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1 Percent at Occupy Wall Street


Peter Schiff Speaks for 1 Percent at Occupy Wall Street

"Touring the Occupy Wall Street scene in New York with a sign that read "I Am the 1%, Let's Talk," Schiff spent more than three hours on the scene, explaining the difference between cronyism and capitalism, bailouts and balance sheets, and more."

The Money Alphabet by Jesse Bluma




The Money Alphabet





A:  Act.  The genesis of saving and creating money begins with the word.  Think about your values, goals, and standard of living.  Write them out.  Then act.  A change in behavior will bring a change in attitude and takes place over a few weeks.

B:  Be healthy and well with diet and hygiene.  This will bring long term savings.

C:  Cut open products.  See that toothpaste tube?  That shampoo bottle?  That motor oil?  You will be amazed at how much you will find at the bottom of these products.

D:  Do-it-Yourself.  Tasks such as replacing a car filter, mowing the lawn, washing your car, and building a simple furniture piece is well within your skills.

E:  Eat in.  This includes brewing your own tea or coffee.

F:  Freeze leftovers.  Wasting food is not good on many levels.  Place only what you will eat on your plate, you can always go back for more.

G:  Grow your own fruit, vegetables, and herbs.




H:  Hold off on upgrading electronics, cars, and gadgets.  Take enjoyment in the feeling of saving and investing, rather than a momentary high from a product that will be out of date tomorrow.  A previously owned car with a good warranty from the manufacturer’s dealership may be best for you. Minimalism is good.

I:  Insulate.  You can start small by purchasing electrical outlet and switch sealers and install them yourself.  Attic, ceiling, wall, and basement insulation is something you may wish to leave to professionals.

J:  Just say no...delay gratification.  The more you exercise this muscle the closer you get to your aim, and the better you will feel.  Hold off on that vacation, car, home, or computer and you could possibly get a better one later.

K:  Keep a grocery list in your car, on your phone, or in a quick kitchen file to take to the store.  Grocery lists keep us on budget, with the aid of coupons for items that we actually need and are good for us, as well as comparing unit prices.  Look for coupons in the mail, newspapers, online, and store websites.  Also, purchase store brands that are of equal or better taste, nutrition, and quality.

L:  Library.  Check out books at the library and search for free books online, rather than buying new books.  Waiting to see movies on TV is a smart use of money too.  This may be a good time to readjust your cable or satellite package too.

M:  Make your own lunch for work or school.  Save time and prepare lunches in advance that can be frozen until use.

N:  No cell phones for kids.  Yes, you will have to be the uncool parent.  At least you will be parenting instead of being your child’s personal Santa.  Your child’s teacher will thank you too.  A cell phone is not a need, children did not have them for most of history.




O:  Off-season.  Plan trips and vacations right before and right after peak travel times.  Check with well seasoned travelers, reliable websites, and travel agents to verify good travel times.  This is especially true if your plans include spending all or most of your time indoors.

P:  Plan your burial services now.  Yes, this is not something many of us like to think about.  If we put life into perspective and plan now, we can save money and alleviate this stress from our loved ones.

Q:  Quality does matter.  Buy clothing and shoe items of quality.  Inexpensive clothing and shoes will wear faster, pill, and fade faster.  It is better to have fewer, nicer clothes than to have clothes that need replacing every year.

R:  Repairs and remodeling.  Hire contractors off season, tree trimmers, roofers, and repair services.  Respect the work of a true professional.  Attempting to hire someone that gives a lower estimate may cost you more in the end.

S:  Seasonal foods.  Seasonal produce is usually less expensive.  Check the organic sections of your market, often times sales on organics beat the price of non-organics.

T:  Type documents using Century Gothic 10 and print documents in draft mode.  These two steps will save a lot of ink and paper.  This is a good tip at home, work, and at school.

U:  Unplug devices and machines that are not in frequent use and turn off lights when leaving a room.

V:  Virtual payments.  Make pretend payments to see if can live with loan payments for a house.




W:  Wash and dry all can tops from the grocery store at the same time.  This will help cut down on your water and heating, as well as save you time.

X:  Xerox or print duplicates of self-made gift, get well, and holiday cards.  Making your own gifts with a personalized card can mean a lot to someone.

Y:  Yield to good road sense.  Of course you know driving the speed limit, rather than speeding will save you money.  It also makes good road sense to write a monthly reminder to yourself to check the air pressure of your car’s tires.  Properly inflated tires will help with gas mileage.  While checking the air pressure inspect those tires for wear and tear.  Leaving an untouchable amount in your bank account for only auto repairs and maintenance is invaluable.  *A special note from all those that drive the speed limit to all those that drive too slow and hold up traffic:  it’s not polite.  Riding that brake only eats up money.  A slow and safe slow down or turn without braking or minimal braking helps save money in lots of ways too.

Z:  Zip through ironing on Sundays.  This avoids having to heat up the iron several times a week.  Begin each week by ironing your own clothes for the week.  Properly ironed clothes will remain unwrinkled if hung up.  Use the dry cleaners sparingly, read clothing labels to see if items really need to be taken to a cleaners.  George Jefferson may not appreciate it, your wallet will.




There are many ways to be wise and show respect for the power of money.  Below you will find a few more tips from other Etsy Organic Team members like me.  Please share these tips and post some more of your own below.


cubits (http://www.etsy.com/people/cubits):  “Grow your own food!”  and “Use reusable products like cloth diapers”.

rebourne (http://www.etsy.com/people/rebourne):  “Plan meals out once a week, using a free service like allrecipes.com. It generates your shopping list.  Put your other weekly needs, like coffee and creamer and milk and bread, on your list. They will stay on your list along side your new recipes for the week.  This helps minimize wasted food, time and money, and can help you stay within your food budget. Of course you can always use other recipes, just manually add the ingredients to your online shopping list. The shopping list can be emailed or viewed on your phone, and you can check off items as you add them to your cart."

TwoSweetPotatoes (http://www.etsy.com/people/TwoSweetPotatoes):  “Freeze homemade leftovers in individual Pyrex containers. You'll be less likely to grab quick fixes, which cost more and are less healthy and not as tasty than what you're making at home.  If you've used your stash of recycled gift bags you can always create your own by sewing them out of upcycled materials. Old flannel shirts and sheets would work great for Christmas-theme.”

Karyn (http://www.etsy.com/people/LLFarm):  “Here I bake our own breads and treats, the further away from packaging the better. Food is better for you the less it has been processed. Put your money into basic pantry supplies, flour, sugar, salt...Buy a good cookbook and use it. Stay away from the center isles of the grocery and try to shop just in the outside isles, this is where the natural unprocessed foods are.”







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Image courtesy of bplanet at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Halloween Art



Halloween ASCII Art






ASCII art is a creative use of keyboard characters and imagination.  American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) is the standard ordering of computer characters.  Get creative and post the pictures you create below.  


Jack-o'-lantern:  
also jack-o-lantern, 1660s, a local name for a will-o-the-wisp (L. ignis fatuus), mainly attested in East Anglia, also in southwestern England. The extension to carved pumpkins is attested by 1834, Amer.Eng.
┏━┓
╭┳━┳━┻┳┻━┳━┳╮
┃┃╭━━╮┃╭━━╮┃┃ 
┃┃┃╭╮┃┃┃╭╮┃┃┃ 
┃┃┗┛┗┛┃┗┛┗┛┃┃
┃┃┏━┓┏━┓┏━┓┃┃ 
┃┃╰━┗┛━┗┛━╯┃┃ 
╰┻━┻━━┻━━┻━┻╯

Spider:  
O.E. spiþra, from P.Gmc. *spenthro (cf. Dan. spinder), from *spenwanan "to spin" (see spin). The connection with the root is more transparent in other Germanic cognates (cf. M.L.G., M.Du., M.H.G., Ger. spinne, Du. spin "spider"). In literature, often a figure of cunning, skill, and industry as well as poisonous predation. As the name for a type of two-pack solitaire, it is attested from 1890. Another O.E. word for the creature was gangewifre "a weaver as he goes," and M.E. also had araine "spider" (14c.-15c., from French). Spider plant is from 1852; spider crab is from 1710; spider monkey is from 1764, so called for its long limbs.

/\/\( ..)/\/\

Cat:
O.E. catt (c.700), from W.Gmc. (c.400-450), from P.Gmc. *kattuz (cf. O.Fris. katte, O.N. köttr, Du. kat, O.H.G. kazza, Ger. Katze), from L.L. cattus (also the source of Gael. cat, Welsh kath, Bret. kaz, It. gatto, Sp. gato, Fr. chat). The near-universal European word now, it appeared in Europe as L. catta (Martial, c.75 C.E.), Byzantine Gk. katta (c.350) and was in general use on the continent by c.700, replacing L. feles. Probably ultimately Afro-Asiatic (cf. Nubian kadis, Berber kadiska, both meaning "cat"). Arabic qitt "tomcat" may be from the same source. 
                             _
                           / )
                         ( (
       A.-.A  .-""-.  ) )
    / , , \/      \/ /
   =\  t  ;=    /   /
     `--,'  .""|   /
         || |  \\ \
  ((,_|  ((,_\

http://www.geocities.com/spunk1


Vampire:
1734, from Fr. vampire or Ger. Vampir (1732, in an account of Hungarian vampires), from Hung. vampir, from O.C.S. opiri (cf. Serb. vampir, Bulg. vapir, Ukrainian uper), said by Slavic linguist Franc Miklošič to be ultimtely from Kazan Tatar ubyr "witch," but Max Vasmer, an expert in this linguistic area, finds that phonetically doubtful. An Eastern European creature popularized in English by late 19c. gothic novels, however there are scattered English accounts of night-walking, blood-gorged, plague-spreading undead corpses from as far back as 1196. Applied 1774 by French biologist Buffon to a species of South American blood-sucking bat.

/######/
/##########\
                          /   \###/    \
                         /     \#/      \
                       /\|               |/\ 
                       | | \ ==\    /== / | |
                      \ \|  \<|>\  /<|>/  |/     /|
                 \__     |    -   \  -    |     /#|
                  \#\     |        |      |   /###|
                   \##\   |       \|     |  /#####|
                    \###\  |   _______  | /######|
                      \####\ | / \/ \/ \|/#######|
                    |######\|        |#########|
                     |########\______/##########|
                     |#########\    /##########/
                     |##########\  |#########/\
                     /###########\/########/###\
                 /################\######/########\      
                /##################\###/###########\         
               /###################\#/##############\
              /####################/#################\
             /###################/####################\

Neil Smith

Cauldron:

c.1300, caudron, from Anglo-Fr. caudrun, O.N.Fr. cauderon (O.Fr. chauderon "cauldron, kettle"), from
 augmentative of L.L. caldaria "cooking pot" (cf. Sp. calderon, It. calderone), from L. calidarium "hot 
bath," from calidus "warm, hot" (see calorie). The -l- was inserted 15c. in imitation of Latin.


                          (
                      )  )
                    _(______
                   (________)
                          
                   /        \
                ___|        |___
              ()__ \___ _   /__ ()
                   .`/``||``\`.
                  ()/   ()   \()






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Credits:  http://www.chris.com/, http://www.etymonline.com/index.php

Sign Petition: Add nasal irritant to glue to stop kids from inhaling their products


Add nasal irritant to glue to stop kids from inhaling their products



Why this is Important

"There are 150 million children who live and work on the streets of our world (for more information about street children check untilthen.org). Many of them use inhalants to dull their hunger and ease the pain of their difficult lives. The adhesives industry can add a nasal irritant to their adhesives formula which would prevent children from inhaling their products. This simple formula change would save millions of lives while not changing the efficacy of their products."

Click to sign the petition




Just Eat It?

www.nabiscoworld.com

Just Eat It?
Pointe Viven - Jesse Bluma. All rights reserved.

Reduced iron?  High oleic canola oil?  Vanillin?
What we eat and don't eat matters.
I love an Oreo (one a year), life is too short though to eat this as my staple cookie.

Pointe Viven offers artisanal morsels made with high standards. Quality, respect for local, fresh, and organic ingredients is the recipe for success. Artisanal goods are lightly sweetened, not overly sugared, using natural ingredients. These baked goods are thoughtfully created. I share a passion with clients for fresh, small-batches, and excellent taste.

Click here to order.


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Honoring the crew and passengers of Pan Am Flight 103





Honoring the Crew and Passengers of Pan Am Flight 103 





Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi is believed to have ordered the December 21, 1988, bombing of a real life Pan Am airliner.  Twenty-three years later Gadhafi was killed by rebels in Libya.  During his rule "purification laws" were implemented that ordered amputation of body limbs as punishment.  He, his family, and other elites controlled the economy, Libyan natural resources, and companies.  Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only person ever convicted in connection with the 1988 bombing of the plane over Lockerbie, Scotland died in 2012 at his home in Tripoli, Libya.  

The importance of understanding history and humanity is revealed when it is not in put into practice.  Hollywood stars from Mickey Rourke, Eva Amurri, Forest Whitaker, Adrien Brody, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Usher have all been on the Gadhafi payroll for movies and private singing events.  

Jonathan White

There were many on board Pan Am 103 in 1988, among those an American named Jonathan White.  He was the son of actor David White, perhaps best known for his roll on Bewitched.   

David White (right)



News Reports: Pan Am and Gadhafi








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Credits: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pan-American-World-Airways-Inc/images-videos#/media/1/440588/116812
findagrave.com

Me with Sharone Hakman MasterChef


You may remember Sharone from MasterChef with Gordon Ramsey.  Sharone taught us his recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli and Pepper Pocket Chile.  He smartly used the fresh sage and Italian parsley from the garden.  





hak's bbq sauce
Pointe Viven - Jesse Bluma. All rights reserved.

Sharone was nice enough to sign a bottle of his bar-be-que sauce for me, made in a bourbon style flask.  I told him I would give it a taste test.  

The sauce is made in small batches, which is a great way to ensure quality.  hak's bbq sauce is made with apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, molasses, brown sugar, onion, garlic, salt, spices, ground dried chili peppers, mustard flour, black pepper, natural flavors, and soybean oil.  The sauce has a full flavor and you can taste the roasted ingredients.  Sharone created something that has gourmet appeal with smooth earthy flavor.  How can you go wrong with a splash of bourbon?  Spice lovers will enjoy, if you are not huge on spice use a small dab on your favorite steak sandwich, veggie burger, or use as a dip for pizza.

http://sharonehakman.com/



Healthy Happy Face by Jesse Bluma



Healthy Happy Face





Looking for that new Sunday breakfast before church?  Eating the same meal every week is not ensuring we live to our best potential and take advantage of all the fun food can be for kids and kids at heart.  Liberate your diet with a plate full of happy.  Make my Healthy Happy Faces for your next breakfast.

Sauce Ingredients
1 cup tomato puree (no salt added)
4 Tablespoons mustard (organic)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoons Smart Balance buttery spread
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Sauce Directions
Pre-heat large sauce pan on low.
Lightly smash garlic cloves.
Remove garlic from skins.
Mince garlic.  (Touch a stainless steal pie plate to remove garlic smell from your hands)
Open tomato puree can and measure 1 cup.
Pour 1 cup puree into sauce pan.
Add minced garlic to sauce pan.
Measure mustard and add to sauce pan.
Wash lemon, dry, roll with palm of hand, slice, measure 4 teaspoons, and add to sauce pan.
Measure olive oil and add to sauce pan.
Measure Smart Balance and add to sauce pan.
Grind and measure pepper, then add to sauce pan.
Cook sauce, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Spaghetti Ingredients
1 package thin multi-grain spaghetti 
2 tablespoons sea salt
water

Spaghetti Directions
Fill a large pot with cold water (4 to 5 quarts).
Add salt.
Bring the pot to a rapid boil on high.
Slightly lower heat.
Remove spaghetti from box and add to water. (You may wish to strongly fold the spaghetti box in half to break the spaghetti in half before adding to water--it’s your food...the spaghetti police won’t find you)
Follow the directions on the box for cooking time (I typically cook spaghetti for 1 to 2 minutes less than the box directions state)
Place a large strainer in the sink before the spaghetti is finished cooking.
At the end of cooking time carefully pour the spaghetti into the stainer.  (I typically turn on the faucet water to cold, next to...not in the strainer. In my mind it helps the pipes.)

Lean Ground and Egg Eyes Ingredients
1 package Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style (or other veggie beef substitute)
Cooking spray, such as Smart Balance Omega Non-Stick
2 medium organic eggs

Lean Ground and Egg Eyes Ingredients 
Remove eggs from refrigerator and set to the side.
Open package of Lean Ground.
Cut two 1 1/2” slices off the lean ground log.
Form the slices into balls.
Flatten the balls with the palm of your hand into 4” diameter circles.
Carefully cut round shapes out of each circle, leaving inner negative space of about 3”.
(Let the kids join in to help, participation gets a lot of children to eat a larger variety of foods)
Coat frying pan with cooking spray.
Heat frying pan to medium heat.
Place two Gimme Lean circles into the pan, remember to only do so after the pan is pre-heated.
Cook the circles for 5 minutes on one side.
Turn each circle over in the pan to cook the opposite sides.
Then cook for 2 1/2 minutes.
Crack one egg for each eye, placing into the negative space of each circle.
Continue cooking for 2 1/2 minutes.  (Stove tops differ and can be temperamental.  You may wish to have your oven on broil to cook the tops of the egg eyes in case they don’t seem to be cooking all the way through on the stove.  A few seconds under a broiler may be necessary.)

Garnish
1 flower of washed broccoli

Assemble Healthy Happy Face
Place the two lean ground-egg eggs on the plate, acting as the eyes of the happy face.
Form 1 to 2 cups of spaghetti into a happy mouth below the eyes.
Neatly spoon tomato sauce on the center of the mouth, acting as the lips.
Place the broccoli flower between the eyes and mouth, acting as the nose.

Serve with a smile.

...Update:  the maker of Gimme Lean Ground likes my recipe!







Artisanal goods by Jesse Bluma at PointeViven
using organic ingredients and inspiration
from California, Central, and South America.

Order online or contact me for catering.

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sign-up for email updates.


Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies with Strawberry Coulis by Jesse Bluma



Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies with Strawberry Coulis





Overindulgent, delicious, and refreshing cookies with a scoop of ice cream and a spoonful of strawberry coulis.  Order several dozen for your next party, event, or celebration.  Made with organic flour and quality ingredients, including chocolate chips, brown sugar, and crushed walnuts. 


Artisanal treats by Jesse Bluma at PointeViven
using organic ingredients and inspiration
from California, Central, and South America.

Order online or contact me for catering.

Join the Pointe Viven circle

sign-up for email updates.      



Casey Stoner has clinched the 2011 MotoGP World Championship title 2011

 Casey Stoner has clinched the 2011 MotoGP World Championship title 2011 



If you like motorcycles, then G A S may be the label for you.  G A S is the fashion house for Honda riders.  It is a brand that I have liked for a long time, although the brand was not sold in the U.S. for a long time.  I tracked down a small store in the U.K. that was willing to sell oversees.  Now G A S is finally open to shoppers in the U.S. and more countries around the world.  They offer clothes for men, women, and children. 

"THE COMPANY WAS STARTED IN THE EARLY 1970S IN CHIUPPANO NEAR VICENZA IN THE HEART OF NORTHEAST ITALY AS A RESULT OF THE PASSION AND CREATIVITY OF CLAUDIO GROTTO.

Since 1984 Grotto Spa has designed, manufactured and distributed a total look of high-quality denim apparel for men and women under the GAS label. GAS is a premium jeanswear brand with an international feel fueled by the idea of fashionable - yet functional and practical - clothes for intelligent, discerning and cosmopolitan people who look to clothing to express their own personality for every occasion. 
GAS is also with everyone that has a dream, an objective and fight every day to attain it. This is why it has always been involved to the world of sport as it shares the fundamental values of optimism, passion, dynamism, determination and the ability to push one’s limits to be the best. Since ’98 an important partnership ties GAS with the largest motorcycle maker in the world as the brand is one of the main sponsors of the Repsol Honda team for the MotoGP World Championship."




Strawberry Coulis


Don't be scared of anything, especially of the word coulis (koo-LEE).  It is simply the French word for a thick sauce.  This recipe is bright in flavor and ideal for drizzling over ice cream, angel food cake, cookies , or used as a dip for a mixed bowl of fresh fruit.


Strawberry Coulis
Pointe Viven - Jesse Bluma. All rights reserved.

Ingredients - Materials
1 pound organic strawberries 
1 Tablespoon light agave 
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large freezer bag
permanent marker pen
blender (or food processor)

Directions
Wash and hull the strawberries.
Place strawberries in a blender.
Add 1 Tablespoon light agave in to the blender.
Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice to the blender.
Pulse the blender until strawberries are partially chopped.
Next, blend until the mixture is smooth and looks glossy. 
Taste test to see if more agave if required.
Label and date a freezer bag.
Pour the mixture into the freezer bag and seal.

(Makes about 2 cups)
*  The coulis will keep for three to four days in a refrigerator or for a month in a freezer.

sohgave.com

blended mixture

store for later use




Betty White Raps for Luciana in "I'm Still Hot"


I'm Still Hot
Pointe Viven - Jesse Bluma. All rights reserved.



Funny!  This video is good for a laugh after a challenging day.  Betty White's rapping partner is Luciana Caporaso.  Luciana is from London, England and paired up with Betty for this commercial/rap.  In addition to Betty White, Luciana has partnered with Tiesto and Deadmau5.








Gourmet treats by Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven

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taste in cookery, culture, and
community, provides gourmet goods
made with organic ingredients, inspired
by the culinary worlds of California,
Central, and South America, and
engages in a community of customers
and readers with lifestyle content,
reviews, and expertise. © Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven

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Jesse Bluma at Point Viven liberates taste in cookery, culture, and community, provides gourmet goods made with organic ingredients, inspired by the culinary worlds of California, Central, and South America, and engages in a community of customers and readers with lifestyle content, reviews, and expertise. Use and redistribution of original content allowed only with explicit permission of site owner and author.