Old Cheese

Earlier this month researchers from the University of Bristol released findings on some very old cheese. Specifically; ancient tools used to make cheese; in Poland of all places. Pottery fragments full of small holes were analyzed and determined to be sieves used for cheese making. Dating back 7000 years, we now have scientific proof of the worlds first cheese. Similar pottery found in Turkey and Libya is suspected to be as old, but has not been tested.

“So what” you ask?

For starters; I love anything that ruffles the feathers of main stream historians. I see history as something fluid, with no beginning and no end,  expanding for eternity. History can’t be set in stone, or viewed as anything other than a riddle. To discover prehistory man, making cheese in Poland thousands of years before the pyramids, makes me giddy. This is land locked northern Europe. Hardly a truck stop on any trade route, or basking in Mediterranean sun; thought to be an outpost for barbaric hunter gatherers.

Ponder ancient Polish cheese makers; their ingenuity contradicts text book history in every way.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121212134044.htm

A sieve fragment from a clay pit in north-central Poland which was submitted to lipid residue analyses. (Credit: Image by Mélanie Salque)

Chinese Plea

As the New Year looms, lets all ponder our priorities. Rather than feeble, half hearted promises; why not resolve to take a wider view of the world? A world crowded with mega stores, offering inexpensive goods, 24 hours a day – comes at a price. We grumble about the economy, complain about employment, whine over out sourced call centres; then flock to Wal Mart for cheap imported goods. Unfazed by recalls, faulty workmanship, lead contamination, or labour practices; we gobble up imported goods without blinking an eye. Worse still, we encourage trade to “stimulate the economy”, roll out the red carpet to foreign companies, and look the other way.

On Dec. 27 the Business Insider reported on a chilling story. A woman from Oregon discovered a letter written by a Chinese factory worker,  inside a box of Halloween decorations purchased last year at Kmart.

.

“If you occasionally buy this product,  please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization.  Thousands people here who are under the persecution of the Chinese Communist  Party Government will thank and remember you forever.

People who work here have to work 15 hours a day  without Saturday, Sunday break and any holidays. Otherwise, they will suffer  torturement, beat and rude remark. Nearly no payment (10 yuan/1 month).

People who work here, suffer punishment 1-3 years  averagely, but without Court Sentence (unlaw punishment). Many of them are Falun  Gong practitioners, who are totally innocent people only because they have  different believe to CCPG. They often suffer more punishment than others.”

Read more:  http://www.businessinsider.com/kmart-shopper-finds-letter-from-china-2012-12#ixzz2GWkfzwPm

I must stress – it is alleged to have been written by a factory worker. Obviously the author must be educated as it is written almost entirely in English. The context of the letter indicates these workers are not there by choice or court sentence.

I’ve written a lot about China, and realize the situation is complicated. That said; it’s no secret certain Chinese factories had to install “suicide nets” to stop workers from jumping to their death, imported pet food sickened or killed hundreds of animals, or that thousands of products are removed from shelves each year due to lead, pesticide, or melamine contamination. Banned or restricted Chinese food products; like honey, make their way to our supermarket shelves via other countries. Laundered and relabelled, we snap them up – pleased with ourselves for being great little shoppers.

Saving a few pennies has become a fact of life for countless families; I understand that. Imported goods are inexpensive.  Given the choice between providing for my family or not, obviously family trumps conscience. The disturbing fact is how the situation has taken on a life of its own. All of us feed the flames by being oblivious.

No one said life was fair. We can’t fix all the problems or change different cultures by applying our standards. What we can do is realize we have a voice. I guarantee that speaking up won’t empty mega or dollar store shelves. Waking up and saying “enough” might just put an end to the madness condoning flagrant disregard for health and human rights.

We owe it to one Chinese factory worker to at least ponder a plea for help.

Image Source Page: http://singularityhub.com/2011/12/13/chinese-company-continues-plan-to-replace-workforce-with-500000-robots/

“Egg”splanation

My “wish list” the other day included one hoping consumers learned the difference between “free run” and “free range” eggs. I thought it unfair to leave that dangling. We pay premium prices for free run, free range, and organic. I laughed out loud when the egg question was explained.

In Canada, “free run” chickens are still confined to massive barns, never see the light of day, and are given nesting boxes to lay their eggs. To claim “free range” producers have to let the hens have access to outside the barn once a day. To be clear; we’re not talking flinging open the barn doors onto a grassy meadow – all they have to do is provide an “opening” for a prescribed amount of time.

Organic chicken deserves a serious ponder as well.  Any illusions to a “Sunnybrook” farm existence should immediately be tossed in the compost bin. Poultry is certified “organic” as long as it wasn’t feed antibiotics or animal by-products. Commercial producers can still pack thousands of birds into airless barns; still force feed them round the clock. I guarantee,  commercial organic chickens have never seen the light of day.

There is absolutely no difference in the nutritional content of eggs. Free run, range, or plain old eggs; it’s all the same. Falling for slick marketing ploys designed to feed on social conscience, only puts egg on your face. Organic chicken, free from antibiotics is not a bad idea; provided you suspend romantic notions of birds blissfully scratching around a grassy field.

Stop and think before you buy. Shop at farmers markets if you want eggs laid by happy chickens. Otherwise, save your money and demand unregulated marketing nonsense stops.There truly is no end to the ingenuity of mankind. Marketing is alive and well; human nature dictates no shortage of those willing to line up for “snake oil”.

Free range egg barn.

Stand By Me

Time to ponder a song. If this doesn’t make you tap your foot, or put a little smile on your face – I give up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6AZIVjHnG8&list=HL1356695177

 

Grandpa Elliot – New Orleans, Louisiana

Wish List

I’m not one to make New Year resolutions. Experience shows the folly of setting ones self up to fail. Beating myself up over broken expectations grew old a long time ago. Instead, I pondered a “wish list” of  things I’d like to see in the New Year. I’ve left out the obvious Miss America style references to “world peace”. My opinion of the NRA, Monsanto, Halliburton, and political circus are well documented. A simple wish list, offering some practical suggestions; in no particular order –

All children would be taught cursive writing in school. It’s not enough to be able to read, you have to be able to sign your name.

School curriculum would require that all children, at some point between the 5th and 8th grades; be taught, in an unbiased manner – the origins, beliefs, and practices of major world religions.

Reddit would view links to blogs as something other than spam.

Weather reports would include space weather.

Canadians would learn to spell the name of our Prime Minister. It’s STEPHEN not Steven Harper.

Legislation would pass banning shoes for dogs; on grounds of cruelty to animals.

Any organization or religion operating as a “non profit” and enjoying “tax exempt” status, would be forbidden to contribute to political campaigns. These organizations would also have to re-apply for tax exemption every few years.

Elected officials couldn’t refer to God in defence of their position on issues.

Consumers were informed of the actual difference between “free run” and “free range” eggs.

Vegans stopped wearing leather shoes.

Happy New Year.

Finding Atlantis

The expression ” rewriting history” couldn’t be more accurate if it tried. History is a chameleon, changing colour as it reflects the perspective of individual orators. Inoffensive landmarks faithfully, universally noted – controversial or distasteful facts, omitted or presented in more favourable light. History is a subject open to interpretation; often a best guess or comfortable middle ground. The last few thousand years are easy. Reasonable written records piece together an accurate portrait of humanity’s sordid parade.

Ancient history is another story; a far different story than I learned in school. I was taught that “civilization ” began in Mesopotamia. I learned of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Taught that civilization began with the advent of written language, I happily absorbed my lessons, textbook timeline and all.

Now I’m wishing they would find Atlantis. The only written record comes from Greek philosopher Plato in 360 B.C. He described the city in great detail, dating it to 9,600 B.C. That would put it thousands of years before Mesopotamia. Many scholars believe Plato wrote of Atlantis, not as fact, rather as a tool to express his ideas on society. At the heart of the debate are the extreme details Plato used to describe the physical lay out of the city. If simply a metaphor, why would he painstakingly scribe such details?

Archaeologists and historians have placed it under Antarctic ice, off the coast of the Bahamas, under Spanish marshland, and in the Aegean Sea. It tickles our imagination; fuelling tales of Poseidon and Captain Nemo. Finding this mythical city would re-write history.

We need to find Atlantis because we’ve all heard of it. Atlantis would be the spark needed to ignite the accepted timeline of civilization – blowing it to smithereens. I can think of no other course of action; Atlantis would tip the cart. My dismay stems from the realization my textbook history was shot full of holes years ago. Watching my children; dutifully hand in the same reports I did; colouring the same tired historical march, not once presented with possibilities of civilization lost.

Mention civilization lost and most people would think of Atlantis or Shangra-La. Not a shred of evidence has ever been found to support either. Meanwhile, irrefutable scientific evidence dates Gobekli Tepe at 7000 years before the pyramids. Puma Punku is older than that, perhaps the oldest structure on earth. These aren’t stone huts, I’m talking mind boggling monolithic stone structures.Places that defy explanation Documents such as the Piri Reis map, showing the outline of Antarctica under miles of ice;.as it would have been before the last ice age.

Ancient history has more questions than answers.One thing for certain; the cradle of civilization is no more Mesopotamia than the world is flat. We can’t discount facts simply because we don’t have all the answers. A closed mind is a sorry excuse, it’s time to re-write history.

Not Right America! (NRA)

MSNBC aired in the background as I dressed for work this morning. Back turned, mind closed to robotic dribble of an NRA member insisting armed guards in every school would eradicate mass shootings. Then NRA member dropped a grenade, arm every teacher. I stopped in my tracks. Excuse me?  Reporter asked – “What if the teacher didn’t agree?”  His response; “then I wouldn’t want my child in that classroom”

What’s wrong with America? Why is a pig headed NRA wing-nut extended validation by mass media? Am I too Canadian to grasp America’s affinity for free speech regardless of truth, consequence or detrimental divide? Who are these people? How can a non-profit tax exempt organization finance hand picked politicians and dictate public policy with impunity?

First stop, the NRA website. Their home page screamed “patriot”. Slick and interactive, proudly displaying an Eagle to mimic the presidential seal. The words “non profit” registered before I turned in disgust to Wikipedia. Formed in 1871, NRA was established to protect second amendment” right to bear arms ”  in the Bill of Rights.  In truth the NRA exists because the Union Army were lousy marksmen. NRA co-founder George Wingate traveled to Europe and fancied the level of training. Back in America Wingate lobbied the New York legislature to correct lousy shots by funding gun ranges. The NRA was born. The first NRA president was Civil War General Ambrose Burnside.

A humble enough beginning; completely understandable and practical in it’s time. This “non-profit” was funded by the likes of Remington and Sharps rifle manufacturers.  They established gun clubs, taught marksmanship and certified gun owners. The NRA of today is far more

Call me crazy but for the life of me I need to know how a non-profit society is able to become the most powerful lobby in America? Forget the gravy – all I want is a meat and potatoes answer. How can a non profit organization contribute millions of dollars to political campaigns? These people are not elected; yet are allowed to influence policy. How can we validate the NRA’s agenda by airing “press conferences” that subject reasonable people to nonsense?

I’m not an American, perhaps I’ll never understand.

A protestor holds a banner during a march to the National Rifle Association headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. Curbing gun violence will be a top priority of President Barack Obama’s second term, aides say. but exactly what he’ll pursue and how quickly are still evolving. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WR 104

The eve of Dec. 21 seemed an appropriate time to toss a death star into the mix. Tomorrow’s solstice just happens to coincide with an extremely rare galactic alignment. Every 25,800 years the sun and earth align with the centre of the” Milky Way”. It just so happens that the pesky constellation Sagittarius is part of the equation. Sagittarius; smack dab in the middle of the alignment, harbours some serious pondering.

The fact that Sagittarius is my sign has nothing to do with its mystery.

Sagittarius just so happens to end up in the spot light. For starters, the only unconfirmed radio signal from space, known as the “wow event” came from Sagittarius. Sagittarius is front and centre in the “galactic alignment”, and it happens to be the place WR 104 resides.

WR 104 is 8000 light years from earth. Discovered in 1998, it is actually 2 binary stars locked in orbit with each other. Known as a Wolf-Rayet system, WR 104 capable of causing serious trouble. Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are on their last leg; burning thousands of times hotter and faster than our sun, they hurtle towards an inevitable super nova.

Aside from the black hole created when a star collapses, the nasty Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) is of greater concern. Picture a death ray of radiation obliterating anything in its path. A GRB would destroy our ozone layer; earth would be defenceless against cosmic radiation.

Scientists debate our chances of being at the receiving end of WR 104’s wrath. They all agree that earth has most likely experienced  GRB’s in the past. Either way; rather than disappoint the doomsday set when the Mayan prediction turned out to be a bust – ponder the death star. As my son once said – “there’s a million ways to die out there”.

Last Minute Gift Suggestion

http://www.gardenharvest.org/donateanimals0704.htm

The other day I was in a coffee shop; a Christmas episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos was airing on the flat screen. Clip after clip of children opening gifts they didn’t like. The audience laughed as ungrateful children threw fits over gifts they abhorred. Books, sweaters, toys; flung with contempt – the family with the most petulant child stood to gain $10,000 for parenting these little treasures. I had no interest in hanging around to find out which child was rewarded. A toss up between the boy who hit his mother in the face when his package contained clothing, and a girl who pulled down the Christmas tree when Santa brought the wrong doll. It wasn’t funny.

Rather than ponder what’s wrong with society; I have a suggestion. Give your child a goat; specifically give a goat in your child’s name. It could also be chickens, sheep or cows. The point is not the farm animal but the gift.  Lets teach our children to view the world with caring eyes. They don’t want to pull down Christmas trees.

Garden Harvest is one of many organizations that works to provide reliable food sources for third world families. If you want something more tangible; take your child shopping for a gift to donate to your local Christmas Bureau. I’m not suggesting you deny your little face slapper a gift. Merely suggesting you take this time of year as an opportunity to ponder ways to give back.

rafa 2010, Flickr

Solar Wind Report

My theory is; if I ponder solar wind and space weather enough – people might start to pay attention. Space weather has an impact on our lives. Magnetic storms routinely knock out radio waves, or force airplanes to change their flight path. Solar flares responsible for the “Bastille Day event” or “Carrington event“, still news to most people. Space weather is fascinating; ever present, and not going away.

On Dec. 17 a massive coronal hole opened up on the surface of the sun. It unleashed some impressive solar winds. Currently solar wind speed is 470 Km/second. Located in the southern hemisphere of the sun, the impact of the wind will not be earth directed for now. Depending on how long this coronal hole acts up, it may be earth directed in the next few days.