoc in action scene after action scene, often at the expense of younger, more pert  enemies.

It was unexpected. It was fast. It was funny. It was pretty damn good.

It was also inevitable that it would be followed by a sequel.

With the Retired Extremely Dangerous Frank (Bruce Willis) finding his quiet life with new wife Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) disrupted upon the return of manic paranoid Marvin (John Malkovich), the action goes global. Wikileaks has made their identities and past deeds public, and the government wants to silence them and any evidence or knowledge of their actions once and for all.

Rinse. Repeat.

Helen Mirren rejoins Willis and Malkovich to reform the wheelchair warriors, an ageing Ocean’s Eleven of action. The film tries to keep things moving by injecting young blood; Byung-Hun Lee as a smooth but deadly Korean assassin, Neal McDonough as a ruthless agent, and (some crazy blood in) Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Russian agent from Frank’s past.

Despite the new notable names, the most welcome addition is Anthony Hopkins as a mad scientist locked away for decades. A man who may hold the clue as to the whereabouts of a rogue nuclear weapon that no one wants in the wrong hands. Here is a character  that couldn’t be further away from Hannibal Lecter.

Red is based upon a comic book series. In comics the bright drawings don’t tire. Tendons don’t strain. Hamstrings don’t ache. The Voltaren never runs out and no-one whinges when a store doesn’t accept their vouchers. This film is showing the signs of age.

Unfortunately while Red was a well made novelty the first time around. This time the energy levels are as high and genuine as Grandpa after dealing with the grandkids solo for an hour. Suddenly the joints seem to have tightened up, the throwback verve is a little more forced, and the urge to find a comfy chair is rising.

Final Rating – 6.5 / 10. The body count remains high, but this rapping granny has been done before.

About OGR

While I try to throw a joke or two into proceedings when I can all of the opinions presented in my reviews are genuine. I don't expect that all will agree with my thoughts at all times nor would it be any fun if you did, so don't be shy in telling me where you think I went wrong... and hopefully if you think I got it right for once. Don't be shy, half the fun is in the conversation after the movie.
This entry was posted in Bruce Willis, Film, Movie Reviews, Superstars, The Grey Area. Bookmark the permalink.

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Friday, February 09, 2007

C is for Carrot-Cashew Payasam

The myriad cuisines of India all love their vegetables! Veggies are diced and sliced, grated and mashed, stir-fried and curried into hundreds of vegetable dishes. In this series, the A to Z of Indian Vegetables, we take an alphabetical journey through the various avatars of vegetables relished in Indian cuisine. For each letter, we will make a tasty vegetable dish that illustrates one manner in which vegetables are savored in India.

C is for Carrot-Cashew Payasam: Desserts
Bazu, one of your guesses was correct: The C of Indian vegetables uses a beautiful orange-hued winter vegetable...the carrot! Desserts came early in this series, but of course we had to devote one post to the use of vegetables in Indian desserts. And carrots are the quintessential dessert vegetable, with their vibrant color and inherent sweetness. The two most popular veggie-based desserts in India are probably dudhi halwa and gajar (carrot) halwa. The latter wins hands down in my book, because carrots are inexpensive and ubiquitous, unlike the dudhi (bottle gourd), which is difficult to find here in the US.

If you are looking to be sneaky and smuggle in some vegetables into dessert, there are a number of recipes that lend themselves to easy modification. One is the aforementioned halwa, where grated veggies can be cooked in some milk and sugar and then mixed in with some khoya (milk that has been thickened almost to the point of becoming solid). The resulting halwa has the consistency of a thick pudding. Another dessert that is readily "veggie-fied" is kheer. Halwa needs khoya and kheer merely calls for milk or evaporated milk, making it the more low-maintainance choice. The links at the end showing recipes from other bloggers will give you an idea of how one can cleverly make an array of vegetable-servings-masquerading-as-desserts!

I have already made one version of carrot kheer last year. Since then, I have made it numerous times and it is a definite crowd-pleaser. For this series, I was looking for a variation, and came across the recipe for carrot-cashew payasam in one of my favorite cookbooks: Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan. Payasam is the Southern Indian counterpart of kheer. A combination of pureed carrots and raw cashew paste, it looked creamy and decadent and I just knew I had to make it for this series.

Carrot-Cashew Payasam

Adapted from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan
(serves 4)
1. Soak 1/2 cup raw cashew nuts in 1 cup of warm milk for 20-30 minutes.
2. Grate 1/2 lb carrots, then saute them in 2 tbsp ghee for a few minutes until just-tender.
3. Bring 6 cups of milk to a boil, keep stirring and simmering until the milk reduces to half the original volume.
4. Meanwhile, drain milk from the soaked cashews (save the drained milk!). Place cashews and sauteed carrots in a food processor or blender and make a coarse paste, adding some of the drained milk as required for the grinding.
5. Add the cashew-carrot paste and 1/2 cup sugar to the milk. Stir well and cook for a few minutes.
6. Stir in 1 heaping tsp powdered cardamom and stir well. Remove from heat.

The verdict:
I did enjoy this kheer a lot, but the rich taste of the cashews was a little lost in the preparation, I thought. I also don't love the pureed carrots, preferring to leave them in the grated form. In the end, I keep going back to my old version of the carrot kheer. This recipe is worth trying, though: both variations of carrot kheer have their own unique taste.

How do you serve this dish?
This kheer is very rich, and best enjoyed chilled, served in a small bowl (katori). It can also be served warm, as a side-dish to some hot, puffy puris (fried flatbreads). You can get creative and try it as a sauce for some vanilla ice cream, but I have not tried that yet! Warm carrot halwa and ice cream are a classic combination, often served at Indian wedding receptions.

Fellow bloggers have come up with many delicious vegetable-based desserts. Here are some of my favorite finds:
Two classic Indian desserts...
Carrot Halwa from Kitchen Chick,
Beet Halwa from Green Jackfruit,
Two regional sweet potato desserts...
Ranga Alur Puli from Lima-Delhi,
Sweet Potato Kheer from Food For Thought,
And two very unusual veggie-based desserts...
Green pea and Chickpea Ladoo from Happy Burp and
Onion Kheer from My Dhaba

Previously on the A to Z of Indian Vegetables...
A is for Aloo Gobi: North-Indian Stir-Fry
B is for Bharli Mirchi: Stuffed Vegetables

  1. Nupur, I really look forward to each addition to your alphabet!

  2. That's a beautiful shot of payasam, Nupur. Looks so delicious!

  3. Paysam is the most commonly found dessert on the buffet at my local south Indian restaurant, but theirs has vermicelli, cashews and raisins. I really like it, but haven't tried making it because the recipes all seem to make huge quantities and it looks to be very rich. Do you think it would be a disaster if I used skim milk?

  4. Hi Nupur

    Thanks for the carrot payasam recipe. Just this morning I was wondering what to do with all the carrot in my fridge. Will surely try out your recipe for payasam today.

  5. Hi Nupur,
    I love the color of this kheer! I own a copy of Dakshin too and I love all the recipes from the book. I prefer to use grated carrot in carrot kheer too; I think it gives a better texture and some real carrot satisfaction :)
    Your post reminded me of another carrot-y dish(drink?) - carrot milkshake! I first tasted it when my friend's mom made it for us when we were "studying" one day, back in India :) I have been making it since. Just puree cooled pressure cooked carrots with cold milk, sugar and cardamom until smooth. I guess you could say it's almost kheer, eh? :)
    - Roopa

  6. That color is so fetching Nupur. Arent we Indians a sneaky lot? Getting veggies in through desserts!!

  7. Hi Nupur, great recipe and great pics! I really like the idea of the series too :)

  8. Carrots and cashews, wow! Sounds really rich and tasty. I have had my eye on Dakshin for awhile now... I guess with this endorsement I'll have to break down and get it. Photo looks beautiful - I love the pastel peachy-orange on the dark tapestry :)

  9. Lydia, I look forward to writing each one too! :)

    Thanks, Sailaja!

    Cathy, I think quantities can be very safely halved in payasam is not a recipe that calls for very precise quantities. Skim milk would result in a very watery dessert suggestion would be more like non-fat or low-fat evaporated milk, because it is thick in the first place.
    Vermicelli or rice kheer/payasam are by far the most common types. But I much prefer to sneak in some vegetables than eat more rice/pasta at the end of the meal :) You could definitely add raisins to this one too.

    Lakshmi, let me know if you like it :)

    Hi Roopa, *love* the carrot milkshake concept. A sort-of instant kheer! How awesome of you to share it :) I know I will be serving it in the dog days of summer.

    Ashwini, that we are :) But the sneakiest one I have eaten is "chocolate zucchini cake"!

    Thanks, G :)

    Linda, do you notice how those silly carrot strips kept sinking into the kheer, drowning my feeble attempts at food styling :D ? Dakshin is well worth every penny, especially given the amount of Indian cooking you do!

  10. I love the pretty pastel color this payasam has, and I'm sure it tasted divine! Healthy and Delicious - how often do one come across a recipe like that!

  11. Oh, that looks divine! I too love the idea of using veggies in desserts. When I was little, my mom used to make desserts that were a bit like pudding. She used carrots or butternut squash, and a bit of cardamom if I remember correctly. I want to try your recipe! I'm so glad we have so many letters of the alphabet yet to cover =)

  12. This is a great recipe with cashews and carrots...Must try it with puris...
    BTW, Your Pav-bhaji recipe is the best, thanks so much. I even did a post on it a while back.

  13. hi nupur, the humble old carrots look and i,m sure taste truly divine.grt!luv,yoma.

  14. The payasam looks heavenly.
    Visiting you after a long time. Didn't know you were back to active blogging. Good to see you back.

  15. Nupur: Made this for my brother's birthday. I was skeptical at first, but turned out to be a hit. I made a few minor modifications though. Used baby carrots instead of grating carrots, no saute-ing in ghee, just boiled them and ground them in the blender. :) Replaced the cardamom with saffron. Deadly - I ate more of it than anyone else. ;) Gaajar halwa is one of my fav. sweet dishes - but never turns out like my mum's. This is a cool substitute.

    Good job! :)

  16. Nupur,
    Found this picture copied here,

    I remembered 'coz i recently tried this recipe.Shn of Kitchen Mishmash had warned about this blog!

  17. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

    I recently made it with soy and rice milk, it was delicious!

Thank you for taking the time to say hello!


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My policy is not to comment until I have a firsthand Replica Audemars Piguet watches witness report and preferably from more than one source thatconfirms the story. Then I do not report names until it is clear thefamily has had an opportunity to be notified. My goal is not to befirst, but to be sensitive and as accurate as possible in eachsituation.Today, I updated my Everest 2010 Season Coverage,with each climber's and team's Facebook and Twitter pages and thecurrent link to their website. Some are very active, others not somuch. But you can follow your favorite team directly if you like.Even with the downsides, all this technology opens the world of highhigh-altitude mountaineering to millions. Clearly it is fully up toeach individual climber and team if they want to report on everymovement (so to speak);

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text:
Editorial: Problems with WOW project hold lessons

Posted: Tuesday, December 23, 2008

In terms of the number of youngsters using it, the four-year-old World of Wonder playground at Southeast Athens-Clarke Park is a great example of a successful public-private partnership. According to a story in Sunday's Banner-Herald, the imaginative playscape - product of a collaboration between a group now known as Friends of Southeast Clarke Park and the Athens-Clarke County government - sees 8,000 to 10,000 visitors a month.

There is, however, another number associated with the WOW playground that should prompt the county government - along with taxpayers, the mayor and commission, and any group that might want to enter into a similar arrangement with the government - to take a hard look at the ramifications of public-private initiatives for all parties involved.

The newspaper's Sunday story noted that the WOW playground, built in 2004, now is in need of $58,000 in repairs. That's far above what the company that designed the playground suggested should be the cost of maintaining the playscape. New York-based Leathers and Associates recommends that $5,000 to $10,000 per year be set aside to maintain its playscapes. Using that estimate, the upper end of maintenance costs should have been somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000. The $58,000 that the county expects to spend at WOW is almost 50 percent higher than the design firm's high-end maintenance calculation.

Part of the reason for the maintenance issue now confronting the county may be the playground's obvious popularity. Even during weekdays, it's routine to see children enjoying the fanciful playscape.

Unfortunately, it's clear from Sunday's story that the use of substandard material also is a factor in the maintenance issue. The playscape was built with a wood-like recycled plastic material as the result of a compromise between the county government, which favors steel in playground construction, and the design firm, which usually builds with wood. From the beginning, there were problems with the recycled-plastic building material, which arrived on site warped and crooked. In the coming days, the county will be replacing problematic sections of the playscape with steel.

All of this suggests there are at least a couple of issues that should be worked out in great detail in advance of any future public-private partnerships in Athens-Clarke County. Parenthetically, Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Doug Lowry likely is correct in noting, as he did for Sunday's story, that as the economic downturn continues to adversely affect government tax revenues, such public-private initiatives could become more common.

Before any such future projects are green-lighted, both the county and any community group involved should have a clear sense of ongoing operation and maintenance costs, and a clear understanding of how those costs will be borne. In the case of the WOW playground, the county government apparently is responsible for maintenance costs, but given the considerable cost involved in this instance, it's worth asking whether Friends of Southeast Clarke Park should cover some of the $58,000 in upcoming repairs.

As a letter to the editor from the Friends board of directors that will appear in print later this week notes, the group raised a couple hundred thousand dollars for the facility, and contributed labor to its construction. However, it's also important to note the Friends' investment was leveraged by county taxpayers' investment, and to ask just how much more money those taxpayers should be expected to invest in a project that doesn't necessarily serve all of Athens-Clarke County.

Grassroots initiatives such as the effort that brought the WOW playground to reality are part of what makes Athens-Clarke County a great community in which to live. However, as the situation with WOW makes clear, it's important that excitement about such projects doesn't overtake the need to approach those initiatives with a deliberate, practical and careful mindset.

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A Modern Girl's Musings

My earliest political memory is of my parents laughing at me when I asked if we were voting for Ronald Reagan. Even I could tell poor Carter wasn't looking so good. I was about five. I think the laughter was accompanied by something along the lines of "for crying out loud!"

Nevertheless I consider myself a Reagan Baby. Those eight years of my childhood were spent realizing that there was still a lot of work to be done, despite Dr. King, in addition to the Kennedys (a lot of them were still alive then), and hopefully including me (if my Quaker education by the hippies was teaching me anything at all).

So after Reagan, after Clinton, after hiding in those Bushes, I am still hopeful, I am still working on my addition, I'm still on my way to a new way of living in this world.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

A Letter to a Dear Friend

Dear Time Out,
I wish I could use you just for obnoxious behavior without having to give reasons or a time limit or ask the "do you know why you're in time out" end of time out question. She knows why, despite her claiming otherwise.
Instead I will use you the way you are intended.  Supernanny will be proud.
I know there is a method called time IN!  Where the parent sets up a nice place for "someone" to chill out and relax with books and pillows, given the theory that when "someone" acts up and out, it is because she is feeling stressed and out of control.  But that seems rather swank when that someone has just spat in my "general area", whimpers and whines, and willfully chases and pushes her brother, who is learning to count early because said "someone" gets lots of 1-2-3's to self correct and yet we are still always using 1-2-3's.
Dear Time Out, I shudder to think you will be with us for a long time to come, because the boy-boy has started to yell and stamp is feet at me.
Have a nice day, Time Out.  It is 8 AM and we have already seen you this morning.  I am sure we will see you again soon.  Until then, Time Out, until then...
A. Mommy

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Thursday, August 27, 2015

A Quiet Place within the Madness

I am late on the lake.

The fishing has been spotty and dusk is deepening quickly as I concede the evening contest to the bass. The waters around me, having  consumed the last misty rose blush of sunset, are flat and black.

Usually I am not on the water this late. However, a young visitor to my place caught a 17.5-inch smallmouth earlier in the week and I am driven to outdo that.

The advancing darkness does not worry me. There is never total blackness out here. Stars toss dots of brightness, mimicked by those landscaping solar lights now trendy along cottage shorelines.

Then there are the campfires providing comfort and evening entertainment for the outdoor enthusiasts who have pitched tents on the lake’s breeziest points. I can see in the dancing firelight their shadowy outlines poking the campfire coals with sticks.

Why people stare into campfires and poke the coals with sticks is one of life’s great mysteries. I guess it’s because it is a calming thing to do and helps create a sense of belonging to the wilderness.

The campers’ voices carry easily across the still waters. I can’t make out their words but they are soft and reflective, and broken by long pauses. There is a calmness in the wilderness that encourages people to form a thought before they speak the words.

These quiet conversations are an appreciated change from the shrillness of urban life where yelling has become the accepted way of making your point.

Many of the lakeside campers are from the Big Smoke to the south where stillness and soft words are rare. Gunshots echo through the concrete canyons of Toronto almost every night. These days they are difficult to hear over the monotonous din of politicians pounding the ears of voters for the Oct. 19 federal election.

An important member of the Toronto elite has treated everyone to a bizarre diversion from the campaign monotony. Margaret Atwood wrote in the National Post  an opinion piece on hairdos and the election campaign but it was yanked, re-edited and re-published by the Post upper brass. Apparently editors felt it was too rough on Stephen Harper, whom Atwood dislikes intensely.

One wonders why an intelligent, rich and famous writer would not write something profound about the scandalous secrecy of the federal government, instead of what she herself called “a really silly piece.”

The world needs journalism that massages our stultified minds and encourages thinking capable of producing exceptional ideas that might solve exceptional problems.

However, all that is as interesting as a pinch of raccoon poop to the folks gathered at the lakeside campfires tonight.

They are well away, at least temporarily, from campaign hair styles, the political hysteria over the Senate scandal, the constipated economy, and the fretting over how to improve the lot of the middle class, whatever that is. (What happened to concern for the poor, who earn under $20,000 a year while 12,000 Ontario “middle class” public sector workers hit the Sunshine List level of more than $100,000)?

Life is so less complicated out here on the lake. That is because the country surrounding us is a giving place.

Snow melts and replenishes the soil, which feeds the trees, which provide protective cover for birds and animals that provide food for each other. A bird that eats a berry drops the seed and another tree or bush begins to grow.

Here there are the tensions of staying alive, but there is no avarice. Nothing is owned; all is shared.

Everything that occurs here is in service for the whole, except when we humans are involved. We are takers who have little to give back, except the intelligence to manage what has been given to us.

It is fully dark when I reach my home shore and put away my fishing tackle, including the empty stringer. The campfires and the voices are gone but they have reminded me of how lucky we are to have places like this.

More places like this, and more people able to visit them, surely would lessen the madness of this world.

(From my Minden Times column this week)

Friday, August 21, 2015

The Other Side of the Cecil Story

There are two sides, and usually more, to every story. Getting people to see or to hear all sides of the story is challenging. Consider the story of Cecil, Zimbabwe’s most celebrated lion.

Cecil was 13 years old and the star of Hwange National Park. He was fitted with a tracking collar, was studied by researchers and often sat out sunning in view of park visitors.

Cecil is skinned out now and headed for a Minnesota dentist’s trophy wall. The dentist, a passionate trophy hunter, shot him with a bow and arrow after paying somewhere around $50,000 for a trophy hunt.

One of the storylines is that the hunter and his guides lured Cecil beyond park boundaries, where hunting is prohibited, and shot him on a private preserve. Another is that Cecil wandered out on his own and the hunter shot him unaware that he was collared and from the national park. Which story is true likely will not be determined until the dust settles.

Cecil’s sad demise hit social media like an atomic bomb. There were hundreds of thousands of messages and comments of outrage. There were demands for an end to trophy hunting. Some airlines, Air Canada among them, announced that they would no longer allow big game animal trophies on their airplanes.

There were threats on the lives of the dentist and his family. The Zimbabwean  government has called for the dentist to be extradited to face trial.

Tom Bronkhorst, local safari operator and the professional hunter who guided the Minnesota dentist, was charged with failing to prevent an illegal hunt. He is in a court next month facing up to 15 years in prison.

It seemed that the entire world was infuriated at what was called the cruel and insane practice of killing animals for trophies.

Not exactly. And that’s the other side of this story.

Wildlife experts, conservation groups and African governments generally support trophy hunting. They say that when animals within government preserves become too numerous they are sold to private game preserves.

Private game preserves pay a lot more money for the animals than they would fetch for food or other purposes. In turn, the private preserves bring in large amounts of money from trophy hunters and other tourism enterprises, which is a help to the overall economy.

In some places, lions and other animals are poisoned or trapped because of the threat they pose to humans, livestock and crops. Locals tend to leave the animals alone if they are realizing the economic benefits of trophy hunting.

Governments in Namibia and South Africa spoke out against calls for a ban on trophy hunting.

“This will be the end of conservation in Namibia,” Pohamba Shifeta, Namibia’s environment and tourism minister was quoted as saying. If there was no trophy hunting, there would be no money for conservation.

South Africa’s environment ministry said trophy hunting helps to pay for its  conservation efforts.

Bronkhorst called the charges against him frivolous and added: “If we do not use wildlife sustainably, there will be no wildlife.”

Hunting has been an effective conservation tool, not only in Africa but in North America, when the money it generates is put back into wildlife management and conservation programs.

Critics say the money often is diverted to other programs or into corrupt pockets.
They might be right. Corruption exists wherever money is to be made. But that’s a different problem and a different story.

I’ve been a hunter all my life but never a hunter for trophies. However, I’ll reserve judgment on whether it is a good or bad thing until I hear more facts.

The Internet and social media have allowed our society to form instant opinions based on incomplete and unchecked information. Critical thinking is a requirement of making intelligent decisions. And critical thinking involves looking at all sides of the story.

Fortunately the Cecil story is only about trophy hunting and not a topic in which instant outrage and condemnation leads to people pushing buttons that launch intercontinental missiles.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Canada's Unworthy Leadership

The early days of this marathon federal election campaign confirm a sad fact: none of the party leaders is worthy of leading Canadians.

Not one has displayed the courage needed to shake the addiction of serving their political parties and their self interests, instead of the people. None has had the grit to reject toxic politics and personal attacks as tactics for getting elected.

Their policy thoughts are based on information drawn from their most trusted sources: the pollsters, spin doctors, lobbyists and media manipulators.

Canada, like the United States, has lost over the last few decades the concept of servant leadership. At one time political service was an honour and a duty. Thomas Jefferson, author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, envisioned a government of citizen farmers serving fellow citizens for four years, then returning to their farms.

Now political service is a career, a job that provides good salary, plenty of perks and prestige and excellent pension. All three federal main party leaders – Harper, Mulcair and Trudeau – are career politicians. Their skills are political skills directed at gaining and retaining power for their parties.

The problem of having career politicians should be obvious. Because they have no other career (and future retirement income) to fall back on, they must devote more effort and energy to getting re-elected. That means less effort and energy to devote to serving the people.

Servant leadership means putting all others above yourself. It means understanding the interests and needs of your followers and listening actively to what they have to say. It grows from the kind of humility demonstrated by Mahatma Ghandi, who walked among his people in homespun clothes. And from  Pope Francis washing the feet of convicted criminals.

It is not that the country lacks leadership. Much good leadership is found outside political arenas. Leaders in industry and business know that cynicism, incivility and belittling their competitors do not grow their enterprises. They understand that gathering diverse views, pursuing change unrestricted by party tenets, and accepting compromise are building blocks for success.

Many of those leaders want no personal involvement in politics that have become too partisan to achieve much of anything.

Howard Schultz, self-made billionaire and Starbucks chairman, gave us some insights into this problem recently when he wrote a piece for New York Times in which he said he would not enter the U.S. presidential election fray.

Our nation has been profoundly damaged by a lack of civility and courage in Washington, where leaders of both parties have abdicated their responsibility to forge reasonable compromises . . . .”

The times in which we live demand strong leaders which we don’t have and are unlikely to have soon. Unfortunately it will take a dire crisis for the best leadership to step forward. It has happened before: The Second World War produced Britain’s Winston Churchill. The Depression years brought forward C. D. Howe in Canada.

We need people like these to pull us all together. We need leaders who will spend all their energy working together and building consensus.

We have three mainstream parties in Canada capable of forming a federal government.  But ours is becoming a one-party system in which the winner forms a government with the principal goal of getting re-elected and the losers spend their time undercutting it.

We need a return to a democracy where there are no winners and no losers. Just elected citizens working on behalf of all Canadians.

That’s a pipe dream right now. The October federal election will produce much of the same old, same old. It might be in a different form, with perhaps a minority New Democrat government held up by the Liberals.

And then all the barking will begin anew as each party tries to knock the other out of the way and gain sole ownership of the government.

It probably doesn’t matter who wins and who loses. The bureaucrats (remember when they were called public servants) will keep the country running.  Hey, look at Italy, or better still Greece, the cradle of our democracy.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Driving Surprises

Each time I venture onto our roads I return convinced that we motorists are killing and maiming each other in record numbers.

We must be, considering the recklessness we witness every day on our highways. You’ve seen it all: vehicles tailgating so close you can’t see their head lights in your rear-view mirror; passing on double caution lines before hills and curves; impatient and distracted driving, and of course, speeding.

I decide to go looking for numbers to confirm my impression that our roads are increasingly becoming slaughterhouses. The numbers that I find shock me.

Despite all the bad driving habits I witness on the highways, fewer people are dying or being maimed in auto accidents. That seems impossible considering the number of distracted drivers, reckless drivers, speeding transport trucks and the deteriorating condition of many of our roads. But it’s true.

Back in 1994, 3,230 people died and 164,635 were injured in traffic crashes across Canada. Those numbers have declined steadily and by 2014 were down to 1,923 people dead and 120,660 injured, a remarkable drop considering the increased population and growing number of vehicles.

Closer to home, fatalities on roads patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police also have declined. Last year there were 265 fatal collisions on those roads, down from 380 10 years ago.

Those numbers paint a picture of safer roads, part of which might be attributed to better driving practices.  It is not an accurate picture, however.

Fewer people are being killed or maimed on our highways, but the number of accidents is increasing. There were 75,000 collisions on OPP patrolled roads last year, compared with 69,000 five years earlier.

Also, collisions involving transport trucks are increasing. Last year there were 6,140 transport truck accidents on OPP roads. That’s up substantially from five years earlier when 4,667 were reported.

That’s no surprise to anyone who spends any time on Highway 11, or the 400. If you drive those roads at 10 kilometres over the limit, you will be passed by streams of big rigs doing 20 or 30 kph over the limit. And, have you ever seen police pull over a transport truck for speeding?

So despite fewer deaths and injuries our roads in fact are becoming more dangerous, not safer. The decline in deaths and injuries likely can be attributed to more seat belt use, air bags and generally safer vehicles.

Charges for not using seatbelts - and incidentally for impaired driving - have declined steadily. Distracted driving, however, is rapidly becoming the big new danger on our roads.

Ontario this summer increased distracted driving fines from $60 to $500 per offence to between $300 and $1,000. Also, a distracted driving conviction now will cost a driver three demerit points.

My road travels also have left me with the impression that I am seeing more OPP cruisers pulling over more vehicles. Therefore the OPP is charging more and more bad drivers. That also is not an accurate picture.

The OPP has been writing fewer tickets for highway offences. Last year it issued 431,267 tickets under the Highway Traffic Act, 45,000 fewer than in 2013 and 48,000 fewer than in 2012.

The OPP also are nailing fewer drivers for speeding. They issued 253,427 speeding tickets last year, 40,000 fewer than in 2013 and 41,000 fewer than in 2012.

They are starting to get more drivers on the relatively new Slow Down, Move Over law. That’s the one where you must slow down or move to another lane when approaching police, tow trucks and emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing. In the first six months of this year OPP have charged 763 drivers for failing to comply with that law. The fine is $400 to $2,000 and three demerit points.

So what this fact finding exercise has taught me is that numbers don’t always tell the true story. Despite fewer deaths and injuries, our roads are just as dangerous as before, probably more so.

(From my Minden Times column Aug. 6, 2015)


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New York Film Locations

The Avengers Filming on Park Avenue

10 January 2012

The Avengers is an upcoming American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which crosses over several Marvel superhero films including Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). The film is written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast, which includes Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Avengers had originally been planned for release in July 2011, but following the signing of Scarlett Johansson in March 2009, the film was pushed back for a 2012 release. Whedon was brought on board in April 2010 and rewrote the screenplay that was originally written by Zak Penn. Production began in April 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to Cleveland, Ohio in August 2011 and New York's Central Park and Park Avenue in September 2011. The complete list of film locations will be available on OTSONY following the DVD release.

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Friday, 30 May 2014

Today I'm doing this:

Almost there ;)!

Have a great weekend ahead.
Vreni x

Sunday, 18 May 2014

And the winner is:

Teresa @ Aurea's Kitchen

Congratulations Teresa, I've sent you an email and as soon as I have your home address, those charm packs will be on their way.

Thanks to everyone who played along. Next time it's your turn to win ;)!

Vreni x

Monday, 12 May 2014

SewMamaSew Giveaway Day!!!

This is what I have to offer:

3 April Showers Mini Charm Packs by Bonnie & Camille

All you have to do is leave a comment before May 16th and if you are a follower (old and new) you may leave a second comment telling me how you follow. The winner will be selected randomly and announced the next day.  All are welcome to play! Make sure I have a way to contact you, in case you are the winner.

Lots more goodies up for grabs here:

Good Luck!
Vreni x

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Beijing visit and a quilt

We have just come back from a few days in Beijing, visiting our daughter. We were very lucky this time with the weather as it was sunny and cool and the sky was blue. The last couple of times when we visited it was either terribly polluted or it was raining.

Although we have been in Beijing a number of times, there's always something new to explore. This time we "climbed" a little hill behind the Forbidden City to get a bird's eye view.

We also visited the "Bird's Nest", the Beijing National Stadium as it's officially called, which was built for the 2008 Olympics. We have seen it before but only from the outside and it was interesting to go inside. As we were living in China in 2008, we remember all the hype about the Olympics and especially the Bird's Nest. The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, which happened to be from my home town Basel.

A stroll along the Houhai Lake in the Hutongs

The Lama Temple was also on our to see list and it was well worth a visit. We were lucky as it wasn't too crowded.

Cute kids everywhere.

We walked under these beautiful ginkgo trees and as usual I had to pick up some of the leaves and take home.

They will go from this to this:

The leaves are painted with silver art clay paste, then fired in a kiln and then polished.

I brought along a quilt I made recently for my daughter's college friend who just got married last weekend. Said daughter is going to visit the States in the summer and will be able to hand the quilt to the happy couple. I got the inspiration from Pinterest (where else?) and found an excellent tutorial here.

The backing is Flower Lattice, a very early and rare Kaffe Fassett print which has long been discontinued. I adore this fabric and have been hoarding it for a special occasion, just like this.

I even put a label on, something I've been neglecting recently.

The Binding is a  Riley Blake Designs called "Red Flutter Stripe".

I hope to get back to you soon with progress on my Auntie Green's Garden. And don't forget to come back next week for the SewMamaSew Giveaway Day.
Till then, take care.
Vreni x