Wednesday, April 27, 2005

SHOOTIN PAPER!

Oh yeah! Im so sososososossosososo close...this close..im singing...one track mind.....kayak...graduation comin. Ill be free..Oh yeah!! Cant get enough of this!!!!! My paroxysm of mirth is too much! Fishin! Paper free! Bummin! If ever I get the urge to return...shoot me.

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Thuhmarekinpeople

Told that his meat was not fit to eat, Robert Blackwell, the famous breeder of "improved" fat livestock at that time(19th century), replied tartly that he did not produce meat for the tables of gentlemen but for laborers. Presumably, laborers could not afford good meat and didn't know the difference anyway. One can't help but note that Blackwell's attitude is reflected today by the factory meat industry, which in spite of universal protest from nutritionists and health-minded consumers, continues to provide fast food resteraunts with mountains of fatty, corn-fed meat because "that's what 'thuhmarekinpeople' want'. - Gene Logsdon

Friday, April 22, 2005

CARS AND COMPUTERS

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with theauto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like thecomputer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating:
If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be drivingcars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have tobuy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. Youwould have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart!, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a manoeuvre such as a left turn would causeyour car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable,five times! as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on onlyfive percent of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would allbe replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation"warning light.
7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you outand refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle,turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learnhow to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.


THANKS JENNIFER!!!!
Leslie Gray wrote an fun article called Whole Foods Economics 101. She kept a detailed account of her purchases and found that buying organic and preparing foods at home only cost 15% more compared to when she bought processed industrial foods. She pointed out that there are hidden costs we pay when we buy cheap industrial food. These costs include deteriorating physical and mental health, environmental degradation associated with mega-factory farms, and the economic destruction of our local food systems and rural communities. How did she pay for this 15% increase in the cost of health giving foods? She gave up expensive hair care and cosmetic products since her new traditional foods diet gave her fewer wrinkles, great complexion, shiny hair, and a radiant glow of health. She is still waiting for the Kombucha (a refreshing and nutritious lacto-fermented drink) to turn her gray hair brown.
- taken from Traders Point Creamery newsletter

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Graduation Wish List - finally

1. A good digital camera such as dads
2. Black dress coat for next winter- I managed another winter without
3. Oh yes, and a carhart jacket like Em's - see I really did get through winter without
4. CD player and speakers for car
5. Dell Inspiron 9200
6. F-250
7. Sheets, pillows, and anythign else a normal person is supposed to have on their bed- oh, a size....twin
8. Pink work boots :)
9. Paid trip to New Zealand, Germany, and other parts of Europe with good sustainable farming/forestry practices
10. Paid trip to Alaska

all right all right...Ill give you some realistic ideas
12.Sport sunglasses
13.Suncreen
14.Dry bags for boating
15.Fishing gear
16. Camp sleeping mat
Getting the idea????

17. Books from my amazon.com wishlist. You dont have to get them from there though. Support local business.
18. Small omelet skillet- a lightweight one would be nice so I could use it for camping as well as home
19. A pillow - wouldnt that be something, to own my own pillow
20. A car rack for my new KAYAK!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Playing hooky!!!

Last night at around 11 oclock I remembered why I had entered forestry. To avoid the human race. Unfortunately as I am one of this race, I am destined to live a life trying to avoid the inevitable, dealing with it. So I did. I ordered my fishing license online and printed it out around midnight. Took off fishing in the morning and had a grand time not even thinking about classes or work and anything else that is "important". I even made it back to my last class of the day! I have decided to take this on more often. I think it is a habit I can live with. And as I only have 14 days of classes left, so can my grades. Alaska here I come!!

Monday, April 18, 2005

Natural Liquid Detergent

OK so maybe dirty is good..but not dirty dishes!

Get dirty..stay dirty

Finally someone agrees with me....dirty is good for your health!

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Check out this interesting site from the UK.
http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/index.shtml

Friday, April 08, 2005

nik the forest tech Posted by Hello
If anyone know what these "little green things" are, please let me know. Spring always has suprises!! Posted by Hello
Take a look at this tree. Nik, Olivia, and I were out on the capstone property and came across this 41 inch diameter northern red oak. That means the trunk was over 3 1/2 feet wide!!! It had apparently been blown down in the windstorm of last week (same night I had been camping). It was amazing!! And probably had a good 3 logs in it!! Posted by Hello

Recent Letter to the Editor

This is a letter I recently submitted to the VT independent newspaper.

While I admire those that have the devotion and determination to maintain a vegan lifestyle, I wonder if this is really the way to be fighting the problems of factory farms.
I agreed with Megan in her letter last week concerning the way animals are treated on factory farms. Yes, these animals suffer cruelties and atrocities that we should find shameful. Yet, I think an important alternative is to veganism can be found by active involvement of the meat market. We can seek reform to the meat industry by supporting local, sustainable agriculture.
As agriculture essayist Wendell Berry says, “Eating is an agricultural act”. By this act, we are able to tell the producer, the farmer, what we consider important. If consumers are willing to pay for these products, economics tell us that more farmers will be interested in the business. These sustainable farms are more efficient, use less fossil fuels, have less impact on the environment, and produce healthy food for us. These farmers care about the health and comfort of their animals partially because they know that ultimately this leads to the health benefits and quality of their product. Let us have a positive impact by supporting this competing market. Look for reform of the industry by “voting with our mouths”.
Finally, let us not count on more government regulations to control how our meat is produced. Instead investigate what has been produced safely, humanely and environmentally “friendly”. Visit local farmers markets, even if no one is selling meat, they are likely to tell you where you can find this locally grown meat. Visit local farms; sustainable farmers love to have consumers that are interested in what they do. For a humorous approach to the problem of factory farms, visit www.themeatrix.com. Support the local farmer!

Monday, April 04, 2005

Cows hitting the News!

Colombia, long the world's murder capital due to drug-related deaths, now has violence spreading to farm animals. RCN Radio reported that a Holstein cow stepped on the trigger of a loaded rifle left in a field by a farm laborer, and shot another cow in the head. The injured cow is listed in critical condition at a nearby veterinary hospital.


A cow jumped off a 10 meter cliff onto a major highway just as a commuter bus was passing. The driver braked at the last moment, thus avoiding the cow. The said bovine landed on the asphalt, did a parachutist roll, got up and continued running. The stunned passengers got out of the bus and watched the cow canter into the sunset.
This is apparently not an isolated incident. The road passes by unfenced grazing land, and cows striving for freedom have made the leap several times.


taken from http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/8106/cowtrivia.html