this one is for you, derek_

Confused? Try this link (see #5).

Oh, I Don't Know, I Think I May Prefer a Nice Velvet

Here is a remake of a graffitti from the early 1990's which used to reside near the post office. Eventually the original was painted over.

I Love Rachel Maddow...

She drinks Guinness.

"The World's Top 10 Pesticide Firms - Who Owns Nature?"

NOTE: Further extracts from ETC Group's recently released report, "Who Owns Nature?" These are from the section about the pesticde industry. For the full report:
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pu...

According to the report, the world's six largest agrochemical manufacturers, who control nearly 75% of the global pesticide market, are also seed industry giants.

It's worth breaking this down by company.

Bayer: the world's biggest agrochemical company is also the world's seventh biggest seed company.

Syngenta: the world's second largest agrochemical company is also the world's third largest seed company.

Monsanto: the world's biggest seed company is the world's fifth largest agrochemical company.

And DuPont: the world's second biggest seed company is also the world's sixth largest agrochemical company.

All these companies are gene giants.

Weed killers (herbicides) account for about one-third of the global pesticide market, and around 80% of GM seeds involve herbicide-resistance.

The worldwide market for agrochemicals grew last year by nearly 10%. this article from Organic Consumers Association...be sure and click on the link to the ETC Group report in full...

Just finished reading this wonderful book...

Thank you for loaning this one to me. Wink, wink; you know who you are.
And, "What?", you may ask, is the next logical step in reading material? Well, it is:




The 'Fermenting Revolution' website is here. This book is so "me" that it is hilarious. When I had my first microbrew (Anchor Steam Beer) back in the day, I was in love, and never looked back. One of my standard sayings is, "Quality not quantity". I've done a bit of homebrewing also, and find it a very enjoyable experience. I used recipes from 'The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing' by Charlie Papazian. Two favorites were "Dark Sleep Stout" (roundly viewed as "Orgasm in a Bottle"), and "SandiBottom Red Bitter". Visit Seven Bridges Cooperative for some supplies & ideas.

Sunrise Window Ice...

morning of
texture and
bringing of light
finding chill
of color and shadow

Snow Turns To Ice...

Another mug meets its sad end...

Who would have thought that placing a half mug of espresso down on the counter would have caused a spontaneous explosion? Much less with a 3-second delay? I thought the espresso carafe had exploded, certainly not this heavy glass mug! Oh no! MY 'PEACE COFFEE' MUG!! I have such bad luck with these clear glass mugs. My "Snowpea" mug, my Grateful Dead dancing bears spiral, and now...

Finally!! Some Snow!!

dream memory...

melian & i have gained passage on a spacecraft...after i talked with the captain, he went off to his quarters at the back of the ship...he wasn't social at all, and a little gruff, he had on a large hat...so, we are sitting, and i am looking out the windows at the stars and planets as we go through space...after a while, we arrive at our destination planet, and begin our entry...a towtruck ship grabs us and pulls us to a campground, and into a "parking" spot...i go to get the captain, as there are some people who are trying to board, and they seem angry...he emerges, looking rather sleepy, but ready...as we calm these people down, he & i work well as a team, and i have gained his trust/respect; he says as much...as we try to move into another spot, two of the next-door campers accost me, i must hit one of them, but i am able to de-fuse the situation, and we leave for our new camping spot...

O.K. Two days after i have this dream, Gwynne calls me in the a.m. to tell me of a dream that she has just had about me: she has come from the space-time continuum to tell me that i need to be with Chuck...she has come to my house, and brought him with her...

a study of dead squirrels...

why is it that people driving will
try like hell to not run over an animal
in the road
that is already dead
but
will not even slow down
to avoid hitting one
that is
alive?

tonight
as i was driving home
i was
thinking about squirrels
and drove right past
the library...

"where are you allen ginsberg?"

how am i supposed to react when i
realize
that a person i was kind to has
stolen
my autographed copy of 'Howl'
and it is
long gone to the other coast
by now?

Pete Seeger - "This Land is Your Land"...

Farmer's Markets on the increase...

Here is a chart with encouraging numbers for a change! (I've been reading 'Bad Money' by Kevin Phillips which is jam-packed with charts of a discouraging nature...) So, to find a farmers market in your area, visit the Organic Consumers Association/Greenpeople directory or, the Piedmont Environmental Council "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" website. Highly recommended!

Inspiration like crazed cloud-cover melancholy...

I've finally begun reading Bukowski...
'Betting On The Muse: Poems & Stories '...released posthumously in 1996 of previously unpublished work...

Books & Coffee...

'Pirate's Dilemma' makes its way to "Deja Brew" and into the hands of these lovely people, Roberto & Val. I've got to say that my Raspberry Mocha (big mug on the table in the left of the photo) was not only delicious, but had me fully caffeinated for hours. We had a grand time talking and sipping our java. I doubt that there were any subjects we left uncovered. They brought me three books to read while they have 'Pirate's Dilemma', as Roberto said he reads slowly. Looking forward to those. All in all, one of those times that makes you glad you're alive. Oh!, I also did a book release while we were there.


and YES, that's my co-worker/pal Rick in the upper right hand area of the photo!

mortality meditation...

creative ideas!
photographs to take
books to read
poems to write
dog adventures to go on
cat naps to share
food to cook
beer to drink
places to travel to,
i'm not afraid of dying,
i just don't want to miss out on anything
i don't want to stop having
creative ideas

so...later on at work, one of my customers asks me if i know the secret to a long life...i say,"laugh a lot?", and he says, "no. the secret is: don't die."

Artist Huong's Peace Mural...

The Peace Mural has come to Washington, D.C. through January 20th...here is a photo slideshow from the exhibition..also check out the Foundation website for more information about the creation of this piece and the artist, Huong...tonight's event is 'The Warmonger's Wake' at 7:30 p.m. (reservations required)...

Three recent dream segments...

i am at work at the grocery store, and Rick has come back already from after his surgery...i am talking to him, asking how he is and why is he back, it's way too soon! also, he is lifting things onto a U-boat, and i know he shouldn't be lifting, so i try to assist...he says he just couldn't sit around the house doing nothing...

Joonie has an injury that is not healing, she's licking & chewing trying to take care of herself and there are actual pieces of her fur and flesh around the house, it's awful... i make an emergency appointment with the vet, they send a woman out to pick Joonie up...later i am on the phone with the vet who says that it's serious, but she will be alright after further healing from the surgery he has done...

i am at work back at "Crown Books", working the register and meeting the other employees...there are bulk magazines stacked up all over the floor behind the register just like there used to be, and random crap piled everywhere, i start to attempt a clean-up, a young lady who comes into work later finishes it, to my surprise...trying to ring up some books for a guy, i ask out loud, "what's my number?", and i key in '25' and think, "that's my old one"...can't find the prices on these two remainders which are in pretty poor shape...during another sale, a woman walks away before i've handed her her receipt because it has taken so long for the machine to print it out, i call out to her asking if she wants the receipt...the register equipment is the same old stuff we used to have back in 1980, the same register keys and all...

First "New Beer" of 2009...

This brew has more bubbles than i thought it would. It's not quite stout-y enough for me, but it has a good first taste that is unusual and smokey. The mid-taste is weird. Then it's gone and you decide to have another sip. Happy New Year, i'm going to go back to reading 'Angler' now. (Subtitled: 'The Cheney Vice Presidency', written by Barton Gellman) What a good book. Wow.

Rainy Day Fainting Couch

Happy New Year chronicle...

Last book read in 2008 & champers I bought at 50% off...The book was interesting and exciting, even though the writing style was a bit light, there are also a bunch of links/references to other related things worth checking out...the champers was mellow but not so flavorful that I would ever buy it again...but not to sound too negative! A fine, festive night it was...beautiful sky with the crescent moon and Venus shining bright...

YEAR OF VIRGINIA WINE - 2008

• Syrah - 2006, Whitehall Vineyards, Whitehall
• Wineworks Red -Virginia Wineworks, Keene
• Cabernet Sauvignon -2005, Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville
• Viognier - (?), The Winery at La Grange, Haymarket
• Melange -2005, The Winery at La Grange, Haymarket
• Wineworks White -(?), Virginia Wineworks, Keene
• Pinot Grigio - 2006, Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville
• Viognier - 2007, Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane
• Totally White Wine - Lake Anna Winery, Spotsylvania
• Petit Manseng - 2006, White Hall Vinyards, White Hall
• Petite Verdot - 2005, Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane
• Chardonnay - (?), Jefferson Vineyards, Charlottesville, VA
• Rose of Merlot - 2007, The Winery at La Grange, Haymarket
• Cuvee Blanc - 2007, The Winery at La Grange, Haymarket
• Viognier - 2007, Barrel Oak Winery, Deleplane
• Petit Manseng - 2007, Lovingston Winery, Lovingston
• Rotunda Red - 2005, Lovingston Winery, Lovingston
• Cabernet Sauvignon - 2005, Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane
• Cabernet Franc - 2005, Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane

YEAR OF BEER - 2008

• Olde Richmond Brown Ale - Olde Richmond Beer Company, Hampton VA... very tasty
  

• Festie - Starr Hill Brewery, Charlottesville VA... i just love this one
  

• Jomo Lager - Starr Hill Brewery...drinkable on an average
  

• Chocolate Porter - Legend Brewing Company, Richmond VA...very rich & yummy
  

• Octoberfest - Harpoon Brewery, Boston MA...drinkable on average
  

• Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock - The Boston Beer Company, Boston MA...amazing, delightful sipping beer, tasty and rich
  

• Backdraft Brown - Hook & Ladder, Baltimore MD...real good brown, flavorful
  

• Golden Ale - Hook & Ladder...drinkable

• The Raven - B.W. Beer Works, Baltimore MD...adore this one, very tasty
  

• Pomegranate Wheat - Saranac Brewery, Utica NY...nice and different
  

• Longboard Island Lager - Kona Brewing Company, HI...drinkable

• Wailua Wheat - Kona Brewing Co...i adore this fruity & refreshing beer
  

• Fire Rock Pale Ale - Kona Brewing Co...lighter, but tasty
  

• Pipeline Porter - Kona Brewing Co...i really like this porter, yummy
  

• #9 - Magic Hat Brewing Co., Burlington VT...a different take on an apricot brew, which i love
  

• Odd Notion - Magic Hat...this was fun, and tasty
  

• Roxy Rolles - Magic Hat...dark and yummy
  

• Circus Boy - Magic Hat...good Hefeweizen
  

• Chipolte Ale - Rouge Ales, Newport OR...OMG this is so good
  

• Mocha Porter - Rouge Ales...i adore this flavor
  

• Santa's Private Reserve Ale - Rouge Ales...tasty

• Trader Joe's Frugal Beer...
  

Winter cacti...

Shnazzy holiday songs!

a hilarious site for all of your christmas song caroling needs...

Longest Night...

Winter Solstice full of light and love and a very happy black lab, jalapeno peppers and cats... pumpkin chocolate brownies and sweet potato-ginger soup...fire in the woodstove and a glass of Caramel Porter...candy cane cupcakes and Frankenstein Latkes...

ramble o'woe...

awaken anxiety ridden from my personal failings which largely involve money & laziness...i spent $15 on cupcakes & coffee at 'Cupcake Heaven' yesterday (but wait! cupcakes are a thing of beauty, are they not?), and $48 on dinner at the 'Outback' (Melian & i were hungry and needed a boost after a disappointing show) ...i only got two things done (finished reading 'The Pornography of Power' and got the jalapeno christmas lights down from the attic) from my list of stuff to do on my day off...i'm going to have a cuppa joe and try to soothe my sorrow in front of the fire...then i have to get ready for work...so now i have partaken of some hydrotherapy, and gotten my mind rebooted by a short walk around outside in the yard...i can do this...

robert smith knows what i'm talking about...

7:00 a.m. on Thursday...

poem 12/15/08...or: "Just Forget About the Coffee Pot"

i can't wash dishes after
i've dropped acid the dishes
never
get clean enough
scrub in between the tines of the forks and
try to let the rainbow sheen
out

dreamie - dream...

i am driving out of the town i have been visiting...going through the downtown area...i pass under a pedestrian bridge, watching the people walk across...as i am on the other side, i am really noticing the people there, most of them are tourists...(soon i am walking, not driving anymore)...i notice that almost all of the many people there are older...they are shopping...there are many, many stores & stalls & kiosks filled with touristy stuff and junk, like at an oceanfront boardwalk...i am wondering what part of town the "cool" people frequent, (where are the "hipsters", in other words!) would that be the mall??? i laugh to myself...i notice that there are a lot of very happy and snappy old people walking around, looking at all the stuff...one woman in particular stands out in my mind as she walks up to, and then passes by me: she is a short white woman wearing a lacy top, blue glass bead & silver jewelry and a snazzy light thread crochet cloche with glitter; she is dancing and smiling as she walks, she makes me smile and feel good...

yesterday's dream segment...

i go into a hair salon to get my hair cut, and i decide to get my hair dyed also...i tell the stylist that i want my hair to be red auburn...she chooses a box of color and dyes my hair...my hair has gotten longer, and it is quite full and curly...we talk about that and decide to not cut it...i sit in one of the styling chairs afterward and talk to another woman there...

Childhood Dream Memory: Early 1960's...

i am in my room, i look out the window and see a white horse, i go outside and more white horses are coming up the driveway and milling about in the yard, i am patting them and it is wonderful...they are beautiful, and i am happy...

dream segment...

i am in an older townhouse community; the streets are nice, many trees and sidewalks in good repair...i have a electric grill-type thing that i am going to make sandwiches with, but i am concerned about sparking, as the appliance is somewhat old...but i walk around the block to the place where i am going to plug it in...i do so, and walk back to the other place as the grill warms up...i am thinking about the panini as i walk...i get a metal tray to use and then it begins to rain lightly at first, then more heavily...i am smiling as i walk back, walking in this rain...

Ben Floeter...

Check out Ben's reggae artist paintings. Beautiful stuff. This one is of Bongo Sylly, on a suitcase with various media. Floeter has a show which opened 11/22/08 at "Art Whino" in D.C.

see this Washington Post article...

salivation...

If you have not already done so, my fine brew-loving public, hie thee quickly to your nearest purveyor of said fine brews and purchase THIS! Samuel Adams "Chocolate Bock". It's a rich sipping beer not to be missed.

Also in beer news: Red Hook is making their "Double Black" again! This is cause for celebration, without a doubt. Imperial stout with coffee and dark malt. Yeah, baby...

a study in dichotomy...

Gwynne's recycle bin doth contain some interesting finds.

"Films Viewed" update...

The Road to Perdition (Sam Mendez), 2002
The Cinderella Man (Ron Howard), 2005
SherryBaby (Laurie Collier), 2006
Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton), 2007
Romance & Cigarettes (John Turturro), 2007
The Ladykillers (Ethan Coen), 2004
Juno (Jason Reitman), 2007
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Elections
Charlie Wilson's War (Mike Nichols), 2007
The Missing (Ron Howard), 2003
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella), 1999
Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith), 1997
The Weight of Water (Kathryn Bigelow), 2001
Fur (Stephen Shainberg), 2006
The Dark Knight, 2008 (in the theatre)
In the Valley of Elah (Paul Haggis), 2006
The Good German (Stephen Soderbergh), 2006
21 (Robert Luketic), 2008
Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrl , 2006
Brick (Rian Johnson), 2005
Amores Perros (Alejandro Inarritu), 2000
Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright), 2007
The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams, 2005
Amazing Grace (Michael Apted), 2006
Trade (Marco Kreuzpaintner), 2007
Who Killed the Electric Car? (Chris Paine), 2006
The Man From Plains: Jimmy Carter (Jonathan Demme), 2007
Bush's War ( Frontline documentary), 2008
Factory Girl (George Hickenlooper), 2006
The Weather Underground (Bill Siegel & Sam Green), 2002
Constantine's Sword (Oren Jacoby), 2007

What I've Been Reading: Literary Ingesta...

• Diane Arbus a biography by Patricia Bosworth, 1984

• Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar, 2007

• Come Hell Or HIgh Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster by Michael Eric Dyson, 2006

• The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder by Vincent Bugliosi, 2008

• Fooled Again by Mark Crispin Miller, 2005

• The Green Collar Economy by Van Jones, 2008

• American Made by Nick Taylor, 2008 "The Enduring Legacy of the WPA"

• Bushworld by Maureen Dowd, 2004

• American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips, 2006

dream segment...

i am at a car repair-type place, and i see chuck drop Old Blue off there for some work...as he is walking away to exit the building, i holler out his name twice...he hears me, and comes over to me...he has been working out and is very defined, especially in the upper body region, he has two really colorful tattoos on both of his knees (and surrounding area) which are of a beautiful tribal motif...we kiss, we talk a bit, and then hug...our hug goes on for a very, very long time, we even turn/sway as we hug, and i can see other things going on in the place, but the hug is so good and comforting that none of it matters at all...

i am driving my old Ford van, and there are many mechanical problems with it...the steering is off, as i am attempting to turn left onto Rt. 15, i do not get into the lane correctly, i must back up and try again, there are two other drivers who are very courteous and wait as i do this...as i am driving, the brakes malfunction also, i am stomping down on the pedal without much braking action at all...i am on a dirt road and there is a dead man in a puddle in the road! i run over him and hear bones crunch...i am out of the van and climbing up a small rock face to try to get out of the low-lying area i am in, it's difficult going, but i make it...there are two other people at the top who speak to me as i make my way out...


i look in the bathroom mirror, and there is a horizontal red line of blood in my right eye...

Buddha's Hand Citron...

We saw these for sale at the 'Kroeger's' in Richmond yesterday, and were very intrigued, but did not purchase one. We were there for ginger with which to make Sweet Potato-Ginger soup, and of course, BEVVIES.

Biorhythmically Speaking...

So, yesterday was a triple critical for me. Wow! I am still flummoxed by my emotional cycle being so high last week. My week of major depression. I still feel like the low pressure before the rain began had a lot to do with it all. I do feel much better, although i don't seem able to concentrate on any one thing today, "Short Attention Span Theater"!

Dog dreams...

Rhiannon just had a very intense dream: she did two sets of rapid, deep breathing followed by two low growls, then a lot of paw flipping. Has anyone invented the electrode brain hook-up that would allow me to see her dreams? That would be so very awesome.

3/7 ths of the Crew...

Rhiannon, Buddy & Tyga go strolling with photographer Melian. She had borrowed my camera and gone on a major photo shoot...

dream segment...

i go to the dentist's office to have some work done...i wait in the office for a long time, other people come and go, but i never get called in for my appointment...so as the office is about to close, i walk up to the receptionist and ask her if i'm going to get called in, or should i come back tomorrow? i'm being kind of sarcastic, but sincere at the same time...later; another day, i am back, and have something done, but the procedure is really simple and doesn't address my dental problem, i discuss this with the dentist: he is Indian with glasses and longish brown hair...he sort of waffles on an answer, but more appointments are in my future to fix my dental dilema...so i'm in the waiting room, and there are a lot of people there and it turns out that there is a jazz history thing going on, it's fascinating! there are people playing music, mostly African-American; photos on display, books to look at, short films, recordings to listen to & buy; it's really a fabulous experience! i make some new friends...

magnet therapy needed

cold shards of fear ice while tears
start and stop behind my eyes of
dismay and sorrow takes me to
fetal position
mind shaking

word of the day...

horripilation

goosebumps, the feeling of your hair standing up...from fear or cold or excitement...

The Enchanter...

Melian's awesome photo of my Halloween costume this year...it was said by many that I was quite scary...at one of the homes where we trick-or-treated, a guy asked me what I was...when I told him, he asked me was my name "Tim"!!... that was a delightful moment...

Oh, and a thought almost too beautiful to put into words!!!

NO MORE 'W' ...NO MORE BUSH DOCTRINE...NO MORE LIES AND OBFUSCATION...NO MORE CHENEY!!! now let us set about regaining our civil liberties...

Our President...

12:15 a.m. and Obama just finished his victory speech..well, that was beautiful...perhaps now we can regain the respect of the rest of the world...

Yeah!!!!! Obama '08...

Our new President is Barack Obama...it's real!!! 11:56 p.m. and it's 338 electoral votes/47,764,579 citizen votes...(i listened to McCain's concession speech, and it was a fine one, good job on that John, amazingly enough!) Oh, and way to go VA with 1,613,151 Obama votes, damn right!!!

dream segment from two nights ago...

i come home and find that all the kids have been naughty, and Miss Ethel is in a lip-stuck-out funk about the misbehavior...i am upstairs in the big room, and find Ethel crouched down near the desk, & i ask her just what is her problem??? she shows me the papers detailing all the kid misbehavior, but i cannot read them because the kids have all gotten their papers wet, and the print has run...Miss Ethel gets ready to leave...i try to tell someone else what has happened, and the telling is quite lengthy & detailed, but i keep getting interrupted, so i must begin again...that's when i wake up, and the telling plays over and over in my head for quite a long time...

Zappa Plays Zappa...

I just got home from seeing ZPZ at the Birchmere in Alexandria. My goodness was that a tasty treat, or what!?! Dweezil is astounding. And, he smiles the whole time.

Fangs Up! in the green room...

some Good News for a change!...

I cannot even imagine the destructive scope of this project. Thank goodness the EPA struck this down. Read this piece from Grist:

Yazoo Keeper
EPA puts kibosh on wetland-destructive Army Corps project

The U.S. EPA has vetoed a giant, expensive plan to build the world's largest water pump in the Mississippi River delta. The so-called Yazoo Pump flood-control project would have sucked 6 million gallons of water a minute from 67,000 acres of wetlands along the Yazoo River. The scheme, proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and first authorized by Congress in 1941, would have cost $220 million. The EPA concluded that maybe, just maybe, sucking all that wet out of the wetlands would have been damaging to fish, wildlife, and migratory birds. "The EPA truly deserves our thanks for killing this unnecessary and economically wasteful Corps of Engineers project," says the Sierra Club's Ed Hopkins. "The natural, and free, flood protections offered by these wetlands are far more effective than an expensive pumping project." The veto was only the 12th time since 1972 that the EPA has put the kibosh on a Corps project; the last was in 1990.

[ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ]

sources: Associated Press, National Audubon Society, U.S. EPA, Sierra Club
get the backstory, in Grist: EPA set to kibosh Mississippi Delta boondoggle
see also, in Grist: A special series on the Army Corps and the Mississippi River

Orangealicious...

Buddy is just so adorable.

two "work" dreams...

i am at work and getting ready to set up a display...in the back room i find a large white cardboard display box, and go ask dax if i should use that for the display set-up...he says, "no! i told you to use that", and points to a deflated inflatable pool...i say, "oh yeah! that's right", and get it from off the floor...(later) dax, todd & i are in the office drinking beer...todd starts to twist open a bottle top, but i snatch it away from him and use my bottle opener...

dax & i are done working for the day, he gives me a ride to his house, but i am so tired that i fall asleep in the car, he goes on inside...later when i awaken i too go into their house...i realize that i need to get ready to go to work, but i'm wearing yesterday's clothes & have no way to get home to change unless dax drives me there...he is unconcerned about this, and goes into another part of the house...they have a new dog, a mastiff & as i am standing talking to valerie, the dog pees on my left pants leg...this is bad because now i really need some clean clothes! i ask valerie if she has a pair of "fat pants" that i could borrow...she looks but doesn't find anything, then says she will give me her credit card...as i am about to leave, she says wait, i'll take you to the store...so we get in her car and go to the mall...