Category Archives: social

now reading

social

In Defense of Food – An Eater’s Manifesto

For those not concerned with Orthorexia, this read is distilled by Michael Pollan to the following: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

In 1973 the IMITATION food label rule was TOSSED OUT(!) What to do now? Avoid foods products containing ingredients that are A) Unfamiliar, B) Unpronounceable, C) More than five in number or that include D) High-Fructose Corn Syrup. None of these characteristics, not even the last one, is necessarily harmful in and of itself, but all of them are reliable markers for foods that have been highly processed to the point where they may no longer be what they purport to be. They have crossed over from foods to food products. Market practice: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Stay out of the middle.

The book is a continuation of Every Thing You Know (about food) is Wrong. Recall The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by same.

dryer tech

social

The clothes tumble but do not dry. Armed with a multi-meter I checked the usual suspects: Thermal Fuse, Hi Temp Thermostat, Thermister, the Heating Element to find no open loops. A useful msg board thread directed my attention to this micro circuit board inside the control console. Stashed inside the console like an easter egg, I found bundled a diagnostic and trouble shooting guide. While test reading the DC current value at Heat Relay terminal P3-1 and P3-2 the machine began to perform again. Harrumph. Must have been the kicking and banging on the cabinet after I lost a socket tool deep inside. Nonetheless, I have my eye on a resistor and two capacitors on the micro circuit board all of which appear well burned in (i.e. fried). FedEx to deliver a replacement board.

With it

social

At the restaurant table and can’t figure the intricacies of the salt n’ pepper shakers / grinders. The cap falls into the scrambled eggs. Befuddled i seek help. Is it just me? They’re ‘new’ says the server. Well, says I, my prediction is that you won’t have to explain them for very much longer.

Now Reading

opinion, social

A good exploration of our 21st century food chain. The omnivore’s dilemma:

Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn’t-which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore’s dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance. The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we’re realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment…

playing the sympathy card

social

Got it figured after hearing the same spiel from the hotel van driver. The conversation starts like so:

    Driver: Where you from?
    Guest: The state of ______ .

Armed with this knowledge driver starts into team sports dialog, namely school basketball teams. This is genuine conversation starter but it leads to the colleges that his children are attending and how he struggles to pay tuition expenses, works 3 jobs… the violin starts. Can’t help pony up a better tip after such a performance. Clever. Wonder if he has kids for reals.

SLP

jogging, places, social

San Luis Potosi` is off the beaten path; not the usual tourist stop over. Most of the visitors are managers and executives from GM, Toyota inspecting their component parts manufacturing. Ventured out of the Westin hotel “compound” and into upscale residential just a jog away.

GTD

social

DMV line behind a young woman sporting a black tattoo the size of a fist on the nape of her neck. A civil servant has come round to generally be helpful making sure that everyone has selected the proper line to stand in. A man has no cash/check only but a Mastercard and gets sent packing. Tattoo is here for an ID. The officer asks leading , “How’d you get here?” and gets an “I drove” response; which began a painful seesaw: If you don’t have a license how’d you drive… and “I have a license!” then “Whatcha need an ID for then…” She couldn’t make up something give a good answer and although he kept drilling he wouldn’t or couldn’t get her to hang herself. I’m not sure of the objective. Harass? Inform? Make an arrest?