Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Recession blues- berries

I have spent most of the day writing about ways to cut back and prepare financially during this recession. It is a little depressing, but in some ways it is nostalgic. Lets go with nostalgic. Of course I am not old enough to remember the depression (although my girls would argue the point.)

Our communities have been torn apart by technology and fear. We spend more time on computers and watching television than we ever have. We stay indoors all the time. Do you know who your neighbors are? Could you name 10 people on your street?

Ever notice that new homes don’t boast front porches. Even on older homes, when was the last time you saw people sitting on their front porch and spending time together? When I see a person standing on a porch I think they are delivering a package, they’ve lost their keys or they are part of a SWAT team headed by Jack Bauer.

I do not have cable or satellite and do not have an antenna for any kind of television reception. It was just an expense I could no longer justify we needed. Now keep in mind I have a 14 year old and an 11 year old.

We do have a television and get $1.00 movies from REDBOX. (If you have not discovered REDBOX- go the www.redbox.com right now!) We watch our favorite television shows on www.Hulu.com for free when we want to.

So what have we gained? Well about $60 a month more in the budget for one, but more importantly we are spending more time together and TALKING. There is silence now where their used to be sound all the time from the tube. WE love it. We play board games now and create fantastic dinners as a family. No complaints, only, “Hey Dad can I cook tonight?”

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Cats Who Teleport

I am convinced that cats can indeed teleport. My cats can get through locked doors with the door remaining closed. Sometimes they run down a hallway only to appear in another room seconds later. I do not know how or why they able to do this, but I have a question for these feline tricksters----How about feeding yourself. Better yet, get a job. A real job with real pay. You stick your nose up a cheaper cat food and if it costs as much as prime rib you will act like I never fed you before. How about using those teleporting skills at a bank- you know become a real “cat burglar.” Why is it that your fantastic skills for escape work the best at three in the morning when I find you purring in my face and tickling it with your whiskers?

If you can walk through walls why do you wait to go to the bathroom only after you come inside? Why do you wait to leave a present in the clay chip box? Can’t you just teleport to some nice quiet spot in the woods?

Is there a book of cat superpower rules? Who wrote that book? A cat I suppose. I am sure that locked within the pages of that diabolical book are instructions to cry to get in and out of the backdoor as many times as you can in a fifteen minute period. Teleport for God’s sake, I won’t look. Who would I tell anyway? They’d have me locked up.

I know you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth, but your cat code of conduct forbids you from acknowledging this fact. I am sure that as I am typing this you have some mini cat computer blogging about your aggravating humans. One last message to my two feline comrads- the bathtub is not the world’s largest most elegant litter box, so stop using it!!!

Monday, February 23, 2009

I hate stomach bugs

Last night I was exhausted, this morning about 7:00 am I realized why, I have a stomach thingy. Yech! Not too bad, just annoying. I am awaiting time to go the symphony rehearsal. Among my many hats I play the piccolo in a symphony and I am the personnel manager.

I have come to two conclusions concerning life today:

1. No matter how mad or upset you are about a break up or a fight, NEVER post it on Facebook. There have been a number of people I know that have done this. Why? For sympathy? Is it because misery loves company? You might as well post it in your local newspaper or the daily news. Even then, it would not be as public and humiliating as posting it on Facebook. Why do you do it people? I would too much shame to admit my relationship is on the rocks. Even if a person is posting it in an attempt as some form of retribution, all they look like is an idiot and pathetic. Stop the madness! Make private things PRIVATE. Isn’t there enough pain in the world?

2. I have come to the other conclusion that most long term relationships and marriages have at least one huge incident. It is a challenge to the relationship to test to see of it survives. It could be a huge fight, infidelity or a number of large issues. I think that people in relationships should prepare themselves for this eventuality. If they are truly dedicated to the marriage, they will bond together and survive. If not, then the relationship is probably doomed. I am an advocate of living together before marriage because at least when this event occurs the couple has the choice of parting ways. I guess my point is that people don’t really want to think about the better and WORSE parts of a relationship. What are your thoughts?

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Evil Ogres

Today was spent helping my wife with her children's theater production. With small exception the boys were ogres and the girls fairies. I was backstage playing policeman. The species of ogres and fairies were apt descriptions. These kids worked hard and put on a great show. There are eight performances, and today was 5 and 6. They ran around, played fairy, fairy, ogre, London bridge complete with a Troll living under it and other games.  My personal favorite game was ogre in the middle in which the boys threw around the hunchback’s hump. They were high spirited and over sugared- what’s not to love? The truth is I had a blast- it was a nice respite from the daily grind and I am very proud of my wife who doubled as director and narrator.

If you get a chance please read my last blog that contains chapter one of my book. I really want feedback.

Friday, February 20, 2009

gone

removed by me

Starbucks musings

Here is an article for your enjoyment. It is timely as I sit at Starbucks, drinking burnt coffee and paying for WIFI!

Coffee Sensation

Over the past year, I have discovered an ancient mystery from Ethiopia. It is a beverage that is rich and stimulating, and one that I not only enjoy, but I must admit I may have a slight addiction to. I brew it every morning, and greet it like an old friend. This companion that I set off on my daily adventures with is none other than coffee.

I had to find out more about this dark brown beverage and what I discovered was fascinating. First, coffee beans are really seeds. They come from the center of coffee berries which are removed after they are handpicked. The seeds are then fermented to remove the remaining mucous like material left from the berry. The seeds are then washed to remove the residue which results in coffee waste water. You would not want to pour that sludge into your coffee cup, although there a few gas stations that I may have bought it from.

Once the cleaning process is completed, the beans are sorted and dried. Traditionally they would be placed out on a patio and raked until they are dry, but most large coffee companies have machines that use industrial hairdryers to dry the beans. The beans are green at this stage and can be shipped this way or are roasted right away. You can buy home roasters and roast your own coffee. I am dedicated to my tasty but not to that level of addiction yet.

In the roasting process the beans are brought to a temperature of at least 200 degree Centigrade. This is when the magic happens. Moisture evaporates the bean, oils are formed to add taste and aroma, and the starches begin to caramelize to give coffee beans that nice brown color. The length of the roast has an effect on the color and helps determine the labeling of the coffee.

Here is where things get tricky. The darker the roast, the smoother the taste because there is less fiber and a more caramelized, sweet taste. Even more interesting is that the longer that a coffee is roasted, the less caffeine it contains, the lighter the roast, the more bitter the taste and the more acids it contains. I am a dark roast kind of guy. I have a sensitive stomach and harsh acids often turn to a sour stomach.

The decaffeination process occurs before a coffee is roasted. Most every process of decaffeination of coffee requires a lot of water and a solvent such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. Methylene chloride is used in paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing, paint remover manufacturing, metal cleaning and degreasing. Ethyl acetate is a little less toxic and is used in paints as an activator or hardener and is present in confectioneries and perfumes.

There is some confusion about the indirect process of decaffeinating coffee called the “water process.” This process does use the before mentioned solvents, but in a less direct way then some methods, but they do use them none the less.

There is only one process called the Swiss water Process that does not use solvents to decaffeinate their coffee, they instead used activated carbon filters as part of the process. In order for a coffee to be termed decaffeinated in the United States it must contain less than three percent caffeine. In Europe it must be ninety nine percent caffeine free, which the Swiss process is capable of producing. There are a few different companies that use the Swiss Process such as Starbucks and Seattle’s Best. You can look up on your favorite coffee’s website to see if they use this chemical free process.

So I checked my local supplier of my favorite coffee and had questions about organic and free trade coffees. Organic means the beans are grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides. This gives a better tasting and healthier coffee option.

Fair trade is something that is very important and is a deciding factor in what coffee I purchase. Most coffee is grown in poor countries around the world especially in South America. The farmers are often paid a poor wage for their hard work and dedication to growing and hand picking coffee berries. The Fair trade movement makes sure that these producers and workers are paid a decent wage in order to promote sustainability and self sufficiency. If a coffee does not have a fair trade logo, then the workers that picked them are paid wages that keep them poor and vulnerable to large international companies.

Be careful in buying coffees from companies that offer a particular blend of coffee that is fair trade because the rest of their coffees are not. They have one blend in order to make consumers believe that they have fiscally responsible practices. Coffee to me has a spiritual component to it. All of the people who have worked hard to bring me my steaming cup of Joe have placed their energy into their work and hence into my cup of coffee. If they are starving and have lost hope of a better life, this energy also goes into my coffee. Unfair trading processes are like spiritually raping those who are scraping to put food on their families table.

I noticed that my local coffee joint served coffee that tasted different than other coffees. It was smooth, had low acid and had a wonderful nutty flavor to it. I took bags of the coffee home and put them in my Mr. Coffee but could not get that same flavor. What was I doing wrong?

I found out that they used a process called French Pressing. This was different than a regular coffee maker that used a filter. I bought a small French press and brought it home. The coffee I used a course ground and I pour boiling water over it. The press has a plunger that actually compressed the coffee to ring out the flavor. In four minutes I had the perfect cup of coffee. It did not burn the coffee or release any bitter flavors or acids. The press was less than $20.00 but was the secret to great tasting coffee.

Five Reasons to Drink Coffee

1. It tastes great. I drink mine black but on rare occasions I may add a little cream. There are so many different flavor combinations that people have their own favorite way of making it. Try French pressed Ice coffee, I drink it all summer.

2. It has few calories; in fact a regular cup of black coffee has only two calories. It is all the cream, sugar and flavorings that add all of those extra calories. Try drinking black coffee for awhile, you might develop a taste for it.

3. It is comforting. On a cold morning there is nothing better than a hot cup of coffee. It warms your soul from the inside out.

4. It is a social drink. All across the world there are coffee houses. These are places that people sit and sip their coffee while talking, laughing, arguing and in my case writing.

5. There are some health benefits to coffee. There is some scientific research that suggests that coffee can help headaches, asthma, diabetes, Parkinson’s and tooth cavities.

Five Reasons to consider not drinking coffee

1. Caffeine is a drug and a poison. In the decaffeination process, the caffeine that is removed is often sold to pharmaceutical companies. While it can aid in keeping you alert, there are thousands of calls to 911 about caffeine overdoses. Caffeine can be especially dangerous to your pets and babies.

2. Coffee can raise your blood pressure. It is not certain exactly how it does it but the most likely culprit is the caffeine. Those with chronic or acute high blood pressure should not drink any caffeinated beverages.

3. It is not good for the world economy if you do not buy fair trade coffee. Just say “no” to the large irresponsible companies by not buying their coffee.

4. If you not drinking organic coffee or are drinking decaffeinated coffee that was not created by the Swiss Water process, you are consuming dangerous chemicals and pesticides. These can be dangerous to your immediate health and can lead to chronic disorders including Cancer.

5. It can make you feel bad. Many people complain of headaches or stomach upset after drinking coffee. Everyone’s biology is different, but if you do not feel well after drinking coffee, consider changing the brand, the process, the roast or consider not drinking it all. Although I would feel sad for you because I love coffee.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Swaps and Black outs

Swaps and Black outs
  A lot has happened the last 24 hours. I have finished a number of projects, but my main one on Virtues did something weird. I was typing and all of a sudden it was gone- poof. I reverted back to a version that had 2000 less words. I was heart sick and I tried everything to recover it. It was just gone. So I rewrote till my eyes burned. Any comments? I run Vista and Word 2007.
On twitter I saw that a fantasy author was organizing books in her home. I suggested that she look in to www.paperbackswap.com. Her response was less than enthusiastic. She felt people should buy books new. I differ in that view. We are up to are necks in paper. I am a strong advocate for recycling and paperback swap allows me to trade books for FREE. The only thing we pay is shipping (less than $3 a book most times). You can trade audibooks, CDs and DVD's too. When you send a book you get a credit to get a book from someone else that is offering that book. All books hard back and soft cover are considered equal. I have found books that I have not read in years and many that are out of print. In this economy, why wouldn't you trade? $2 compared to what $30? I am a writer but I love the idea of my books being traded around. I do not feel I am losing revenue. In fact, if someone could test frive my work for less , they are more likely to buy my new books. So check out the site www.paperbackswap.com. Its free and its financially responsible.
I have an interesting aside about the above story. This morning paperbackswap began following me on twitter. How did they know....spooky.
The other thing, thanks to one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, is that my face is blacked out on Twitter and Facebook. Stand up against "Guilt Upon Accusation" for New Zealand http://creativefreedom.org.nz/blackout.html.
It is an interesting site and cause. I use materials and quote them all the time. I sell the writes to my work as a ghost writer and strongly adhere to what that means. There are those that would like to take people like me down of the internet. No trial. No question. They want to come in like storm troopers and shut me down. If you want to hear a catchy copywrite song try this http://creativefreedom.org.nz/library/copywrong/creativefreedom.org.nz-the-copywrong-song.mp3
So there you are. A lot of deep things to think about. Go out and have fun today. Hug someone and bring joy to others.
Dr John