South Central Farm, LA

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Image Courtesy of Lane Barden

In 2006, thousands of supporters poured their time, energy, money, and bodies into a cause for growth, for beauty, for a little piece of magic in an ever growing cement urbanism.

In 2006 Ralph Horowitz ordered his bulldozers to destroy the largest urban farm in USA located at East 41st and South Alameda in South Los Angeles, California, called South Central Farm,  instantly destroying 14 acres of community, sharing, plants, vegetables, and education for the 350 families that cultivated the land. Continue Reading →

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Composting: Why Bag Thou Art

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The city of Burnaby, as well as many others around BC if not North America, started a program where every household was issued a compost and a garbage bin like the ones above. Really not a big deal for most people had the old traditional bins already, and used them every week. The major difference was that  there had to be a retrofit done to the dump trucks in order to enable them to automatically load the bins. Continue Reading →

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Plastic: Why Are We Breathing?

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I I just watched about 6 short videos on ‘Journey To Midway’, a documentary on the life and death that humans plastic consumption causes. How do we continue to breath? It is really quite shocking what we have done, what we continue to do, and what we continue to ignore. This is not a soft topic, this isn’t a discussion to be had over dinner with the business contacts. This is not about which number of ply you will buy of toilet paper and how much one can save if you buy bulk. Continue Reading →

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Spam Oh How I Hate You

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Dear spammers,

Honestly, what do you think that you are accomplishing? Do you really think that you are gaining some traffic from doing such spamming? Hmm. Maybe you are… But does it translate into customers that click through and make you money? Do people actually not look at the content keeping it on their websites, or do they immediately delete it from their website? Really now, what is your purpose on this planet?

Further more, do you think that anybody in their right mind clicks on the links that you post, or spam us with? Do you feel happy at the end of the day knowing you have scared somebody so much about the use of their computer that it severely hinders all progress in gaining customer satisfaction on the internet? Is that your goal?

It’s people like you that make me not proud to be a human. The disgusting filth that prays on the unsuspecting by cruel means; taking their hard earned money for good causes they think they are supporting, or completely unsuspecting victims to forgery or identity theft.

Further more, you pollute the internet with crap and garbage that dilutes any great webpage from getting across its relevant information into a site riddled with bugs and garbage.

If you haven’t got the point yet: take a hike, get lost, find twigs to break somewhere in the dessert. Do something productive, and beneficial to man kind with your time and you will be rewarded much more greatly by the spoils of your effort.

Finally, do you really feel that spamming your product makes your product stand out above the rest? Because I really do feel that it highly degrades your product, and that if I had a choice between a product I’ve been spammed about, or another product, I’d be way more inclined to choose the other product.

With hate,

KK.

I’ve recently been spammed galore on one of my sites. The site is dedicated to health, exercising, mind issues like psychology and positive thinking. Yet, somebody felt that I needed to see “Virtual Life Like Sex Dolls”. I wish I could say this was cute, but it really isn’t at all. It’s rather annoying and stupid that I have to deal with such a thing.

If you are a spammer, why do you do it? If you’re not, does it annoy you as much as me?

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Exponential Growth and The World We Live In

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A massive catastrophe is speedily reaching us. Its not a doomsday forecast, predicted in the year 1801 by a psychic named Rasus. Nor is it propaganda from giant corporation funded newspapers to insight hysteria into the consumer to buy buy buy! What we are faced with is the pure facts of exponential growth rates.

For years we have been headlined with such slogans as “Our oil reserves have been increasing production at 4% per year, which means that we have more oil than every before in the reserves”, or “the world population must increase at a rate of 3% per year or we will not have enough people to fill our factories.” How do we continue to support these same newspapers and TV programs when the fill us with this junk? It boggles my mind.

What we do not understand is how this continued 3% or 5% growth rates effect us in the long run. What this ‘positive’ growth rate fails to inform us about, is how this actually works.

First of all, when you have a 5% growth, it compounds on top of the year before, so we now have a 5% on the 105%. So, lets use numbers.

Year 1, we have 100.

  • 2 = 105
  • 3 = 110.25
  • 4=115.76
  • 5=121.55
  • 6=127.62
  • 7=134.01
  • 8=140.71
  • 9=147.74
  • 10=155.13
  • 11=162.89
  • 12=171.03
  • 13=179.59
  • 14=188.56
  • 15=197.99
  • 16=207.89

So you see, at a growth rate of 5% we will have doubled in ~15years. One might be inclined to think 100/5 = 20, so it should take 20 years to double… But no.

This simple math can be estimated with the function ln(2)/% = 70/rate. So, for our case, 70/5=14. Pretty simple. The magic thing to remember is the 70. Somebody quotes you: “oh yeh, the expected growth of this stock is 7% per year,” or “These equity funds grow at a rate of .002% per year.” Now you’ll be able to say “One second, let me take out my smart phone calculator and add these up.. 70/7 = 10 years to double! Wow great investment! 70/.002=35000 years to double??! I think I’ll stick it under the mattress, thanks all the same.”

The other amazing thing, is that when we reach this double amount, it means that the total amount we are now seeing is more than double the previous double point. So, to show figures,  year 1’s 100, the amount the year 16 (doubling year) has increased by is 107.89. This means that it has more than doubled. And this continues on forever, as long as the exponential growth (or compounded continual growth continues).

To see this in a graph:

This simple graph has year in the x axis, and resultant growth total in the y-axis. You can see that between year 12 and 13, it is very obvious that the value has gone from 4000, to above 8000; more than doubled. It doesn’t just occur in those years though, it occurs in all the years prior as well, so every doubling period sees the same growth. Every time that 70/% year hits, this doubling factor is felt.

Another thing that I would like to point out is that if you notice at any two points, if you take the same two previously mentioned at year 12 and 13, you see that the 4000 it has grown by in year 13 (to 8000 from 4000), is a growth of more than what the entire total of all the years before have accumulated to, which was 4000. This is in itself the definition of a doubling time, which is the time it takes when you do the 70/% growth factor, so you can see how quickly this will grow at?

I hope this has enlightened you a little bit, or made you more aware of what it actually means to be a compounding or exponential growth, and I hope it will make you more aware of the situation that is inferred when somebody on the news says: “We need our population to grow at 3% per year, that would be a good sustainable thing”, or “Our oil consumption has a steady growth of 3.5% per year, which is expected to grow over the next 20 years by 0.3% per year, which should give our company a great stance in the markets.”

I want to leave you with this 8 part series of videos to watch off of youtube, or anywhere else you can find, so that you can learn this from an expert Dr. Albert A Bartlett who is famous for his lectures on exponents and who will explain it in far better terms than I can!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY]

Good luck!

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Flash Mobs

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So, many of you may not know what a Flash Mob is. According to Wikipedia, they are “a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time, then disperse.”

Sounds kind of fun doesn’t it? I think so too. Although I’m sure it would take a considerable amount of time to prepare one of these things.

A friend of mine, Liser, just brought the light of these flash mobs back into my eyes when she told me about how riveting such a thing is. She said that the idea of so many people in one place, dancing and happy puts her “at peace with the world.”  I agreed with her when she mentioned that the energy is so positive, how can a gathering like that not be? Seems fun to me.

So, as a result, I have been watching a few videos on some examples. The first one Liser showed me was one where they all met in Central Station in Antwerp, Belgium and suddenly started dancing.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k&feature=fvw]

To me, it was pretty cool. The way that they just are all acting casual, going about their business, and then just like that, they’re all dancing. Kind of really rules!

The next one I watched was a supermarket one where they all froze.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4GMXavfKPY&feature=related]

So I read on the Wikipedia page about them further, since my interest was clearly in it, and it turns out that the originator of recent day flash mobs is a man called Wasik who started doing them to be as a kind of joke to the conformers of the world, showing them the absurdity of things, as well as have some fun. The first one I guess failed since they owner of the store they had planned on infiltrating was alerted about it. But, they did the next one only a short month later.

One funny event that I wish I would have been able to see is when there was 200 of them that all went to the 8th floor of a department store and surrounded a rug. They were all told that if they were asked by anybody working there what they were doing, they were to tell them that they were all part of a community living space, and they were looking for a love rug. That they only made this decision when all of them were there together. Tell me that wouldn’t be totally funny to see!

So I ask you, what type of inspiration do you find from this? Does it intrigue you or does it make you roll your eyes at the stupidity idle men brainstorm to disrupt the normal way of life..?

I think its refreshing, creative, and fun. What better way to celebrate life than a (seemingly) spontaneous DANCE PARTY!

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Greater Toronto Area Child Porn Probe

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I have been made aware of the recent child porn probe in the Greater Toronto Area, and to say the least, its disgusting. The rage that builds up inside of me when I hear this stuff is unquestionably filled with disgust and offense.

Searching for more information on what has happened, I came across this incredibly emotional blog the owner so graciously let me use. Hopefully it will make more people aware of what some of the life long struggles victims must go through, or at least make us aware that some things in life that we hear about, or see on the news and say: “Oh thats so sad,” and then when we are faced in real life with such situations, we choose to shrug off the situation with some sort of hypocritical justification that its ‘ok’ to continue on your way without demanding change.

So, take charge to change situations where there is a victim, this world needs your action.

Without further delay:

______________________________________________

7 men of the Greater Toronto Area were arrested in an international child porn probe. 25 Canadians.  57 men total. 45 child victims were identified. 25 children were rescued.  12 of those children are Canadian.

I’m going to do some naming and shaming.

Richard Dyde, 47 – YORK UNIVERSITY FELLOW!! not only did this pedophile possess child porn and make it available, he has additionally been charged with making child pornography.

Toby Stimpson, 24 – YORK UNIVERSITY RESIDENCE DON

Jonah Whitehouse, 31

Erin Holder, aka Erin Wilson, 26

Michael Pellow, 68 – Toronto real estate agent, charged with making child pornography

Christopher Holowatyj, 20

Trevor Partridge, 44 – posed as a 17 year old online and convinced girls to perform sexual acts over the internet for him to record

Kevin Sheppard, 41

Outside of the GTA, Randy Miller, 40, of Napanee, a PROFESSIONAL CLOWN, VOLUNTEER SCOUT LEADER. He’s been charged with sexual assault, 2 counts of making and possessing child pornography.

David Caza, 47 – CONVICTED PEDOPHILE, RELEASED FROM PRISON IN 2005

Reverend Robin Barrett, 51 (first charged, already sentenced to 2.5 years.  That’s all?)

According to the Toronto Star, some men have already been convicted and sentenced to jail terms ranging from 30 months to 25 years.

I began my life as a child porn star at age 8.  Now I can tell you that I’ve suffered immeasurably for the 25 years I’ve lived since then.  If justice were fair, perpetrators should be punished for AT LEAST as long as the consequences of their actions torment their victims.  Bare minimum.  And those who perpetuate victimhood by sharing these pictures?  Keep them locked up until the victim decides they no longer feel any shame about their abuse and humiliation being used to gratify their evil desires.  I can guarantee you not one victim has recovered after 30 months.

Maybe you have read a bit about my struggle with mental illness lately.  I have Post Traumatic Stress, and according to some therapists, I have borderline personality disorder.  I have extreme difficulty with interpersonal relationships, whether they be intimate, professional, familial, among friends, and with the general public.  I have fears and anxieties that paralyze me, and keep me a prisoner in my home.  I’m terrified to go out in public in case I overreact to something and respond “inappropriately”.  I haven’t kept a romantic relationship for more than 3 months because my issues exhaust even the best-intended.

My spirit was shattered then, and I haven’t been able to put it back together.  Would I be like this if it hadn’t been for my perverted teacher back in grade 3?  I don’t know.  I don’t know anybody like me.  I read about people like me in psych books, but I don’t know anybody who can relate to how I feel.  People undermine my being and my feelings, blaming everything first on the abuse, then second on my mental illness.  ”You’re depressed because of what happened to you as a kid”  ”You’re gay because you were raped” “You’re overreacting because of your mental illness…”  ”All our problems are because you’re crazy”.  I haven’t yet been respected for having real, authentic feelings stemming from me being human, I’m always reduced to a mentally ill victim-turning-villain.

Because yes.  I’m turning into a villain.  I’m not a kid any more.  It’s hard to keep having sympathy for someone who was damaged so long ago.  I’m not that frail little blonde, blue-eyed girl with gynecological damage, or the tortured teenager that youth workers wanted to save.  Now I’m a middle aged cat woman who can’t keep a job, a lover, a friend.  I kill happy vibes.  I’m the one who you avoid eye contact with, because I’m the ugly woman on the bus crying.  I make you uncomfortable.  I’m sucking up your tax dollars with my welfare checks, my disability insurance, my repeated hospitalizations.

I’m sure I’ll be told my anger at this recent batch of perverts is inappropriate.  That we are innocent until proven guilty, and that we all deserve a chance at rehabilitation.  That these people are sick, and should be pitied and helped.  Well, I’m used to having inappropriate anger.  These men should be murdered.  By the state.  They will not get better.  Look at David Caza.  Call it “mercy killing”, euthanasia, capital punishment, eye for an eye, extermination or whatever you want.  But Do. Not. Let. These. Monsters. Out. Ever.

 

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Food Insecurity in Developing Nations

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My friend Taylor, over at her blog has been doing some studies that I would like to highlight here to hopefully reach a wider audience.

I feel that global environmental, and human rights issues are valid on any platform, so I will discuss them here.

Today I will tackle food insecurities, which are a pretty damn essential part of all of our lives. Were talking the security to go the grocery store and find food in there, and food that we actually have the money to pay for.

Us in North America, at least most of us, are fortunate enough to be able to get into our cars, drive to the closest market, which by the way there are at least half a dozen to choose from, put .25cents into the buggy to push around our green machine to fill up with whatever catches our eye for consumption.

In other developing countries, however, this isn’t the case. It is estimated that in the last two years staple crops like rice have tripled in price mainly due to oil. Transporting, farming, reaping, and delivering are all elements that require the precious oil. With this crisis increasing in scale, it is estimated that an additional 75-100 million people have been pushed into poverty and food insecurity, which isn’t a good statistic at all.

To me its incredibly sad that the USA spends billions of dollars on their war efforts, when they could be fighting a better humanitarian cause and peace. Although, I have just looked up the stats on the Department of State Budget records , and it does look like in total the US is contributing around $1.5 billion USD towards International Organizations and an additional $1.5 billion USD in contributions to various International Peacekeeping Activities. It seems all the number are coming up around $1.5 billion USD however, as they are spending another $1.5 billion USD on USAID operating expenses. Thats one hell of a budget if you ask me. Somebody talk to my boss about this..

Apparently, however, agriculture only receives about 4% of this foreign assistance from the USA, which is matched by most other countries around the world with such funds.

Her classmates and her did some research on an organization called ACDI/VOCA which uses value chain analysis to understand the private sector development in emerging economy settings to jump start economic growth and poverty reduction. I know, its a doozie. Go here to understand more about her project, and to gain more knowledge of the crises our less fortunate brothers and sisters around the world are facing.

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Bennigans Dinner, Miami

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Tonight I went for dinner at a place called Bennigans, thats right next to the Miami International Airport, conveniently located right next to the hotel I’m staying at tonight. To be to the point, I was very disappointed.

First off, on the menu, they have a picture of a full pint, with big arrows pointing at how regular pints fill up to ‘this’ certain line, but theirs fill up to ‘this’ certain line. We received a pint that was about the size of a glass you usually get in a hotel room in a plastic wrapper. Very unimpressed. The folks took a lot of offence to this, egged on by me, they complained, and we eventually got a 1/3 or so of the mug filled up to make up for the lacking pint. Sure, this is alright, but seriously now. If your a manager of a restaurant, and somebody complains about their pint being pint sized, and you know that the flyers are lying, not to mention that you’ve watered down the pints, do you not give them a full, complimentary pint? I would. But then again, its a restaurant thats besides the airport, which means very few returning customers, and the staff seemed about the ‘just graduated’ age. So, I guess things are becoming more clear.

We sit around, me finally with my bottled bear (a buddy of mine once said: “I always get bottles of beers because each one is especially brewed for you”. I now see his point.

Dinner is served. Let me first say that it was tasty, yes. How can a beef dinner not be tasty smothered in gravy? yai. SO I will not fuss further about the meal. No, wait, I will.

My meal was beef soup or something like that, which was basically chuncks of beef mixed with some red potatoes. Yum. yes, yum. But the side they gave me, was mashed potatoes. Red Potatoes. Kinda odd no? I did, as it said on the menu, have a choice between about 8 other sides (substitute the mashed red potatoes for them) but, I did in fact receive a caesar salad to start with too. So, it wasn’t anything I couldn’t deal with. But really, its odd to be smothering your potato chunks with mashed potatoes…. If you ask me.

So the fellow that was serving us did have some fast service, and he humbly and care-ingly accepted the complaints we put forth. But, at the end of the day, what is a tip for? Service, enjoyment, the whole experience? Yes I think so. So, at a place like this, where we were very unpleased with a few things, but satisfied with a few other things, how do you decide?

We found out, that a gratuity was already automatically added onto the bill for us, at 15% so we didn’t have to debate how much to tip. I didn’t like this part of the whole deal. Tipping is for service thats already known to be very good, at a place thats very classy and only really rich people go there. This place was more like a run down Red Robins, or a Chucke Cheeses. I was very unimpressed with this little fact that was added on the bill. Automatic gratuity. We should have definitely raised a lot more stink there than we ended up raising, but let it be known from here on forth, I, or we, will never again visit a Bennigans.

The end.

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