“I am convinced that creativity is a priori to the integrity of the universe and that life is regenerative and conformity meaningless.” — Richard Buckminster Fuller (I Seem to Be a Verb)

You never can tell when you do an act Just what the result will be; But with every deed you are sowing a seed, Though the harvest you may not see. Each kindly act is an acorn dropped In God’s productive soil; You may not know, yet the tree shall grow And shelter the brows that toil.

You never can tell what your thoughts will do In bringing you hate or love; For thoughts are things, and their airy wings Are swifter than carrier doves. They follow the law of the universe— Each thing must create its kind; And they speed o’er the track to bring you back Whatever went out from your mind.

You Never Can Tell (1895) Ella Wheeler Wilcox

[Click above cover to read a comprehensive article about our food]

My summary: Can we afford the consequences of cheap food? Food where animals eat corn they can not digest and live in quarters where they can hardly move, so they are given antibiotics to combat the problems that result. Our food system uses 19% of fossil fuel resources. Fertilizers that flood our waterways and affect our drinking water and the environment. Creating dead zones where there is no life, such as in certain parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

Many of us assume this is the way it must be so we don’t think about it. They don’t think about the chickens crowded in cages laying production lines of eggs. Creating antibiotic resisted bacteria. They don’t think about our soil becoming depleted.They don’t think about how our food production is connected to our huge cost of “health care”. Or how our food is less nutritious so many people have to eat more calories to get more nutrition.

Genetically modified corn is in almost everything we eat including beef and soda. Corn is subsidised by our government. So the cheap food made from corn is paid for in other ways. The federal government has paid the corn industry 50 billion dollars in the past decade.

While corn is subsided fruits and veggies must stand on their own. Fruits and veggies are lower in calories and higher in nutrition. While the grain based government subsidized food is high calorie low nutrition (basically shallow food that lies to you).

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOS) are places where large numbers of animals (1,000’s of cattle and 10 of thousands of chickens or little piggies) are kept all smooshed together waiting to be slaughtered. Their manure placed in open air lagoons and leeches into our waterways. It creates toxic conditions for everyone nearby. 70% of antimicrobial drugs in American are actually given to animals not people. Otherwise these critters would not survive to the time they are slaughtered.

Solutions: Grass fed cattle instead of grain fed cattle. Cattle that is on a pasture not a concentrated feeding operation. Where they do not need drugs to thrive. Organic food at a local level rather than mono-crops that are shipped all over the world. Local food that is more nutritious and usually yummier (it’s picked ripe and does not spend weeks on the road). Rather than a soul-less industry food production we have community farms that are a part of us, it is a part of our soul (soul food).

Industrial food production is mechanized so that it reduces the need to employ humans. The work is painful, awful, and dehumanizing. Diverse family farms need humans and they are great places to be. It is a place of community of sustenance and of beauty.

Basically we the people are what will create change. We can be the change and not wait for the right policy to happen. American’s are becoming more educated about their food. We are becoming conscious and mindful of what impact our choices or actions have. We have to be, the consequences such (environmental impacts, health affects like obesity heart disease, high tax burden) are in our face.

Found here in Portland

Recently there have been studies that show that drinking green tea may be good for your brain. How? Green tea contains catechin, a bioflavonoid. This is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage from free radicals to the brain. This damage can lead to problems such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Green tea is also one of a handful of substances that can reduce levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain. NO is an important neurotransmitter that contributes to memory formation, but too much nitric oxide can cause certain neurodegenerative disorders. Some research even indicates that green tea may protect against Parkinson’s disease by cleaning up excess iron in the nervous system. Other studies have suggested that the antioxidant characteristics of green tea may also help to prevent against certain types of cancers, heart problems, high cholesterol and hypertension.

Black teas have most of the beneficial elements of green tea, but to a lesser extent depending on how the tea is processed. For people sensitive to caffeine, there are many decaffeinated brands on the market that preserve the positive properties of the tea.

The Board meeting (March 30th 7pm) was amzing. There where 100’s of people there in support of LEP.

To get the full story see this Oregonian Article http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/03/portland_school_board_closes_p.html

Here is a story about a charter school in Portland that is going to remain with us. Currently they are rallying for PPS to renew their charter. They need the communities support. (Healthy communities)

Come to the renewel hearing March 30th 2009 7pm at: 501 North Dixon Street, Portland, Oregon 97227

Scroll down for links to see LEP in the news!

LEP we love you!

lep-fact-sheet (PDF version)

LÊP Charter High School
2044 E Burnside St.
Portland, Or. 97214
503.254.2537

Fact Sheet on LEP and PPS

The Leadership and Entrepreneurial High School (LEP) is a successful charter school in SE Portland. Their charter is up for renewal March 30^th, 2009 7pm. This school is unquestionably exceptional. It is innovative, has well developed curriculum and solid community support.

PPS superintendent Carole Smith is making the recommendation that the schools charter not be renewed because of financial problems. It is important to mention that LEP used a auditor recommended by PPS and this auditor did not get done in a timely matter.

The reason that LEP has these problems is PPS. PPS has received money from the state based on the students at LEP and has not passed it on. PPS has kept LEP’s money. And now they are threatening to close a successful and loved charter school by recommending its charter not be renewed.

• PPS has withheld monies they have received for students in poverty. 65% of LEP students fit the criteria. PPS provides money for 17%. $411,858 (in the past three years)

• PPS has withheld School improvement fund money. PPS receives this money based one the # of students at LEP, yet they do not pass it on to them. $47,000 total

• PPS has withheld foster care funding. The state provides money for each student in the foster care system. PPS receives the money based on the qualifying numbers at LEP, it does not pass it on. $68,000

• PPS dropped the free lunch program at LEP, with a two week notice and no reason why. (Cost to LEP so far, $14,000)

• LEP receives $6,000/ student vs the $10,000+/ students that district schools receive. With that LEP must pay all their operating expenses. The largest of these is rent.

What is amazing is that LEP is able to provide an exceptional education and environment to their students for significantly less money. This is a sustainable exceptional model of education. We need the community to know what PPS has done. We need PPS to support LEP, not to reduce their resources and then close them down. We need everyone to know about this. We need LEP.

What LEP is doing:

• Raising money (the goal is $100,000) we are working on 1000 $100 donations

• Getting the word out about LEP and about PPS’s lack of financial integrity

• Maintaining a fabulous school through this challenging time.

• Getting everyone we can to the board hearing on March 30^th when the board votes for LEP’s charter renewal.

Here are some links:

http://www.lephigh.org/ (the schools website)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/03/letters_to_the_editor_earmarks.html (Channel 2)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/03/letters_to_the_editor_earmarks.html (Letter to editor in Oregonian)

http://open.salon.com/blog/moniquec/2009/03/18/lep_high_faces_possible_closure (Another Blog)

http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/rethinking-schools/

http://www.examiner.com/x-4383-Portland-Progressive-Examiner~y2009m3d16-Tragedy–PPS-betrays-parents-students-common-sense

http://blog.oregonlive.com/myoregon/
(letter in an oregonianblog)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/03/portland_charter_school_faces.html(oregonianarticle)

http://www.kptv.com/money/18944763/detail.html#-
(on channel 12)

…the awareness that emerges by paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” according to Kabat-Zinn

Mindfullness meditation

1. Posture: Sit tall and at ease. Be present in your body. Lift your ribs off of your waist so you can breathe
2. Observe your breath, feel your breath, feel your heart beat
3. Observe your thoughts as they float by. They need not stick (a flypaper mind) let them flow, observe the movie screen of your mind in action.
4. Bring your mind into your breath, breath through your nose. Breath into you longs, use your lungs completely‘ Be present with your breath. Slow your breath down by lengthening your exhalation and your inhalation.
5. Simply Be

Meditation can be for 3 minutes or 20 minutes time does not matter, as long as you take a moment to renew and refresh your mind and body.

———————————————————————————

Regularly practicing mindfulness/meditation has been shown to decrease stress levels, decrease the recurrence of depression, decrease anxiety, decrease chronic pain/fibromyalgia difficulties, decrease symptoms of psoriasis and also increase immune functioning.

———————————————————————————