Happy Thursday

via National Geographic

Which are you today? The turtles or the caiman?

July 21-28

Life happenings since my blog  post last Wednesday:

1 world class musical viewed at the Ahmanson Theater--Les Mis, no less

5 quarts of vanilla ice cream created using dry ice (i.e. solid carbon dioxide)

6 free meals consumed (to those who say there is no such thing--you need to get better friends)

6.5 miles covered by various forms of physical exertion (yes, biped style)

9 visa request forms submitted to the Ghanian embassy

80 points increased from my tutoring student's previous average on the SAT math section

via Apartment Therapy

Leaf Art

via Naturayarte

Yes, those are actual leaves. Yes, the sort nature produces. Check out more amazing leaf art here.

Self-Inflicted Nastiness

Here is a great (and brief!) article from a counselor's perspective about the destructive nature of sin. I enjoyed it as a simple reminder that the Godly principles laid out in the Bible are more than a set of rules for "good behavior." Rather, they are the guidelines for avoiding self-destruction. Have you noticed that we tend to fixate on external problems (illness, job loss, natural disasters, etc.), but ignore the self-inflicted ones? Sin is scary! Here is an excerpt from the article:


I watch as the world collapses on an adulterous spouse. I see people suffocating in their aloneness after having pushed everyone away. I see poverty and despair encroaching as a result of a person’s belligerent attitudes toward employers. I see addicts who hit bottom, destroy everything in their lives, and then somehow, sink even lower. I see marriages so estranged and trashed that death or divorce seem to be the only way out. Sin is so destructive.


P.S. What do you think of the original acronym: Self-Inflicted Nastiness?

That is Priceless

Guess who used Tide?

aka Evariste Vital Luminais, 1852

All of the credit for this post goes to the blog "That is Priceless" -- an enjoyable past-time for aesthetes (or wannabes).

Update on TVRPA

We so often complain about our legislators failing to represent us that we fail to consider whether or not we give adequate feedback when our interests do align. I am particularly grateful that my California senators (whose voting record often maddens me) sponsored the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. This act extends key legislation that established a State Department to combat trafficking. By all accounts, the folks who work there are some of the most dedicated and industrious in our government. If you live in California, why don't you call our senators to thank them, as I did? See below.

-- Katie

Dear Katherine,

Recently, you called on your senators to make fighting human trafficking a priority for the U.S. Congress. I’m writing to let you know that your voice was heard!

On June 29, Senator Barbara Boxer became an original sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). On July 7, Senator Dianne Feinstein signed on as a co-sponsor of this critical legislation. By speaking up, you and many others in California let Senators Boxer and Feinstein know that eliminating human trafficking is a priority for their constituents - thank you for raising your voice on behalf of the oppressed!

Will you take a moment now to call California Senators Boxer and Feinstein and thank them for their leadership on this issue?

Senator Boxer: 202-224-3553

Senator Feinstein: 202-224-3841

Feel free to use this sample script for your call:

Hi, my name is [Your Name] and I’m calling from [Your City], CA. I’m calling to thank the Senator for co-sponsoring the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. This bill will help eradicate human trafficking, an issue I really care about. Please let the Senator know how much I appreciate her leadership on this issue.

We will keep you updated on the TVPRA’s progress. Thank you again for your support.

Gratefully,

Eileen Campbell
Director of Justice Campaigns

P.S. Interested in getting more involved in the local grassroots campaign to support the TVPRA? Volunteer IJM Advocacy Leaders are coordinating a strategic campaign to get all 53 of California’s Representatives to co-sponsor the TVPRA, and they need your help to succeed. Right now, please take two minutes to join the local movement and connect with other IJM supporters in California!

Queen-just because

1982 live version of "Somebody to Love"

Original "Under Pressure" music video

Live Aid performance 1985 (audience of 72,000)

No more brussel sprouts!

Due to multiple requests, here is the story of my life...

...or maybe just my non-alphabetized preferences regarding vegetables.* Some of you will be askance, but most of you will not care.** Good for you. Sincerely. 

And for those still reading--I'm flattered, you weirdos.

Vegetables avoided: peas, mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, beans, snow peas, chick peas, canned corn, cooked broccoli, brown potatoes, beets, artichoke, okra, turnip, green beans, water chestnut, Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips

Vegetables accepted: asparagus, kale, lettuce, sweet potatoes, cabbage, squash, jicama, horseradish, yam, raw broccoli, ginger, jalapenos, other peppers 

Vegetables appreciated: celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper (all colors), snap peas, red potatoes and other small kinds, spinach, scallions, cilantro, shallots, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, eggplant, fresh corn, soy beans, zucchini, butternut squash, cucumbers

*I use the term in the colloquial sense, rather than the scientific.
**Yes, people really do inquire on this topic. Hence, I am going on the record. 

The fight for joy

via Tumbler

Don't let them steal your joy!

Just discovered a book by John Piper on this subject, the last chapter of which was the inspiration for another Piper book that I have already been reading in sporadic snatches. Granted, I do not always agree with Piper (particularly on the subject of Calvinism), but he is a man devoted to loving God. The premise of the book is that our love relationship with God should release us to ultimate joy (as I mentioned tonight at dinner--Christian hedonism, anyone?). However, due to our sin nature and the trials of the world, we are always sinking away from it. Please, just read pages 9 and 10 in the PDF (13 and 14 in the book), which convey the message much more accurately.

Whole Foods Response

Hello Katherine,

At Whole Foods Market, we are highly selective about what we sell, dedicated to strict product quality standards, and committed to supporting environmentally friendly agricultural and production methods.  This includes our commitment to sourcing cocoa from responsible and reputable sources.

All chocolate sold under Whole Foods Market's 365 Organic Everyday Value brand is made from organic cocoa beans grown in the Dominican Republic by a young co-op of small farmers called the YACAO Project.  Established in 1999, the YACAO Project aims to raise the standard of living for Dominican farmers by providing a high quality product. With a professional agronomist on site, YACAO teaches cocoa farmers modern organic methods for the sustained health of their environment. And by guaranteeing the market price for all cocoa that meets YACAO’s high quality standards, the project has already provided a livelihood for many small farmers and their families. For more information, visit www.yacao.com. Cocoa used to make our 365 Everyday Value chocolate also comes from a responsible vendor partner in the Dominican Republic.

When it comes to other brands of chocolate in our stores, it is important to us that we source products from companies that do not utilize ingredients or cocoa harvested using questionable or unethical labor practices. Much of the chocolate we carry is from cocoa harvested in Central and South America, and the companies whose chocolate we sell are very upfront about their labor practices and sourcing.  Some of the most common brands you’ll see at Whole Foods Market that have submitted verification of ethical labor practices and sourcing include: Chocolove, Scharffen Berger, El Rey, Valrhona, Green & Blacks, and Dagoba – just to name a few. If you are concerned about a specific brand, we encourage you to contact the manufacturer directly. 

If you have any further questions please use our on-line response form.

Best regards,


Rachael


Rachael Gruver | Global Customer Information Specialist | Whole Foods Market | 550 Bowie Street | Austin, Texas 78703

See's Candy Response

Hello Katie,

Thank you for visiting Sees.com and for your interest in using See's Candies.  Here at See's Candies, we manufacture chocolate confections using the finest ingredients we can buy, but we do not make the chocolate itself, which is quite an involved process.  We have always prided ourselves, however, on using what we consider to be the best chocolate available.

Despite the fact that we are somewhat removed from the actual cocoa bean, we do care deeply about the issue of Fair Trade and the elimination of any abhorrent labor practices.  Both See's and our chocolate supplier, Guittard Chocolate Company, are members of the World Cocoa Foundation and support the actions being taken to correct these poor labor practices, and we support the creation of systems in Africa whereby cocoa will be certified to be free of abusive labor practices.  As a company, Guittard Chocolate Company has always believed in the dignity and freedom of the farmers producing the cocoa they use and have been working actively with co-op farmers and research facilities in Central and South America on developing specialty cocoas to reach a wider market.

Also, we are a member of the National Confectioners Association. You can contact the National Confectioners Association at 7900 Westpark Drive, Mc Lean, VA 22102; phone number is (703) 790-5750 or visit their website at www.ecandy.com or reach them by email at CandyCommerce@candyusa.org.

Thank you again for your interest and for thinking of See's.

Sincerely,


Ian Dickie
See's Candies Customer Service

Ginny Owens

I absolutely love it when I find that people/artists/nonprofits who I admire are working with each other. I have often mentioned Ginny Owens on this blog. She is a gifted singer and songwriter whose lyrics. Sorry, that sounded too trite. Let's try again. Ginny is marvelous. Legally blind since age three, she pens compelling lyrics about trust, surrender, and perseverance. I was so happy when I heard that she was invited to sing in Washington D.C. for the National Day of Prayer. Reading through her website just now to find out what she has been up to lately revealed that she is a dedicated supporter of Compassion International, the International Justice Mission, and Habitat for Humanity. Yay!



(Not crazy about the quotes in this music video; I posted it for the actual song.)

Ask Your Senators To Support the TVPRA

On June 29, 2011, a bill called the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Leahy (VT), Brown (MA), Kerry (MA), Boxer (CA), Cardin (MD), and Wyden (OR).

Your voice matters. Take one minute NOW to urge your Senators to co-sponsor the TVPRA.

This bi-partisan legislation is critical - it will renew the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, which established the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, authorized the annual Trafficking in Persons report, and established human trafficking as a punishable crime here in the U.S.

Abolitionists around the country are calling on Congress to pass the TVPRA quickly. Will you join us? Thank you for your support!

Gratefully,
Eileen Campbell
Director of Justice Campaigns, International Justice Mission

July thus far...

1 three hour hike

2 bad hair days

3 plates purchased on sale from Target that look vaguely reminiscent of a Georgia O'Keefe painting

4 spiders slaughtered

5 pieces of See's candy consumed* (rum nougat, lemon truffle, and cafe au lait)

6 YouTube videos viewed on the subject of exercise (research, right?)

7 books read piecemeal

99 pictures of my cousin's wedding ordered from Snapfish for 99 cents (plus shipping)

*Yes, this was a fall from my principles. I am admittedly unsure as to the source of See's cocoa beans and have emailed them to inquire. I suspect that they will respond that they are a member of the World Cocoa Foundation, which has impressed me as chocolate version of the UN (i.e. many policies/little change, sometimes better than nothing/sometimes worse).

Freedom

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:1-6