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The days of finding good honest opinions about a lot of things is getting harder and harder. The influence of advertisers and their money is creating a vacuum in journalism. one must sift through pages of links to find unbiased editorials. And there appears to be no shame in "going along with the crowd" with even veteran journalists.
The speed, the greed and all those eyeballs to hijack is just too tempting to the super rich who can afford to pay writers to write what they want. Trouble is is everyone is doing it to the point that you can't believe anybody anymore.
This is the worst that the internet has brought on us. And I'm afraid it will get way worse before anything can be done about it. If in fact anything can be done. The speed and ability to adjust to anything is what happens. Don't agree? Look no further then the robo trading programs where computer programs trade stocks in milliseconds. Shit my friends, is hitting the fan!
7 billion, seeing the same adds, and counting

Changes

Today I want to get personal. What I mean by that is talk about what I'm going through and where I'm headed.
I've been living with my ex in the family house for the last two years and the time has come for me to leave. It has been a while since we divorced but it took a long time for it to become final in my mind. When you live with someone for a long time it's hard to break routines and I found myself doing exactly what I was before we split. Same arguments, same issues keep coming up.
I of coarse never thought it would become a relationship again, and did not expect anything while I was here. The deal was to spend more time with my youngest still living here and to allow the ex time to take a long break and do some traveling. We didn't know how it would work out in the end. But the end has come and I will be moving on very soon.
At this stage of my life I'm reinventing what and how I live. I plan to move back to Ontario and be close to my oldest daughter. But a lifestyle change is coming as well. I'm moving with very little in the way of possessions, basically the cloths I own and my gardening tools. I still plan to grow a garden where ever I end up. I have some ideas for a business and plan on playing a lot of poker tournaments. It will be a new way to live, and maybe a new blog will come of it. Restarting life at 58 with a bad back and no income. Should be interesting and I think I will be writing about it when I get settled.
I'm one of 7 billion, trying to find my way, and counting

There is an explanation

It would seem many folks are driving less. The experts don't seem to understand why this is. All their studies seem to indicate its a wide spread phenomena not tied to income levels or to the recent economic downturn. Statisticians, the word itself implies a static response to things, no insight just playing the numbers.
Well this is what I think it is. We have at last figured out there is no open road anymore. That rush hour is a 12-15 hour a day thing pretty much everywhere in the world. And the expense is getting out of hand. Pick any accident, the costs involved are enormous. And the stress of having to concentrate so hard on traffic, trying not to get into a jackpot or reck your car. Then theres driving with the maniacs. They advertise these cars as a thing you have the right to drive as reckless as you want, and they "all go fast". Add to this the incredable video conference software that is available and that even your grandma can operate who needs the pain of traveling? Save the money and grow a garden instead, well you could if you wanted.
Point is where the hell are we going anyway that needs us to own these expensive and  polluting machines. The dream they try to sell us doesn't exist. Tearing up the back roads in an oversized and overpriced 4X4 is not a reality that happens for many. Anyways you may find yourself in jail or worse for destroying the wilderness. I won't even mention the insurance costs.
We are staying in the cave, give everyone an internet connection and live life out in a modern and safe cave, equipped with running water, heat and a place to grow some food. What more do we really need.
7 billion, plugged in and talking to each other, and counting.

I'm a Luck Suck

Well sometimes I think I am, three beautiful children, good health and plenty of food to eat. We all are lucky, lucky to be alive on this incredible planet we call earth. We all get to see, feel and experience the wonders of life. I want to believe no matter what your situation is, being alive is great. Everyone has the  potential of doing great things and making a difference.
But we are a lazy bunch, the mundane chores of everyday living, the work involved to do the right things. For example reusing/recycling. It is hard work doing these things, and there is no immediate payoff for doing this. As our engineers get better and faster at making "new things" everyone kind of forgets that all these things need to be disposed of in a safe and sustainable way. It is of coarse better that you at least try to do the right thing then not but most of us leave a lot to be desired.
China has stopped taking everyones plastic garbage, as much of what goes there ends up in a landfill. It's not that the better plastic is not economical to harvest and reuse, it's that most of it is not. And it gets made in the thousands of kilo's used on a daily basis. The agricultural industry is stumped as to what to do, as they use enormous amounts of plastic to pack and ship food. If China is not taking it what are they to do with it?
This is the biggest problem we face, because it will involve a brand new way of living on this planet. We can't keep using and throwing away all this stuff. A new economic model is needed and we all have to do better as this world is very populated and we have reached the tipping point. Growth at all costs has to stop, sustainability must be the model we strive for. The question is, are we too lazy to get it done. Is everyone just going to wait for the next guy to do it.
7 billion, ignoring the truth, and counting

Opting Out

In the 60's there were many that tuned out of the black and white 50's. All it took was some LSD to get everyone to "colour up" the world. Well at least here in Canada and the USA. But as with many other illusions they had, this gave way to pure and hyper drive capitalism. Peace and love to greed and grandstanding. Then at last, women were accepted as breadwinners by the banks and everything took off. Question, how does anyone opt-out?
We've painted ourselves into a corner. There is way too many people in the world to go live in communes, and even if you did you would still need to engage with this economy for cash. There is no way to do this today. Just to find a vacant place to pitch a tent would be a challenge anywhere worth living. We have all become "suburban stupid" with no way out.
But wait, if we used something like Facebook to organize the burbs into small contingents of sharing people we could create something better then opting out. If say 15 to 20 households of like minded people sharing food, tools and anything else the group had to offer the suburbs would become the best of both worlds.
I have proven to myself that growing a large amount of food that is easy to grow can be done, and without chemicals! I see this as the movement that is already in motion. It may even become a necessity to survive during economic upheavals. Ironically, this may well become the economy of the future. It's funny how the smaller we think, the bigger things get. Micro economies, will be the next wave.
7 billion, all involved, and counting

The coming Technology blow out

It would seem that the fall out of the "NSA" spying thing is not going to be limited to your privacy. It has the potential to have a severe effect on the business of software. The thing that is really scary is just how big a back door companies like Microsoft have built in for the NSA.
If you think about the reach that they have it would amount to each and every computer in the world that runs Microsoft Office. If I were a stockholder I would be dumping my shares as there is going to be a very big backlash. Question is what will they replace it with?
How ironic this situation is, you know they can read your files but there is nothing you can replace it with. What would you do? This is a very big "catch 22" but I'm sure that the opportunity will be taken advantage of and it won't be a USA based company. Who in the world will ever trust anything the USA makes.
Those who thought China was being paranoid by blocking the internet access with "the great firewall of China" are now thinking how smart they were and maybe wishing they had done so much sooner. Then you have all the "cloud" applications and the many people who use them. This is wide open to the spying eyes of the NSA.
I find myself thinking of John Lennon's Imagine. All the people, living life in peace and sharing everything with the US government. Well it would appear that the world could be all connected, we could have no more countries, but the religion thing would be a tough one. I imagine the lines blurring, that many governments could fall. And really, are we that different? Our DNA would suggest we are not.
7 billion, waiting to see the fallout, and counting

Too old to change?

For the past 4 years I've embarked on changes to my life that many people have said they could not do. Quitting smoking, becoming a vegetarian to living with my ex wife in the family home. Then there are the behaviour changes I needed to make. Ones that are deep and difficult to overcome. Those ones were maybe easier then when I was young, the aging process has a way of calming you down.
Back to the point I still find it hard to believe that many people will not change regardless of the evidence before them. I stopped drinking 28 years ago, it was plain to me that my continued habit would ruin any chance I had at raising our first child. Alcohol is in my opinion the most dangerous drug there is. But I thought this would calm my temper, but it did not. I quit eating meat and dairy, this was a big one. The cravings and feelings of "kill, kill, kill" still nag at me. A very ingrained thing eating meat. But the evidence was overwhelming, not to mention the way our meat is raised. It has gone so far from good and nutritional there is no way I will ever eat it again.
The big one in most minds is "quitting smoking". To me every time I thought about it I would light up another. The brain makes all these associations with smoking that are hard to ignore. But in the end, when I did do it it was way easier then I thought it would be. I still on occasion dream that I'm smoking. The brain will not give up it's association with this that easy. I liken it to deleting files on a PC. Every time my brain would say "have a smoke" I would delete the entry.
Now I'm on the final one, the big one. Anger management. Ironically we are all cry babies that insist on getting our way, we are all bullies to some degree and anger is the tool we use when it is needed. But then I thought, what is there really to be angry about? The worst things that can happen will, you will hit the wall at some point. And in the end, what does getting your way do for you? I find it an empty feeling after a rage, after bulling someone, after getting my way. I'm finding that taking the high road is way more rewarding, because life is just too dam short.
So go ahead, make a change in your life. It's really not that hard.
7 billion, all starting to grow up, and counting

Food Animals

Zilmax, a drug and name many do not recognize. Even my spell checker does not recognize it! This drug is used to add weight to cattle before they are butchered. It is banned in many countries but not here in Canada or the USA.

In the news today a company, Tyson Foods, has decided to stop processing cattle that are fed this drug. But not because it is bad, but because it is hurting their exports. It would seem many countries are against this as well they should. Reports are surfacing of cows that can't walk, are lethargic and otherwise not well. This of coarse has been happening to chickens for a long time. They are fed in dark barns to the point that they to cannot support their own weight. Hey, if we can fatten up these animals in faster times then we will make more money right? 

The piece I read referred to these animals as "food-animals". Food animals, hmmm I wonder if this somehow makes these creatures different from "regular animals". And how is it okay to be pumping up the "food animals" with drugs that are banned from sports because of the damage they do. And why oh why does everyone think eating animals is good for you, or the environment?

When you say anything about obesity the view is that everyone has become lazy somehow, that the last 20 or 30 years we have all taken to being couch potatoes. No I think it is a direct link to how profit is made in the food industry. Refine, speed it up, add sugar or salt, use less and make more. All these things contribute to obesity. Even vegetables are stretched to the wall with the prices being dictated by the large grocery companies that sell these veggies at very low prices. They sell them this low so you and I are not tempted to grow our own. They need us to come to their stores so we buy up all that processed food they make big profit from. In the meantime these veggies are so nutrient poor, we could never eat enough to give us any health benefits. 

There is a movement taking shape, that most are feed up with this and are trying to eat better. People have coined the term "urban farmers" and are growing better food to eat in their backyards. They would grow it in the front yards but neighbour hood rules stop many from doing this. Seems green grass is more important then good food. I can see it now, kids playing outside and helping themselves to anyones front garden when they are hungry. This would be a good start to eating better. 

We have a long way to go but it has started, now if only our school system would teach the basics in growing "real food" and even have a garden to feed our kids while in their care. As with everything, education is the key to change. Teach the kids, they will teach the parents.

7 billion, all eating better, and counting

Tax cheaters

Is there anyone who isn't? I mean really, everyone has cheated on taxes. I've often wondered why this goes on as the means to find and punish those offenders is at the governments disposal. I read today with amusement that the Greek government had found up to 60% of corporations had cheated, in some ares the figure was up over 80%. I would guess that this area had some very skilled accountants that used some kind of formula to beat the tax man.
In the end it would seem like this is everyones right, to do anything possible to avoid paying taxes. Yet we demand better services, better pensions, and well more more more of anything and everything we can get. I personally believe this is the root of corruption, that how connected you are and how good your account is is the deciding factor in how much you pay in taxes.
In ringing out the last few dollars they can in profit these companies do whatever they can to avoid paying. You see it all the time, Google avoids high taxes in England by locating an office in Ireland, Apple holds billions off shore because it does not want to pay taxes if brought back to the USA. I would say that many of these countries do this to themselves by having such a high rate of taxation. I remember artist's like the Beatles, Elton John who had to leave Britton because of the stupid rate of taxation on their earnings.
This is a game that has to stop, that all these governments need to get it together and stop the insanity of this from making all criminals for avoiding these taxes. It is a big merry-go-round in many governments of raising taxes for all but those who support their reelection bids. So how do you stop it?
It has been suggested many times that a flat rate would be fair and easier to enforce. Paying the same as everyone else would take the sting out of trying to cheat. It would create a transparent flow of money that no one could hide and would take the burden off the masses that shoulder more then their share. I think a country like Greece would be a prime place to start this as their economy is totally in the toilet. I also think that this could get favour with the public as a way out of the mess years and years of corruption has brought on their country.
Is being fair something we are not entitled too? Are we supposed to sit by and be blind to all this corruption? What would they write movies about if fairness ruled I wonder.......
7 billion, all paying a "fair share" and counting

Will we ever slow down?

It never fails to amaze me when driving my car just how much of a hurry EVERYONE is in. They can't even wait to get to the next red light! It's go go go as fast as possible no matter what.
Then there are those that approach every job this way, the first question they ask themselves is"how can I do this faster". Never mind how good a job is done, just how fast can it be done.
My question is this, where are you going in life that requires you to go so fast? We are indeed addicted to speed, getting there faster is in our genetic code. Reading the paper today I saw a story on how people at a outdoor concert were playing games that involved drinking alcohol. It would seem that getting drunk faster was the result of these games, and somehow this was news worthy. Yep, slow drinkers are not what we need at this concert, come on and get drunk!
News flash, police cite speed as the reason for so many car accidents. Yet going fast is apparently everyones god given right. Once you get behind the wheel, the human becomes a "speed demon" and to hell with anyone who gets in the way.
The marketers know this all to well as even the cheapest and smallest cars are advertised by how quick and nimble they are. They tell us that food comes to you the second you order it, no need to waste time making it for yourself. Yes sir just drive up and eat. Of coarse the time it takes to get there and get what they call food is as long or longer then making it yourself. I won't even go to what it costs to drive there, pick it up and take it back home. Of coarse there are delivery drivers to do this, pizza is as big as it is because of deliveries. I've heard of some people saying that food delivery will come via drones if you can imagine that.
This my friends is the heart of what is wrong with the way we live. I understand that speed is important, but not this important. If we all slowed down, and I mean by a lot, the world would be a better place. Take the time to think some things through before doing them. Become more meditative, more deliberate when taking on tasks. At any rate, just doing things faster will not get you there any sooner. A good economist should be able to show you just how wasteful it is to be in such a hurry.
7 billion, kicking back smoking a fat one, and counting.

In the News

Haha, A-Rod is going going gone! How is it that they can't cancel a contract when the athletes are caught cheating? How many have there been that after they were forced to stop became pathetic and undeserving of the money they earn? I've said it before, I'm no longer a sports nut. I no longer watch hockey, football and the like as the game has taken a back seat to these people.

Snowdon gets a reprieve in Russia. I like this one, he has done what he set out to do by forcing this out in the open. Everyone has weighed in on this and the discussion continues. I for one do not care. Like Letterman I'm thrilled that someone would find my life and what I do important enough to snoop on me. But really, just how much can they take in? It boggles my mind at the amount of data they have to store. What I would really like is if this was open for everyone to search. And we could stop paying so much for personal backup plans! lol

What is happening to democracy? They try it, then don't like their choice and have another election, or the dictator that bullies his way to victory in a sham. Hell in the US they spend a billion to get in, every four years!! I'm sure that money could be better spent. I'm for a system of forced participation. Like some countries you have to serve your country in the military, or, the government for 3 or 4 years. There is no reason in my mind for these idiots to be elected to this plum of plum jobs. Mind you if you are an american you are campaigning and fund raising almost all the time leaving very little else they can do. But that is my point, they get nothing done for fear of being rejected. Ya ya, someone has to be in charge of spending our loot, but not so many of them. 

Still not sure about global warming? Well you know I think your opinion won't matter soon as the temps are rising and things are not as they were. Funny, I live way up north, zone 3 area, yet I'm finding it perfect for growing now. Will it stay this way? who knows, but I kind of like being where I am even if the winter is cold. At least the rain comes, and the heat is bearable this far north. Dealing with 100+ for long periods of time is not for me. I can't imagine what it's like in New York City during one of these spells.

Okay then, I'm back writing and have many more things I want to cover. Hope your summer is going well and finds you all in good health.

The Garden

It has been a busy time of late, the garden is producing and I'm enjoying the fruits and vegetables of my labor. And good they are! The peas are almost done, our current household of 4 has been stripping them as fast as they ripen. I dug up my first potatoes, wow is all I can say on that. When you cut these gems they snap louder then an apple, and today our first salad with all garden ingredients including our first tomatoes.
 For me the world stops when I am eating from my garden. There is nothing, well almost nothing, that beats eating from the backyard. Yet so few do. I see elaborate flower gardens that for sure are more labor intensive then my raised bed vegetable garden. Don't get me wrong, I love flowers too. I have 30 feet of sweet peas planted as well, but you can't eat them. And really, veggies can look as cool as many flowers. At any rate, I've had lots of complements this year and so far the food is incredible. After eating a cherry tomato today I got shivers down my body for  a very intense experience.
This has become more then a passion, it's become a sustainable living experience that I have started to master. The full circle of life is happening right in my suburban home.
It is easy to loose sight of what is important, to think of all the distractions that are there for us in the world. But growing the food we eat? Being able to do this with ALL the info available on our wireless devices has become easier, if you really care about your health, and what you consume then growing some food is the ticket you need to purchase.

Technology

Because I always had to fix all the computers in our house I was always surfing the tech scene looking for tips and new software. It served me well while I kept our "windows machines" running at a respectable level of reliability. But then Apple comes along with a smart phone and wrecked everything.
For the record, I switched to Apple not long after the phone hit the shelves. I used up my credit at Rogers to get one for my daughter who was in university. She said she played with it for the entire first night she had it. I of coarse was proud that she could at last get her emails on the spot like all the boys with Blackberry devices. They made the mistake of rubbing it in and so she went zooming past them with what has clearly become the best thing to happen in tech, iOS!
It was clear to me early on just how great this operating system was, that all the years I avoided Apple were just the hype I believed in the press. Microsoft was very good at putting a "spin" on their crap, and crap it was!
Anyways I didn't want to dwell on this "windows iOS" war too much, what I wanted to do was point out just how fast the tech section in the news has become irrelevant. I find it repulsive to read anymore as all that is written is about what phone is bigger or cheaper or does this or does that. And Google Glass has been in the news now for a year, every day some mention of it is there. It was the tech writers that brought Apple back to earth after it passed $700 a share. Yep, you can not believe anything written there any more. All they do is smear each other, no more well written pieces on great software, just ads for or against one operating system or the other. The only thing I enjoyed was watching Microsoft buckle at the knees as the PC market disappeared. Apple did show us what a good system was, and continues to improve it. However others are building out good systems now as a result. This has made the technology sections in the news, well it isn't worth reading anymore. They should change the tittle to tech ads or the phone wars section, anything but news as their is very little of it anymore.
7 billion, just using the tech, and counting

Shame on them

I need to vent, it is beyond me how things have gotten this screwed up, and how blatant everyone has become.
Scandals? Hell if you are a politician without a scandal I would ask whats wrong with you. You go into politics to be scandalous, to be bought, to be manipulated. This is the way of "ALL GOVERNMENTS". Cheat and conspire is the rule, not the exception.
Then there is our "new disease" obesity. Please tell me just how much you care about this when the biggest restaurant chain in Canada sells nothing but butter and sugar. Tim's is only an example of how bad are eating habits have become. Even in France many of the restaurants use frozen and factory prepared meals. Again another scandal in that they don't want you to know this. Pre chopped onions and such is the way it's done today, I don't think many of us could afford to eat somewhere where meals were made from scratch. Just like farming the factories have taken over and production is the #1 goal, not quality but quantity.
Then there is the way we farm, no matter how many times it's shown that crop rotation works, they would rather spray chemicals to rid themselves of the bugs that keep becoming resistant to the very spays they use. As well as the GMO's that were suppose to save them from these pesticides. I call these people suborn stupid, along with all those that think fracking shale for oil and gas is okay and wont hurt the water supply.
Speaking of which where are we going to get more water? With temperatures rising do to whatever you believe and irrigating more and more crops to feed an unsustainable meat industry we are on the brink of a nasty drought. They can't pump it fast enough, cities like Los Vegas are in real trouble, but you don't see the golf courses closing, or the fountains shut off. This is called "head in the sand syndrome". As long as it does not affect you, well then it's not a problem.
Would someone please tell me why everything needs to be encased in plastic? Is this an addiction? I know the Chinese are great at injection moulding but why does everything need to be packaged? Man and getting things out of this packaging is sometimes a nasty experience. I've lost count how many times I've cut myself ripping this stuff open, hell someone makes a living selling a tool just to open these freaking packages. We of coarse are getting better at recycling plastic, but where does it go to be remade? I've pulled loads of this scrap to Vancouver where it gets loaded on ships that take it to China, but I've read that even China doesn't want to do this anymore. And the shrink wrap, well they can't ship anything anymore unless it's shrink wrapped. Tons and tons of shrink wrap that is used just once, then it's bagged up and shipped half way round the world.
With 7 billion and counting, we need to get it together, and soon!

Is it that hard to figure out?

The one thing that really drives me crazy is, "we need to do more research". Yep, you never know when 1+1 might come out to equal 3. The more we need action the more we get, "we need to have a meeting on this". Anything but doing something, and then when someone actually does do something everyone attacks. It's like fighting is more fun then fixing things. You get more attention when doing this, as apposed to not doing or fixing something.
Take global warming, no matter the cause or the evidence it is amazing just how many deny it. I can not remember planes sinking into the runways, or people getting 2nd degree burns form walking on pavement. But the one I want to talk about is obesity.
Peter Attia gave an incredible Ted Talk on this subject, it was one of the most moving talks I've seen. But he is pointing out what should be obvious to anyone that cares to know. All you have to do is look at old pictures in magazines from the seventies. People were not that fat, if fact they were down right slim. Don't believe it? How about the athletes back then, slim and lean with not many 300 pounders.
But today, even those that are fit or eat really good are having weight problems. As Peter pointed out in his talk there were fat people that did not get diabetes but thin and in good shape people were!
As a coincidence I had just started juicing, as I shared on my last post. Being a vegetarian (I won't say vegan anymore as this is pretty much impossible to be) I was gaining weight. At first I thought it had to do with the fact that I quit smoking. I put on 45 lbs. (20 kilos) after quitting. And it would not go away. I was getting annoyed that I was this heavy. But then I started juicing, I changed nothing else. Still ate as much, in fact was eating more. Funny thing happened, I started losing weight. Were my cells hoarding the fat because of not enough nutrients? I have to say that this was my conclusion. When I started "packing it in the juice" I was giving myself way more then I ever have, the result was a weight loss and what I can only describe as a feeling of leanness I have not felt in a long time. Yes I know it has only been like 5 or 6 days but this feeling is intoxicating. How could I have not tried this sooner?
I believe, like many, our food is very lacking. They get more and more from the land and fatten up the animals faster and faster. What is left is food with no value. The body adjusts by turning it all into fat as a defence. If you are not getting enough nutrients the cells revolt and do what they do, try to survive.
I know this sounds like an add for juicing, but I believe this to be the problem. It's why I have a garden,  and try to grow "good food" to eat. I can't put a price on the food I grow, because it's better then anything I've ever had before. And when I started juicing my produce I have started feeling way better. I am planing next years garden to take advantage of this, more fast growing greens, more carrots, more spinach and such to juice. I will keep you posted on my weight loss as it goes, so far it has only been 7 pounds but it is a steady loss each day, I hope to get under 200 pounds soon!
7 billion, juicing every green there is, and felling great!!!!

Vegetable Juciers

For the record, I've been a vegetarian for three years now, as it was July 1st that I changed my life style to much healthier eating habits. I did little to no research before I made the change, learning as I went.
Then I moved back into the family home and planted a big garden. That was last year and I had some success with growing my own veggies. This is year two and I've made some big changes to how I garden. I've raised all my beds and changed the soil medium for better plant growth. I have also started a worm bin to compost my greens. My red wigglers do good at composting giving me the best fertilizer you can have for the garden. But feeding them has proven to be a bit of a problem, sorting out the scraps of green and chopping up newsprint for them is time consuming.
Then we purchased a juicer! Well let me tell you both my life partner and myself have undergone a transformation in the way we eat. We pretty much through anything we have in this machine and out comes the most nutritious thing you can put in your body. Afraid of the taste? just add more apples and carrots. It has only been a few days and I notice that I not only feel better, but I seem to be happier. Add to this that we are not wasting our veggies as much and getting more into our bodies on a daily basis this is something I can't believe I've missed out on the past few years.
It of coarse has me rethinking the garden I plant, as I will be putting in way more carrots and leafy greens to consume that are also easier to grow. Spinach, carrots, kale, swiss chard, beans, peas all of which are easy to grow but are easy to waste as well as it's hard to eat it as fast as it grows. But now I see just how much we can consume if we juice it.
Now for the best part, my worms LOVE the pulp that is made while juicing. It makes for a very easy way to feed these incredible creatures that turn this into black gold for the garden. I can see already I do not have enough worms to eat it all. So I hope to increase the size of my worm farm hoping to make enough compost so I don't need to bring in as much as I've had to this year. We will see but this is a HUGE game changer for me and already I can't wait for next years garden! How we all eat and grow our food in the future is what I'm most interested in. I hope to be an expert in back yard farming and pass this on to anyone wanting to do the same. Good gardening to all and happy Canada day.

PS We purchased an Omega VRT400HDS juicer. For a single auger style it works good, and the scrapper design keeps the screen clean while it juices. I do not receive consideration for this endorsement

Johnny Depp

I love great actors, and there are more then a few out there. A great actor takes you away from the subliminal and puts you inside of what they are doing. They make life worth living for many who have dull lives or are otherwise restricted from the best of what the world has to offer. Then there's Johnny Depp.
I for one am annoyed that Disney kept him all to themselves with the pirate movies, I understand the money he made but his talent was wasted after the first one. He is the one person I can look at and say,
"hey I'm not the only one" that's crazy. He has an incredible gift at what he does, many movies he has been in would not have been made were it not for his incredible acting. And I for one can't wait to go see "the Lone Ranger" with Johnny playing Tonto. As he said on Letterman he wanted to set the record straight on what we have done to these first nations people at the same time entertaining us to death. Something only he can do.
Anyways happy birthday Johnny, at 50 you still look like you are 29 and I hope you have manny more "good films" to do before you call it a career!

The "N" word

What is it about this word that stirs so much emotion? It's a lot like swearing, the "F" word just rolls off your tongue so easily, I can think of a few more that are the same, but the "N" word is taboo. You are not allowed to say it, think it, or otherwise use it unless you are black, in which case you get to use it anyway you want. I did see someone on TV the other day saying that he wished the word would just disappear, and I understand that. The persecution that the African Americans has endured and still endures is mind boggling. It ranks right up there with what the Jews must have felt after the war. It's just like trying to quit smoking, when you see someone smoking you conjure up all those moments when you were addicted.
Maybe one day everyone will get that we are ALL made from the same DNA and that we are all equal in most ways. That is the most wonderful thing about science, it dispels most of the bullshit.
7 billion, equal in all ways, and counting

Catastrophes

The best news items are usually a catastrophe of some sort, be it a volcano, hurricane or fire. These are the most exciting for us to watch, as we must all be thinking what it would be like to be caught in one. No one catastrophe is worse then the next as loss of life and possessions are usually the result. This week Calgary, a city 200 miles south of where I live, got hammered by relentless rain to the point where most of the downtown core was flooded. The storm was rotating counter clockwise dropping all it's rain up against the mountains where it rolled back faster then the cars on the adjoining highway to all the lower lying areas. Two or three towns were completely evacuated stranding hundreds of thousands.
It has occurred to me that many cities and towns were built in low lying areas where settlers had put up stakes in the past. Unfortunately many of these places were not the best place to build. They were convenient at the time as water was handy to get with minimal work getting it back to their shacks. But today, with the spread of these cities and all the land being paved over it has lead to these kind of things happening.
I feel really bad for our neighbours to the south, and wish them the best in dealing with what can only be a massive mess not to mention power outages and ruptured sewers. No, not something I would want to deal with. If we needed it, the work would have been great. But this provence is already short of skilled workers do to our oil industry, it will take a long time to dig out of this one for sure.

Cheating

The games we play in life make us all cheaters, and bullies, and hypocrites. It would appear to me that this is instinctive, as a means to existing. Yet this is the very thing they try and stop, the cheaters and bullies.
In China apparently it's you're right to cheat. If you paid good money to cheat then that is your right. As witnessed at the state exams for entrance to university. They searched all the students for radio and cell phone devices, confiscated them and forced the students to write their exams without cheating. The parents were so upset they trapped the officials in the building and were tying to "get them" when police finally arrived. To them, it was their right to help their kids cheat and what these people did stopped them from doing so, and I suspect that a great deal of money was wasted as the cheaters could not communicate with the students. A truly "ironic" moment don't you think?
So how is it we keep falling for these scams? How is it we want so desperately want to believe everyone is on the up and up? It's a strange life we live, sure hope their are answers in the afterlife.
7 billion, pulling one over on you, and counting

Sports like hockey

I witnessed what can only be described as the most sickening video ever of a 16 year old hockey player getting beat up so bad he had a two black eyes, a broken nose and a concussion. Laying on the ice unable to defend himself he was hit ten times with roundhouse punches that would make you squirm in your seat. The parents were there as they filmed all his games and had to watch in horror as their son got this beating.
They took this video to the police and showed it to the league officials who basically said, "it's part of the game" and they should go on with their business. They did however suspend both the puncher and the poor kid who did not partake in any way in this fight. The police are not taking this seriously and it looks like it will end up under the rug. Even a lawyer who has taken on cases like this said it would go nowhere in court.
It has made me very glad I never put my own son in this game, but then it occurred to me that the parents of this boy could take him out of it as well. They never once said anything like this. If the brutality of the game is not to your liking then walking away is the right thing to do. These sports are all getting out of hand, taking shots to the head by well conditioned athletes is doing real damage. Most of these kids will never play professional and are risking brain trauma just to play a game! Then there is the "overprotection of players" that is happening. Little league players with so much protection on they can barely move.
All I know for sure is that this is going to stop one day, there will be a death so gruesome it will kill these leagues with lawsuits up the ying yang. I'm just glad this was not me at this game, as I would be in jail for taking revenge on someone involved. I know I would have gone off the deep end if that was my kid getting beat up, further showing why I'm sick of the game and not interested in watching it anymore. For the record, I played a lot of hockey when I was young, and loved the sport till I was signed for "rep hockey" when the fun was taken out of it for me. I stopped playing at 14 years old and do not regret it.

Bangladesh

The CBC did a profile look at the aftermath of the building collapse that happened in Bangladesh. As sad as it was I couldn't get over just how well dressed these people were. Even though they were paid very little to work in those factories making what can only be described as VERY CHEAP and not very good looking cloths, they themselves were dressed in very colourful silks. It made me want to go out and buy some for myself. Did they miss a chance to do original styles of their own, export these beautiful and colourful robes to wear?
All I know for sure is that these cheap cloths they produce do not last long and for the most part are ugly. I try to put myself in their place and wonder just how unstylish the people are that ware this shit I'm making! But this is the market Wall Mart has made, cheap cheap cheap. I purchased some socks at Super Store (Loblaws) that leave a trail of fabric on the carpet and fall apart so quick I can't keep up with replacing them. I of coarse do not buy this crap anymore, but then when I try to find decent cloths to buy it becomes very hard, or the price is astronomical do to low demand.
When was it that all these stores decided that only the lowest priced goods were what we wanted? Like sheep everyone did the same thing producing crap at the absolute lowest price possible. You all know what I'm talking about, to go out and find anything that is made decent is hard to do. I remember buying a shovel at Crap Tire once, lasted for less then a day. The rivet used to hold it together bent resulting in it's unsuitability. Of coarse I could take it back but when I tried to find a better one all I found was the same kind of crap.
The final thing I want to say about this is something they do not report on. It was revealed in the piece that there was a big rush to put out the "Joe Fresh" order and this was why many died in the collapse as they were working overtime to get it done. All these big buyers put time limits on delivery of the goods, and when they fail to get it out on time they get even less money for the work. Wall Mart does this to trucking companies that show up late with a trailer, no matter why they were late they fine the company more then they make on the load. I know this for a fact as I've been in the trucking business for many years. The post Office does this as well, with the poor owner operator getting stuck with a loss, I mean even 5 minuets late gets you fined. This is the reason for catastrophes like this, way too much pressure to get things done. This needs to stop, everyone needs to take a breath and relax a bit.
7 billion, taking a moment, and counting

The Truth

Ha, like I know what "the truth" is. The better question is does anybody know the truth? There is spin put on spin to the point that the spinners are confused. Not only are they confused, they really don't care  about the truth, so help me god!
It's that line, so help me god, that always intrigued me. By swearing on a bible you somehow were compelled to tell the truth, that once you "solemnly swear" on a bible what you said was in fact the truth.
Fact is is that the "facts" are always in dispute. That any two people will see something totally different or interpret "the facts" completely different from one another. I mean how else do you explain the Republican Party in the USA. (lol)
Then we get to morals, are morals the same everywhere? Even if some people have "different morals" do they understand each other's morals? Ones beliefs in the order of things is at the heart of what the truth is. But why is there such inflexibility between differing opinions? The answer to that is we are all spoiled, that we all want what we want and you are wrong and they are right. No, okay then lets fight about it and I will beat the truth into you. Yep, lets start a war on this because I'm going to get my way if it kills every last person in my country!
As it stands I see many of these kind of dictators disappearing of late. The masses are better educated and better informed. Like looking for the common denominator in a math problem, the world is slowly moving to one side or the other. Left, right, Muslim, Christen, Catholics, well I don't see an opposite to them. They are in a arena all by themselves. You get my drift here, and really I think many would argue that this is where we are right now. Seven billion people on one side or the other ready to annihilate one another. Makes for a scary place to live for sure as the means to do this are in place. All it will take is the wrong person to push the wrong button.
7 billion, with fingers crossed, and counting

Is a cashless society coming?

There are many people who would be terrified of a CL, (cashless society) as it would make cheating a whole lot harder. Not to mention who would control the credit system that would replace it. But I really think as a race we are poised to evolve to the next level, and at this level the current system would be useless. Robotics can do pretty much anything that justifies it's use. The rich are as rich as they are going to be, without a middle class they will run out of customers. That is where I see us at now, with the middle getting wiped out.
You have all this tension everywhere in the world that is ready to explode, and is exploding. By taking cash out of the equation many of these protests would fizzle out. Then you make all governments transparent in their operations, making it a service you need to do for your country like being in the army. After all, their is an app for running these things as well as robotics to do all the disgusting things we don't want to do. Make up a great logistic trade program with bar code tracking seen right on your personal device. Add some kind of capitalistic component to it all for people that want more but protect those that do not. We have the technology to run everything, we have the internet to connect it all, and we are close to having sustainable power sources to power it up.
Having fun in life is what most want, some meaning and some accomplishments with no stress and healthy life styles. We can do this, it's not that far out of an idea. Do we have the will is the only question that needs to be asked.
7 billion, singing John Lennon's Imagine, and counting

How Nice!

I've been thinking more on all the communication that the US government has been recording, and wondered why I bother to back up? Would seem they have a super size back up that is always on. Now if only they had the capacity for pictures, hmmmmmm.
Best 2 for 1 of the day, a small aqua-farm that grows food. A small self cleaning fish tank that grows food for only $60 this product needs to be in every big box store there is. The kids get to have some fish, and you get to grow some food. See it at, backtothewoods.com. Built by two graduates this is a terrific idea.
Raised bed gardening. As I've told you before I garden a lot. This year I built raised beds for all of my plants and I'm here to tell you this is the ONLY way to go! I have twice the growing space with about a third the work. It makes it very easy to take care of everything including the weeds. If you use "Mel's Mix" from square foot gardening and add in all that the internet has to offer on the subject, growing food becomes real easy. And clean as well, you can walk among the boxes and not disturb the plants I for one am completely sold on this method. Google images of raised bed gardens and you will see what I mean.
Apple back in the spotlight. I still have a hard time understanding how everyone treats this company. I compare it to a sports stars like Tiger or Labron, they are so good that we come to expect way more from them then the rest. Anyways I really like what they are doing, the polish they are putting to their operating systems is nothing short of fantastic. If only there were more companies that cared as much as they do about making the best stuff they can.
Vegetarian Thursdays. My oldest, Maxine, just told me about a lady in a town outside of Belgium that has got the whole city to sell and prepare vegetarian meals only! Wow, what effort that must have taken. I immediately thought of "fish Fridays" that the Catholics used to practice. It would seem that in Europe sustainability initiatives like this are far ahead of North America. Of coarse they are under more pressure to do these things as living space is at such a premium but to be so cool as well. I think a movie could be made out of the effort that it must have taken to get everyone on board, I'm sure it would be a great comedy hit.
7 billion, eating green one day a week, and counting

Control

The exposure of government surveillance should really not be that surprising, we have been fascinated with this since the first Bond film. But this is the march we have been on with the invention of the internet. Add in Google, Facebook, Apple and yes even Microsoft and you can only conclude that privacy is pretty much non existent. We are exposed to all that care to look. But can you imagine sifting through all that data? Can anyone think that they have really have any privacy in their lives?
To me this paints the real story of what most live for, and that is control. Even money and power do not stand beside the notion of control. The husband controlling his wife, the religions controlling their flocks, and of coarse the governments controlling their people. In every situation you are in it's about control. When I sold cars for a living is was about controlling the customer. We all want things to go our way, and we go the extreme lengths to do just that.
But I see this as a good thing, with the speed of the internet and the over saturation of devices connected to it we truly are exposed. Meaning we are all becoming more equal, not less. If we can all see what everyone else is doing then control starts to diminish. I think this is the one thing that will save us in the long run, the freedom to see everything, to learn about what everyone else is doing. As with the Borg on Star Trek next generation, you will be assimilated, it is inevitable. But the one thing they cannot control is thought, what goes on in your head is yours and no one else's. Even with the Borg pure thought won out in the end, being an individual was what triggered their downfall. I see it this way, how else can you see it? Believe what you want, and think about what you want. That to me is what freedom is, going deep in thought.
7 billion, knowing what everyone is doing, and counting

Obesity

I have some observations to this problem that the media just doesn't seem willing to report on. If you look back to the seventies and even early eighties people were not that fat or obese, they pretty much ate the same, maybe were more active but I dispute that. No, everyone went about their business and we all lived good. I can remember the first time I ate KFC in Toronto, couldn't get enough of it. And I did not get fat. Hell when I was a teenager going to the local burger joint it was nothing for me to eat 4 or 5 burgers and have some fries with it, still I didn't get fat. Neither did many of the people I knew.
Then the science kicked in, they figured out how to fatten up cattle faster, they drugged up the chickens and put them on the same force feed diet. They started feeding these animals food they would never eat in the wild, and these animals packed on the fat making the industry way more profits. It was right about then that you noticed the obesity. Even the vegetables were being "reprogrammed" to grow faster with less nutrition. The super markets figured out if they sold you veggies for less then you could grow them they would get you in their stores. This in turn put tremendous pressure on the growers to make these foods cheaper to ship, I mean it took a grass roots campaign targeting Taco Bell and others to increase the price of tomatoes a few pennies just so the pickers could make enough to feed themselves.
So here we are where this has become even more prolific with even more corners cut and animals coming to market fatter and quicker then ever. Is this picture I'm painting becoming clear yet? Hell I'm a vegetarian and do not eat bad food and still I gain weight. I to have to live on the produce they sell when winter is here. Go ahead and be blinded by the excuses that are being made, like it's somehow OUR fault we are obese, this is what has happened, and that is why we are fat, period!
7 billion, eating up the burgers, and counting

Rich Sports Stars

When I look at the state of things I can't help but wonder what our economy would be like if these pro's only made a modest living, you know some million dollar contracts but mostly just above average incomes. By adding greed to the already intense competitive aspect of top athletes the numbers are nothing short of stupid. And when someone tries to tell me that these people stimulate the economy I gag. If there was anything that fuelled inflation it was the values of sports contracts.
Now they are all competing for scarce resources of many people who are starting to keep their kids out of these sports for fear of concussions. Football I think is going to die a very painful death. The NFL will be sued out of existence in the near future, but hockey? This sport is doomed, it will only take one bad incident and lawsuit to shut them down. At the grass roots the rules are being modified to protect young players and these rules will stymy the game. But really, making ice in an ever increasing warm climate is doomed for sure. Many cities cannot continue to subsidize the rich with tax incentives for arenas. How ironic that the scoreboards in hockey arenas are so hot they melt the ice!
Not unlike our politicians there is less and less honour in sports, it has all come down to the money, not what is right. Is it right to try to wreck someones career for the sake of winning. To purposely injure someone really makes me puke, literally! I have not watched a full game of hockey this year, football as well has fallen off my viewing habits. The worst is the crying baseball players, pitchers throwing a ball at someones head and calling it "okay, part of the game". Speaking of baseball, how is it okay to hit a defenceless catcher at home plate full force? It is the only play the allows this kind of barbaric contact.
Sorry if I have offended you sports fiends out there, but it is no longer cool anymore and I for one think this will be different in the near future.
7 billion, trying to be more responsible, and counting

Sustainability

I see this word a lot of late. I think of it myself on many occasions. It's right up there with utopia and living the dream. Wouldn't it be nice to have a life that is sustainable with no pressure to grow. 

When I stop to think about it, this is a pipe dream. How can we not grow, not move forward or try new things. Being sustainable is like stopping time in many ways, but in the end you always come up just a bit short. Like growing a garden. There is always something you need to get or source to get it done. No matter how hard you try to keep from using outside suppliers something always comes up. 

It's like the dreamers that think Atlantis was a paradise. Well it was, but only in their dreams, time keeps moving on and so do we. Sustainability, thats the start line, what comes is anyones guess.

Go ahead, smoke some

If there is one truth to using "weed madness" is that no one has ever been hurt, had a fight, or done anything to start a war. This simple but effective medication is better then almost all the current drugs used to treat depression or depressed people. The only real side affect is becoming hungry. Even that is a good thing if you are going through chemotherapy as it helps with getting a meal in when that is the last thing these people want.
Yet it still is not "legal" and still it backs up our court systems with cases of people that have been busted for it's use. Even in the treatment for alcoholism there is no better drug. I know many of recovering addicts that would not have got there without the help of weed.
It boggles my mind that things like this still happen in a world that is as connected as we are. All I know for sure is that people like to "share joints" with others. It is the best remedy to hostilities there is, yet it's use is still barred by many countries. Seems we like hostilities more then love and friendship.
7 billion, smoking a big one and getting along, and advancing.

Trying to be clean

As a race, we pretty much do anything and everything to keep ourselves clean. Invent washing machines, hire maids and butlers, install many shower and tubs for bathing. You get my point, but how is it that we are so dirty?
It would seem that anything we touch becomes hazardous. Or we "over do it" and ruin it for the rest! I believe this is the reason we will fall from grace. It's a paradox that plays out everywhere in the world. It's not hard to believe the doom sayers, our "bad habits" will sink us for sure if we ALL don't get our acts together.
Then comes first, the internet. There are over 6 billion connected devices today, a number that will quickly rise moving forward. And then there is Google Glass. If everyone is potentially being videoed then the big problems should be easier to fix. It doesn't have to be big brother watching, it will be EVERYONE watching. This could be a much softer way of correcting habits. I'm hopeful.
7 billion, watching over each other's shoulder, and counting.

It's all planted

At last, some time to reflect as we got the garden in. Still waiting for our first rain, we get nothing but snow right into April but not a lick of rain, we need some soon. But today's topic is about facial recognition.

Is this the end of feeling alone? With a pair of Google Glasses will everyone know everyone? And will this bring peace to us in some way? 

As soon as we all signed up for Face Book we gave away our privacy. But this is a good thing I think. Being accountable is what the world needs in a big way so with the aid of this tech "getting away with it" should be a thing of the past. If people stop thinking about getting away with bad deeds will we start thinking about doing good deeds? Lots of questions moving forward, one can hope good things will be the result. I'm going with half full on this one.

It's only Rock and Roll

For the first time ever I watched the rock and roll hall of fame inductees televised production. Now being a Saturday night and nothing on the other 100 channels I thought I'd give it a look. Personally I as a rule do not like awards shows. Something about people patting themselves on the back that gets to me. But this was very different.
First, all inductees that were still alive got up and performed live, along with some very notable backup musicians. And no one told me it was on HBO with no commercials! Another reason I hate awards shows. No this was a very credible performance by some great rock and rollers. Liked it so much I watched it again as it came back on right after it finished. But the egos, man they get in and still complain that it took too long. Then on Monday those that are not in the hall were bellyaching like Kiss and such. But really, everyone who made music 20 plus years ago deserve to be in. Question is, who can still perform and do the people who run this thing like them.
In the end, it was in my opinion a good show. Credit to the performers that were there and eventually everyone will get in. Even the rappers! haha

The future

Wait, predictions are made on New Years Day not in the middle of May. Well the future is coming full blast and the changes are occurring at breakneck speed.
Major companies are still running with their heads in the sand, but that is the way of the capitalistic world. Keep on growing and reducing costs, no matter what. Well the public is getting savvy to this and cutting back is what many families are doing. Things like getting their hair done, eating out, driving less, growing a garden. It seems everyone is starting to be more accountable to the environment as well as themselves. There is so much superficial about how we live, combine that with instant knowledge from the internet and what you got is many deciding not to live in the status quo.
I find myself wondering if the DVR has had anything to do with this. I know myself that I watch very few commercials now, anything I watch is recorded in order to avoid them. Ad to that all the entertainment found online at U-Tube and Netflix and you have a generation growing up not influenced by ads. The only place you can't escape ads is on live sporting events. But even that is being challenged, as the head injuries mount many a parent has stopped putting their kids in sports where this can happen. For me this year has been one where I have not watched a complete game of hockey. Every time I see a player give someone a cheap head shot I lose interest and change the channel. And pro football has become an offence only kind of league. But I think the writing is on the wall for these two sports. Soccer is another, "heading the ball" is creating many undiagnosed concussions. I find myself watching more golf of late, not much chance of seeing "dirty shots" taken at other players. But even golf is not good, all that water and pesticides to keep the grass looking like it does can not be a good thing.
No change is happening at a rapid rate. It is coming not from any one movement, but from ALL the movements. It's scary but exciting at the same time. Can't wait to see what happens.
7 billion, fed up and wanting change, and counting.

Cleaning up

One of the most "ironic things" we do is figuring out how to avoid chores we don't like to do. Somehow doing the jobs is the glamorous part but when it comes time to "tidy up" everyone disappears  or has more pressing obligations. Men are notorious at avoiding the dishes after a meal, or taking out the garbage.
This weekend we planted our garden and I found myself going in circles trying to keep up with everyone as they did the "glamorous jobs" like transplanting to the beds and putting in the seeds. In the end I was of coarse laughing about it and yes, a lot of work got done with everyones help. But man, I spent a full day just tiding up from the effort. It's like we scheme and invent ways to avoid this part of living from the moment we are born.
I watched a show on the maids and butlers of the British Monarch recently. It was BIG NEWS that prince Harry cleaned a toilet on his own, and polished his own boots! This was news! Watch at 6 as a royal cleans a toilet! haha.
7 billion, avoiding cleanup, and counting

Digging In

At last, some good weather to get the garden ready. The cold hung on too long and now we need to work quickly to get it all planted. While doing this, building up our garden, I constantly ask myself what it's worth?
Do the supper markets deflate produce prices in order to keep you from growing your own food? If so it must work because not enough of us think about growing our food. Yet just a hundred years ago that is ALL you thought about. It's like we look for anything else to do but grow food.
What you miss is the "earth connection" that comes with gardening. And the tranquil peace that comes with "digging in".
It has sunk in for me just how important it is to grow plants. Try it and feel the "connection" for yourself.
7 billion, digging in and counting.

Must be overwhelming

How many times have you thought about how you would spend a million if you won a lottery? And when you did think about it did you include doing something for the homeless? Or for single moms? or for the elderly?
When you hear about all these very rich people why do you never hear that THEY SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD AND HOMELESS CENTRES? Companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Bloomberg. They all have the wealth to help with this, they could make a difference. But share holder value is apparently more important then helping your fellow man. Conservatives do not like this, they think it's every man (and women I guess) for themselves. Less government, more poverty is the agenda. Clean water? Clean air to breath? Nope, not important. And then there is education!
It is very clear, the more people are educated, the better their chances at having a better life. Most of the problems in this world are from a lack of education. I'm happy that more and more information is available online, and think this is making a difference, but you still need to be with your peers to help in understanding things.
No, I think most are just overwhelmed with this. It's just too much to think about helping when you can think about having instead.
7 billion, keeping it for themselves, and counting.

They want work

In many places around the world the youth are revolting. It would seem that many are without a future, no jobs, no money and no hope. This is going to sneak up on us and bite us hard where it hurts the most.
I'm at a loss in figuring out how this will be rectified. Many of these countries have upwards of 50% unemployment for people under 25. You have all seen these reports, and you all are likely very happy to be living here where it so far has not affected us. My question is this, what are the 50% employed thinking about? Are they happy to have work and therefor not interested in taking part in these protests?
I grew up in the 60's/70's and remember the protests that were happening then. It would seem we are treating this like they treated us back then. In other words they are doing nothing, sweeping it under the rug so to speak. Hey this worked back then didn't it? All the hippies and protesters went to work and that was that.
I feel this time these kids can't do that, austerity is kicking them square in the junk and those that make decisions are looking out for themselves only, and that is a shame. One thing is for certain, these kids have energy and numbers, and if things do not get better this is going to be the hot button of this generation. A new economy is needed, our brightest need to figure this out soon. Will we all pitch in or will we argue till nothing gets done.
Billions without hope and counting.

Indecision

I've been absent for a few days as I am preparing my garden for the current year. I have decided that I will raise my growing beds as this is much better for both the plants and for me as I will not be bending over as much. There are of coarse many more reasons to do this but those two alone make that an easy decision.
But what has me stumped is how exactly I'm going to build them. I've changed my mind at least a dozen times and today I need to order the wood needed to build these raised beds. I'm trying to be efficient and have it work for any crop or situation that comes up.
There lies the rub, unlike most animals on this planet we are always at odds with what to do. Even when we are not, someone else has another way to do it and will argue their case. Then it comes to who has rank and the money, although that does not always get it done.
Nope, as a race we are always unsure of what we are doing and procrastinate on getting it done. Politicians are incredibly good at this, debating endlessly and stalling any changes unless of coarse it benefits them.
Our brains never stop thinking and the arguments that go on inside the brain are incredible. This is the very thing that makes quitting things like smoking so hard to do. The brain just keeps making "the decision" hard to do. How ironic.
7 billion, who can't make a decision, and counting

Just like school

So they got their man. The bomb suspect's have been captured or killed. But look at the disruption as a result of their actions. Sporting events cancelled, business's shut down, people locked in their homes. You remember when it only took a few to ruin it for the rest. And now all marathons are doubling security, to go to a hockey game you have to go sooner so they can scan you, man doing anything will be like getting on an airplane! Will we all say to hell with it and not bother? Will we become complacent and allow this to happen again? 

For me, I would have given up my season's tickets, I would avoid large public gatherings. Because when the freedom of attending these events gets taken away the fun is gone with it. How can you take a hockey or baseball game seriously when people are being killed indiscriminately. Living in North America has kept us isolated from these kind of things, but not anymore. 

Then there is the gun control thing, that is all I heard this weekend. Debate after debate with nothing to come of it. Is there just too many people on this planet? Are we becoming so cramped that to live freely is a thing of the past? And how on earth do these thugs remain in power? So many questions, so few answers. Or at least answers that we can ALL live with. Wake me up when the new age is upon us.

7 billion, wanting it their way, and counting.

Hey hey, my my

Last night I was doing my usual surfing on TV, you know, flip from a commercial to another program then back. So last night I had the CBC news going but on one of our movie channels Neil Young's solo performance at Massy Hall was on. "Hey hey, my my, rock and roll will never die", clic. And today at the Boston Garden the Bruins were playing their first game after the bombing, clic "theres more to the picture then meets the eye, clic, so the investigation is being pressured by 100 million amature CSI's. Many of which are disrupting the FBI's crack team, clic, "it's better to burn out, rust never sleeps, hey hey, my my" clic, Justin, the new Liberal party leader trying to be philosophical like his dad but failing miserably. However, he is putting fear in the Prime Minister as the attacks are in full force, clic, "Look at mother nature on the run in the nineteen seventies, I was lying in a burned out basement with the yellow haze of the sun, I was hopping for replacement", clic, coming next, the man who broke the story on all the tax evaders. Great I want to hear this one and clicked back for just a little more. "Come walk with me, come walk with me, talk to me, come walk with me", clic, and then the President of France says it's time to rid the world of tax havens, clic, " come walk with me, come walk with me.
This story is so big, so big that Wiki Leaks looks very small beside it. If all these tax havens could be closed imagine how much money would be available to the rest of us. Well I for one, am very happy that reporter from Australia had the guts to make sense of all the data he was given. It's time for these cheaters to be put on notice.
Hey hey, all 7 billion, my my, stopping corruption, rock and roll will never die!

Are we there yet?

The invention of the internet has to be one of the all time great things ever! Right up there with electricity, the internet has sped up our existence to where we are now. No big news there, except where we go from here.
It has been predicted that "all people" will be online by 2020. I agree with this and wonder if by that time we will have "got there" at last. I can't be the only one thinking this way, pretty much everything I see is becoming the same, there are less choices but they are far more efficient and inexpensive. Does everything become free? How does the free economy keep going? Hell we barely need government, certainly much less of it then what we have today. As Steve Jobs told us, "theres an app for that". Well there is an app for everything, road maintenance, welfare, immigration you can pretty much pick a department and an app can replace most of what those people do.
So to answer my question, "are we there yet", I would have to say, hmmmm, soon!
7 billion people, waiting for Captain Kirk to show up.

NO you're not, YES I am

As soon as you declare you "are something" there will be an avalanche of comments that you are not that something. It's like living in a police state where you get jailed for saying anything negative about the said police state. When I tell people that I'm vegan, the attacks begin. You are wearing leather, or you eat bread that has an egg in it. You get my point I think, but it seems to be a never ending barrage of attacks by those that do nothing to improve this world. In the end, no one is "anything" as that is pretty much impossible to achieve. 

Religion is a good example, are all Catholics really Catholics? If so why do so many priests abuse children? Are atheists really atheists? I suspect that they do believe in something spiritual, how can you not?

So I am going to invent a new "thing" to be, I will call it "Sustainable Rationalist". And the rules to be a S.R. are going to be whatever I decide "fits" at the time. Because that is pretty much what all these other organizations do is make the rules fit what you want them to be. For sure being a "Sustainable Rationalist" will give me lots of wiggle room to make compromises as I live my life.

7 billion, being rational, and counting. lol

Todays Garden Tip

First, I want to thank Owen for sharing the story of his school's subsidized food program, very worthy of recognition I think. (My last post "growing food")
Today we are going to talk about starting plants from seed. I was determined to start as much as I could this year from seed. So I want to share what I have learned so far.
1- Don't over plant, it pained me so much to through out perfectly good plants that I just didn't have room for. I thought it would be easy to "offload" the excess but no, everyone has their way of doing this.
2- Don't start too early, but don't start too late. Ya I know, confusing for sure. I'm sitting here looking at snow, and more snow and cool temps that have kept my fast growing plants inside. I was really hopping to get some to the greenhouse, but it is still too cool to leave them out. Of coarse I could heat it, but that is not cost effective and my greenhouse is not quite finished so I'm stuck waiting for some warmer weather.
3- Make sure you have the time to tend to the plants. I spend about an hour every day looking after them. The onions when they pop up need help as they have trouble pulling the seed pod out of the soil. A quick snip and they do fine, they also need to be trimmed to about 3 inches till the third leaf comes. By then they need to be transplanted to deeper pots (at least 4"deep) and then trimmed to 5" to keep them from falling over.
As you can see it is involved to do this. This is my first year, but I have had the time to research everything on my number 1 tool, the iPad, and am learning quickly as I go. One thing is for sure, I'm going to have a lot of tomatoes this year, and will need to learn to can them. I plan to have a canning party and share the bounty with everyone that helps. And what a party that will be!
7 billion, canning food, and growing

Growing Food

All the valium in the world would not calm you as much as growing some food. Working with plants has to be the most unwinding and relaxing things there is to do. It takes you right away from the stresses of everyday life.
But can someone please tell me why this isn't taught in schools? If you lived with a bush tribe in Africa, as a child all you would learn about is how to gather and grow food to survive. And those children are not obese, not violent, and for the most part are healthy. It would seem that drugs is the only choice when dealing with "attention deficit disorder" when it has been shown that planting and growing things is far more effective. Mean kids, small kids, boys and girls alike all do better when they are working with plants. And lets not forget the benefits of growing fresh food in the school, many children that are poor and do not have enough to eat will benefit greatly from this.
I know their are some movements taking place where this is starting to be done, in California there are schools ripping up pavement to plant things, as it has repeatedly shown to improve moral. If you are in a position to influence these kind of things, please try to. The world would be a much calmer and better place to live.

Okay it's spring, lets grow a garden!

At the urging of my eldest daughter I am going to start giving garden tips in my column. Not that I am a professional in this field, but I do spend a whole lot of time figuring out the misdirection that exists in the wonderful world of gardening.
Last year I had great success for the most part, some failures as well but what I learned will drive me this year to grow as much food as possible in my suburban back yard. What is wonderful about this today is the raft of help that is available on the internet. I sit in front of my iPad and can find info on just about anything related to growing food. So the first and most important tool you need is an iPad.
It is my belief that raised bed gardens are the very best way to go. You have better control of the soil you use, the beds warm up faster, you can cover them easily in the event of some bad weather and the most important thing is that you do not walk on them compacting the soil. This and this alone is good enough reason to "raise your beds". Do a quick Google of raised beds and you will see hundreds and hundreds of different ideas, many of which are easy and cheap to build. Not only that but by raising the beds bending over is much easier and keeping the weeds out as well.
So start there and then we will go into more info on the hows. When you think about it, we could grow so much food right where we live that famine could be wiped out. But most of all growing food is so much fun and rewarding that it makes you wonder why we don't do more of it.

What do we really see

Can you trust your eyes? Is what you see real? Can a witness be counted on to tell the truth when it is so easy to discredit the testimony?
Many questions and not near enough answers. I was watching the history of aliens this weekend and after 2 hours of testimonies everything had an alternative explanation. And I mean everything! It made me wonder if we can trust what we see, we don't have "super vision", and our brains can perceive things that are not there. Hypnosis is not reliable as again the brain is very good at making things up. So that question came to me, "what do we really see"?
How about dark matter, this substance has been proven to exist but we cannot see it. Magicians use slight of hand and miss direction to deceive you from seeing the truth in their tricks. I could go on and on but the answer keeps alluding me, can I believe what I see? Is this how religions started? With misdirection and deep mental hypnosis did the founders of our religions just pull the wool over our eyes? And what of all the unexplained UFO sightings, are there that many people that were fooled into believing or not believing what they saw?
Like the Oracle said in the Matrix, this really cooks your noodle as to what is real, and what our brain makes up. 7 billion eye witness's and no one saw a thing!

Cleaning up

If there is anything that is true, we humans are very dirty. We through our trash everywhere, and even those of us that you would call "neat freaks" still make a lot of waste.
Some think this is our planet to dump what ever we want on it, and up to a few hundred years ago we got away with it as the garbage was compostable for the most part. But now, the garbage we are making is almost impossible to keep up with, and it doesn't biodegrade. It has to be processed, after it has been gathered and shipped to some place where they don't mind working for peanuts.
Just keeping up with our own homes is exhausting, I swear I could walk around our house and clean and pick up stuff 24/7, and still not get ahead of it. There is a never ending stream of crap that we deal with every day and no one has an answer to this. We recycle, we compost and still it only scratches the surface. I'm in waste overload and feel helpless at stopping it.
7 billion tossing their shit everywhere and counting.

Time for Relection

I think Face Book just turned the corner, in my mind, now is a good time to buy some stock. But at any rate the release of Face Book Home will be a game changer if they pull it off. They will have cut Apple off at the pass. Not that iOS is in any danger here, but Home will be very significant in blurring the market, it wont matter what brand of Android you run, the interface will be the same. This will hurt Samsung for sure, and help out some other hand set makers. In the end we will have cheaper devices to carry around. Face Book is in a position to really disrupt many start-ups and dominate like Microsoft did on the desktop. FB will dominate on the home screen of many users transitioning themselves for advertising. This is BRILIANT! Make no mistake about this, it's a real game changer for sure.
One other brilliant thing I saw today was a new direction for hacking protection. Think of this for a moment, you "let the intruder" in and give him all he wants, of coarse it will be rubbish but the intruder will not know. With a bit of good work and some time, this kind of defence will put an end to most of the hacking going on as you will never really know for sure what info you have! This too is BRILLIANT!
Don't you just love the future?
7 billion and counting

Nudge and a wink

Back-room deals are the staples that have bound us together for ever. This, of coarse should be common knowledge as pretty much everyone does these things. Making deals with each other has been the way of life since time began for humans. But what happens when you can no longer "own up" to the promises made? How can you pay your own deals if the one before you does not pay?
The case of Governments going broke is just that. The deals are all strung out and the music has stopped. Grab a chair and hope to hell the legs don't collapse! I think this is where we find ourselves as a race today. The escalator has reached the top, not much room for error. So now what, hmmm.
Is it me? I notice that most common jobs around the world pay for roughly the same level of life style. Why do we need elected officials tinkering with these things. All the deals they made " to get elected" need to be satisfied, putting strain on  the economy. This web of deals has become way to tangled, it all needs to be much more simplified. Easy to understand and in plain language. No more nudges and a wink.
7 billion and counting.

Making a difference

Many things happen in this world that seem to have no logic. Needless deaths are at the top of this list. As a parent, having to bury your child is about as bad as it gets. Everything you thought important becomes very trivial, for some, the reason to live becomes too hard to bare. For others a great cause is started bringing family and friends close together. It is these causes that make our lives more fulfilled.
One great cause is called"purple day" in Toronto, raising awareness for epilepsy. The CN Tower is lit in purple and a group of people that have dedicated themselves open the Toronto Stock Exchange. I want to take a moment to say congratulations to my big brother Hank, who has taken up this cause and drives it year after year. Believe it or not, there are dogs that are trained to know when someone is having an epileptic attack and help that person before an accident happens. These dogs are really amazing to be able to sense this, and to have one must be very comforting to people who have this affliction. This year two were donated to needy families.
But really what I want to say is how great it is to make a difference, and Hank, you and everyone who are helping you are making a difference! It makes me very proud to be your brother. You are one out of 7 billion and counting that is trying to make a difference.

It's the Pet Generation

Are we so susceptible that the care of our pets exceed that of our own species? We all know how bad humans are at treating animals on this planet, how many are becoming extinct because of us. But the treatment of cats and dogs goes beyond anything we do for ourselves. There are wars breaking out in subdivisions over the unleashing areas and of cats being allowed to roam freely. Do we need to raise these predators at such a high degree? Yes, they are predators and yes they go outside and attack many other animals that do not have the protection they enjoy. The worst of it is that most of their kills are just for fun, as most pets are so well fed they do not eat what they kill.
Maybe that is what it is, killing for joy, or the notion that these pets can and do kill "just for the fun of it". Sounds like we want company in this area, as that is what we do on a regular basis. But when is it enough, when are there too many pets to be a health problem. These animals create a lot of waste, and we all have to deal with that, not just the pet owners. Pet"owners", maybe it's "owning" a pet or another living thing that is the draw. Because we all know that trying to"own" our kids gets nowhere. Whatever the case, with 7 billion and counting we all can't have these pets as they will eat us out of house and home!
But please, pick up after them! PLEASE

Reinvent Jobs

The speed at which we are going, is making more and more jobs obsolete. It's happening faster right now then it ever has. Even during the first industrial revolution things did not go nearly as fast. Maybe when electricity became widespread, but outside of that the path we are on now is like none before.
I propose we start organizing new jobs for everyone. Job sharing, outsourcing, and community kind of jobs will all need to be rethought. We need the happiness meter to move up, we need things to do that matter. Like organizing and sharing resources in you local neighbour hood, you could have the gardeners, the composters, tool bins for sharing, water resources, snow removal and well pretty must all these tasks need to be professions soon so we can survive. Growing food by the neighbour hood will cut way back on the logistics now being used to move goods. 3-D printing is going to take a whole bunch more as well, so new kind of jobs will be needed, as well as a good government sponsored barter system to make the transition easy and fair.
I really think some kind of capitalistic and social governing system needs to be put in place. One with out the other has shown to only create conflict and favouritism. Combined and enforced with everyones input. We have the means now, do we have the will? No amount of greed will stop this, I think this change is barreling toward us now and if we are lucky, we may even be partly ready for the change when it slams into us.
Used to be you tried to think globally, now more then ever we need to think locally. Reach out and say hi to your neighbour, I think soon we will have to be closer to each other, more helping and less aggressive. There are 7 billion out there, and we need to get along.

Shhh, it's a secret

If ever there was a secret, it's with regards to gardening. When you look at all the things they want to sell you it can become overwhelming in a hurry. Has there been a better industry to reinvent? Just how many implements are needed? This is a big racket for sure, and every year the newcomers feed this bottomless pit.
How so? Well every grocery store and hardware outlet have a section for gardening. The big food stores close off a section of their lot just to get in on the action. And the books, my goodness not many bargains here. It would seem everyone has a secret to share with you, for a price of coarse. It's all in a day I suppose, the economy has to chug along, and we really do love blowing money on something, might as well be this.
I'm entering my 2nd year in full tilt gardening, and already I feel like I too could write a book. It would be about what not to buy, and how little it takes to grow some food. No green thumb needed. It's hard to be cynical though, working the soil in the spring is simply the best thing there is to do, well maybe the 2nd best thing lol.

More Snow

Sorry, but no amount of extra winter can get me down today. Trays are set up, lights are hung, heating pads turned on, tomorrow I start my garden seeds! And I just can't wait to get my hands dirty and start growing my "Garden 2013 Edition". This for sure will affect my blog for the rest of the season, I'm thinking of making the title,"The Ironic Gardener" as I have gone crazy with planning this years garden.
Not sure why it took me this long to grow one. I farmed when I was a teenager for a few years. Loved it, but hated the 24x7 care of animals. Growing the crops, making hay, putting in silage, that part I loved. Driving the tractor all day, getting a great tan. No, there is nothing quite like it.
Shoot ahead 40 plus years and I'm growing crops again. Becoming vegan made growing my own food all the better, it becomes such a passion, and rewarding. The "blues" just float away.
I will be posting pictures and sharing my experience with anyone willing to read up. Because growing food, well it's just about the coolest thing you can do for yourself, your family, and the environment. Getting together with neighbours and sharing food with each other, imagine many different gardens, all growing something different, sharing the chores, rotating crops and doing organic gardening. I'm very lucky to have had the time to research and do the work necessary to plant this, and want to share it with everyone I know. Spring, it can't come fast enough.
7 billion, learning to garden, and counting!

Blondes, are they really having fun?

The ironic opposite is always front and centre. Case in point, does having blonde hair make life more fun? Having spent years in the hairdressing world I'm inclined to think, it better be as the pain and price of being blonde is high. And it always seemed that the darker ones hair was, the more they wanted to be blonde. This is not just white people, African Americans are equal to this in their pursuit of straight hair. They of coarse have the worlds most curly hair. We just hate the way we are and are always looking for "a fix" to make something we are born with different.
Is this trend something that has always been? Or has it come out only in the last 100 years or so. Do we have so much time and money now that pursuing these changes is all we have to do? The professionals will tell us it's all in our heads, and then book you for next weeks session.
It is always the pursuit of that one thing, whatever it is, that drives us to try to be different. Yet leaves us more or less the same.

Sport Brawls

I think that I'm missing something, I for some reason do not like seeing sports players fighting. I understand it, at least the competitive side of fighting where someone just "looses it" and needs to push someone around, but bare knuckle brawls do nothing for me. I fail to see the "sportsmanship" in this activity. It seems not only senseless, but primitive. Maybe all those beer commercials depicting how dumb males are is true.

The one great thing about the NFL is this kind of behaviour is not tolerated. I have many times cited this as being because these players all have gone to college or university and are a little more civilized then Hockey. Yet what they do is "but heads" and tackle opponents with as much force as possible. 

The real problem as I see it is that the professional players and franchise owners have all gotten bigger then the game. This is why I'm having trouble watching them anymore. The money is getting out of hand and the pressure too great for "good sportsmanship" to survive. 

But why are so many players so dirty? If they are "growing the game" then respect for their fellow players should be present. But somehow this is viewed as weak, and not doing what ever you can to "win". In both football and hockey hit's to the head is becoming an epidemic. But this is learned from minor leagues, coaches that feel they "must win" at all costs to keep their positions. They train the players to"finnish their hits" and to follow through, never back down. If you want to make sports safer, this is where you need to start. 

I loved hockey growing up, and football and baseball. But I was shown the door when I refused to be unsportsmanlike, I would not or could not throw at someone, or hit someone from behind. I just can't see how that was fun, and today I can't watch hockey as that is what is shown, the fights. Was it fun watching that player get knocked out the other day? Guess I'm just not mean (or man) enough.

7 billion "beating each other senseless" and counting.

The opposites are digging in

Have you noticed how hard people are digging in of late? Not unlike Republicans and Democrats. The faster our world gets the more these apposing worlds stay apart. The more we know about how the environment is in trouble, the more we abuse it. It's like quitting smoking, just thinking about it makes you smoke more, well it sure did for me!
We have the technology to do away with many of these things, but this technology is coming at us so fast we can barley grasp it before it changes again. Is there any way we can slow down?
I find the online university courses as a good start, at least after you graduate you don't become redundant, you can continue to keep up with the latest. But all our vices are what's wrecking the planet. Flying in an airplane for example, how can this be good for the air we breath? Anyone with any amount of intelligence can see this, yet fly more we do! I put it to you that this is the same as the smoking analogy, the thought of not flying somewhere makes us want to do it more. And I firmly believe price is not the problem. If you make it more expensive then inflation kicks in because no one will stop it. I'm always wondering why sport teams are only playing one game and then flying to the next. Wouldn't it make more sense to play 2 or 3 games then move on?
I read today that a campaign to stop windmills in Australia has taken the stance that you get sick from being close to them. And as it turns out just by suggesting this people got sick, but only where the campaign was highly publicized.
You can see the point I'm making. It will take a gigantic initiative to undo the problems we have, yep, I think we're fucked!
7 billion, smoking like mad, and counting

Are you kidding me?

It was a sad and frustrating day to read the news, you have to wonder how we have survived this long when some countries do the things they do.
There is no scientific proof of any kind that "shark fin soup" is good for us in any way, yet both Japan and China almost defeated a UN ban on the killing of 3 of these endangered predators. Have any of you seen how they kill them? I mean these animals have nothing for us to eat, so they cut the fins off and dump the rest in the water. Just like the ivory trade, take the tusks and leave the dead animals to rot.
I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that educated people still think it's okay to do this to our environment. Then in China local farmers were pumping dead pigs in the river, and this river was a source of drinking water for millions. The reason? China has stopped these dead animals from entering the food chain. It was apparently okay to butcher and sell this meat even though the animals had died of some disease before going to the butcher. Yikes!! Another great reason to be a vegan for sure!
The final bit today is about the hacking that is going on. The most amazing thing that has happened to this world was the birth of the internet, the free access to information world wide for all. Yet this will become a thing of the past as hacking by, well almost everyone, will bring an end to this incredible achievement. It is so ironic that there are so many willing to wreck havoc on this planet for nothing more then giggles and a few dollars. You may say that I cannot comment on another culture, that these people have a right to do these things. Maybe when our planet only had 1 or 2 billion people on it did it not matter so much, but we have the knowledge and there are 7 billion of us that brings this up for scrutiny. They all have to give their heads a shake. Wake up people.

Being a Bully

I follow the tech industry every day, and the more I follow it the more it becomes the same. There is so few "new" ideas out there one wonders how it became the industry it is. There is always a leader, and everyone who wants to be a leader. And they pull no punches when it comes to bashing them.
Then it's country's, like Korea. Here is this tiny speck of a nation that screams and shouts threats to the world, their leader reminds me of Carmen from the TV show South Park. He is young and has way too much time on his hands, so he tries to be a bully. I have a bomb, I have a bomb and you can't stop me, na na na naaaaaa na.
So the courts in New York struck down Mayor Bloomberg's effort to ban the sale of these huge soft drinks. This was the first real effort at attacking obesity, and what happens? Already another state has enacted a law that would make this kind of thing never happen. Look into my eyes, drink more sugar, eat more fat, have bigger servings, yep a real bully response to someone doing something right.
Then there is the Catholic Church. How can this religion stand up to all the abuse it bestows on it's people? Priests that pray on young boys, no women allowed, all they do it seems is pay off the law suits as they come. It just stays business as usual! Yet all I see is all this new reporting on their election of a new leader? The bad stuff, they just sweep it under the rug. That women are not eligible? No one will notice. In my view they are anything but representative of what God or Jesus is!
Do we as humans really want to be better? Do we really want to be "civilized? No we are just too "ironic". If it's good, bash it. If someone has a good idea, hate it. It seems to be our nature, stand up for everything except what is good.
7 billion "ironic humans" and counting.

Spring up

This week I will be starting my garden, but wait the snow is still on the ground! Well I made myself a promise to grow everything from seed this year, and so the tomatoes get started now and soon a few others. When I moved back into the family home I decided at the last minuet to grow a garden. It was a trial and error kind of thing as I had never really grown one before. I had pretty good success and we lived off of it for a few months. Being a vegan motivated me to get into this and it has consumed me.
But now after reading and experiencing this wonderful pastime I'm prepared to really do well this year. I have my worms cranking out the compost, and will be starting an outdoor compost pile as soon as it warms up. I've decided to raise all my beds and grid them out as in "Square Foot Gardening"(Google it) and have everything going vertical rather then all over the place. Growing food has to be the most rewarding thing you can do, and with all the help on line it is far easier then ever to do this.
We only have 3 in the house but I plan to grow for 10. At last the local food bank will now accept fresh produce. I want to give back and giving this kind of food makes me feel real warm and fuzzy. Please check with your own local food bank to see if they to will accept fresh produce. People living on this kind of help do not get the nutrition they need, as they end up with dry goods to eat. Getting good nutrition to these people in need is vital. So if like me, you are growing a successful and large garden, please share it with those that need.
I thank you! Miles