Food for Thought : Out of the Mouths of Anonymous

Most days, my inbox is overflowing to capacity -  but every once in a while, something just jumps out at me.  In this case, it was Mike Masnick's blog post  :  Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt : "The most insightful comment of the week won by a wider margin than any I've ever seen before. I actually think this comment may have received more votes than any other comment on the site ever. And it's from an Anonymous Coward (who says anonymous comments are bad?), in response to another insightful comment...What did get votes aplenty was this response from an Anonymous Coward who laid out why governments view the internet and free speech as a threat, and why free speech as a principle is more important than most people realize:

"I'd rather live in a world where global transparency and honesty is more important than my personal safety - we stand a better chance of surviving the future that way."

Think about it.

Empathy 101

I do a lot of research in the Social Enterprise field . Ashoka is an organization doing great work. This video struck me as relevant to the Evergreen sidewalk issue, so I thought I'd share.

Strolling On Evergreen, and Montford

OK - last week we discussed "walking" on Evergreen.
This week, we'll tackle women with strollers.
I've taken a random sampling : 6 different times of day, different sized strollers, mostly women.

2 weeks ago : Evergreen resident : Young mother of two, with a newborn :
Vicinity of sampling : near Hawthorne at Evergreen
Q:  Have you heard about the sidewalk proposed for Evergreen?
A : A little bit , I haven't heard that much about it. Mrs. Oldenburg mentioned there might be a sidewalk.

Q: Have you ever felt unsafe on Evergreen with a stroller? "No"
Q: Any general thoughts?
A : "I don't think we need a sidewalk."
Q : If they build the sidewalk, would you use it? "No"

2 weeks ago : lady, listening to her headphones, smiling, strolling along :  Saturday
Q: Do you have any problems using a stroller on Evergreen?
A: (she smiled and shook her head) "No." 

Friday - a banner day! Three or four strollers on the street today - it's like a stroller highway! Street seems quiet today. I'm grateful for this amazing weather - lots of people out.
My first encounter, an au pair with  one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen in my life. We started chatting and I found out she was headed to the Community Center for a "Music Together" class.  Just LOVES the Community Center.
She started telling me how she loves walking on Evergreen - some of the words she used were "flat" "easy" "safe." We continued along and I took a photo (I asked first, or course! ) She was using a B.O.B. stroller - that seems to be the popular brand.  We then headed toward Montford. I'm adding those notes to my Montford notes.
I came back around and ran into another mama - with a double wide! We had a nice chat, and I asked her to make notes. 

So - there you have it. If you all think we need that 9,000 square feet of concrete to make Evergreen safer for strollers - you might want to re-think that one. But hey - what do I know - I just LIVE here!

Walking On Evergreen

As I walk along Evergreen with my dog, Lucy, I meet many new neighbors. A few weeks ago, I met a lovely woman who lives on Reed. During our conversation, I asked her what her thoughts were on the "sidewalk issue." Being that she was a senior, and since one of "selling points" of this project has been that "it will help seniors" - I was a bit surprised when she said she was not in favor of the sidewalk "at all." During our conversation, we introduced ourselves, and she recognized my name from some of Mr. Sands' emails. Also, during our conversation, we both agreed that we didn't want a raised sidewalk on Evergreen Avenue, but we didn't want to be overcome with anger about it.
So, I did some research and found an article on how to "honor" anger :
 "Anger is a very powerful emotion that can be used in many positive ways to motivate us toward change, to strengthen us against our adversaries and to protect us against pain. Anger warns us that there is a problem or a potential threat. At the same time, it energizes us to face the problem or meet the threat and provides us with the power to overcome the obstacle..." 

"Forgiveness is not a self-righteous or Polyanna-like turning of the other cheek or a condoning of abhorrent behavior. Neither is it forgetting..."

Pantry Tips for the New Year, EASY Black Bean Soup!

A well stocked pantry brings good fortune and fosters a feeling of wealth!  Tips : Check your pantry weekly for expiration dates, and plan meals accordingly - Mark the cartons with a bigger expiration date - so they get used before their "best by" date.
Right after the holidays, I like to clean out the pantry and stock up on 365 (Whole Foods store brand) Organic Stuffing. It's a quick and yummy side dish and makes any meal feel like a holiday.
Also must haves : Organic Black beans, rice dishes, couscous, pasta, baking chocolate, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, organic crushed tomatoes with basil, cartons of free range chicken broth, veggie broth.
EASIEST Black bean soup recipe EVER :
One can of black beans drained
Equal amount of free range chicken broth
8 oz of fresh salsa
Heat over low heat, simmer for 10 minutes
Top with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream and/or avocado
I'm grateful that I live within walking distance of Whole Foods. I walk up and down the street several times a day and it's a great way to get some exercise with my dog Lucy. Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
  - Mari

p.s. : Whole Foods is having a pantry stock up contest!

Coffee Toffee Pie, Gingerbread Brownstone

I don't really have any recipes to share this week, but I do have a line on a locally made pie for the holidays, an award winning, Coffee Toffee Pie, courtesy of my neighbor, architect Kim Jessup : Click here for more info and how to order.




Speaking of baking and architecture, for an awesome tutorial on how to design and bake a "Gingerbread Brownstone," Click HERE

NO SIDEWALK !!

A growing number of neighbors are in agreement that this current Safe Routes to Schools grant should be refused. The proposal that received the grant contains FALSE statements. LIES.
To me, it is a simple issue. REFUSE THE GRANT MONEY.
Those familiar with government are telling me : "that always happens." "People are always against change." or "You'll get used to it." The DPW says, "Some people are just not going to want a sidewalk."  But this is a DIFFERENT situation. Homestead Valley is not your average suburb, this process was bungled from the start - and it just feels WRONG.
We DON'T NEED a SAFER ROUTE : We are taking funds from a neighborhood that actually needs a "safer route."   Evergreen Avenue has a perfect safety record : 100%
If the actual goal of the grant is a "Safer Route to Schools" -
how can you get any "safer" than 100% safety record?

SUNDAY SONG

Homestead, Sweet Homestead

The Evergreen sidewalk saga continues. Someone actually swerved TOWARD me in the roadway last week - DELIBERATELY. Maybe I'm getting a bit paranoid, but if I told you what has been revealed to me since last July, you wouldn't believe it. Reality in our little part of Mill Valley is QUITE a bit different than the bucolic scene depicted in the Homestead Headlines. I think it fair to say that a few of us ruffled some feathers when we found some misrepresentations in the grant proposal...
Sorry, folks - try all you want to bully me - the cat is already out of the bag...

I wrote YET another letter to Supervisor Kinsey about this sidewalk project and posted it on the Homestead Valley Post, a blog I started for the neighborhood.

Speaking of all this talk about "walkable and livable"communities - we should be able to keep a local hardware store in business. I'm not the only person VERY disappointed about General Hardware closing -- what are we going to do when an earthquake happens or the power goes out?

Think about it.

Government Waste : Curbs to Nowhere

The Absurdity of it all :

"It's one of those bureaucratic things that doesn't make any sense."

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111028/OPINION03/110280374/Obeying-rules--Detroit-builds-wheelchair-ramps-to-nowhere#ixzz1ea1nB1Zb