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Thu Jan 03, 2013 at 20:48:17 PM PST
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Seriously, why even buy a tree if your disposal plan for same is to just dump it right in front of the nearest abandoned rowhouse in the middle of the night? There is no Christmas Tree Recycling / Disposal Fairy employed by the City of Philadelphia's Streets Department (nor, for the apparent wonderful new neighbor near us, is there a Dog Poop Disposal Fairy, either - thank you so very much for your overnight deposits of same on and around my stoop!), though at least three people in the immediate vicinity of my building seem to believe there must be.
Fantastic, I wonder how long these things will spend rotting (and blocking the sidewalk - perhaps I'll go around and push them out onto the street overnight in a few days, then maybe someone will quickly take an interest in doing something about them?) out there?
This is why we can't have nice things.
~~~
Pot Luck is an open thread...
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Fri Dec 28, 2012 at 19:11:05 PM PST
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I have a confession. I don't really like salad. I, Jill Richardson, healthy eater, vegetarian, do not like salad. More accurately, I don't like MOST salad. I don't like pre-made dressings, iceberg lettuce, or even the more exotic types of lettuce if they are wilted. I find salad bars boring. I don't really want to eat lettuce with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and shredded carrots topped with ranch or thousand island.
But I do like salads if they are made right. In the house I just moved out of, I made a salad to share with my roommates a few times, and they raved about how good they were. One roommate, who thought my eating habits were extreme and strange, told me that one salad I made was "the best salad she ever tasted!" OK, so I guess that's my standard for how good a salad must be before I feel like eating it.
Because it's the new year and I'm thinking about resolutions and things like that, I decided to make salad tonight. Then I got an even better idea and made some herbed vinegar so that I'll have less work to do the next time I decide I want some salad.
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Wed Dec 26, 2012 at 21:02:49 PM PST
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Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and happy solstice as well. Until I began gardening, hiking and keeping chickens, I could never really relate to celebrating the solstice, but now it makes sense. Every day from now on, my plants get more sunlight, there's more time for me to garden and hike, and in a few weeks, my chickens will begin laying again. So I guess I'm celebrating all of that.
A new year is on its way, and I'm starting two new gigs that I'd like to share with you. First, I'll be joining the Institute for Policy Studies' Other Words project as a weekly columnist. You can see my latest op ed here. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity as it's an absolute blast to stand on a soapbox and speak my mind to mainstream America once a week, and I am being funded by a very VERY kind friend who I appreciate more than I can even express.
Other Words publishes op eds weekly and newspapers around the nation can choose to feature them online and in print. The readership is mostly not "the choir" if you know what I mean. (In a recent column, I wrote that healthy foods are plants, animals, and fungi, and my editor removed the word 'fungi' because that was a little bit too "out there" for the audience we're aiming for.)
Second, I've started making and selling organic herbal tea on a very small scale. I've got my products posted on Etsy here. I started this up a few weeks ago. I began really small, offering products to friends through Facebook, but there was a lot of interest so it seems to be growing faster than I can really believe. And, as I wrote before, I had the unfortunate chance to be my own guinea pig when I caught a nasty cold and then treated myself with herbs. I suppose it's a small price to pay, to suffer for a few days so that I can say honestly that I know my herbal teas are effective!
I don't expect the tea business to overtake writing as a source of income for me, but I'm trying to diversify a bit so that when a publication I write for suddenly loses its freelance budget or something, I won't be left high and dry. Aside from that, it's really fun, and I love that I can offer a better, fresher product for a lower price than what you can find at the store.
I hope everyone's holidays are full of love, joy, and not too much stress about perceived obligations.
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Wed Dec 26, 2012 at 18:55:08 PM PST
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Well, I just bought my first snow shovel in like ten years. Fortunately, it looks like I won't need it tomorrow morning. But Saturday seems likely. I suppose I'll need a second for my place in Newark, soon, too. Snow, I am now prepared. You dirty, unnecessary freezing of water, you...
~~~
Pot Luck is an open thread.
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 at 21:22:07 PM PST
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Hi from my new apartment. The LAST new apartment for a long, long time I hope. It's a one bedroom and my only roommates here have fur and whiskers. It's a small building with just three tenants, and they are allowing me to garden in a small area. I've done a bit of work on my new little garden - and I've also had some amazing results from dabbling in herbal medicine that I'd like to share.
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Fri Dec 07, 2012 at 23:35:15 PM PST
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Hi folks. I'm still in the process of moving out of my current place - the house with the great ocean view, hardwood floors, and huge garden. I found a one-bedroom (carpet, no ocean view, but a few blocks away from my ex and his kids who I love as if they were my own) that will allow me a space on the grounds to garden, and I've also got a little balcony area for a container garden. I'm not sure how quickly I am going to start gardening in the existing soil because a common practice in California is for landlords to hire a regular pesticide service to come and spray the place down for ants, termites, or whatever else might potentially some day eventually infest the place. I've communicated to the landlord that I'm sensitive to chemicals and I'd like the right to address pest problems organically FIRST before chemicals are used.
In the meantime, I've been having a lot of fun with herbs. Last weekend, and again tomorrow, I am holding herb workshops where we combine gardening and herbalism together. We'll start out talking about growing herbs, and then we'll talk about harvesting, preserving, and using them. More below.
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Sat Dec 01, 2012 at 21:23:50 PM PST
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Things NOT to do on a SEPTA bus in Kensington: admire the big, beautiful bag of za'atar you picked up from a spice shop down in the Italian Market on your way home from South Philly. Because after a beat, you'll realize it looks remarkably like a giant bag of weed, seeds and all.
Oops.
~~~
Pot Luck is an open thread.
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 at 18:15:04 PM PST
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Here's a bittersweet update on my garden. It's bittersweet because the garden is just really getting started... and today I put in my 30 days notice. I'll be moving. Somewhere. I don't know where, but it will probably be an apartment. And it won't have a garden. Or chickens.
The short story of why I am moving is that my landlord's cat won't stop attacking my cats. One of my cats then gets stressed out and pees on my roommate's stuff. And another of my cats keeps getting her ass kicked.
That said, this garden here is really finally starting to take off - and I've got a lovely flock of six chickens. Pictures below.
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Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 11:34:38 AM PST
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( - promoted by Jill Richardson)
Over the past decade, especially the last five years, the local food movement has come of age. Ordinary people are pouring tremendous amounts of energy into building community gardens, supporting farmers markets, raising backyard chickens, connecting local farms to schools and hospitals, creating seasonal restaurant menus and advocating to make all of these things legal. The sheer volume of editorials, case studies, reports, blogs and the like - to say nothing of the proliferation of new organizations and coalitions - has becoming numbing, well past what any one mortal can follow. Foundations have taken an interest, and the movement now receives (modest) support from all levels of government. As Joe Biden would say, it's a big deal.
When the dust settles, however, locavores are likely to be disappointed and frustrated. The modern food system will bear their imprint to be sure: any 'serious' sit-down restaurant will source as much locally as possible, schools will have salad bars, and big box stores and groceries will glowingly highlight foods on sale grown within the state. Indeed, all of these things are happening already. But farm soil will become even more scorched earth, standard coffin sizes will be wider around the waist, and the eating habits of the majority of Americans will be barely changed.
Why? The local food movement is shortsighted. It ignores what is inconvenient and sets itself up for failure. If the movement confronted its weak spots, it would force a change in expectations and tactics, would force locavores to up their game, relegating some of what they do now to the status of fun hobbies and pushing them in promising but uncomfortable directions.
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Thu Nov 15, 2012 at 19:41:45 PM PST
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It's been weeks since I've updated y'all on my garden and there's a reason for that: it's taken weeks to weed one single raised bed. Even AFTER having a weeding party, it's taken this long. The weeding party got some of the weeds out of this bed, but not all. Not most. Not even nearly.
My bed. It LOOKS weed-free... but it isn't...
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Fri Nov 09, 2012 at 23:39:18 PM PST
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Tonight, I coordinated a fundraiser for a school in Kenya I visited and wrote about on this blog. I did not go to Kenya to do charity work, nor can I afford to give money. That is, I can't give in any amount that would make the difference the people there need. I feel the best way I can help is to tell their stories as a journalist, and that is worth far more than the small amount of money I can give or can raise on my own. And if you are acting as a journalist, it's unethical to donate or fundraise for the people you are writing about.
That said, the kids at Peter Kariuki Primary School were in such need of help that I felt it would be unethical NOT to do something for them - even if that means I can't write about them as an unbiased journalist. And you know what? I AM biased. I'm very biased against human suffering, and I'm terribly biased against HIV/AIDS and hunger and malnutrition.
So tonight, together with a fantastic group of 5th grade Girl Scouts, their leader, some of their parents, and a few generous and dedicated friends, we held a fundraiser for the school. Our goal was raising $3000. Right now, we have $431 and we'll get a few more donations in the next few days but I think we'll probably top out around $500. It's a start. (If you're so inclined, make checks out to Ecology Action and email me for where to mail them at OrangeClouds115 at gmail dot com.)
Details about our fundraiser are below. Everything that could have gone wrong did, but it turned out OK in the end. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera.
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Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:52:13 AM PDT
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( - promoted by Jill Richardson)
By Rusty Coco
Americans want clean, healthy and affordable food as well as common-sense measures to give them information about what is in it. Such measures are not only good for eaters but can be good for business too. That's the lesson I learned as Chief Food Officer of a family business that grew into a major chain with over 230 locations across the United States, including California. It's also why I strongly support California's Proposition 37, which requires the labeling of genetically engineered foods.
During my nearly 35 years growing Jason's Deli from a small local business into a thriving nationwide chain, I listened to my customers' requests for healthy and affordable food. Whether in Texas, Florida or California, consumers - especially parents with young kids - demanded food without additives or artificial flavors and colors. Like any good business, we listened to what our customers wanted and spent more than a decade revolutionizing our menu to rid our foods of artificial dyes, artificial trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.
Common sense, right? Meanwhile the corn industry was launching its multi-million dollar PR offensive to convince people of the benefits of high-fructose corn syrup and corporate industry was telling us that we would not be able to sustain our food quality while keeping costs down. The fact is, we did it and our business thrived.
Which brings me to Proposition 37 that merely requires a straightforward label be placed on food products that are genetically engineered. What could be simpler than that? Of course, the handful of chemical corporations that do most of the genetic engineering to create food that withstands powerful toxic herbicides and pesticides want to trick Californians into believing it's complicated and expensive. They're spending a million dollars a day to confuse voters and convince the public that it will increase costs and hurt businesses. But I can tell you, based on first-hand experience as a former food business owner, not only will Prop 37 not hurt business, it will help business by giving consumers what they want - transparency about their food.
Some industries have consistently opposed the most basic consumer protection measures including the labeling of ingredients and nutrition information using the same old arguments about cost and regulation - arguments that have consistently proven to be false. But why would the corporations who don't want to tell you the truth about your food, tell you the truth about the cost?
Believe it or not, Monsanto, the largest opponent of Prop 37, ran advertising in the UK touting labels. Under an advertisement heading "Food Labeling: It Has Monsanto's Full Backing," the big chemical firm talked about the benefits of labels saying, "we believe you should be aware of all the facts before making a purchase." So why would Monsanto support labeling in one country and spend more than $7 MILLION dollars fighting to quash labeling in California? This type of double-speak is further proof that chemical corporations like Monsanto will say anything to protect their profits and keep consumers in the dark.
I believe we need a food system that works for all Americans - where farmers get a fair wage, where small businesses can thrive and where consumers have information and access to safe, affordable food. We can't allow big chemical and processed food companies to buy an election with a campaign of misinformation. We must work together to fix our food system, and in California this starts with Prop 37.
Rusty Coco is the former co-owner and Chief Food Officer of Jason's Deli, a restaurant chain with over 230 locations nationwide. It was Rusty's vision and leadership that prompted Jason's Deli to be the first national group in the U.S. to remove artificial trans fats in 2005 and HFCS in 2008.
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Tue Nov 06, 2012 at 12:17:02 PM PST
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Get out there and vote!
Pot Luck is an open thread...
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Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 23:13:40 PM PDT
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Today was an interesting day in the Prop 37 campaign. Here's how it was covered in one CA publication.
And here's the full story...
A while back, I posted photos of a mailer I received from the No on 37 campaign, a corporate-funded campaign opposing CA's Prop 37, which, if passed, will require GMO labeling. The Right to Know (Yes on 37) campaign contacted me and asked if I would send that to them. And I did. Little did I know, one part of that mailer was possibly a felony committed by the No on 37 campaign. This photo:
The Right to Know campaign filed a complaint to the Department of Justice, saying this was an unlawful use of the FDA's logo. Yesterday, Right to Know got a follow-up call about their complaint from the FBI. They put out word that the FBI was investigating No on 37 and schedule a press call today. The press call also addressed some other deceptions and lies by No on 37.
For example, they also said that No on 37 has twisted and lied about statements and positions by any number of authoritative government bodies and organizations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the World Health Organization. Among the people saying this is Michael Hansen of Consumers Union, a man who has proven very trustworthy in my experience.
Prior to the press call, the US Attorney's office put out a press release saying the following:
Due to press inquiries this morning, it has come to the attention of this office that some persons have suggested that this office has an active investigation relating to the use of the FDA seal in an advertisement relating to a campaign involving Proposition 37. Approximately two weeks ago, the U.S. Attorney's Office received a letter complaining about the misuse of the official seal of the FDA in a campaign advertisement. We have referred the matter to the FDA for any action they believe is appropriate. Neither the FBI nor this office has a pending investigation related to this matter.
Exactly 18 minutes into the press call, the No on 37 campaign blasted that press release out to journalists on the call along with this message:
Stretching the truth? Misrepresenting the truth? Or flat out lying? Yes on 37 sent out a dramatically headlined press release claiming that the FBI is looking into the No on 37 campaign.
Guess what: It's not true. The US Justice Department just issued the following statement: "Neither the FBI nor this office has a pending investigation related to this matter."
Yes on 37 can't win on the facts, they can't win on the science. So they're, ummm, stretching the truth - to be kind.
Desperate times call for desperate measures it seems.
Desperate times DO call for desperate measures, it seems. Like lying to consumers that knowing what they are eating will raise their food prices. Honestly, why is industry SO opposed to letting consumers know if they are eating GMOs are not?
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Sat Oct 27, 2012 at 07:55:52 AM PDT
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Pot Luck is a refined BYO with an extensive menu, situated amidst the gently rolling hills pictured above. Please do not fear the levitating fruits, vegetables and crustaceans which by some fantastic coincidence of fate just so happened to be arranged in such a manner as to spell out the name of Jill's blog at the very moment this photograph was taken.* They don't bite. Hard.
It's an open thread, too.
*Yes, that's a real photo. Little known fact! It's from just outside of Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. I swear...
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