I am a Friend of Farmland

Strawbelicious

 

Fresh Strawberry Cake Roll

A Note

This is why Rita Mae Brown rocks:

If you don't like my book, write your own. If you don't think you can write a novel, that ought to tell you something. If you think you can, do. No excuses. If you still don't like my novels, find a book you do like. Life is too short to be miserable. If you like my novels, I commend your good taste.

Instead of Aiming for Efficiency

I hear the ticking of the cuckoo clock. Does time really go that fast?

I read this really great passage in my Comm book today - "It's ethnocentric to judge South Americans as lazy because they take their time to do things instead of aiming for efficiency" (Cooper 108). I take my time to do things, yet I still aim for efficiency... I'm not slow to do things, I just don't like being forced to do something. Is that the Asian American in me?

Ethnocentrism leads to judgments. I think I should take my time to think before acting or communicating negatively or without rashness.

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible."
Orison Swett Marden

OKAY, so to go back to when my English Prof said, "Time management people." We, as college students, need to know how to budget our time wisely. A good way to accomplish that would be to study your schedule of classes, then find your rhythm into the game of jump rope that is college life, and start freaking hopping. You'll soon create your own beat, be following your own rhythm, and pretty soon, people will be hopping after you!

('._.)

Did you know you can write out math problems in Spanish? I think this is really helpful in improving Spanish vocab... Check it out - dos mas uno mas uno son quatro.
haha yay!



My own Jeopardy trivia question:

Answer: Naked Papers - good for the Showtime show that airs (or aired) at 9pm CST on Monday nights starring Mary-Louise Parker...

Question??

To JR, because I can.

HA! Hi JR! Mmm.... so.... Did we just come back from going out? Or do we always look that happy when we're in CO Springs? ('._.)

"What's the significance of 'Pssgetti and Meatballs with eyes?'"

Well, I think a lot relates to whether you like cheese with your Pssgetti - to help subdue the taste of eyes and blend the flavors...

Until later, I bid you a good day!

A New Social Ritual amongst the Elite

Ah, sweet Borg parties… The stimulating scent of caffeine, the verbal jousting, the smell of pepperoni lingering in the air, the floor a tangled infestation of CAT5 cables, the neon lights of case mods poking though the scene like lasers in fog. This is where a load of ‘cool’ people get together in one place with their computers, connect them all together, and then have some fun. A Borg party is a social event – it’s Main Street for geeks. Instead of cruising your hot rod down the main drag, you’re taking your GeForce 4 out for a spin.

Where would you take this marvelous specimen of engineering? Someplace where it would be appreciated by those with the same interests as you. Someplace where others feel the same way as you do, and would never, EVER, think about harming something of such epic beauty. Geeks love computers in the same way wrench-heads love their classic cars. Just like Carol Shelby wouldn’t beat on the hood of a Ferrari with his wrench, a fellow geek gamer would never harm your family computer. As an added bonus, your computer may return in better condition than when it left your own home. Borg parties are havens for experts in technology. Having a problem in Windows? There is sure to be at least twenty people there that can help you out. Need an upgrade? Let little Johnny win one for you instead of shelling out the cash yourself. Think of it as a free tune-up for your computer.

Borg parties are a growing phenomenon among devoted PC game players and techies who take over private garages or rented hotel ballrooms for no-sleep weekend marathons where everyone brings their personal computers (PCs), which are connected to a hastily assembled local area network (LAN). The players are then free to blast away at each other for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours fueled by carefully regulated intakes of caffeine and sugar playing in multi-player games such as Halo, Age of Empires, or war-themed games where combat readiness, adaptive intelligence, and defensive posturing pack so much from-the-future military heat, it’s surprising that half the titles aren’t classified. Techies battle it out for the title of “The Winner” from brawn-boosting boots to stealth suits, war-game power-ups are more real than you think.

From borrowing servers to running the temporary network to designating nap spots for those who want to roll out their sleeping bags, there are a myriad of details to attend to, including the ever-present challenge of coming up with enough electricity. A maze of extension cords tangled on the floor, a Borg party isn’t official until a circuit breaker blows. When the gaming starts, everybody becomes so intense. One frag leads to the next, emotions wax and wane as gibs amass and levels change, here an unmanned player, there an elite commando with uncanny aim. Over time, the Borg party itself, becomes a single organism, breathing, hunting.

After twenty hours of mostly nonstop gaming, players were noticeably groggy but still loudly cheer spectacular kills. The whole event is based around the players. From the moment you enter to the moment you leave, you are well taken care of. Come 3:00 am, you can walk out on the patio and there is a gathering of five to ten people talking about the sweet moves they just pulled to beat out their competitor. Every night you will find different people talking, except of course the normal group of smokers hanging out. But then, you can walk inside and there would be another group of five to ten people just sitting either in the kitchen area or living room eating out of pizza boxes, open packages of potato chips all the while downing cans of Red Bull, and talking mostly about the newest and latest releases of their favorite games.

Dakota Brooks*, a computer technician, said Borg party action can reveal the true personality of the player much more than online gaming. “Some people are really timid online, but you get them in this kind of environment, and they’re wild men,” he said. “It’s a lot like a good, old-fashioned sporting event, where the adrenaline just builds up. I’ve seen people who get really worked up, to the point where they jump up and throw the keyboard out the window when they get killed. The loser also likes to make excuses as to why they were unsuccessful in winning. Either they experience too much lag from the network, or their PC is outdated.”

Aesthetics are huge for this audience. There is a fair share of beige boxes, and gamers spend much of their down time admiring the most tricked-out PC rigs. It’s sort of like a fashion show – they want a system that’s going to attract a lot of attention when they walk in the door. Dakota’s homemade system included half a dozen fans and homebrew water-cooling system for overclocking. None of this, he acknowledged, was strictly necessary for game performance.

Let’s face it; aren’t we all just a little bit turned on when somebody overclocks his or her processor?

“Mainly it’s just to prove a point, to get bragging rights,” said Dakota. He also adds, “It’s like pulling up to a car swap in a perfectly restored Camaro.” Peer pressure among gamers helps push them to invest in the latest technology and spring for aesthetic extras such as PC cases with custom paint jobs and lighting elements. One player with a tricked-out Hypersonic PC can influence many others when they decide it’s time to upgrade.

Society at large has developed a notion that people who play video games or congregate in large groups to play video games are dangerous, unstable people just waiting for an excuse to erupt into violent behavior. People point to the oft-cited incidents of Columbine and the Washington ‘Sniper’ attacks as evidence that computer-generated imagery is wearing away at society’s ethical fiber. When was the last time that reading Lord of the Rings made you want to grab a kitchen knife and stage a bloody battle with your neighbors? When was the last time that watching Hogan’s Heroes made you want to be a prisoner of war, forsaking personal liberty for the sake of making fun of the German’s funny accents? Games, like any other art medium, in their essence are created to convey a rich tapestry of emotion. Some games are new releases, some games are action packed, and some are greater than chess in terms of strategic complexity.

Are gamers not connoisseurs of these offerings?

*Names have been changed to protect identity.

A Mere Moment in the Superior Uplands

As I try to get comfortable on this cold slab of granite in front of the administration building, I look up to the sky wondering if rain will fall from the gray clouds above me. The chatter of young women passing me on their cell phones fill the air.

The sharp distinct yelp of a dog catches my attention.

There is a middle-aged man in an old worn pick-up truck parked in the street in front of me with a very energetic brown and white Springer Spaniel curiously sniffing the air with its front legs hanging out of the passenger side window. I imagine that the dog smells the squirrels that have been running up and down the massive oak tree that separates the parked truck and me. Instantly, a second dog which looks identical to the first also squeezes his way through the half open car window. Maybe it’s the sweet smell of the flowers still in bloom that excites the dogs. I imagine that the man in the pick-up is waiting for his wife so they can take the dogs to the veterinarian.

Just as the two dogs get over their excitement of the new scents in the air, a huge University bus carrying loads of students stops just in front of the parked truck causing the dogs to bark feverishly as each student steps off the bus. Each twenty-something looking student that steps off the bus has that hurried and worried facial expression. I imagine that they are concerned about being late for their class as many of them glance at their watches and cell phones, adjust their backpack straps, and begin to walk just a little bit faster. I giggle to myself as I also imagine a few of those students walking quickly to find the nearest restroom because they just had their third mocha latte for the day.

('._.)

Chinese Moonlight Festival

My intercultural event experience -

The joyous Moon Festival (aka Mid-Autumn Festival) is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, around the time of the autumn equinox. In the western calendar, the Moon Festival fell on the 25th of September 2007. A while ago I admit, but I was sorting through some papers, and ran across the map pictured above, and happily remembered some moments...

The Moonlight Festival is a Chinese event that celebrates abundance and togetherness. The traditional Chinese custom is to celebrate it when the moon is at its maximum annual brightness by having dances, food, and moon-gazing. The China Club and International Chinese Student Association (ICSA) did their own version of celebrating at SCSU in the Atwood Ballroom.

The China Club and the International Chinese Student Association (ICSA) advertised this event around campus by distributing flyers and posters outside of classes at St. Cloud State University. There was also an information booth in the main lobby in the Atwood Student Center manned by representatives of The China Club. I personally received an e-mail which announced that this was the first year of presenting the Chinese Moonlight Festival which was free and open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. September 22, 2007. Last year, the event was for members only, and there was a fee to get in.

From the moment my mother and I entered the Atwood Ballroom, we were greeted by many student members of The China Club welcoming us to the event. As we were handed our Chinese Moonlight Festival Booth Map, we were informed that we were to keep this map with us. As my mother and I scanned our maps, we became excited at the many opportunities we could choose from. Not wanting to miss our chance to have our names written in Chinese Calligraphy, we bee-lined our way to the very front of the auditorium to stand in line at the Chinese Calligraphy booth.

More than 60 event workers helped out at the twelve booths for people to participate at. As you made your way from the Information Desk, you were free too explore the Chinese Games, Chinese Gallery & Silent Auction, Dessert & Drinks, Chinese Traditional Toys, Chinese Dance, Chinese Calligraphy, Learn about Chinese Teas, Kung-Fu, Lanterns, and Costumes. At each booth, an attendant will stamp your map. After visiting five different booths, you will earn a free Chinese dessert and drink. Many people were visiting the booths and trying-on traditional Chinese costumes or learning Kung-Fu moves. They could also participate in the dances, have their names written in Chinese calligraphy, learn about Chinese culture and the history of the Moonlight Festival. There were also two stages that had recurring dances, plays, Tai Chi, and storytelling. I had to agree that this was a fine incentive and interactive way to get people learning more about the Chinese culture.

The overall atmosphere at the Chinese Moonlight Festival was amazing. There was amazing amounts of camaraderie between those teaching how to use a Chinese spinning-top toy and watching my mom learn how to dance in a traditional Chinese way was very entertaining, and informative. There was a lot of interaction between the performers/workers and the audience. People were also winning prizes like gasoline cards for $20 at local gas stations for participating in trivia and other games throughout the night.

We learn a culture’s views and patterns though the process of communication. As my mom and I communicated over our dessert and drank our “bubble” tea, I delighted in the fact that I was not depriving myself of the diverse perspectives of the Chinese culture. Just because someone’s experiences, beliefs, and language differ from our own, doesn’t mean we need to isolate ourselves culturally. The Chinese Social Community understands that people need to coexist in a single society, and they have opened their doors with welcoming arms. It is indeed true that cultures are dynamic and we must evolve in order to survive.

The festival was meant to bring together not only different kinds of Chinese culture, but also the St. Cloud community in general. Chinese culture is becoming more of a predominant face at SCSU and by having this event, The China Club and the International Chinese Student Association (ICSA) has done a fine job to promote the culture and create a better bond between all students.

I happily left with my treasures from the evening:

My name which was written in calligraphy (ink & brush on paper):

This ink and brush image was painted and blessed with "Luck" (ink & brush on paper):

('._.)

Don't Panic, Eat Organic!

While some people still worry about having enough to eat, America has developed a national obsession with eating just the right thing. Eating healthier has become the mantra for many Americans, and a lot of people think that means buying more organic food. Organic foods have been proven to contain a higher percentage of nutrients, have no pesticide residue, generally taste better and have positive benefits on the environment. So why don’t more people eat organic?

Many Americans feel eating organic is too expensive and do not have the extra money to spare. Lack of time leads many people to the drive-thru lane and fast food is more conventional and convenient. Generally, fast food meals are higher in calories, sodium and fat, and often lacking in important vitamins and minerals. In order to improve America’s physical and mental health, we must consider organic food. Eating and supporting organically grown food is the best lifestyle choice because it is environmentally friendly, is becoming more affordable, and is healthy for us.

When choosing to support organically grown foods, you are also helping to support your local farmer and the environment. Intensive farming methods erode the soil while organic farming and agriculture practices help the environment. Organic foods put less strain on the environment than do conventionally produced foods. Eliminating pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals means those compounds aren't going into the groundwater, or into the lungs of farm workers. Instead of using synthetic chemical fertilizer, organic farmers use a combination of composting or farm-made non-synthetic organic fertilizer. When eating organic is combined with eating locally produced food whenever possible, your carbon footprint is reduced because your food did not have to travel very far to get to you. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reminds everybody that “natural composting, or biological decomposition, began with the first plants on earth and has been going on ever since.” Helping to save our environment is one of the most compelling reasons that organic food should be promoted widely.

Organic food is becoming more readily available to the masses. It seems that Wal-Mart is already turning green in regards to the benefits of eating organically. Experts in the food industry are saying, “Wal-Mart could possibly become the nation’s largest seller of organic products, surpassing Whole Foods, because of two reasons: its 2,000 supercenters and its lower prices” (DiCamillo). Since Wal-Mart is carrying organically grown foods, it will soon be available to the tens of millions of Americans who now cannot afford it. What about all natural food-on-the-go?

For the average American on-the-go, O’Natural’s, the first organic fast food restaurant, has a pretty simple concept: Provide people with food that’s 100% food. O’Natural’s claims their restaurant provides “delicious, quick, natural and organic foods, to keep up with your (and our) busy families, and to provide a comfy getaway from the rat race” (Druchniak). Kyle Shadix, managing partner for Culinary Nutrition Consultants states, “’Organic food is not the Atkins Diet. It’s not just another fly-by-night trend. There is a huge difference in flavor. People in middle America know the difference, and they will continue buying organic foods’” (Coomes).

Don’t forget the feel-good factor. One of the greatest advantages of organic foods is that buying and eating them is real, guilt-free pleasure, which is more than one can say for the average supermarket shop. Organic food is pure food; nothing more, nothing less. Forget hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. None of the additives lurking in processed and fast foods are permitted in organic foods. There are no residual antibiotics or growth hormones in organic meat, no pesticides in organic milk, and no hidden starches in organic baby food. If you want a diet based on natural food that hasn’t been tampered with, think organic. According to the USDA:

Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.
Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the
rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. (Gold)

It is a good feeling to know that you are helping the environment; you’re feeding your family on good, pure food that tastes better than processed food; and you are also supporting your local farmers. On so many levels, the inherent and indubitable benefits of organic food and organic agricultural practices actually beg to be promoted and marketed across the globe as we move forward into the 21^st Century. By eating organic food, you are choosing a path to optimum health.

How many of the fruits and vegetables were you able to make out in the photo above?

Please feel free to contact me or comment on organic farming and agriculture. My citations are available in MLA format below.

Thanks for listening!

('._.)

Works Cited:

DiCamillo, Kara. “Wal-Mart is Going Organic.” Treehugger – Business and Politics on the Web. May 2006. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/05/walmart_is_goin_1.php>.

Druchniak, Carmelle. “O’Naturals is First Maine Restaurant Certified as an Environmental Leader.” O’Naturals Press Release News Online 30 Apr. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.onaturals.com/ >.

United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. USDA Definition and Regulations of Organic Production. Jun. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007 <http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml>.

United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Basic Information Wastes and Composting

Organic Materials. Sept. 2007. 21 Oct. 2007
<http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/composting/basic.htm>.

Family of Romeo

The swan is an enigmatic creature. Swimming slowly, arriving at the end of my dock is Romeo. He looks at me intently, as if he has something he wants to communicate. I find myself doing “swan talk,” responding to Romeo’s greeting. He lifts his head emphatically, Hun humnh. The sounds dip and rise, round. Hers follow, a similar pattern but more brief. Lifting my chin also, curvy, soft vowels float from my throat. Hehn hernhm. The swans at the end of my dock on the lake know me, bring me to their world, and it also becomes my own.

Late February, yet spring is here, in the synchronous dance of the swans. Romeo rises, waves his wings and sprays water up in the air like an uncontrollable garden hose. He lifts his head, then she; it seems as they are one, dipping, lifting; preening; one side, then another. They face each other creating a heart. From the swan’s motion the water moves and with it, the light. It pulses up and down the swan’s neck, rippling over his body and mine. Romeo spreads his wings, fanning them, whirring; Whoop, Whoop; and this watery world changes. White looping circles bear blue centers surrounded by black mass, as if alive and fertile. The forms sway toward shore like the swans' necks, images of children of the future, uncountable generations.

I can feel the anticipation in the swan’s body, water sloshing as he shifts back and forth on his feet, preparing to reach toward my hand. My eyes shift to the simple whole grains in the bread I held in my hand. Bought with loving attentiveness, the giving of bread becomes entrée to a divine mystery – a wild animal leaving the saneness and safety of freedom to interact with me, a human. Until now, I considered communion as rare and holy; suddenly I see it as part of this earthly world of gurgles and tail waggles. My hand touches the swan’s bill, as he hums contentedly.

The idea of a responsive Universe intrigues me. When I look down over the lake from my house and spot the swan, if I signal with my heart that I am coming outside, Romeo always comes to the dock. If he is moving away, he turns around if I signal.

As evening falls, lake and sky are cloaked in the sun’s last moments, magenta and apricot. The beauty emerges also in the swans’ upraised wings. I dream of gathering flowers from the fields next to my house. A bouquet in purple and peach hues – the sunset, held in my heart; like in the swans’ wings. Here is my hope: to trust, like the swan, in our emergent humanity.

As summer emerges, the swans bring with them two tiny babies. Alice, the mother, guards carefully as the family pads out of the muck to sun along the lake shore beach. When a dog approaches, Romeo stretches up his neck and trumpets. One baby imitates him as it clamors into the lake. Downy and light, the chick scampers fast. It seems enthusiastic, even when fleeing.

For days, they have not appeared; the baby swans are gone. The female floats randomly in the distance. Both swans are wrenching out their feathers, an act of mutilation, which makes them vulnerable, as they cannot fly. Who knows why? Romeo’s wings had just grown in, perfect, like satin. Now they are in tatters, like a window painted with frost. Feathers are strewn everywhere. I gather some and brush their softness against my cheek, sharing in the grieving. Seeing their suffering, my sense of “swan” is changing. No longer is this a romanticized serene creature. Each is an individual with a personality and a history; each has a unique way of communicating and responding.

In the enigmatic dance of the swans, like a prayer, the swans affirm their reverence for life. I think of the words of Thomas Berry, in The Great Work: “Every being declares itself to the entire Universe. Every being enters into communion with other beings.” Suddenly, the common place between the swans and my dock sprung into sapphire light. I thank the swans for their rare and precious gift.

Completely elated!

Mmmm.... So many thoughts, so many emotions, where does one mark a place in their brain to sort them out?

Maybe I'll just leave them in my head for later and enjoy the beautiful day we have outside....

No you say?! Well then, where do I begin?

Life in Minnesota. It's very true - that there seems to some sort of inner conflict between your adult self and the place where you grew up. My Guardian self and Vulnerable self are at it's peak leaving my Regular True self still living in my warm, cozy, and safe apartment back in Colorado.

That is where I had one of my many epiphanies - driving through Denver one chilly morning, racing to get back to Fort Collins... Ahhh... How I long for Fort Collins... I even miss Loveland of all places. Purple mountains majesty for your whole eye to behold, not to mention the amber waves of grain. Colorado is where I also found another missing piece of my patriotism towards America. I truly felt that I was living in the heart of America and all of those other John Denver songs... a place in my heart that I secretly call my home.

[Side note: Geographically speaking, Fort Collins is located at Latitude: 40° 38' 26" N, Longitude: 105° 6' 19" W and physiographically part of the Southern Rocky Mountains province (which are the younger of the rockies).]

and as I'm driving north towards my little mountain town, I discovered the clarity and serenity of an unhindered Self for the first time ever.

What happened you ask?

We weave the story of our lives... You could never imagine some of the things you would be willing to do when confronted with a situation. You just end up handling it the best way you know how, right?! Ahh... so much to say and so little time - I feel like I'm totally leaving you all hanging.

Until the next time.

('._.)

p.s. My physical self has been many places since my little apartment in northern CO and here I am living and breathing in central Minnesota. In my opinion, MN lacks cultural liberalism...

In lovely Colorado:

This ought to be fun!

Beautiful names that write beautiful words - some that come to mind:

Rumi
Rudaki
D.H. Lawrence
Jack Kerouac
A.R. Gurney
Simone de Beauvoir

What are some of your favorites? Who inspires you to hope? To dream?

This is it!

Let's start experimenting...

Today is Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Kansas City, MO bound in T-2 days!