An informal poll was posted on Topix and I would like to offer an extended response here. I am writing here as a concerned resident of Monroe County, West Virginia.
#1. Are you for or against? Vehemently against.
#2. How much independent research have you done? I have been involved with studying, discussing, researching, meeting, thinking, watching, listening and independently exploring the topic in some level of detail for the last 6 months.
#3. Your major reason, for or against? Simple. Before: clean water. After natural gas and hydraulic fracturing operations? Contaminated water. No matter how it is presented by the opposition - this is the documented reality. It doesn't matter whether the contamination ultimately stems from the fracking process or an overturned truck, or a leak in a containment pond, or a well exploding, or the well casing cracking, or the wastewater being disposed of improperly, or from misting, or a leak anywhere along the path that begins with drilling into the ground and ends when that product is transmitted out of Monroe County via major transmission lines. The opportunities for an error are immense, and the likelihood of one occurring extremely high. There are known documented risks with hydraulic fracture (and with standard vertical well drilling) - these risks are considered acceptable collateral damage by the corporations and ultimately, by our government.
Monroe County will become a resource colony much like much of our great nation and state has already become. Is there no end to this devouring? Is there a chance we can save our little corner of the planet from this destructive development? There is very little land like it left.
As a matter of fact - our land is incredibly special: for caves, sinkholes, vertical seams, and vast, interconnected underground water systems - our land is known worldwide. This is ground zero for karst. Our cave systems are vast, stretching for miles! The Greenbrier River watershed is considered a notable karst area (Wikipedia).
Water here travels miles in ways that may not be apparent, and this has been shown with dye tests. Liquids from a surface spill could enter a sinkhole and reach a cave or underground waterway and could travel miles underground before emerging in a natural spring, or stream, or drinking water well. Any slip up of any sort with any serious contaminants (of which the process uses MANY) could poison everyone downline.
Folks, this is serious business and I hope those of you with strong but uneducated opinions supporting natural gas development using current techniques will do your own research on the topic and come back and post after you've let it settle in. Try googling "hydraulic fracture disaster" or "natural gas contamination" etc.
This is not about one little well. If the drillers come in here unchecked, we will be part of a massive network of natural gas development - a proposed some 30 thousands wells in Marcellus Shale in the next 20 years. The risks associated with one well must be considered multiplied by this massive volume - and I think we can all do the math. There is little chance we will escape unscathed.
And guys - there are no stringent regulations restricting the operations of oil & gas companies - due to special exemptions from the Clean Water Act and other restrictions that apply to all other industries, the government, in an effort to solve our energy crisis has essentially legalized harm. Get the gas at all costs! Everyone from Obama, to the EPA, Congress, the DEP, down to our local County Commissioners and Planning Commission have acknowledged that special ordinances are required to protect our people.
NOT ONE ORDINANCE HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY OUR PLANNING COMMISSION.
The DEP is conducting a comprehensive program review to revise their regulations - it could takes months or longer for it to be complete and the revised policies activated. The EPA is conducting thorough studies on hydraulic fracturing as more and more evidence that it is connected with water and air contamination emerges - results might be ready in 2012.
Any permits given to drill right now would mean the company has 24 months to operate under current law, which has been admitted to be inadequate by the government and its agencies. That would make us one of the last guinea pigs that later in history might be considered the "charter members" of the got-fracked club. Wetzel County and others should be demonstrative enough to convince any thinking man, woman or child that this will change life here irreparably and forever.
And you think its going to bring economic gain to the area? Ha. The workers will be primarily from out of state. Only a few residents will actually benefit from royalty checks. The businesses that are likely to experience increased sales while the operations are active, or even the new businesses that might emerge? The situation will be shortlived. Once they have sucked the County dry of its gas and quite possibly a good bit of its water - they will leave. And when they do, so will their investment into our economy - and the businesses will slowly die and sales for the businesses that make it will return to their previous levels. I'm sure most of you knows of a town that once bustled with commerce and now is a ghost town with dilapidated storefronts and empty buildings.
Only difference is property values will have plummeted, and of course don't forget the existing leases will expire and those checks will stop coming. The few who have profited from the endeavor are likely to be living in their second homes, and we will be left to pick up the pieces, likely dealing with the after-effects of the disturbances to animal and human life for years to come. This may all sound very post-apocalyptic. It isn't - it is very real and could happen in our lifetimes.
If we do not act now to stop this from coming to MoCo, we'll be just another glorious community ravaged by industry and transformed into a resource colony. It will be with great displeasure a few years down the road to say, "I told you so."
Wake up. It's our only chance.
Find out more at SavetheWaterTable.org.
12.21.2010
11.13.2010
RTTT - One for the Books
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have made it through the first round of fights, going the distance and winning my bout with a unanimous decision.
Hooray! I have accomplished all that I dreamed to do as part of the Road to the Toughman. I signed up. I got in the gym. I trained. I followed through, showed up on fight night - was cleared to fight and did so - emerging with a victory.
I am wholly and wonderfully appreciative of all the support I had there - seeing familiar faces in the crowd and hearing cheers and chants from the stands is an overwhelming and wonderful experience - and I thank all of you that participated, including those of you who couldn't make it but offered thoughts via Facebook, etc.
The loop has been completed. I set out to do something, and I did it - I feel great about it, and those who care seem to feel good about it too.
Alas, now I find myself in a conundrum of sorts. I advance to tonight's fights, where the winner will need to win 3 or maybe even 4 fights TONIGHT to win the event.
Testament to my opponent (Clint Caruthers, great fight buddy) I've awoken today with a variety of ailments, including a jaw that feels wired on a little loose and a head that just won't stop banging - but none of my ailments are serious. Which considering the circumstances, is surprising.
This is not a situation that will continue - fighting the winners from last night in a multi-fight format will not be pretty.
My cardio was wholly insufficient for one 3-round fight, and those who were there know that I got a couple unintentional rests when my headgear came off (three different times). I could not speak for 10 minutes after the fight - my fitness is right on the edge of the envelope of barely acceptable for one fight - and it is irresponsible and potentially dangerous to consider a multi-match endeavor in the same night.
Inherent in my personality is pride, and for those of you ringside last night know that after a slip and taking some damage in the first round, I began to panic slightly. The moment of truth during the break before the second round produced the realization that I could not let this guy beat me no matter what - which led to more aggression and resolve in the second and third rounds.
So if/when I start taking damage tonight, I'm not going to roll over, I'm going to push, I'm going to try and stand, and I'm going to take just as much damage as possible.
There is a difference between stubborn and stupid - and endeavoring to fight tonight, I'm afraid, would be stupid. There is no chance of victory for me. For those of you that think this is a fantasy world, and want to say you can do anything - you can do it! You can win! - guys, to win the Toughman, you need skill, experience, and stamina. I have a little, they have a lot - and I would have to make it through 3 or 4 fights against increasingly powerful opponents to get the win. Ladies and gents, it is not feasible, not currently.
Guys, this may be hard for some of you to understand, but for this reason and others, I am forfeiting my spot in tonight's fights.
I was never in it for the money, and was never in it to win it. The fight doctor cleared me to fight (I view this alone a success), and I'm undefeated in my semi-pro career, 1-0. A young lady asked to take a picture with me while I was leaving the building - my first fan photo!
And most importantly, I've got a membership to the gym that I use and have lost nearly 60 pounds since setting out on this journey.
I do not need to prove anything else to myself, and you my friends and family, I hope I have nothing more to prove to you.
There is an outside possibility that in 12 months, having continued my workout regime, I will re-consider my candidacy for the Toughman and give it another shot.
Thank you again all of you, you are appreciated. And finally, a big thank you to Jerry Thomas and the Toughman producers for putting on a first-class show.
Hooray! I have accomplished all that I dreamed to do as part of the Road to the Toughman. I signed up. I got in the gym. I trained. I followed through, showed up on fight night - was cleared to fight and did so - emerging with a victory.
I am wholly and wonderfully appreciative of all the support I had there - seeing familiar faces in the crowd and hearing cheers and chants from the stands is an overwhelming and wonderful experience - and I thank all of you that participated, including those of you who couldn't make it but offered thoughts via Facebook, etc.
The loop has been completed. I set out to do something, and I did it - I feel great about it, and those who care seem to feel good about it too.
Alas, now I find myself in a conundrum of sorts. I advance to tonight's fights, where the winner will need to win 3 or maybe even 4 fights TONIGHT to win the event.
Testament to my opponent (Clint Caruthers, great fight buddy) I've awoken today with a variety of ailments, including a jaw that feels wired on a little loose and a head that just won't stop banging - but none of my ailments are serious. Which considering the circumstances, is surprising.
This is not a situation that will continue - fighting the winners from last night in a multi-fight format will not be pretty.
My cardio was wholly insufficient for one 3-round fight, and those who were there know that I got a couple unintentional rests when my headgear came off (three different times). I could not speak for 10 minutes after the fight - my fitness is right on the edge of the envelope of barely acceptable for one fight - and it is irresponsible and potentially dangerous to consider a multi-match endeavor in the same night.
Inherent in my personality is pride, and for those of you ringside last night know that after a slip and taking some damage in the first round, I began to panic slightly. The moment of truth during the break before the second round produced the realization that I could not let this guy beat me no matter what - which led to more aggression and resolve in the second and third rounds.
So if/when I start taking damage tonight, I'm not going to roll over, I'm going to push, I'm going to try and stand, and I'm going to take just as much damage as possible.
There is a difference between stubborn and stupid - and endeavoring to fight tonight, I'm afraid, would be stupid. There is no chance of victory for me. For those of you that think this is a fantasy world, and want to say you can do anything - you can do it! You can win! - guys, to win the Toughman, you need skill, experience, and stamina. I have a little, they have a lot - and I would have to make it through 3 or 4 fights against increasingly powerful opponents to get the win. Ladies and gents, it is not feasible, not currently.
Guys, this may be hard for some of you to understand, but for this reason and others, I am forfeiting my spot in tonight's fights.
I was never in it for the money, and was never in it to win it. The fight doctor cleared me to fight (I view this alone a success), and I'm undefeated in my semi-pro career, 1-0. A young lady asked to take a picture with me while I was leaving the building - my first fan photo!
And most importantly, I've got a membership to the gym that I use and have lost nearly 60 pounds since setting out on this journey.
I do not need to prove anything else to myself, and you my friends and family, I hope I have nothing more to prove to you.
There is an outside possibility that in 12 months, having continued my workout regime, I will re-consider my candidacy for the Toughman and give it another shot.
Thank you again all of you, you are appreciated. And finally, a big thank you to Jerry Thomas and the Toughman producers for putting on a first-class show.
11.12.2010
Road to the Toughman - Fight Night
Ladies and gents, for those of you whom have followed the Road to the Toughman even if only slightly and from afar, I owe you this brief discussion on the topic.
Tomorrow night is fight night, and I'm excited and have butterflies and want to get it over with - and have all kinds of complex feelings about it.
On one hand, I'm taking the whole thing very simply and quite lightly - it's a bucket list item, and will be exciting (even if a little painful).
On the other hand, I was once an athlete and a competitor - and I am from the "play to win" camp - not to be confused with the "everyone's a winner" camp.
What is important? - I'm doing the Toughman because it was the thing that motivated me to get a gym membership and start going. This fight tomorrow is the logical end of the Road to the Toughman, and a ultimately a necessary evil to complete the loop. The Road to the Toughman wouldn't be interesting if it never reached its destination.
So - the fight is on, and I am psyched. And I am thrilled that some of you will come and join me in support!
Since I do not take your support lightly, I want to clarify an important point - contrary to ruminations you may or may not have heard - I am not the favorite and I am not going to win the Toughman.
That has never been my intention or expectation, so my hopes are that you too will not even consider the thought.
I'm a lover not a fighter after all. There will be real fighters that actually DO this in the competition. And finally, let's be very clear about my condition - I've shaved 50-some pounds and have been hitting the gym - but I am still over 380, more than 120 pounds heavier than the next heaviest heavyweight - and no one has ever been in boxing shape at 380. I have worked on cardio hard, but it is still way too weak to excel in the Toughman format - I WILL get tired.
And I will lose, eventually - even if I win a round or a match - and may even lose embarrassingly. Please all of you be prepared for that, and feel free to point and laugh and take pictures when it happens.
That being said, I am amped to get in the ring and for the experience and promise to throw a punch or nine.
Thank all of you that have offered thoughts and words of support throughout the process - it is significant and I appreciate it.
I can tell you that while the Toughman may end for me this weekend, my commitment to eating better and getting to the gym and having a healthier, more active lifestyle will live on. All the best to each of you - and hope to see many of you tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night is fight night, and I'm excited and have butterflies and want to get it over with - and have all kinds of complex feelings about it.
On one hand, I'm taking the whole thing very simply and quite lightly - it's a bucket list item, and will be exciting (even if a little painful).
On the other hand, I was once an athlete and a competitor - and I am from the "play to win" camp - not to be confused with the "everyone's a winner" camp.
What is important? - I'm doing the Toughman because it was the thing that motivated me to get a gym membership and start going. This fight tomorrow is the logical end of the Road to the Toughman, and a ultimately a necessary evil to complete the loop. The Road to the Toughman wouldn't be interesting if it never reached its destination.
So - the fight is on, and I am psyched. And I am thrilled that some of you will come and join me in support!
Since I do not take your support lightly, I want to clarify an important point - contrary to ruminations you may or may not have heard - I am not the favorite and I am not going to win the Toughman.
That has never been my intention or expectation, so my hopes are that you too will not even consider the thought.
I'm a lover not a fighter after all. There will be real fighters that actually DO this in the competition. And finally, let's be very clear about my condition - I've shaved 50-some pounds and have been hitting the gym - but I am still over 380, more than 120 pounds heavier than the next heaviest heavyweight - and no one has ever been in boxing shape at 380. I have worked on cardio hard, but it is still way too weak to excel in the Toughman format - I WILL get tired.
And I will lose, eventually - even if I win a round or a match - and may even lose embarrassingly. Please all of you be prepared for that, and feel free to point and laugh and take pictures when it happens.
That being said, I am amped to get in the ring and for the experience and promise to throw a punch or nine.
Thank all of you that have offered thoughts and words of support throughout the process - it is significant and I appreciate it.
I can tell you that while the Toughman may end for me this weekend, my commitment to eating better and getting to the gym and having a healthier, more active lifestyle will live on. All the best to each of you - and hope to see many of you tomorrow night.
10.03.2010
An Additional Perspective on Suicide
This is tragic, and my heart goes out to the families and friends of the recent suicide victims.
I would like to offer an additional perspective - teasing/bullying has been around since bigger neanderthals picked on smaller ones, and while we have become more intelligent, our teasing has only become more brutal and organized - and it is unfortunately a part of growing up in the world as we know it.
I wouldn't spend a lot of time hoping or thinking that this is something that will change. It's like hoping that thieves will stop stealing or the concept of war would evaporate.
Our focus needs to be on boosting the personal strength of the individual - building characters that can cope with adversity at school, or in the workplace, etc. A strong, well-developed sense of self, even if lacking complete confidence - will not turn to suicide as a response to torment.
Rise up people - BE STRONG! Be who you are and move past the idiots who don't like it. It is your right to have this life as much (or more, some might say) as the morons who are teasing you - your one obligation is to keep moving forward, and under no circumstances, check out of the journey.
Princeton.edu says a victim is "an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance" - but suicide "victims" self-impose their victimhood.
Suicide is SELFISH. Suicides leave children without parents and parents without children, wives without husbands, etc.
Finally, if it seems as if there is no other option, it may be that you are seeing it from the wrong angle - and you need to reach out for help (friends, family, professional).
If that help doesn't arrive, then guess what? - you march on anyway and figure out a way to grow from it - because the alternative is unacceptable.
This is your life to live. Live it.
I would like to offer an additional perspective - teasing/bullying has been around since bigger neanderthals picked on smaller ones, and while we have become more intelligent, our teasing has only become more brutal and organized - and it is unfortunately a part of growing up in the world as we know it.
I wouldn't spend a lot of time hoping or thinking that this is something that will change. It's like hoping that thieves will stop stealing or the concept of war would evaporate.
Our focus needs to be on boosting the personal strength of the individual - building characters that can cope with adversity at school, or in the workplace, etc. A strong, well-developed sense of self, even if lacking complete confidence - will not turn to suicide as a response to torment.
Rise up people - BE STRONG! Be who you are and move past the idiots who don't like it. It is your right to have this life as much (or more, some might say) as the morons who are teasing you - your one obligation is to keep moving forward, and under no circumstances, check out of the journey.
Princeton.edu says a victim is "an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance" - but suicide "victims" self-impose their victimhood.
Suicide is SELFISH. Suicides leave children without parents and parents without children, wives without husbands, etc.
Finally, if it seems as if there is no other option, it may be that you are seeing it from the wrong angle - and you need to reach out for help (friends, family, professional).
If that help doesn't arrive, then guess what? - you march on anyway and figure out a way to grow from it - because the alternative is unacceptable.
This is your life to live. Live it.
3.25.2010
No Peace Without Hope
...how hard it must be to live only with what one knows and what one remembers, cut off from what one hopes for! There can be no peace without hope.
~ Albert Camus
~ Albert Camus
3.22.2010
Knowing & Being Opposites
It is absolutely impossible for a subject to see or have insight into something while leaving itself out of the picture, so impossible that knowing and being are the most opposite of all spheres.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
9.17.2009
The Stars Make Me Dream
“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”
~ Vincent van Gogh
~ Vincent van Gogh
7.25.2009
All roads are blocked to a philosophy which reduces everything to the word “no.” To “no” there is only one answer and that is “yes.” Nihilism has no substance. There is no such thing as nothingness, and zero does not exist. Everything is something. Nothing is nothing. Man lives more by affirmation than by bread.
~ Victor Hugo
~ Victor Hugo
9.04.2008
Death is One of Two Things
Death is one of two things. Either it is annihilation, and the dead have no consciousness of anything; or, as we are told, it is really a change: a migration of the soul from one place to another.
~ Socrates
~ Socrates
Death a Dreary Affair
Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.
~ W. Somerset Maugham
~ W. Somerset Maugham
4.14.2008
kVadrum.
the.universe.is.one | w0rld | co11ective | eXchange | social.experiment | syndicate | system | religion | open-source | philanthropy | arts & entertainment | techNology | nyc | music | videos | joomla | wikipedia | google | wordpress | rockettheme | life.coaching | new.media | interactive.marketing | web & application.development | web & email.hosting | ssl | dedicated.servers | rochen | the.Jupiter.$essions | translation | eVents | trips & travel | file downloads | image downloads | image gallery | flv | youtube | education & courses | resorts | luxury | lifestyle | cars | wine | wrestlemania | percussion | snowboard | skydive | cigars | zippos | people | boating & yachts | guns | fashion | apparel | textiles | t.shirts | theme.parks | food & cooking | books | theater | broadway | film | animation | 3d & cg | racing | inspriration | quotes | philosophy | psychology | psychotherapy | space | black.holes | blades | robots | eXtreme | linux | apache | mysql | flash | quicktime | wmv | hd | cameras | computers | mobile | boxing | mma | k1 | fine.art | sculpture | architecture | engineering | math | biology | physics | logic | existentialism | chopsticks | hats | home.audio | entertainment.systems | bose | bang & olufson | last.fm | pandora | man | woman | sex | erotic | divorce | legal | counseling | small.business | harley.davidson | gay.marriage | creative commons | politics | ultimate.power | a.priori | roller.derby | paintball | jetski | remote.control & rc | submarines | planes & flight | scuba | wallpaper | interior.design | knit.bags | photography | single.malt | flamewater | volcanoes | surfing | wakeboard | skateboard | roller.blades | flasks | poetry | support | giving | helping | connecting | Pioneers | forging.relationships | kV.alliance | be.healthy | be.happy | spread.the.love | live.life
2.24.2008
Nader 2008
OK - so here's a debacle. The super-smart, super-educated, really rich, somewhat old, incredibly confident Nader has just declared his candidacy.
This is complicated. Some point blame to him for Gore's loss in Florida (Bush won by a couple hundred votes, Nader gathered almost 100K votes). Some analysts have attempted to show that his presence on the ballot increased voter turnout, and actually increased net votes to the other candidates, and by such ratio that the results would have gone the same way had he not been on the ballot.
He's got a lot of good, very liberal ideas, and he clearly gets right into the thick of things - why not tax Wall Street instead of clothing and dish washers?
But a nation under his leadership is probably simply not in question. Moderate and Conservative Repubs will not vote for him. The Rebub outsiders that lean way left by party standards may cast him a look; for the Dems, the radical leftists make up a much more substantial % of the party - and seemingly, this creates a potential disproportionate impact on the campaigns of each party - Democrats risk far more of its masses going the way of Nader.
Assuming that is the case - and entertaining that he has literally just shy of absolutely NO chance of winning - his candidacy means good for Repubs, bad for Dems.
So Nader, step down.
Right?
OR - is his candidacy a prime example of the electoral system working as it should - Independents weilding a heavy sword late in the game - with the ability to shave votes from one party or the other and sway the pendulum?
(Or is this even what it's about?)
Maybe Nader is secretly supporting McCain.
Joking.
No, seriously.
No, no, just joking.
But seriously.
This is complicated. Some point blame to him for Gore's loss in Florida (Bush won by a couple hundred votes, Nader gathered almost 100K votes). Some analysts have attempted to show that his presence on the ballot increased voter turnout, and actually increased net votes to the other candidates, and by such ratio that the results would have gone the same way had he not been on the ballot.
He's got a lot of good, very liberal ideas, and he clearly gets right into the thick of things - why not tax Wall Street instead of clothing and dish washers?
But a nation under his leadership is probably simply not in question. Moderate and Conservative Repubs will not vote for him. The Rebub outsiders that lean way left by party standards may cast him a look; for the Dems, the radical leftists make up a much more substantial % of the party - and seemingly, this creates a potential disproportionate impact on the campaigns of each party - Democrats risk far more of its masses going the way of Nader.
Assuming that is the case - and entertaining that he has literally just shy of absolutely NO chance of winning - his candidacy means good for Repubs, bad for Dems.
So Nader, step down.
Right?
OR - is his candidacy a prime example of the electoral system working as it should - Independents weilding a heavy sword late in the game - with the ability to shave votes from one party or the other and sway the pendulum?
(Or is this even what it's about?)
Maybe Nader is secretly supporting McCain.
Joking.
No, seriously.
No, no, just joking.
But seriously.
2.18.2008
12.08.2007
Orange Julio
Smoothies rock.
Remember the Orange Julius? Mercer Mall in Princeton - the best Orange Julius. Hmmm.
This is the recipe, sorta, along with some minor spin-off alternations:
1 cup - Water
1/2 cup - Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
2 cups - Milk
1/2 cup - Sugar
1 tsp. - Vanilla Extract
8-9 - Ice Cubes
Of course, the REAL recipe is locked underground somewhere (or maybe this is it?), and experimenting to get your own version just right is more fun than precicesly replicating someone else's smoothie anyway (and sometimes, will taste better too). Variations are infinite.
Some Common Variations and Alternatives:
- Experiment with the ratio of milk to water. More milk makes it creamier and heavier.
- Using more or less sugar - include experimenting with no sugar at all
- Add ice cream, vanilla is a good place to start
- Add plain, vanilla, or fruit-infused yogurt
- Add frozen yogurt
- Add sorbet
- Use simple syrup instead of vanilla syrup
- Add a teaspoon or two of lemon and/or lime juice
- Add 1-2 raw eggs
- Use less/more ice cubes
- Include a teaspoon of salt
- Use fresh squeezed orange juice instead of frozen concentrate
- Use 1-2 whole, peeled & seeded oranges instead of juice
- Add apples, berries of any genre, pears, bananas or any other fruit you like
- Add anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 1 full package of vanilla pudding mix
- Add a drizzle up to 1/2 cup of cream of coconut
- Add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of orange-flavored extract (or even orange liqueur)
- Add a pinch of grated orange, lemon, or lime peel
- Add a pinch of ground cardamon seed
- Add a teaspoon of honey, or substitute greater quantities by replacing sugar
- Try using crushed instead of cubed ice
- Try freezing ice-cubes made from orange (or other) juice - and use in place of regular cubes
- Anything else you can think of...
Blend on high until frothy. Drink up.
Tip for achieving ideal consistency - add all ingredients, and then begin blending in ice little-by-little, cube-by-cube, etc until it is your desire thickness.
Enjoy!
Remember the Orange Julius? Mercer Mall in Princeton - the best Orange Julius. Hmmm.
This is the recipe, sorta, along with some minor spin-off alternations:
1 cup - Water
1/2 cup - Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
2 cups - Milk
1/2 cup - Sugar
1 tsp. - Vanilla Extract
8-9 - Ice Cubes
Of course, the REAL recipe is locked underground somewhere (or maybe this is it?), and experimenting to get your own version just right is more fun than precicesly replicating someone else's smoothie anyway (and sometimes, will taste better too). Variations are infinite.
Some Common Variations and Alternatives:
- Experiment with the ratio of milk to water. More milk makes it creamier and heavier.
- Using more or less sugar - include experimenting with no sugar at all
- Add ice cream, vanilla is a good place to start
- Add plain, vanilla, or fruit-infused yogurt
- Add frozen yogurt
- Add sorbet
- Use simple syrup instead of vanilla syrup
- Add a teaspoon or two of lemon and/or lime juice
- Add 1-2 raw eggs
- Use less/more ice cubes
- Include a teaspoon of salt
- Use fresh squeezed orange juice instead of frozen concentrate
- Use 1-2 whole, peeled & seeded oranges instead of juice
- Add apples, berries of any genre, pears, bananas or any other fruit you like
- Add anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 1 full package of vanilla pudding mix
- Add a drizzle up to 1/2 cup of cream of coconut
- Add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of orange-flavored extract (or even orange liqueur)
- Add a pinch of grated orange, lemon, or lime peel
- Add a pinch of ground cardamon seed
- Add a teaspoon of honey, or substitute greater quantities by replacing sugar
- Try using crushed instead of cubed ice
- Try freezing ice-cubes made from orange (or other) juice - and use in place of regular cubes
- Anything else you can think of...
Blend on high until frothy. Drink up.
Tip for achieving ideal consistency - add all ingredients, and then begin blending in ice little-by-little, cube-by-cube, etc until it is your desire thickness.
Enjoy!
8.09.2007
Don't Lose Your Data!
Ancient technology proverb (at least 10 years old): "It's not a matter of if your hard drive will crash, but when."
Friendly reminder! Don't forget to back-up your data. Burn CDs/DVDs, copy to external drives, use an online storage service, etc. Don't let yourself be exposed to risk.
If your laptop was stolen today, would you be covered?
Back-up.
Friendly reminder! Don't forget to back-up your data. Burn CDs/DVDs, copy to external drives, use an online storage service, etc. Don't let yourself be exposed to risk.
If your laptop was stolen today, would you be covered?
Back-up.
8.08.2007
Philosophy into Folly.
A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.
~ George Bernard Shaw
~ George Bernard Shaw
8.07.2007
Meaninglessness - all the better?
It was previously a question of finding out whether or not life had to have a meaning to be lived. It now becomes clear, on the contrary, that it will be lived all the better if it has no meaning.
~ Albert Camus
~ Albert Camus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)