28 October 2010

Late Bloomer

Sarah Harmer

Oh, late bloomer, the rumors were true
You know, I checked your ID when you left the room
I didn't want to see it coming, I showed off my heart
Now there's a scar in the shape of a question mark
Oh, late bloomer, the rumors were true
And scattered leaves are all that's left of you

I never thought I'd be the marrying kind
It was nothing to be always left behind
From the ship that was sailed with everyone on it
I said, Give me the land, I know what I want and where I'm wanted
But you came in whistling, I'll go if you'll go
And I was waiting around to play like an old piano

[Chorus]
And honey, I couldn't see the trouble
Sleeping down deep, where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble underneath
I set my sights on what was all right
My will didn't know where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble underneath

Who knew it would be you through the wall,
Listening in to a voice on a call
And hearing the strings and shoot 'em up sure
Little did I know then, oh little did I know
Long before listening forever
Was shot down before it was ever delivered

[Chorus]

Oh, late bloomer, the rumors were true
I checked your ID, what was it I knew
I didn't want to see it coming, I showed off my heart
Now there's a scar in the shape of a question mark
Oh, late bloomer, the rumors were true
And scattered leaves are all that's left of you

[Chorus]

26 October 2010

Cosmetic products dirty dozen

Dirty dozen chemicals found in 80 per cent of the most common cosmetic products. The David Suzuki Foundation is urging better labelling laws to help consumers avoid them.

The dirty dozen:

1 – BHA and BHT. Used in moisturizers as preservatives, the suspected endocrine disruptors may cause cancer and are known to be harmful to fish and other wildlife

2 – Coal-tar dyes such as p-phenylenediamine and colours listed as CI followed by five digits. Used in some hair dyes, may be contaminated with heavy metals toxic to the brain.

3 – DEA, cocamide DEA and lauramide DEA. Used in some creamy and foaming moisturizers and shampoos. Can react to form nitrosamines, which may cause cancer. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

4 – Dibuytl phthalate. Used as a plasticizer in some nail-care products. Suspected endocrine disrupter and reproductive toxicant. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

5 – Formaldehyde releasing preservatives such as DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quarternium-15 and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. Used in a variety of cosmetics. Slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde, which causes cancer.

6 – Paraben, methylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben. Used in a variety of cosmetics as preservatives. Suspected endocrine disrupters and may interfere with male reproductive functions.

7 – Parfum. Any mixture of fragrance ingredients used in a variety of cosmetics. Some fragrance ingredients can trigger allergies and asthma. Some linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. Some harmful to fish and other wildlife.

8 – PEG Compounds such as PEG-60. Used in some cosmetic cream bases. Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer.

9 – Petrolatum. Used in some hair products for shine and as a moisture barrier in some lip balms, lip sticks and moisturizers. A petroleum product that can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may cause cancer.

10 – Siloxanes: cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane and cyclopethicone. Used in a variety of cosmetics to soften, smooth and moisten. Suspected endocrine disrupter and reproductive toxicant (cyclotetrasiloxane). Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

11 – Sodium laureth sulphate. Used in some foaming cosmetics, such as shampoos, cleansers and bubble bath. Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause cancer.

12 – Triclosan. Used in some antibacterial cosmetics, such as toothpastes, cleansers and deodorants. Suspected endocrine disrupter and may contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Harmful to fish and other wildlife.

Courtesy the David Suzuki Foundation


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/10/19/suzuki-dirty-dozen.html?ref=rss#ixzz13VzlWPDQ

22 October 2010

Old Crow, Black Night, Stand Still / Hey Rosetta



Look at that cloud hang
up off the lookout hills
That's where my head is
and I keep banging my shins

There's another world
Above this one
That's where I've trying to live
But I get dragged down

There's another world
Better than this one
And that's where I've trying to live
But I get dragged down

Stand still
Stand still
Can we just stand still

Stand still
Come on, Stand still
No no no no stand still

This whole town is
All the buildings there are blocking sun and blocking sun
I know it's you who's rushing to the light
With their open mouths and appetites
They ate the ground and now the sky
They roll it out like pigeon wire

Stand still
Stand still
Can't they just stand still

Stand still
Stand still
Can't we just stand still

So we packed our bags and headed west
She said I know a place where they can't get, where they can't get us
She slid my tired fingers into hers
And it was sunlight touching every curve, every scar
And this will be the moment that breaks my heart
Where the time creeps in and we grow apart

Can we just stand still
Stand still
Can we just stand still

Stand still
Let our lungs fill
Can we just stand still

That's what I'm talking about
Her sneakered feet hardly hitting the ground
Thoughts like a rush hour downtown
You're either sticking or pump-pumping 'em out
Drop me in the dark green
Lock me in the midst of the ? hill
Hide me in the old crow black night
Hide me ?
I was ?
?

18 October 2010

29 Ways

29 Ways / Marc Cohn



I got 29 ways to make it to my baby's door
I got 29 ways to make it to my baby's door
And if she needs me bad
I can find about two or three more

I got one through the basement
Two down the hall
And when the going gets tough
I got a hole in the wall
(Chorus)

I can come through the chimney like Santa Claus
Go through the window and that ain't all
A lot of good ways I don't want you to know
I even got a hole in the bedroom floor

(Chorus)

I got a way through the closet behind her clothes
A way through the attic that no one knows
A master key that fits every lock
A hidden door behind the grandfather clock

(Chorus)

17 October 2010

Eclipse (All Yours)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNT6e0ZZnYQ

Eclipse (All Yours) / Metric


Other lives always tempted to trade
Will they hate me for all the choices I've made
Will they stop when they see me again?
I can't stop now I know who I am

Now I'm all yours, I'm not afraid
And you're all mine, say what they may
And all your love I'll take to the grave
And all my life starts now

Tear me down they can't take you out of my thoughts
Under every scar there's a battle I've lost
Will they stop when they see us again?
I can't stop now I know who I am

Now I'm all yours, I'm not afraid
And you're all mine, say what they may
And all your love I'll take to the grave
And all my life starts

I'm all yours, I'm not afraid
And you're all mine, say what they may
And all your love I'll take to a grave
And all my life starts starts now

13 October 2010

I've been reading bumper stickers lately and many proclaim the drivers' apparent desire to change the world. This one was a recent favourite: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickiegirlca/5069659529/in/set-72157624116573092/ I'm also a big fan of wandering around strange cities by foot, taking pictures of graffiti; old, crumbly buildings, and trying out as many little cafes in the area as my budget will allow. It can be a really long walk and disheartening experience to have to go blocks and blocks (on foot remember) for a cup of coffee (maybe breakfast) . Didn't that used to be called a diner? Didn't they use to be in every neighbourhood?

In a recent walk from my cousin's place in Toronto east I found a business called a coffeeshop, there were seats available and the place was small. I noticed everyone had a styrofoam/paper cup in hand and the food in the fridge was fresh but also packaged to go. I asked, but as expected they didn't serve breakfast the way I like. I started thinking after I left to keep looking "why is she is choosing to use the disposable over washing the same set of dishes and replacing a few a year?"

Maybe economic. May be cheaper in her mind to not have to install a small dishwasher for cups and plates or to repair an old, broken one. Maybe cultural. She took over the restaurant and it is the way the business got by then, especially in the neighbourhood which attracts alot of 'undesirables which might do God knows what with actual glassware. Maybe regulatory. To pass the health inspection it is likely easier to get that regular certificate and stay open than have a deeper inspection because you actually prepare food there to some degree.

When I found the diner (and was sipping café latté at the Mercury on their sunny patio) I felt welcomed, part of the community. I read, took pictures, talked to people about life and sometimes asked them questions (mostly directions but some other very interesting discussions too). It struck me that business owners and customers have commonality in the experience they want to have in the restaurant. To feel like you are part of the community and are welcome back.

The 'coffeeshop' I went to earlier in my walk made me feel like getting in and getting out as quickly as possible. So did the woman who stormed out of her house after I picked *two stems* off one of *four bushes* of whatever plant it was beautifully dripping over the fence. Standing there with her probably 12 year old daughter she berated me and asked me why I thought I could take her property. I was initially dumbfounded and then said quietly that I was really sorry I offended her, I just saw the colours fitting into the bouquet I was making along my walk back. I offered it to her as payment for using her property in such a "thoughtless" manner but she refused (not surprisingly I suppose). I wish I had asked her why she grew the bushes, and how my also taking pleasure (but not causing harm to her or the plant) in them offended her.

Arne Naess called this a petty rationality. Where you can justify almost anything to yourself based on empirical evidence alone and leave emotion (or values, ethics) out of the equation. The woman running the coffeeshop in the seedy neighbourhood would be hard to convince that changing her restaurant from disposable to sustainable would be beneficial enough to her. The woman with the bushes couldn't stand the feeling that she was being robbed of her property so she confronted me. What is really at stake is so small and petty in a grander scheme, but becomes the reality because of mostly rationality.

I think I made a good decision in my reactions to both examples of that. And an idea may have been started in one of the people watching or not, and I walked away (somewhat shaken, really about the stems) feeling good about my choice in my reaction that held some awareness. Ultimately that led me to talk to more people, have many more positive experiences and generally contribute to the community spirit that is a special part of what makes Toronto an incredible city to visit.

Just don't get me started about the Uncle Ben's advertising in the subway station.

9 October 2010

Deep below, a vibrant world is documented by the first comprehensive marine census

Marine Census Yields Plenitude of Wonders
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/in-first-marine-census-a-plenitude-of-wonders/?hpw

Marine Census Shows Vast Diversity of Sea Life
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704847104575532031662747228.html

Biggest Marine Census Complete
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101004-coml-complete-census-vin-video/

New Map Charts Troubled Status of Ocean Life
http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2010/10/ocean_map.html

Census of Marine Life
http://www.coml.org/

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

What is out there, under the sea? After 10 years, it would appear that the Census of Marine Life has an excellent idea of the species residing throughout the world's oceans and seas. The project was sponsored by a host of institutions, including the Rockefeller University in New York, and the initial findings of this magnificent undertaking were announced this Monday. Commenting on the report, the co-founder of the project Jesse H. Ausubel remarked, "We're like the people in London and Paris 200 years ago, putting together the first dictionaries and encyclopedias." Equally amazing was the discovery that there are few "ocean deserts", and the census discovered a host of new species. The project reveals that there are almost 250,000 marine species in existence, and if microscopic life were included, that number could potentially land in the hundreds of millions. One particularly interesting new species found in the census was the so-called "yeti-crab". This denizen of the deep lives far off the coast of Easter Island, and it has rather elaborate furry claws. More discoveries and information from this project will be released in the coming weeks and months, and it's a project well worth keeping tabs on. [KMG]

The first link will take users to users to a post from the New York Times' "Green" blog from this Monday. Here visitors can learn a bit more about the census, and also view a photo of the "yeti-crab". The second link will take visitors to an article from this Tuesday's Wall Street Journal which includes a video clip about the census, along with an interactive graphic feature. Moving on, the third link whisks users away to another news feature from the National Geographic website about the completion of the census. The fourth link leads to a press release from Duke University, which features a link to a highly detailed and interactive map based on this census information. The fifth link leads to the census website where visitors can learn more about the findings, check out their video gallery, image gallery, and music video. Finally, the last link leads to a site developed by NOAA that features information about the National Marine Sanctuaries, including materials on how to visit these locations and some information on their management.

(via: The Internet Scout report)

Reading, Reading, Reading



I've been reading profusely lately (more than usual which for me is usually quite a bit). Articles for the course I'm taking toward a certificate in Environmental Practice, books for personal work, new cookbooks for recipes, webpages of music and different voices 'out there' in the blogsphere, lyrics in songs that speak to me.

All of the reading is an attempt to get to the heart of what matters to me, because understanding myself, my motivations, what cuts me to the core and what I can readily let go of, is ultimately going to be important if I want to change the world.

And I really want to change the world.

Before that can happen (from what I read) I need to stand up and be seen for what I believe in.

*pushing back the chair* ...






8 October 2010

Imagine



@SarahSlean Very timely. Cooking pumpkin in the oven but still hadn't decided what to do with it.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or from a can)
1 tablespoon soy yogurt
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins Total Time: 37 mins

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Grease muffin tins with vegetable shortening or spray on oil.
3 Sift together dry ingredients (flour through cloves).
4 In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (pumpkin through molasses).
5 Pour wet into dry and combine.
6 Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way.
7 Bake for 27-30 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Annual Butterfly Show - Carleton U Biology Dept

http://www2.carleton.ca/biology/annual-biology-butterfly-show/

The Ottawa Butterfly Show is an annual event that runs until Thanksgiving, October 11, 2010 in the greenhouses of Carleton University’s biology department.


4 October 2010

Serena Ryder - All for Love

All For Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p2hzwBPrUE

Slipping through the hole where the moon don't shine
Spent too long trying to make you mine
Kept on running but I fell behind
Butterfly better fly away this time

Lost my place in the line again
Put it back on the shelf and let the dust settle in
I always thought we'd that be more than friends
I always thought that we were different

Ohhhhoohh
Ohhhhoohh

I'm all for love
But I can't see the light
Tell me how to do it
Tell me how I'm gonna get it right
I'm all for love
I'm gonna try it again
I don't wanna give up
Cause I'm all for love

Nobody knows where the hell I've been
Gonna make a fool of myself again
Keep on getting stuck up in the same old scene
Baby why'd you have to go and be so mean

Ohhhhoohh
Ohhhhoohh

I'm all for love
But I can't see the light
Tell me how to do it
Tell me how I'm gonna get it right
I'm all for love
And I'm trying again
I don't wanna give up
Cause I'm all for love

I don't believe in praying on your knees
Just let me leave I'm over the fantasy

I'm all for love
But I can't see the light
Tell me how to do it
Tell me how I'm gonna get it right
I'm all for love
And I'm trying again
I don't wanna give up
I don't wanna give in
But I can't see the light
Tell me how to do it
Tell me how I'm gonna get it right
I'm all for love
And I'm trying again
I don't wanna give up
Cause I'm all for love