The Curious Autodidact

April 28, 2009

Radio Segment Worth a Listen

Filed under: media related,social justice — Honilima @ 9:16 am
Surrender of Japanese Forces in S. Korea

Surrender of Japanese Forces in S. Korea

I know that National Public Radio has a podcast called “Driveway Moments” but I don’t think this story produced locally in Seattle will make it into that feed.

I sat in the garage unable to get out of the car when I by chance got caught in the middle of this story when I got home. I was almost moved to tears and reminded me of the vast powers of audio production and the power of forgiveness. I would highly recommend you listen to it too. Bravo Dave Beck!

From KUOW in Seattle Morey Skaret’s story.

April 22, 2009

How to Spot ATM Scam

Filed under: helpful hints,money saving ideas — Honilima @ 9:45 pm

This short PDF presentation will keep you aware of what to look for when doing mechanized banking. We must all keep on out toes to avoid fraud in our fast paced electronic world.

Symptoms of Inner Peace

Filed under: helpful hints — Honilima @ 7:43 am

Watch for signs of peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to it and it seems likely that we could find our society experiencing it in epidemic proportions, which then, of course, could pose a serious threat to what has up to now seemed a fairly stable condition in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:

1. Tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than from fears based on past experiences.

2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

3. Loss of interest in judging other people.

4. Loss of interest in judging self.

5. Loss of interest in interpreting actions of others.

6. Loss of interest in conflict.

7. Loss of ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom!)

8. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

9. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

10. Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the heart.

11. Increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

12. Increased susceptibility to love extended by others, as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

WARNING: If you have all or even most of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of PEACE may be so far advanced as to not be curable!

If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting several of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk!

This condition of PEACE is probably in its infectious stage. BEWARE!

April 18, 2009

Jurist Elaine Showalter

Filed under: book related — Honilima @ 7:27 am

While listening to a podcast of KQED’s Forum came Elaine Showalter talking about her newest book A Jury of Her Peers: American Women Writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx. It is an interesting podcast worth listening to. She was also interviewed by Bob Edwards on his March 22nd “Weekend” show. A former professor from Princeton she has chaired the Man Booker International prize jury and judged the National Book Awards and the Orange Prize.

Here’s a link several articles about her book from The New York TimesSalon, the Los Angeles Times book review, The Nation, Washington Post. I have not read it yet but I think she has some worthwhile things to say about the history of American Women’s literature.

Here’s a glimpse at the book’s table of content.

April 14, 2009

How you Eat and What you Eat

Filed under: helpful hints,kitchen tips — Honilima @ 11:35 pm

This article about eating, from the Wall Street Journal, mirrors a conversation I had with a good friend just last week. Those who have been trying to watch their waist lines will find it of interest particularly those who have bought into the smaller meals and more protein theory.

April 12, 2009

Goggle— Behind the Curtain

Filed under: cool internet stuff,media related — Honilima @ 8:27 am
An excerpt from a video tour Google presented of its data center containers. Like conventional data centers, Googles shipping containers have raised floors. (Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

An excerpt from a video tour Google presented of its data center containers. Like conventional data centers, Google's shipping containers have raised floors. (Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

This is an amazing article about Google’s servers from CNET that takes you behind the scenes to explore their infrastructure.

“Most people buy computers one at a time, but Google thinks on a very different scale. Jimmy Clidaras revealed that the core of the company’s data centers are composed of standard 1AAA shipping containers packed with 1,160 servers each, with many containers in each data center.”

April 10, 2009

End of Life Wishes

Filed under: end of life,helpful hints — Honilima @ 7:13 am

A row boat in the France


Even if you have done everything to communicate your own end-of-life wishes, you may find need to take the initiative and have the discussion loved ones who have not shared their end-of-life wishes with you. Here are pointers to keep in mind:

Select an Appropriate Setting
Find a comfortable place that is free from distraction to hold a one-on-one discussion.

Ask Permission to Begin this often Tender Conversation
People cope with end-of-life issues in different styles. Ask permission to discuss the topic, this assures your loved one that you will respect and honor all of his or her wishes. Here are a few suggestions:

  • “I would like to talk about how you would like to be cared for if you got very sick. Is that okay?”
  • “If you ever got sick, I would be afraid of not knowing the kind of care you would like. Could we talk about this now? I would feel better if we had the conversation in advance.”

What To Expect
Keep in mind that you have initiated this conversation because you care about your loved one’s wellbeing – especially during difficult times. Allow your loved one to set the pace. Focus on maintaining a caring manner throughout the conversation, show your love and concern:

  • Nod your head in agreement, acknowledge them with kindness
  • If appropriate hold your loved one’s hand
  • Offer a hug or comforting touch

A few questions you may want to ask about end-of-life care include:

  • If you were diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, what types of treatment would you prefer?
  • Have you named someone to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so?
  • How would you like your choices honored at the end of life?
  • What can I do to best support you and your choices?

You may well encounter resistance the first time you bring up this topic, sadly death and dying is not spoken about in our culture. Don’t be discouraged; instead try again at another time.

Be a Good Listener
Be sure to make an effort to hear and understand what the person is saying. These moments, although difficult, are important and special to both of you. Some important things you can do are:

  • Listen for the wants and needs that your loved one expresses.
  • Make clear that what your loved one is sharing with you is important to you.
  • Show empathy and respect by addressing these wants and needs in a truthful and open way.
  • Verbally acknowledge your loved one’s rights to make life choices – even if you do not agree with those choices.

Having conversations with your loved ones about their end-of-life wishes can be a sensitive discussion. These conversations matter and are needed to learn about your loved one’s wishes so that those wishes can be honored at the end of life.

April 6, 2009

Take a Moment to Stop the Phone Book Insanity

Filed under: environmental ideas,helpful hints — Honilima @ 9:11 pm
Hiker on a Hoh Rain Forest Trail in Washington State

Hiker on the Hoh Rain Forest Trail in Washington State

If, like me, you detest getting extra phone books delivered to the house, only to go into the recycle bin, without fanfare, here’s a great tip I wanted to share —here’s hoping fewer trees will fall as a result. Pass it on, your friends will be pleased you uncovered this little secret.

Stop getting unwanted phone directories delivered to your door:

• Dex: Choose “Select Your Dex” at the bottom of the page. Enter your ZIP code, then click through screens until you see “Personalize Your Directory Order.” Under “Available directories in your area,” choose 0 from the pull-down menus. Or call 1(800) 422-8793 and press 2 to speak with a person.

* • Yellow Book: Call 1(800) 929-3556 and press 3 to speak with a person.

* • Idearc (formerly Verizon): Call 1(800) 888-8448 and remain on the line to speak to a person.

April 5, 2009

The Hierarchy of Healthy Food Choices: A Locavore View

Filed under: environmental ideas,helpful hints,kitchen tips — Honilima @ 8:35 pm

A locavore is someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 50, 100, or 150 miles. The locavore movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to produce their own food, with the argument that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locally grown food is an environmentally friendly means of obtaining food, since supermarkets that import their food use more fossil fuels and non-renewable resources.

The healthiest diets come from eating a variety of fresh foods, and living in a colder climate means less available options during certain times of the year. Although hydroponics make it possible to produce some vegetables (and perhaps some fruits) year-round, even that has its limitations. Considering both human and environmental health, here is a guideline to sourcing food (listed from most optimal to least favorable) if you are unable to get it locally:

• If you can’t get it locally, make sure it’s organic. Skipping the hormones and pesticides is best for you and the environment.

• If you can’t get it organically, try to get your food from a small family farm or farmers’ co-op. When it comes to policymaking and generating pollution, large-scale agribusiness easily out-competes the small-scale family farm. By supporting family owned farms and farmers’ co-ops, you help give farmers a voice in production and processing decisions, and prevent them from being left in the hands of profit-seeking special interest groups.

• If you can’t get your food directly from a family farm or farmers’ co-op, then get it from a local business. Let’s face it certain food items like coffee can’t be grown locally in most parts of the world. Keep your dollars local by focusing on supporting local roasters or coffee shops. Local business owners have a stake in your community and are vital to the health of your local economy. Local restaurant owners are also more likely to source some of their food stocks from local or regional producers.

• If you can’t support a local business, then support Terroir. French for ‘soil’, terroir is a term most often used by wine producers when referring to the specific type of regional geographic influences (soil composition, climate, etc.) that go into producing a wine’s unique finished flavor. In other words, support the specific region or farming practices that specialize in producing your favorite non-local foods (e.g. brie cheese from Brie, France, or coffee that is fair trade and shade-grown).
This list was adapted from http://www.locavores.com

A Vegetarian for Just One Day?

Filed under: environmental ideas,helpful hints,kitchen tips — Honilima @ 12:28 am
Children at International Fountain at the Seattle Center

Children in the International Fountain at the Seattle Center

From the Huffington Post shocking data about the results of our carnivorous culture in the USA.

If you aren’t sure how to begin you can read this article for a sensible starting point.

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