Spend a Penny

Do you know that saying? These days though, it's 1 euro or 1 Turkish Lira or 1 Swiss Franc... I don't really object to paying for these facilities. I do object when there aren't enough of them.

A classic example is France; I am trying to come up with the reason for the lack of public facilities. Not even the Metro has any! Large shopping malls such as Les Qautres Temps or Printemps has one on each level (unless I missed them). Here are my offerings/excuses for the lack thereof:

1. ancient/archaic septic/sewerage systems
2. ancient/archaic buildings
3. crime is a problem in confined or poorly 'policed' spaces
4. the French have learned to hold it. Indefinitely.

Conversely I found them every 500m or so (even more I think) in Istanbul. And the ladies/gents who maintain them actually do more than just wave you through or count you or make sure you haven't skipped the queue - they actually keep the stalls in clean condition.

I waited in a queue for 20 minutes and filed all of my nails while waiting for the public loo outside Notre Dame yesterday. I had 50 euro cents ready for the attendant (even though it was a free public facility) as I can't say I'd swap jobs with her.

But I made the fatal mistake of crossing over the stop line by one foot and received a bit of a rant from her - what? So? I didn't get it at all, couldn't make out why there was a problem, but did stand behind the line again until my turn to go through THE TURNSTILE!!! Wow. What a production.

I decided to put my 50 euro cents back into my purse ready for a future opportunity to show my gratitude or to help out one of the talented musos who entertain us on the trains or in the streets. Aren't I mean!

Desole la France - je t'amie xxxxxxx

Villefranche-de-Conflent - the apartments we would wish to buy!

 For information on the village go to this Wikipedia link

or the village Home Page

at the Comtal Gare rebuilt in pink marble

bathroom 1 apt 1 (there are 2 bathrooms, but the other one is not quite as big or as nice as this one)

bathroom Apt 2

bedroom apt 1

bedroom 2 apt 1

bedroom 3 apt 1

bedroom 1 apt 2

bedroom 2 apt 2

bedroom 3 apt 2

entry (separate entry to apartments as to the studio (the door on the right opens into the studio)

Living apt 1

stairway

terrace apt 1

terrace apt 2

view from apt 2 bedroom

Add caption

Faith in the Unseen

I just don't get it. I was listening to an interview with a well-known scientist and author who recently released a new book supporting his views on evolution. He espouses the opinion or belief that condescends to people who rely on 'blind faith' in a God or Creator to keep them safe and hopeful.

But isn't it faith that keeps scientists, politicians and the general population hopeful if not confident, that mankind will find itself solutions to the crushing and destructive course it is hurtling towards? Isn't it faith that buoys up the people when a new leader or government comes to power with promises of messianic proportions? If we consider the evidence and proof attested to by history into account, the result would point to the contrary I think.

The very definition of faith is believing in the unbelievable, the unprovable, and the invisible. And, yes sometimes it is hard to believe in things I don't see or understand, but I can see absolutely undeniable proof of an Intelligent Designer in the miraculous manner in which diversely abundant life on earth is so superbly enabled in an otherwise empty universe.

Waste Not, Want Not (An Old Cliche But A Good One)

The huge food wastage that occurs in the westernised nations of the world is coming to the notice of more and more people, and particularly conservation-minded people; magazines, advertisements and appeals are claiming that our throwaway society is wasting so much food it is scandalous.

According to Tristram Stuart, author and contributor to the UK-based charity Food Ethics Council’s (FEC) magazine, ‘There are nearly a billion malnourished people in the world, but all of them could be lifted out of hunger with less than a quarter of the food wasted in Europe and North America. In a globalised food system, where we are all buying food in the same international market place, that means we're taking food out of the mouths of the poor.’

In addition to feeding the poor and malnourished, he also claims that the production of wasted food also squanders resources, and said that the irrigation water used by farmers to grow wasted food would be equivalent to the domestic water needs of nine billion people.

This wastage has other side and flow-on effects for the entire world including

· a financial loss to consumers

· a general apathy towards any kind of thrift or stewardship in the general western community

· increased burden on landfill, which consequently contributes to methane production, which is in turn harmful to another vital commodity – the ozone layer

· the obesity epidemic, which has swept the world with at least 400 million adults being recorded as obese by the World Health Organisation in 2005.

There are increasing numbers of appeals to take stock of what you buy, eat and throw away, and there are many creative ideas being promoted to help people reduce food wastage, from planning weekly shopping lists, to reducing portion size of meals, to packing ‘zero waste lunch boxes, to reusing leftovers. Having said that, the executive director of the FEC says that simply throwing out less food is not the answer, but instead everyone should be looking for ways to ‘define prosperity that get away from runaway consumption’.

So this naturally begs the question ‘how much is enough’? I frequently scan my weekly grocery bill to work out what we could have done without. This is a good exercise that helps to rationalise how much wastage we have and how much I spend. And I’m lucky – I can feed leftovers or (mostly) fruit and vegetable waste to our hungry chickens and the dog. So technically we have little wastage. And then there’s the compost bin for the items that are beyond even the avian or canine diets, which in turn feeds our small vegetable plot.

But what is the minimum standard of nutrition we require to stay healthy? In this era of ‘foodies’ and the café culture it’s hard not to be swayed by the magnificent menus we come across and all the tempting recipes that are presented in such a mouth-watering way they’re hard to resist. I keep my menu ever changing at home because we have all developed the ‘fussy-foodie’ mentality. ‘The broccoli is underdone…the pasta sauce is too salty…there’s not enough avocado in this salad’ to name a few of the whines we have at our dinner table. It’s embarrassing really when I think of how many malnourished people there are in the world.

Why can’t we just eat what’s put in front of us these days as it was in my parent’s generation, and even in my own childhood? Granted, it was not always a nutritious diet in the last few decades for various reasons; war, depression, mass farming techniques. But then, when my father used to remind us that there are ‘starving children in Africa’, what did it achieve as we tucked into and ate every morsel on our overfilled plates?

Other than making us thankful that we weren’t those starving children in Africa, not a lot. But at least he passed on to us awareness that there were people who didn’t have what we had and this has become an integral part of my thought processes in an increasing way over the years.

I am examining the aspects of food miles, food wastage, farming and production techniques, and organic and biodynamic foods, home production among other topics. I am constantly agonising over whether we should or shouldn’t eat organic bananas, or not because the gases used to ripen commercial crops are toxic to humans, but the cost is double if you buy organically grown bananas…

It’s easy to sit back and whine, ‘but how can I help?’ and flap my hands weakly, but as in so many changes for the better, small steps an be taken to make small changes. And being aware that there is a problem is a personal first step towards finding solutions.

Sources:

1. ‘Elimination of food waste could lift 1bn out of hunger, say campaigners’, Adam Vaughan http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/08/food-waste

Earth Connection

I have a favourite magazine that I receive monthly - Australian Country Style. I LOVE it. There are so many ideas, recipes, inspiring renovations of homes and gardens inside each issue. It tells of many people who 'up-stumps' and move out of the city limits.

Tree change, sea change. What's behind it all? There are several motivations:

• wanting to reconnect with the land
• wanting to escape the city and even the 'burbs' and associated fast-paced lifestyle
• wanting to make a smaller 'carbon footprint'
• wanting to become self-sufficient
• wanting to have a healthier lifestyle in growing one's own food
• looking for an inspirational canvas for all kinds of artforms

It's very appealing to me and to an increasing number of people Australia-wide. There's an upward trend towards producing and/or buying healthful 'low-mileage' food, and fighting against the huge hungry chains jostling for the biggest share in the provision of foods and household products.

The groundswell must have some influence, because even these huge and hungry chain stores are making room on their shelves for organic, biodynamic and non-toxic stock and even some well-known brands are helping - cashing in - by providing an organic version of their own merchandise.

There's a whole concept and mindset behind true 'slow food' those big chains simply don't have. They undercut the smaller providores - highly unfair. I try to buy as much from the little guy to help give them some buying power. Even in that sphere, there must be price-competition. Hmm, do I sell 100 to X Big Chain for $1 each, or 5 to Y Little Guy for $2 and possibly have the rest unsold?

There is so much information around about what's in food, how it's produced, and what energy goes into that production. It's a lot to take in, and it's never easy to pick out what is truth and what is just a marketing exercise. But common sense must prevail; should we be putting so many chemicals onto and into our bodies?

A few things to consider and look into:

• food is becoming increasingly expensive - drought is a big factor
• disease is becoming increasingly pervasive and prevalent at all ages
• social conscience is constantly pricked by the media, the government and lobby groups
• keeping or creating a sense of connection with the earth and it's produce
• teaching children to create that connection will have the flow-on effect of creating a concern for their whole environment

We have a small vegie plot (without fertilizers and pesticides) which I will expand shortly (bad timing considering summer is looming), five chickens which keep us admirably supplied with extra-large eggs (biodynamically fed of course). I missed planting some fruit trees in the winter for next summer, but will do that next winter for the summer after.

My next job is getting the kids more involved with these things - they enjoy the produce, but are yet to enjoy actual interest in the process. All good things take time.

Bullies Reign

When will the bullying stop? The schools are powerless as bullies as young as five years old rule in the classroom. My daughter has been threatened several times recently as she leaves the station to either walk or bus home. She gave someone (obviously accidentally) a blood nose in an interschool footy match last year, and a friend of that someone now has a vendetta against my daughter. That ‘friend’ of the ‘victim’ is quite large and menacing, but my daughter is slim and fast. I hope that will be enough to save her from being beaten up by this bully.

What else can we do? I am tempted to send her to martial arts classes to learn how to defend herself. The police can’t do anything unless an actual punch or kick has been thrown. The school can’t really do anything except maybe lecture the bully, especially as it’s outside the school grounds. Technically they are both under their respective school rules until they reach home; thankfully they are at different schools.

My mother-in-law works as a replacement teacher in primary schools, and the stories she relates sometimes make my hair stand on end. Prep students who punch and kick teachers and students, throw things (including rocks) at people, or who are suspended or even expelled, kleptomaniacs, and predatory types seem to have all the rights, terrorising entire school communities.

Where are the rights of the teachers, principals and other students to learn in peace and safety without fear of violence and/or abuse from a minority of off-the-track kids and their often equally abusive parents?

Until the schools receive adequate backing from the Department of Education and Training in their fight against bullying and school ‘student terrorism’, violent and tragic events will continue. I am shocked and saddened by the occurrences at schools, in the classrooms, the grounds and to/from the school itself.

More on the US Health Reform Debate

Two "congresspeople" who are on seemingly opposing sides are together sponsoring a "middle of the road" bill.

It focuses on several areas of concern including helping prevent unintended pregnancies, supporting pregnant women to carry to full term and assisting new families.

It seems a laudatory proposal, and one that begins to direct focus towards root causes and not simply the effects of a huge societal disease (abortion) but one that will no doubt prove unpopular despite America's underlying conservatism.

It is a great shame that minority groups often drown out the voices of temperance and moderation.

Source & story at:

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090723/progressive-christian-leader-backs-common-ground-abortion-prevention-bill/index.html