Energy Waste.

There is nothing I loathe more than a waste of non-natural engergy. Why do people that aren't physically handicapped use the button to open a door. It doesn't appear to me that they need to maneuver a wheelchair. And it appears they have 2 or even 1 working arm. So why press the button!?

How much energy is needed to mechanically open the door? How many calories does it take for a person to open a door? Are people really that fat and lazy?

There is always the excuse, "I was trying to help you." Well, if I couldn't open the door because of what I was carrying then I would ask for help.

Don't assume I need help because I have a handful. I'm used to a handful. I'm built for hard-labor. I guess others aren't. The ones that use the button must not be built for any labor.

We are in an energy crisis, people! If we don't start cutting our non-renewable energy expenditure, our reign on this earth will cease to exist.

The Luis Faife Quartet

I went last night to HR-57.

Its a great little jazz club @ 1610 14th St Nw.

Great little story about the congressional bill that recognizes jazz as "a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it is preserved, understood and promulgated."

The place is BYOB. First time I ever went anywhere that is BYOB. Pretty great because we end up spending less money even though they charge a $3 "corking fee". That seems to mean "If-you're-drinking fee."

Went to HR-57 to see a QMS driver's jazzy music. Driver 43, Luis, plays the saxophone in the Luis Faife Quartet. I was very impressed.

I definetly recommend seeing him perform.

Fun time was had by all.

My bloody knees

I figure that since my title is "Cycle and Recycle" then I gotta at least have 1 picture with me on my bike! This is during the 2006 North American Cycle Courier Championship (NACCC) in Philadelphia. Notice the bloody knees? I fell right at the beginning of the race and then again about halfway through. What an idiot. I ended up finishing like 6th female or something. I also won track skids and track stands for women, earning me the title (and some awesome prizes*) of North American Track Queen.

My bike looks a lot different these days, with the blue rims and new track drop bars. I'm gonna have to put a pic of the new look up here soon....

*the BIG prizes:
Awesome bag from R.E.Load
Super sexy utility belt from Fabric Horse
Track wheelset with Level Hubs and blue Velocity Deep V rims
Pair of pants from Bedlam Custom
and some other random swag

Natural Gourmet Institute

I wanted to post this after I saw an article on food coloring for Velvet cake. When I first thought of the luscious red cake, I thought, "Well of course I would use beets as a food colorant. Plus, beets, if cooked right, would add an exotic sweetness that food coloring lacks.

That got me thinking (yet again) about my future in the natural foods business.

I've been thinking about culinary school for quite some time now. I've loved working in the food service industry for the past 11 years. (On more than off since I was 15) I've always wanted to have my own restaurant. Sure the vision of it has changed over the years. I almost want to puke knowing that I wanted to own a/some McDonald's. Boy was I young and naive (or ignorant?). Since college, however, the vision has been the same. College town atmosphere. Counter service. Breakfast and lunch foods. Good coffee and tea. Healthy choices. It was only in the last year or so that I've been a bit more serious about the vegan/vegetarian fare. I still want to have lots of breakfast/brunch items (my specialty) including eggs. Would customers be satisfied with veggie sausage/bacon? Cuz I think that stuff is fantastic. I guess I'm saying that I don't want to limit the clientele to vegetarians only.

So on to culinary schools. I'd like to study some Culinary Management but I'd like to take some culinary arts courses. I did a simple Google search for "culinary schools vegetarian" and I came across the Natural Gourmet Institute. Their program seems to be exactly what I'm looking for on the Culinary Art side of things. Perhaps I can find another school in NYC that has a Culinary Management program that fits my needs. We'll see.

I am traffic-free

Lights and timing of lights.
What is the purpose of traffic lights.
To direct the flow of traffic.
So there is no purpose in cars trying to defy the lights.
No purpose in speeding, changing lanes or making fast, irresponsible moves.
Because the light is gonna get you.

But why can't cars noodle through traffic the way they envision?
The way the commercials show?
Becuase they are large and obtrusive. Because they are fat.

The problem with America's #1 use of transportation is also the problem with modern American society. Cars, SUVs, trucks and vans are fat and inhibat free movement and agility.

And sometimes the drivers of large vehicles will try to muscle you off the road*. Are the drivers as obtrusive as their cars? Jealous that they don't have the mobility I do? The freedom?

I can see why they're jealous that we can run reds. But maybe if they didn't take up so much space, they could be stealth too.







*Metrobusses do it all the time yet yell at me if I grab on a light.

Tell Morningstar Farms "No eggs in veggie products!"

This was posted as a bulletin by a MySpace pal. We need to reduce the demand for factory farmed hens/eggs. And when we eat a vegetarian burger, we shouldn't have to worry that the hens used to produce the eggs that are absurdly added to products were mistreated! "If you're gonna go vegetarian then just go vegan!"

Bulletin:

Our friends at Compassion Over Killing are trying to get Morningstar Farms
to stop using eggs in their product line.

Morningstar Farms®, which is owned by the Kellogg® company, is currently
purchasing eggs produced by hens confined inside barren wire battery cages.
Battery caged hens are typically provided with a meager 67 square inches of
space in which to live—that’s less than the size of one sheet of notebook
paper. These birds are so intensively confined for their entire lives that
they are denied their natural inclinations to spread their wings, perch,
preen, or even walk.

Morningstar Farms® has long been a leader in supplying delicious vegetarian
foods to a growing market. Let them know that the market also wants them to
remove their support from the cruel battery egg industry. Please encourage
them to join with companies like Gardenburger®, which last year announced it
has taken eggs out of all its products except for one private-sourced item.

Take action today by submitting your comments online! It is important that
Morningstar be contacted by THIS FRIDAY!

Please also call Kellogg®’s customer feedback hotline:
1-800-962-1413.

Hours (Eastern Standard Time):

* Mon. - Thurs.: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
* Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

1. Say: “Representative.”
2. Press 2 for product information
3. Press 1 for general inquiries

It is crucial that Morningstar Farms® hear from consumers like you—please
forward this message widely! Thank you for helping make a difference for
egg-laying hens.

Learn more about this campaign and other ways you can help at
Morningstar-Egg-Facts.com.

Connections

I joined the world of blogging. Well, I've actually done some blogging but since I haven't done much by way of setting aside time to update much, I never felt the need for the blogspot world. But since I'm always wanting to respond to Gwadzilla's posts and he recently restricted comments to bloggers. So the only way to comment is to have my own blogspot. So stop on by every few months or so. I don't know how often I'll be updating but who knows...