Another very cool Google thing -
Garbagescout - good garbage sitings in New York.
http://www.garbagescout.com/

A note about eating. Last night was the smallest Thanksgiving gathering in many years. Just 5 of us. Here in the kitchen eating and drinking. We started with 20 minutes of Yoga - to stretch out those abdominals before the big meal. It wasn't really such a big meal, however.

I dissected a turkey (thank you turkey). That, I promise myself, is the last time I do such a thing - a pretty disgusting lump of flaccid flesh results. I made a stuffing and rolled up the breast, containing one of the thighs (after pounding it somewhat flat) and tied it into a balonie look alike. Appetizers - my homemade pain au levain and a trio of cheeses: Borough Market Stilton, Le Maitre Seguin Crotin, Isigny Ste. Mere Camembert. I splurged on a bottle of Domaine Tempier Bandol red to celebrate my graduation from UBC with a BFA. Since I couldn't be there to parade around I paraded in the kitchen.

1st course was a leek and parsnip soup garnished with sauted apples and mushrooms made by Larry. Very good! Served with a Sancere (forgive me, I just went out the recycle bin to get the details on the bottle but the garbage men have already taken them away)brought by Jan. Next was the Turkey Roll, turnips and brussel sprouts accompanied by an Oregon Pinot Noir (again, see note regarding the recycling) and we finished up with a pear tart in a chocolate crust and a little dollop of home made fromage blanc served with a port-like red desert wine from Banyuls. And finally, Jeanne made a very light pumpkin souffle which we used as a final installment.

Wonderful evening. All the wines were top-rate, food delicious and friends, of course the usual pleasure. I came away without the usual stuffed to the gills that comes of too much mashed potatoes and gravy. Still not exactly light on the calories.

Buy Nothing Day and I am tempted to buy something - from here.

I am particularly drawn to the gift of a 'Dowry for an Orphan'. It consists of two goats.
But it's so hard to decide.....A 'Bike for a Midwife' also caught my eye. 'A Bicycle Taxi Business', 'A Virile Ram', 'Sight for a Child', it's so hard to decide!

(I can't wait to see what kind of Google ads this post generates)

Instead of carrying water on your head you could roll it in front of you. You would probably have to fight your kids and your husband to do it. New technology for those who find water miles away. I suppose you could power a battery while walking home, too. ... and what else? Carry your dirty clothes to the well in the Hippo-Roller, fill it with water, add some biodegradable soap, walk home, hang the clothes out to dry and plug the Hippo-Roller into your irrigation system.
http://www.hipporoller.org/

There is a version of this device which comes stuffed with the piping and valves necessary to set up a simple drip irrigation system. When you run out of water you roll the reservoir (Hippo-Roller) to the well and back and plug it back in.

I want to buy one of these things and give it to another human being who is straining under the burden of regular water collection. (Probably a woman with a bunch of kids trailing behind her). The micro-charity idea of Aura's house should work here. For 100,000 you can fund the creation of a manufacturing plant. Macro-Micro Charity.

What do you think?

What if you had never gone to school? You wouldn't be reading this.

I found this very sweet site today -
It was put up by a very enterprising your woman after a semester away in Africa.

Aura's house


Do your good deed for today! Visit: www.aurashouse.com

$30 to send a child to school for a year in Zambia. $30! That's all.

What kind of energy and resource hog are you? I take up more than my share. In fact, we would need 3.5 earths if everyone lived like me.

Take the test!

Incandescent bulbs, running water, packaged food, even the little electronic gizmos that power cellphones. Did you know that there is no such thing as off anymore? It's true....

My only saving grace is that I grow some of our food organically. I should really get points on the quiz for taking compost from the dump. If I could teleport my large quantities of green waste to and from the dump, I would avoid using the truck, gas, etc. Which brings me to the subject of Trader Joe's and all that packaging. Vegetables in little plastic houses. Everything is in a package. Except bananas. I resolve to eat more bananas.

I put Google ads on my site, mostly to see what they are, to create another dimension. I'm not supposed to click on them. But I want to.

So, you do it and tell me where they go? Ok?

I painted
George
today.

He is looking
old
and
grey.
Haggard.

Scared?

George Bush - Stupid or Not??

My friend and I have been having a discussion about George Bush: stupid or not?

I take the former view. He the latter. His definition of intelligent (= not stupid) - the ability to use the mind to solve problems, to reach a desired goal. In that case, anyone who can find the restroom in a restaurant is intelligent. As for George, the only goal he seems to have attained is the presidency, unfortunately.

I have been therapist/organizer to men painting, laying floor, spraying ceilings this week. They get into each others way, they rub up against each other's personality. I have to keep the blood from messing up the paint job. So it makes me very tired indeed when this weekend my friend comes for a visit and hits me over the head repeatedly about my use of the word stupid. "George is not stupid" he says. "He may have a narrow view but I know lots of religious people who have a narrow view and are nevertheless intelligent." What is this argument about, I wonder? Politically, we are on the same side. He is just arguing.

Here is a meaning of the word stupid from the OED: "Belonging to or characterized by stupor or insensibility. Emotionally or morally dull or insensible; apathetic, indifferent." Morally dull or insensible. George has settled for an indelible line of dogma. He refuses contrary counsel despite all observable evidence. The consequences are stark, dire and widespread. People are dying, lives are wreaked. He will not shift, he will not change, he sees this as a genuine virtue. This is not a good thing for a president. Change is the only constant.

Despite having used the power of his mind to gain the presidency, he has not used it for any other purpose than to hold power, express power. Punitive policy. He, like the guys construction workers in the house last week and my friend, seems to be working through something.

Here is a citation that accompanies the definition from the OED:
(The Guardian I (1756) No. 19.86) - It was a cause of great sorrow and melancholy to me, to see a crowd in the habits of the gentry of England stupid to the noblest sentiments we have.

Stupid to the noblest sentiments we have: love, respect, compassion, charity, sympathy, generosity.

For George, lip service.

Here's a sermon by E.L.Doctorow - he uses the word stupid, too.
http://www.bushwatch.com/The%20Unfeeling%20President.mp3