tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81849647393251135912024-03-05T00:44:21.049-08:00Aunti ApathyThe aim of this blog is to encourage, support, and celebrate civic and political involvement.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-4104177409367986762011-11-30T20:21:00.000-08:002011-11-30T20:21:36.154-08:00GIVING GIFTS THAT KEEP GIVING<blockquote class="tr_bq">"Every good act is charity. A [sic] man's true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows." Moliere</blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The holiday season is fast approaching, so I thought I'd write a blog entry on the dos and don't of giving 'charitable' gifts.</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Making a charitable donation (of money, or of time) in someone's name can be a touching and treasured gesture, and can bring as much pleasure to the gift receiver as a more traditional gift, if done correctly. Many charities and non-profits also have catalogues and 'gift shops' that one can purchase items through, with part of the profit going towards their cause. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">There are a few basic rules to follow, and a few guidelines that I would like to make you aware of.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong>Do a bit of thinking</strong>. Figure out what you are willing to support, and what you aren't. <em>This is important</em>. Here are a few things to consider: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">1. What are causes and organisations that you are interested in, and that you can support?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">2. What are the causes and organisations that interest the person you would like to make a gift to?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">3. Where do these overlap? Where do they conflict?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">4. If there is no obvious overlap, then is there a way that you can find some commonality?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">5. Do you know what organisations and causes that the person you would like to honour does NOT want to be associated with?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong>Thoughtfulness</strong> really is the key to making a donation-gift treasured and appreciated. Take the time to do a bit of research, and ask the people you love some questions. Do some thinking about your own values as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Here are some questions and suggestions to get you started:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What percentage of a donation are you comfortable going towards administration fees?</span></strong> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">I am not going to get into the incredibly complex differences between Federal and Provincial laws (a charity can be registered either through Canada, or provincially in the case of Quebec). By all means, explore some of the details <a href="http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/chrts/glssry-eng.html">here</a> if you are interested. I am also not going to get into legal or accounting terms. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">You do need to at least be aware of some of the 'business' practises of charities and non-profits if you are going to give thoughtful gifts. There's a great discussion of the issues <a href="http://www.globalphilanthropy.ca/index.php/blog/comments/how_much_should_canadian_charity_spend_on_overhead/">here</a>, and I would encourage you to read it and think about the issues. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><em><strong>My personal belief</strong></em>, having worked with charities and non-profits for years, is that up to 35% of funds donated to charities (NOT foundations) can be ethically spent on administrative fees, <em>which must include</em> salaries and employee benefits. Charities and non-profits must provide their employees with a decent living if they are to maintain ethical integrity, and if they are to maintain consistency and reduce staff turnover. HOWEVER, I would strongly argue that "a decent living" does not mean salaries in the hundreds of thousands, nor does it include huge bonuses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Be cautious with regards to foundations. Some foundations (<a href="http://www2.unitedway.ca/uwcanada/default.aspx">The United Way</a> for instance) does amazing work, and is responsible for supporting a great many wonderful charities and non-profit groups. However, corporate foundations (yup, another upcoming blog entry) may eat away at your donation by redundant administrative fees - part of your donation supports the corporate foundation (said foundation providing not only publicity for the corporation but also a tax break), which then gives what's left of your donation to a charity, which also has administrative fees. Each foundation you are interested in needs to be vetted, and you need to make your own choice. If you are interested in donating to a corporate foundation, you also need to research the corporation in order to avoid green washing (yes, another upcoming blog - oh my!) and the support of shady practises. My personal choice is to donate directly to a group I want to support. Know how <em>you</em> feel about this issue, and know how your gift receiver feels. </span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Charities, foundations, and non-profits should be willing to answer basic questions regarding administrative costs, and be willing to provide you with links to, or copies of, the financial statements from their last general meeting. I would encourage you to contact any charity/non-profit PRIOR to donation, and ask this (and other) questions, both in order to provide you with the information and (just as important) to provide tangible proof to the charity in question that donors are actively concerned about these issues.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What types of activities are you willing to support? What types of activities are supported by the person you are honouring?</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Learn a little about the charity that you are considering donating to. What, exactly, do they do and why? What are their policies? Do they answer your questions? (Ethical charities and non-profits will be willing to answer your questions, and if the person you speak with is not knowledgeable enough to answer your question, s/he should either find out the answer and get back to you or refer you to someone else within the group.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Do they have a sustainable, long term view that attempts to deal with causal factors (for instance, groups that try to save endangered species through eradicating the poverty and environmental degradation that often threatens species)? Do they only deal with short-term relief (for instance, food banks)? Do they have a two-pronged approach which targets short-term relief as well as long term causation? How do you feel about these approaches (and your view may differ from cause to cause). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Do they treat their donors with respect? Do they accept dedicated funds? Do they refuse to accept funds under a specified amount? If the group only accepts non-dedicated</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">If they are collecting money for research into a disease, <em>where</em> does this money go? "Towards research" is far too general. Do you, or the person you hope to honour, have concerns about the use of animals in medical research? If so, then you need to ask about the policies regarding this issue. Will research be conducted using pharmaceutical companies, or will pharmaceutical companies benefit from the resulting drugs created with research you are funding? Who will own the patent? These are things you should think about.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be prepared.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The best way of knowing what to give to whom, is to have the conversation - early if possible. For instance, my mother-in-love has stated that she would like donations made in honour of her to go to "anything that helps children". This makes giving a charitable gift in her honour extremely easy. People like me, who have worked in non-profits, may have more discriminating requirements for the charities they support. For gifts that honour people like me, you need to discuss things in more detail. For instance, I am a vegan and have supported a number of causes that range from social justice and antipoverty issues, to environmental and endangered animal groups. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">To assume, however, that any gift given to a group that works in one of these fields would honour me would be a mistake. <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/home-full.html">The World Wildlife Fund</a>, which I have supported over the years, has recently 'partnered' with Coca-Cola, accepting $2 million to be received over the next five years, to be used to help protect polar bear habitat. This looks like a good thing on the surface - however, I am concerned with a number of issues surrounding this (yes, subject of a future blog). I presently choose not to support WWF, while I research the issues and inform myself. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Most people will be more than happy to have this type of discussion with you. Honestly, most people have already wrestled, at least to some degree, with some of the issues I have raised and have a few charities or causes that they feel drawn to. Don't forget to periodically revisit the discussion with people you love, to see if their 'pet' charities have changed.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Be honest if there is a conflict.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If, for instance, someone asks me to donate to <a href="http://www.cbcf.org/en-US/home.aspx">The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation,</a> I would explain, politely and respectfully, that I would be unable to send them money as I had a number of ethical concerns with the group. I would then offer to do some research into breast cancer groups and come back to them with a list of groups that I could support, and have them choose one. I could also, if they preferred, donate to another group that they supported. While the donation I am giving in someone's name is meant to honour him/her, it still has to be a group that I can give to without feeling ethically compromised. If you are respectful and supportive of the giftee's right to support a group, then s/he should understand. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">The world is full of wonderful organisations that do incredible work. I urge you to think about charitable gifts over the holiday season, and to have conversations through-out the year with those that you love.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Here are a few links to get you started (If I have any links to the group, I will tell you within the parentheses, in the spirit of full disclosure - and you still have to ask them questions if you want to donate to them):</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://www.janegoodall.ca/">The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(I worked for this organisation while it was located in Montreal. Great gifts for those interested in Chimpanzees, in sustainable tourism, in animal welfare, in providing sustainable jobs for those in African communities surrounding chimp sanctuaries, for helping to support research and eco-viability in Gombe National Park, and for those interested in fostering leadership in youths in Canada.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.senegalsantemobile.org/">Fondation Senegal Sante Mobile</a> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(Wonderful group just getting started - I have volunteered with them, and know the founding member quite well. Great for anyone interested in maternal or neonatal health, in health care in Africa, in helping to reduce infant death and morbidity as well as increase health status of infants and mothers, as well as the whole community, in social justice and access to health care.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.genese.qc.ca/home.html">Project Genesis</a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (I am on the Board of Directors. While their website is not updated as often as it should be, this group does amazing work with regards to housing rights, welfare and pension rights, social justice, antipoverty, etc.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://baobabfamilial.org/">Baobab Familial</a> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(I am in my second term on their Board, and am the Vice-President of the Board of Directors. Unfortunately, their website is only in French at present. This group does amazing work with new immigrants to Quebec, providing enrichment programmes for children as well as tutoring, free babysitting for stay-at-home parents in order to reduce their isolation in a new country, translators for doctor's visits, French lessons, etc. Great charity for anyone interested in community, social justice, isolation, children's education.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://accmontreal.org/">AIDS Community Care Montreal</a> (<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I have been a volunteer and consultant for ACCM for a number of years now.) ACCM is the only English language HIV/AIDS education/prevention/support group in Montreal. They do incredible work with people of all ages. This is a great group to give to for someone who is interested in HIV/AIDS prevention, patient advocacy, education, support, and fighting discrimination.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.heiferfoundation.org/">The Heifer Foundation</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(I have given gifts through this organisation in the past. Great group for those interested in fighting hunger, in fighting poverty, in child education. If you are giving a donation in honour of a vegan, then be sensitive. You can 'give a tree', or if your vegan does not object honey, you can 'give a bee hive'.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.bcam.qc.ca/">Breast Cancer Action Montreal</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(This is an example of a group that fights breast cancer, and that <em>may</em> be a suitable recipient for donations made in honour of someone who has problems with The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.pcrm.org/">The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine</a> (<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This organisation is not a good choice for everyone. Focusing on the healing and preventative role that a balanced vegan diet can play in good health, and in treating and preventing a number of diseases, this group not only conducts research, but also promotes veganism and responsible medical practises. A great choice for vegans, vegetarians, those interested in animal rights, those who feel that medicine and medical research is frequently controlled by big business and lobbyists.)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.saveourcoastalfishery.com/">Save Our Coastal Fishery</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(This non-profit should be familiar, from my last blog entry - Nov. 27, 2011. This group is fighting open-pen salmon farming in Atlantic Canada, and fights to protect the coastline and lobster fishers from toxic chemicals and pollution caused by this practise.)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/">Food Banks Canada</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(While this group attempts to provide short-term relief to hunger in Canada rather than a long-term solution/s or a two-pronged approach, I can tell you from personal experience that food banks offer a critical service in this country. For more information, you can scroll down to the blog archives and look at the second blog entry I made, entitled "Hunger".)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.slavelakelibrary.ab.ca/Make-A-Donation">The Slave Lake Library Fund</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(For more information, please scroll down to my blog archives and see the third blog entry, entitled "For the Love of Books".)</span><br />
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<a href="http://thinkingforward.ca/who-we-are">Thinking Forward</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(I have had only limited contact with this group which involved some base and preliminary suggestions regarding their volunteer programme. I have, however, agreed to serve as a consultant when they are large enough to need me. This is a great group for those interested in youth development, in leadership training, and in fostering civic involvement.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I hope that the above has given you something to think about, and provides you with information regarding the how-tos of giving gifts that continue to give. Let me know of any other groups/organisations that you feel are deserving, and I will be happy to list them in a follow-up blog entry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Happy Giving!</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="background-color: white; border: currentColor; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div align="justify"></div></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-59930846001697007712011-11-27T15:01:00.000-08:002011-11-28T13:05:59.673-08:00OPEN-PEN AQUACULTURE<table class="posts" id="posts"><tbody>
<tr class=" selected"><td class="link"><div class="viewLink"></div></td><td class="title" onclick="setSelected(this, "7104200037747970205");"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJz3SM5iAkya6IUVfQ7VV0b-Ff9KNG72OHShE3j2LetO_7nWn13FJDGCGYC7yucBTntg3oYH1D0njXpRatgjM3FBgPH0A-3e9__yivQoWX7jUmU5by5tGaL7T1iBM9opxnfABck5mzI8/s1600/Atlantic-Salmon%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJz3SM5iAkya6IUVfQ7VV0b-Ff9KNG72OHShE3j2LetO_7nWn13FJDGCGYC7yucBTntg3oYH1D0njXpRatgjM3FBgPH0A-3e9__yivQoWX7jUmU5by5tGaL7T1iBM9opxnfABck5mzI8/s320/Atlantic-Salmon%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="flippy"></div><div class="postContents"><div class="snippetPost" style="text-align: justify;">(<em>Note: This blog entry has been modified from the original at the request of the volunteer it originally highlighted. I only do so as the volunteer was unaware of my policy with regards to editorial control - my fault. Future sources and celebrated volunteers will be fully informed. The issues presented <strong>reflect my own beliefs</strong>, as do all my blog entries</em>. <em>Future blog entries will be updated and corrected with regards to facts if errors occur, but editorial control will remain with me.</em>)</div><div class="snippetPost"> _________________</div><div class="snippetPost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost"><em>Global production of fish from aquaculture has grown substantially in the past decade, reaching 52.5 million tonnes in 2008, compared with 32.4 million tonnes in 2000. Aquaculture continues to be the fastest-growing animal food producing sector and currently accounts for nearly half (45.6 percent) of the world’s food fish consumption, compared with 33.8 percent in 2000. With stagnating global capture fishery production and an increasing population, aquaculture is perceived as having the greatest potential to produce more fish in the future to meet the growing demand for safe and quality aquatic food. </em><em>According to FAO [Fisheries and Oceans], it is estimated that by 2012 more than 50 percent of global food fish consumption will originate from aquaculture. </em> (From <a href="http://northernaquafarms.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;"></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;"><a href="http://northernaquafarms.blogspot.com/">http://northernaquafarms.blogspot.com/</a></span><a href="http://northernaquafarms.blogspot.com/)[Image"></a></strong><a href="http://northernaquafarms.blogspot.com/)[Image"></a>)</div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost">(Note: As always, if you are short of time, you can scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">HOW YOU CAN HELP</span> section, but please do so soon, as some of these actions must take place before Dec. 4, 2011.)</div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">How much do you know about the <a href="http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/aquacult/overview.php">associated problems</a></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> of pollution, pesticide use, and the resulting die-off of lobsters caused by open-pen salmon aquaculture? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iY4cySeZBq8JTuzob91iShJUNZ0j88CEIxMyMtVZ1ZKdB6uFVfNtm1GeWtmbEMDjsnhiBkjPA0GPEwnIFMrPDqG6cf-QHLzKoSfprSK-ay5Yf-J0PS4thUIGa3n5vsTBQbQxrDbnxqE/s1600/Salmon%252520Lice%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iY4cySeZBq8JTuzob91iShJUNZ0j88CEIxMyMtVZ1ZKdB6uFVfNtm1GeWtmbEMDjsnhiBkjPA0GPEwnIFMrPDqG6cf-QHLzKoSfprSK-ay5Yf-J0PS4thUIGa3n5vsTBQbQxrDbnxqE/s1600/Salmon%252520Lice%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iY4cySeZBq8JTuzob91iShJUNZ0j88CEIxMyMtVZ1ZKdB6uFVfNtm1GeWtmbEMDjsnhiBkjPA0GPEwnIFMrPDqG6cf-QHLzKoSfprSK-ay5Yf-J0PS4thUIGa3n5vsTBQbQxrDbnxqE/s1600/Salmon%252520Lice%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">One concerned citizen, after hearing a radio broadcast on this issue, called the Department of Aquaculture and spoke with a government official, who specified that no pesticides were used in open-pen aquaculture – only “medications” (Note: You may be unaware of the term "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing">linguistic detoxification</a>". This may be one example.) She also called an aquaculture industry representative who stated that no pesticides were necessary in Nova Scotia open-pens as the water temperature repels <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_louse">sea lice</a></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. (The picture to your left is of Atlantic Salmon infested with sea lice.) </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.saveourcoastalfishery.com/">Save Our Coastal Fishery</a></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> is one group that is fighting to save the coastal waters in Atlantic Canada. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is no small issue. <a href="http://www.cookeaqua.com/">Cooke Aquaculture</a></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, Nova Scotia's largest aquaculture company has been charged with illegally poisoning the coastal waters near its pens (you can link to several sources: </span><a href="http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/1452986"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">newspaper article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, or </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uvozt7rME4"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">video</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">). They appear in court Dec. 13th, 2011. </span></div><div class="entirePost"></div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This fight is at a critical phase. The Federal Conservative Government has announced that it is "considering" the changes it intends to make regarding the laws of pesticide use in open-pen salmon aquaculture. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You can read this notice of intent <a href="http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-11-05/html/notice-avis-eng.html">here</a></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (scroll down to the section labeled "Department of Fisheries", fourth notice down). To make your lives a little easier, here are portions of the notice:</span></div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost">The federal government is committed to reducing or avoiding duplicative administrative requirements, while ensuring that legislative environmental protection objectives are met. </div><div class="entirePost">In determining the design of the regulations under consideration, DFO [Department of Fisheries and Oceans] will be examining the scope of legislation governing fish pathogen and pest treatment, and the environmental aspects of regulations, regulatory mechanisms and programs administered by Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Environment Canada, and DFO as well as provincial and territorial authorities. The proposed regulations under the FA [Fisheries Act] are expected to complement current federal regulatory instruments, ensuring that fish and fish habitat are protected and healthy aquatic ecosystems maintained in the carrying out of fish pathogen and pest treatments. ...</div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost">In Canada, a number of pieces of legislation and regulations administered by a number of federal agencies govern aspects related to fish pathogen and pest treatment, including requirements related to environmental risk assessment and mitigation. Treatment products may be regulated under one or more of the following acts: the Food and Drugs Act (FDA), the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). As well, the HAA provides for control measures to prevent the spread and introduction of aquatic animal diseases of concern to Canada and the Fisheries Act has, as a purpose, the protection of fish and fish habitat. </div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I encourage you to read the original document. However, in the meantime, there are a few things I would like to highlight. In theory, I actually agree that reducing redundant administration is a good thing - however, having worked in hospitals for years, I can tell you that the 'redundancy' of having medications and dosages checked by nurses as well as doctors has saved thousands of lives. Administrative staff may be highly competent, and yet are still human. Mistakes are made. Safety issues may not be picked up on. A certain amount of redundancy when it comes to safety, toxicity, and environmental protection is actually a necessity.</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWdplStlZPqib1zeT1i4ojbdbJrguQsrKV0ZeHhoxJv3QmWt_ZfQqoi5tir1YMjyZ6G24ot0ntZLtDoizHY__CVDC54aEQchnDvfOzUYT5ZkSYcBzcuOsMikMro1Wb1Uug2UuNxknqbg/s1600/shelburne-harbour-salmon-farm-sites%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWdplStlZPqib1zeT1i4ojbdbJrguQsrKV0ZeHhoxJv3QmWt_ZfQqoi5tir1YMjyZ6G24ot0ntZLtDoizHY__CVDC54aEQchnDvfOzUYT5ZkSYcBzcuOsMikMro1Wb1Uug2UuNxknqbg/s1600/shelburne-harbour-salmon-farm-sites%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWdplStlZPqib1zeT1i4ojbdbJrguQsrKV0ZeHhoxJv3QmWt_ZfQqoi5tir1YMjyZ6G24ot0ntZLtDoizHY__CVDC54aEQchnDvfOzUYT5ZkSYcBzcuOsMikMro1Wb1Uug2UuNxknqbg/s320/shelburne-harbour-salmon-farm-sites%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">One source stated</span>: <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"...even though [the] DFO has regulations, they have never been enforced - resulting in significant pollution in Shelburne Harbour [seen left], Port Mouton Bay, and St. Mary's Bay, NS."</span> <br />
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</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">There are a number of excellent sources that provide insight into the destructive aspects of open-pen aquaculture. One of the best ways of informing yourself is to go to the Save Our Coastal Fishery website (link above).</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">As a vegan, I already have a number of issues with 'factory farming'. However, this particular issue speaks to all of us. The abuse and poisoning of public resources (like coastal waters) is an issue that effects us all. Elected representatives need to know what <em>we</em> think about these issues. If the only voices they hear are those of corporate representatives, then we are partially to blame for the degradation of our environment. If we support these industries through our silence, as well as our dollars, then we are responsible, in part, for their choices. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">If this is an issue that speaks to you, please get involved. Here are just a few ways that you can help her help save our coastal waters:</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Courier New;">WHAT YOU CAN DO:</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime;">1</span>. <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong><em>Inform yourself</em></strong>. In addition to the above links, you can visit the following sites: <a href="http://www.friendsofportmoutonbay.ca/">Friends of Port Mouton Bay,</a> <a href="http://friendsofshelburneharbour.org/">Friends of Shelbourne Harbour.</a> Additionally, St. Mary's Bay, <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">where the Minister of Fisheries has approved 2 x 100 care open-pen farms in spite of opposition from 80% of the community, has a facebook page. If you are really interested in this issue, begin to think about water use in general. While the <a href="http://www.canadians.org/">Council of Canadians</a> tends to focus on water rights with regards to fresh water (see <a href="http://canadians.org/water/">here,</a> and <a href="http://www.blueplanetproject.net/">here)</a>, use of public water for private gains is clearly a growing issue.</span></span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="background-color: lime;">2</span>. <span style="background-color: yellow;">PEOPLE HAVE UNTIL DEC. 4, 2011 TO SUBMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO PESTICIDE LEGISLATION!</span> Please make your voice heard. You can send your comments (make sure to include the reference number CLEAR ref.: 11-01-61095). The addresses to send your views can be viewed on the Notice of Intent, at the government site linked above. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: lime;">3.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span> If you buy salmon, <strong><em>ask your retailers (and go to managers, and send letters and emails to head offices) about the specifics of the salmon you are buying.</em></strong> (Note that only 0.5% of salmon sold now is wild, as the fishery industry for wild Atlantic salmon has collapsed - see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon">here</a>). If you are told that what you are buying is wild Atlantic Salmon, chances are you are being mislead. </span></o:p><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Do not settle for "eco-friendly" or "eco-farmed" labels thrown out without specifics, as there is no third-party certification or government standards for these terms. </span></o:p><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If the stores cannot answer your questions, choose to <strong><em>boycott Atlantic salmon</em></strong>, and make your decision known to these stores. </span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="background-color: lime;">5</span>. <strong><em>Send the link</em></strong> for this blog, or some of the links provided (I suggest <a href="http://www.saveourcoastalfishery.com/">Save our Coastal Fishery)</a> and try to get others to get involved. You can also contact Save Our Coastal Fishery and ask them how you can help.</span></o:p><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New;">6. Become aware of, and use, the <a href="http://apps.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1540">complete list of Seafood Eco-Ratings.</a> If you choose to eat seafood, help support sustainable harvesting.</span></o:p></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
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</tbody> </table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-16120505859321435332011-11-20T12:38:00.000-08:002011-11-20T12:59:26.574-08:00"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" - SOMETHING TO CONSIDER<table class="posts" id="posts"><tbody>
<tr class=" selected"><td class="title" onclick="setSelected(this, "3804203476091324875");"><div class="postContents"><div class="entirePost">"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter which fork you use." ~Emily Post</div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TXk2dj1BXN5UgcRE4f0o-_aPldP0IQ-1W0CfSmlh_VbRDFlec_ltqcm6T8A0S5ZEwHTkE_1Abs_3ZOvh-KUzHgmQnHWj9MoyN-5k3wt0xDwpYs-VlXno0A2ENTu8LSmTu_AS7duPUWk/s1600/imagesCAS51LBW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TXk2dj1BXN5UgcRE4f0o-_aPldP0IQ-1W0CfSmlh_VbRDFlec_ltqcm6T8A0S5ZEwHTkE_1Abs_3ZOvh-KUzHgmQnHWj9MoyN-5k3wt0xDwpYs-VlXno0A2ENTu8LSmTu_AS7duPUWk/s400/imagesCAS51LBW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="entirePost"><br />
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</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I was having a conversation with a friend last week, and realized that it was the same general conversation that I have had several times over the last few months. We were talking about a particularly rude question that each of us had experienced. Many of our acquaintances had also been asked this question. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Having to deal with rude, nosey people who won't mind their business is not a new phenomenon, but it is an increasingly common one. I'm not sure if it is because good manners aren't quite emphasized as much these days, or because the advent of the internet, facebook, and twitter give the illusion that we don't have or need privacy. Probably a combination, with a few extra factors thrown in. No matter what the cause, I think it's time to become more educated about what <em>not</em> to ask and why, how to leave a door open for those who <em>wish</em> to share.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here's my (rather incomplete) list of rude questions that have become common:</span></div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">1. <strong>"How old are you?" </strong>Unless you are a medical professional treating the person you are asking, and need to know this information for diagnostic or prognostic reasons, this is none of your business. Ageism is real, both in the work place and within social settings. Many, myself included, do not like to be placed in a box with assumptions attached, simply based on my age. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">2. <strong>"How much money do you make?" </strong>Unless you are an accountant doing someone's taxes, or an investment consultant, etc., this is none of your business. Whether or not you agree with assumptions, money is often linked to social status, to perceptions of success or failure, and to social class. Especially in these days, when so many are unemployed or forcibly retired early, this question is insensitive. On the other hand, one who has a very large salary may feel uncomfortable with the discrepancy s/he has with others, or may be wary of those who will try to to take advantage of him/her.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">3. <strong> "Are you pregnant?"</strong> or <strong>"How many months along are you?"</strong>Unless you are a health professional who needs this information, this is none of your business. There are many women who look pregnant but who are not. One woman I know had to sit in OB/GYN office waiting rooms, for multiple appointments over the course of years, listening to other women chattering on about their pregnancies. Inevitablly, she would have to try to politely answer probing questions when they got tired of talking amongst themselves. After the first year, she would say in a very loud voice "I'm not pregnant - I have very big tumours!" She says that this shut people up quickly, and she hoped, made them less likely to ask the question again. Uterine tumours is only one example of many conditions that result in an extended belly.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">4. <strong>"Why don't you have children?" </strong>Unless you are a health professional who needs this information, this is none of your business. Many people struggle with infertility. Some people choose to remain childless, and often feel that they have to defend this choice. There are people who have had children, but have lost them (death, kidnapping, child custody). This question can be particularly painful.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">5. <strong>"How did ________die?" </strong>Death is almost never a happy topic. I have known two murder victims, and two suicide victims in my life. Their families are not eager to discuss painful family histories for the sake of someone's curiosity. Even if a loved one has died from a 'natural' cause, like a disease of some sort, it is likely that this subject will be painful. Unless you are a police officer investigating questionable circumstances, or a health professional taking a family history, this is none of your business.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">6. <strong>"Why don't you drink?" </strong>There are many reasons why someone may choose not to drink. A family history of alcoholism, religious reasons, medication which contraindicates alcohol consumption, alcoholism. None of these reasons are any of your business. On a personal note, I also find it rather disturbing that someone is placed in a position where the assumption is that s/he has to explain the choice not to use a drug. How often is one asked "Why don't you use heroine?" Dramatic comparison, I know, but that is often how someone who chooses not to drink feels.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">7. <strong>"Why are you here to see a doctor?" </strong>I have actually seen a family member sit down in a doctor's office, spend fifteen minutes telling a stranger sitting next to her all about her breast cancer, and then turn to the poor person (who looked like a cornered mouse) and say "why are you here?" Unless you are a medical professional, this is none of your business.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">8. <strong>"Why are you getting a divorce?"</strong> or <strong>"Why did you break up?" </strong>Unless you are involved with the person and suspect a pattern of behaviour that may affect your present relationship (eg. cheating, financial irresponsibility), or non-disclosure of a contagious disease, then this is none of your business.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">9. "<strong>Did you give blood?" </strong>or <strong>"Why didn't you give blood?"</strong>. I was guilty of asking this just last week, I' afraid. There are many reasons why people don't donate blood (or organs) - religious conviction, health status (everything from HIV and Hepatitis to anaemia), recent tattoos (and unless someone wishes to share this, tattoos are personal), sexual history or a partner's sexual history. Unless you are a health care professional directly involved in collecting blood for the Red Cross (or Red Crescent), this is none of your business.</span></div><div class="entirePost"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">At the end of the day, people who want to share with you will. Family and close friends will tell you without prompting, or if they need prompting to feel that you are interested, there are ways of leaving doors open for expansion of a topic without putting someone on the spot. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">For instance, "I'm really sorry to hear about your divorce. That must have been really difficult" provides someone with the opportunity to expand on the subject, or simply say "yes, it was." "I'm sorry to hear that your Dad died" provides an opportunity for someone to cry on your shoulder, but also provides a graceful way for someone to close the door to the subject by simply saying "Thank you." </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: lime;">1</span>. <strong>Do not ask rude questions</strong>.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: lime;">2</span>. If you <em>must</em> ask a personal question, <strong>phrase it</strong> in such a way that a person can expand on a subject, or gracefully close the door without having to actually say "that's none of your business". I can't tell you how many conversations I've had that go as follows:</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Her</strong>: How old are you?</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Me</strong>: Oh, I never tell anyone how old I am. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Her</strong>: Oh, come on. I won't tell anyone.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Me</strong>: Why do you ask?</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Her</strong>: I'm just curious. After all, "age is just a number."</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Me</strong>: Well, if it's just a number, why is it so important to you?<strong>Her</strong>: It isn't, but you really seem to have a hang-up about it. You should just loosen up.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Me</strong>: I don't have a 'hang-up'. I just consider it personal information.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Her</strong>: Well, with the Internet these days, there really isn't such a thing as 'personal information'.</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Me</strong>: LOOK, IT REALLY ISN'T ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS, OK?!</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">By the time I get to "none of your business" I am frustrated and angry. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: lime;">3</span>. <strong>Pay attention</strong> to body language, and to avoidance techniques. Many people are reluctant to just come out and say "none of your business". In a world where many are trained to be polite, nosey people actively prey on others' reluctance to be confrontational and appear rude. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Nosey people usually get answered because others cannot figure out how to get out of answering once they run out of social clues. Social clues that you are being too nosey would be physically withdrawing from the space, and from you (if possible). Avoidance techniques would include answering your questions with "why do you ask?" or "Nothing, really", or "It's a long story", etc. Be kind, and polite, and pay attention to these clues. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: lime;">4</span>. <strong>Ask yourself what your motive for asking is</strong>. If it's just to satisfy your curiosity, then you don't really need to know. If it's just to have something to talk about, or open up a dialogue, then you don't really need to know. By all means, let someone know (subtly) that you are willing to be supportive listener if they need one (if you are ready to listen that is, not if you are just collecting gossip), but do it in a sensitive and respectful manner. </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: lime;">5</span>. If you are the person being asked, then <strong>send out clues</strong>. Many people ask out of caring. If they care, they'll 'listen' to your clues. If they are totally clueless in terms of social signals, then <strong>you may (if you like) educate them</strong> as to why this question can be hurtful to someone (and include all the reasons - and know that your privacy may be compromised if this is the option you choose). </span></div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="entirePost" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You may also <strong>use shock tactics</strong> if they continue. "I'm not pregnant, I'm just really fat" would be an example. If they continue to push, then by all means, tell them in no uncertain terms that what they are asking is <strong>NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS</strong>. <em>If more people did this (and most people are shocked when they are told this), then fewer nosey people would continue to push. <strong>You would, in many ways, be helping the next person down the line.</strong></em></span></div></div></td><td class="type"><em></em></td><td class="type"><div class="softAlert"></div></td></tr>
</tbody> </table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-46725437978067286872011-11-07T11:08:00.000-08:002011-11-07T11:08:29.089-08:00SACRIFICES AND VIGILENCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDHbFZ9banErUVr5liar-JXQXRPNRu9pXbU_TXd4xqUOzhqxBhjKLM09q8D5MReTiWsVO-ZWxXPMUAhaSvLagxyr2WFHV4Iz4bEMKFpD6c3aM3wTFxsyKWqO83UsKg8fmCGh3WKMzjXo/s1600/Iconium-Poppies-03%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDHbFZ9banErUVr5liar-JXQXRPNRu9pXbU_TXd4xqUOzhqxBhjKLM09q8D5MReTiWsVO-ZWxXPMUAhaSvLagxyr2WFHV4Iz4bEMKFpD6c3aM3wTFxsyKWqO83UsKg8fmCGh3WKMzjXo/s400/Iconium-Poppies-03%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><blockquote class="tr_bq">In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. <br />
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. (<a href="http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html">Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961)</a><br />
<br />
<div align="justify"><br />
</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My grandmother's family was wiped out in WWII. My grandmother and her sister managed to survive The Holocaust, as did a few cousins. I am actually rather close to a second cousin, who spent a number of his formative years growing up in</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresienstadt_concentration_camp">Theresienstadt</a>. <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I take the sacrifices made by men and women in WWII <em>very</em> seriously. I also take the responsibilities I inherited with the freedoms that they helped buy for me, and my generation, very seriously.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. - Ronald Reagan.</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Courier New;">In fact, it was my disgust at the apathy I was observing all around me, and the increasing encroachment of our freedoms that initiated my commitment to starting and maintaining this blog.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">This <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day">Remembrance Day,</a> spend a few minutes in silent thanks to those who sacrificed for your freedoms, and in respect for them and future generations, think about how you can fight to maintain these freedoms. Here's a few suggestions:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Courier New;"><u>WHAT YOU CAN DO</u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">1. <strong>Vote</strong>, every chance you get. People literally died to provide you with the right to elect a representative government. Our system isn't perfect. There are lots of flaws. The first step to improving it is to do a little research on the issues, and vote.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">2. <strong>Consider getting involved in government</strong> on some level. You don't have to run for Prime Minister (although that is an option). Local governments and municipal elections can greatly effect the lives of constituents.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">3. <strong>Speak up!</strong> When you hear racist, sexist, etc. remarks, DO NOT REMAIN SILENT. This is one of the first and basic steps to safeguarding everyone's freedom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">4. Understand that <strong>freedom of speech has to be extended to all</strong>. The price of freedom, and the first missed step in 'the slippery slope', is often neglecting to accord rights to those who have different ideas or lifestyles than you do. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">5. <strong>Learn about history</strong>. Learn about warning signs. Think critically. Be a good citizen and watchful for abuse. (A great starting point is Eisenhower's speech, linked with the first quote in this blog.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">6. If you have kids, <strong>teach them to stand up for the right thing</strong> (which is ever-more-frequently the most difficult choice these days). Teach them that one does the right thing not for reward or fame, but simply because it is the right thing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">7. If you have kids, <strong>teach them about history</strong>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">8. Find a good charity that you feel good about supporting, one that either fights for freedom or educates others (one of mine is <a href="http://www.mhmc.ca/en">The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre).</a> <strong>Support it</strong> with time or money (or both).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">9. Spend some time on <strong>November 9</strong> remembering <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht">Kristallnacht.</a> If you don't know what Kristallnacht refers to, then click on the link and take a few minutes. If you have kids, this is an excellent opportunity to teach them about how freedom is taken in small increments, about how standing up for others benefits all of society. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">10. ...and for something a little more fun, click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIS7zOlSeo">here</a> for one of the best songs about freedom that I know. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq">. </blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div align="justify"><span style="color: lime;"></span></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-9211332074177632652011-11-06T10:49:00.000-08:002011-11-07T11:37:48.732-08:00PENCIL, HORSESHOE AND WALRUS - WHAT DO THESE HAVE IN COMMON?<blockquote class="tr_bq"><strong>Robert Goulet</strong>: "I'm a prostate cancer survivor. When you or the person you love is diagnosed with cancer, the first thought is of the end, and that is our destiny, but I'm here to talk about the value of living with cancer. It's not an easy battle, but we need to believe life goes on even in the face of cancer, and life can become more full because of cancer."</blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The answer to the question in the title is, obviously: <a href="http://www.buzzle.com/articles/moustache-styles-and-names.html">types of moustaches</a>. November, otherwise known as <a href="http://ca.movember.com/about">Movember</a></span> , <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">provides us all with an opportunity to raise awareness, to educate oneself, and (if you can find an organisation related to prostate cancer that you can support), donate to a good cause.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/About%20cancer/Types%20of%20cancer/What%20is%20prostate%20cancer.aspx">Prostate cancer</a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">is the most common type of cancer in men (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). Seventy Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every day. Eleven men - brothers, fathers, friends, lovers, sons - will die every day this year from prostate cancer (<a href="http://www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/About%20cancer/Types%20of%20cancer/What%20is%20prostate%20cancer.aspx">2011 statistics).</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Here are a few basic things you can do to lower risk factors, and to raise awareness.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Courier New;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">1. Have a healthy attitude about sex, and transmit this attitude to your kids. They will be more likely to demand good screening (breast; cervical; uterine; ovarian; prostate; and if uncircumcised, penile) related to reproductive organs. And teach your children that masturbation is a normal and healthy (although private, etc.) part of growing up. Your sons will benefit from a lower risk of prostate cancer <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3942-masturbating-may-protect-against-prostate-cancer.html">(citation here).</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">2. Wear a light blue ribbon (colour of ribbon signifying prostate cancer awareness) in the month of November - or any month for that matter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">3. If you are a man, <em><strong>insist</strong></em> on having a rectal exam with <strong><em>every</em></strong> yearly check-up. (Of all the men I know, NONE of them have ever had a doctor who routinely does this. It's not pleasant for patient or doctor, but it's over in a few seconds, and not exactly painful.) If you are a woman, ask the men in your life if their doctors routinely do rectal exams, and if not, encourage them to demand it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">4. If you are a man, discuss the pros and cons of testing for prostate cancer with your doctor. Have this discussion before you are 45 if you have a brother or father who has been diagnosed with it, or if you are Black. If not, have this discussion before you are 65. (<a href="http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/FindCancerEarly/CancerScreeningGuidelines/american-cancer-society-guidelines-for-the-early-detection-of-cancer">Citation here)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">5. Be aware of the recent links being shown between some forms of breast cancer and prostate cancer, and if biological relatives have had breast cancer, have an appropriate conversation with your doctor (<a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/05/20/38471.aspx">Citation here).</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2p1yrKLbTKHO8Kz_uXqe2ht4xdZ2W_WQHS9B51VAOp9dHX0deO7OPACTvJcZG4ukpr-Kqv9nXFTFBun6EkNDHJHr_qRHER1fjf_ExOHoynx-fHfjA1YbZfWpNbRKKZMD7A0h4_J3gZnY/s1600/Blah+blash+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2p1yrKLbTKHO8Kz_uXqe2ht4xdZ2W_WQHS9B51VAOp9dHX0deO7OPACTvJcZG4ukpr-Kqv9nXFTFBun6EkNDHJHr_qRHER1fjf_ExOHoynx-fHfjA1YbZfWpNbRKKZMD7A0h4_J3gZnY/s400/Blah+blash+050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">6. Grow a moustache, in support of prostate cancer awareness. If you can't grow a moustache, support someone who can.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-48236270804295572952011-10-25T10:49:00.000-07:002011-10-25T10:49:12.148-07:00INFORM YOURSELF<dt>"I don't know what truth is. Truth is something unattainable. We can't think we're creating truth with a camera. But what we can do, is reveal something to viewers that allows them to discover their own truth." —Michel Brault</dt><br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This blog entry will be very short, but hopefully, one that will prove to help educate you. My theory is that in order to be a good citizen, you have to be informed. In order to be informed, you have to seek out information, and to think critically.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Documentaries can be an extremely useful tool in gaining information, in comparing view points, and in helping to shape a wealth of information that can help inform you, and help you make more informed choices.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Three of my favourite documentaries are: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_Noam_Chomsky_and_the_Media"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Manufacturing Consent</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corporation_(film)"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Corporation,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight_(2005_film)"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Why We Fight.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (In later blogs, I'll probably expand my list.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Documentaries are entertaining as well as informative. Needless to say, though, they must be viewed with a critical eye. Documentaries, if for no other reason than the editing choices that are made when post-production occurs, are always biased. They present information within a framed context. This does not make them inaccurate, or untruthful - daily news uses the same process. It does mean, however, that you need to think beyond the borders of the interpretation of the events presented by the film makers. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The more documentaries you watch, the more capable you will be of comparing interpretations of facts, and of rooting out unstated biases. These skills will serve you well as you watch news broadcasts, read news papers, and chat at cocktail parties.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here's a great website to help you with your documentary viewing: </span><a href="http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I challenge you to watch three documentaries over the next month.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-27796467900868634892011-10-19T14:46:00.000-07:002011-10-19T14:46:26.489-07:00FELLOWSHIP OF THE BOOK (AND TV SERIES, AND MOVIE, ETC.)<blockquote><span class="body"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">"One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them.</span></span> "<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Virginia Woolf</span></blockquote>(Unlike my usual blog entries, if you are pressed for time, read the main blog entry, as the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span> section is the longest section this time.)<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I've been a science fiction buff for most of my life, and for well before it was considered 'cool' and part of pop-culture. I've read historical and foreign SF, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_(novel)">We.</a> I've read more classical SF, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World">Brave New World.</a> I've read 19th century SF, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein">Frankenstein.</a> I have freely explored other genres, but I always seem to come back to Science Fiction. Not just in books, either. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New;">I have a love of TV and movies that focus on SF as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">For years I savoured my SF in solitude, operating under the myth that very few of us existed, and that we certainly were not among main-stream fiction consumers. (Needless to say, I'm older than I look!) Then, magically it seems, there was an explosion of Science Fiction lovers. We slowly began to come out of the shadows, to collect in small groups which ventured out in public. Star Trek conventions began, and after that, Comic-cons. For over a decade I have wanted to attend, to enjoy the fellowship of other Science Fiction lovers, and to relax in a big room where I am actually part of the 'in' crowd. This year, I was finally able to do it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Attending Comiccon may not seem like a natural fit to a blog about political and civic involvement, but I do think it's relevant. Being engaged and involved doesn't always have to be a huge political statement, or entail great organizational effort. Sometimes being involved can mean taking part in something fun for no other reason than <em>fun</em>. Your participation adds to the collective (a very 'Borg' statement, if you'll excuse the pun). Your attendance provides others with a chance to meet you and enjoy your views and excitement - as their attendance enhances your experience. Sometimes <em>fellowship</em> itself is a goal worthy of effort. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Science Fiction may not be 'your thing', but you can certainly find something that you are interested in, and that can be enhanced by the fellowship of other like-minded people. I encourage you to find that something, or if you already know what it is, to continue to engage with others who are share your interest. You can significantly add to their enjoyment and engagement, just by being you. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">For those of you who have never been to a Comiccon, or Science Fiction/Comic Book convention, below are some of the things I wish someone had told be before I went. Hopefully, they will make your 'virginal voyage' more pleasant.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Courier New;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New;">1. If at all possible, <strong>buy the gold ticket.</strong> The line-ups are insane. I had considerable stress because there were panel sessions(really a glorified Q & A session with 'stars' from the comic book, SF world) that I desperately wanted to attend, and I didn't know if there would be space left by the time I got there. For instance, like most <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118276/">Buffy</a> fans, I was dying (yes, Queen of the bad puns again!) to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Marsters">James Marsters.</a> Below is a picture of the line-up to see him when I arrived, two-and-a-half hours before his panel discussion.(The goofy looking guy with a black t-shirt on, waving, marks my spot in line.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-kSMc_EAIgtiLwJHIYkokkdtzycpVV1L_Ij1SfDOrrQJvdOZvUj65NsgeJw1IuVv6IsdguLHmWor3ov3lKPUQJJEvLdsxZRPZNWPuxNSieIrYjCC8t9nPi91Ro-U7RRBFZ7hGImi4Mo/s1600/Comiccon+2011+-+2+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-kSMc_EAIgtiLwJHIYkokkdtzycpVV1L_Ij1SfDOrrQJvdOZvUj65NsgeJw1IuVv6IsdguLHmWor3ov3lKPUQJJEvLdsxZRPZNWPuxNSieIrYjCC8t9nPi91Ro-U7RRBFZ7hGImi4Mo/s640/Comiccon+2011+-+2+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Gold ticket holders are guaranteed a seat in every panel they want, and don't have to wait in line.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1_l0vD84j9Mk5V4yJ9bDK5xdsx6Tobf87Z6JZieeS-U8wUD1wI5StiMa307mGxaNKv3LrK3zD3FqF_M8cFzkX_U5R9RWOu4c1o-sg00ZFLmSRIZlpvQIGUWBZ_F0EhhBP9o9eFgnygY/s1600/Comiccon+2011+-+1+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1_l0vD84j9Mk5V4yJ9bDK5xdsx6Tobf87Z6JZieeS-U8wUD1wI5StiMa307mGxaNKv3LrK3zD3FqF_M8cFzkX_U5R9RWOu4c1o-sg00ZFLmSRIZlpvQIGUWBZ_F0EhhBP9o9eFgnygY/s400/Comiccon+2011+-+1+008.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">2. Lines were, generally, insane, as you can see by this picture. This is the line is for those of us who bought our tickets the day before. We got there two hours before Comiccon was to open the doors, and the line is actually much longer than it looks here (and yes, this is one line that wraps around.) So....<strong>come prepared to be social, to talk to others</strong> in the line, and to learn. We learned more than we thought was possible from one line-neighbour who was a comic book fan. His discussion on DC vs. Marvel comics, and character changes under new management was fascinating.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOs7o49xNfKvnS76eVESwfIG6kPbLo6ZcvaFFpM37kI4kEpvAguX8bdf5gy5eoPXxJiklAffcNsasELKGnFR5f10vMLsfsnbj08IS-SzdDe1sFIpnIeV9njwIYJN1eBkBrydX9TQNr9ds/s1600/Comiccon+2011+-+2+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOs7o49xNfKvnS76eVESwfIG6kPbLo6ZcvaFFpM37kI4kEpvAguX8bdf5gy5eoPXxJiklAffcNsasELKGnFR5f10vMLsfsnbj08IS-SzdDe1sFIpnIeV9njwIYJN1eBkBrydX9TQNr9ds/s400/Comiccon+2011+-+2+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Also, be prepared to bring something to keep yourself occupied during the waits. There will be many many lines, and while you will meet incredibly interesting people, and learn amazing things, there will be some time for you to just stand, too.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">3. Look at the schedule of panelists, and <strong>do some research</strong>. On the first day, I asked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dorn">Michael Dorn</a> a question I thought was pretty good. I could tell from his answer that although he was incredibly polite (and gorgeous - my God, that man is beautiful!), he had been asked that question 1200 times before. I went home and researched the panelists I wanted to see the next day. I knew I was going to ask <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_West">Adam West</a> about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lookwell">Lookwell</a> (if you haven't seen it, it's worth the effort to find it). I thought it would be really rude not to ask <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Ward">Burt Ward</a></span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">a question. Because I did my research, I was able to ask him about <a href="http://gentlegiantsrescue.com/">Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions,</a> the non-profit he started with his fourth wife. From his reaction, I gather it was a relatively new question, and it made the experience more fun for him, and for us.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">4. <strong>Don't overlook the older panelists</strong>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Lee">Stan Lee</a> was very popular, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Gerard">Gil Gerard</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Gray">Erin Gray</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Some of the t-shirt companies have brilliant sayings, printed out on cards that you can take home and put on the fridge, or frame. "Philosophy Majors - Blurring the line between 'artistic' and 'homeless' since 385 B.C." and "I was never actually a zombie. Just a lonely cannibal trying to fit in." are two of my favourites, by Rock Paper Cynic (<a href="http://rockpapercynic.com/">rockpapercynic.com).</a> Good, smart t-shirt makers deserve support.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">There are also many comic/graphic novel artists there to gain a bit of publicity for their work. Take the time to browse a bit, and to ask questions. Many have on-line sites (</span><a href="http://daveswurld.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">daveswurld.wordpress.com,</span></a><span style="font-family: Courier New;"> and </span><a href="http://heroesofthenorth.com/"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">heroesofthenorth.com).</span></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCY8uqDFDWdR7FBJHwXkNm3qCnmhfw8L42lzTsQPnI6RwMnqnHazdSaQZ_TAJe0lxPI3voQ2ctxznTvmYxNGB9Y7ZMhRgLTO89Rs_79hy2X92SDkxGAE_01xF69rOLfC6SxWueQghdKM/s1600/Comiccon+3+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCY8uqDFDWdR7FBJHwXkNm3qCnmhfw8L42lzTsQPnI6RwMnqnHazdSaQZ_TAJe0lxPI3voQ2ctxznTvmYxNGB9Y7ZMhRgLTO89Rs_79hy2X92SDkxGAE_01xF69rOLfC6SxWueQghdKM/s400/Comiccon+3+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">6. If you're on a budget, be imaginative. Pack a lunch and snacks, and water. Keep an eye open for what can make a good souvenir. for instance, a ticket stub for a movie can be laminated. Used as a bookmark, it will not only be unique, but will bring you pleasure for years to come.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">7. Most of all, <strong>just have fun</strong>, and enjoy the fellowship of others.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-76421389581209376782011-10-13T08:55:00.000-07:002011-10-13T08:55:58.447-07:00THE IMPORTANCE OF 'OLD FASHIONED' RITUALS or BRINGING BACK THANK YOU CARDS<blockquote><div>“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”G.K. Chesterton</div><div> </div></blockquote><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(As always, if you are pressed for time, skip down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span> section of this entry.)</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Abortion, captital punishement, male circumcision...all of these are extremely contentious and controversial issues. I mention them here only to put this week's blog entry into perspective, as I am about to (no doubt) step on some toes and cause some discussion. This week I am going to discuss the importance of (wait for it...): Thank You Cards. I'm going to try to 'bring them back'!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Thank you cards should be sent in appreciation and acknowledgement of gifts, for a meal or week-end trip, or in gratitude for something special you have received from someone. Obviously one does not send a thank you card/note for everything, or one would never get up from one's desk! However, they are sent far too rarely (in my opinion), and as this blog is about celebrating civic engagement, I think this counts.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Yes, I know it sounds incredibly old-fashioned. I can also hear parents out there muttering about how crowded schedules are, and time management, and how hard it is to find time for anything let alone sitting down with one's child/children and teaching them the art of writing a thank you card. Those who are childless/childfree will not doubt be muttering about lack of time and unnecessary formalities. (I'm not perfect, and I have been known to get too busy to send out thank you cards too, so I do understand!) Give me a chance to tell you why I think thank you cards are important. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">At it's most simple, a thank you card is an opportunity to acknowledge someone's thoughtfulness, to cement family and social relationships, and a <em>chance to brighten someone else's day</em>. I think we've all had a card arrive unexpectedly in our mailbox, just telling us how someone else is thinking of us. How much more special is it to receive a card acknowledging the fact that you have touched someone else's life, if only a little?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">There are the very practical benifits of thank you cards. They allow you a graceful way of acknowledging the receipt of a package or gift through the mail, or through a third party. The gift-giver has confirmation that the gift has not been lost.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">The gift-receiver has an opportunity to gracefully let the gift-giver know how much s/he liked the gift as well. As with many social graces, gift giving and receiving is an exchange - the gift-giver receives pleasure from giving. Lack of feedback from the gift-receiver robs the gift-giver from a lot of this pleasure. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">The gift-giver is also provided with an opportunity to analyze your response, and adjust future gifts if s/he feels that you didn't like it. <strong>Note that I did <em>not</em> say "didn't appreciate it".</strong> One can, and should, appreciate the time and effort that someone spends in choosing and sending a gift, even if the gift itself is a bit of a dud. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">However, one should also be honest about a gift (and there is a very easy 'code' for letting someone know you didn't like the gift while still being polite and showing appreciation). It is entirely appropriate to thank someone for the thought ("I'm very grateful that you wanted to help keep me warm now that I'm living in Inuvik") and yet still providing useful feedback ("I tend to wear a lot of neutral colours in the office and red is a bit bright; however since the sweater is so warm and snuggly, it will be perfect for keeping me warm under my skido suite on week-ends". )No one wants to spend time and money giving a gift that isn't liked - by providing an honest and tactful response, you save the giver from making the same mistake again, and provide him/her with useful information. You can also be less direct ("thank you for wanting to keep me warm - so thoughtful of you!") and allow the giver to follow up if s/he chooses.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Thank you cards also provide you with an opportunity to revisite being grateful. It cements the fact that someone thought of you. It helps chase out the blues and 'no one cares' on bad days, and it helps you to remember it on good days. It provides the gift-giverwith concrete proof of their importance, and your care, on their 'blue' days as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">From a business standpoint, appropriate use of thank you cards can also help you stand out from the crowd (in a good way), as they are rare these days. I actually got a job offer once because, without thinking, I had sent a thank you card to the host of a party I had been invited to. It was so unusual, evidentally, and impressed both the host (who was a large donor to the non-profit organization where I was volunteering) and the Executive Director , that they created a job for me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Thank you cards do not have to be sent by snail-mail either. <a href="http://www.care2.com/">Care 2</a> has an amazing assortment of free ecards, including thank you cards, that you can email out once you have an account. I know there are other sites out there that provide e-cards as well. Know when it is appropriate to send a thank you note by email (for a job interview, for something less formal, etc.) and when it is appropriate to send a thank you card by snail mail (to a grandmother for a gift, to a host for a formal party, for a wedding gift or a donation in memory of a loved one).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">There is a basic formula for writing a thank you card. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Vanderbilt-Complete-Book-Etiquette/dp/0385142382">Amy Vanderbilt</a> has an excellent section in her book (and yes, I do own and use it - it's one of the first books I bought myself when I got my own apartment years back, and I've never regreted it). I've paraphrased somewhat, but here is my adaptation of her formula:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong><u>For Gifts</u>:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Adress the person/people you are thanking.</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Mention who is doing the thanking (you, you and your partner, you and your two children, etc.)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Thank the person for the gift.</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Mention something about the gift.</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">End on an upbeat note.</span></div></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">An example would be:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">Oct. 12, 2011</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">Dear Amy and Fred:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">Stewart and I would like to thank you both for the lovely vase. It's the perfect size for our dining room table, and we plan on using it for flowers we cut from our garden this coming summer. We will think of your thoughtfulness every time we use it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">It's so wonderful having friends like you in our lives!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">(then you sign the letter)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong><u>For a Party/meal, etc.:</u></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><ol><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Adress the person/people you are thanking.</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Mention who is doing the thanking (you, you and your partner, you and your two children, etc.)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank the person for the hospitality and the meal.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Mention something noteworthy about the evening/time spent.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">End on an upbeat note.</div></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">An example would be:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">Oct. 12, 2011</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">Dear Jean:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">I am so grateful to you for all the effort you went to to provide me with a vegan option at your dinner party on Saturday. I know that it was extra work added to an already stressful day, and I did want you to know how much I appreciated the wonderful meal. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">It was also lovely being able to meet some of your friends (Yumi is a fountain of good book recommendations, isn't she?).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">I'm so lucky to have a friend like you!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">(sign your name)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u>For a job interview</u></strong>:</div><ol><li><div style="text-align: justify;">Address the person (if a committee, you may send an email to each committee member, or one addressed to the committee c/o the contact you have for the application)</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank the member/s for taking the time to meet with you, and providing you with an opportunity to interview for the job.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Mention how much you appreciated the opportunity to meet with the committee member/s, and getting to know a bit more about the position and the company/organization.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">If you have additional items that you would like to mention (for instance, you have contacted your references and they are expecting to hear from them, or a list of your references, or something that you said in the interview that you would check on - now is the time).</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Sign off with something along the lines of how it was a pleasure being able to meet with them.</div></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">An example would be as follows (sent by email, professionally formatted):</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">Dear Mr. Smith:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">I greatly appreciate having the opportunity to interview with you yesterday morning. I am grateful I had the opportunity to meet you and your fellow committee members, and to learn more about the Computer Programmer position with your company, as well as about IBM in general. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">Further to our discussion, I have contacted my references. They are expecting your call. Their contact information is as follows:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">Amy Smith</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">General Manager, Kodac </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:asmith@makeupemailaddress.com">asmith@makeupemailaddress.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">514-555-0000, loc. 613</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">John Jones</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">CEO, Russian Storehouse</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto:jjones@anothermadeupaddress.com">jjones@anothermadeupaddress.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">1-800-555-0000, loc. 111</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">Once again, I thank you for your time.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;">A. Apathy</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So, here are a few things you can do to bring back Thank You Cards:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><u>WHAT YOU CAN DO</u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New;">1. <strong>If you have children, get them involved in writing thank you notes</strong>, even if they can't write yet. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New;">Have them draw a picture in the card after you have written down what they want to say. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New;">If they are older than a year and a half, but younger than pre-school age, write a short note for them and have them 'sign' it with a thumbprint while you explain to them (briefly) why you are doing this. (Yes, they are young - but this is a beginning of a habit, and as you will be setting an example and writing the thank you note anyway, it's a great way to include them.) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New;">If they are old enough to write a card, then get them to write simple sentences (don't correct for spelling - the idea is to get them to write something heartfelt within a shortened version of 'the formula'.) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New;">As they grow older, let them know it is their responsibility and they are simply expected to do so. Let them choose a box of thank you cards that they like. Introduce them to an ecard site for times that emailing a thank you card is appropriate. Make writing thank you notes part of a ritual. For instance, in our family Dec. 26th was the day we wrote thank you cards for Christmas presents. As we grew older, we organized the list of cards to write and divied it up over a week (this is still, mostly, my system). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">2. <strong>Research various time-lines for thank you cards</strong> (wedding gifts, etc.).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">3. <strong>Buy some nice thank you cards for yourself</strong>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">4. <strong>Write thank you notes and cards</strong>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">5. <strong>Especially write thank you cards to children</strong>, so that they can see how much fun it can be to get one.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><blockquote><div> </div></blockquote><blockquote><div> </div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-82678109146115906862011-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:002011-10-07T12:00:09.713-07:00VEGANIZED BANANA BREAD or APPLESAUCE LOAF WITH A TANTRUM"Many people have eaten my cooking and gone on to live normal lives." Anonymous.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g8wE62i-7NVV46zmX-Kixq8B5yoNCI4a2VBf_3bzvvxRk0eSuLd90fbTCa0SolKf8JaL-iPt32WFUkaJe1NTafl-jbAynYBXKO8obxhlyA0VFc70JRIKABH3k6vcUtSdesqcL_CdvS4/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g8wE62i-7NVV46zmX-Kixq8B5yoNCI4a2VBf_3bzvvxRk0eSuLd90fbTCa0SolKf8JaL-iPt32WFUkaJe1NTafl-jbAynYBXKO8obxhlyA0VFc70JRIKABH3k6vcUtSdesqcL_CdvS4/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (As always, scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span> section if you are in a hurry. However, do not simply skim the recipes this time, as there were some tricky substitutions.)</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So, today I decided to use up an icky banana (you know, the over-ripe, makes-you-want-to-gag-from-the-smell-but-perfect-for-baking kind of banana). Cold fall day, great day for baking banana bread. Thought it would also make a great blog entry, as it seems that I really am going to write that cookbook. So, here we go!</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Recap: My system for veganizing recipes can be summed up by LARI (List, Analyze, Replace or Ignore). Here's a great banana bread recipe from one of my favourite non-vegan cookbooks, called <u>Best Recipes Under the Sun, </u>by Marion Kane:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>Amazing Banana Bread</u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup vegetable oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 ripe bananas</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup granulated sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 eggs</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp baking soda</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup chopped walnuts</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 chup semi sweet chocolate chips</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup shredded coconut</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lightly butter 9 x 5 inch/2 L loaf pan</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">beat together oil, bananas, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in bowl.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sift flour, baking soda, spices into separate bowl. Stir into banana mixture. Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips an coconut. Pout into pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Now for LARI:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">I knew right off the bat that I didn't have any vegan <span style="background-color: white; color: red;">chocolate chips</span> (becoming increasingly hard to find vegan chocolate - even most dark chocolate has milk ingredients these days). I also didn't have any <span style="color: red;">walnuts</span>. As yummy as they would be, the purpose they serve in this recipe is to add flavour and texture - a nice but unnecessary addition, so I choose to <span style="color: blue;">ignore</span> them. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="color: red;">Vegetable oil</span> is vegan, so no need to tamper with it. I only had one icky <span style="color: red;">banana</span>, so I knew I would have to adjust the recipe a bit, as the banana not only adds flavour and moisture, but also serves as a bit of a binder in baked goods. <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Still</span>, <span style="color: blue;">bananas are vegan</span>, so no need to replace it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Sugar adds sweetness - but I find that most recipes call for too much sugar, and I only have brown sugar in the house, so I will be replacing the <span style="color: red;">granulated sugar</span> with a lesser amount of <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">brown sugar</span>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4vwhYdUt35pwLaY3DeTKURrusP_m0pFCp0zZjkOIniomR-_dhpOfIFCjgs6Meqdj-QlHYcXQbieu5PsngiwzYRjx0BVENlfkzjrG8Ad6-FS44APeO6537Mj1JRxpDiZgRtiUw7-nCkE/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4vwhYdUt35pwLaY3DeTKURrusP_m0pFCp0zZjkOIniomR-_dhpOfIFCjgs6Meqdj-QlHYcXQbieu5PsngiwzYRjx0BVENlfkzjrG8Ad6-FS44APeO6537Mj1JRxpDiZgRtiUw7-nCkE/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">The <span style="color: red;">eggs</span> serve as binders, and given the fact that I have reduced the banana (also a binder), I do need to make sure that I use some sort of additional binder in this recipe. My binder of choice for muffins and breads is ground <span style="color: blue;">flax seeds</span>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">(There are a few things that vegans have to be careful about in terms of nutrition, and Omega-3-Fatty-Acids are one of them. There is an excellent treatment of Fatty Acid requirements, and vegetarian and vegan challenges in <u>Becoming Vegan</u>, by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D. If you are interested you should really read this book - it is amazing. Short-story-long, I try to eat 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds every day, so that my body has enough of the 'ingredients' it needs to convert other fatty acids into Omega-3-fatty-acid.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwATOOX70lfozUCG3Xkj4FMITWwKoEXf3flMFro5eaVFfblo_y865uhd3ODwvqdvQecaEXb9ZZHwGZuRW4NRSmgGzyVpHTyzeUZLq6-QQIZ2AC1IahThEhjp5lIxZSuesurI2IGgRB8k/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwATOOX70lfozUCG3Xkj4FMITWwKoEXf3flMFro5eaVFfblo_y865uhd3ODwvqdvQecaEXb9ZZHwGZuRW4NRSmgGzyVpHTyzeUZLq6-QQIZ2AC1IahThEhjp5lIxZSuesurI2IGgRB8k/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">You can buy flax seeds, keep them in the freezer, and then grind them in a coffee grinder. I usually do a bunch at a time, and then freeze the ground flax seeds as well. Here you can see what unground flax seeds look like.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBJN7oCkK-Ttzjxh2npEHuVCTFB-m9LBCzfv6rtzi1RXivOLDisfH_oH259pl_1LQc227JAEcvokG16ULDYHNKBerBmd3e37gPfgvhcANfs1_7va237e9IHf25gtTJaI5p7QVkbkgAkE/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBJN7oCkK-Ttzjxh2npEHuVCTFB-m9LBCzfv6rtzi1RXivOLDisfH_oH259pl_1LQc227JAEcvokG16ULDYHNKBerBmd3e37gPfgvhcANfs1_7va237e9IHf25gtTJaI5p7QVkbkgAkE/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is what they look like ground up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds + 2 1/2 Tbsp of water = 1 egg in baking. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8dDFOIdoYDaKYBZCMXYboXR0z56LsaZJa3yuLhKPCVo5J1cWFypUMd4cLI728curtaJSKMrwnLlMsZ3F8a-sDOwADWxQ-GnuvfWg0D6oGZ8Ex4_iaxEFP9pPj_go6L5XDJ3hBOEFlEQ/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8dDFOIdoYDaKYBZCMXYboXR0z56LsaZJa3yuLhKPCVo5J1cWFypUMd4cLI728curtaJSKMrwnLlMsZ3F8a-sDOwADWxQ-GnuvfWg0D6oGZ8Ex4_iaxEFP9pPj_go6L5XDJ3hBOEFlEQ/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+009.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Mix the flax seeds and water together, and let it sit. It will become gelatinous and thick (can take up to 20 minutes - just stir every now and then.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrarLpjPh58KVxOFNnrPQB-VgQQGN_MfPW-GnIMpFBNMfYtljSWZMOkUhyphenhyphenDDTI9HUYB_tZclzcNKyvv9XyRCVPzdYRASzTEf4r_BkH2BbhU5I5XZKg4BpxWsMDTviQIp-wVvkjiqilhc/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrarLpjPh58KVxOFNnrPQB-VgQQGN_MfPW-GnIMpFBNMfYtljSWZMOkUhyphenhyphenDDTI9HUYB_tZclzcNKyvv9XyRCVPzdYRASzTEf4r_BkH2BbhU5I5XZKg4BpxWsMDTviQIp-wVvkjiqilhc/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is what they look like once they get nice and thick. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">I rarely use <span style="color: red;">vanilla</span><span style="color: black;">, not because it's non-vegan, but just because I don't like to use alcohol in my cooking, and most vanilla is actually vanilla flavoured rum (or some other type of alcohol). This is a personal choice, and there is nothing wrong with either keeping the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">vanilla<span style="color: black;"> when veganizing recipes, or </span><span style="color: blue;">ignoring</span><span style="color: black;"> it if you choose. In this case, I ignored it and added other flavourings.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Courier New;">All-purpose flour <span style="color: black;">and </span><span style="color: red;">baking soda</span><span style="color: black;"> are already vegan, so I could </span><span style="color: blue;">keep them</span><span style="color: black;">. However, as I only keep brown flour in the house (again, simply a personal choice) for this recipe I substituted </span><span style="color: blue;">brown flour</span><span style="color: black;"> for the white.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Coconut is vegan, so I kept it. So, here's the veganized version as I made it (NOTE - YOU NEED TO READ THIS THROUGH BEFORE YOU TRY IT.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u><strong>MY ATTEMPT TO VEGANIZE BANANA BREAD TODAY</strong></u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">(or APPLE SAUCE LOAF WITH A TANTRUM)</span></u></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Mix <span style="color: blue;">2 Tbsp of flax seeds with 5 Tbsp of water</span> and let sit, stirring occasionally, until thick and gelatinous.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Times;">1 1/4 cup brown flour</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Times;">1 tsp baking soda (sifted into flour)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Times;">1/2 cup shredded coconut.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;"><span style="color: blue;">Spices to taste</span> (I added ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Mix above together in a bowl and set aside.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Times;">1/2 cup oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Times;">1/2 cup sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Mix together. Go to fridge to get the icky banana. See how beautiful the fridge looks and realize that your boyfriend has cleaned it out. Spend 15 minutes trying to find the banana in the fridge, then freezer, using incrementally nastier words for people who don't put things back where they found them. Realize that your boyfriend has probably thrown out the icky banana, in spite of the fact that you told him very clearly that you would be making banana bread with it. Spend 20 minutes inventing new swear words and having a temper tantrum. Try to find a substitute to save the food that has already been mixed, and to save the efforts towards your blog entry. Find a jar of apple sauce. Realize that apple sauce also has binding qualities. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Measure out <span style="color: blue;">1/2 cup of apple sauce</span>, keeping jar handy so that you can adjust moisture level if needed as you are now completely F***ING WINGING IT.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Mix apple sauce in with wet ingredients. (Realize that the moisture level is fine with 1/2 cup apple sauce, so put the jar away in the fridge.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzUnZyU6JYngiq9HQaesfArncUO3lS9iug6p3ajnScrJUqBRqR4s-qMJ25h_4JYDJ8U1CYbeUvBXZEKr1G-4Iw7qCyvOUevbG5hPlXfpfZTEJg_hxUmiUpynT6KYDUqbXKYzQpkKivXY/s1600/Veganizing+banana+bread+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzUnZyU6JYngiq9HQaesfArncUO3lS9iug6p3ajnScrJUqBRqR4s-qMJ25h_4JYDJ8U1CYbeUvBXZEKr1G-4Iw7qCyvOUevbG5hPlXfpfZTEJg_hxUmiUpynT6KYDUqbXKYzQpkKivXY/s320/Veganizing+banana+bread+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Take a few spoonfuls of wet ingredients and mix in with flax seeds until smooth. Repeat. Now mix flax seeds into wet ingredients (now they won't lump up and will be evenly distributed). Mix dry ingredients into wet. Stir. Pour into pan. Realize that the batter does not have the same volume or density as the original recipe, so put timer on for 30 minutes, check it, and eventually settle on baking it for 35 minutes (or until done). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Times;">Decide to thank boyfriend for cleaning out fridge, and try not to start fight when he gets home.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Times;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Check to make sure that you have all the ingredients you need before you start</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Get to know the 'science' of baking and cooking, so that you can adjust and substitute</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Try to veganize one of your muffin or bread recipes.</span></div></li>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-72446626153518563602011-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:002011-09-30T11:03:33.683-07:00POTATOE SALAD VEGANIZED THREE WAYS"If you invite me to dinner, you should feed me. Expecting me to bring my own food is just rude!"<br />
Me, to someone who asked me to bring my own food to a dinner party.<br />
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(As always, if pressed for time, please scroll down to the<span style="background-color: lime;"> WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> section of this blog.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewU9wOALxPv8703TG4qgvtfSR5RI6XyR9_Zf1u-Tc20iumzf8gr9V0WNtomq9axMRdb-uyse386pn7rtFzNJFNlfzvDVT5mC8P1o0AE_EZQhucMtbFYFfsHceYy4I-dzbSPm7lbB9ViU/s1600/Yadda+yadda+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewU9wOALxPv8703TG4qgvtfSR5RI6XyR9_Zf1u-Tc20iumzf8gr9V0WNtomq9axMRdb-uyse386pn7rtFzNJFNlfzvDVT5mC8P1o0AE_EZQhucMtbFYFfsHceYy4I-dzbSPm7lbB9ViU/s400/Yadda+yadda+052.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I became a vegan about nine years ago. I found that almost immediately I began to feel like a liability at dinner parties. I knew that while some people had no problem figuring out what to feed me, others found it incredibly challenging. I really hated feeling like a burden, so I frequently offered to bring my own food. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Then one magical day friends of mine sat me down and told me that it was actually rude of me to offer to bring my own food. They had invited me. It was up to them to feed me. It was one of those 'Aha!' moments for me, and I began to understand that I had no need to appologize for living my ethical and healthty choice. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Once that happened, I completely changed my attitude. I now expect to be fed when invited to dinner, in the same way that I gladly feed those with dietary restrictions when I host a meal. That doesn't mean, however, that I am ignorant of how challenging it can be to some people. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">For years now I have talked about writing a cookbook that provides two versions of the same dish and/or meal, one vegan and one non-vegan, so that those with loved-ones can 'veganize' their food. I will write that cookbook one day, too. I even have a title: "Veganize it! A Painless Meal Conversion System". Vegan food can be be delicious and pretty, as well. For instance, can you tell which bowl of potatoe salad (above) is vegan?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">One of my friends suggested that I start using this blog occasionally to write about this, and it seemed like a good testing ground, so here it goes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong>THE SYSTEM</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Veganizing a dish involves four simple steps: <strong>List, Analyze, Replace or Ignore</strong> (or <strong>LARI</strong> for short). I'm going to take you through this process using something relatively simple, like potatoe salad.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strong>POTATOE SALAD</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">So, the first step is to <strong>list</strong> the ingredients. Potatoe Salad tends to be a family-tradition type of thing. I'm going to take you through my version.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Ingredients:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Potatoes</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">shredded carrots</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">veggies (celery, broccoli, whatever I feel like that day - for this blog entry I used cold steamed peas and parsley)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">mayonaise</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">paprika</span></div></li>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The next step is to <strong>Analyze</strong>. So...Potatoes, carrots, veggies, and paprika are all vegan. Mayonaise is not. Now, you have to choose to <strong>Replace</strong> it, or <strong>Ignore</strong> it. Potatoe salad without any dressing just sucks. We all know this. So, my choice it to replace the mayonaise with something else.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Let me take you through cooking steps:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75FxbrOkE-oy_XRHDVujG1rIczycN7pff13kkEaN6PszefZ8fMvL9lCmetNoKW9CPpSz39ZYqIW4KpX3Q_BFm4V0Q5J8jnlAAEmWKmpQ9-VYhUqT79IHjCuXP_-r0HpEvQcNedlS8P6Q/s1600/Yadda+yadda+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75FxbrOkE-oy_XRHDVujG1rIczycN7pff13kkEaN6PszefZ8fMvL9lCmetNoKW9CPpSz39ZYqIW4KpX3Q_BFm4V0Q5J8jnlAAEmWKmpQ9-VYhUqT79IHjCuXP_-r0HpEvQcNedlS8P6Q/s320/Yadda+yadda+042.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Cut up the potatoes, and cook them. (You want them to be firm. Mushy potatoe salad is one style, but not mine.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi54rmiHArq_FppzIlIxdKkb-4W1KitGqy2imLTIzk5ESQHJsusRjxIqpnqOiUUYS6-8JaxQwCWeUek5uvRgXhuVdiChBNQR0I7ucejalYBFUiM8OO4AvIP-85dokItkL554xavNoB2u0/s1600/Yadda+yadda+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi54rmiHArq_FppzIlIxdKkb-4W1KitGqy2imLTIzk5ESQHJsusRjxIqpnqOiUUYS6-8JaxQwCWeUek5uvRgXhuVdiChBNQR0I7ucejalYBFUiM8OO4AvIP-85dokItkL554xavNoB2u0/s320/Yadda+yadda+046.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Add shredded carrots, and the veggies of your choice. (Here I have the peas and parsley, but as I said, you could add celery, chopped broccoli, green beans, cooked or shredded beats, etc.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhboUdWmWc-oScjyzpz4SEeprR2C4v0Z_1bA5IwdUtYV_bB7kl6RdUPpudAAwLKsBOR0R3GTGYUxzVlrYXscDgGAeHiATl0DUyMltLjdVp4ov54lBBTS9wbEypuqvGLxDVAcocIoNQAM/s1600/Yadda+yadda+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhboUdWmWc-oScjyzpz4SEeprR2C4v0Z_1bA5IwdUtYV_bB7kl6RdUPpudAAwLKsBOR0R3GTGYUxzVlrYXscDgGAeHiATl0DUyMltLjdVp4ov54lBBTS9wbEypuqvGLxDVAcocIoNQAM/s320/Yadda+yadda+047.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Toss all the veggies together. Now, you have a number of choices. The first choice is whether to remove a portion of the salad for your vegan guest/s, and have one non-vegan and one vegan version, or to go vegan-all-the-way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If you choose the former, toss the non-vegan portion with mayonaise, or a combination of 3 parts mayonaise and one part vinegar (makes it nice and 'bitey'.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjFCUuke0IIX7lbjutnQ7CTmQr3YTqqud-cN1ge2g5pujSumFD9Z6rQSI8mbCe1iiZxDyJqxlTEI7b8OMKu9eFhu_5uv6zQc7sXnMF00VfvLCW6v4KmHEMO2jaNbn7GwwBW0vwM8ZF5A/s1600/Yadda+yadda+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjFCUuke0IIX7lbjutnQ7CTmQr3YTqqud-cN1ge2g5pujSumFD9Z6rQSI8mbCe1iiZxDyJqxlTEI7b8OMKu9eFhu_5uv6zQc7sXnMF00VfvLCW6v4KmHEMO2jaNbn7GwwBW0vwM8ZF5A/s320/Yadda+yadda+044.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now, for the vegan portions, you have more choices. You can replace the mayonaise with Nayonaise, which is a commercial vegan mayonaise substitute. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You can get Nayonaise at many health food stores, and even if you aren't a vegan, the nutritional breakdown is impressive. (I promise you it tastes good too, and I don't lie about stuff like that!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: currentColor; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 111.75pt;" valign="top" width="149"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Nutritional Breakdown <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">per 1 Tbsp<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 59.65pt;" valign="top" width="80"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Mayonaise<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 57.3pt;" valign="top" width="76"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Nayonaise<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></tr>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 111.75pt;" valign="top" width="149"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Calories<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 59.65pt;" valign="top" width="80"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">100<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 57.3pt;" valign="top" width="76"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">35<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 111.75pt;" valign="top" width="149"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Fat<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 59.65pt;" valign="top" width="80"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">11 g<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 57.3pt;" valign="top" width="76"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">3.5 g<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></tr>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 111.75pt;" valign="top" width="149"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sodium<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 59.65pt;" valign="top" width="80"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">80 mg<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 57.3pt;" valign="top" width="76"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">115 mg<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></tr>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 111.75pt;" valign="top" width="149"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Carbohydrates<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 59.65pt;" valign="top" width="80"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">0<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></td><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 57.3pt;" valign="top" width="76"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">1 g<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You have a couple of other options for replacing the dressing, too. You can replace the mayonaise or with a mustard vinegrette (3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar of your choice, 1 part mustard of your choice - whisk until emmulsified), or with a really high quality salsa (and you do have to use a brand you like for this - it makes a difference). Both of these versions also have the advantage of being really great to bring to picnics, or to pack for lunch, as you don't have to worry about food poisoning and bacterial growth in the hot sun. So, here are the four versions you can make:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOcOVddRhFwI2MJQgfyyyynXh33vNEhrGk3CSl1iwqrHkfaKY9ULnlo1BWtLnlVwvSgF4Pt-SCL_D3dsTlU9k9htI49aBFWEhiNSChnvXTYRlFC3ksPN72ic9owTwIE-cSyIKM56e3FE/s1600/Yadda+yadda+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOcOVddRhFwI2MJQgfyyyynXh33vNEhrGk3CSl1iwqrHkfaKY9ULnlo1BWtLnlVwvSgF4Pt-SCL_D3dsTlU9k9htI49aBFWEhiNSChnvXTYRlFC3ksPN72ic9owTwIE-cSyIKM56e3FE/s320/Yadda+yadda+049.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Vegan potatoe salad with Nayonaise (shown on right in the opening shot</span>).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix-1e_OwqRddOdw_IHmCEDT2y_YMKk4KOY9q9HvhRGmc70hUs_KfQdqUygGaefnY73u5TFG1UlA1AMIkWyKWbrTHHA_g47nr6R0f6hdYUTWh-5c25BCCvQg2A9e5pnPFTkic1WCTxsVQ/s1600/Yadda+yadda+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix-1e_OwqRddOdw_IHmCEDT2y_YMKk4KOY9q9HvhRGmc70hUs_KfQdqUygGaefnY73u5TFG1UlA1AMIkWyKWbrTHHA_g47nr6R0f6hdYUTWh-5c25BCCvQg2A9e5pnPFTkic1WCTxsVQ/s320/Yadda+yadda+048.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Regular potatoe salad, with mayonaise (shown on the left up top).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjuIiZ8IahrlcVIiExEzVVyOrZ6MlpKFKLCYqmf4ofgIVGyZGpS2XvMWWiTEt3RCwzNZPQ5Qbw58l5dRTrB-p4nR0nnbzIJ7zhiaoM4BpIV-aMRlm1tLOwuh9Su_yvKtBOfJJsD-J_fk/s1600/Yadda+yadda+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjuIiZ8IahrlcVIiExEzVVyOrZ6MlpKFKLCYqmf4ofgIVGyZGpS2XvMWWiTEt3RCwzNZPQ5Qbw58l5dRTrB-p4nR0nnbzIJ7zhiaoM4BpIV-aMRlm1tLOwuh9Su_yvKtBOfJJsD-J_fk/s320/Yadda+yadda+050.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Potatoe salad with salsa.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiRMEXWuod8eHi6ENnu2g526Uj49YNUSz4Lwocy5MW96p4hCNoZcTWjH3CIFSaSzIj8EZM-R1HuL3CGrciJj5XjT7WVvIQ0zkkc3-JPhSTlFNCj3NDAeuCZ13J0pC3lEN1wu9AJA4u9E/s1600/Yadda+yadda+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiRMEXWuod8eHi6ENnu2g526Uj49YNUSz4Lwocy5MW96p4hCNoZcTWjH3CIFSaSzIj8EZM-R1HuL3CGrciJj5XjT7WVvIQ0zkkc3-JPhSTlFNCj3NDAeuCZ13J0pC3lEN1wu9AJA4u9E/s320/Yadda+yadda+051.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Potatoe salad with mustard vinegrette.</span></div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now, obviously there are variations. Some people add pickles (and if you so, I would suggest that you do not add the vinegar to the mayonaise/nayonaise in the first two versions). Pickles are vegan, so no worries. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Some people add bacon. You can either use vegan bacon-bits and add them just before serving so they don't get soggy, or you can get Yves' bacon slice replacements, fry them until they are crisp, and toss them in. You can also choose to omit them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Some people add eggs. Eggs are not vegan, so now you have to choose to replace them or ignore them. Personally, I recommend ignoring them in this case, but if they are important to you, you need to really analyze the eggs. There are no ready-made vegan versions to use as a replacement, so you need to analyze the eggs as ingredients. They add a bit of chewey texture, they add a yellow colour, and they add a sulpher-like taste. The texture can be somewhat (but in my opinion, not successfully) replicated by cubing firm non-silken tofu and tossing it in with the salad. The sulpher-like taste can be replaced by adding 1 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder for every 4-6 eggs you want to replace (you need to taste-test this yourself). The yellow colour can be compensated a bit by adding some tumeric.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So, there you have it: Potatoe Salad Veganized Three Ways! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ol><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If you have invited a vegan to dinner, do not be afraid to ask questions about what s/he can eat! Like Catholics, vegans come in various forms of 'observant'. For instance, honey is not considered to be vegan, but I have no problem eating honey. Also, most of us understand that it may take some time to learn the ins and outs of our restrictions.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">When planning a menu, either plan a menu that is entirely vegan, or (and this is what works for most people), or choose a menu that is easy to 'veganize' a portion of. This means either making dishes that can easily be portioned out before the non-vegan ingredients are added, or a meal that has mostly vegan dishes and only one or two non-vegan items that have to be replaced (for instance, all vegan side-dishes and steak for the omnivores and tofu for the vegan/s). </span></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Eat vegan dishes a bit more often (better for your health and the world - I will get to a blog on veganism at some point, I promise!)</span></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Send me ideas of food you want veganized!</span></div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If you feel that veganizing is just beyond you, invite your vegan friend/family member over for a cooking party to teach you, or go to a restaurant that is vegan friendly. STAY AWAY FROM REGULAR BOUFFETS. They are almost always nightmares. I have literally been to family get-togethers where the only thing I could eat was lettuce and coffee (black), and I had to pay $15 for this. Get feedback from 'your vegan' if you aren't sure where to go.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></div></li>
</ol><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now, go and enjoy!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><ol><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-83658951825629322362011-09-09T10:35:00.000-07:002011-09-09T10:35:22.610-07:00RECAP OF PREVIOUS ENTRIES - AKA I didn't have a chance to pre-prepare for this week!Dear Readers:<br />
<br />
I am still in Ottawa. I did not expect to be here quite this long, and so did not pre-prepare a blog entry for this week. I thought that I would simply provide a list of previously published blog entries for those of you who might want to 'catch up' on entries you haven't had time to read yet. I plan on blogging in my usual way next week.<br />
<br />
In terms of <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span>, feel free to re-visit, or to discover, a previous <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span> list, and work towards a few items. You can also send me suggestions for future blog subjects. (Thanks to those who have already done so!). <br />
<br />
Here's my list:<br />
<br />
May 5, 2011 - Welcome<br />
May 18, 2011 - Hunger<br />
May 24, 2011 - For the Love of Books<br />
June 5, 2011 - Elimination of the Per-Vote Subsidy<br />
June 12, 2011 - Celebrating: Daniel Bonin<br />
June 16, 2011 - Celebrating: Shara Rosen<br />
June 19, 2011 - Update: FATFAC Candle Light Vigil<br />
June 26, 2011 - The Joys of Public Transit<br />
July 3, 2011 - Wildflower and Rescue Gardening<br />
July 8, 2011 - Graffito - Art or Crime?<br />
July 10, 2011 - Correction to "Graffito - Art or Crime?"<br />
July 11, 2011 - Reconsidering Lawns<br />
July 15, 2011 - Update: Reconsidering Lawns and Julie Bass<br />
July 22, 2011 - Walking, Biking, Riding, and Driving - But not Necessarily in That Order<br />
July 25, 2011 - Bee Active<br />
Aug. 2, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art<br />
Aug. 10, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art, Part 2<br />
Aug. 17, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art, Part 3<br />
Aug. 25, 2011 - Fifteen People You Should Know More About<br />
Aug. 31, 2011 - Going to the Office to Feed Worms.<br />
<br />
There you have it, Dear Reader. I promise to have something interesting for you next week!<br />
<br />
Aunti ApathyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-29650557127394776932011-08-31T08:52:00.000-07:002011-08-31T08:52:20.885-07:00"GOING TO THE OFFICE TO FEED WORMS...."<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Worms are more powerful than the African elephant and more important to the economy than the cow. – <b>Charles Darwin</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(As always, if you are pressed for time, scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> section.)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-VISgNJxfTjJZ2Udwzz0F0LH1DwTLh4x30ojxDMVdObrn84lqodDztpcQwvTdU3TZgknh6FGASATA7wIj9zXVyQ9qWnTTOVFBf8-5OnBfZ6aKFBD86dk-e7JcThz62b7VZmXoyWf3iE/s1600/030509worm%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-VISgNJxfTjJZ2Udwzz0F0LH1DwTLh4x30ojxDMVdObrn84lqodDztpcQwvTdU3TZgknh6FGASATA7wIj9zXVyQ9qWnTTOVFBf8-5OnBfZ6aKFBD86dk-e7JcThz62b7VZmXoyWf3iE/s320/030509worm%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was at a volunteer training session a number of months ago when the Executive Director made a rather startling announcement. He was quite upset that people had been mixing up their compostable and non-compostable 'garbage' when throwing it out. He explained that as the office actively composted, and had a worm farm to help them do this, that it drove him nuts when compost was wasted. As I had always heard that worm farms were smelly, messy things, I was quite surprised.</span></div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now, by now you must have all at least heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost">compost</a></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">as a fertilizer and natural pesticide, as well as a great way of recycling and reducing waste. (By the way, if you want to be informed as well as mildly grossed out, click on the compost link and read about the use of human urine.) What I hadn't realized until I was exposed to it is that composting can be done in a very small space,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3_wNaOMiSzYwvUmMLBf2EmN_-q-F0YRizibvB-ZCYMbglCggTYHilS3EQ9SH7TPZW9QZ-9P06WlrRtoZXPK7VchrLSezLZSVCCmIkw4sLR7pKONQDrKRA1ZMMuRDZK-PMQrkuF8YG0k/s1600/Worms+and+unused+BEE+pictures+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3_wNaOMiSzYwvUmMLBf2EmN_-q-F0YRizibvB-ZCYMbglCggTYHilS3EQ9SH7TPZW9QZ-9P06WlrRtoZXPK7VchrLSezLZSVCCmIkw4sLR7pKONQDrKRA1ZMMuRDZK-PMQrkuF8YG0k/s320/Worms+and+unused+BEE+pictures+010.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">with very little fuss, and no smell. Until then, my experience with composting was based on huge containers set up in backyards, with plenty of space between the composting bin and the house (because these bins were rather smelly). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">These small vermicompost bins (vermicompost is the use of worms to help with composting) are so popular that vermiculture (worm farming) has become big business. You can <a href="http://www.vermiculture.ca/store/index.php">buy worms</a> (and various paraphanelia) online, you can <a href="http://www.manualdelombricultura.com/en/">join online communities</a> of vermiculturists, you can find numerous support sites with detailed instructions on how you can start your own 'worm farm' (<a href="http://oacc.info/DOCs/Vermiculture_FarmersManual_gm.pdf">here,</a> <a href="http://napi.ca/vermaculture.htm">here,</a> or <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Worm-Compost-System">here</a>). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsGF7Rvbo2PeuGgL0_CJGhpR8M7RBtpQk8zGHB_2Dl1JPP-w1dPD-t5oeV4zXYFNsc268ga2eZzEQ9gvktuNkTHhcNGsAli122N-yKq-KL9mU3KJJw-PwB2W7JwJPNdWxg4pAgSUSPNs/s1600/Worms+and+unused+BEE+pictures+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsGF7Rvbo2PeuGgL0_CJGhpR8M7RBtpQk8zGHB_2Dl1JPP-w1dPD-t5oeV4zXYFNsc268ga2eZzEQ9gvktuNkTHhcNGsAli122N-yKq-KL9mU3KJJw-PwB2W7JwJPNdWxg4pAgSUSPNs/s320/Worms+and+unused+BEE+pictures+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_nNZK3DqkrUw9UKIA9tzweBdQP5LfQ6wMrqzBVPGlwPDQ1NZUkGRRqWhIDyCiWrZ7MMj3p0POhp-VQRclB8sEtc7skhYaCdwxrgU02GHyTHbK70IPUo4vR2KLAXNwqp4eASfxFoaxEU/s1600/Worms+and+unused+BEE+pictures+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_nNZK3DqkrUw9UKIA9tzweBdQP5LfQ6wMrqzBVPGlwPDQ1NZUkGRRqWhIDyCiWrZ7MMj3p0POhp-VQRclB8sEtc7skhYaCdwxrgU02GHyTHbK70IPUo4vR2KLAXNwqp4eASfxFoaxEU/s320/Worms+and+unused+BEE+pictures+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">You can find blogs devoted to vermiculture or vermicomposting (<a href="http://vermicultural.blogspot.com/">here</a> and <a href="http://vermiculture-digest.blogspot.com/">here)</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.bestgreenblogs.com/?cat=532">reviews of these blogs.</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Vermiculture has become so popular among grassroots 'culture that the <a href="http://green.harvard.edu/">dorms at Harvard University</a> now have worm bins, there are sites which provide instructions for <a href="http://www.vermiculturenorthwest.com/school_projects.htm">school projects using worms</a>, and even initiatives for use of vermiculture/vermicompost as sustainable (and environmentally benifitial) <a href="http://www.nrityanjali.org/vo_ver.asp">business opportunity</a> in the underdevelloping world. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">To sum up, don't be suprised if you start hearing about worm farming, vermicomposting, and/or vermiculture a lot more. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Do a bit of research, and <b>consider starting your own worm farm</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. If you don't want a worm farm at home, <b>start one in your office</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. If for some reason you can't start one in your office, <b>see if you have a neighbour with the space and desire to have one</b>, and save your compostable items to contribute to that worm farm</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4. <b>Donate some money</b> to one of the organisations sponsoring vermiculture as a business opportunity in underdevelloping countries</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">5. Learn about the subject and <b>do some workshops</b> in community groups or schools, spreading the word.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-6377750204428172011-08-25T06:16:00.000-07:002011-08-25T06:16:48.220-07:00FIFTEEN PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW (MORE) ABOUT<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> ~Dr. Seuss</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I am presently out of town on business, I thought I'd pre-prepare another blog entry for you, so that all I have to do is to log-on and push "publish". </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought that you might find it interesting to browse through some historical figures, and to see how they made a difference in the world. While my political leanings definitely show, I've tried to be somewhat balanced and provide you with a variety. Not all of these people are saints. Many are controversial. Some people you will be familiar with, some you will have heard of, and some you will probably know nothing about. They have been involved in a wide variety of movements, and have had impacts in many areas. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of these figures I seriously debated removing from the list, but while her views are ones I find obscene and disgusting, she does meet the criteria of getting involved, risking a great deal for her beliefs, and of making a difference (albeit, in my opinion, negatively). So, I hope you all learn a little, are inspired to make a difference with your life, and that you enjoy. Oh, and in terms of <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span>, use these examples to inspire you to find your passion, and to think about ways that your life can make a difference (hopefully for the good).</span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSusOnEmh_LzS_TAQsmd22zDhsTNFtPMaygnl66JDXEpGgjbyg4uQ70b4Y9Qelwsnbc0yVz2kmfTmhQwdFhVuqBoHdmZLha1ng_mmwwm6ht4-_n9D4xoDeiQjwGVIiyebP57-MR6FtQ7s/s1600/15+P+-+Robert+Sherman+Baldwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSusOnEmh_LzS_TAQsmd22zDhsTNFtPMaygnl66JDXEpGgjbyg4uQ70b4Y9Qelwsnbc0yVz2kmfTmhQwdFhVuqBoHdmZLha1ng_mmwwm6ht4-_n9D4xoDeiQjwGVIiyebP57-MR6FtQ7s/s400/15+P+-+Robert+Sherman+Baldwin.jpg" width="342" /></a>Robert Sherman Baldwin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(To learn more, click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Sherman_Baldwin">here</a>, <a href="http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/amistd.htm">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/amistad/">here</a>.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem1mTMM4HyYrXKV7DF-oij9Ie33dSjP8M-73l7pTGg7dRZ4YJnDBRDb9pa6a_qxDUQ62xVuEIlUkCkqdHwvcqv8r1JKGJRfrW57gGk4xcbMa2sFPrivuXzlgzVIUTZy_GbYzBN5m8NT0/s1600/15+P+-+Paul+Rusesabagina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem1mTMM4HyYrXKV7DF-oij9Ie33dSjP8M-73l7pTGg7dRZ4YJnDBRDb9pa6a_qxDUQ62xVuEIlUkCkqdHwvcqv8r1JKGJRfrW57gGk4xcbMa2sFPrivuXzlgzVIUTZy_GbYzBN5m8NT0/s400/15+P+-+Paul+Rusesabagina.jpg" width="261" /></a>Paul Rusesabagina. (To learn more, , click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Rwanda">here,</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rusesabagina">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqrfT4e2U3zexiFw4sLvlrTDWBVxXd87g_-4cnWqJ-LU-nWWMHW0DuGnEneamexrl6TkhdGcgZolJGIl-15aLFHo1ss7-mA7_2lR3dnsRqKs6tnxjDvmZoQDYT4kxhNWbQ7FgMO9eWTk/s1600/Wallenberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqrfT4e2U3zexiFw4sLvlrTDWBVxXd87g_-4cnWqJ-LU-nWWMHW0DuGnEneamexrl6TkhdGcgZolJGIl-15aLFHo1ss7-mA7_2lR3dnsRqKs6tnxjDvmZoQDYT4kxhNWbQ7FgMO9eWTk/s400/Wallenberg.jpg" width="331" /></a>Raoul Wallenberg. (To learn more, click <a href="http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/wallenberg.html">here</a> or <a href="http://www.rwi.lu.se/">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtJXgVk4EUMIcW-A4Vkx2oock1NBnwqqEADMGZ2NRT8yRm6MCW1vYXu4_var9-9gpW3IvO36wGc0JJ2VaMazLX8-Btwz7nt1EtnjtmAH8huJnODyLN-K8n09Le_NHat628jGllL8bYQk/s1600/Viola+Desmond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtJXgVk4EUMIcW-A4Vkx2oock1NBnwqqEADMGZ2NRT8yRm6MCW1vYXu4_var9-9gpW3IvO36wGc0JJ2VaMazLX8-Btwz7nt1EtnjtmAH8huJnODyLN-K8n09Le_NHat628jGllL8bYQk/s400/Viola+Desmond.jpg" width="400" /></a>Viola Desmond. (To learn more, click <a href="http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2007/02/viola-desmond-canadas-rosa-parks.html">here</a> or <a href="http://www.womanist-musings.com/2010/04/viola-desmond-is-not-canadas-rosa-parks.html">here, and read in full.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvcxhGouVUukrdFhDgpdX2CbWpeVKh51qom0rNpwbu8ElyLVgxFObt7Tavap_Bv7XnfWT2URspYgdEG5EaZ5yk81TrH9gzaIi8e6rFZTy3rQzQQa4G7FbJckibL_Na9cBx6sYnmNw6vU/s1600/Elijah+Harper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvcxhGouVUukrdFhDgpdX2CbWpeVKh51qom0rNpwbu8ElyLVgxFObt7Tavap_Bv7XnfWT2URspYgdEG5EaZ5yk81TrH9gzaIi8e6rFZTy3rQzQQa4G7FbJckibL_Na9cBx6sYnmNw6vU/s320/Elijah+Harper.jpg" width="320" /></a>Elijah Harper. (To learn more, click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Harper">here</a> and <a href="http://www.nationmedia.ca/elijahharper/bio.html">here).</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDZJKHs-gH8BlaMjL7EIwPppZ0TMt1doiCcMtZZajsIqJCTwXlYyXZCPci30G8vWa_zKG48F1lh6hsvG2IsuQWSlE7mPhLfvDDVz783RjQ2M-z4doiKjI2LnJgJMmoZ8hsFdTmWZszeE/s1600/Margaret+Sanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDZJKHs-gH8BlaMjL7EIwPppZ0TMt1doiCcMtZZajsIqJCTwXlYyXZCPci30G8vWa_zKG48F1lh6hsvG2IsuQWSlE7mPhLfvDDVz783RjQ2M-z4doiKjI2LnJgJMmoZ8hsFdTmWZszeE/s320/Margaret+Sanger.jpg" width="280" /></a>Margaret Sanger. (To learn more, click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger">here,</a> <a href="http://www.blackgenocide.org/sanger.html">here,</a> or <a href="http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/sanger_margaret.html">here to see a video interview with her.</a> The interview runs about 30 minutes, and is fascinating on a number of levels. 1957 with Mike Wallace. Social attitudes towards women, independance, homosexuality, promiscuity, and smoking - lots and LOTS of smoking.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIZ6SVom1yicMfWg4uiplcqUqzr7ynuOf6Ut1_DFiyKsQuRq15BYifCOKP6zbPV473PtGNhyBRe3MykHYJ_Z6DCWzv6nmEvpCHObr6cnoo2W2w9asBCS-7r4HugtbXP8G-D-Vpjzneqw/s1600/Anita+Bryant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIZ6SVom1yicMfWg4uiplcqUqzr7ynuOf6Ut1_DFiyKsQuRq15BYifCOKP6zbPV473PtGNhyBRe3MykHYJ_Z6DCWzv6nmEvpCHObr6cnoo2W2w9asBCS-7r4HugtbXP8G-D-Vpjzneqw/s1600/Anita+Bryant.jpg" /></a>Anita Bryant. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Bryant">here</a>, <a href="http://www.alternet.org/story/17737/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=58600">here</a> to learn more about her, and her legacy.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81dTR_WH6y5SI77VFK4odD6VbqtYLO99FUmQIjoZDuIUocJGTWeHGMQOAHYIQUCUDGwbJyWkmzIcjz6nL-UA0TyAtv7LqLeHT39FvbtJK9hhNz0sPd7PUEQaqxeTmjf7kMB452hRlrw8/s1600/Stephen+Biko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81dTR_WH6y5SI77VFK4odD6VbqtYLO99FUmQIjoZDuIUocJGTWeHGMQOAHYIQUCUDGwbJyWkmzIcjz6nL-UA0TyAtv7LqLeHT39FvbtJK9hhNz0sPd7PUEQaqxeTmjf7kMB452hRlrw8/s1600/Stephen+Biko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81dTR_WH6y5SI77VFK4odD6VbqtYLO99FUmQIjoZDuIUocJGTWeHGMQOAHYIQUCUDGwbJyWkmzIcjz6nL-UA0TyAtv7LqLeHT39FvbtJK9hhNz0sPd7PUEQaqxeTmjf7kMB452hRlrw8/s320/Stephen+Biko.jpg" width="320" /></a>Stephen Biko. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Biko">here,</a> <a href="http://africanhistory.about.com/od/stevebiko/a/bio-Biko.htm">here,</a> or <a href="http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/stephen-bantu-biko">here</a>.)<br />
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</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a7E93fz3vVcsDcJOdZFjZtuIWlZ-1cNf8-ab9B3HnLEISlbd-OUvgDaw9b2gHUjrc812vd0_zzWHV6C0BQyhkO0Rr1oAXopgDKgrbtseS0Fz2NGnOL80r7lWAjM8P-meTjs_8h8GUIE/s1600/Sidney+Poitier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a7E93fz3vVcsDcJOdZFjZtuIWlZ-1cNf8-ab9B3HnLEISlbd-OUvgDaw9b2gHUjrc812vd0_zzWHV6C0BQyhkO0Rr1oAXopgDKgrbtseS0Fz2NGnOL80r7lWAjM8P-meTjs_8h8GUIE/s320/Sidney+Poitier.jpg" width="320" /></a>Sidney Poitier. (Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001627/">here</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Poitier">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLbf6MdvhlHPXsHzDXmkxg1ChNa2BA-2-JCXozwsFtbMjNjkMbaE2a2ybEFhxzOIjRTX0SG_WjrVJ3A4zz2tCbrnW2MuwAn9XrsCP5m-vsiA-MUfP1798UH-I2yW28v9MqH3QHQC3RDs/s1600/Tommy+Douglas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLbf6MdvhlHPXsHzDXmkxg1ChNa2BA-2-JCXozwsFtbMjNjkMbaE2a2ybEFhxzOIjRTX0SG_WjrVJ3A4zz2tCbrnW2MuwAn9XrsCP5m-vsiA-MUfP1798UH-I2yW28v9MqH3QHQC3RDs/s320/Tommy+Douglas.jpg" width="320" /></a>Tommy Douglas. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Douglas">here</a> and <a href="http://www.cupe1975.ca/bursary/burs5.html">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ltS8A1zBSueBOEQLtac0NMHoKTZnqQA-WcHEAYj9Nn3uySHqlDVrJHtpgoV83HVAQbNFu9LIqBygKLFiGOJc4cBbAiLovpKBoli4c3DC4uHUdjrJzwaDnXq3Xas2G5flBzMJ_REpH2w/s1600/Norman+Bethune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ltS8A1zBSueBOEQLtac0NMHoKTZnqQA-WcHEAYj9Nn3uySHqlDVrJHtpgoV83HVAQbNFu9LIqBygKLFiGOJc4cBbAiLovpKBoli4c3DC4uHUdjrJzwaDnXq3Xas2G5flBzMJ_REpH2w/s320/Norman+Bethune.jpg" width="245" /></a>Norman Bethune. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bethune">here,</a> <a href="http://chineseposters.net/themes/bethune.php">here,</a> and <a href="http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5437,25117626&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKsEWEVBB7xmiot5_IzMsE-5BXnzj_-9GVxLfTEDDhjZnNTQujFHqNH6Jm_g3q72yHqu9jNwKHzIizsOhR-KjKaaY_qMZ4PHeBuLkM5gMw_OOLPb0wEnf6an3Q_gu9jhF0Tu4XcYbMPM/s1600/Tim+Berners-Lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKsEWEVBB7xmiot5_IzMsE-5BXnzj_-9GVxLfTEDDhjZnNTQujFHqNH6Jm_g3q72yHqu9jNwKHzIizsOhR-KjKaaY_qMZ4PHeBuLkM5gMw_OOLPb0wEnf6an3Q_gu9jhF0Tu4XcYbMPM/s1600/Tim+Berners-Lee.jpg" /></a>Tim Berners-Lee. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVf18kHPbZLYzaHvmiJcRrBEjQOnYJp6BCSsCryQW5noMqyWMyARVdqymM0sCB9ck4qfRJOa87hj-Kw7FNnLpc_ScPwEPl-zJ7PHHU7PSQ_iC3vLD27ZxDZYqxqYSeiIrBHrYPh-ZHaI/s1600/Hamilton+Naki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVf18kHPbZLYzaHvmiJcRrBEjQOnYJp6BCSsCryQW5noMqyWMyARVdqymM0sCB9ck4qfRJOa87hj-Kw7FNnLpc_ScPwEPl-zJ7PHHU7PSQ_iC3vLD27ZxDZYqxqYSeiIrBHrYPh-ZHaI/s1600/Hamilton+Naki.jpg" /></a>Hamilton Naki. (Click <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/31/black-surgeon-first-heart-transplant">here</a> or <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/AR2005061201517.html">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_7RVIgdlLL4KkjVPCm8Tt220ilb79SgWSEb7EK_A_09YNtPaOAJNZRemoMGk5XetBrFB4ai56Jg1cBQqbqZDSnFgQKESGjmfrsHNxuaHdB_8iYLfnJwGVoD0v45NA-92HDojfJOumYU/s1600/daw+aung+san+suu+kyi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_7RVIgdlLL4KkjVPCm8Tt220ilb79SgWSEb7EK_A_09YNtPaOAJNZRemoMGk5XetBrFB4ai56Jg1cBQqbqZDSnFgQKESGjmfrsHNxuaHdB_8iYLfnJwGVoD0v45NA-92HDojfJOumYU/s320/daw+aung+san+suu+kyi.jpg" width="320" /></a>Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi">here.)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJtQ7YtVGlqIdGo-PdK-1VyS2k7acW1Ycegtb_L0xpxbG41mkEyu-yxeKubBAAn-c05S-ZZ3Y210qj-oEN-QAoSgLBXqfjMw-AGleAft3l8Ll9dNQ_i9_RCJ052OizeElzpzN-vlTI6I/s1600/Rosalind+Franklin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJtQ7YtVGlqIdGo-PdK-1VyS2k7acW1Ycegtb_L0xpxbG41mkEyu-yxeKubBAAn-c05S-ZZ3Y210qj-oEN-QAoSgLBXqfjMw-AGleAft3l8Ll9dNQ_i9_RCJ052OizeElzpzN-vlTI6I/s1600/Rosalind+Franklin.png" /></a>Rosalind Franklin. (Click <a href="http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/chemistry-in-history/themes/biomolecules/dna/watson-crick-wilkins-franklin.aspx">here.)</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-21232960660217097342011-08-17T08:07:00.000-07:002011-08-17T08:07:31.638-07:00THE BENIFITS OF ART - PART 3Yup. I'm still on vacation, Dear Reader. Here is some more art for your consideration:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5XQPOF1E2bWDC3tFYKNNrSeuaac_ylf6uU_dlbMdMTO_PVG24fyG5rl0ycyMRgxPw06ndM2P8LI4mXn_VPx5KSqqt05Eo0_GYxV5_c0Ld63UFOzrXBZhxvdx0owwPlIFjQf9eh3lqTM/s1600/Arboretum+etc+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5XQPOF1E2bWDC3tFYKNNrSeuaac_ylf6uU_dlbMdMTO_PVG24fyG5rl0ycyMRgxPw06ndM2P8LI4mXn_VPx5KSqqt05Eo0_GYxV5_c0Ld63UFOzrXBZhxvdx0owwPlIFjQf9eh3lqTM/s400/Arboretum+etc+011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sometimes one has to add another object in order to provide scale. Luckily, I live near an arboretum which takes public art seriously. Everyday items (like cheese and baguette) can be a fun comentary on Quebecois picnic styles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEf8HIgzOAMyaTJwb_78HazXNFcZ3Bppc-YylqQdoiDok3Z7_zVnbtCeP_ZH_HzMpg8eyok0fLbq1z0ZfqlhzTjOSpyZ6NTRwwD0j1G45AI4S9l7BXp0DGE58aYoOWSvpsR53HYu4yi4/s1600/Arboretum+etc+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEf8HIgzOAMyaTJwb_78HazXNFcZ3Bppc-YylqQdoiDok3Z7_zVnbtCeP_ZH_HzMpg8eyok0fLbq1z0ZfqlhzTjOSpyZ6NTRwwD0j1G45AI4S9l7BXp0DGE58aYoOWSvpsR53HYu4yi4/s400/Arboretum+etc+012.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hmmm...wine or fancy grape juice - you decide.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_WAQJlJPsWHTkJFIsgH7oJpL97pOXW9hQBwjhSgaE22MWJhJKzeYFmZYaHTqv_UEFhgwXy_f03Dq8KVyXWJhyZ1xgcbGKcuiFpS-G_PJnuuC50cFoWzDszL_gizsPZ_LFHeFMSbfLpI/s1600/sculptures+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_WAQJlJPsWHTkJFIsgH7oJpL97pOXW9hQBwjhSgaE22MWJhJKzeYFmZYaHTqv_UEFhgwXy_f03Dq8KVyXWJhyZ1xgcbGKcuiFpS-G_PJnuuC50cFoWzDszL_gizsPZ_LFHeFMSbfLpI/s400/sculptures+034.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is entitled "Cactus". Do you see wolves in it too, or is it just me?</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh663QyQu_4ppCDrHVrjgMs60uPsT5RqgCaG-yjvzet8ghiszjwrLPktGvSKxW_BrfucQSgB3dsB9dMWziagzzxGnfSh7DPSdlmy0QbgtYXgjrQIx2MoRzkucVRBxf7xGh8Kf_PyjKmOAA/s1600/sculptures+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh663QyQu_4ppCDrHVrjgMs60uPsT5RqgCaG-yjvzet8ghiszjwrLPktGvSKxW_BrfucQSgB3dsB9dMWziagzzxGnfSh7DPSdlmy0QbgtYXgjrQIx2MoRzkucVRBxf7xGh8Kf_PyjKmOAA/s400/sculptures+036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a whole series of painted moose along Sherbrooke Street in Montreal, each with his/her/its own style. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIo7QoLNItZ1TqZyUnUV3XsTZjl7I5tYvA9a2opUJnuRdzYP89__j1VI58w7JykxflnI4EOpm80JUgPpUro2F4uJn5emxPoIZxCriaTbvrpY-mzxdPVhmpAPcmT_WTEr6AOgBXlgW9hQ/s1600/sculptures+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIo7QoLNItZ1TqZyUnUV3XsTZjl7I5tYvA9a2opUJnuRdzYP89__j1VI58w7JykxflnI4EOpm80JUgPpUro2F4uJn5emxPoIZxCriaTbvrpY-mzxdPVhmpAPcmT_WTEr6AOgBXlgW9hQ/s1600/sculptures+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIo7QoLNItZ1TqZyUnUV3XsTZjl7I5tYvA9a2opUJnuRdzYP89__j1VI58w7JykxflnI4EOpm80JUgPpUro2F4uJn5emxPoIZxCriaTbvrpY-mzxdPVhmpAPcmT_WTEr6AOgBXlgW9hQ/s400/sculptures+039.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> This poor skinny horse with the amputated hoof is one of my favourites. It haunts me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRskPceiW0euh59g6ls1G7LtEwUoUZ7q5BNhfpaVDEzcgpgVQkNxTrv4h6qvnGVg4oXfv5yuMdBWe0R7dieCajHnET1sVKqVSaSHnUTz29-Pvp9GM5XV77miKciLd7Nugmkoh19GljiuA/s1600/sculptures+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRskPceiW0euh59g6ls1G7LtEwUoUZ7q5BNhfpaVDEzcgpgVQkNxTrv4h6qvnGVg4oXfv5yuMdBWe0R7dieCajHnET1sVKqVSaSHnUTz29-Pvp9GM5XV77miKciLd7Nugmkoh19GljiuA/s1600/sculptures+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRskPceiW0euh59g6ls1G7LtEwUoUZ7q5BNhfpaVDEzcgpgVQkNxTrv4h6qvnGVg4oXfv5yuMdBWe0R7dieCajHnET1sVKqVSaSHnUTz29-Pvp9GM5XV77miKciLd7Nugmkoh19GljiuA/s400/sculptures+043.jpg" width="400" /></a>The Montreal Museum of Fine Art also offers art classes, which is a great way of appreciating art from another perspective.<br />
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</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_zxfH_-Z5PWnMWPqeSh6fL38zZW_PD-nLHAQ8EXaxAQSWkesLYCNVWxOw6Qa8F1fCBSSulUiRRmoKfx5gEvDPLz5vu-AdfpjbCgut0am8PMr4lxyPdtLUHSOf1fXl2Jiudd8-ZKo_I8/s1600/sculptures+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_zxfH_-Z5PWnMWPqeSh6fL38zZW_PD-nLHAQ8EXaxAQSWkesLYCNVWxOw6Qa8F1fCBSSulUiRRmoKfx5gEvDPLz5vu-AdfpjbCgut0am8PMr4lxyPdtLUHSOf1fXl2Jiudd8-ZKo_I8/s400/sculptures+021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This sculpture has appeared before on this blog, but there are so many 'characters', that I thought I'd reveal a little more of it to you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVio_LxgrFBfbWC53wKrwkb0vk_DdZUcpX8jE1iWmXPwZIGLGuKj3w36520Hyq5Hv7HIn_CQfmQPZxOkESN3OB89du_M93RXXCrsZjSw37kMsKtyc54qfOR-YUnwFv42uyAkJSgIrALM/s1600/sculptures+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVio_LxgrFBfbWC53wKrwkb0vk_DdZUcpX8jE1iWmXPwZIGLGuKj3w36520Hyq5Hv7HIn_CQfmQPZxOkESN3OB89du_M93RXXCrsZjSw37kMsKtyc54qfOR-YUnwFv42uyAkJSgIrALM/s640/sculptures+022.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6e2-mDxmizt3G0AVMwZHV5D1l2ISBsz6ySlzmiYgZISyBXeKADZUpFxjKHAbYOx6vs8NiFJFCXsQnvdXhUT_C9rfspp6HVKOAbK5alLpY5n41jPYlL1e7xHa6gv9gaxCa-n-2g4-mLs/s1600/sculptures+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6e2-mDxmizt3G0AVMwZHV5D1l2ISBsz6ySlzmiYgZISyBXeKADZUpFxjKHAbYOx6vs8NiFJFCXsQnvdXhUT_C9rfspp6HVKOAbK5alLpY5n41jPYlL1e7xHa6gv9gaxCa-n-2g4-mLs/s400/sculptures+046.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> This is another one of my favourites. It's so gentle and loving. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwWeJNXoMejL9EWZmM4pkxaQi2094BiNknT8CXEYN5jFb4dlST3qPSs98XLDmHwWI3IOMJ3vOsLUBocZHRtSKwaUH9lmOKyT0eE3n_-qPsN4CKFxv9z5rz6Bq6pRg2gXFfo_86b5NmWM/s1600/sculptures+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwWeJNXoMejL9EWZmM4pkxaQi2094BiNknT8CXEYN5jFb4dlST3qPSs98XLDmHwWI3IOMJ3vOsLUBocZHRtSKwaUH9lmOKyT0eE3n_-qPsN4CKFxv9z5rz6Bq6pRg2gXFfo_86b5NmWM/s640/sculptures+047.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The details on this piece are amazing, too. Take a good look at the bronze bench that the 'woman' is sitting on. See all the scratched graffiti? The artist took the time to etch the bronze bench with love poems and prose, adding to both the realism of the piece, as well as the overall tone of tenderness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So, Dear Reader, that's it for this entry. I'll post a more typical blog entry next week, when I return.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-12841389357554903172011-08-10T07:17:00.000-07:002011-08-10T07:17:46.261-07:00THE BENIFITS OF ART - PART 2As you read this, I am on vacation. (Dedicated blogger that I am, I pre-prepared this and next week's blog so that I could just log on during my vacation and push "post".) I thought that it was only fair for you , Dear Readers, to have a bit of a 'vacation' too, so for this and the next blog entry, your assignment is to enjoy and contemplate the following pictures. (I couldn't resiste getting the discussion started.)<br />
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In terms of <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span>, discuss the art, share it, and see the previous entry for a more complete list. If you haven't already read the previous entry, then do so. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKSJma8WEHVUf9YtB2b0bV8dTpYJ7NNOxswtj2nD57FLVRpBsnVvYMkXV0tKkd8hgEsifPjCrmyFDjxzdrCji3bjU4HCb-f7QYSeSh0VK1njXk1IksBh0iUBwrp6zaYuraMSQgUMLlFQ/s1600/019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKSJma8WEHVUf9YtB2b0bV8dTpYJ7NNOxswtj2nD57FLVRpBsnVvYMkXV0tKkd8hgEsifPjCrmyFDjxzdrCji3bjU4HCb-f7QYSeSh0VK1njXk1IksBh0iUBwrp6zaYuraMSQgUMLlFQ/s400/019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In old Monteal. I love the sense of urgency I feel whenever I see this. I feel like I have to rush to pick it up before anything spills....what does that say about me!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXcs50Nfu7wx4a6NPkqVt6cxXamYLrMHRAn0IpNMLutSwZLND5mWSV6ssC2EWi6FMt-6AXk5h9a0MU7TmdOBPz53uY7oZRCE6KhDw4UJ2G3qq8AWEMwZlRel0yWq6DhleuQuYiEbRGwQ/s1600/public+art+etc+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXcs50Nfu7wx4a6NPkqVt6cxXamYLrMHRAn0IpNMLutSwZLND5mWSV6ssC2EWi6FMt-6AXk5h9a0MU7TmdOBPz53uY7oZRCE6KhDw4UJ2G3qq8AWEMwZlRel0yWq6DhleuQuYiEbRGwQ/s400/public+art+etc+016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="justify">Art comes in many forms, and corsettes constructed with spoons and bolts can spark a discussion.</div><div align="justify"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0Q45NdudGVXZdD7Q9Rewrad7b7lL1EiHvQkutE1pw7xrIH0fnP9zxnHhXBkQQC4pmjb5kHg4y08bpY0debdS-MGaXn6PFuhCIfSP265tAhJomRrSOpDVs_Cg5LxrCBK4krkxRfrQVAM/s1600/sculptures+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0Q45NdudGVXZdD7Q9Rewrad7b7lL1EiHvQkutE1pw7xrIH0fnP9zxnHhXBkQQC4pmjb5kHg4y08bpY0debdS-MGaXn6PFuhCIfSP265tAhJomRrSOpDVs_Cg5LxrCBK4krkxRfrQVAM/s640/sculptures+025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk5wp8q3rPrvxgdtsalVkc50T5mZG8vePJUbinhyphenhyphenrEAUoQkKbxrxn0hiKKtLHR95S7W05Ds1-cbMclaW67BhcoZxxVA_Nagv-7dcCKYlCoig7rHeP-fQqqps19Qgiu9YFXwHZmT5tMmg/s1600/sculptures+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk5wp8q3rPrvxgdtsalVkc50T5mZG8vePJUbinhyphenhyphenrEAUoQkKbxrxn0hiKKtLHR95S7W05Ds1-cbMclaW67BhcoZxxVA_Nagv-7dcCKYlCoig7rHeP-fQqqps19Qgiu9YFXwHZmT5tMmg/s1600/sculptures+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk5wp8q3rPrvxgdtsalVkc50T5mZG8vePJUbinhyphenhyphenrEAUoQkKbxrxn0hiKKtLHR95S7W05Ds1-cbMclaW67BhcoZxxVA_Nagv-7dcCKYlCoig7rHeP-fQqqps19Qgiu9YFXwHZmT5tMmg/s400/sculptures+018.jpg" width="400" /></a>Some art is more relaxing than others! More next week, and I hope you are all having a wonderful summer!<br />
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</div><div align="justify"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-46004425682527383712011-08-02T08:02:00.000-07:002011-08-02T08:08:54.832-07:00THE BENIFITS OF ENJOYING ART<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A man paints with his brains and not with his hands. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Michelangelo<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(As always, if pressed for time scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> section)<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I am lucky enough to live in a city which enriches my life daily through the placement of art in public places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhlIh9ghYsvWZP8p7kwdMhwnRnnRiMFdgD0B9um4fatVQfMz3LLDLR5gSSAydtfupOG9b-jE62zdVIfbN93QV6cryDDz-Xij2kW4gRr6HGimQ82MFv_v_SwFgL2Xpy3KYY00H61WSD3E/s1600/sculptures+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhlIh9ghYsvWZP8p7kwdMhwnRnnRiMFdgD0B9um4fatVQfMz3LLDLR5gSSAydtfupOG9b-jE62zdVIfbN93QV6cryDDz-Xij2kW4gRr6HGimQ82MFv_v_SwFgL2Xpy3KYY00H61WSD3E/s1600/sculptures+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhlIh9ghYsvWZP8p7kwdMhwnRnnRiMFdgD0B9um4fatVQfMz3LLDLR5gSSAydtfupOG9b-jE62zdVIfbN93QV6cryDDz-Xij2kW4gRr6HGimQ82MFv_v_SwFgL2Xpy3KYY00H61WSD3E/s320/sculptures+045.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Art not only beautifies a neighbourhood; it provides a focus for conversation... </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1sCUrLoLdVoORy0iAgW6e7TsU4Ob7OFVx7BaREDtZITvhAIqQsEdoxnhSvWk3ggPxXI5Ct7ALkt4tliJ7ZMURpp4FphrKv8DPK4vHEGz5nQLELXY9lrVV7SbRGl75Peve75Q734phxo/s1600/sculptures+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1sCUrLoLdVoORy0iAgW6e7TsU4Ob7OFVx7BaREDtZITvhAIqQsEdoxnhSvWk3ggPxXI5Ct7ALkt4tliJ7ZMURpp4FphrKv8DPK4vHEGz5nQLELXY9lrVV7SbRGl75Peve75Q734phxo/s320/sculptures+031.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">...an opportunity to experience something new or something familiar in a new way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also serves as an enjoyable method of exercising one’s brain and cognitive dexterity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“How does art accomplish this? It introduces the brain to diverse cognitive skills that help us unravel intricate problems. Art activates the creative part of our brain - the part that works without words and can only express itself non-verbally. Art, in thought and through the creative processes, activates the imaginative and creative side, the spatial and intuitive side of our brain. Art jumps over the process of linear and logical thinking. It trains the brain to shift into thinking differently, of broaching old problems in new ways.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is what makes art so important. It benefits the brain by training it to think outside the box. It helps children understand concepts with greater ease. It aids children in getting better grades. In the real world, the artistic side of the brain helps engineers solve problems. It guides individuals to create solutions. Art is the property of fine artists; it is also the product of engineers, technicians and computer designers. Art, in many different ways, helps people make the world a better place.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.self-help-healing-arts-journal.com/art-benefits-brain.html">Source here.</a></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Art is also part of what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art">makes humans unique.</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many animals use and create tools (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMRbje7_d6Q">crows,</a> and <a href="http://www.janegoodall.ca/about-chimp-behaviour-tool-use.php">chimpanzees</a> to name a few</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many animals in captivity have been taught to create art of one kind or another (and you can link <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,419723,00.html">here,</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk">here</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">, and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/arts/design/09coli.html?pagewanted=all">here</a> for examples</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">), partly as enrichment for the animals and partly as a fundraising initiative for zoos and sanctuaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these creations have become quite famous, and have served as a commentary on human art forms (for instance the paintings by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_(chimpanzee)">Congo the chimp,</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Brassau">hoax</a> perpetrated in the 1960s)</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Undoubtedly animals are capable of appreciating art (for example, music), and of creating art in some form given some tutoring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the spontaneous creation of art with intent is something that, so far, appears to be uniquely human; not surprising given the importance and unique place that symbolic thought play in human social groups, and in the human psyche.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So, enjoy art in all its forms (for the purpose of this and the next two blog entries, I have focused on public sculpture simply because I live in a great city which has abundant public sculpture). Actively take part in the dialogue and relationship -in the ‘conversation’ between artist, art object, and art critic (that’s you!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>created by art.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1. <strong>Support your local artist</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buy locally created art when you can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMmssncyOrA0Kbox0nijdwdp9WomV9SatP_0W5XnM76DAbxbkKFScdlVd3Yn6s_f91wuf-sxgxTyLXh4Mle1RdzvQ0s_78yUS38aoqnqyzDF3NbhFrj8l7MWPhSyv7vhPNmk0-v0Y7_I/s1600/public+art+etc+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMmssncyOrA0Kbox0nijdwdp9WomV9SatP_0W5XnM76DAbxbkKFScdlVd3Yn6s_f91wuf-sxgxTyLXh4Mle1RdzvQ0s_78yUS38aoqnqyzDF3NbhFrj8l7MWPhSyv7vhPNmk0-v0Y7_I/s320/public+art+etc+029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4. When public art is provided by a company or organisation, <strong>get in touch with the sponsoring body</strong> and let it know that you appreciate it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL-xhy3KVDOlrKKv8dd4Kb7mw4PDNzTKUxFpK9tn-xLO046gVApyXwIVYPoxTrkYyf0RNSuCmb6TxERlrykVVc909mlp0ROV-ETfsbRbq0jSxuPy9AxAZ084S9GTFjUAZQVYwIGfTyl8/s1600/fruit+trees+and+bed+bugs+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL-xhy3KVDOlrKKv8dd4Kb7mw4PDNzTKUxFpK9tn-xLO046gVApyXwIVYPoxTrkYyf0RNSuCmb6TxERlrykVVc909mlp0ROV-ETfsbRbq0jSxuPy9AxAZ084S9GTFjUAZQVYwIGfTyl8/s320/fruit+trees+and+bed+bugs+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This horse, for example, graces the front entrance of a hotel.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_-M_kFtQTPoiMA0QUYo9ZFCyxaokFsJh1LCTBCBZ_23ugUNv9sDvtGSzvGwE7CXj9b2RbPeD1Vd25Le9bZiJCDu8n6_Z5za-usEQAUgI0NWPrlwXVAqpmhsZ9HpemHXAafpVP62vyVc/s1600/public+art+etc+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_-M_kFtQTPoiMA0QUYo9ZFCyxaokFsJh1LCTBCBZ_23ugUNv9sDvtGSzvGwE7CXj9b2RbPeD1Vd25Le9bZiJCDu8n6_Z5za-usEQAUgI0NWPrlwXVAqpmhsZ9HpemHXAafpVP62vyVc/s320/public+art+etc+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This carved tree stands guard in a metro station.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuzodF-qU3OiJeC0jPjp8eIy9KYy8KBrs-KUbxlFwPP6R5CW5EbzQSBMoHrwWUajDmHpHKT05fILCkzimPO5mSobb8fAJo-DMOmcFoglmxhiXgD-ufwUnSaE3RRv9O8jH_z8kKxmsOfs/s1600/sculptures+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuzodF-qU3OiJeC0jPjp8eIy9KYy8KBrs-KUbxlFwPP6R5CW5EbzQSBMoHrwWUajDmHpHKT05fILCkzimPO5mSobb8fAJo-DMOmcFoglmxhiXgD-ufwUnSaE3RRv9O8jH_z8kKxmsOfs/s320/sculptures+044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a Henry Morgan sculpture placed outside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.</span></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5. Go <a href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/canadacouncil/Templates/Home.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7bF581D703-3852-42CE-92AB-81407940A2C4%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fhome-e%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest&bhcp=1">here</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> and see what you can do to <strong>support the Canada Council of Arts</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">6. <strong>Support your local museums</strong>. Become members, give a donation (this makes a great gift too), buy tickets to special exhibits, or just wander in on the 'free days'. Let your city council know how important your museums are to you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">7. <strong>Expose a child to art</strong>, and revel in the joy as a whole new world reveals itself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwLI2w21ScxvTVUBt9GX2cDH09unw5jMalq6iNJ2WCAEQ_u8TVdIt941Lzm6J-g14YENSFxgEjjUUAJKQS2VJMntyCNvOndbNYSp9r5vpEm9-ZH5Q0KwUCneoYysFdG1w4Ny_4n_xtKk/s1600/public+art+etc+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwLI2w21ScxvTVUBt9GX2cDH09unw5jMalq6iNJ2WCAEQ_u8TVdIt941Lzm6J-g14YENSFxgEjjUUAJKQS2VJMntyCNvOndbNYSp9r5vpEm9-ZH5Q0KwUCneoYysFdG1w4Ny_4n_xtKk/s320/public+art+etc+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">8. <strong>Write to your local MP</strong> and let him/her know that supporting the arts is an important issue to you<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">9. <strong>Find out what arts councils are in your area</strong>, and see what you can do to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">10. <strong>Create art</strong> yourself.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(Note: the next two blog entries will consist of pictures of public art. I will be away on vacation, so just consider this list as the WHAT YOU CAN DO LIST for the next two blog entries too. Enjoy!)</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-88368278035391019732011-07-25T09:22:00.000-07:002011-07-25T09:22:50.732-07:00BEE ACTIVE<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">"There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. " </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Henry David Thoreau<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(As always, if you are pressed for time, scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> section.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that as we begin to take action, we start to see how interconnected life and social/political systems are, and we realize that making a contribution in one area frequently ripples into other areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I began to research this week’s blog on the importance of bees, I realized that two of my previous blog entries (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildflowers and Rescue Gardening</i>, published on July 3, 2011, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reconsidering Lawns</i>, published on July 11, 2011) touch on subjects that I will be covering here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a positive change in one area, and it ripples.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIgYrovbnQKJN9EQnmTOOULkrQa1MzBu36YMCzKJiUhIfwaTo503-kkvHG3UVkIOyDoWlnxdMprkioGfrfN_ncqhl-nmX7jhW8RCRwGDBgYgBENNUNtcFA_BV7hshHOGKEYb4IBr0gcU/s1600/pollinators+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIgYrovbnQKJN9EQnmTOOULkrQa1MzBu36YMCzKJiUhIfwaTo503-kkvHG3UVkIOyDoWlnxdMprkioGfrfN_ncqhl-nmX7jhW8RCRwGDBgYgBENNUNtcFA_BV7hshHOGKEYb4IBr0gcU/s320/pollinators+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If this entry does nothing else, I hope it helps you see bees in a different light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of wonderful videos you can access that I really recommend. <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dennis_vanengelsdorp_a_plea_for_bees.html">This</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> is a wonderful discussion about bees and bee keepers, <a href="http://blog.ted.com/2011/05/06/the-hidden-beauty-of-pollination-louie-schwartzberg-on-ted-com/">this</a> is a great video about pollinators in general, and <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jonathan_drori_the_beautiful_tricks_of_flowers.html">this</a> is a great video on flowering plants and the evolution of pollinating insects. Each is about 20 minutes long, but well worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>If you want a shorter video, then click on <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnf1bLezgpw">here</a> for a great summary of bees and bee keepers.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m not going to repeat myself with regards to wildflowers or turf grass lawns (which I love and hate respectively). In fact, the next month of blog entries will be much briefer due to time constraints. (Hey, I heard that collective sigh of relief!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I will point out that bees are critical to our environmental health, and that bee keepers (who are really struggling) need our support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdr6JGlvpZRZ4e8YdGMpkCpgMjuTabAIbIYOyghuexhRkk57R2BgXFwGzXfc6TzuTIC2p7dRk08P0Zs8oqM6bDGN742hy6kxYfF0tjg_LFICP1h6GSDOeT44u3Everc4-YQWShhcGI2k/s1600/pollinators+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdr6JGlvpZRZ4e8YdGMpkCpgMjuTabAIbIYOyghuexhRkk57R2BgXFwGzXfc6TzuTIC2p7dRk08P0Zs8oqM6bDGN742hy6kxYfF0tjg_LFICP1h6GSDOeT44u3Everc4-YQWShhcGI2k/s320/pollinators+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uP7O6ICrpncCr0Ewv7ebP7sgCrDBB1W6r0JOsFPpwrXIqDYCobI7SMgf-HRCifLuIgq6RdiJyLBti9_fA9eaEORgo1qE42xMBOGDifgQ4FLIerYon92F_Q-KpVBScoiPuEuVYphHjjE/s1600/pollinators+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uP7O6ICrpncCr0Ewv7ebP7sgCrDBB1W6r0JOsFPpwrXIqDYCobI7SMgf-HRCifLuIgq6RdiJyLBti9_fA9eaEORgo1qE42xMBOGDifgQ4FLIerYon92F_Q-KpVBScoiPuEuVYphHjjE/s320/pollinators+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBCXhIrPHPN_k-BPoHDyUD1-FKiLKYgCAxg4PJ5eaNAL_k1Hibn81z-KStu1QOxzLFx_8YNBsLwKcAxXxfxzs_yMNDJiAQ7PBzm7FL8q3eCf1VOwwWtN089I0295IIVvn-9EVqBrzNtw/s1600/pollinators+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBCXhIrPHPN_k-BPoHDyUD1-FKiLKYgCAxg4PJ5eaNAL_k1Hibn81z-KStu1QOxzLFx_8YNBsLwKcAxXxfxzs_yMNDJiAQ7PBzm7FL8q3eCf1VOwwWtN089I0295IIVvn-9EVqBrzNtw/s320/pollinators+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>While honey bees are receiving most of the attention because of their importance to agriculture and economic systems, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder">Colony Collapse Disorder</a> is affecting all bees. Making the world better for bees will also make the world better for us…so, BEE ACTIVE!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1. <strong>Take advantage of your lowly blog writer</strong> and watch some of the videos and/or read some of the items I have provided for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2. <strong>Save more wildflowers</strong> and plant more wildflowers (see blog entry July 3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also click <a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SeedUserInfo?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-">here</a> . </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3. When you see these flowers planted in public spaces, get in touch with the company/organisation that planted them and <strong>let them know how much you appreciate it</strong>. Some that I've come across in the last week have been planted at Metro stations and in parks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwz1HYr_o_s49IHFnYuwuLfQZASHlnfQimCOgYktrgDaBLN8KbAEj8Gd5eURVVQAw7eFzTZgDAyW1NMyCt9BXzFrLk-Kdk_xE4nHRVvF6TV0YhruOjLSkzYF8rT1uKd6J6xsvQXv5u-8/s1600/Pollinators+2+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwz1HYr_o_s49IHFnYuwuLfQZASHlnfQimCOgYktrgDaBLN8KbAEj8Gd5eURVVQAw7eFzTZgDAyW1NMyCt9BXzFrLk-Kdk_xE4nHRVvF6TV0YhruOjLSkzYF8rT1uKd6J6xsvQXv5u-8/s320/Pollinators+2+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4. <strong>Reconsider your turf grass lawn</strong> (see blog entry July 11 – and yes, I am aware of the fact that I have become one of those annoying people who self-cites – sue me!)<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5. Go to <a href="http://pollinator.org/nappc/index.html">The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign</a> and <strong>see what you can do to help.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6. <strong> Buy local honey</strong> and support your local bee keeper<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">7. <strong>Buy honey</strong> - period<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">8. <strong>Adopt a hive, or give one as a gift</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to <a href="http://www.heifer.org/#">The Heifer Project</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can tell you from experience that this makes a great gift, and that in terms of the ‘ripple effect’, this is one of the most powerful things you can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These hives provide families in the underdevelopping world with an opportunity to work their way out of poverty, to educate their children, and it also provides their communities with bees (and you should know by now how important that is!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-25316924072407984912011-07-22T11:21:00.000-07:002011-07-22T11:21:11.401-07:00WALKING, BIKING, RIDING, AND DRIVING - BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER<span class="body"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.</span></span> <br />
<div><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">H. G. Wells</span></strong></div><br />
(<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As always, if you are pressed for time, scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> section.)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Most of the time I find that people are able to place a comforting bubble of ‘I’m only one person’ and ‘what I do doesn’t really make a difference’ between their everyday choices and world events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I type this, we are presently in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the reality of global warming, and the increasing impact on our daily lives here in the Northern Hemisphere, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this entry comes at one of those rare times that one can directly link one’s actions and choices with global issues. The Underdevelopping World struggles to a far greater degree (for example, the horrible famine going on in Somalia), and I am in no way trying to say that the discomfort that those of us in the North feel can, <strong>in any way</strong>, be compared to the devastation being experienced by so many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not yet, anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, most people I know struggle with this degree of heat and humidity, and it is therefore a golden opportunity to ambush you all, Dear Readers, and begin a discussion regarding transportation and personal choices. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I began researching this topic, I was pretty sure that I knew what the hierarchy of responsible choices regarding daily transportation would look like. (Obviously, ‘choice’ implies that you have some options, and the number of choices available differ between places and personal circumstances.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began taking pictures of bicycles and motorcycles, trying to get interesting looking pictures and options for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPWR-tNjmLvD6ZDFWNrB5m94BVWcZaDogbhlitrktV2raLkEguS8LXi0eS-3VdoDU8JD7e5zZrJUIAFFPjr9d70Vdn6HBX1Xan4KxVY5PiRNINO32JGxpSz_ZtTiYccCW9dXdOatSui4/s1600/114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPWR-tNjmLvD6ZDFWNrB5m94BVWcZaDogbhlitrktV2raLkEguS8LXi0eS-3VdoDU8JD7e5zZrJUIAFFPjr9d70Vdn6HBX1Xan4KxVY5PiRNINO32JGxpSz_ZtTiYccCW9dXdOatSui4/s320/114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDRt7RPsDh8Tyl_Prp4AP3WNOARoMvAo7V-WH72h8rGJFsM_r2rlojS0-WYdmA8KFsXkvUQtD1yrnGkcI4QSRmBV-OZt6RlrxDbYxNqj5_1FNUhxYrg6FUsjj_zrmySfVvmpACiRNzK4/s1600/public+art+etc+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDRt7RPsDh8Tyl_Prp4AP3WNOARoMvAo7V-WH72h8rGJFsM_r2rlojS0-WYdmA8KFsXkvUQtD1yrnGkcI4QSRmBV-OZt6RlrxDbYxNqj5_1FNUhxYrg6FUsjj_zrmySfVvmpACiRNzK4/s320/public+art+etc+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iVaG92-lBXi02SUE3oT5iaT9_fdEXtfqshEIot16ZHDXlECLFoccr3Zmu1vwdRq1NTX7vZ22zA25ClRI2ghSCWQs5ApG4T7HnoPcpBTsrutJtsNLv3kwqBVWSEGjsG7fXylnrYg4xJI/s1600/public+art+etc+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iVaG92-lBXi02SUE3oT5iaT9_fdEXtfqshEIot16ZHDXlECLFoccr3Zmu1vwdRq1NTX7vZ22zA25ClRI2ghSCWQs5ApG4T7HnoPcpBTsrutJtsNLv3kwqBVWSEGjsG7fXylnrYg4xJI/s320/public+art+etc+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I didn’t work very hard in getting pictures of cars or buses or SUVs, partly because I thought they were kind of boring (my personality coming out here), and partly because I was sure I was going to try to encourage you all to use bicycles and motorcycles more often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the best parts about writing this blog is that I prove myself wrong so often, and I end up learning so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Like many, I had assumed that motorcycles were a much better environmental choice than cars, that they used less gas and therefore produced fewer greenhouse gases, and that given a choice between a car and a motorcycle, the motorcycle would win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Motorcycles are also easier to park, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9S6O2kUwDqhQFFaKNAsxv6ITDgHEvZmR4kkIbSzBmIJ1N3NlLl_Gd8Ms0CTb5iRM9sqvG-R83pZ4HQ7mG52hgr9SFJfXmfw0v5HBK7qHlgkzjcdPCQ38uAsaH10Mi2GkiFCvkduqm6U/s1600/sculptures+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9S6O2kUwDqhQFFaKNAsxv6ITDgHEvZmR4kkIbSzBmIJ1N3NlLl_Gd8Ms0CTb5iRM9sqvG-R83pZ4HQ7mG52hgr9SFJfXmfw0v5HBK7qHlgkzjcdPCQ38uAsaH10Mi2GkiFCvkduqm6U/s320/sculptures+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">easier on the budget, and given some of the <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/motorcycles/motorsports/4212570">newer designs</a>, like the CanAm Spyder,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAWtU5rBX18Vp4EfxfmK89u_UpE5kW573GuRqc5OYnFale350uvsrpIBh-6GBiH_OTbxNIg_nJLinhap5I82SGiNhilAOob7Of8qAMBYXAqT1KXyw_pbL15a61dILuwJIdfw3N2VNvV4/s1600/nettles+and+Bombardier+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAWtU5rBX18Vp4EfxfmK89u_UpE5kW573GuRqc5OYnFale350uvsrpIBh-6GBiH_OTbxNIg_nJLinhap5I82SGiNhilAOob7Of8qAMBYXAqT1KXyw_pbL15a61dILuwJIdfw3N2VNvV4/s320/nettles+and+Bombardier+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">much more stable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh, not about the ‘cool factor’</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FDIsv162FGjHnqmgpb2ANdyHMrSznUhbRYpjXq4EPzeQAPIo26Khf3O2Dho-RFoGzwMYkz1wUkQdZQFfFXhyphenhyphenC0NXzEMunikOFatYSOwShZnDtjqJGCjlwdN07Pte-wCJviswxDp5rUg/s1600/public+art+etc+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FDIsv162FGjHnqmgpb2ANdyHMrSznUhbRYpjXq4EPzeQAPIo26Khf3O2Dho-RFoGzwMYkz1wUkQdZQFfFXhyphenhyphenC0NXzEMunikOFatYSOwShZnDtjqJGCjlwdN07Pte-wCJviswxDp5rUg/s320/public+art+etc+028.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or the parking, or the gas mileage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are all valid reasons to choose a motorcycle over a car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in terms of environmental cost, the motorcycle <a href="http://www.wheels.ca/article/334875">isn't as 'earth friendly'</a> as you might assume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“The reason for this discrepancy is that motorbike engines are still far less advanced in terms of fuel efficiency than petrol-powered cars. A paper published this year by scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research compared the individual emissions performance of seven motorbikes against the average performance of 17 "Euro III"-standard petrol-powered cars on sale in 2001. It found that the HC and CO emissions were "all, and often significantly, higher" for the bikes than the cars. For example, when comparing a 1997 124cc Piaggio Vespa against the cars under urban driving conditions, the scooter emitted 36 times more CO per kilometre, 141 times more HC (an effect largely caused by a bike's carburettor, which can be greatly reduced through the use of fuel injection systems), 1.7 times more NOx, but 6.3 times less CO2 than the average car. Surprisingly, a 1999 BMW 1130cc bike was on a par with the scooter in terms of HC and CO emissions, much better for NOx, but predictably worse - about four times worse - on CO2.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/apr/25/ethicalliving.lifeandhealth1">(Source here.)</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In fact, emission standards regarding motorcycles <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/apr/25/ethicalliving.lifeandhealth1">have been at a standstill</a> for about 30 years in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>North America, and while <a href="http://www.wheels.ca/article/334875">Canada changed its standards</a> in 2006, and the EPA was supposed to bring in new standards in 2010, even if enacted <a href="http://carbonpig.com/article/motorcycles-create-more-greenhouse-gas-emissions-suvs">these standards</a> will take quite a while to make a noticeable impact. Europe, <a href="http://www.bmf.co.uk/pages/briefing_room_archive.php?fullstory=432">which is slightly ahead</a> of us, also has not seen a great reduction in emissions. Further complicating the issue is that the average motorcycle is being manufactured to be more and more powerful, as more and more people choose to buy them.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions would improve, but NO<sub>x, </sub>CO and HC emissions would increase if a motorcycle is chosen instead of a car or SVU (and these are the ‘smog’ emissions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To further confuse matters, motorcycles help decrease congestion and traffic jams, so the average time travelling would be reduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to cloud the issue, you can start to calculate the benefits of using an <a href="http://www.gizmag.com/go/7588/">electric motorcycle</a>, or an electric car, or electric or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRQAPK80sro">hydrogen bicycles</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(However, electric power is not as ‘green’ as most people think, and can be controversial as well, given nuclear waste issues and environmental damage done by hydroelectric dams.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, having read the evidence, I decided that I needed to do some thinking regarding cars and motorcycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With relief, I started research bicycles and walking, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knowing</i> that this part of the blog entry would be straightforward….(I just never learn!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the interesting things about doing research over the ‘interweb’ is the amazing variety of dreck that one can find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One article I found mentioned that the true carbon footprint of a bike had to include the cost of shipping bikes from manufacturers to stores (and of shipping parts, etc.) I thought that that was a reasonable point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However,</span> any real calculation would have to include the cost of shipping cars and car parts, and motorcycles and motorcycle parts, so I’m fairly certain that bicycles would ‘win the day’ in any case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I started hitting the articles that spoke of the necessity of including the environmental costs of the <a href="http://twtitw.firebus.com/node/100">the food a biker consumes</a> in order to get the energy to ride the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, those of you who actually know me know that I’m a vegan, and that I take my food politics seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try very hard not to be preachy, and to respect everyone’s right to make an informed choice, as I expect them to respect mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand the notion of reducing one’s ‘footprint’ and environmental impact through responsible consumerism (in every sense).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to live my life by adhering to many of these principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my humble opinion, articles that use this type of comparison as a <em>sneaky</em> way to introduce food politics and vegetarianism/veganism are <strong>irresponsible, misleading, and unethical</strong>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For one thing, I don’t know a single person who gets up in the morning, calculates how many calories s/he will need to sit in a car and drive it vs. riding a bike to work, and then plans his/her meals accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is rubbish.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, when it is taken to such a degree that arguments are made advising readers that <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article2195538.ece">walking to the store is worse</a> for the planet than hopping in a car, based on the assumption that the walker is eating an all-beef diet, then I start getting angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (By the end of my research I was actually surprised that I hadn't stumbled across an article citing how the higher breathing rate of a cyclist was worse for the planet than the respirations of a driver.)</span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Every source I know states that one uses calories more efficiently if one is fit, that one weighs less (on average) if one is fit, and that therefore <a href="http://bodyshapeshiftersonline.com/2011/05/07/30-something-reasons-to-get-in-shape-for-30-something-year-olds/">fewer total calories</a> are required by a healthy fit person than by one who is sedentary and overweight .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that the amount of food consumed by a biker will, on average, be lower than the amount consumed by one travelling in a car, and that food becomes (once again) a non-issue in this debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, it is entirely true that carbon emissions (and other environmental issues) are impacted by the <a href="http://www.frysvegetarian.co.za/greener-earth/for-a-greener-earth/">types of food</a> we choose, but that is an entirely different issue from whether or not biking to work is worse for the environment than taking the car.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, what can we conclude from the long and rambly discussion?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sorry guys, it’s hot and I’m tired and just not very clear today.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are my conclusions:<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whenever possible, <strong>walk</strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When you can’t get ‘there’ walking, then use a <strong>bicycle</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When you can’t get ‘there’ just by bike power, <strong>combine biking with public transportation.</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2doLYVwb4WGEhmibUHQWzqzKNEfOj3FsyRkL1F1DyQIbCNSkmYi6H0etdjWnnhF2sDjKP7K29FHSt6g6h7Ur74wxSvZl6Sznip_i-WurNzI-oNTqc9Cz6TnLDnhrUyq36BNLp9mkkt0/s1600/018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2doLYVwb4WGEhmibUHQWzqzKNEfOj3FsyRkL1F1DyQIbCNSkmYi6H0etdjWnnhF2sDjKP7K29FHSt6g6h7Ur74wxSvZl6Sznip_i-WurNzI-oNTqc9Cz6TnLDnhrUyq36BNLp9mkkt0/s320/018.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2l2gSenojN9Ptl-Bjzpy6SHILFEmG1QRNy3KGIe-DySuLE1I8DHakKVHEcqR2KXrYSn50b6jbWXsHtPFt9LSii0YHgLu0IA7m-SnBuBzAcs1wAK9ObepXzpaHCwSMRQh0A10M55mXm6U/s1600/public+art+etc+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2l2gSenojN9Ptl-Bjzpy6SHILFEmG1QRNy3KGIe-DySuLE1I8DHakKVHEcqR2KXrYSn50b6jbWXsHtPFt9LSii0YHgLu0IA7m-SnBuBzAcs1wAK9ObepXzpaHCwSMRQh0A10M55mXm6U/s320/public+art+etc+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When you have longer distances to travel, take <strong>public transportation</strong>. (You can see my discussion on public transportation, and environmental issues in June 26, 2011’s blog entry entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Joys of Public Transit</i>.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When this is not an option, then <strong>car pool</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more people who travel in a car, the fewer cars and motorcycles are on the road, and everything from pollution to traffic jams and travel time will be reduced.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Use a motorcycle, or use a car, but <strong>be thoughtful</strong> about its use and the choices you are making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1o4T5oeYzjPyc0AwLKL9t5Q1MVkxmxvCWOvmwZVivc5L0a-w_TjYNO4GUQriNydOuot1hSc_T3OlxdrFWWBHHGkDVn_auzjRjPdIB_tmiL8Kh3PlaeKk9y-uouXUHfSJZFIV2t6JyI4/s1600/016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1o4T5oeYzjPyc0AwLKL9t5Q1MVkxmxvCWOvmwZVivc5L0a-w_TjYNO4GUQriNydOuot1hSc_T3OlxdrFWWBHHGkDVn_auzjRjPdIB_tmiL8Kh3PlaeKk9y-uouXUHfSJZFIV2t6JyI4/s320/016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are buying a used car or motorcycle, <strong>do your research</strong> and calculate carbon emissions and environmental impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make this <strong>part of your buying criteria.</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When purchasing new cars or motorcycles, calculate carbon emissions and environmental impacts, make this part of your purchasing criteria, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>and let dealerships know</strong> that this is one of the reasons that you are choosing to buy, or not buy, their product.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing fuels change in the market place like profits and loss of sales!<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">(Here are some great sites to help you:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.falconsolution.com/co2-emission">here</a>, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.carbonica.org/motorcycle-calculator.aspx">here</a>, and <a href="http://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx?tab=5">here.)</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-62866389182920911832011-07-15T08:38:00.000-07:002011-07-15T12:32:37.599-07:00UPDATE: RECONSIDERING LAWNS AND JULIE BASS<div style="text-align: justify;">I <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">just wanted to give you all a quick update on what seems to be happening regarding the Julie Bass court case (see Blog entry entitled Reconsider Lawns, and published July 11, 2011). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It would appear that the court case regarding Bass' vegetable garden has been dismissed, although the City Council is free to reinstitute the charges at any time as the vagueness in the by-law remains. Bass has blogged that she and her family are worried that once the media focus dies down and the pressure is off, that the case will be reinstated. Bass has also reported that she has been charged with having dogs without a license, and it appears that these charges are in retaliation to the international pressure brought to bear on the Council. While she has paid all fines and obtained liscences, she still has a court date on July 26th - now to deal with the issue of her dogs rather than her garden. I will continue to follow Bass' blog, and keep you up to date.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I have taken the liberty of taking a just a few pictures to show some of the front-yard food gardens in Montreal, and the use of innovative space for gardening:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQen86XiGBwNRlOdxBT9ltvPkaA1CnxM3vRXgX5aR-WsrSh06Y5NYth0oc4NgWfZrVmKKa2kwpH6FAP7BwCCosj2C_IwtZjg7IrFq8BVqElO-nK4l5re1oNduI23Uzrsr9ZjWmJPNfm4/s1600/021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQen86XiGBwNRlOdxBT9ltvPkaA1CnxM3vRXgX5aR-WsrSh06Y5NYth0oc4NgWfZrVmKKa2kwpH6FAP7BwCCosj2C_IwtZjg7IrFq8BVqElO-nK4l5re1oNduI23Uzrsr9ZjWmJPNfm4/s1600/021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQen86XiGBwNRlOdxBT9ltvPkaA1CnxM3vRXgX5aR-WsrSh06Y5NYth0oc4NgWfZrVmKKa2kwpH6FAP7BwCCosj2C_IwtZjg7IrFq8BVqElO-nK4l5re1oNduI23Uzrsr9ZjWmJPNfm4/s320/021.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can sneak in a bit of greenery and plant just about anywhere, as this tiny second-story window ledge shows</span>.<br />
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<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61MJebvv2A6b8YjdDECueVEC7wjk-OrQ851d25Gz7hVGruU6grSAvggDXsPBFViTnJ5Hgcwtkx6mj6tYX1HhWqNDAfuMYrmcN834mdmp3rM-2CtILlWrX2IkElwq7r6pvVGgCOjKnpK8/s1600/fruit+trees+and+bed+bugs+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61MJebvv2A6b8YjdDECueVEC7wjk-OrQ851d25Gz7hVGruU6grSAvggDXsPBFViTnJ5Hgcwtkx6mj6tYX1HhWqNDAfuMYrmcN834mdmp3rM-2CtILlWrX2IkElwq7r6pvVGgCOjKnpK8/s320/fruit+trees+and+bed+bugs+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The gorgeous pears hanging from the branches.</span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHq_BzP1PP_I_x7VTq1Xsc8tcx1So7ZUncb20hnZdm_GjQKXZOT9ZaNrmPhQmGsFMwrE4Ck4KaHebGWI9dTkz_VqMeG85tv2szCV4jdOZ3Pgvy348cPLwUZ0GJHAvDp2chvHYC19goqI0/s1600/fruit+trees+and+bed+bugs+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHq_BzP1PP_I_x7VTq1Xsc8tcx1So7ZUncb20hnZdm_GjQKXZOT9ZaNrmPhQmGsFMwrE4Ck4KaHebGWI9dTkz_VqMeG85tv2szCV4jdOZ3Pgvy348cPLwUZ0GJHAvDp2chvHYC19goqI0/s320/fruit+trees+and+bed+bugs+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, an example of short-growing ground cover that doesn't have to be mowed. The specificities of landscaping, and how to 'organise' your front lawn can change, but the lush, cushiony ground cover can be a spring board.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Have a great week-end, Dear Reader.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-22096245762040421922011-07-11T13:01:00.000-07:002011-07-12T08:26:54.848-07:00RECONSIDERING LAWNS<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule." Michael Pollan</span><br />
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(As always, go to <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> if you are pressed for time.)<br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had planned on starting this blog entry with a simple statement: I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate</i> grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t understand why people would willingly spend so much time on it (cutting it, fertilizing it, watering it), and do something that is so clearly bad for the environment (<a href="http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/2009/03/lawn-environmental-impact/">cutting it,</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/2009/03/lawn-environmental-impact/">fertilizing it</a>, and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/may/30/ethicalliving.lifeandhealth">watering it</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">), only to have their lawn look just like the lawn next door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t the whole idea of owning a home, I thought in my naïvité, to be able to do what you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> with your little patch of ‘mine’?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could so many people genuinely want grass on their lawn, I wondered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aren’t they just going along with what everyone else does – well, because it’s what everyone else does?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I began my research for this blog. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For many, many years, only the very wealthy and the aristocracy could ‘waste’ land by having a lawn instead of using it for food production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also had the disposable income to have servants to care for the lawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lawns became a status symbol, eventually copied by the upper middle class, and finally by the middle class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They served as a visible contrast to the urban habitat, and the ‘green space’ afforded to the middle class in suburbs became a visible sign of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass">upward mobility</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many municipalities have bi-laws requiring the maintenance of lawns, and demanding conformity in order to maintain property values, among other reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The need to maintain conformity and control lawns can take on absurd levels. For instance, <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/michigan_woman_faces_jail_planting_veggie_garden.php">Julie Bass</a> of Oak Park, Michegan, now faces ninety-three days in jail for daring to grow vegetables for her family on her front lawn. </span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Graminoids (the technical term for grasses) are present in rain forests, deserts, mountains, and even intertidal habitats, and </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“…are now the most widespread plant type….Graminoids are the dominant vegetation in many habitats, including grassland, salt-marsh, reedswamp and steppes.” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Well, it is difficult to maintain a line like “I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate</i> grass” when, as it turns out, it is a major source of food for wildlife (graminovores - just think of the African Savannah), and given the variety of graminoids (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass">3,500 species</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">), I think it’s fair to say that I did some major reconsidering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I thought, I don’t really hate grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, some grass is rather beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8rbq1shGd30ye6Q53deIziFczcc8NQoyNSIEzVsV672dtBaay_c82AytlgJfDtyboTnJmvKtQc2hKQMXNiWlJpPTZPKuMLIANohzajfap73iG1KgjgiXgX7eOXLygcatcJju_Hh3xw0/s1600/Grass+and+Butterfly+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8rbq1shGd30ye6Q53deIziFczcc8NQoyNSIEzVsV672dtBaay_c82AytlgJfDtyboTnJmvKtQc2hKQMXNiWlJpPTZPKuMLIANohzajfap73iG1KgjgiXgX7eOXLygcatcJju_Hh3xw0/s320/Grass+and+Butterfly+005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So beautiful that I know of one park in the city that has planted a grass garden, comprised of various species of grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEQk_LBBysggtfFG6SYXap12bpWD3GI1QndWYhd8eXIPpJMfQY48XnXDLUGLXmxDzNk-lccIYv3UwLrSHjn7w7kW4JF7XmUc7Ay6IA9bUGy6mpQXqqQW_0Ym8AYj91nHvbltAAXva2Og/s1600/Grass+and+Butterfly+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEQk_LBBysggtfFG6SYXap12bpWD3GI1QndWYhd8eXIPpJMfQY48XnXDLUGLXmxDzNk-lccIYv3UwLrSHjn7w7kW4JF7XmUc7Ay6IA9bUGy6mpQXqqQW_0Ym8AYj91nHvbltAAXva2Og/s320/Grass+and+Butterfly+015.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After carefully reconsidering lawns, I realize that I still hate turf grass lawns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are <a href="http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/faq-environment.htm">surprisingly bad for air quality</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(and electric mowers have their detriments as well) , the <a href="http://www.beyondpesticides.org/lawn/factsheets/30enviro.pdf">list of pesticides</a> used on lawns is frightening, and (a recurring theme with me), terrible for bees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is true that there are some benefits to turf lawns:<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lawns absorb water, which helps reduce storm runoff and improve water quality. Lawns also have a significant cooling effect, provide oxygen, trap dust and dirt, promote healthful micro-organisms, prevent erosion and filter rainwater contaminants.”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="http://eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_care.htm">http://eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_care.htm</a></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">However, these benefits come at a high price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, what can you do to decrease the environmental impact of the traditional turf lawn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have quite a few options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Go <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/michigan_woman_faces_jail_planting_veggie_garden.php">here</a> and <a href="http://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com/">here</a> and support Julie Bass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell others about this case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help protect one’s right to use one’s property in environmentally friendlier ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Get in touch with your municipality, and find out what your by-laws are, and what your options are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, like Julie Bass, your by-laws are restrictive, or interpreted in a restrictive way, mount a campaign to change them. You may be fine with your front lawn, but you should have the right to <em>choose</em> whether or not you want turf grass.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you genuinely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">like</i> your turf grass, then keep it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(In fact, you may not have a choice, depending upon the bylaws in your area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See above.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Stop overusing fertilizer, and improve the soil quality (there’s a great article <a href="http://eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_care.htm">here</a> that may help.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Pay attention to the local rainfall, and <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Lawn/lawn3.php">water accordingly</a> . </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This should make a big difference in water consumption. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Research native grasses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plant them, and if you can. Allow them to grow without cutting or watering.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Research <a href="http://eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_alternatives.htm">alternatives</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to turf grass as your ground cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an excellent article <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/article5725031.ece">here</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">which lists wild camomile, <a href="http://landscaping.about.com/cs/lawns/a/clover_lawns_4.htm">clover</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">, and thyme as alternatives. (Needless to say, you will have to research which species would best suite your needs.) These plants should provide you with the soft ‘walkable’ quality that some people might want. They're beautiful, too.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you don’t plan on walking on your lawn (and most people I know don’t), then consider wild strawberries, which are beautiful while flowering and when producing fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are also great for pollinators like (yes, again) bees.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Other plants can be beautiful too, and in my opinion, offer far more interest than simply ground cover.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, one of the best alternatives I can think of is to plant a food producing garden instead of a lawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, however, will be the subject of a future blog entry, as you are most likely quite tired by now, Dear Reader. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-88694550417340329622011-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:002011-07-10T21:21:08.310-07:00CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS BLOG, "GRAFFITO - ART OR CRIME?"<div style="text-align: justify;">Hello Dear Readers:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A very good friend, who has studied Italian, was kind enough to point out to me that "graffito" is in fact the <em>singular </em>form, while "graffiti" is the <em>plural </em>form. The example she used was bambino (singular) vs. bambini (plural). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I do rely on some quick research for these blog entries, and occasionally I may either make an error, or use a source with an error in it. I simply do not have the time to double check all secondary sources and trace information back to primary sources (as it is, the average blog entry takes about five to eight hours, although you would never know it!). Please, PLEASE let me know if I post any further errors, and I'll post a correction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many thanks to MCS (don't want to post your name just in case you want to remain anonymous). You rock!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Auntiapathy</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-83555917180592639052011-07-08T08:51:00.000-07:002011-07-08T15:38:32.158-07:00GRAFFITO - ART OR CRIME? (Oh, and no, that's not a typo. 'Graffito' is the plural form of the word 'graffiti'.)Whoever loves, go to hell. I want to break Venus's ribs <br />
with a club and deform her hips.<br />
If she can break my tender heart<br />
why can't I hit her over the head?<br />
-CIL IV, 1284. (Ancient Roman Graffiti, posted on Wikipedia.)<br />
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</div><span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Verdana;">(As always, if you are pressed for time, feel free to scroll down to the WHAT CAN YOU DO section.)</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last summer I was lucky enough to have a few good friends come and visit me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of them was quite taken with the graffito we have in the city;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>she sought out and photographed many alley ways, buildings, and walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of her, my eyes were opened and I began to look at the incredible works of art available throughout my city. (You can link to some sites showing Montreal graffito <a href="http://www.fatcap.com/city/montreal-1.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=graffiti+montreal&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=902&prmd=ivnscm&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=LwARTp7nM-f30gHI_ej7DQ&ved=0CHUQsAQ">here</a>)</span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now, there are many different types of graffito, and graffito generates quite a bit of controversy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some, all graffito are horrible defacements of private (or sometimes public) property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They feel that graffiti artists should be <a href="http://www.thinkresponsibly.ca/graffiti/graffiti03.html">penalized</a> and charged with some type of misdemeanour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some feel that all forms of graffito <a href="http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b143/graffiti/decision/studentdebates.html">are art</a>, social commentary, and public forms of sociological discourse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are those, like me, who lie somewhere in between the two extremes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel that there are many genuine works of art in city...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">...made available for free for everyone, regardless of income level...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0jy4NvLf5YfxknRdJUGYbW5CBNFrmgNwWxk90i8FMSy_ey_7_GvkOI166JU4sr_V9c2-0CinUl8W5u_QKJl8bB2EKP2uuk8xW1DGPoRa-l3-5F6UkaMGZjkgE6JQz2MQ-0uIBF0bYLU/s1600/Jazz+Fest+and+Graffitti+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0jy4NvLf5YfxknRdJUGYbW5CBNFrmgNwWxk90i8FMSy_ey_7_GvkOI166JU4sr_V9c2-0CinUl8W5u_QKJl8bB2EKP2uuk8xW1DGPoRa-l3-5F6UkaMGZjkgE6JQz2MQ-0uIBF0bYLU/s320/Jazz+Fest+and+Graffitti+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW7JGrrBOttsd3VFq2ccUQrpapF4T4NXdwU_xrsxM7js90-kO1BaoQYzwIi7ZuKn98niT6Qgpfc_0LMBBP1Cf6bdt1UjHCRoxcu07lBpXeL9S5jVH0m0M-z3oiyHaAKFb7QOlFLWUOWc/s1600/Jazz+Fest+and+Graffitti+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW7JGrrBOttsd3VFq2ccUQrpapF4T4NXdwU_xrsxM7js90-kO1BaoQYzwIi7ZuKn98niT6Qgpfc_0LMBBP1Cf6bdt1UjHCRoxcu07lBpXeL9S5jVH0m0M-z3oiyHaAKFb7QOlFLWUOWc/s320/Jazz+Fest+and+Graffitti+042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">...and that graffiti artists can be true artists. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Clearly, I am not the only one who feels this way, as Benjamin Moore has sponsored at least two murals that I know of in the downtown core. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Moderates (myself included) feel that 'tagging’, which is in effect a statement similar to “I was here”, is committing an offence which infringes on social space without, <em>in my opinion</em>, adding anything of social relevance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This is especially odious, <em>in my opinion</em>, when it actually defaces someone else's art.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8ZX58w9tJzhrcdjAlOE4lz8nFrXK3u0MqMUOIz9mMyFOokThYyIUNv3wbtTD4WRhMSNQC8d-vPf1arXZ2AA2pAFds9FnHlgfdPQx9qQRP_pr2VLSUJh9CaUkoWAwHVxR0uF3-fRm2vg/s1600/public+art+etc+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8ZX58w9tJzhrcdjAlOE4lz8nFrXK3u0MqMUOIz9mMyFOokThYyIUNv3wbtTD4WRhMSNQC8d-vPf1arXZ2AA2pAFds9FnHlgfdPQx9qQRP_pr2VLSUJh9CaUkoWAwHVxR0uF3-fRm2vg/s320/public+art+etc+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8IFlLEYuYxrX12hvaejQZC7wOFI94gWm6MZow3cH3WXfsZx0EXahAiMcWA0wHKJWhQOeDxsJf6Ex9i8I9xHU_xL78JsJECWvs7xYv6pBzC6N3DHEQfrV649vksQHIlzwhi_mF3k-d0Y/s1600/public+art+etc+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8IFlLEYuYxrX12hvaejQZC7wOFI94gWm6MZow3cH3WXfsZx0EXahAiMcWA0wHKJWhQOeDxsJf6Ex9i8I9xHU_xL78JsJECWvs7xYv6pBzC6N3DHEQfrV649vksQHIlzwhi_mF3k-d0Y/s320/public+art+etc+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My view is that art isn’t really a ‘thing’, but rather a beginning of a dialogue – a discussion of sorts between the viewer (or listener, or participant, or audience) and the art object itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the words of Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it">Potter Stewart</a>, when describing obscenity, I may not be able to adequately define it, but “…I know it when I see it.” This is what makes this issue so contentious, and therefore so interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A quick Google search of the term “Graffiti” will show you how significant this subject has become (and this is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti">EXCELLENT SITE</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are <a href="http://www.bombingscience.com/">sites</a> that <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/09/14/tribute-to-graffiti-50-beautiful-graffiti-artworks/">celebrate graffito</a>, that try to motivate citizens to become more involved in removing graffito and reporting graffiti artists (such as the one already listed), and there are sites that suggest a more <a href="http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b143/graffiti/decision/studentdebates.html">moderate approach</a> approach which legitimizes graffiti as art and provides <a href="http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=3157,3581343&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL">a forum</a> for graffiti artists in order to reduce or eliminate the use of private property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are sites that celebrate groups of graffiti artists that <a href="http://mickeyboston.com/2011/03/12/617/">travel internationally</a> to try to help underdeveloping countries (yup, my politics showing on that one!), and there are lots of ‘how-to’ and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2010/11/01/graffiti-montreal-train.html">'how-not-to'</a> sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Whatever your opinion, I invite you to do a little reading, think about where you stand, and try to get involved on some level. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT YOU CAN DO<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Figure out where you stand on the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you are against all forms of graffiti, then get in touch with your local municipality and ask if they presently have an anti-graffiti (they probably use the singular, more familiar ‘graffiti’) programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If they do, get involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If they don’t, think about starting one.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you are more moderate, see if your municipality has a programme in place that provides a forum for graffiti artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfPcoKhfilBMDaQahQhgdeE74Y4vDgqC9bC6UF3sK0BYtgLqt9WilU9Ahbh-Sxt3yTtbECesFF_T9dWQHb7kNrNf1Kdt0a4_j_Xou7o45H9cvQbRh70ROEYskqwQ-QuExy-ZfgmE_9uI/s1600/public+art+etc+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfPcoKhfilBMDaQahQhgdeE74Y4vDgqC9bC6UF3sK0BYtgLqt9WilU9Ahbh-Sxt3yTtbECesFF_T9dWQHb7kNrNf1Kdt0a4_j_Xou7o45H9cvQbRh70ROEYskqwQ-QuExy-ZfgmE_9uI/s320/public+art+etc+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If so, see how you can help support the programme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If not, put your research and thinking caps on, write a proposal, and try to start one.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you own property, and if it is appropriate, consider ‘donating’ a wall to graffiti artists. One community centre that I know of (The Westhaven Elmhurst Community Center) did just this.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlqjDPZbIzzNQrjVu5jssd2oY7lpiXtzi0o0Qq5jJDcYIWJbRc2x6g9QdMFEg_sXT_3gNhys1s1PRn4uY_G5nimFZX5dLFegEVgkFOunImcj2Xp9m1yLf_AlEXqjfF7qhnPG6kKu1OkM/s1600/sculptures+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlqjDPZbIzzNQrjVu5jssd2oY7lpiXtzi0o0Qq5jJDcYIWJbRc2x6g9QdMFEg_sXT_3gNhys1s1PRn4uY_G5nimFZX5dLFegEVgkFOunImcj2Xp9m1yLf_AlEXqjfF7qhnPG6kKu1OkM/s320/sculptures+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you feel that all graffito are social discourse which should take place no matter where it appears, then take some photos, celebrate the art form, and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-91338412422791252442011-07-03T15:16:00.000-07:002011-07-03T15:25:25.040-07:00WILDFLOWERS AND RESCUE GARDENING<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(As always, if you are pressed for time you can scroll down to the <span style="background-color: lime;">WHAT CAN YOU DO</span> section.)</span><br />
<blockquote>Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them... A. A. Milne</blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I decided quite a while ago that one of my blog entries would be about pollinators, and the importance of wildflowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a two block walk to my bus stop, and during the summer months I am always amazed at the tenacity of life, and the variety of wildflowers that grow within a jumble of concrete and asphalt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one little patch of grass and clover that seems to be home to one especially lovely bumble bee, and I frequently take a few minutes in the morning to watch her work. She seems particularly fond of vetch and purple clover. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1feIHb3zlpYBohpptWjV5pEl0KV_TMaFPu0XauyRVpqoVkBSN_SpyKYjhi4UdatjkT713S6e8yICTcAsTBgD4ZqudfcM7BVIwWpQwrS_Vza_yJNKBppdKAUB9R3fWbgYaOHRZFgOgJz4/s1600/Wildflower+rescuing+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1feIHb3zlpYBohpptWjV5pEl0KV_TMaFPu0XauyRVpqoVkBSN_SpyKYjhi4UdatjkT713S6e8yICTcAsTBgD4ZqudfcM7BVIwWpQwrS_Vza_yJNKBppdKAUB9R3fWbgYaOHRZFgOgJz4/s320/Wildflower+rescuing+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div></div></div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Other flowers I’ve seen within these two blocks are:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <a href="http://www.wildflowersofontario.ca/birdfoot.html">Birdsfoot Trefoil</a> </span></div><br />
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<div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span id="goog_123890136"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetch">Vetch</a><span id="goog_123890137"></span> </span></div><br />
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<div></div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_glory"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morning Glories</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...and a few unidentified species (if you can help me identify them, please do!)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This small walk in the morning is something I get great pleasure from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grew up in a suburb with lots of fields and woods, and have fond memories of collecting tadpoles, hiding in meadows, and being surrounded by insects and plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing how critical wildflowers are to pollinating insects and to the environment in general (everything from helping to avoid soil erosion, to healthy insect life, to bird life, etc.), this tiny microcosm made me smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Imagine my dismay when I walked to the bus one morning and saw men in bright organge vests razing my beautiful flowers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxcldmblUv1zCcrVc4HHjJYsP0ty9Mp1PSIeCCYNkAo0xRjwNKPHR6nrl9D0UWJf8XVZErksR74AHaRVMQ39B6uFsp8VFKeok8La0lVtNE2IQYJMwPhWOcZ5Fdq0p9CrKPrsDwBljZ9M/s1600/005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxcldmblUv1zCcrVc4HHjJYsP0ty9Mp1PSIeCCYNkAo0xRjwNKPHR6nrl9D0UWJf8XVZErksR74AHaRVMQ39B6uFsp8VFKeok8La0lVtNE2IQYJMwPhWOcZ5Fdq0p9CrKPrsDwBljZ9M/s320/005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbJIXCGBQVRSp0ZaJW_ZM7AMxYO7oTLoXUEezfkwbGro1rUOUyd1mhG4qHPYLhGKybThHAmJrFx2jcUG8hL3gmyLe1QmaK7m79_kdOJVcMhp75cb3Dr33_g2AwyJJ5N0R4FrdZW73i9I/s1600/009+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbJIXCGBQVRSp0ZaJW_ZM7AMxYO7oTLoXUEezfkwbGro1rUOUyd1mhG4qHPYLhGKybThHAmJrFx2jcUG8hL3gmyLe1QmaK7m79_kdOJVcMhp75cb3Dr33_g2AwyJJ5N0R4FrdZW73i9I/s320/009+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p>Suddenly, this...</o:p></span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">...became this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This.....</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcuWWK2bIlyVJ9k5JV3wtsV-mZq1FEMsjx106SKOhBLAG5nxOY185P6x2C4ysmtRdptZwkwFORZs11qEPh1ECARpgi5sJtDcmboGcJsg3yRYyQ4CbUizjD1dGWn_pCOoMLnxQzmPlrOU/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcuWWK2bIlyVJ9k5JV3wtsV-mZq1FEMsjx106SKOhBLAG5nxOY185P6x2C4ysmtRdptZwkwFORZs11qEPh1ECARpgi5sJtDcmboGcJsg3yRYyQ4CbUizjD1dGWn_pCOoMLnxQzmPlrOU/s320/007.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">...became this. I have many more examples, but I think you get the picture (or in this case, 'pictures').</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I spoke with one of the workers, and asked who owned the property so that I could write and ask to have the wildflowers protected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was informed that the plants were being cut in order to make it safer for railway workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(While I support railway workers’ rights, and want everyone to have safe working conditions, I also have no doubt that a safe ‘fringe’ of wild plant life could be left while maintaining a trip-free environment.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So, what started out as research for a blog entry on pollinators (yes, this is where I tease you shamelessly with promises of upcoming blog entries) quickly mutated into a blog entry about rescuing wildflowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In researching this, I came across a number of excellent sites (see <a href="http://uncpressblog.com/2011/05/05/national-wildflower-week-day-4-rescuing-threatened-native-plants">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/wildseeds.html">here</a> for just a few) that provide practical how-to instructions in how to harvest seeds, and how to responsibly rescue wildflowers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As an aside, the key word here is ‘responsible’. Many plants are under threat due to loss of habitat, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and global warming. (If you are interested, here's a <a href="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/global-warming-environment/rm-wildflowers.html">great video</a> about this.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he additional stress of being appreciated and ‘rescued’ from a healthy habitat is not what I am advocating here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> What is suggested by Harry W. Phillips in <u>Growing and Propagating Wild Flowers</u> is as follows:</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">Native plant rescue, like propagation, is a way to acquire plants for the garden without harming the environment. Each year residential and commercial development and highway construction claim more of the natural landscape. Plant rescue means going into areas destined to go under the bulldozer’s blade and removing desirable plants. It is not the solution to the problem of protecting our rare species, but it does provide opportunities to salvage plants for use in the garden which would otherwise be destroyed and it is a means to preserve a few of our native plants. (Copyright 1985 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. <a href="http://www.uncpress.unc.edu/">www.uncpress.unc.edu</a>.)</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, last fall my father asked us to go to his house and help him dig up the large patch of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_of_the_Valley"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lilies of the Valley</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> he had in his front yard. He and his wife were tired of them, and wanted to replace them with something more colourful. I wanted to plant perennials in my garden (a small strip of earth in front of my apartment window, really), so I asked my father if he would mind waiting until the spring, when we could dig them up and plant them in our garden. He kindly agreed.</span> </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were happy with the results:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqINZsIYpcO0QLIDa1M9DsxwBpsYIxkupiL0wnsKqHwOywee7sZMuEJoBAXYHg8zX9OW0kWqDbNwh_RC_urG7oH_6qJulHIZXV7367OxJoz47WZMQ309vPorM0VEQ7DcJvbUwIebsbAQ/s1600/002+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqINZsIYpcO0QLIDa1M9DsxwBpsYIxkupiL0wnsKqHwOywee7sZMuEJoBAXYHg8zX9OW0kWqDbNwh_RC_urG7oH_6qJulHIZXV7367OxJoz47WZMQ309vPorM0VEQ7DcJvbUwIebsbAQ/s320/002+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGNxMNdPRC-LxBxR_yKnlK-6xTCCqtBBpXC9Xb2mWeUDslj33ljp-NBJtjX1Avh8HLWSTyr98EoFSFMOwm0aGMLCveBfNZvcFPN1FGZnvpW6SWBvMkckvn2HO6v5sqK_X82PiwUbRA0o/s1600/003+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGNxMNdPRC-LxBxR_yKnlK-6xTCCqtBBpXC9Xb2mWeUDslj33ljp-NBJtjX1Avh8HLWSTyr98EoFSFMOwm0aGMLCveBfNZvcFPN1FGZnvpW6SWBvMkckvn2HO6v5sqK_X82PiwUbRA0o/s320/003+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDrzDYZmrIRwsx9PFAZk1xMvvJox0_wPyDVG1ZeFFbjEC_XYQyOxVu6fnAeOYmAUaxoFH3kuEiiNP0B7DQEtI8PElWdYJGnpJLoY768o03sHB0K8F2GnBnynqiaiFpoqP8CvyjZ6q_SU/s1600/030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDrzDYZmrIRwsx9PFAZk1xMvvJox0_wPyDVG1ZeFFbjEC_XYQyOxVu6fnAeOYmAUaxoFH3kuEiiNP0B7DQEtI8PElWdYJGnpJLoY768o03sHB0K8F2GnBnynqiaiFpoqP8CvyjZ6q_SU/s320/030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, we found that there were still some bare patches, and once the lilies had finished blooming for the year, we decided we wanted a bit of colour too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when I came across the website advocating wildflower rescue.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtBYexZiDlmT5NiYDR9T0Qfa20UVrOZJyekwDz_EZclJ_Yl1svzEnOUUzC1iiuoKy78XgH5voCTETAcKhyphenhypheni_2fM_GxbeTzvtbQAUorUysCy_xzud4amddy1dJOBdLAy1ru2fhl4AgRTc/s1600/Wildflower+rescuing+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtBYexZiDlmT5NiYDR9T0Qfa20UVrOZJyekwDz_EZclJ_Yl1svzEnOUUzC1iiuoKy78XgH5voCTETAcKhyphenhypheni_2fM_GxbeTzvtbQAUorUysCy_xzud4amddy1dJOBdLAy1ru2fhl4AgRTc/s320/Wildflower+rescuing+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We went to a local site that was waiting for contruction....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">chose plants that were in abundance, brought them home, and planted them.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2iOSqZuDZCbK_CgU_uuf_b0NC_7bgzvfhHY8H7Ea8hGKUTQa-jB921QuHivmw4bPy7oeLFsH-jz5Ce0g9Dj33uUgX5gIS-Y7kAC-TtAM1or3pDKpyV0KkfUqCkydUa8N1vDmnKlZl64/s1600/Wildflower+rescuing+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2iOSqZuDZCbK_CgU_uuf_b0NC_7bgzvfhHY8H7Ea8hGKUTQa-jB921QuHivmw4bPy7oeLFsH-jz5Ce0g9Dj33uUgX5gIS-Y7kAC-TtAM1or3pDKpyV0KkfUqCkydUa8N1vDmnKlZl64/s320/Wildflower+rescuing+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Oh and when I say “we”, I really mean that I an incredibly lucky in having an amazing guy who did all the work and deserves all the credit.)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgnxri69h6wtNvC1oRzPFgt8DKBLtJ1WHBLwd9IBaGkEj7eDBf9R1a03qy6MF_RNDAqZZsdcoQ_yTBpBjjCxepycCaFMsukmAyE5DqC3AKeTTe4GsY_2BVp9emW0UJIUyEh5rIZ4lBLg/s1600/Wildflower+rescuing+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgnxri69h6wtNvC1oRzPFgt8DKBLtJ1WHBLwd9IBaGkEj7eDBf9R1a03qy6MF_RNDAqZZsdcoQ_yTBpBjjCxepycCaFMsukmAyE5DqC3AKeTTe4GsY_2BVp9emW0UJIUyEh5rIZ4lBLg/s320/Wildflower+rescuing+037.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know we planted </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chicory</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> but have been unable to identify the other plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (Yes, we broke some of the rules outlined in the how-to sites I've posted, but we only chose ones that were very common here, and we did try to identify them.) </span>We’re not sure if these plants will come back next year, or if they’ll be happy in our garden, but we are happy to have them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In upcoming entries I’ll discuss pollinators (no, I haven’t forgotten my original intent!), as well as discuss the use of native and naturalized plants in gardening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you’ve read this far, I think you deserve a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div><span style="background-color: lime;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WHAT YOU CAN DO:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<ol><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go to </span><a href="http://uncpressblog.com/2011/05/05/national-wildflower-week-day-4-rescuing-threatened-native-plants"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this site</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and read their suggestions.<o:p></o:p></span></div></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See if any local gardening, botanical, or environmental groups have organised any ‘rescue gardening’ projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, see how you can get involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If not, then consider starting your own group.<o:p></o:p></span></div></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If these types of projects don't appeal to you, do some research and find other ways to help. Donate money to a group trying to preserve wilflowers (frequently, you can 'get more bang for your buck' if you look into groups that are involved in helping maintain a healthy population of pollinators in the wild).</span></div></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep your eyes open for patches or strips of wildflowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank property owners for allowing the wildflowers to flourish (and if you suspect it is because they haven’t gotten around to cutting them, play ‘dumb’ and pretend that you appreciate their obvious interest in biodiversity).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Write to Marc Laliberté, the President and CEO of Via Rail, at </span><a href="mailto:marc_laliberte@viarail.ca"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">marc_laliberte@viarail.ca</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, and express your opinions regarding Via’s cutting of wildflowers.</span></div></li>
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<div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-51647657174190768592011-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:002011-06-26T22:04:40.130-07:00THE JOYS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT<div style="text-align: justify;">"Around the country [America] we are seeing in many, many communities..., a rebirth in the use of public transportation,....People are discovering that for many of their trips, good, quiality public transportation suits their needs."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">William Millar</div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><o:p><span style="background-color: lime;">As always, if pressed for time, scroll down to the WHAT CAN YOU DO section.</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">A friend of mine recently moved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the main adjustments she mentioned was having to get used to public transit once again, and how she would spend about an hour getting to work, and then home again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This inspired me to rethink the blog entry that I had planned for this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">I had started to prepare the research and materials I would need to discuss how wonderful public transit can be for the environment (don’t worry – an upcoming blog entry will deal with just this subject, lucky you!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us take buses, or metros (subways to those of you outside of Quebec and France), and know first-hand the economic benefits. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often hear of the ecological benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we rarely hear of the benefits that can be had on a personal level, with a shift in attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">As someone who spends A LOT of time on public transit (some days four or five hours, getting to various meetings), I think I know a little something about the subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I’ll be honest; there are days that I wish I had a car, and that I spent less time travelling back and forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is that public transit is the most practical option for me, given my budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is that it is also the most responsible option available to me if I have long distances within the city to travel to (otherwise walking, biking, etc. are the most responsible options – again, to be covered in upcoming blog entries).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be a royal pain in the butt at times – especially on those Saturday mornings that I have to be at the bus stop at 06h30 in order to get to work on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">However, I learned a long time ago that a <strong>shift in my attitude</strong> not only lead to an acceptance of my reality, but also celebrated unseen opportunities afforded me by my reliance on public transit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is that given the reality of rush-hour traffic these days, the time I spend on buses and metros is probably equal to or less than the amount of time I would spend in a car, stuck in traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel much better about the environmental impact I have getting to work/meetings/etc. than I would if I were driving a car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My expenses are much lower, and I can (and do) choose to spend the money I would have on car payments, parking, insurance, maintenance, and repairs on items that more accurately reflect my civic and political values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">I have also learned the etiquette of bus/metro ‘culture’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Go without perfume</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"> for the trip in to work or back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do choose to wear perfume, please use a very light hand as some of us are quite sensitive to scents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Along that line, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">please PLEASE be kind and practice good personal hygiene </b>(for obvious reasons).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHzJBVnXCTpesLrkMvcCb5Jxg5kh6Gb1bKI8z2bhqM3ny51hTXQTaQc0ors9POoF7BFm0jcfnxjKXCe0qtP5WbEWH0FzTe90gvguWdYp-5dP32CyRKTK_zxERrg4yZ0zUDq5bPc8-azk/s1600/015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHzJBVnXCTpesLrkMvcCb5Jxg5kh6Gb1bKI8z2bhqM3ny51hTXQTaQc0ors9POoF7BFm0jcfnxjKXCe0qtP5WbEWH0FzTe90gvguWdYp-5dP32CyRKTK_zxERrg4yZ0zUDq5bPc8-azk/s320/015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">If an elderly or disabled/injured person gets on a full bus, and if you see that that person would like a seat but is too embarrassed to ask for it, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">please politely encourage the person in the designated seat to relinquish it.</b> (While occasionally someone with an ‘invisible’ disability will be installed in these seats, most of the time it is people who use them because they know that no one will call them on it.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If these seats are already taken by elderly/disabled people, then please offer your seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">If you are with children and an older person gets on a full bus, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">please either place the child on your lap and offer his/her seat to the older person, or have the child stand.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(You can steady the child in a number of ways, all of them safe.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will teach the child many lessons (respect for elders, the importance of sharing within a social context, basic etiquette, that s/he can improve his/her environment even at a young age, and that s/he is not the centre of the universe).<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Please carry Kleenex</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"> with you, and use it if you need to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Please cough/sneeze into your elbow</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">, not into the air, the face of a fellow passenger, or into your hand (the same hand that will later touch a seat or pole on the bus).<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Please take your garbage with you</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can carry it in full, you can carry it out empty!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Please be free with your use of the words “please”, “thank you”, and “I’m sorry”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buses and metros are often crowded, and filled with stressed fellow travellers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You can make or break someone’s day just by being nice.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Perhaps the most significant thing I have learned from taking public transit is that fitting in ‘me time’ is possible in an insanely hectic schedule, and that it doesn’t have to take place on tropical beaches, or at expensive restaurants (although those who would like to provide me with those experiences, for comparative purposes of course, are welcome to make a donation to the auntiapathy research fund!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">I am not saying that my readers should give up their cars and immediately switch to public transportation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am lucky enough to live in a city with a good public transit system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many live in areas with no public transit system at all, or in suburbs where using buses and/or metros are impractical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Now you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know</i> by now I’m going to mention an upcoming blog entry about those issues, don’t you?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, for those of us who rely or are able to choose public transportation, here are some ideas regarding how you can choose to spend your transit time. Reading is an obvious choice, but here are a few others you may not have thought of:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuccA32Z-0-IFa3pErS48JrS4_whDXddT7W5bE3ITjJXAL3ofNnAxd0tvMER9nKE3fl9jLg1FkSkmi-xZvAhUC4sxR4T3h960-8NOXkUE4Sm0XE6gptr6eJCo8de2YwIhL2px1VE-QdEE/s1600/035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuccA32Z-0-IFa3pErS48JrS4_whDXddT7W5bE3ITjJXAL3ofNnAxd0tvMER9nKE3fl9jLg1FkSkmi-xZvAhUC4sxR4T3h960-8NOXkUE4Sm0XE6gptr6eJCo8de2YwIhL2px1VE-QdEE/s320/035.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cuddle with your Daddy, and then take a nap...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemJ7pJMZ__ZatqJdJlNzN6mlFDQC_lld2hwxVLigpkqZKKY3ntjjHLhvKERM9p0iXWsCBDDk9J2esrAhC3EraOyDnVidjnMF03qjZoixYjbpnyQYEADfwuim6kWaXWWXKvu_nwMf8_GI/s1600/036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemJ7pJMZ__ZatqJdJlNzN6mlFDQC_lld2hwxVLigpkqZKKY3ntjjHLhvKERM9p0iXWsCBDDk9J2esrAhC3EraOyDnVidjnMF03qjZoixYjbpnyQYEADfwuim6kWaXWWXKvu_nwMf8_GI/s320/036.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqbOVhch-NTvvxZOR0YnHCZrXxfzmob1miXf6fWP0pTCtvY5ACFb1s71XQ43LNapviML3-MQOqK4dPK8Gzf4WeOLoEX_xQWkPVAyeeQvAgekw80e41OwwcL9mPZC31HUFPf5-RfdQtRc/s1600/037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqbOVhch-NTvvxZOR0YnHCZrXxfzmob1miXf6fWP0pTCtvY5ACFb1s71XQ43LNapviML3-MQOqK4dPK8Gzf4WeOLoEX_xQWkPVAyeeQvAgekw80e41OwwcL9mPZC31HUFPf5-RfdQtRc/s320/037.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgkS-7fySKhKA8oov2xSP60vjPU0m55IuAdU4xeWuVbor43iWMkV5RyLw_WtVskbVHi-nDeUogdV-8Cf98TTsYfaarg9_gkShbtzHL1vh4j6axPw6B4a1cZnWrZL0bQliYKIkusOCobI/s1600/038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgkS-7fySKhKA8oov2xSP60vjPU0m55IuAdU4xeWuVbor43iWMkV5RyLw_WtVskbVHi-nDeUogdV-8Cf98TTsYfaarg9_gkShbtzHL1vh4j6axPw6B4a1cZnWrZL0bQliYKIkusOCobI/s320/038.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCzlbnwx8rL9RFy-U6v2ydOK2-_quvzxt6OSIRjWDf2YZeVY_ANt1PGlRcksjAl5GxZT7qqjBLUfbwU99moczF6luy5hp1AHB7ssQ3FBA7P7hTQwysJAowqJjU2SoeuITx-ro5bNGS-s/s1600/012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCzlbnwx8rL9RFy-U6v2ydOK2-_quvzxt6OSIRjWDf2YZeVY_ANt1PGlRcksjAl5GxZT7qqjBLUfbwU99moczF6luy5hp1AHB7ssQ3FBA7P7hTQwysJAowqJjU2SoeuITx-ro5bNGS-s/s320/012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Visit with some of the local fauna...</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">I guess the point of this blog entry is that using public transit, while it may be a necessity rather than a choice for some, does provide us with an opportunity to be good to ourselves as well as good to others, in addition to leaving a smaller environmental footprint and a larger bank account.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><strong>Shift your attitude.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See your travel time as ‘down time’ in which to shift into gear (pun definitely intended) for work, or decompress for home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><strong>Prepare for your time</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring snacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Bring bugs, bring pets, bring whatever…)<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><strong>Use the travel time</strong> to visit with friends, or bond with family.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><strong>Calculate</strong> how much a car would <strong>cost</strong> (and include all the expenses).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then calculate how much you spend on public transit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By yourself a treat and reward yourself with some of your savings.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Learn how you <strong>lessen your environmental impact</strong> by taking public transit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should feel better. You can do this by calculating the distance and using <a href="http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/JourneyPlanning/JourneyEmissionsCompare.aspx?&repeatingloop=Y">this website</a> .</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">You may also be able to calculate the difference by using your public transit system’s website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mine tells you how many tons of carbon emissions I save a year by making return trips to the addresses I plug in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184964739325113591.post-53661821774188888492011-06-19T16:19:00.000-07:002011-06-19T16:19:15.509-07:00UPDATE: FATFAC CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL(<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once again, this blog supports and encourages civic and political involvement. The causes presented here may or may not represent the viewpoint of the author</span>.)<br />
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<span style="background-color: lime;">As this is an update, there is no WHAT YOU CAN DO section at the bottom of this entry.</span><br />
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Yesterday, Daniel Bonin (see previous Blog entry) held a candle light vigil, in honour of fathers and extended families who have lost their children. Entitled "Fathers Care", this vigil allowed grieving fathers and families to come together and support each other in a public setting, and provided a platform for the participants to inform the general public about issues related to family court and lost children. While there were a total of nine participants, many people asked questions. <br />
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In fact, Daniel was able to reach people from other countries as well as native Montrealers. Four grandparents, tourists from Israel, took the time to discuss the issues with Daniel, and a tourist from China also took about twenty minutes, asking questions and grappling with the issues.<br />
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Given the fact that steps forward are often of the 'baby step' variety in issues of social justice, Daniel felt it was a real success and plans to hold another vigil next year. Here are the photos:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFpPcYX14mfwwCmEYY6bd7KZGtvGJqsczl6JU0PU2OmbMFs_DNt4iwPn2rtruyzBqUQvvAsMWvZ4vrrZg1EXa-XwKInljvmeX7Aq6py6GAhRKEyCE37VpXeg8JGJgC8pk9NCJXc0wlVk/s1600/012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFpPcYX14mfwwCmEYY6bd7KZGtvGJqsczl6JU0PU2OmbMFs_DNt4iwPn2rtruyzBqUQvvAsMWvZ4vrrZg1EXa-XwKInljvmeX7Aq6py6GAhRKEyCE37VpXeg8JGJgC8pk9NCJXc0wlVk/s320/012.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Taping posters announcing the vigil to poles around the park.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IJ37vb88_ZHvCslsXH4o_LxzEysFWnW3zAe24mG8BGNvNUaRANG8c_lcNCQk6VYryRktMdWbwYE6tcbWQ2P4UWzEELB95ProC5tCiNZoLFN24mT1BusOorwDp1HlWQ8J6XC5VRYvnI8/s1600/013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IJ37vb88_ZHvCslsXH4o_LxzEysFWnW3zAe24mG8BGNvNUaRANG8c_lcNCQk6VYryRktMdWbwYE6tcbWQ2P4UWzEELB95ProC5tCiNZoLFN24mT1BusOorwDp1HlWQ8J6XC5VRYvnI8/s320/013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Handing out flyers and working the crowds at another Fathers' Day event held by the city.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNNBj4uvYMkcjweZ0NoUfdI1Vff7Yj7oWZQ9OMkhPrV8aLRW_kl3ZCnv6tfO4aGjY9MydhB8ksGaoyVFLBUE6HU2-GTcSASu_uegNAMYc1uUOm0hwzWKsVTGw2pzFEalsjnb9mw32j5E/s1600/014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNNBj4uvYMkcjweZ0NoUfdI1Vff7Yj7oWZQ9OMkhPrV8aLRW_kl3ZCnv6tfO4aGjY9MydhB8ksGaoyVFLBUE6HU2-GTcSASu_uegNAMYc1uUOm0hwzWKsVTGw2pzFEalsjnb9mw32j5E/s320/014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJkbi9eDPxZvPxC9W000fksL3Sp6n8l2h13HHGCWGQ73THK2Geiipk7r9xFgx9jgm7Rx8EOV3K6b5LtKl3j489z4gKa4yRooZKu9zpLgP9haHC45GqmmtB9H4Oug2pZQ_ljrjFfgU3t4/s1600/015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJkbi9eDPxZvPxC9W000fksL3Sp6n8l2h13HHGCWGQ73THK2Geiipk7r9xFgx9jgm7Rx8EOV3K6b5LtKl3j489z4gKa4yRooZKu9zpLgP9haHC45GqmmtB9H4Oug2pZQ_ljrjFfgU3t4/s320/015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6K0KOm7lw30weoI52kQr5b0-zKVxS5YJZcVsmOmRltGpKez37ev94-W6jMiZ_hjH1o_QYCa52YFwLUHTOayCno6v66xjBBxBSVY92Kj_D5i9708v9P0vjErxRaf1MXCNVHo5ZrBNaAiA/s1600/017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6K0KOm7lw30weoI52kQr5b0-zKVxS5YJZcVsmOmRltGpKez37ev94-W6jMiZ_hjH1o_QYCa52YFwLUHTOayCno6v66xjBBxBSVY92Kj_D5i9708v9P0vjErxRaf1MXCNVHo5ZrBNaAiA/s320/017.jpg" width="320" /></a>Hoisting the banner. "Responsibilite paternelle/Fathers Care" is what is written.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91U6shN6-Dlv63Di448eXjq7FPt4zrQC3bcEuybd0Lg9rzmG_368AbOpbP_Y_sRJW-evz9NtWVvZ-ffZ7oyCC3CcLgaFN3eKT15eIDSJ8bASjCYdf8yE0sGJD-1REY6X-t6LqkmNIOPE/s1600/019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91U6shN6-Dlv63Di448eXjq7FPt4zrQC3bcEuybd0Lg9rzmG_368AbOpbP_Y_sRJW-evz9NtWVvZ-ffZ7oyCC3CcLgaFN3eKT15eIDSJ8bASjCYdf8yE0sGJD-1REY6X-t6LqkmNIOPE/s320/019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rKMMa1QqJh7ee16Pc8a_xH-zTjOa6zUyM98x7lHcnoNaljQcfXL9seX5dckDWFR1nzYo3wVV_LSIDpzAYtN6aeQliG9VAsqv_aQDCNSZ-7py7cu6BIjASqYOkI9TDDvq8mfGnDoC_fI/s1600/023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rKMMa1QqJh7ee16Pc8a_xH-zTjOa6zUyM98x7lHcnoNaljQcfXL9seX5dckDWFR1nzYo3wVV_LSIDpzAYtN6aeQliG9VAsqv_aQDCNSZ-7py7cu6BIjASqYOkI9TDDvq8mfGnDoC_fI/s320/023.jpg" width="240" /></a>Each candle was given a yellow wind-shade, symbolizing missing children ("Tie a yellow ribbon...").</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEit6sy6VKiL5-XHWucQwqAlWLSJG6TJpWPt8KMYv60xMSZpWY_HT6plZmJkvR5Z0_7TPgAWNZQXnM9n3vSFr_DlLXQXd3XrdtRKUyKvxPoIw1WA9NYv7WJZomZh16FqAThPxTn5OAPQ/s1600/024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEit6sy6VKiL5-XHWucQwqAlWLSJG6TJpWPt8KMYv60xMSZpWY_HT6plZmJkvR5Z0_7TPgAWNZQXnM9n3vSFr_DlLXQXd3XrdtRKUyKvxPoIw1WA9NYv7WJZomZh16FqAThPxTn5OAPQ/s1600/024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEit6sy6VKiL5-XHWucQwqAlWLSJG6TJpWPt8KMYv60xMSZpWY_HT6plZmJkvR5Z0_7TPgAWNZQXnM9n3vSFr_DlLXQXd3XrdtRKUyKvxPoIw1WA9NYv7WJZomZh16FqAThPxTn5OAPQ/s320/024.jpg" width="320" /></a>Handing out candles to passers-by, who wanted to take part.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-aZKsny5T8cZ3qDAk1Q90ArEegOimQNMqgZMoZcnAIRptIzll8mWntuEuGYw6q55eF-3REahlwd_CX0Rpf_OuTZCsZ3I9H5vwJ_7y0NWa0Dhk1mmkS6lHojBynJ8VApiL3gFY_-tSCQ/s1600/027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-aZKsny5T8cZ3qDAk1Q90ArEegOimQNMqgZMoZcnAIRptIzll8mWntuEuGYw6q55eF-3REahlwd_CX0Rpf_OuTZCsZ3I9H5vwJ_7y0NWa0Dhk1mmkS6lHojBynJ8VApiL3gFY_-tSCQ/s1600/027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-aZKsny5T8cZ3qDAk1Q90ArEegOimQNMqgZMoZcnAIRptIzll8mWntuEuGYw6q55eF-3REahlwd_CX0Rpf_OuTZCsZ3I9H5vwJ_7y0NWa0Dhk1mmkS6lHojBynJ8VApiL3gFY_-tSCQ/s320/027.jpg" width="320" /></a>A giant Fathers' Day Card was signed by two of the participants, symbolizing the importance of fathers in family life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0