I often reminisce of a set up my ex had in the 90's. His mac laptop could slide in under his monitor that sat on top of the dock so he could use it as a desktop with an external keyboard.
With the evolution of mobile computing, Ubuntu promises to be an extremely useful product. They're not manufacturing it yet...they're hoping enough people will get excited enough that the manufacturers will embed the OS into the device.
I can say that this is another compelling reason I might switch to android. I'll be keeping an eye on this.
This is a great doc to share with everyone you know. Wow. Ow.
Some crazy facts from the film:
- If all 6½ billion people on the planet consumed like Europeans or the Japanese, we would need 2 more planets to supply the necessary resources.
- An American uses twice as much energy as a European, 9 times as much as a Chinese person, 15 times more than an Indian and 50 times as much as a Kenyan.
- China builds a new power plant EVERY 4 DAYS!!
- The same PR company employed to convince Americans there is still doubt about the whole climate change debate is the same firm employed to convince Americans that smoking was good for them.
- Everyone agrees that it is necessary to stabilize the temperature at no more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Anything above that and there are forces in nature that will move the tipping point out of human control.
...and...the point of stabilization MUST BE NO LATER THAN 2015!!!
An animated look at the invented demand for bottled water, and the full cycle's impact it has on all of us -- USA alone drinks enough bottled water each week to circle Earth five times...
* Actress [UK]
* Ben Frost [Au]
* Brandt Brauer Frick [De]
* the Caretaker [UK]
* Carl Michael Von Hausswolff [Se]
* Cheap and Deep [US]
* Dave Aju [US]
* Demdike Stare [UK]
* Dixon [De]
* Dj Koze [De]
* Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts [Ca]
* Henrik Schwarz [De]
* Ikonika [UK]
* Jon Hopkins [UK]
* King Midas Sound [UK]
* Marsen Jules [De]
* Matias Aguayo Presents Cómeme [Cl]
* Matmos [US]
* Minilogue [Se]
* Moritz Von Oswald Trio [De]
* Mouse on Mars [De]
* Nicolas Jaar [Cl]
* Paul Kalkbrenner [De]
* Pépé Bradock [Fr]
* Rebolledo [Mx]
* San Proper [Nl]
* Shed [De]
* Theo Parrish [US]
* Tim Hecker [Ca]
* Vladislav Delay [Fi]
* And many more to come...
for this installation, sebastian rescued a cow from a slaughterhouse and transported it to a recreated farm atop a building in the heart of santiago...
check out his furniture, sculptures and other public art installations @ meetsebastian.com
A new fictional series called FUTURESTATES is set to broadcast exclusively online starting on Monday March 8, 2010.
ITVS (Independant Television Service) and 20+ emerging indie filmmakers have created 11 films in total, including "Plastic Bag" which is directed by Ramin Bahrani and narrated by Werner Herzog.
Jesse Schell presenting at DICE 2010 about the psychological and economic impact that Facebook games have, and future predictions for technology and human interaction. Amazing. A must watch...
An animated version of Gaiman's book 'Coraline' hits theatres on Feb 6. It's apparantly the first stop animation movie to be filmed in 3D and it's directed by Henry Selick of Nightmare Before Christmas fame.
They've created a really clever marketing campaign. 26 unique cards were given exclusively to 26 sites around the Web that contain different images, characters, and elements from the film. The challenge is for you to find them.
I've listed all of the sites that have the Coraline Alphabet Cards below for those of you who are interested in collecting them.
Maple Leaf temporarily closed one of its Toronto plants after the bacterium was found on some of its products.
Laboratory tests have conclusively linked some of the products to the deaths of four people, three in Ontario and one in B.C.
There have been 21 confirmed cases of listeriosis in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, and 30 cases remain under investigation.
On Sunday, federal Health Minister Tony Clement said the number of cases is expected to rise, since people can be infected for a length of time before showing symptoms.
Symptoms of listeriosis — which include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea — occur up to 70 days after consuming contaminated food, though the average incubation period is 30 days.
Maple Leaf supplies deli meats to over 3 dozen brands:
(including McDonald's, Mr. Sub and Tim Hortons)
Artisan Collection, Best Value, Bittners, Boston Pizza, Burns, Campfire, Compliments, Coorsh, Country Morning, Equality, Foodservice, Harmonie, Hickory Farms, Hygrade, Kirkland Signature, Maple Leaf, Mayfair/Marque, McDonald's, Mitchell's, Mr. Sub, No Name, Northern Best Value, Olympic, Overlander, Parma, Pizza Nova, Rouyn, Safeway, Schneiders, Shopsy's, The Butcher's Cut, Tim Hortons, Western Family and Westfair
For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
I grew up in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia where people were down-to-earth, trustworthy and got their fresh milk and eggs from the farmers who worked the land. At the age of 17, I left, seeking the urban lifestyle I craved and spent the next few years doing the back-and-forth between Toronto & Vancouver then decided to leave the country to see the rest of the world. For the next decade I lived in major metropolitan centers in Europe and USA, traveling to other countries to explore the local communities and experience their way of life.
I remember one year while living in San Francisco I went home to Nova Scotia to visit my family and noticed that the leading story on the front of the newspaper was a positive one. The nation's news and world tragedies followed. I thought to myself -- start your day with something good, how profound!
That had an enormous affect on me at the time. Since I was never a big fan of the media (or TV in general -- though there are always exceptions: The Nature of Things, 'This American Life' and 'Dispatches'), I returned with the concept of 'good news' which ultimately inspired my artist moniker girlie8tv, and this blog 'girlie ate television', the idea being to replace traditional media with the shows from life.
One-stop shopping. Great intention, poor delivery
Years later I have returned to Canada. Gone are the days of buying milk & eggs from local farmers. The majority of folks go to the Superstores...massive buildings that contain every product you could ever (want) need.
My problem with most of the large chain stores is not what they are as much as what they have in them. Where are the socially responsible businesses who can provide nourishing/non-genetically modified/poison-free food that hasn't been soaked in preservatives to last through the two weeks it takes to get shipped to us? Or, products that haven't been produced by questionable methods in a third world country that are packaged in unnecessary plastic that ends up in a landfill which is in somebody else's backyard?
Honestly. This doesn't seem outrageous to me.
Anyway, my goal is to present information related to food & nutrition and personal well-being...anything that may benefit those of you who read this. I'd like to stay clear of politics, but as you will find , it isn't always possible as a lot of decisions are fueled by the same corporate leaders who end up in government. Small world.
The first item I am going to share with you is Sweet Misery - A Poisoned World, a documentary about aspartame made in 2004 by Cori Brackett who, after drinking 6 to 10 diet cokes every day for 6 years, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis . This shows what sweeteners do to the human body. Aspartame has been proven to cause brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and other serious health problems, even death.
After a long period of silence, I've decided to write again. Truth be told, it wasn't for a lack of want, it was entirely health related.
The Journey Begins...
I moved to Canada's capital city, at the end of 2004. My cousin-slash-business partner had just relocated from France and his family planted their roots there for the next few years, so I decided I would make the move and concentrate on our start-up.
Not knowing anyone else aside from my family, I was missing my friends. I spent a lot of time at the gym to get my frustrations out through pilates, yoga and high-impact aerobics. After a few months of this I was at the top of my game, and then -- this is where it all goes pear-shaped -- my back blew out. Not just a little pain for a few months, but an injury that had me mostly incapacitated and in constant pain for the next 2+ years.
It hijacked my life. Twice during this period, I was confined to my bed with sciatica for 3 months at a time. Nothing I did would relieve me from the burning, knife-like intensity that was consuming my mind as well as my body. I was trapped. I am a dreamer in both the literal and figurative sense of the word, but let me tell you dear reader, my dreams had left and I was living one monster of a nightmare.
Medicated
I was taking the lowest dosage of pain medication I could get away with (I am not a fan of pharmaceuticals), but after the first year of 24-7 pain, no sleep and deep depression, I needed something strong. Reeeeally strong. I simply couldn't take it any longer. My back specialist prescribed "Oxycontin" -- an opiate used for pain-relief -- and for the next few weeks, I lost the ability to think. I lived in a bubble of pain and fuzziness, AND, received no relief from the pain! It was horrible. I chose not to continue the medication.
What was my future going to be like? Was I going to be like this perpetually? How could I continue?
Denied by 'The Man'
My back specialist referred me to the Chief of Neurosurgery. I was optimistic...maybe I could get operated on! At the beginning, surgery was the last thing I wanted, now I just wanted the agony to stop. I had a small glimmer of hope...
8 months pass (yes, 8 months) and I finally get the call to meet with the Chief. Within minutes of my consultation he flat out refused me for surgery. I immediately broke down into tears. I hyperventilated. I pleaded -- I can't live like this! But it was over. No glimmer of hope for me. You will learn to live with it, he said.
Wait a minute. I'm still young! What do you mean I'll learn to live with it?!
For the next few days all I could do is cry.
Give up? Ha! Surely you jest
I'm happy my mother and father raised me to be a positive person, albeit a stubborn one. I was determined to find a glimmer of hope. When all else fails kiddo, try and try again. I had read many discussions online by people who were in the same boat, so I had an idea of what was out there for alternative treatments. I had heard about Spinal Decompression Therapy and was interested in pursuing this as it seemed like a good fit for my condition. Unfortunately only a select few cities in Canada had the technology, and I was unable to travel. But, as fate would have it, I stumbled upon a website for the first Spinal Decompression Center in Ottawa which had just got the city's first decompression machine.
Enter Dr. Lawrence
I immediately called the Broadview Spine & Health Center. My initial consultation with Dr. Joseph Lawrence was to qualify (or disqualify) me for Spinal Decompression therapy. It's not for everyone as there are numerous causes of back pain, but with my herniated disc and location of the damage, I passed as a good candidate for the treatment. As this is a new and 'experimental' treatment in Canada (at the time there were only 10 machines in the entire country compared to 7000+ in the United States), it's not covered by health insurance. I decided it was worth the risk of it not working. *I* was worth the risk. I moved ahead.
Strapping in
For the next few months I dutifully went to the clinic, getting harnessed and strapped onto the bed of the DRX9000. I watched DVD's while it was happening and noticed it was surprisingly not difficult, in fact the treatment felt good. Finally, relief! The most challenging part was getting off the machine when the session ended, I could barely walk, but then I got to wear a big ol' back brace with an ice pack shoved inside to help sort things out after the treatment.
I spent the next few months in little to no pain for the most part, but the doctor said it can take upwards to a year to heal completely from this procedure. My mobility was limited. I had to be very careful with my movements else I would hurt. Part of the post therapy treatment is a rehabilitation fitness program at the clinic with an amazing woman by the name of Marla Ericksen. With her help, I got back to the basics and taught my body how to function again.
Dreamer
I'd say in February was the first time I started to feel 'normal' again. I braved 'sitting for a long period of time' on an airplane and visited my in-laws in the Dominican. It's now nearing the end of August and I can say that I am happy, inspired and creative again. Mark and I have cultivated our own vegetable garden for the past 3 years which makes me so happy (and healthy) and I have just begun swimming after years of no physical activity. I am constantly inspired by the natural abundance of resources our planet has to offer, and the people who recognize the same.
I move forward with humility and determination to share the wealth of knowledge that I have gathered during all of those moments I was confined to my bed with my laptop.
To: girlie Date: Jul 22 at 9:29 PM Subject: sunflowers in a field (oh. i didn't write it.)
girlie:
i hope all is well and prosperous in the various places that you inhabit. i leave you with a poem and wish you all sorts of surprising moments of delight, those both large and small.
Sunflowers in a field. Goldfinches everywhere. They gorge on seed. They rise To rest along the power line, then fall Like drizzled lemon drops, like lozenges Of candied yellow light. Two weeks a year, goldfinches Gather on sunflowers here. These evenings after supper, You see them in the honey-soft glow As if they'd trapped and somehow stored The rapture of September's sun. You see goldfinches flicker Among sunflower lanes, Through mortal tides of light, Through streams of apricot and chardonnay, And you resolve to live Your life with greater sympathy. Sunflowers bowing their char black dials, Their petals twist and writhe Like fires, like silk coronas blazing west. How inconceivable, then, The pewter cold-front clouds, The shabby settlement of crow and wren. Though no one hears the oath, You shall, you tell yourself, Forgo deceit, increase the tithe. Atone. Forgive. Embrace. You watch Goldfinches and sunflowers both Begin to fade. By subtle green degrees They shed that bullion luster of the sun Until the finches ricochet Like flints among the drowsing flower heads. Perhaps, as I have done, You'll pace the darkling half mile home, Intent on picking up the telephone To reconcile with long-lost friends. You will apologize, concede. You'll vow to never, ever, ever let Such distance grow again. But then you reach your door and find The day diminished to a thin blue rind Of light above the township silhouette. How nice a hot bath sounds. Dessert. An herbal tea. Perhaps you'll read the Arts And Leisure pages of The Daily News. With every stair you climb Sleep settles just a little more behind The knees, beneath the shoulder blades. The calls, you tell yourself, Perhaps some other time.
I grew up in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia where people were down-to-earth, trustworthy and got their fresh milk and eggs from the farmers who worked the land. At the age of 17, I left, seeking the urban lifestyle I craved and spent the next few years doing the back-and-forth between Toronto & Vancouver then decided to leave the country to see the rest of the world. For the next decade I lived in major metropolitan centers in Europe and USA, traveling to other countries to explore the local communities and experience their way of life.
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