502 posts from 2007

Earlier this month Arbed blobbed about some questions about the gift donation program on heifer.org, regarding giving ducks and other animals to needy people in poor countries.  Last year I'd given a few of these as gifts to my family but this year I opted for all Oxfam donations.  I still wanted to donate to Heifer.org, because I still think it's a worthwhile and legitimate  cause, issues of whether the allotted gifts go to the right places or appropriately so, aside. (sorry for that abomination of a sentence). So I just visited the site and I don't know if this is new, but I didn't remember it from last year, but they have project funding.  The idea is that they have specific projects with specific needs and specific dollar amount goals, so you know exactly what your money is going toward.  The minimum donation for these projects is $150, so it may be more than you normally donate to one charity, I don't know.  One of the projects was fully funded, but most of the others are woefully low.  I picked one of the lands of my ancestry, Poland.

Poland - Agriculture and Tourism Development Project

With Heifer, people who never thought they'd be in a position to help someone else will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving.

Located in the Carpathian Mountain region of Southeastern Poland, this project will promote sustainable beekeeping, cattle breeding,and educational tourism in the neighboring villages of Rymanów Spa, Dylagowa, and Pobiedno. As this part of the country is protected by the International Biosphere Reserve “Eastern Carpathian” environmental laws, all agricultural production must be sustainable. Separate groups of participants will be responsible for each activity area. Twenty families will receive 10 bee families each (200 total) and 18 will receive a pair of Simmental heifers (36 total). Through pass-ons, this project will improve the living conditions of at least 114 rural families. Moreover, 30 young people will take part in tourism development activities and will prepare an educational and recreational path for visitors to the Bieszczady Mountains.

Farmers will pass on the gift according to Heifer principles. For each received heifer, a farmer will pass on a female offspring of the same age and quality to another farmer. Male offspring will be sold for profit. If the second offspring is also male, it will be sold and a worthy female will be bought and inseminated.

As for the beekeeping component of the project, each farmer will pass on the same number of bee families as they originally received. Bee families prepared for passing on will be in a proper stage of development and will be examined by a veterinary doctor. A bee family to be passed on will be bred on the basis of a queen bee prepared by the selected breeder who will complete training in queen bee breeding. This will protect the bee breed from inbreeding and degeneration. Moreover, each farmer will be obliged to pass on his own experience and knowledge about cattle breeding and beekeeping to the other people. Participants of the educational element of the project will pass on their knowledge about the creation of educational paths to other groups of young people living within the Bieszczady region.

View more Heifer projects

I just wanted to put it out there for anyone with some extra cash on hand! ;-)

Share your favorite holiday song.

Not really a holiday song, but you're welcome anyway!  Now get wrapping!

What was your major or field of study in college? Did you wind up working in that field or using that degree? If not, what field have you wound up in? 
Submitted by sneuf. 

You're assuming that I actually went to college.  You know what happens when you assume.  You make an ass out of Ume.

Let's see if this works...a local band parody of Cake's Short Skirt, Long Jacket, 'dressed up' for Christmas.  Kinda cute.

 

Here is their website.

Enjoy!

Here's the original song by Cake, for anyone who isn't familiar with it:

 

Last Saturday, the volume on my car CD player mysteriously went up, up, up, all by itself.  Then on Monday I guess it was, the heat in my house, which was set at 68 or 69, went up to 72 when I noticed and turned it off completely.  Just now I put my bowl of food into the microwave, and turned the dial to 1 minute, 30 seconds, and when I looked at the microwave, all the numbers around the dial were lit like it was going to go for 20 minutes.

what. the. fuck.

I guess I'm just so sexy it gets my electronics all overheated...I had better go unplug the hair dryer & flat iron...

a gingerbread yurt, doesn't it look so delicious and REALISTIC?

 

Oh and when I was searching for --er baking--this, I came across this, which you might also enjoy:

 

I love my dog unconditionally, but in the morning he's just so freaking cute it almost hurts. I couldn't choose the best pics so I am just posting them all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know, I know, overkill on the pics, so what of it?

Next week I will have some even better pics when he gets to wear this:

OMG is that so cute or WHAT?!  My internet friend in NY made it for him!  It's gonna look so cute!  and if it doesn't fit him I'm gonna cry!

look at how nice that is, holy crap!

known as "the Rat"....

"the Philadelphia area should only get a dusting..." Dusting my ass, it snowed all day, and sure, it didn't really stick to the roads but we definitely got about an inch or so.  No biggie, but oh, how they LIE!  damn weatherguessers.

Actually I love the first real snow of the season, how it lays and sticks to the trees and everything, it's all so innocent.  The next time, forget it, you suck, snow.  Go away.  Anyway, here are a few photos.  Most of the ones I took were snore city but here are some sort of interesting ones.  Same route home, so it may look familiar if you looked at my pics from the other day:

 

While the house looks blurry, it's a rather nice portrait of the droplets on my passenger side window.  I like it.

 

I think I am in love with this house now.  It's very picturesque. and photogenic.  Is that the same thing?  I don't know and I don't feel like going to dictionary.com because I also need to jump in the shower and it's after midnight.

 

Okay and this last one...geez.  I've taken pictures of the wall of ivy before.  After I took this picture I thought to roll down the window to get a clear shot.  Unfortunately, the camera didn't focus properly, and then the light turned green.  So the best shot of the 3 was the one through the wet window.  Hm.

 

There you have it folks.  SO much excitement, I hope you can handle it.

and don't hurt me, please. 

This is in response to Redzilla's fQotD

you're welcome.

I already hate myself for posting this.