Better than Venturer Swill ?

This week's guest speaker on my favourite forum WonderCafe, Ryan Beiler, opens up the world of dumpster diving. This link to YouTube will take you to a CBC news team that followed along on a dumpster diving run.

Ryan says he's "now leaning toward a “freegan” (rhymes with “vegan”) lifestyle, which allows me to eat poultry and seafood more often as long as I don’t pay for them.The point is to eat sensibly while withdrawing financial support from an unsustainable agribusiness industrial complex that ravages the environment with factory-farm waste and the fossil-fuel consumption needed to ship those shrink-wrapped eggplants all the way from Chile. But just because you’re scavenging surplus doesn’t mean you can’t be discerning. Because I target higher-end grocery stores, many of the items are organic and hormone-free as well."

He also suggests it is preferable to go in pairs - which would be good because I don't think I could climb in and out of those things without a little help (my knees, you know :) Certainly not just to rescue a poor little shrink-wrapped eggplant! I also think you would need a young, strong stomach, just in case...

Seriously, the really interesting part about this for me is that Ryan's article shows he has quite a strong Christian faith base that the CBC video did not even address.

later man, jan

Makes one stand a little taller :)

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Countess Jan the Loquacious of Melbury Bubblewick Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

my thanx to Gord
later man, jan

I had to get the book out in a couple of questions...

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Have your bible handy to check some of your answers - cause my own score is really not as high as it looks - but I feel pretty good anyway - thanx for the link my friend and congratulations - tonight is your 6 months celebration - woo hoo.... I hope to drop in...

later man, jan

All those 'Christians' don't really speak for me...

Here's a link to a place called CrossWalk America - part of an emerging Christian movement - one that joyously embraces the love of God, neighbor and self (Jesus' core values). Here is what they stand for:
- openness to other faiths
- care for the earth and its ecosystems
- valuing artistic expression in all its forms
- authentic inclusiveness of all people - including God's lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (lgbt) community
- opposing the commingling of Church and State
- promoting the values of rest and recreation, prayer and reflection
- embracing both faith and science in the pursuit of truth

Here also is a link to The Phoenix Affirmations which will give you a summary version of the core beliefs of this group that speaks of the public face of Christianity in America today as having little connection to the historic faith of our ancestors. How the voices of 'Christians' in the media do not necessarily represent the faith of all who attempt to follow the way of Love.

If you still have time... I signed up for the prayer vigil for tomorrow morning from 9am to 11am - the trial began yesterday...

On August 8, 2006, Bishop Ronald Warren of the Southeastern Synod filed formal charges with the ELCA against Pastor Schmeling because of his committed relationship with Rev. Darin Easler. Currently, the ELCA has a policy that excludes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons in relationships from the ordained ministry. The congregation, which stands in solidarity with Pastor Schmeling, prays the ELCA will change its policy or that Bishop Warren will drop the charges before a disciplinary hearing is scheduled to begin on January 19, 2007.
Members of St. John’s have formed a national prayer vigil during the trial

later man, jan

Is there really such a thing as 'clean' energy?...

Our government seems to be making some big environmental noises lately. Are they just that? Noise? Is there really such a thing as 'clean' nuclear energy - or is it just the nuclear waste that is dirty - who is kidding who??? Stephen Harper appeared quite smug as he made his announcements on the news tonight and then I read this article on the CBC page...

Tories to spend $230M on clean energy technology
Federal minister says he is 'keen on' use of nuclear energy in Alberta's oil patch...

sigh, later man, jan

Wanna waste more time ???

Here's another time waster for you to try... Catch33... just hold your mouse over the numbers in order till they are all gone... my first try was 66 seconds and after I figured it out, I could only do it in 53 - sigh - what kind of banker am I if I can't remember where I am in my counting...

thanx Frodo - Procrastinators Unite !!!
later man, jan

I wish my Dad had email...

If only my dad had email... but he has quite enough trouble with those darn tv remotes :)...

It has been a long week and nothing brings us closer to our God and our loved ones than those awful visits to the hospital...

We have argued and joked and hugged and cried and tonight he smiled me that special old smile...

so Dad, since I can't send this to you, I'm sending it to everyone else...

I love you dad...
later man, jan

Why did this chicken cross the road???

Coffee Cups - a novel way to look at Life...

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said...

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee.

The jobs, money and position in society are the cups.
They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Enjoy your coffee... and remember the happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything."

(thanx Joanna W, later man, jan)

Yay - high score...16.562 seconds... enough already...

Best I can do - my eyes were already watering at 13.406 :))
Looks like they'll never teach me how to fly :)

later man, jan