I Want Some M.O.M.!

As I am getting ready for my trip to Oz, I'm trying to figure out what it is that I need to do.

And I've decided that I have to eat a kangaroo. Not a whole kangaroo, but at least a portion.

I hear that the kangaroo is somewhere between beef and venison, and I like both.

This intrigues me. Besides that, eating the kangaroo would be an opportunity to get closer to the culture of the Aboriginals of Australia since it was traditionally a food that they ate (and still do).

Apart from that, farming kangaroo is illegal, so all kangaroo that is eaten is wild. Thus the elimination of genetically modified marsupial.

When it comes to what cut I would like to try, there are many choices, I am reading. I could go with a filet, or perhaps a "kanga banga" (kangaroo sausage).

Besides that, eating kangaroo would be able to help the rampant population of kangaroos in Australia. There are about 50 million wild kangaroos running around doing what they do...I'm guessing that includes pooping in driveways, hopping, hiding in pouches and boxing.

Keep this in mind- there are over 50 million kangaroos in Australia. And there are only 21 million people. That's practically a plague.

And every part of the kangaroo is used! People drink the fluids (ew, none for me thanks, I want to get the Australian experience, but that's a little extreme), use the fur for rugs (I remember my stuff kangaroo Catherine got me when she first visited), and make purses out of the scrotum. Yes, the boy kangaroo's 'area' is used to make purses. Now, I like bags, but that one is a doozy.

The only thing will be to figure out what it's called on a menu. I've read that they farmers held a contest to see what it should be named, because people tend to think that kangaroos are sweet, cute and fluffy, not tasty. The winner was 'australus'. Other were kangarly, maroo, krou, maleen, kuja, roujoe, rooviande, jurru, ozru, marsu, kangasaurus, marsupan, jumpmeat, and MOM (meat of marsupials).

Hmm...sounds delicious.

Farcebook? Well, I'm still not getting off it...

So, I'm going to lots of classrooms and talking to kids about Facebook/webcams/MSN/etc.

And I'm finding that it's not just the kids who don't know a lot about their Facebook accounts...The Guardian newspaper put the Facebook privacy policy into easier understanding language. Enjoy!

Facebook's privacy policy

Just for fun, try substituting the words 'Big Brother' whenever you read the word 'Facebook'

1 We will advertise at you

"When you use Facebook, you may set up your personal profile, form relationships, send messages, perform searches and queries, form groups, set up events, add applications, and transmit information through various channels. We collect this information so that we can provide you the service and offer personalised features."

2 You can't delete anything

"When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information."

3 Anyone can glance at your intimate confessions

"... we cannot and do not guarantee that user content you post on the site will not be viewed by unauthorised persons. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the site. You understand and acknowledge that, even after removal, copies of user content may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other users have copied or stored your user content."

4 Our marketing profile of you will be unbeatable

"Facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspapers, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users of the Facebook service through the operation of the service (eg, photo tags) in order to provide you with more useful information and a more personalised experience."

5 Opting out doesn't mean opting out

"Facebook reserves the right to send you notices about your account even if you opt out of all voluntary email notifications."

6 The CIA may look at the stuff when they feel like it

"By using Facebook, you are consenting to have your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States ... We may be required to disclose user information pursuant to lawful requests, such as subpoenas or court orders, or in compliance with applicable laws. We do not reveal information until we have a good faith belief that an information request by law enforcement or private litigants meets applicable legal standards. Additionally, we may share account or other information when we believe it is necessary to comply with law, to protect our interests or property, to prevent fraud or other illegal activity perpetrated through the Facebook service or using the Facebook name, or to prevent imminent bodily harm. This may include sharing information with other companies, lawyers, agents or government agencies."

My Hotels!

Check it out...

This is where I'm going to be staying in Australia (minus the lovely accomodations in the Canberra region).

The hotel on the right is the Four Point Sheraton, Darling Harbour where I'll be spending 4 nights. It's located on the harbour, and if I'm lucky enough I'll get a view of the harbour.

The hotel on the left is the Cairns International Hotel in Cairns where I'll be staying 3 nights. It's in the centre of Cairns, and across the street from a casino.

Sweet!

Flower Power

The below message was sent by Cory Morningstar...very interesting read as I've said before the flower industry is RIPE with chemicals and environmental destruction.

So the next time you think about getting your beloved some roses this Valentine's Day (first think about the validity of such a day), then look into buying locally grown flowers (potted flowers all the way!).

Valentine's Day - Flowers - At What Cost?

What we’re not hearing about in the MSM.

Many fresh cut flowers distributors are getting away with murder. Literally. Environmentalist Joan Root was shot & killed at her farm overlooking Lake Naivasha, in January, 2005. Her mission? Saving her beloved lake from the ecological ravages of Africa's lucrative flower-farming industry.

Lake Naivasha was once considered one of the world's top ten sites for birds and a paradise of clear water, with beautiful papyrus and water lily fringes. A haven for African wildlife and a major source of water for the lakeside's quickly growing population. Now - Lake Naivasha, Kenya's second largest lake, has shrunk to half its original size and its water level has dropped three metres. Vital wetlands, are degraded beyond recognition. Nowhere in the world is water from one lake basin used to supply drinking water to two basins, electricity to a whole country's grid and flowers & vegetables to a whole continent. The rotting tissues of the hippo carcasses reveal the secret to perfect bouquets - DDT and, 40 times more toxic, Dieldrin - pesticides banned in countries whose markets have made Kenya the world’s number on exporter. This is happening not only in Africa, but in developing countries all over the world. The corporations are able to rape the land, destroy the ecosystems and exploit the people. [Payment for ecosystem services is a rapidly developing economic means of restoring biodiversity around the globe. The price added to a rose or a bean would be a fraction of a cent.]

So – why has no one noticed flowers? No mandatory labeling for the consumer of any kind. One would think a label would be mandatory to inform, at the very minimum, where the flowers are grown. I guess we should not expect a label listing the pesticides that were used as apparently our government doesn’t feel it’s necessary for such a label even on our food, let alone cut flowers. Has the ‘Right to Know’ campaign ever made more sense? It seems that a mandatory labeling system is long overdue. Could we mandate that the amount of water & energy that was used be disclosed? Fair trade? Organic – obviously. Flower miles? I certainly would like to know this information.

I think until we start asking these questions – and demanding answers – nothing is ever going to change. I think flowers have been getting a free ride for a long time. Does any retailer in our city even sell ethically sound, sustainably grown flowers? Isn’t it time we asked? Isn’t it time we demanded nothing less?

This is an issue that has to be brought into the mainstream. To speak openly about such issues to friends, family and retailers is to create a dialogue to influence water policy making at a global level, thus assuring better living standards for people all over the world and more responsible social behaviour towards water issues which ultimately affect each & every one of us. Because there is no such thing as new water.

Thanks - c

http://www.sierraeco.com/default.asp

Did you know that when you give Sierra Eco flowers, you’re actually giving twice? Every time you give someone Sierra Eco flowers, you are also giving a family a chance to earn a decent living and provide for their children while preserving the environment for future generations. Sierra Eco - quality flowers that respect people and the environment!

http://www.ecoflora.ca/ …Now you can send flowers that are wildcrafted, organically grown, or fairly traded anywhere in the Toronto area.

California: Flower growers facing stiff foreign competition bet on organic
Full story: Ottawa Citizen

Farmers who weathered a wave of cheap imports in the last decade by coaxing their fields to yield hundreds of harder-to-find varieties are increasingly betting on organic flowers, a nascent industry that is taking bloom on the heels of the organic food boom. Many in the industry hope the decision to go organic will eventually be an environmentally friendly but also a financially sound alternative for farmers trying to stay afloat. Though the market for organic flowers is still small - sales totaled $8 million [USD] in 2003, a fraction of the $19.4 billion consumers spent on all flowers nationally - it's growing fast. Consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for products made without chemicals harmful to workers or the environment. Organic flower sales are expected to grow 13 percent annually through 2008, according to the Organic Trade Association.

APRIL 17TH, 2008 6:40PM

I BOOKED IT!

Very, very, VERY exciting!

W00T!

Last week I met with a travel agent and tonight, after finding out the last details, I told her to BOOK IT!

So I leave in April for 3 glorious weeks at the bottom of the world!

So much to see, so much to plan, I'll be spending some time with my family then hooking up with a tour.

And while I'm there I'll get to go to Canberra (the capital and Colin&Cath's home), Adelaide (where all the wine & Colin's fam are), Sydney (Nemo's home), Cairns (the "r" is silent- I know, I need to get fluent in Oz speak), and Brisbane (just the airport, though).

Aussie fact: Australia has the coolest sounding islands. They include: Christmas, Cocos, and Kangaroo.