Thursday, October 18, 2012

Just saying...

That this article (posted on a fine science blog too) supports MY theory of singulation, in that there was not a Big Bang (not really possible in the light of cosmological inflation). IMHO singulation takes place all the time (in other words, the by-product of corporeal singulation is reality creation, or matter, and the non-corporeal by-product of singulation is dark energy, or dark matter).

The author of the article calls what's happening instead of the BB a past-timelike-incomplete spacetime.


Just saying... and more later.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Commenting and Comments


In looking for the East Bay Mini-Makers Faire information, location, etc. for this weekend's event, I saw that they are hosted by Laughing Squid, a blog and a web-hosting co., which led me to check out what that co. was and to look into their blogging, just out of curiosity.

On one of their FAQ pages I saw the following, and you know I just had to add my two cents in here, as I too have noticed that the either decreasing amount of Comments to web stuff, or more importantly, the increasing unworthiness of comments to web stuff. Let's look at what the site said then I'll discuss:


  1. Why are comments disabled on the blog? #
    We eventually reached the point that the most of our blog posts either had no comments at all or just a couple of comments. Overall the quality of the comments had been decreasing over the years to a point that the majority of the comments that people left were not adding any real value to the posts.
    Another thing that was happening is that feedback on our blog posts has been moving to outside services, like Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. In fact on average we now get way more comments on our Google+ profile than we ever did when we had the blog comments turned on, and with Google+ the comments are higher quality, from more engaged commenters.
    Of course the amount comment spam we receive has only been increasing. Not just the kind of comment spam that can be easily caught with Akismet, but spam comments that looked legitimate, but were actually submitted in order to link to a spam website. It started taking a considerable amount of time each day dealing with sorting through comments to weed out the spam and approve legit comments.
    It’s not that we don’t value your input, in fact if you have any additional information regarding the content of a blog post (links, updates, corrections, etc.), please feel free to let us know. We will often add updates to posts as new information surfaces. 
    (BTW - This is from here).

    Where I think the change in comments and commenting on web sites, and I'm referring to articles, postings, etc., is any place that allows comments (except maybe academically-oriented blogs, but that may be because those blogs and sites are moderated?) - a very broad area.
    In any case, what particularly disturbed me is the public comments on, for instance, the sfgate.com site. OMG, and it's a general thing, not specific to any one article or areas of the site; I feel that people are just getting, well, more hateful and, imho, just plain 'ol more stupid!

    The lack of humanness, the overall negative tone, the funny at someone's else expensive postings,...it's all very disheartening. AND THEN, after the VP debate last night, I heard one of the news commentators on CNN (I think), say something about how big SuperPacs get together and over-post or completely hog the comments and tweets for there particular candidate or political perspective. OMG! Could that be true?! (Might I be so freaking naive?!) This is obviously some sort of rabbit hole for me because I have been thinking about this for a long time and I have an opinion on it, so lots more to discuss on this topic...

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Figuring out retail

Trying to look for small business ideas, plans, assistance, etc. as I am getting a bit obsessed with opening a store of some kind.

Other ideas (#235,742)...

1.  Recycling/Reuse/Green focus: Like that store on College - The Treehouse - but with a local (meaning NC) bend to the items being for sale there. It would be seasonal too; planters, heirloom seeds, plant markers, watering cans, etc. in the Summer, and homemade Xmas gifts, local woven blankets, old-fashioned kids toys. etc. in the Fall/Wintertime.

2. Country-focused: For instance, Le Petite Paris, a retail shop with an emphasis on Parisian items. For instance; French-made brand clothing, handbags, shabby chic stuff that related to Paris, France (I think France wrote the book on that!). One could even have French Providential furniture there too. Bonus on this idea is that I would have to make extensive visits to France to make sure the store is authentic.

More ideas later, but feel free to pipe in any ideas :-)





Sunday, September 30, 2012

Still dreaming...

I'm still dreaming; about opening my own antiques/consignment store, or this morning's idea: what about doing a smaller space in a co-op type of thing?




I like the latter idea right now - less risk, more community, maybe better exposure, hopefully. Woke up today and wanted (however stupidly futuristic it may seem!) to write down what I would sell, how it would be arranged, etc.
After looking over all my items I already have, with which I would open the co-op (like inventory really), I am drawn to a more general antique or collectables collections theme. And my beloved chotchkies!
Blue Bottles (most definitely!) 

Shabby chic (lots of stuff can be put into the category, thankfully!)

Cookbooks 

Metal scrolls/shields 

Interior Design focused

Nature-related

Primitive 




Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Kitchen politics; or Erin learns to be a Chef

So...Erin's going to DVC now to become a chef; she will end up with a couple of culinary certificates and her A.A. degree.
We have been talking about her first few courses, where they visited restaurants and went into the kitchens of numerous dining establishments around the bay area... she and I had already noticed and discussed the preponderance of Spanish-speaking cooks in CA restaurant kitchens, and apparently, her teachers in the program have directly addressed this in her classes.

This isn't an exact quote from one of her instructors, but it's close...that the Hispanics will get a cook's job over Erin (a white girl) because the Mexicans will work harder and longer in the kitchen and won't bitch about getting paid more money than Erin will. Well hey now. 

And on top of that politically charged statement, that fact applies to both Hispanic women and men! (No gender bias here).




Very interesting discussion...

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

O.M.G

Woke up with Judy Garland's Get Happy lyrics in my head...how freaking appropriate! (Well, maybe it was the Ella version?...Lord help us that it wasn't the Partridge Family rendition!)

Let's take a closer look at the lyrics, shall we?

Pack up your troubles and just get happy
Ya better chase all your cares away
Sing Hallelujah, c'mon get happy
Get ready for the judgment day

The sun is shinin', c'mon get happy
The Lord is waiting to take your hand
Shout Hallelujah, c'mon get happy
We're goin' to the Promised Land

 We're headin' 'cross the river
 Gonna wash our sins in the tide
 It's all so peaceful
 On the other side

Forget your troubles and just get happy
Ya better chase all your cares away
Sing Hallelujah, c'mon get happy
Get ready for the judgment day

The sun is shinin', c'mon get happy
The Lord is waiting to take your hand
Shout Hallelujah, c'mon get happy
We're goin' to the Promised Land

 We're headin' 'cross the river
 Wash our sins away in the tide
 It's all so peaceful
 On the other side

We're headin' 'cross the river
 Wash our sins away in the tide
 It's all so peaceful
 On the other side

Forget your troubles and just get happy
Ya better chase your cares away!!
Sing Hallelujah, c'mon get happy
Get ready for the judgment day
 
 
OK now...isn't it OBVIOUS why this song is in my head??? What? What did you say? So you think I need to Get Happy?
Well...what do you know, eh? So do freaking I!!!! 
 
 
 
 




Wednesday, April 25, 2012

One of my fav artists...

Is my co-worker, Sarah Loomis. I really am touched by her art; it's full of feelings and small beautiful details that effect me; not always in a positive way (some of her installations are quite emotional, at least for me) , but that's what's so heartfelt about her work. She is amazing! Check out her new web site for yourself here

Sunday, April 01, 2012

Friday, February 24, 2012

It's my birthday! Yay me!

It's my birthday!
In no particular order, here's some fact-finding about me on this day Feb 24th 2012.


What I'm doing for a living: Ed Tech Specialist and Online Coord. @ CIIS.

What I'm eating: Trying to afford to buy as much organic, local, sustainable as possible. Lots of rice (pretty much gluten free for almost a year now and feeling so much better!) Tons of veggies, stir-frys, some salads, lemons, herbs and spices, Indian, Mexican, Moroccan, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. Making my own smoothies. Slices of organic apples, raisins, raw walnuts and Marcona almonds, with some Manchego cheese - yum! (I eat that A LOT!) Flax seed oil. Vitamins when I can remember. Still have 1/2 a cup of coffee with good 'ol 1/2 and 1/2 and (now) agave each day, in the morning. (I can remember grinding coffee in the morning when I was pregnant with Erin and wondering if she could 'hear' the noise and vibration of the grinder!)


What I'm thinking about: What is the next career going to be for me? I really can't envision staring a the computer for another 15 or so years...what I've thought about lately: going back to a Library, an EKG Tech, getting my Real Estate License (but my math probably wouldn't cut it), getting a cert. in Gastronomy.
What's my next tattoo?
How to keep my family healthy.


What I'm enjoying
: Still love medicine/health, food, writing, beauty, flea markets, interior design.

What I'm trying to change: Idk...

What I'm satisfied with
: Ha! That's a funny question!

What's beautiful in my life right now
: Having my health, being able to walk the dogs, seeing things grow in my garden, the continuity of life!

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Singulation

I'm still pretty much sure in my thinking that dark matter and dark energy are simply a by-product of reality creation = dark matter, and synchronicities and non-real 'events' = dark energy.

Atomistic creation, real matter, by-products dark matter.

Thought creation, non-real creation, synchronicities, by-products dark energy.

Even thought (in the mind only) singulations, once 'viewed', even though they do not have an atomistic or corporal reality, 'produce' dark energy. (Maybe less DM than real atomistic events?)

There is a relationship between the two though, the details are what I'm trying to figure out, esp. in light of the expanding universe idea (which would make sense that if there is dark energy being created on a mass scale every day by our thoughts and ideas etc, there would be lots of dark energy being created, and thus an expanding universe). But there is much less matter creation going on these days then since the big bang so the proportions are changing I would think...

hmmmm....

Friday, January 20, 2012

MY idea for a Food Network (or just a TV) show...



Of course starring me!

I figure there are about 12 episodes per year. I would do two things, one for the first year; which would be focus on going to local farmer's markets and profiling only regional and in season organic (first choice) produce. So there would be 3 shows for the spring, 3 for the summer, etc. I would take the show outside and directly to the market; introducing local growers, profiling the seasonal aspects to cooking and eating, doing mini-shows on questions, such as what is organic?, and do you know your grower? First FM, since this show originates in the bay area would be the Berkeley Farmer's Market. We, meaning the audience and I, would shop together, then go home and cook and eat! I would choice the quintessential veggies and fruits for each of the seasons, how and where, how to choose, varieties, etc. Then we would talk to the FM person about their produce, choose the best, then go home and prepare, all along giving advice, facts, ideas, and general conversation about the loveliness of local, in season, fresh fruits and veggies, all from a local farmer's market.

The 2nd year of the show I would go 'regional' - taking the show on the road to the south, east, and northern regions of the US and doing the exact same thing; profiling local cooks and farmer's markets, people and ideas that are making a difference.

I would have special topics to talk about; maybe even do a panel discussion about ways to get locally grown and ideally organic, produce into the hands of people that traditionally and historically haven't had the opportunity for access.

I would profile regional cooks too; cooks that are making a difference in their community. Wed go shopping together and then cook and eat!

You heard it hear first folks! Still stumped for a name of the show tho', so I'm still thinking...:-)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Cool site

This site will make a Rebus of anything that you enter in text.

Very cool! Have fun!

REBUS MAKER

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Bishop and Lowell




What an interesting, and free, relationship they had...

Reading about them led me to Yaddo, (http://yaddo.org/yaddo/home.asp) a Saratoga Springs NY artists retreat that had housed and given refuse to a great number of writers, artists, etc. and to the idea of writing from the imagined perspective of your idea of a situation or perspective. This is hard to describe but it basically means you are more free to not explain your own viewpoint or paraphrase another, but to use your imagination to more freely express that perspective. I liken it to a thought experiment, like I like to imagine how reality is created and physical matter is formed.

I'd like to have more time to imagine things...and then construct a poem or short story.

I guess Bishop and Lowell were muses to each other as well. Quite lovely.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas Day...


Doesn't seem to have much 'meaning' any more, especially now that the kids are all grown up. In all honesty, it's nice to support the grandkids, but I really don't get any spiritual investment or support out of this holiday.
I do enjoy thinking reflectively about the solstice, and I feel a bit lost or not as in touch with the naturalistic spiritual roots these days. I'm still having problems adjusting to the light time is now increasing again...it hardly seems so already. Some of my feelings stem from the weirdness of the weather these days for sure: and now it's below freezing every night but we have had no rain so far this winter. The garden went from tomatoes still on the vine in November to frost in December! All this seems odd and I start feeling out of the touch with seasons and my part of my cyclical naturalness.

Hmmm...I never thought about the changes in the weather and the seasonal weather patterns as a human-made nature-person connection disruptor before...I hope that sentence makes sense!
In other words; we are part and parcel of nature and the natural world. Because of the global disruptive and destructive activities ('fraking' being the latest example of environmental destruction, or the recent Gulf oil spill disaster) of the vast majority of human-kind, we are, in effect, poisoning the well; cutting the ever frail connection between us and nature, with the spiritual effect of us becoming more dis-connected and less intrinsic to nature herself.

In any case, I was recently wowed by pictures of Mermaid Isle = http://www.mermaidisle.net/ and the stunningly beautiful pictures from that area. You'd never know that long-term changes are afoot, but maybe that feeling is just my projection? Idk, but it's sad to think about...

May we have peace and health this year.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Wonderful winter salad...

I can't quite claim all the responsibility for this idea of a winter salad; only this specific version. It was scrumptious - juicy, a bit robust (due to the arugula), and both tart and sweet!
You could easily add some rotisserie chicken to this salad for a more main course salad.


Wash and dry a few large handfuls of romaine lettuce and arugula (I like more arugula than lettuce)

De-seed 1 small to medium pomegranate

1 medium apple (I think we used 1/2 a Cameo and 1/2 a Honey Crisp) peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

A good handful of some Feta cheese crumbles

A small handful of candied walnuts (I bought these from Whole Foods but you could make your own)


Dressing:
Canola oil
A bit of Agave syrup
Rice wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar
A dash of water
salt and pepper

Put the salad veggies in a large bowl, toss with the dressing, and serve!

This recipe fed two people (me and Russ!).