One of the Worst MISTAKES the GLUTEN FREE Movement is Making

I'm so happy to see, yet again, that BIGGER and BIGGER corporations are jumping onto the Gluten free Bandwagon and serving consumers like myself who are trying their best to live a Gluten FREE lifestyle.


Some Mainstream big name brand name cereals like Chex are 100% gluten free.
(be sure to read the labels to confirm) Kudos! AND the Big BONUS is that they
NOT CHARGING EXTRA for the fact that they are making their products certified GLUTEN FREE.

But what disturbs me as a person, as a consumer and as a mother.....is this.
SOME companies are trying to flood the gluten free  market place with
  VERY HIGH PRICED GOURMET gluten free items.

Eh.....err...that kinda just ticks me off! In my mind, if someone is going to "go gluten free", then they are going to have to adopt a lifestyle where  ALL their food items are certified gluten free.
 They DON'T want to just adopt ONE expensive gluten free DISH per month. 

News flash!....

WE, the GLUTEN FREE NATION, eat THREE meals a day....plus snacks. 

Therefore, we need the marketplace to provide products for ALL OUR GLUTEN FREE MEALS and SNACK TIMES.

Therefore, i believe that the "gluten free high end high priced gourmet product" promoters
are taking the wrong tack on this movement!

As a gluten intolerant person, finding gluten free stuff to eat all day and every day is a CONSTANT struggle.
Therefore, when I bump into beautiful gluten free foods that are priced out of the stratosphere, I think
"Sigh....they just don't get it."  

NOBODY wants to pay GOURMET prices for the regular foods they eat every day!

We want to pay as close as possible the SAME prices that regular foods cost,
 but in a "gluten free certified" kinda way.

Do you hear me? Do you feel my pain?

Thank you :) Point made.

Carla

Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!

Tweet

Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

If 30% of Cars will be Electric over the next Decade

Jus' thinkin' aloud again.....such a temptation for a blogger.

Volkswagon has announced that they are developing 30 NEW MODELS of 100% electric vehicles, to be rolled out over the next decade.
 What does this mean for us? What does this mean for investors?

First of all, what would this mean for our electrical grid. If, let's play pretend, that
30% of Canadian cars are electric by 2026, that would put a HUGE sucking on our hydro grid.
Would our grid be able to hold up? Would my province stop selling electricity to the USA in order to keep our electric cars humming? Or would the humble consumer be stuck with outrageously jacked up electricity prices? Would the 30% charge their cars mostly at their homes via their home garage outlets?
Would there be localized "electric refueling stations" around every corner?

I know that Suncor is already developing their next strategy in how they serve the public in the new era of
multi-fueled vehicles. Does every typical gas retailer really WANT to start selling electricity to locals or tourists? Secondly, from the looks of it, it can take a pretty long chunk of time to re-charge a car battery for an electric vehicle. Do we really want to leave our cars for several hours at a re-fueling station? Is that feasible?
Is that affordable? Will re-fuelling electric stations charge tourists for parking fees as well as the electricity they use to "refill" their tanks?

Well, when it comes to investing, should we all start funneling our investments out of oil and gas stocks and into the electrical grid? But then again, did you know that as of 2014 data,
  8.7% of Ontario's electricity was produced by Oil and Natural Gas?

So maybe we have to step back and try to get at the big picture. Going ALL ELECTRIC is not going to eliminate our dependence on oil and gas. It just will change the process.

I definitely don't have all the answers....but we sure do need to think this through.")

Peacefully and Thinkfully yours,
Carla



Tweet

AirBnB and A Suitcase of Sardines

Tim Ferriss has catapulted himself into a "self help" or "success guru"
by taking his personality type and standardizing it into a career path.
He has outrageous curiosity and has allowed it to lead him to experiment with all kinds of
success and performance strategies.

He then writes about his real life experiments and discoveries in his book series with the titles:

Four Hour Work Week
Four Hour Body
Four Hour Chef

Although some of Tim's exploits are outside of my personal comfort zone, I do appreciate his chutzpah and that he has carved out a multi-million dollar niche for himself simply by what......by being himself.

What can each of us do to maximize our innate leanings? Curiosity does not kill the cat. Curiosity can make for a fine fat cat.
 Are you naturally detail oriented? Love to share your discoveries with those less adventurous?
Then you may naturally be drawn into writing online, making youtube videos and publishing a plethora of items describing how we can learn from your own exploits.

That is all it really takes to mold an online presence into something valuable :)

Peaceful prosperity,
Carla


Tweet

Income Sharing Agreements Instead of Student Loans?

I was reading an article from Kiplingers Personal Finance Magazine

"AN ALTERNATIVE TO STUDENT LOANS, Income-share agreements swap debt for a portion of future salary" by Kaitlin Pitsker (July 2016 issue)

  about how some  American students are wiggling their way out of student debt by signing
"Income Sharing Agreements".
These contracts force students to fork over a certain percentage of their future incomes to pay off any student debt. These contracts can last as long as 15 years into your career.

Without rehashing the article, I am wondering if any of the Canadian universities are considering adopting similar methods? Do you think this is  a reasonable concept? Is it in the students' best interests? Or is it just another cash grab, foisted on those young and financially vulnerable?
Does it like "Lunch bag let down" for newly educated young adults pouncing on their first great job?

Or could it be a realistic solution to preventing debt overload?

Looking forward to hear your comments as always,

Peace,
Carla

Tweet

3 Easy Steps to Chop $ FAST OFF your Household Bills

This is gonna be a REALLY short post...so pay attention.
If you implement only these 3 EASY Steps, you will IMMEDIATELY start saving money OFF your household bills:
NUMBER 1: 
 Start doing ALL your laundry in COLD water. Not cool water, not warm water...but COLD WATER.
This will immediate start saving you money on whatever your home uses to heat your hot water.
If using COLD water to do your laundry makes you uncomfortable, I would encourage you to run a personal experiment and do one full day of laundry using ONLY COLD water and see if you can notice and lowering in the quality of your laundry. I dare ya! Most most most people can not notice ANY difference at all in the quality of their laundry after switching to washing in cold water!

NUMBER 2:

 Unplug STUFF that you don't use on a daily basis. What kinda stuff you may ask?
Well, stuff like your electric blender or your DVD player. Why? Because when electrical items are plugged in, even if the power button is "off", still drain a small electric current from your outlets ....and that constant tiny drain of electrical current is called "PHANTOM" power.
PHANTOM POWER costs you MONEY! So, anything that you don't utilize personally on a daily basis can be happily unplugged RIGHT NOW and only plugged back in WHEN YOU NEED IT.
Stroll through your home and see what items are plugged into EACH electrical outlet in your home. Is there a lamp that no one uses? UNPLUG IT! 

NUMBER 3:

Start super duper shopping and stocking up on the LOCAL LOSS LEADERS. What is that you say?
LOCAL LOSS LEADERS are items that grocery chains and department stores sell "BELOW COST" in order to draw customers into their stores. They don't make money from selling those items, but they use them as a very effective method of getting more humans into their stores. The stores know that once someone is physically present in their stores, the odds of them buying ONLY the loss leader items is very low....so the know that  the customers will wind up buying at least several other items while they are in the store. The stores know that they will earn a profit from these other items, even if they lose money from the "LOSS LEADER" items.
So what, in your local stores are the LOSS LEADERS? For us, it is totally BANANAS. Literally, bananas are a very effective high volume sales item that almost EVERY large grocery store and/or department store in my city carries. The prices are literally ROCK BOTTOM and there is even a price war going on to reach the lowest of the lowest LOSS LEADER PRICES.

So, in closing, stock up on these items...whatever they may be in your city.....
( some plentiful and very low priced well stocked items) and use them to keep your pantry full. Your family will thank you for it and your wallet will too :)

Peacefully productive,
Carla.


Tweet

Is Gluten Free Fast Food an Oxymoron?

It's coming...whether you are ready or not....the GLUTEN FREE apocalypse...
Ok, ok, I'm being rather dramatic....but in all seriousness, if you or someone you love is working in the food industry and has not accommodated the GLUTEN FREE market...
....then a dramatic U-TURN is required.

Gluten FREE foods are not only a legitimate food category, it is now becoming a MASSIVE GROWTH opportunity to build up market share for those who DO NOT have a MEDICAL reason for eating a gluten free diet.
Are you shocked???

You shouldn't be. More books and research has been done lately on the benefits for
"REGULAR" consumers to adopt a gluten free diet because it simply
MAKES THEM FEEL BETTER!

Why? Gluten is a complex "hard to digest" molecule that even "regular" folks can have a hard time digesting.
Therefore, when  ANYONE adopts a gluten free diet, they may begin to notice changes and improvements on many levels of human functioning.

 These improvements may include:

• less mood swings
• more emotional stability
• more energy
• Less abdominal bloating, and gas 
• more predictable digestion and elimination
• less constipation
• improvements in complexion of the skin

Need I go on ? But don't take my ideas as truth....just try it for yourself and see what your results  may be.....
Only YOU can discover if a GLUTEN free diet can help you live better.

Let me know how gluten free food makes you feel in the comments below


Peacefully yours,
Carla

Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!


Disclaimer: This blog is not intended as medical advice. The author and publisher of this blog does not accept any legal responsibility or liability for any of the ideas discussed in this blog post or any other post on this blog. Medical advice should always be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner.


Tweet

Banana Wars

Over the past few weeks I've noticed that there has erupted a rather CUTE banana price war in my neck of the woods.

I suppose one might be able to trace it back to Walmart...who seemed to be the last one who sold their bananas at the juicy retail price of 57 cents per lb for the last several years.
But lo and behold, it seems that Zehrs... ( the high end banner of Weston stores)
has caught the "low price bug" and decided to join the the banana price war.

Zehrs has for many years been targeting the more "well heeled"  and higher end shoppers, but perhaps methinks that they are rethinking their strategy to match a more "realistic" shopping scenario for most
Ontario, Canada shoppers. So they've created a new and competitively priced genre of fresh produce products that can match---  if not BEAT-- the juicy low prices of the box stores.

So, for the humble bananas that they used to charge 99 cents a LB for, they are now charging only
57 cents a LB.

The "Real Canadian Wholesale Club" which markets to shop owners and restaurateurs is also in on the game and was last seen selling their bananas for only 56 cents per lb. I can only applaud.

Zehrs'  competitive pricing strategy includes juicy new pricing for English Cucumbers as well as
fresh Red Tomatoes.

Competition is ALWAYS a good thing, at least in this regard.
Thank you big huge grocery chains for helping big families shop smart.

Peace,
Carla.

Tweet

Shop With Me

Want to browse a book store like "Chapters" with a friend who loves the same books you do?
 Now you can! Come putter through my shop with me at my Amazon Store. I've selected a few of my favorite Boot Strappers and Epic Life Hackers who never cease to make me pause and have a good "think".
Enjoy  my   Shop Till You Think Shop   .

Why You Should Try Gluten Free...Even if You Aren't a Celiac

Ok, folks....I  just wanna write today to those of you who aren't necessarily diagnosed with any kind of gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

Why? Because it is being discovered more and more, that eating gluten free foods can help ANYONE's digestive system take a much needed rest from the standard "gluten packed" diet.

What folks need to realize is that the molecule called "gluten" is a VERY VERY hard
nut to crack when we ingest it as food. Digesting GLUTEN is very hard work even for the healthiest digestive system. Even the healthiest human being can be negatively affected by eating too much gluten.

Anything with WHEAT in it contains gluten. Gluten is hard to digest! It requires a lot of energy and effort on the part of our stomach, intestines, and colon just to process it.
Therefore even if you are perfectly healthy, you may just want to give your body an occasional
break from eating any source of gluten for a full  "day" or  "week" or a whole "month".
Remember that gluten can stay in your system for many days, so if you are going to give your body a break from gluten, you want to try to stick to a gluten free diet for a good chunk of time. Give your body a chance to cleanse itself of all the gluten it is holding onto, and see if you begin noticing any improvements.
You may, as gluten leaves your body, begin noticing a thinner waist line, a clearer complexion,
 and a more stable mood.

You never know....you  might feel completely revitalized and regain energy simply by removing
gluten from your regular diet.

It is a personal choice what we put in our mouths. Far be it from me, to tell anyone what to do... But I want to encourage you to experiment and see how eating differently may improve your life.We don't HAVE to eat anything we don't want to....and thus we can observe and sense the changes that our diets have upon our own sense of wellness, energy level and moods.

Be blessed and well,

Carla

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not intended as medical advice. This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The author and publisher of this blog do not take any liability for any ideas discussed in this blog post or any other blog post on this blog.
Medical advice should always be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner.






Tweet

It's OK to Be a NOOB

Now don't get slick on me. Everyone's a NOOB at some point in their lives or careers...

We aren't born knowing how to do very much. So don't be shy just because you know you have to face that awkward stage where folks may notice that you are just an entry level amateur noob.

There "ain't nothin' wrong" with moving ahead with a project even if you know it's not going to come off as pro or epic "mastery".

As I've blogged about before....just because you will never become a concert pianist doesn't mean you should never learn to play the piano. Playing the piano for many years at an "entry" level is totally cool in my humble opinion.

And the same goes for many other things you may want to do online. Yes, you will most likely improve with practice at most of the things you do.....but that doesn't mean you should hesitate to do something just because you aren't yet slick at it.

For example, you may be a novice writer. You just LOVE to write, but have never published anything publicly and are terrified of being bashed or trolled for putting something out there that isn't polished or professional. What would my advice be?? I'd say...GO FOR IT ANYWAY!

Yes, it's hard to put out work that you know is not yet straight AAA STAR studded quality. But that doesn't mean I regret any of the stuff I have put out there online. I'm very proud of all my "noobish" ebooks and awkward blogs and regrettable tweets. Why? Because I had the courage to be out there in all my "noobish" glory....being willing to make epic fails in public, for the sheer purpose of knowing that
"nothing risked...nothing gained". All the gains I have made in life, have been because I have been a risk taker. I have been willing to take risks, without knowing whether I would succeed or flop. Thankfully, most of my efforts have been fruitful.

And so....I continue.......to improve. I continue to grow....and eventually, with God's help....I will reach mastery of those skills I have put my hands to. But the bottom line....the point I really want to make to you my beloved readers is this.......I keep moving forward because I am not embarrassed to put work out in public that is less than awesome. I keep producing high volumes of work, because I know that through the sheer volume of projects I create, I am giving myself  MASSIVE LEVERAGE that will eventually tip the scales in my favor.

What have you given up doing just because you couldn't go public with something less than perfect?
What can you move forward with, now that you have the courage to be a noob?
Looking forward to reading your comments in the section below.

Peacefully productive,
Carla.




Tweet

Your Own Genius

Well, our childhoods don't last forever....and no matter whether those years were positive or negative, there comes a stage in adulthood, where one begins to realize that we need to
  protect and nurture those qualities about ourselves that we value most.

For example, if you want to continue to play the piano that you learned as a child, you are going to have to keep a keyboard or old school piano around in your dwelling somewhere and keep at it. Even if you only play it once every three months or so, you will keep your skills alive and fresh in your short term memory.

What you attend to regularly will stay fresh in your mind and remain a part of your life.

So...back to my original thought.

If you want to keep your genius......... we are going to have to figure out how to nurture it. It's one thing to nurture the genius in your own child, as they are young and still under your care. But it is a whole 'nother thing to nurture the genius in yourself, as you age and embrace middle age.When your lifestyle and life stages change, your strategy for self-care needs to change too.

What is THAT going to take? How are we going to nurture our own genius, continuously as we age?
How can we incubate the genius that is lying dormant within us?
Well, I don't pretend to have the answers....but here are a few random ideas:

1/ Protect your fave "think" spot. Maybe it's a quiet room in your home. Maybe you need to protect it from
some other household purpose and preserve it for your thinking time.
 (hint:don't let the vaccuum cleaner be stored there :)
It's called your own personal THINK TANK. It's important. It's personal. Guard it and protect it.

2/ Make it a priority to simply feed that wonderful brain of yours with empowering mental "food".
Yes, I have loads of ideas about that, but it's not about my opinions, it about what nurtures
YOUR genius.....not mine. What nurtures my genius is not the same as what makes your brain explode with creativity. The authors that make my mind thrive are not the same as yours.

By the way, one hurdle I had to overcome, as I began to explore new thinkers and authors, was to allow myself to read and learn from people with whom I had HUGE personal differences.
You see, I used to think, that in order for me to able to glean any quality information from a writer/thinker, I had to be in 100% agreement with the lifestyle and beliefs of that particular writer/thinker.
Boy, it was a huge relief to get free from that VERY VERY limiting mindset.
For it was literally IMPOSSIBLE for me to find the information I was seeking from ANYONE who believed the same things I did. Therefore, I changed my mindset and am now free to learn from whatever person or source I choose, no matter if I have REALLY big personal differences and belief systems than that particular writer or thinker.

3/ Protect your 'Noggin. Literally. Your brain is your greatest asset....and it's not going to help you if you split your wig in a bicycle accident, because you just didn't wanna protect your brain with a helmet.
Protect your brain whenever you play aggressive sports too.  A puck to the head is not going to help you nurture your genius. Guard that brain of yours with physical barriers to impact. Wear your seat belt when you are in a vehicle. It makes sense.

Well,that's all for now.
In peaceful productivity,
Carla.

Tweet

Hey McDonalds Canada...... We want Gluten Free Burgers Too

I was surprised and inspired to read in an online MSN article
that McDonalds serves GLUTEN FREE BURGERS in several European countries!
To be specific, the MSN article stated that McDonald restaurants in Italy, Finland, Norway and Sweden offer a gluten-free burger..

That's great news for Europe....but hey ...what about us???

There are plenty of Celiacs and Gluten Intolerant people in Canada....would it be so hard to set aside a few special gluten free burgers for us?

If you click Here you'll be able to see for yourself all the varieties of menu items that McDonalds has developed across the globe. Can you find your country or regional flavors listed?

If you feel strongly about this issue, maybe it's time to drop a line to your own McDonalds headquarters.....
and ask them to offer some delicious gluten free items.

Contact McDonalds Canada

Contact McDonalds USA

Bon Appetito....and don't be shy to let your food needs be known by corporations, it really does help them meet our needs! Peaceful productivity, Carla Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone  on Amazon today! Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

Tweet

Wow This Life Hack Actually Worked

Annienygma is one of my fave bloggers.
Her little tips and strategies have empowered many many folks 'round the globe thrive without overspending.

She is a determined minimalist and has been living for many years on her book royalties which she authors and selfpublishes online.

Anywho, so what is the life hack she suggested that worked for me?
It was her simple advice on how to unclog a drain.
Annie suggested using boiling hot water with vinegar and baking soda and salt and dishwashing soap.
I actually only have to use three items and it worked excellently....
My kitchen sink was clogged and I really really prefer not to use those really toxic and "too strong"
chemical drain openers. So I poured about 1/2 cup of table salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda into the clogged drain and poured about 2 liters of boiling hot water right on top of it all.....
It took about 3 minutes and it actually cleared of it's own accord!! I didn't even have to use a plunger on it:)

Thanks Annie! You Rock.
To visit Annie on her blog click here Annienygma ...

Peaceful Productivity,
Carla.


Tweet

Another Potential Win for Canadian Investors

Was happy to notice a wee blurb in Monday May 2 ,2016's Globe and Mail
entitled "The investment industry's growing unrest over hidden fees" by Clare O'Hara.( section B--pages 1 and 7)

There is more hope on the horizon for those Canucks who still insist on purchasing mutual funds. The
"hidden" commissions that "financial advisors" earn for the period of time that a consumer holds units of a certain mutual fund will, Clare asserts, in the near future become more restricted, AND/OR much more transparent.

After all, why should there be so much murkiness in the "investment product" industry?
Since when are investments now known as mere "products "??

Since when are "investors" merely treated as "financial product" consumers?

It used to be....or at least it "felt" more that way when I was young, that investments were something
that held "unlimited " potential. The mystery and the myriad of ways in which a potential financial investment could grow or morph or produce multiple income streams was a beautiful and alluring "unknown".

Now it seems that banks and financial investment companies are determined to
"capture and control" every single aspect of an "investment". No more surprises....only more legaleze, and more ways for the investment industry to make money off the backs of hard working and naive "investors".....They don't even call us "investors" any more. We are merely "consumers" who are being sold "products".

By the way, we prefer to be called "investors"....no matter what the amount we are able or willing to "invest".

Anyway, pardon the rant..... This post is intended to be positive.
If even the investment industry is ready and willing to admit that there needs to be changes that "help" individual investors, then we are indeed poised for greater gain.

Tony Robbins,through his book  "Money, Master the Game" , exposed much of the murkiness in the USA's mutual fund industry and explained how so many many fees and hidden costs are bound up in the American mutual fund industry. The fees and extra charges are so complex, hard to find, and so "murky" that few, if any, invididual investors even know how much in fees that their investments are actually costing them at the end of their investing life. Those hidden fund fees and charges can eat up the majority of any potential profit that an individual investor may earn over their lifetime by holding mutual fund units."Mutual Fund Buyers beware"......was Tony's timely advice.

Yes, Tony's book was written for the States. But maybe Canada listened in on the conversation and has begun to take some preventative measures.
If Canada's mutual fund industry is willing to play a little more fair and transparently, then maybe, just maybe, you won't have to run and hide from mutual funds any more and stop picking stocks for yourself. Maybe.... just maybe.. maple syrup toting DIY investors might start trusting the advice of the "professionals" again.

Clare's article sheds a few good Canadian rays of light on the matter.
Happy investing, friends,
May you live long and prosper.

C.
Tweet

Learning Without Mastery

 On several occasions I have blogged about Tony Robbins and Napoleon Hill's thoughts on success and mastery. But what I wanted to discuss today is that there is validity to all learning and all knowledge even if we never reach that point of mastery.

For example, I may never become a "master chef" .....but that doesn't mean that my attempts to learn how to cook new dishes is wasted. I am learning...but mastery is not necessarily my goal.

You may enjoy knitting or crochet or some other crafty hobby, but  it is valuable because of your enjoyment of it, not necessarily because you must press towards mastery.

There has been a rather all encompassing flow of social pressure towards "mastery" in all areas of life.
But must we always put so much pressure on ourselves to perform and become obsessed with perfection?
Athletic activities are still valid even when they never progress beyond amateur status.

But I want to ask you, my beloved readers, isn't it still wonderful and well worth your time, to continue to learn even when mastery is not your goal?

It is still wonderful to master one simple piece of piano music rather than forcing oneself to master an entire collection. It is wonderful to memorize one verse of scripture, even if that is the only one that you commit to memory in your lifetime.

I suppose that what I am speaking of is simply doing things out of the joy of life and out of a personal interest or respect for a certain subject matter.

My endorsement remains towards "life long independent learning" however, I still encourage learning and the gathering of knowledge....... no matter what the result is.....even if the student stays at a "beginner" stage for many years, or even forever. There does not need to be "performance orientation" in everything we do.
The term "performance orientation" was thoroughly explained and researched by the Christian author team of John and Paula Sandford. To develop a better understanding of their teachings, I would highly recommend anyone to gather up as many books that they have written as possible. It may take the expenditure of  many valuable hours  to ponder and grasp their writings, but I promise that it will be well worth it.

Doing certain activities are valid and legitimate in their own right. I am not talking about laying down your list of goals. I am talking about encouraging you in your personal path of growth and knowledge gathering, even when you are not heading for mastery. To continue to increase your knowledge base, in any measure.... is a beautiful path. But sometimes, in our obsession with performance and "measuring" our achievements, we mistakenly invalidate our modest efforts.

So, in conclusion, I wish you all, my readers a blessing on all your learning, both your grand exploits and achievements, as well as our most meek and modest interests.

Peace,
Carla.






Tweet

Let the Woman Think

Despite opinions to the contrary....businesses are led by thought.

Thinking must be respected as a legit activity.

If you have an attitude toward "thinking" as a lazy man or woman's escape, then you've missed the boat.....completely.

I see great beauty in that Rodin sculpture called "The Thinker"

I see that often men are given more space for "think time" than women are.
 How often do you see and value a woman who appears to be lost in thought. Do you respect the steam pouring forth from her ears, or do you judge her as a day dreamer?

It was Napoleon Hill, in some of his books in which he teaches principles of success, that Hill describes
the thinking process for business leaders as "setting for ideas".
So what exactly is "setting for ideas" ? It is simply sitting and being alone in a room or in some other quiet and isolated location where you allow a creative thought process to occur.

It was also Napoleon Hill who respected the activity of "thinking" so much that he connected a relationship with God with the thinking process. He seemed to believe that it is God who helps us hatch good ideas, and that all great ideas come directly from His Divine Intelligence.

What do you think? Do you put value in your own "think time"?

Please don't allow a "blue collar" mindset to dictate the false propaganda which shouts "Ya gotta be DOING something with your hands or body actively in order to be rewarded for "work". Often blue collar management have been so indoctrinated into boosting "production"  in a factory mindset, that they fail to put any value at all in intellectual or mental pursuits of any kind. How many precious minds have been completely destroyed in modern North American factories, by bosses and supervisors whose only focus was on what they could see and touch and count? Thoughts can not be immediately seen or touched or counted, and therefore, it is only those with faith in the value of "thought" that can encourage respect for any decent amount of time to spend in creative or problem solving thought.

The truth, in my humble opinion, is that the best problem solvers and inventors and business people are those who value THOUGHT, as a very precious treasure. ...... A treasure so valuable, that they create special places in their homes and cottages and lifestyle to incorporate their fave places they have set aside for thinking.

Thinking time is a blessed time.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Tweet

Blogger Vs. Word Press Blogs

Well, folkies, I am contemplating creating a Wordpress blog.
There seems to be a huge following for Word Press, whereas Blogger seems to be a much smaller community.
Do you have a preference? Could you see yourself prefering to visit a Word press site rather than a blogger site?
Do you find that Word Press is created more for professional business users than regular bloggers?

I'm looking forward to your comments in the section below.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla



Tweet

String Theory

There are times when I jump head first into immersing myself in subjects waaaay beyond my comfort zone.
And so, I've been delving into some online classes having to do with Physics. I have never taken a "real" physics class in my life, so these efforts deserve a pat on my back don't ya think?

Well, one of the classes I've been listening to is searchable on Google with the following search term:
"String Theory for the Scientifically Curious with Dr. Amanda Peet".
I was heartened to hear that she is a professor at one of my old schools, the University of Toronto.

Anyway, in case you are interested in just a tidbit of what I have gleaned so far from her talks....permit me to share just a few notes I jotted......

Particles can be described like marbles or like waves. Dr. Peet coined  a new funky term called "waveicles" which is  combination of the two descriptions. Particles can be round-ish and still have "wave-like" characteristics. And then there is "string theory" which describes particles as shaped like rounded strings or even wavy tube like "things".

Part of my self led educational journey has to do with increasing my vocabulary.....so here are some of the terms that I am attempting to add to my grey matter:
electrons
fermions and bosons
neutrons
neutrinos
photons
quarks and leptons
gravitons ( have not yet been actually seen)
gluons
W's or Z's
black holes

=========

According to Dr. Peet there are four essential forces in the universe. The strongest force is known as
the "Strong Nuclear Force" and the weakest is "Gravity". The other two forces are
"Electro-magnetisim" and what is called "Weak nuclear Force" and their strength is somewhere in the middle, neither the strongest.....nor the weakest.

Atoms or subatomic particles are described in three ways:

by Mass, which is another word for weight
by Spin, ( does that mean how they turn?)
by Charge (whether negative or positive)


Another interesting bit is that photons,which are "light" have no mass.....meaning that they are weightless. Kinda cool.


Well that's all for now.
May God's Spirit lead your learning.

Peaceful Productivity,
Carla





Tweet

When Your Words Matter

Are you a carnivore for great blogs? great reading in general?
\
There is a space for your words.

This is "the age for the common man" and the internet has made it so.

Quirky individuals can make a living from telling their own story.....with finesse and regularity....hence the inspiring success of folks like Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin et al.

But back to my thought for you today, my tribe, my gang of readers.....

If you are one of those people who simply must write something on a regular basis for the public, perhaps it's time for you to consider going professional....sort of.

At least you can start carving out some space for your voice via a handful or even just one of the following platforms.

Some of them are free and some cost money......and some may result in you earning some coinage:

Blogger blogs    https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/1623800?hl=en

Word Press blogs or website https://wordpress.com

Seth Godin likes typepad:  http://www.typepad.com

Or you could simply start self publishing some of your own homespun wee books of wisdom
via websites such as Smashwords :https://www.smashwords.com

or Lulu.com  :https://www.lulu.com

Or Kindle Direct Publishing:  https://kdp.amazon.com

Make your mark, my brothers and sisters. Why write for free for hours on Facebook, when you can get paid for your brilliance, just by packaging your words ?


Peaceful productivity,
Carla

To Tell Your Own Story

What is it that motivate epic bloggers like Seth Godin or Tim Ferriss???

I believe it is that they have seized that brilliant joy that can be discovered from refusing to repeat everyone else's story.....and actually tell your own.

Yes, it's risky.....downright scary and occasionally embarrassing to be authentic and say something original and creative. But oh sooooo very cool.

Have you done anything original today???



Tweet

A TOTALLY Different Attitude Towards Books and Reading

This post might make a few librarians and conservative or uptight scholars cringe.

What I am about to describe is how I read according to my own goals and skills.

Let me summarize first what I formerly thought about how folks like me were SUPPOSED to
handle books and reading:

1/ always read a book in the order it is written......
2. don't skip chapters
3/ Try to glean from the books you read precisely what the author is trying to convey to you.
4/ Put your own opinions aside and try to grasp the viewpoint and opinion of the author(s).
5/ If you don't recognize or comprehend a word that you discover in a book you are reading, you should get out a dictionary in order to figure out what that word means.
6. Never write in the margins of a book, even if you own it.....and never underline key portions of a text because it shows disrespect for the writer's words.

Bah HUMBug!

How I have changed....... I have totally changed how I react with books and the great result is that now I LOVE LOVE LOVE books,.....why? because I have learned to read them on my own terms and conditions:

This is my new method:

I decide what I am looking for first, even before I start reading the book and I keep that GOAL in my mind while I am browsing for the right book.  I keep that GOAL in mind even after I have chosen a book, because then I browse the chapters and the index in the back/front of the book, to figure out the most interesting portion which addresses the data or principles that I am currently researching.

I skip lots and lots of chapters........ if they don't fit in my specific educational or research goal.
I don't really dwell on the intentions and beliefs of the authors of the books I read, as my goal is simply to cypher out the concepts and information that I am seeking in order to accomplish my self led education.

I very rarely read a book in the order in which it is written, unless the whole thing addresses the goal which I am seeking to gain from spending time with a certain book or author.

If I own a book myself, whether it is bought brand new or second hand.....I take great joy in writing copious notes in the margins and I highlight or underline as many interesting words as I wish.
I am not concerned in the least about the next person who may borrow my books, because....it's MY BOOK and I'll write in it if I want to.

I also very RARELY use a dictionary while I am reading, because it robs me of the joy I get from learning a new word and it's meanings directly from the context in which it is written in a book.

So that's about all for now. I just wanted to spout that out. Take a hold of your self led education and grab by the horns like  a raging bull.  Remember, friends, it's not about anyone else's goals or ideas about your life. Self led education is about you learning something because you are hungry to learn and because it was such a joy to discover once again, that even though you have made it into adulthood, that your desire to learn has not dissipated with your faded high school diploma, but rather that your desire to learn now has more urgency and refinement than ever before. 

You suddenly see the need to learn in a totally new light! You finally feel empowered to set your own educational goals and can almost squeal with delight because you are aware that you can finally choose your own TEACHERS!

Enjoy learning, friends and let's see where it leads.

Proverbs 12:1-2New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.

It Pays to Know How YOU Learn.....in your own Unique Way

Do you curl up with a thick book and can't put it down until you've mastered the concepts therein?

Or do you have a notepad near your study area and jot down key points just to help you process the information.....even if you never look again at those notes....you find that the jottting down process helps you learn.

Or do you prefer to listen to seminars via audio files on your Ipod or MP3 player?
Do you love audio books?


And then there are tactile learners that prefer to learn only through hands on learning experiences....so they can feel the experience in their very own fingertips. Chefs, mechanics, artists may all have qualities in this category along with many others.


Figuring out how you learn well, will revolutionize your independent learning path.

As for me, I discovered just a few years ago, that I am a very strong "auditory" learner and that I have a HUGE amount of patience to list to the same files over and over again as long as they are in audio form. I learn well with EXTREME  REPETITION and the repetitive style doesn't even make me bored!

I write this post to encourage you.....don't give up on your interest in learning just because some highschool teacher didn't understand your skills or learning style. And don't feel like you have to choose just ONE method of learning.

For example, just because I prefer to learn in an auditory mode, doesn't mean I just stop reading things. Nope, I still dive headfirst into oodles of power packed books. But in the midst of my "self led" independent study I try to incorporate several videos ( whethe via youtube or some other video source) into my educational path. I replay them over and over and over again until I glean what I wish from the video.

Any thoughts? Any comments. Do tell.....in the comment section below.

Peace,
Carla

PAID TO BE ME part 2

I have really enjoyed watching the rise of epic bloggers, who really put their hearts into their blogs and then later.....much much much later reap the financial rewards that came as a result of their personal blog posts.

Two epic bloggers are Seth Godin and Tim Ferriss. You can find their blogs easily online, and they have reached a threshold of number of fans that their ideas have garnered a sizeable income stream.

I remember Tim Ferriss talking about how much time he would sometimes spend on only one particular blog post..... hours of thought and much preparation. But, though those pioneering days are well behind him, Tim's sacrifice to try to create an epic blog made him a creative trailblazer in the world of blogs and modern thinkers.

My goal is to be "PAID TO BE ME" for lack of a better slogan....but that WOULD make a great t-shirt eh???
Yes, blogs can certainly bring you to that point, if you devote enough time, skill,luck and energy.

Anyway my original reason for wanting to blog today was just to mention to all the bloggers that read my blog looking for inspiration... I just wanna let you know that  we, the common man/woman LOVE to
see real hand made homemade art. We love it when you upload photos of the latest doodle you sketched on a napkin at that greasy spoon down the street. We love it when you post eccentric photos of mushrooms you
found in the creepy forest down by the crick.
We love it when you show us how you totally suck at applying eyeliner, complete with painfully obvious pics.

So what am I saying? Don't be so obsessed with writing words.....we love pictures that reflect who you are in all your kooky glory. We love drawings, painting, videos and sketches of your latest crazy inventions.
And yes, someone might just scoop up your unpolished ideas, but we will all have been privileged to ride that roller coaster before you get bought out by the big wigs.

Peace, bloggees,
Carla







Tweet

Doggy Bone Soap....Homemade and EASY PEASY

Tweet

Well, this is my second batch of home made soap. Looks like a doggy bone but smells like a gingerbread cookie and lathers up great.
You can see the link to the recipe below and all I added was my own preferred amounts of dried cinnamon and clove spices. Then I cut it into pieces after it hardened enough after 24-48 hours and I've been letting it dry and cure for at least 4 more weeks. I was hoping to wait 6 weeks before trying it out, but just couldn't wait!

And yes again, I did NOT have to go out and buy expensive items in order to learn how to make my own soap.
No weigh scale was needed, and I stirred it myself with a wooden stir stick. No need to buy a stick blender unless you really want to.....
The only curious thing about this soap is that due to the spices I used it does have a brownish tinge to the lather... Hmmm I wonder if it would leave a bit of color residue on cotton clothing if some dripped onto it by mistake. Not sure yet how that all works ")

Want to learn how to make your own soap from scratch like I did?The old fashioned way? Just go to
www.diynatural.com
Their instructions are easy to follow and in my estimation...superb!

                                                         

Wow, My EASY Homemade SOAP Actually LATHERS!

My First Experiment in Making Homemade Soap from Scratch!I was delighted to see that it actually lathers! Nice and bubbly!


So, why did I choose to make my own soap? Well, because I like reducing things down to their absolute lowest and simplest common denominator.

Everything, it seems can usually be reduced down to it's most simple form.
I had been watching tons of Youtube videos about soap making. So, I set about to figure out how to make it myself.
But one of the obstacles, was that most of the soap makers wanted me to go out and buy a bunch of expensive doo-dads such as a digital food weighing scale, as well as a handle held electric stick blender .
But I didn't really want to spend money on those gadgets so, I was  patient and persistent to keep searching the net until I found a recipe and instructions that were NOT based on weight, but rather on simple kitchen volume measurements and simple ingredients.

My biggest obstacle then was to overcome my fear of  dealing with REAL lye.
To be truthful ...LYE is a VERY dangerous substance, and it is unfortunate that you can't let your kids help you when you work with REAL lye. Lye is so caustic that it is commonly used as one of the ingredients in many very powerful drain cleaners. It literally can burn right through a clog in your pipes. Always deal with lye according to proper safety measures. 

Well, after stirring up my courage and a phone call to our local hardware store, I located and purchased a bottle of lye for $7.99 canadian at Home Hardware. The other items I purchased were:
rubber gloves, large hard plastic pail with handle, and three bottles of oil including : olive oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil. The only other ingredient is water. I also added some of my own dried dill weed spice just for an added visual appeal.
The other items I already had at home.....the measuring cups and wooden spoon and plastic container to let the soap cure in.
The only mistake I made was to use newsprint to line my plastic container, because as the soap cured and dried, the newsprint stuck right in with the soap and I literally had to carve it off of my soap after it was done curing.
So, rather that yak on about how I made this small batch of homemade hand soap...... I am simply going to send you to the instructions I found on another website 
which is can be found at this link:  MAKING HOMEMADE SOAP WITHOUT A SCALE.

Their home base for their website is simply diynatural.com


I would encourage you to visit their website. It is honestly the only simple and straightforward           "small batch" homemade soap making recipe that didn't force me to have to buy a scale.

I didn't even have to buy a stick blender. I simply used wooden spoons and let my soap cure for at least 3 weeks before attempting to use it.

I would encourage you, for those who like "Pioneer-ish" types of activities to give it a try. But do be sure to follow ALL of the safety precautions including wearing long pants, long sleeve shirts, rubber gloves and safety goggles and making it in a well ventilated area. 
All the wooden spoons and bowls or pails that you use for soap making can NEVER be used again for food or kitchen use. Keep your soap making stuff  entirely SEPARATE from everything else and label it  well and keep it away from children.

It's kinda cool to realize that if some strange cataclysmic event happened that prevented me from buying soap, that I could literally make my own as long as I could find some lye. Does that make me sound like a prepper?? Hmmmm.

No I haven't learned how to make my own lye yet, which I have heard and seen can be made in a pioneer style from cold wood ashes.  I have absolutely NO ambition to learn how to make my own lye. This city girl has gone far enough for now. Woohoo! I am now officially a soap maker !

The Push Towards Meditation and What It Means for Christians

Everywhere, ok not exactly "EVERYWHERE", but in a Big way,the modern push towards meditation and "mindfulness" has quickened.

As a christian this change in society has been both inspiring and alarming, comforting and disturbing.

When I go to a local gym, there are "Yoga" classes teaching meditation.
Even in the public school system, some of the teachers are taking the time to teach the class room of vulnerable minds, how to meditate and practice their own version of "mindfulness".

What Encourage me is the following:

1/ I am encouraged that society has become self aware of the need for stress reduction strategies in the classroom and the work place. We can't control stress, but we certainly can learn how to deal more constructively with it in our daily lives. We CAN control how we react to stress.
2/ There is a spiritual quality to meditation which has been touted by such business leaders such as
Ariana Huffington and others. Ariana Huffington gives credit to the Biblical applications of meditation as described in the Bible, for the promotion of interaction with God and listening for His impressions.
3/ It is always a healthy sign when leaders in society allow and even encourage their workers to
take "meditation" breaks during the work day. This practice allows a christian to spend time with God in the practice of prayer, scripture study, and meditation in the scriptures and prayer.
4/ Meditation and rest are cousins. Those who promote meditation promote rest and usually are peace loving folks. Who doesn't like a peaceful person?

What Concerns me about meditation and mindfulness training:

1/ I don't want my children to be taught spiritual principles outside of the teachings of the Bible. Although
I want my children to learn how to "self calm" via deep breathing and focusing on God and His word, I am concerned that some of the modern bents of meditation training does not respect a traditional understanding of christianity or the Bible, but has assimilated a few concepts from many of the major religious groups of the world and mixed them into some kind of strange new unscriptural religion.

2/ Some meditation techniques involve "emptying" the mind, which is not what the Bible teaches. The bible teaches us to renew our minds by filling it with God's Word, as revealed to humanity in the Holy Bible.

3/ What precisely is "mindfulness"? Is is being aware of what we are thinking constantly? Is it obsessing over
ourselves and making us into even yet more self centered humans?
Not to be too simple minded....but what should our "minds" be full of???
According to some gurus, our minds should be blank slates? But who are we clearing our minds for?
For God to write on? Yes, that would be great. But what if we are being encouraged to empty and clear our minds in order for some false religion to start to fill our minds with their priorities?

I don't know about you, but the only "being" or "person" who is permitted to write His thoughts onto my mind, is God, Jesus and His Holy Spirit. I know that narrows down my options, but that is a choice I have made in calling myself a Christian. Christian IS a narrow road, and does not embrace any and all religions. To pretend that Christianity embraces any and all religious teachings is simply wrong and inaccurate.

So how about you, my friend in Cyberspace? Does modern meditation comfort you? Or does it set off warning bells in your heart?
Looking forward to reading your comments,

Peace,
Carla.

Don't Throw Out that Pumpkin! Make Old Fashioned Fried Pumpkin Seeds!

Some of my neighbors make displays around this time of year with whole bright orange pumpkins....They don't even carve them up, they simply arrange them..... perhaps with some other decorations to make their front porch look "harvesty" and abundant.

Well, as a professional scavenger, I refuse to let these beautiful pumpkins go to waste.
I was also given some great big pumpkins via my local Fruitshare organization that also has the same
"Waste not, want not" mentality.

So, our family set about to fry up some good ole fashioned pumpkin seeds and I'd like to share the simple and low cost process with you. Since we fried them in vegetable shortening and only seasoned them with salt, they are actually a vegan item. Yay :)

So hear goes......

 First you get a fresh whole pumpkin and cut a hole in it big enough to reach your hand in to collect the raw seeds. It's best to use a pumpkin that no one has tampered with first....no holes, bruises or carvings at all.
If you pumpkin is whole and complete, then the seeds inside will be perfectly fresh and ready to fry. Pumpkins stay fresh longest when they remain unopened and uncarved. Storing whole pumpkins is best done in a cool place such as outside or in a cool basement or garage.

Then you place all the collected seeds into a container complete with all the gushy orange odd pieces that come from the inner pumpkin.

                                                                                   

Then you wash the seeds in a collander or some kind of sifter until the seeds are clean and free of all debri. If you don't own a real sieve, then you can also use the upper pot of a double boiler and they work well too....as the holes in the upper pot of a double boiler are small enough to wash down and away the extra orangey stuff while not allowing the seeds to go escape down the drain.

Then you melt at least three large heaping tablespoons of vegetable shortening in your favorite frying pan or sauce pan. Add some salt to the seeds as well. Just use your individual taste to make sure you have just the right amount of salt.

I

Voila, it will probably take you about 10-15 minutes to fry up one pan of pumpkin seeds.
Take care to let them cool down a bit before you nibble.

Tasty and fresh and a great source of fiber as well.
Enjoy!

Three Products that Have Never Failed You

Ok, I'll start..... my three products that have never failed me would include:

Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid,

Clorox Liquid Bleach

Kellogg's Corn Flakes.....



I know branding is sooooo vital...because it can take many years before a brand name becomes entrenched into the social psyche as a "reliable" and "valuable" brand name item.

Let's take "Johnson and Johnson", which provides, among a myriad of other products, skin care products that are suitable for the very youngest humans, our precious babies.  I would not hesitate to purchase any item that Johnson and Johnson has labeled as suitable for babies. But I would also be the first to admit that it has taken Johnson and Johnson many decades of deliberate hard work and public relations efforts to foster that sense of trust that the brand evokes in my mind.  It has also helped their cause that their company faithfully snails mails out high value coupons to any consumer that bothers to email or call them on the phone.

Building a brand name attracts not only faithful consumers, but also interest in the investment world.
Folks who follow the edicts of the Legendary Warren Buffet, try to focus on "simple" companies that market
products that we all recognize and use almost daily. Johnson and Johnson succeeds in that front as well.

Ok, now it's your turn. What are three products that, in your mind, have never failed you? Does their brand name pop easily into your mind?
Looking forward to reading your comments in the section below.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Who Decides there is an OIL GLUT? Or Dwindling Supplies?

With all the ruckus about low oil prices, I've really come to wonder about the ACTUAL reality of oil supplies in North America.

Apparently, according to the media.... there was an "OIL GLUT" over the past year which has caused the price of a barrel of oil in North America to plunge below $50 on a regular basis.

But then again, I just read more blurbs from yet more media this week about "dwindling supplies" of oil in
the U.S.  So really.....go figure. Who is right? How much oil do we really have "seen or unseen" in storage tanks within North America?

What I find amusing is that there seems to be more of a market for hyped opinions than for actual scientific facts. Yes, my friends.....oil can certainly be literally measured....but really isn't it just more fun to make up stuff?

There could be professionals who make it their life's work to go around to all the major oil storage facilities in North America and actually MEASURE how much oil is sitting there. But perhaps it isn't feasible to have that kind of broad "access of information" regarding our precious oil resources. Maybe REAL data is too valuable to disseminate to the general population.

So perhaps we need to continue just be like blind sitting ducks and wait and "believe" whatever hype the media wants to sell to us on a daily basis.

Oil and Gas is a huge industry that props up huge swaths of our economy. And no, there's nothing wrong with that. But it appears that folks make a tad too much money from selling "hype" when it comes to the oil and gas industry. People like talking about "plunging prices" or conversely, about "peak oil" scarcity when the mood suits them. News channels love to report about how many good folks are to be laid off from working in the oil fields.

But I would like to encourage myself and any other willing souls to simply determine to seek out the facts, where ever they might be available or even if they are "hard to find"..... and to use ONLY the facts to form the opinions that we  want to hold.


Peace and prosperity,
Carla

A "Food Not Bombs" Dinner Invite

Well, I had read about it for years on the net and was always just a wee bit curious as to what it was all about. Feeding humans for free can't really be all that controversial can it?
Apparently so...... I read that "Food Not Bombs" was at one point, considered to be a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Perhaps that was many years ago, when even John Lennon was considered a "suspicious" person by the U.S. Government. Perhaps passivism was not quite in line with those who had a penchant for "war".

But anyway, my family and I were invited the other day to a "Food Not Bombs" community dinner to be held in a local politician's head quarters who would get some good free publicity from the event.

So, remembering the event at the last minute, I convinced the family to join me in an adventure at our very first invite to a "Food Not Bombs" community dinner. As we arrived, I noticed that several of the dinner guests had arrived on foot or by bicycles parked near the tidy white building. As we entered the politician's domain, the dinner guests had sprawled around a few haphazardly placed rough wooden tables and chairs. Most were chatting quietly and scoping out the looks of the other unfamiliar attendees. The dinner guests, a colorful array of local humanity,.....no two alike, each with a different world view, a different kind a life, home and way of being. No talk of economics or stock market fluctuations could be heard. Just forks scraping plates and jesting between those who happened to know one another. Fertive glances towards those, like my family, who didn't know our way around. Glad to see that the courageous gal who had invited us, was there too, happily hosting and welcoming the motley crew.

No paper plates, just real Correlle and a hodege podge of unmatched over-sized ceramic plates to claim as we made our way to the buffet array of vegan dishes. Some were hot..... some were cold... but all were very clearly prepared with love and concern and a certain spartan determinism.

You see, all of the food that was used to prepare the dishes served at the "Food Not Bombs" dinner was donated by local businesses, and generous individuals. I was informed in advance that the meal would be vegan, but I must admit that I was unprepared for the delicious and broad array of brilliant dishes to choose from.

The only thing I really missed was having "traditional" mayo or salad dressing to add to the great veggie salad. But the silky homemade hummus more than made up for it's absence.

A radio turned to a local pop rock station floated and bounced tunes round the room. The guests outnumbered the wooden chairs, so we sat down on the edge of a landlocked dock out back.... taking in the cool breeze and bright evening sunlight dancing on the wild grasses just behind the landing.

Munching on my vegan feast, I mused quietly.Can it be possible that we can really "just feed" other humans, without having some kind of ulterior motive? Can it really be this simple, just to invite other humans for a meal, prepare the meal and be ready to dine in style with perfect strangers? It's so amazing, I hadn't heard anyone talk about  money for the entire meal. No collection plate is passed and no tickets were sold for the event. Just free food, for free humans. Amen sister. Amen brother.

The vegan feast included a hearty veggie salad complete with dark leafy greens, tomatoes, sesame seeds, and chopped fresh mushrooms. A dollop of homespun hummus smoothes it all out.
Then there was a potatoe and kale hash dish, warmed and comforting. A wholesome dish, that I don't really know the name of,  contained veggies and ripe red kidney beans. All and all, the meal was fresh and complete.

 There were several other dishes and a pot of soup that I didn't get a chance to sample, as I was simply just too full from the monster size salad and bean dish.
For desert there were fresh local pears, shiny vegan chocolate cake, of which my son helped himself to two slices, and a crunchy apple crumble in abundance.

How can all this be vegan, so tasty and satisfying and still be "free"???

Well, as nerve wracking as it can be to force oneself and one's family to venture into completely new social settings, it was an adventure that I am glad we undertook. To be met and greeted by the lady who prepared the meal and gave us the invite created a good friendly community vibe. Photo ops and thanks were made to the politician who let "Food Not Bombs" use her campaign head quarters at no charge.

I must say that it is ultimately VERY refreshing to meet a group of people who simply believe in feeding other human beings, without any other strings attached.

Not to get too philosophical.....but let me close by saying the obvious: Some folks talk a lot and others folks like me.......sure do write a lot....and then there are those blazing trails with their practical example.

Thank you for the bountiful meal. God bless.

In my opinion...There is NO Energy Shortage

Let's have a  rambling energy discussion shall we?

All the rage over the past ten years there have been too many pundits crying about some "looming"   ENERGY CRISIS.

But, when I look around me,  or dig through any manner of intelligent magazines or newspapers, there is massive evidence to the contrary. There are so many forms of energy already being utilized and there are therefore unlimited ways in which to tap it .

There's the "E=MCsquared" formula which Einstein coined.
So basically "anything" .....any item and object in and around our earth has potential energy contained within it simply because it exists. The question is simply how to coerce energy out of these objects in the most viable manner. What is possible is not always financially practical....and may be simply too awkward to pursue.

The bottom line seems to be that there are enormous financial obstacles as well as the huge invisible hand of the business and political community. Let's start by admitting that the world isn't running out of energy!!

 There is something also called "The Law of the Conservation of Matter" which according to my limited  scientific understanding would also support the idea that there really is no lack of energy in our world.....things simply change form....they actually NEVER lose their "mass" a.k.a their "weight".

Therefore, if an item has a weight to it....then it exists and can be plugged into the "E=MCsquared"
formula. Every "thing" has potential energy contained within it, just because it exists or has weight.
======
Ok, 'nuff about that.... Now let me spout about the related issue of financial support and political will.
With all the current and more "well known" energy technologies such as
geo-thermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, wave energy, hydro electric energy, and
bio-mass energy.....it seems to me that what is lacking is simply the political and "business" will to support and mass market these newer technologies. When governments pull up their sleeves and start REALLY supporting these alternative energy forms......it may actually create a society in which regular consumers can choose which energies to utilize for their regular and business activities instead of being forced to simply plug into their regular province or statewide electrical grid. But that would mean FRAGMENTING the energy marketplace instead of CONSOLIDATING it. Both fragmenting and consolidating the energy marketplace have very different financial consequences. Consolidation brings in space for HUGE monopolized conglomerates.

Fragmenting the energy marketplace would gives us humble consumers MANY choices and options. However, governments and business people may not be too excited to pursue a fragmented energy marketplace because it dilutes the potential clout of A HUGE energy CONGLOMERATE.

Permit me to be a little long winded today...(.If you want short blurbs...visit Twitter ok?)
For a real life example......In my area of Ontario, Canada, where I reside, there are numerous road construction projects underway.
What caught my eye are the orange colored traffic control lights and flashing signs that are solar powered, with easily visible little black solar panels keeping them humming along.

Now, I would like to know....why is it that the construction industry has figured out the cost efficiency of using solar powered gadgets on road projects, but the average regular "consumer" is still stuck plugging everything into the usual grid???

If there really was loud and vocal support for solar power in my neck of the woods, I would assume that at least HALF of the appliances and gadgets in my home could operate independently from the solar/wind energy that I could collect, generate and process on my own home turf.

Why is it that the government has only supported solar projects that feed back into the status quo
regular energy grid??? If I am going to produce/collect my own solar energy, I MIGHT NOT WANT TO SELL IT BACK into the electrical grid. I might just wanna be selfish and use it all up for me and my family and my neighbors. THAT would be REAL energy independence. THAT would also protect me and my family from any province wide blackouts ...that happen when you utilize a public electrical grid.
\
I find it really strange that "energy independence" is all the rage to help "develop" rural African communities and regular folks are being empowered "literally" to buy and install solar power cells onto the roofs of their humble tin roofs, thus creating a very low cost, sustainable and INDEPENDENT power source for
isolated rural individuals and families and small businesses in Africa.

What I don't understand is that there seems to be so little political will to doing the same for regular Canadians.  For the record...I am just really tired of paying electricity bills. It seems like
that cow is just being milked so staunchly that no one really wants to undermine that money making machine that is our utility grid. Don't even get me started on that proverbial "sliding scale" that gives lower energy prices for corporations instead of regular consumers.

Ok,  rant complete..... Peace,
Carla

\