Attuned to this

She & Him












= Zooey Deschanel & M.Ward.
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? Stream it here

New School Lunch

Cory Schreiber serves as the Farm-to-School program manager for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He was previously revered as head chef at Wildwood Restaurant in Portland, known for his "cooking from the source" mantra reflected in frequently changing menus focused on regional cuisine prepared with fresh and organic ingredients.

His current mission is to find a way to feed Oregon students in public schools locally grown, "lightly processed" foods. Schreiber, profiled in the April issue of Portland Monthly, says that schools don't have to change their menus to meet the palates of the "Panda Express generation" they just have to put some care into sourcing and ease back in to on-premise preparation of meals. "I remember when the bread was being baked, the chili was being made. Now, nobody even knows how to use a knife."

cafeteria lunch

Wildwood Restaurant dish


Would improving the food in school cafeterias provide benefits beyond meeting the nutritional needs of youth? Would there be a discernable change in the number of classroom disruptions due to behavioral issues? Would there be an impact to childhood obesity rates?

cafeteria lunch photo found on flickr

Apology Accepted

One of the household duties that falls under my division of labor is managing our Netflix accout. Earlier this week I was slightly peeved that a movie sent back last Friday had still not been replaced with the familiar red envelope containing another selection.

On Wednesday, Netflix sent out a notice acknowledging that, due to their shipping department being down most of Monday, the film that should have gone out was delayed. The statement provided notification that a 5% credit would be applied to our account, no action required (on our part).

The space previously occupied by a tiny slice of annoyance was now replaced with appreciation of their apology. Isn't it interesting that a little gesture like this goes can go a long way towards cultivating loyalty?

How do you see yourself?

"Alice" a self portrait by Brooke Grace
Wired Mag invited submission of readership self portraits. Editors made their picks and readers voted in their top ten. The photo above made the cut, for obvious reasons.

I was recently given a similar assignment. The results are far less provocative. Question is, how do you see yourself?

Frack, it's good!

The 4th and final season of Battlestar Galactica is scheduled for April broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. Ronald D. Moore created the 21st century version taking the blueprint provided by the late 70's ABC series to build something marvelous and remarkable.

Growing up under the roof of a totalitarian Trekkie father, I was first resistant to Battlestar. One pilot episode later, I succumbed to the charms of the program, appreciative of kick-ass female characters and good writing. The plots thus far have explored the paranoia and damage of homeland terrorism. Cylon Robots look the same (albeit ridiculously HOT when female) but are on a mission to destroy their human creators, or are they? Storylines have included examination of religious intolerance, torture, and a lingering war that takes it's toll on all of humanity.

A series catch-up episode will air on March 28. But do yourself a favor and rent past episodes–they are worth your time.

loved

One of the best sounds in the world are keys hitting the ribbon. Keyboarding has nothing on that.
It is muted, apologetic, earnest.
Typing is industrious, furious, powerful. Or, at least that is how it sounds.

Fast Food Fashion

In the March issue of Metropolis, "Revenge of the Slow" describes a local foods movement as it goes global with a networked rather than hierarchical model. The essay explains how the Slow Food movement's appeal and even marketability relies on the scarcity of authenticity.

Which got me thinking....about fashion. Recently inspired by an ever expanding collection of vintage and used clothing stores on Burnside (PDX), I headed to Anthropologie where I could buy wearables with that shiny sheen in the right size, no effort required.

Cognizant of the premium I paid on the convenience/new factor, I rationalized that I no longer have the time to invest in sussing out the thrift scores or making the modifications that would get the fit or make the feel, just right. Am I being practical or a sucker?

thrift score or fast food fashion?
I'm down with spending money on how I dress, it's become a habit, and I believe a wardrobe reflects a personal expression of creativity. But how does this jive with my interest in making actions align with values? When I consider all the bummer aspects of clothes made in China, I have to wonder, is this okay?

There is a trend afoot that is all about upcycling–that is, giving repurposed clothing a new life. It reflects a diy mentality that I embrace but don't make the time to practice. How do I walk the talk of a networked, collage-oriented belief in how I dress? And what is a fair price for my desire that it be ready to wear?

Call it an F (as in feminist) Bomb

Saturday Night Live Women's News Update
Loved this piece despite my ambivalence regarding Hillary Clinton's presidential nomination pursuit. Endorsement or not, here is the gist of my takeaway:

Bitches Get Stuff Done

If you haven's seen the skit, here's the link to SNL site (it was pulled from You Tube).
link to Tina Fey, SNL clip

Also, for the time-challenged, an excerpt:

FEY: Maybe what bothers me the most is that people say that Hillary is a bitch.
Let me say something about that: Yeah, she is.

And so am I and so is this one. (pointing to Amy Poehler)

POEHLER: Yeah, deal with it.

FEY: Know what? Bitches get stuff done.
(Amy says yeah and starts nodding her head, together they get in a rhythm, with Amy saying in response, more yeahs, uh huhs, with a ‘you go girl’ style)

Like back in grammar school,
they could have had priests teaching you but, no,
they had those tough old nuns who slept on cots
and who could hit ya and you HATED those bitches
But at the end of the school year
you sure KNEW the capital of Vermont!

Question of the Day

Do fools deserve to be pitied?


Mr. T would

Fools are cropping up everywhere. But Eliot Spitzer gets the (dis)honor of being Fool poster boy/man of this week.

Road Report-Twin Bridges

Sunday Riding was everything I hoped for plus easy Highway 20 crossings. Street shoulders have been swept from College Way down to Shevlin Road. The roads continued clear and smooth out past the park and west toward Tumalo. We encountered a sub-mile cinder stretch on the return ride on O.B. Riley. Still, it was an overall smooth, mellow 30 miler that kept me smiling well into the start of the work week.

Question of the day

Why are hoodie's the clothing article of choice for crazy bomber types?

Artist's sketch of Doctor Theodore John "Ted" Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber

Yesterday's NY terrorist joins the crazy Unabomber in perpetuating the bad rap of the comfy clothing article.

Salud!

A group of ten convened for a Sparkling Wine tasting event last weekend. Competitive pairings included varieties of Champagne, sparkling rosé, prosecco, cava and oregon vs. cali sparking whites. Our hostess with the mostest poured all evening long. Palates were cleansed with strawberries and gorgonzola-date crudites topped with balsamic reduction.
The big discovery was the humble $7 bottle of cava–Segura Viudas.

Delightful times.

What Would Chewey Do?

Advice Column Alert!


Chewbacca, despite his pants-less status, was recently dubbed one of the all-time best sidekicks in a worthy wired post.

Fortunately, the accolades have not gone to his head and he is offering counsel to those among us searching for answers.

Pose your questions in the comments and hold on for sage advice.

Question of the day

Going Underground or Off The Grid

que es mejor?

Recognize this man?

Jeff Mangum, reclusive musician and mastermind of Neutral Milk Hotel.

Slate magazine's Taylor Clark dubs him "the Salinger of indie rock". The Aeroplane Over the Sea was released 10 years ago, inspired by Mangum's reading of The Diary of Anne Frank. Clark reports that The Aeroplane Over the Sea continues to make critic's lists and is a perennial discovery though Mangum has removed himself from the grid, leaving only rumors of new projects and fans frustrated with his hoarding of talents.
Read the full Slate post here
And/Or better yet, listen to one of my all-time favorite tunes: The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1