Once again, sunbelt to the rescue when i need material to read!
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/seth-macfarlane-to-be-infomercial-host.html
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Gardening in Havana
Original article here.
Here we sit in the midst of a recession with the economy in the toilet, unemployment is up drastically, and yet we're obese. Food prices are going up, money is tight, and yet we less and less self sufficient as a country.
After reading about the farming that's going on in Cuba I realized that's exactly what we need. It just makes sense economically, socially, and physiologically.
Why would you not produce goods like produce where the consumers are? Transportation costs would be negligible, need for storage would be eliminated, and convenience for consumers would be unparalleled. People could buy the tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce needed for a salad right there on their lunch break rather than trekking the same distance to 'Burger World' and spending the same amount for inferior quality foods that have been soaked in chemicals using very Scotched Earth tactics. What's this? A good quality product for the same price as its mass produced competition? This must be a mistake!
Large scale growing and production within a major metropolitan area would also be a means to jump start the local economy. Active and consistent commerce tends to bring other commerce and we need only look at malls with their anchor stores to see this holds true. Local labor who is out of work would have an opportunity to be participants again in the economy whether they're laborers, growers, or sellers. Whatever their 'job', they would have some form of income which enables them to be consumers rather than a leech on the system. Even if they make $20/day, that's $20 less that they need to borrow or be given and more importantly it's EARNED.
The social effects of what is going on in Havana can't be comprehended by outsiders. Concepts like pride, hope for former unemployed workers, and aesthetics are all intangibles that can't be measured (yet somehow are major factors). Pockets of green like parks are already on the decline in most major metropolitan cities. These are pockets of green that not only produce marketable goods but cut back on air pollution in addition to their aesthetic value. The notion of eating something that was grown right near your employer can't be measured and yet will make most people smile.
Access to fresh produce can only have positive effects on peoples diets. Even if they just use that fresh tomato on their grease burger, it has more nutritional value than anything highly processed and mass farmed using heavy amounts of chemicals. Tomatoes are red, not pink. Look at a homegrown one next to one from the store. Case closed.
What strikes me the deepest about Havana is that they learned a lesson the hard way that we are blinded to.
Havana has almost 200 urban allotments - known as organiponicos - providing four million tonnes of vegetables every year - helping the country to become 90% self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables.
How is this a bad thing? A country that is 90% self sufficient in fruit and vegetables can weather economic crisis better as Havana is showing us. They're eliminating dependencies on foreign oil which means their country won't hit the panic button when Gas hits $4+ per gallon like it did in the US during the summer of 2008. The more self sufficient you are, the better you can cope with problems that arise.
Here we sit in the midst of a recession with the economy in the toilet, unemployment is up drastically, and yet we're obese. Food prices are going up, money is tight, and yet we less and less self sufficient as a country.
After reading about the farming that's going on in Cuba I realized that's exactly what we need. It just makes sense economically, socially, and physiologically.
Why would you not produce goods like produce where the consumers are? Transportation costs would be negligible, need for storage would be eliminated, and convenience for consumers would be unparalleled. People could buy the tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce needed for a salad right there on their lunch break rather than trekking the same distance to 'Burger World' and spending the same amount for inferior quality foods that have been soaked in chemicals using very Scotched Earth tactics. What's this? A good quality product for the same price as its mass produced competition? This must be a mistake!
Large scale growing and production within a major metropolitan area would also be a means to jump start the local economy. Active and consistent commerce tends to bring other commerce and we need only look at malls with their anchor stores to see this holds true. Local labor who is out of work would have an opportunity to be participants again in the economy whether they're laborers, growers, or sellers. Whatever their 'job', they would have some form of income which enables them to be consumers rather than a leech on the system. Even if they make $20/day, that's $20 less that they need to borrow or be given and more importantly it's EARNED.
The social effects of what is going on in Havana can't be comprehended by outsiders. Concepts like pride, hope for former unemployed workers, and aesthetics are all intangibles that can't be measured (yet somehow are major factors). Pockets of green like parks are already on the decline in most major metropolitan cities. These are pockets of green that not only produce marketable goods but cut back on air pollution in addition to their aesthetic value. The notion of eating something that was grown right near your employer can't be measured and yet will make most people smile.
Access to fresh produce can only have positive effects on peoples diets. Even if they just use that fresh tomato on their grease burger, it has more nutritional value than anything highly processed and mass farmed using heavy amounts of chemicals. Tomatoes are red, not pink. Look at a homegrown one next to one from the store. Case closed.
What strikes me the deepest about Havana is that they learned a lesson the hard way that we are blinded to.
Havana has almost 200 urban allotments - known as organiponicos - providing four million tonnes of vegetables every year - helping the country to become 90% self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables.
How is this a bad thing? A country that is 90% self sufficient in fruit and vegetables can weather economic crisis better as Havana is showing us. They're eliminating dependencies on foreign oil which means their country won't hit the panic button when Gas hits $4+ per gallon like it did in the US during the summer of 2008. The more self sufficient you are, the better you can cope with problems that arise.
As well as marigolds, basil and neem trees are planted around the containers to keep the aphids and beetles at bay. Sunflowers and corn are also planted around the beds to attract beneficial insects such as ladybirds and lace wings. Sticky paper or plastic funnel-shaped bottles are positioned throughout the beds to trap harmful pests that do get into the garden.
And the methods work. Lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, herbs and many other crops are grown in huge quantities and sold cheaply. Mangoes are 2 pence (3 US cents) a pound. Black beans 15p (25 cents) and plantain, just 12p (20 cents).
What's this? A good quality product for the same price as its mass produced competition? This must be a mistake!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Vietnam massacre soldier 'sorry'
Vietnam massacre soldier 'sorry'
We are haunted by our past. Today the US is actively involved in both Afghanistan and Iraq and yet the echo's from our past are hard to silence. Vietnam was the first conflict that the US lost and My Lai had become the turning point for public opinion of the US in South East Asia.
Someone somewhere issued the order to wipe out a village in cold blood. Only God will know who truly issued the order but Lt William Calley is the one who was punished. I don't doubt his sincerity when he stated that he feels remorse and is sorry. What i question is how did this happen?
Wikipedia
We will never know what truly happened there. A shrinking number of people can come close to even comprehending the circumstances surrounding My Lai. The facts are that in 2009 Mr Calley apologized, proclaimed his remorse for past deeds, and still maintains that he was following orders. Despite serving his time and the intervention of Nixon, Mr Calley has forever been branded by history as the culprit in this. To this day he insists he was following orders but does not deny that he took part in this action.
Was this in fact murder or an atrocity within a war? What were the surrounding circumstances that this happened in? Will history ever judge this person fairly in context of actions versus in the vacuum of today? What worries me the most is that I know there will be similar incidents that will come to light in the coming years from Afghanistan and Iraq. Will the accused be as fortunate? How will history judge them versus Mr Calley?
No, the last of the ghosts of Vietnam have not been heard from, nor have we scratched the surface on todays conflicts.
Has he paid his price? Has Mr Calley suffered enough with the life long memory of what happened that day even though his formal punishment was minor in comparison? Is it reasonable to assume that his long time insistence that he was following orders should imply that his superiors let him take the fall so that they could further their careers?
May we never grow deaf to the echo's of our past.
We are haunted by our past. Today the US is actively involved in both Afghanistan and Iraq and yet the echo's from our past are hard to silence. Vietnam was the first conflict that the US lost and My Lai had become the turning point for public opinion of the US in South East Asia.
Someone somewhere issued the order to wipe out a village in cold blood. Only God will know who truly issued the order but Lt William Calley is the one who was punished. I don't doubt his sincerity when he stated that he feels remorse and is sorry. What i question is how did this happen?
Wikipedia
We will never know what truly happened there. A shrinking number of people can come close to even comprehending the circumstances surrounding My Lai. The facts are that in 2009 Mr Calley apologized, proclaimed his remorse for past deeds, and still maintains that he was following orders. Despite serving his time and the intervention of Nixon, Mr Calley has forever been branded by history as the culprit in this. To this day he insists he was following orders but does not deny that he took part in this action.
Was this in fact murder or an atrocity within a war? What were the surrounding circumstances that this happened in? Will history ever judge this person fairly in context of actions versus in the vacuum of today? What worries me the most is that I know there will be similar incidents that will come to light in the coming years from Afghanistan and Iraq. Will the accused be as fortunate? How will history judge them versus Mr Calley?
No, the last of the ghosts of Vietnam have not been heard from, nor have we scratched the surface on todays conflicts.
Has he paid his price? Has Mr Calley suffered enough with the life long memory of what happened that day even though his formal punishment was minor in comparison? Is it reasonable to assume that his long time insistence that he was following orders should imply that his superiors let him take the fall so that they could further their careers?
May we never grow deaf to the echo's of our past.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Beginner’s Guide: Is that a real anti-malware product?
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/beginners-guide-is-that-real-anti.html
This link to SunBelt is to an article i found potentially useful. They always do a good job and are extremely informative. I'm posting this because i've recently seen a couple people i know personally who have fallen for this, and education is always important. May they be the last...
This link to SunBelt is to an article i found potentially useful. They always do a good job and are extremely informative. I'm posting this because i've recently seen a couple people i know personally who have fallen for this, and education is always important. May they be the last...
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
garden status
tomatoes (10 total):
2 lemon boys
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/30940/
green zebra
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53465/
mr stripey
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57866/
big zac
early girl
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54789/
box car willie
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60426/
beefmaster
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57262/
pink
jet star
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/30970/
3 kahlarabi
carrots
mixed lettuce
3 tomatillos
red onion
peppers (18 total):
red
yellow
3 types of asian/thai 'hot' that have no tag
long red slim (cayenne)
2 purple beauty
anaheim
jalapeno
jalapa
hot banana
spanish spice
serrano
hungarian yellow wax
valencia orange
salsa
I regret to report that my basil is already dieing from some kind of bug. I lost my basil to the same "bug" last year in the same area and thus will not attempt basil there again in the future. In the meantime i'm looking to acquire a planter box to grow fresh basil in for this season.
As of today, tomatoes are coming along slowly, some peppers already have flowers on them, lettuce and carrot leaveshave pooked through, and finally have peas poking through.
2 lemon boys
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/30940/
green zebra
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53465/
mr stripey
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57866/
big zac
early girl
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54789/
box car willie
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60426/
beefmaster
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57262/
pink
jet star
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/30970/
3 kahlarabi
carrots
mixed lettuce
3 tomatillos
red onion
peppers (18 total):
red
yellow
3 types of asian/thai 'hot' that have no tag
long red slim (cayenne)
2 purple beauty
anaheim
jalapeno
jalapa
hot banana
spanish spice
serrano
hungarian yellow wax
valencia orange
salsa
I regret to report that my basil is already dieing from some kind of bug. I lost my basil to the same "bug" last year in the same area and thus will not attempt basil there again in the future. In the meantime i'm looking to acquire a planter box to grow fresh basil in for this season.
As of today, tomatoes are coming along slowly, some peppers already have flowers on them, lettuce and carrot leaveshave pooked through, and finally have peas poking through.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
happy memorial day
...Yes i actually had someone say this to me this past weekend...
Memorial day in the US is allegedly about remembering both veterans and those who have left the Earth before us. Somewhere along the line, it's original intention has taken a back seat to the overwhelming majority of people who view it as a 3 day weekend to either vacation or to party. How hard is it to take a few minutes out of your 3 day weekend to remember it's focus? Seriously.
I worked all weekend. I am directly responsible for a lot of burgers and a lot of steaks being sold to those that were going to celebrate their extended weekend away from work. Since i had to work on the holiday (monday) i asked for (and got) a shorter day. Everyone at work seemed to pause and hesitate when i told them i wanted to leave by 1pm so that i could have time to join friends to go to visit the grave of one of our friends. This bothered me.
Everywhere i turn lately i see people that are more concerned with their own lives than those around them. Why is it that it's such a novelty that someone is going to visit a grave on MEMORIAL day? I know that people are trying to be polite but where do they get off saying something like "happy memorial day" to those around them. What, is this Christmas?
I'm not saying that people should go to the parades or wave flags etc on occasions like this. All i'm asking is that they spend a couple minutes remembering what the actual name of the holiday is and put forth half an effort to keep that in mind as they enjoy an extended weekend.
It truly is bull shit to have to deal with slack jawed knuckle heads who are bragging about the size of their grill (penis anyone?) and how good their food will be this weekend when all they can concern themselves with is 'relaxing' and 'getting away' and not taking a few minutes to even acknowledge the underlying reason for their 3 day weekend. Yet another person sighs in frustration because of the extra work that has piled up and emails that must be responded to in order for the world to continue rotating. Yet another person has their BlackBerry out and gets annoyed because some event dared to interrupt their self entitled extended weekend.
I don't know about you but the thought of grilling up these burgers while breaking in my brand new grill is the core reason why this 3 day weekend exists!!!
Excuse me, someone needs me help them pick out some steaks to help them impress their guests for their cook out...
Memorial day in the US is allegedly about remembering both veterans and those who have left the Earth before us. Somewhere along the line, it's original intention has taken a back seat to the overwhelming majority of people who view it as a 3 day weekend to either vacation or to party. How hard is it to take a few minutes out of your 3 day weekend to remember it's focus? Seriously.
I worked all weekend. I am directly responsible for a lot of burgers and a lot of steaks being sold to those that were going to celebrate their extended weekend away from work. Since i had to work on the holiday (monday) i asked for (and got) a shorter day. Everyone at work seemed to pause and hesitate when i told them i wanted to leave by 1pm so that i could have time to join friends to go to visit the grave of one of our friends. This bothered me.
Everywhere i turn lately i see people that are more concerned with their own lives than those around them. Why is it that it's such a novelty that someone is going to visit a grave on MEMORIAL day? I know that people are trying to be polite but where do they get off saying something like "happy memorial day" to those around them. What, is this Christmas?
I'm not saying that people should go to the parades or wave flags etc on occasions like this. All i'm asking is that they spend a couple minutes remembering what the actual name of the holiday is and put forth half an effort to keep that in mind as they enjoy an extended weekend.
It truly is bull shit to have to deal with slack jawed knuckle heads who are bragging about the size of their grill (penis anyone?) and how good their food will be this weekend when all they can concern themselves with is 'relaxing' and 'getting away' and not taking a few minutes to even acknowledge the underlying reason for their 3 day weekend. Yet another person sighs in frustration because of the extra work that has piled up and emails that must be responded to in order for the world to continue rotating. Yet another person has their BlackBerry out and gets annoyed because some event dared to interrupt their self entitled extended weekend.
I don't know about you but the thought of grilling up these burgers while breaking in my brand new grill is the core reason why this 3 day weekend exists!!!
Excuse me, someone needs me help them pick out some steaks to help them impress their guests for their cook out...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
I am God.
Q: How do I blow off steam after dealing with finding out the car needs brakes, i hate my job, lack of $, people being stupid, family bickering, and a splitting headache?
A: Play god. Seriously. Go out in the yard, dig some holes in the garden, spread my seed (lettuce, carrots, onions) into the ground and then water generously. I am their god. I am the giver of life. I am the bringer of nourishment (water) and protector of their lives (damn those bunnies). I chose who will exist and where. All else is irrelevant. My domain is growing and my followers have been fruitful and multiplied. This pleases me.
Once i put things in perspective like this, the world seems just a little bit better...
A: Play god. Seriously. Go out in the yard, dig some holes in the garden, spread my seed (lettuce, carrots, onions) into the ground and then water generously. I am their god. I am the giver of life. I am the bringer of nourishment (water) and protector of their lives (damn those bunnies). I chose who will exist and where. All else is irrelevant. My domain is growing and my followers have been fruitful and multiplied. This pleases me.
Once i put things in perspective like this, the world seems just a little bit better...
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sarah Connor Chronicles - CANCELED
To those at both Fox and Warner Brothers, a hearty FUCK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for selling out fans of a sci fi show once again. Thank you for jerking it around and cutting it loose after abusing it like a $3 whore. Thank you for restoring my faith in the idea that the networks care nothing about fans. Thank you for not being clever enough to capitalize on a growing fan base on the eve of an anticipated theatrical release of a sequel to the series.
http://www.fmqinc.com/terminator-cancelled/
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/04/terminator_the_sarah_connor_ch_4.html
I'm going back to downloading all of my tv shows rather than watching the broadcast versions.
http://www.fmqinc.com/terminator-cancelled/
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/04/terminator_the_sarah_connor_ch_4.html
I'm going back to downloading all of my tv shows rather than watching the broadcast versions.
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