miasma

Did you know that the guy who invented the Polaroid camera also invented 3-D glasses? (I "invented" the ones in the photo above :) American inventor Edwin Land founded the Polaroid Corporation in 1937 and died in 1991 with more than 500 U.S. patents to his name (only Thomas Edison holds more!) —from Readymade ‡

My co-worker is always ordering a fattoush for lunch, but I didn't know what it is. "Fattoush is a Levantine salad made from several garden vegetables and toasted or fried pieces of pita bread. Fattoush salad allows cooks to use seasonal produce by mixing different vegetables and herbs according to taste, and also to make use of pitas that have gone stale. The vegetables are cut into relatively large pieces compared to Tabbouleh which requires ingredients to be finely chopped. Sumac is usually used to give Fattoush its sour taste."

What the hell is Sumac? It's any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. The dried berries of some species are ground to produce a tangy purple spice often used in juice. Sumacs grow in subtropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world, especially in North America. Sumacs propagate both by seed (spread by birds and other animals through their droppings), and by new sprouts from rhizomes (ginger is another fine rhizome), forming large clonal colonies. ‡

Did you know that the number of silk strings on an ear of corn correspond to the number of kernels? It's true. ‡

In the August 2008 issue of Nat'l Geographic, there's an article on a national park in Hokkaido called Daisetsuzan. In the article, they mistakenly assert that Mt. Fuji receives 100 million visitors a year. According to my research (i.e. Google) it's more like 250-300k annually. By Nat'l Geographic's erroneous estimate, Mt. Fuji would have 273,972 visitors per day.

It wasn't until 1872 that the official ban on women climbing Mt. Fuji ended. Also, the mountain is privately owned by a Buddhist monastery. More trivia re: Fuji on www.thethinkingblog.com. ‡

"I actually think the Mission is one of the most liberal neighborhoods in the United States." --article on sfgate.com

I recently read, in What Makes People Vote Republican, that "people who call themselves strongly liberal endorse statements related to the harm/care and fairness/reciprocity foundations, and they largely reject statements related to ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity. People who call themselves strongly conservative, in contrast, endorse statements related to all five foundations more or less equally."

I don't know what liberals this guy has been talking to, but the very base of my morality is doing what is best for everyone, so that we may advance in all ways, as a society and as a species. I make sacrifices in my daily choices so that I may make a lesser impact on the environment, so that I may improve the experiences of other people, so that my problems don't affect others.

In this way, I consider myself loyal to humanity, and respectful of all people, and I try to keep things as pure as possible...not in a physical manner, but in my soul and my relations. I don't care for harboring hatred or regret or sadness. I try to relate, and find common ground, and get along. This is because, I strongly believe that people can achieve more and better as a group than by living selfishly. Like Kim Deal, "I just wanna get along."

It seems like the different interpretation of these concepts is the division. I don't think it's fair to say that liberals don't embrace these ideals, because I do.

The funny thing to me, is that while I'm basically proud to be a liberal, I make a sincere effort to understand the wants, fears, and motivations of people who are conservative so that I may co-exist with them peaceably. I don't believe that there needs to be any kind of culture war. It seems, though, that I live in liberal ground-zero and so maybe if I ever had to actually deal with anyone who's conservative, I might sing a different tune.

Cannot. Freaking. Wait.

The documentary RELIGULOUS follows political humorist and author Bill Maher ("Real Time With Bill Maher," "Politically Incorrect") as he travels around the globe interviewing people about God and religion. Known for his astute analytical skills, irreverent wit and commitment to never pulling a punch, Maher brings his characteristic honesty to an unusual spiritual journey.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

I love Sarah... Silverman!

That there is a little painting I did a couple years ago of Poly Styrene from X-Ray Spex. I always loved that song, "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" and had heard comparisons of her and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna. Boy, those comparisons couldn't be more dead-on. I mean, Kathleen does her own thing and she's rad, but they coulda been sisters if similar singing sounds made you related.

Anyway, I just got the X-Ray Spex Anthology, and like the other 84,000 things I've experienced for the first time this year, I can't believe I lived my life this long without hearing these songs. It's not too late though, for me to be inspired and shored up by her saucy lyrics and soulful howling silly punk. Do yourself a favor ok? Don't be like me. Get this is your ears before you get too old to be properly indignant.

My Secret Life by Poly Styrene