eating animals (via laborious living)

We just got this book in the library where I work. It’s pretty darned good and makes the point without browbeating you with it.

Recently I wrote about the politicalization of food. When I did so, I had just begun reading Jonathan Safran Foer's new book Eating Animals. I have now finished the book, and to say it's impact is life changing, is to short change the gravity of this work. The book is a departure for Foer. His first two novels, Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close were both heartbreaking, beautifully written works of fiction. This l … Read More

via laborious living

Barthelona, me gusta very much (via Adventure Eating)

Food blogging at its best. I would love to visit the Primavera Sound Festival in the future.

To get a seat at Kiosko Universal at the Boqueria Market, everyone, even Marc Almond of Soft Cell, has to hover over the people eating at the bar, like vultures circling over a wounded animal. It doesn't feel very civilized, but supposedly that's what they do in these parts. Almond, like the rest of us, was in Barcelona for the Primavera Sound festival, but he eventually left before going that far for a seat. Our group was more determined after s … Read More

via Adventure Eating

Just a couple more

I hope I’m not boring you. 

Trees outside the Goins Building. It's a favorite alcove for the ducks.

This one makes a GREAT desktop picture.

I am befuddled by a whoooole ‘nother thing

I saw this article today.  The main issue of abstinence-only programs versus comprehensive isn’t all that surprising (as it’s a debate that has been ongoing since in-school sex ed began).  Rather, I found this part more interesting:

In Wisconsin, children under age 17 who have sex with each other can be prosecuted as juveniles. Seventeen-year-olds who have sex with one another can be convicted as adults of a misdemeanor.

Seriously?  Two minors having sex with each other is illegal?  Does that seem a little extreme to anyone else?  And then of course there was this idiot:

Audrey Jensen, whose 16-year-old daughter, Justina, is a sophomore at Mauston High School, said Southworth is trying to censor what students learn, usurping the role of parents. Children will have sex regardless, she said, and they need all the information they can get.

“I think he’s actually a little unrealistic,” said Jensen, 47. “Obviously he doesn’t remember being a teenager.”

Okay, Ms/Mrs Jensen – why don’t you teach your own child?  Or are you one of those parents who advocates removing TV shows that offend rather than turning off the TV yourself?  How about setting some rules in your own house?  And quite frankly, lady, if your daughter hasn’t been taught this stuff before now (16) – either from you or school -  I will guarandamntee you she has learned it somewhere else.

Your argument doesn’t hold water, Jensen.

Anyway, when a person decides to have sex is up to them.  If you’re talking about your own child, wouldn’t you rather they know how to protect themselves when the time comes?  And if the school they attend doesn’t teach them how to use contraceptives/STD protectives, teach them yourself.  Isn’t saving your child’s life worth a little of your personal discomfort?  Just grab that banana and grab that condom and SHOW THEM!  Unless you want to raise your own grandchild while your daughter goes to college (and a baby is the best case scenario).  Think about it.

A golden oldie from … Pearl Jam?

How old does a tune have to be before it’s considered “classic rock’?  Admittedly, some things are considered “classics” immediately, but when you’re talking about programming a radio station, what constitutes “classic rock” to you?

I bring it up because I had a somewhat … disconcerting moment last night.  On my way home from work, right around 7:45 EST, I turned on Knoxville’s classic rock station 103.5 and heard this:

Exsqueeze me?  Baking powder?

Pearl Jam can’t be classic rock because I remember when this was NEW.  I was in frickin’ high school for crap’s sake!  Gah!  Is this how my parents felt when they first heard Garden Party (1972) or Morning Has Broken (1971) on the oldies station?  Or perhaps a cut off Are You Experienced? (1967) that made it’s way to the classic rock station in the early 80s?  I remember listening to those growing up, but they were their songs from their generation.  But now I recognize, if I’d had kids at the same age my Mom had them, those kids would be 9 and 7 now – about the same age I remember hearing her music on the classic stations.

Looking at the sleeve (okay “insert” – whatever, I prefer my vinyl anyway) of my Ten CD, it says 1991.  Do you realize that’s 19 years ago?  19 YEARS AGO!!  I was a high school freshman who couldn’t yet drive and had questionable taste in clothing, friends, and boys.  Come to think of it, I still kinda have questionable taste in clothing and when it comes to picking guys I SUCK at it.  But by God, I had good taste in music then and I still do (shutupBecca!)

*sigh*

I guess I should start looking for Rick Dees to start hosting a weekly oldies show ala Wolfman Jack.

Barns of Blount/Sevier/Knox County

I never realized just how many barns I pass on my way to and from work.  They vary from working barns to dilapidated, but they all have such character and presence.

And I know this isn’t a barn, but I’ve always been fascinated by these random chimneys surrounded by debris.  I can’t help but wonder what happened, how long ago did this happen, and if the family is okay:

First Day of Spring

Yes, I know the first day of spring was March 20th, but the first truly glorious day of Spring around here was last Wednesday (March 31st).  So, I took my camera to work with me Wednesday and Thursday to try to capture some of the local beauty.

The bumblebees are happy.

Yes, this is really my commute! How lucky am I??

I love bare tree limbs and the way they bend and twist.

Pink and white - I wish I had some of these in my own yard.

Bird feeder in my backyard.

The neighbor's tree.

I love the vibrancy of the green in this one.

A row of Bradford Pears beside a local Catholic church.

The Bradford Pears and Redbuds are everywhere and I just can’t get enough of them.  So beautiful.

We happy few, we few, we band of brothers

“They have called this day…the 11th of March! And whomsoever of you gets through this day, unless you are shot in the head or somehow slain, you will stand a-tiptoe, whene’er you hear the name…March the 11th! We happy few, we few, we band of brothers, our names will be as like – household names. And those who are not here, be they sleeping or…doing something else, they will feel themselves…sort of crappy, because they are not here to, to join the fight, on this day, the 11th of March!”

Charlie A’Court – Live Webcast!

House Concert!!!!

The KraftRs are thrilled to present:

Singer/Songwriter, Soul and Blues Artist Charlie A’Court in a House Concert on August 23rd, 8:00 – 10:00PM, Atlantic time.  The good news?

We will be webcasting the show live, so you can watch along with us!!

More information will be posted later at 4squirrels.wordpress.com, as will the link to watch live!!!

photo credit – Charlie’s Facebook page- fan photos

I think this bears repeating …

This could quite possibly be one of the Top Ten Dilberts of all time:

It’s kind of sad I’ve had to post it more than once, though.

An accidental consumption of pork

Well, after two months of no meat – I accidentally slipped today.

My coworker and I went to a new Japanese place right across from campus.  She got stir-fry and I had sushi.  To start, we decided to split an order of dumplings … and therein lies my fall.

The menu didn’t say “pork” and I failed to ask.  I bit into a dumpling and there it was: a mixture of ground pork and seasonings.

*sigh*

I suppose it was bound to happen and it taught me a lesson to always ask if there’s meat in a dish.  They were good dumplings and I ate my half (they were already there and I had already eaten some), but they were also the part of the meal that made me feel sick.  And they didn’t taste as good as I remembered, so maybe this vegetarianism thing will stick.

I *really* want a cheeseburger!

So, about two months ago I was at work doing my thing (cataloging, editing and uploading records, etc.) when I got my hands on a book called The Face on Your Plate: the Truth About Food by Jeffrey Masson.  I opened it to place the M.O.F. inside (the order form we keep for our records) and happened to read a little bit … which caused me to read a little more … and I wound up checking it out (once it was fully cataloged).  From the Introduction:

When I was teaching Sanskrit at the University of Toronto in the 1970s, I came across a phrase that stopped me dead: ashrayaparavrtti - a sudden moment of life-changing insight.  Paravrtti is like a somersault, and ashraya is one’s home base, so it means letting go of everything you have always believed or understood for a leap into the unknown.  The Christian equivalent is known as the Road to Damascus experience in which Saul (later St. Paul) underwent a conversion on his way to Damascus to slaughter Christians and instead became one.

Many people become vegan in just that way: a sudden moment, a blinding insight, a turning one’s back on conventional wisdom, in this case, conventional diet.

An epiphany.

What I read that day in my cubicle was about the pork industry.  It broke my heart to read about how the animals are treated, specifically the mothers and babies.  I became a vegetarian that day and didn’t even know it until it came time for dinner and I didn’t want to eat.

It’s not that I stopped believing in eating meat, because I didn’t.  I believe the animals were put here for our use and that includes eating them, HOWEVER, I don’t believe that torturing them beforehand is necessary or moral.

So, once the meat that was already purchased and in my fridge was eaten, that was that.  No more meat from factory farms for me.

I’ve been eating free-range, cage-free eggs and cheese from small, local farms.  I switched to almond milk, too.  I’ve discovered how delicious lentils are.

It’s been exceedingly difficult.  Restaurants don’t want to be helpful and neither do friends.  Nobody understands or cares about my personal reasons.  I’ve been sensitive to the fact that most new vegetarians are extremely obnoxious, so I haven’t broadcast it to anyone.  I haven’t preached at them or tried to convert them.  It’s just something I am doing for me.  If anyone notices and asks, I will fill them in, but other than that it’s my business.

I feel pretty good about it so far, but man oh man – I am craving a cheeseburger.

My horoscope for today

Scorpio

Your first priority is to yourself. So go off on your own and leave everyone behind.

Hmm …

Cry me a river

Former Wash. inmate sues state for labor shackling

By RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jun 25, 10:21 pm ET

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A former Washington state prison inmate who says she was shackled during childbirth sued the state Thursday, saying her constitutional rights were violated.

Seattle-based women’s rights organization Legal Voice filed the federal lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections on behalf of Casandra Brawley, who was four months pregnant when she was jailed at the Washington Corrections Center for Women near Gig Harbor in December 2006.

Brawley said she was shackled by a metal chain around her stomach during transportation to the hospital, then fastened by a leg iron to a hospital bed throughout several hours of labor.

The suit alleges her restraints were removed during an emergency Cesarean section only after a physician insisted, but then were replaced after the procedure.

“Yeah, I’ve made some mistakes and wrong decisions,” Brawley said Thursday of the shoplifting conviction that sent her to prison. “But I am still a person and I didn’t feel like I should be treated like a caged animal.”

In a written statement, Maria Peterson, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said the agency is “dedicated to treating all offenders with respect and dignity and not subjecting them to conditions or circumstances that unnecessarily threaten their safety or well being.”

Brawley was released in May 2007.

Sara Ainsworth, an attorney at Legal Voice representing Brawley, said the department violated both the U.S. and state constitutions when it chained Brawley when she went into labor in April 2007.

Ainsworth said Brawley is seeking unspecified damages for emotional suffering, and wants to ensure that the state Department of Corrections stops shackling pregnant women.

“During her entire hospitalization — even though walking is extremely difficult in the first few days after a Cesarean section — Ms. Brawley was kept shackled to a hospital bed by the metal leg restraint and guarded by a DOC corrections officer 24 hours per day,” the lawsuit says.

While walking the halls of the hospital during her recovery, her ankles were shackled together, which Brawley said was “embarrassing and stressful.”

Brawley’s attorneys said their client was not a danger to anyone, and was a good inmate who was released midway through her 14-month sentence.

Brawley lives with her 2-year-old son, his father, and their 7-month-old baby in Bremerton.

Y’know, call me unsympathetic, or a monster, or a bitch, but: WAHHH!

You broke the law.  You were in JAIL.  You were a prisoner.  They didn’t treat you like a “caged animal” they treated you like a prisoner.  Which you WERE. Suck. it. up.

Be glad you are out and have freedom and don’t ever get yourself into that kind of trouble again.  I say count your fucking blessings that you were allowed to retain custody of your children.

Nuisance lawsuits are overwhelming the courts and I hope the judge tosses this one WAY out.

Love, love, love … drags me down …

Well, I am pretty darned close to GIDDY this morning -

After nearly 15 years of searching and hunting and asking, I found it!  The Barbarella soundtrack!!!!

Wooooooooooo!  Hoooooooooooo!

After all this time, this fantastic album has been put out as a digital download.  For many years, the album was out of print.  I hunted in used record stores and online auction houses to no avail.  My freshman year in college, I got so close I could practically hear it!  One of my classmates was an older student who had picked up the album (vinyl!!) when it was first released (1968).  She said it was in mint condition and was boxed up with some other records in her basement and that I could have it and any others I wanted – Eep!  The following week (it was a once a week class), she regretted to inform me that her husband had given away all their albums when they had moved the previous year (to her son, if memory serves).

*sigh*

Then, a few years later, the album was released on CD … but only as an import.  You ever priced Import CDs?  As a poor college student, it was out of the question.  By the time I had the money – it was out of print again.

ARGH!!

But now, finally, I was able to download the entire thing (plus three radio spots) at emusic.  As anyone who knows me will tell you, I 125% prefer an in-hand copy (i.e. album, CD, cassette) to a download of anything - the quality is so vastly superior that I have difficulty putting it into words – but this is better than nothing.  WAY better than nothing.  Nothing is what I had all these years, and this … this is FABULOUS!

Yay!

Love, love, love … drags me down …

Cheese!

“Prove Me Wrong”

As anyone who knows anything about me at all is aware, I am a HUGE fan of Mancow Muller.  Who is Mancow?  He’s a morning radio personality based in Chicago and is syndicated all across the U.S.  I listen to him online here.

Mancow is engaging, intelligent, hilarious, and just a little nuts.  Frankly, I think the man is brilliant and I have tremendous respect for him.

There are many layers to Mancow Muller, so you may have to listen several times before you start to understand what he is about.  Trust me, he is worth it.

I starting following him on Twitter and I look forward to his tweets more than any others.  Got one a couple of days ago that I decided to keep on my phone as a daily reminder.

Remember to seek God first today.  Say out loud, “I want a great day”.  You’ll be amazed at the results.  Prove me wrong.  Try it.

Regardless of whether or not you are a religious person, this affirmation is a good idea.  Just try it – what have you got to lose?

You WILL know the Truth

I am NOT calling it that!

Sci Fi Channel to Launch New Name: SyFy

Nuh-uh.  No way.  You can’t make me.  It’s stupid, juvenile, and unecessary … and if I have to tell you why then maybe we shouldn’t be friends.

Snowed in

Last week we had quite a bit of snow for this area. It snowed all day Sunday and much of Monday. We were off for MLK Jr Day, but I wound up with a super long weekend because I couldn’t leave my house Tuesday (ice coated the streets of my subdivision).

It was pretty darned great. I took some pics because it’s rare to get an amount of snow in the valley that causes the schools to be closed.

Front yard:

Back yard: