Yes, you heard it right. Down in Kentucky. It's funny cause my father, who is a minister, still can rattle off the recipes and blueprints to draw up the machines and stuff. He drops stories on me how my grandfather use to bury b ottles of it in various places in the forest and you had to remember the combination of trees to know where it was at.
This leads me to my own quirk. I hate drinking out of plastic. And I always saw a big contradiction with health heads drinking that 'spring water' out of plastic bottles (I just resolved that with myself..ain't doing that anymore). In addition to my fresh crafted bowl I have a few mason jars that I drink out of. Cause I love glass. The mason jars also reminds me of my family history from moonshine to my Old Earth making preserves before the winter time. I like that sh*t. Yeah I took the flicks.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
So my grandfather made moonshine
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ihsan
Well I rocked out at the expo also. We got treated to the sol-ful singing of Ishan is the national spokes-singer for Urbangogreen. You can hear her signature song for the movement called Go Green Get Green.
I had the pleasure of having her interviewed at the event and she dropped a little about what she is doing and how she is rocking it. Check out her page at myspace.com/ihsanmusic
Ihsan Live 2003-2005
Monday, October 27, 2008
UrbanGoGreen Weekend Expo
Peace. If ya didn't know I attended the UrbanGoGreen expo this past Saturday in Mecca/Harlem. It was off the vegan meat substitute meat rack! Met alot of good people and linked up with alot of people. If you want to find out more about the urbangogreen movment check out their myspace page. I did alot of picture taking and video interviews so I'll be sharing those with you all of this week while I drop some other tidbits on you.
Taking it back to the basics in the motherland...f*ck GMO seeds
Intro into UrbanGoGreen
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
How I get down
The end result of hanging with my friend Dayna Poon at a new Korean spot in town. An ill salad, nice smooth miso soup, juicy orange, and you can't see the empty bowl of raw Bibilbob on the side.
Green Crude
Green oil? You know I be thinking on the small scale. Are they telling me that I may be able to make this mixture myself?
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June 04, 2008
Company Produces "Green" Crude Oil and Gasoline from Algae
Sapphire Energy announced on May 28 that it has produced "green" gasoline from a synthetic crude oil made from algae. The algae yield a crude oil replacement that is literally green, and according to the company, the "green crude" meets fuel quality standards and is completely compatible with the existing petroleum infrastructure, from refinement through distribution to retail suppliers. Gasoline produced from the green crude achieved a 91 octane rating while meeting fuel quality standards. Sapphire Energy considers the achievement to be at the forefront of an entirely new industrial category, called "green crude production."
"It's hard not to get excited about algae's potential," says Paul Dickerson, chief operating officer of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "Its basic requirements are few: carbon dioxide, sun, and water. Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock." See the Sapphire Energy press release and its companion Web site, Green Crude Production.
In fact, the hard part about algae production is growing the algae in a controlled way and harvesting it efficiently. Most companies pursuing algae as a source of biofuels are pumping nutrient-laden water through plastic tubes (called "bioreactors") that are exposed to sunlight. On May 22, Green Star Products, Inc. announced its development of a micronutrient formula to increase the growth rate of algae. According to the company, its new formula can increase the daily growth rate by 34% and can double the amount of algae produced in one growth cycle. See the Green Star Products press release.
Jacked this from http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=11801
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Urban Go Green
I missed the joint on the 10th/11th yet I'm going to be there on the 25th. My NYC folk who wanna roll.
Also check out their site Urban Go Green
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Hoard Seeds
My sis FaaTma had a tag line about hording seeds. It made me reflect on being prepared at all times. Alot of western montheistic traditions are rooted in a linear view of history with a specific 'beginning' and a specific 'end'. Thus they are hooked on the 'end times' (yeah...don't sleep on Palin and the religious right and what they will do to bring ABOUT the end time...okay...end political commentary).
Thus you have alot of people nowadays (Christian, Muslim, etc) thinking that the current economic crisis, war in the middle east, etc are all 'signs'. The wise amongst us know that these things have always happened and happen with frequency. I mean what about the great depression, WW I/WW II, the maafa, etc....don't you think all of that was viewed as 'the end of the world'. Anyway what I am getting at is that there are always 'disasters' happening and you need to be prepared at all times.
Hording seeds.
My parents are both farm folk so they always knew the science of surplus from pickling, canning, burying stuff below the frost line, etc. When Hurricane Gloria hit CT when I was young I saw all of this being made manifest as our whole city was without electricity for a week, water was scarce, and food lines were disrupted. We had ample food because my parents always had surplus in the house. It was that lesson that reminded me I needed to always be prepared.
In light of the above here is a blueprint for a 72 Hour Emergency Kit. This is just a skeleton. In the future I will offer you some green options such as a green first aid kit and general green skills you can use in survival.
72 Hour Kits
The objective of the Family 72-Hour Emergency Preparedness Kit is to have, previously assembled and placed in one location, all of those essential items you and your family will need during a 72-hour time period following an emergency. When an emergency occurs you will probably not have the luxury of going around the house gathering up needed items, especially if you have to evacuate your home on short notice.
Take time now to gather whatever your family needs to survive for three days(72 Hours) based upon the assumption that those items are the only possessions you will have. Store these kits in a closet near the front door or some other easily accessible place where they can be quickly and easily grabbed on the way out the door.
Pack all items in plastic Zip-loc type bags to keep them dry and air tight. This will prevent a liquid item from spilling and ruining other items in your kit and keep rain and other forms of moisture away from the items stored.
Keep a list of the dates when certain items need to be reviewed, especially foods, outgrown clothing and medications so that they may be properly rotated.
Emergency supplies are readily available at preparedness and military surplus stores. Fear may well be responsible for more deaths than exposure, hunger and injury combined. Realizing you have fears and that these are normal emotions in unfamiliar situation, you will be aware of them and better able to cope with them as they appear. Fears can be expected in any outdoor problem situation. Fear of the unknown and fear of your ability to cope with the situation will be foremost, along with a fear of being alone, darkness, suffering, or death. Fear is usually based on lack of self-confidence and lack of adequate preparation and experience. Knowledge and experience(practice sessions), will help to instill confidence and help to control fear.
Container
The container you choose for your kit must be waterproof, have some type of carrying handle, and must be able to be carried easily by family plastic bucket, duffel bag, trunk or footlocker, plastic garbage cans.
Water
Advised amounts of water for a kit vary. The Utah County Sheriff's office recommends a minimum of two quarts per day for each adult. However, a person can survive quite well on less, and the load of carrying six quarts of water with a pack is great. Outdoor survival course veterans agree that a two-liter bottle should be adequate. Water purification tablets or crystals need to be a part of each kit. Refer to Emergency Water Supply for treatment methods and information on portable water filters.
Food
You should include in your kit a three-day supply of non-perishable food. The food items should be compact and lightweight, in sealed packages. MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) are a good choice because they require little or no preparation. Freeze-dried foods are lightweight but require extra water in your kit. Canned goods are heavy with extra refuse. Plan nutritionally balanced meals, keeping in mind that this is a survival kit. Include vitamins or other supplements, if desired.
Possible foods for a kit might include:
· MRE's · snack crackers · hard candy · dried fruits · instant oatmeal · powdered milk · jerky · bouillon cubes · raisins/nuts · instant rice/potatoes · dried soups · gum · granola bars · instant pudding · powdered drink mixes
Also include a mess kit or other compact equipment for cooking and eating. A can opener may also be useful.
Shelter
The objective of shelter is to provide emergency housing. It is extremely important to be physically protected from nature's weather elements. There are many types of shelter that can be easily included in your 72-hour kit. You may want to consider family tent, backpacker's tent, tube tent, rain poncho, garbage bags, nylon rope or cord, duct tape, space blanket and space sleeping bag.
Bedding
· Bedding should be warm, lightweight, comfortable, waterproof and compact. · Sleeping bag (2 1/2 pound hollow-fill) · Insulation. Under your sleeping bag you will need some insulation to protect you from the cold ground. Though foam pads are generally thought of as an item of comfort, their true importance is in insulating you from the ground. The best types are "closed cell" foam pads about 3/8 of an inch in thickness. They are very light weight and easily attached to the backpack for carrying. You may also use a poncho, plastic ground cloth, newspapers, leaves, or pine boughs, for insulation but they are not nearly as effective as the closed cell foam pads.
· Blankets can be used to make a bed roll but generally they are not as comfortable nor as warm as a sleeping bag. Wool blankets are the best since they retain their warming ability even when wet. However, blankets are very heavy and bulky.
· Space blanket or bag. As explained in the previous section space blankets and space bags (aluminum coated mylar) are very efficient at retaining body heat and are a must for every 72-hour kit. Even when used by themselves, without the added benefit of a sleeping bag they will keep you warm during the night. In cold winter weather they may not be entirely comfortable but they will probably keep you warm enough to keep you alive. Being plastic, however, they are impervious to moisture. This is good for keeping out rain but they also retain sweat and condensation from your breath. you may find that periodically during the night you will have to air them out in order to sleep comfortably. They can also be used during the day to protect from rain, sun and to retain body warmth.
Clothing
Include in your kit one change of clothing and footwear, preferable work clothing. Anticipate severe weather conditions. If you have a growing family remember to update clothing sizes and needs at least once a year. Try to avoid wearing cotton clothing. Tight cotton clothing holds water next to the skin. Wet inner clothing causes freezing. Cotton clothing "wicks" (draws water up the very small individual fibers), thus retaining water and spreading it over the entire body, causing loss of body heat at an ever greater rate. Wool clothing is best. Wool is a natural thermostatic insulator that keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Wool is naturally durable and can withstand rugged and tough wear. Wool also repels water and has the unique property of keeping the body warm even if it does get wet. Wool dries from the inside out and does not "wick." Include two pairs of wool socks- one pair for wearing and one for keeping your feet warm while sleeping.
Fuel
Every family member should have fire starting materials and know how to start a fire. Several of these items should be assembled into a kit and labeled as "fire starting kit." Teach all family members how to use them and let them practice building fires with all methods until they feel totally confident with their ability to do so. Even little children aged five or six can be safely instructed in correct fire building techniques under proper supervision. Then if an emergency arises, they will not panic or feel overwhelmed or frightened at the prospect of building a fire for their warmth and protection.
Some different sources are:
· Matches. Carry at least two dozen wooden kitchen matches that have been either dipped in wax or nail polish to make them waterproof or carry them in a waterproof container.
· Metal match. Waterproof, fireproof, durable, and non-toxic. Will light thousands of fires. Available at sporting goods stores.
· Butane lighters, such as Bic cigarette lighters, are excellent ways to light a fire.
· Magnesium fire starters are good for starting fires with wet or damp wood. Shave magnesium shavings off of a magnesium block with a pocket knife and then strike a spark from a flint starter with a pocket knife. Magnesium burns exceptionally hot and will ignite almost any combustible material. Works even when wet and can be purchased at most sporting goods stores.
· Small magnifying glass. Use to concentrate sunlight onto paper, shredded bark or other tinder.
· Flint and steel A spark from flint and steel (such as an empty cigarette lighter or flint and steel striking bar), when directed at dry paper (especially toilet tissue), shredded bark, dry grass or other tinder, if persisted in patiently will work very well to start a fire. This is the most reliable "non-match" method of starting a fire.
· Commercial fire starter kits. These come in a variety of styles and fuels.
· Steel wool. Fine steel wool (used for scrubbing pots and pans- but not Brillo pads or other types that have soap already impregnated into them) can be used for tinder. Hold two "D" flashlight cells together in one hand (or one 9-volt transistor radio battery) while touching one end of a clump of steel wool to the positive end of the battery and the other end of the steel wool to the negative end of the battery. The current causes the steel wool fibers to incandesce and then produce a flame. It burns very hot and fairly fast so have lots of other tinder to burn once the steel wool ignites.
· Candles can be used for warmth, light, and starting fires. To start a fire simply cut a piece of candle about 1/2 inch in length and place it on top of the tinder. When lit the wax witl run over the tinder making it act as a wick and ignite. You can also place small twigs and other easily burnable materials directly into the fame to build a fire.
· Car Battery. If you are near your car you can easily put sparks into tinder by attaching any wires to the battery posts and scraping the ends together in the tinder.
· Sterno fuel and stoves make an excellent cooking fuel when backpacking or in emergencies. Sterno can be lit with a match or by a spark from flint and steel. Slivers of gelled sterno can be cut from the can and placed on top of tinder and lit with flint and steel or with a match. It burns hot enough to ignite even damp tinder.
· Cotton balls and gauze from the first aid kit make excellent tinder and can be ignited with sparks or with matches.
· Fuel tablets such as tri-oxane and gelled fuels store well and ignite quickly and easily. Some can be fairly expensive, however.
· Butane and propane stoves. These are made especially for backpackers. The fuel is cheaper than sterno, it burns hotter and it heats better in windy situations than other fuels. Propane, however is more difficult to light as outside temperatures near zero.
First Aid Kit
Update your first aid skills. Keep your first aid kit well supplied. Suggested first-aid supplies for 72-hour kit:
· first aid book · waterproof container · assortment of band-aids · gauze pads · butterfly bandages · cotton balls · small roll of gauze · adhesive tape · cotton swabs (Q-Tips) · safety pins · Pepto-bismol tablets · antacid tablets (good for bee sting) · cold pack · consecrated oil · hydrogen peroxide · alcohol (disinfectants) · smelling salts · medicine dropper tweezers · alcohol wipes · Benadryl capsules · aspirin (promotes healing of burns) · Tylenol (chewable for children) · collapsible scissors · thermometer · crushable heat pack · special prescriptions or equipment · small tube or packets antiseptic cream · ointment · small spool thread/two needles
Miscellaneous
Some other miscellaneous items that may be very helpful are: · light stick · small flashlight · extra batteries · pocket handwarmer · compact fishing kit · compass · pocketknife · 50 ft. nylon cord · plastic poncho · garbage bag · paper or cards · pen, pencil · fine wire · extra plastic bags · small scriptures · favorite songs · small game, toy, etc. · spare glasses · money (small bills and change) · field glasses · toothbrush/toothpaste · metal mirror · comb · razor · pre-moistened wipes · toilet paper · feminine products · sunscreen · soap · lip balm with sunscreen · bandana (may be used for hat, washcloth, mask, sling, tourniquet) · tube soap, bar soap, waterless soap · identification/medical permission card · special blanket or such for little people · portable radio with extra batteries
Family Information Record
In addition to emergency survival supplies you should also collect vital family information. Record and keep it in at least two safe places-a fire resistant "get-away" box that you can take with you if you have to leave the home, and a safe-deposit box at your bank or credit union.
The following items would be useful for you to record and keep in these two locations:
· Genealogy records · Full name and social security numbers of all family members · Listing of vehicles, boats etc. with identification and license numbers · Listing of all charge account card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers (both checking and saving), insurance policy numbers, securities, deeds, and loan numbers showing the company name, address and telephone numbers.
· Name, address, and telephone number for each of the following:
Ø employer Ø schools Ø fire/paramedics Ø family contacts Ø utility company Ø police Ø doctor Ø hospital Ø attorney Ø civil defense · Location of important documents Ø insurance policies Ø deeds Ø securities Ø licenses Ø loans Ø will Ø safe-deposit box key Ø vehicle titles (pink slips) Ø birth/death certificates Ø social security I.D. cards Ø citizenship papers Ø letter of instruction Ø tax returns (last 5 years)
Infants
When assembling items for your 72-hour kit be sure to include all necessary items for infants. It would be a good idea to include a separate back pack or other container that holds nothing but infant supplies (which can be surprisingly voluminous). This kit should be kept with the kits of other family members so that it will not be forgotten in a moment of haste. As the baby begins to grow, replace clothing and diapers with the next larger size.
Car Mini-Survival Kit
Your car is frequently your home away from home. most of us spend many hours in our cars each month. Anything from a jammed-up freeway to a major disaster could force you to rely on your car for short-term shelter and survival. It is a wise practice to keep simple provision for emergencies in your car. A self-made cold-weather car kit, as described in some preparedness stores, is also good to keep in the car.
At-Work Survival Kit
Many persons stand a 40 percent chance of being at work when an earthquake or other emergency strikes. A mini-survival kit kept at your place of work could make the hours until you are able to get home more comfortable and safer. This kit could be a duplicate of the car mini-survival kit.
Jacked from http://www.oism.org/ddp/72hour.pdf
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
chocolate
So I was thirsty the other night and just threw together some items for this drink. Almond Milk, cacao nibs, 1/2 vanilla bean and a shot of maca. Yeah.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Columbus Day
Columbus Day. How can he possibly tie in some Green Gangsta-sim Black to Nature stuff on this day? Well first off check out how I got down today over at The Journal of Allah's Five Percent.
In terms of today I have one word that ties in Black to Nature with Columbus, Ecological Imperialism.
From wiki land:
Ecological imperialism is the idea that the introduction of plants, animals, and diseases by Europeans to settler colonies was an underlying factor in the success of the European colonization of the New World, Australia, New Zealand and India.
For example, the conquest of Spaniard Hernan Cortes over the Aztecs was aided foremost by the introduction of European disease into the Aztec population. Many more natives died from exposure to new diseases than died from the guns and superior weaponry of the conquistadors.
So basically with all of the talk of how 'advanced' European society was and how that was the reason they overtook lands occupied by Original People Ecological Imperialism postulates that a major factor was because they were spreading mad diseases and ecological disorder. This is another highlight of how Original People were living in harmony with their environments (even in the midst of their own technologies) while Europeans were destroying habitats (look back at my post on the Gold Rush).
In New Zealand, Tuberculosis was brought to New Zealand by Captain Cook. It and other diseases heavily infected the indigenous Maori population. Pigs, and cattle were introduced during the early 1800s where land was adapted to suit herding. Grass seed was introduced into the biota specially breed to improve the quality of Sheep. Other ecological changes resulted by way of British resource developments such as whaling and forestry which spun out from the economic system forcing Maori to adapt or face significant changes at a disadvantage. Foresty led to an increase in labour and commerce but also housing and thus the development of Pakeha (Maori term for European) settlements that would only grow larger.
The issue of Ecological Imperialism is unique in that it is a continuous lineage that extends into today. It is the policies of the original Ecological Imperialism that enables Environmental Racism to persist today.
This theory has been promoted and put forth by Alfred Crosby and Jared Diamond. The following is from the wiki insert on Alfred Crosby's book, Ecological Imperialism.
Why were Europeans and their plants and animals able to prevail over an environment that had long been established? Rather than give credence to claims of innate European superiority and the like, Crosby and Diamond explain this phenomenon as being a product of biological and ecological processes. According to them, one of the major contributors to European domination was disease, which is a natural byproduct of human interaction with animals. Consequently, when Europeans shifted from being hunter/gatherers to being farmers who settled in large, stationary communities and domesticated small animals, they exposed themselves to conditions that birthed diseases that would later assist them in conquering the Neo-Europes. Some such carriers of diseases were the mice, rats, roaches, houseflies, and worms that were able to accumulate in these urban settings.[1]
Because Europeans were living in an environment where they were in close contact with domestic animals and the germs that accompany them, the same germs that many of the devastating diseases of humans have sprung, they were constantly being subjected to disease.[1] And though millions of lives were lost when diseases ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages, a natural consequence of these frequent epidemics was a population that built up a resistance to these diseases. With each and every epidemic there would be some individuals who were biologically more capable of resisting the virus. According to Diamond, “These people were more likely to survive and have children. In the process, they’d pass on their genetic resistance [to their offspring].”[3] After undergoing this process for a number of centuries, the entire population eventually acquired at least some minor immunological defense against diseases such as smallpox.
However, because the majority of the native populations to the Neo-Europes were still participating in hunting/gathering and did not interact with animals in the same manner as Europeans, they were never exposed to such diseases. Therefore, “When the isolation of the New World was broken . . . the American Indian met for the first time his most hideous enemy: not the white man nor his black servant, but the invisible killers which those men brought in their blood and breath.”[4] Because the Europeans arrived in the Neo-Europes with diseases that were absolutely new to those locations, they had an enormous advantage over the indigenous peoples and the consequences were overwhelming. Furthermore, as Warwick Anderson has argued, “the ‘persisting impact of colonial development policies’ and the ‘lasting effects of agricultural change and human resettlement’ offered a particularly conducive environment for a biological approach to infectious disease.”[5] For these reasons disease was able to spread like wildfire and undoubtedly must have claimed a large number of lives.
I mean, lets remember, RATS came with the Europeans to the New World. Do we even have to speak on the disease spreading vector that they represent? Or that rat infestation nowadays is centered around poor Original People?
What does this all mean nowadays? The policies of corporations (read established white institutions) are the same as Ecological Imperialism. They are not concerned with the environmental justice of original people which is why we must be on our A game.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Get Green News
October 3, 2008 8:00 AM PDT
Tracking 'green' news as it grows, with Twitter
People use Twitter to warn of natural dangers including earthquakes and hurricanes. Other environmentally related uses for the micro-blogging tool include measuring energy use at home and rigging up plants to "tell" Twitter when they're thirsty.
For a green-news junkie overwhelmed by dozens or even hundreds of RSS feeds, Twitter can be an entertaining and mobile filter. Writers at blogs and traditional publications increasingly use it to broadcast 140-character alerts of stories and observations, which can provide an early and more casual take on their blog posts and formal articles.
Plus, you can interact with the authors via replies and direct messages that can be more immediate than an e-mail or comment on a full-length story.
Here are some of the "green" feeds we keep up with on Twitter. Some simply provide instant links to freshly published stories, while others mix in commentary and personality. Check out who they're following to find even more feeds.
- To start, find CNET's Green Tech posts here.
- Think of the never-dull Grist as The Onion for green news, only with more truth than truthiness.
- Preston Koerner of Jetson Green focuses on green building, and compiled this exhaustive list of green Twitter feeds.
- The EcoGeek team tracks green tech.
- Green Options is a network of a variety green-themed blogs.
- GreenBiz.com is a hub for green business news.
- Inhabitat's bloggers share a fine eye for ecologically appropriate design.
- Sustainablog from Jeff McIntire-Strasburg is one of the longest-running green blogs.
- The Greenwash Brigade from American Public Media's Public Insight Network investigates sketchy-sounding green corporate claims.
- Green Wombat is the work of Fortune writer Todd Woody.
- DotEarth comes from Andy Revkin of The New York Times.
- TheOilDrum covers energy and "peak oil" issues.
- Global Warming and ScienceNews mention related stories around the Web every week or so.
- Ecorazzi: Think Us Weekly meets An Inconvenient Truth, launched by Michael Destries.
- Worldchanging's writers keep up with cutting-edge trends in sustainability.
- Siel, aka GreenLAGirl, writes the Emerald City blog for the Los Angeles Times and still keeps up her original blog of her tips and adventures around town.
- Surveys show that people become more concerned about greening their lives when they become parents. Eco Child's Play speaks to them.
- Beth Terry's well-researched Fake Plastic Fish blog chronicles her quest to reduce her use of plastic.
- Green Map guides, in hundreds of cities, chart local green resources.
- Pointers for crafts enthusiasts come via Craft and Make magazines and Crafting a Greener World.
- The Green Guide from National Geographic offers household-greening tips. So do LighterFootstep and GreenTweet. Earth911 is a go-to guide for recycling and much more.
- AIDG "tweets" often from Haiti, where the Boston nonprofit helps communities with renewable energy and more. The abbreviation stands for a mouthful: Appropriate Infrastructure Design Group.
-
Enviroblog from the Environmental Working Group details toxic ingredients in everyday products.
- NRDCSwitchboard comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council, which prints the excellent On Earth magazine. The National Wildlife Federation and Sierra Magazine use Twitter, too. Greenpeace activists are ever-active.
- The World Resources Institute think tank is based in Washington, D.C.
- Can you build a green home for $100,000? Philadelphia developer Chad Ludeman takes up the challenge with the 100kHouse.
- Max Gladwell, whose blog blends social media with green living, describes on Treehugger how to add your "tweets" to a GreenStream channel to make them easier to find.
- Strategist and GreenBiz founder Joel Makower just began using Twitter in September.
- Social entrepreneur and GreenSkeptic Scott Edward Anderson challenges conventional assumptions about green tech.
- CleanTech.org says it's "where entrepreneurs and investors meet to commercialize clean technologies.
- CleanTech is updated by Denis DuBois, an expert on marketing for sustainable energy.
- Marc Alt, a sustainability consultant, also develops environmental conferences.
- Sopogy is among the solar start-ups with a Twitter presence.
- The Greensearch search engine donates part of ad profits to environmental groups.
- The GreenCollarGuy, from Green Collar Media, and GreenJobs specialize in sustainable employment.
Green lifestyle pointers and DIY tips come in more than a few flavors:
Micro-bloggers from green nonprofit groups and businesses share their inside perspective:
I jacked the above from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10056853-2.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5
Black to Nature Dictionary update I
So check it. There are words out there that I use that people may not be familiar with. I am also creating new words cause I do stuff like that. I thought that I'd start my own online dictionary (blacketh to natureth stylings...you 'no won test the rocket launcher). So I'll be droppng Black (Law's) to Nature Dictionary and updates every so often. So I'll repost the last version and just keep adding words.
Cocacolonization
Disneyfication
Eco-Imperialism
Ecological-Imperialism
McWords
Walmarting
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Squash Blossoms
I live in New England so we got the squash game down on lock. Look at your Thanks(for nothing) giving propaganda flicks. The Nations in the north east were saving pilgrims with a bounty of various squashes (from pumpkin to butternut squash to zucchini).
Now I rolled down to my farmer market here in New Haven City Seed and sought out my darker skinned brothers, the local Mexica farmers. They blessed me with some squash blossom. What? You don't know about them? They usually serve them up stuffed with cheese and deep fried yet I always just enjoy them raw with some salt. And if you want to up the ante I found this ill recipe for raw Squash Blossom Burritos that I'm hitting up this week.
Squash-Blossom Burritos
(click on image to enlarge)
Ever wonder what to do with your beautiful flowering squash blossoms? Stuff them!!! Enjoy some squash blossom burritos!
Ingredients
Preparation
To watch my youtube video on this recipe, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGx8BHgUgyM
Ingredients:
1 blossom per burrito
1/4 cup sprouted lentils (or no-fry beans, search other’s recipes for ideas)
1 tablespoon guacamole, here’s the one I used in it, shown in my Catcus Chips n Dip recipe: http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/5255-Catcus-Chips-n-Dip
dash of chili powder or mexican spices
pink sea salt, fresh ground black pepper
fresh cilantro for stuffing or garnishing
Preparation: Add ingredients into a big flowered blossom (guacamole first, then your beans and cilantro) – top with salt and seasonings, and roll into a burrito! You may want to make a couple of these because they are dainty : ) I pair mine with catcus chips and dip – link shown above. If you want to get fancy with this then you can browse recipes for nut/seed-cheddar cheese and/or sour cream!
Ps. Sorry but I had to use a still from my youtube video because I didn’t take pictures. The burrito is not rolled in the picture for this recipe, it’s still pretty though : )
Other ideas for squash blossoms: Add color to your raw soup, salad or sandwich! Use young blossoms to make pesto tortellinis or mac-cheddar-cheese jalepeno poppers!
I got this recipe over at Gone Raw
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Micro Blogging: Tech Recycle
Get your recycle on. Get dough for that electronic stuff that you don't use anymore.
Gazelle.com
Sun Salute
| | |
| I read an interview with Jeru the Damaja once regarding morning. He said that missing sunrise was tantamount to heresy as you are missing the actual creation of a new day. I can roll with that. When you get up in tune with the sun you set your internal clock right. Digestion and mental elevation be going smoothly. You crap right, you sleep good, and headaches are nothing but a myth to you because you don't experience them. I ain't no muslim, christian or any other religious person so I can't get with prostration. The only time I like to get down like that on the ground is if I am B-boying, playing Capoeira or pulling out some esoteric position out of the Kama Sutra. There is one more reason though by which I get down on the ground though. That is in the morning when I do my Sun Salute.
I do have to let you know that doing yoga is something that we men do. Sitting around with your boys (you really still call them boys?) crushing your internal organs slouching while playing Playstation 24/7 isn't masculine bruh. Making the highlight of your week every week the neighborhood watering hole ain't a measurement of your testoterone level man.
There are a billion and one benefits of the daily routine. All I can do though is let you know what it does for me. It massages my inner organs and makes sure that my blood flow is right on point while activating several glands. I have never had high blood pressure (the doctors are still suprised because at 36 years old a Black man in America is 'supposed' to have some hyper tension going on). I never had internal heart, liver, kidney, stomach or intestinal pain. My energy level is consistently good. I sleep and dream well. Also my gonads are golden right now with style and stamina. Again let me reiterate. Most impotence problems are caused by lack of blood flow so if you can get that right then you woman won't be complaining (or going somewhere else...no...why did he say that). A sol controller makes sure that he is in sol control of his body and is a sol provider of his body's needs. Many of us are masters of breaking down our body through various forms of mental (depression, anxiety, guilt) and physical (drugs, alcohol) abuse or toxins. Yet for some reason we don't seek to become masters of healing our body. Now in order to do the sun salutation you don't need to get all headband and leg warmered out. That same little corner that you do sit ups, push ups, and crunches in set aside for this also. Get yourself a little rug or mat to separate the space from the rest. Now you are all set up. Do your thing. Oh wait. You need instructions. Well instead of me writing a whole separate section on instructions let me point you to some sites that are up to par. Below you will find two sites. The first site will outline the positions and also instruct you on the proper breathing that needs to go along with each posture (breathing is KEY). The second site is a flash animation that will give you that visual perspective that you need. Now go and get your body right. http://yogapose.org/sun_salutation_yoga_poses.html http://proliberty.com/pranayoga/SuryaNamaskar.applet.html |
Sun Salutation is a series of short yoga movements that one does in morning. At first one might be under the illusion that its a pagan form of Hindu sun worship. I am not denying that some may have taken it that way in the past. Shoot, alot of the forms of praying may actually have root in asanas (that's yoga positions) that only later became identified with petitioning an astral being in a religious context. The science of it though is that the sun is also a means of monitoring time; internally and externally. When dawn comes that lets me know that it is time for me to do that series of movements for the matinence of upkeep of my physical and mental landscape.Originally printed at originalthoughtmag.com
Monday, October 6, 2008
Bridging the Black/Brown divide through food
New Black-owned grocery store offers a fresh market
by Jakina Hill
After watching a television news special on the availability– or lack thereof–of fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, in some of the city’s minority communities, a Black entrepreneur was moved to take action. Karriem Beyah knew it was time for him to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning his own grocery store.
Beyah, a native Chicagoan, bought the space that is now Farmers Best Market, 1424 W. 47th St., in June. The store is purposely located between a Black neighborhood and a Hispanic one, with Chinatown and Bridgeport nearby, Beyah told the Defender. He chose this location because of the multicultural area.
“I would see these businesses flourishing in other communities and wonder why it wasn’t in African American communities. I said when I got the opportunity I will do it myself, and it stopped being a question,” Beyah said.
The store has been open since July 1 but will have its grand opening October 1.
Beyah credits working in his godfather’s grocery store as a child for his passion for the grocery business. He went on to spend 19 years in corporate America, working for Dean Foods, before starting his own distribution company.
Beyah said statistics show that African Americans don’t shop where Hispanics shop, so his goal was to break the barrier and create a place where everyone could come together and feel comfortable.
Though he is trying to lessen the scarcity of fresh food markets in minority neighborhoods, Beyah said he is aware that African Americans don’t buy as much fresh food as they do frozen food. He said he keeps that in mind when working to make sure Farmers Best Market caters to everyone.
Chatham Foods was the city’s only Black-owned grocery store. But that ended when the store was sold earlier this year to a buyer who was not Black.
Now Farmers Best Market becomes the city’s lone Black-owned grocery store.
The weeklong grand opening celebration will feature a number of multi-ethnic activities, including performances by an African dance troupe and a live Mariachi band, and live broadcasts at the store, located in the Back of the Yards community, by local radio stations.
http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-1981-new-black-owned-grocery-store-offers-a-fresh-market.html
Friday, October 3, 2008
Step back and let Original Peoples handle it
By theno
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* 2012 Pole Shift
* Prese
* Union
* Group
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* Remed
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