Ms. Ideologue - an extension for Ms. Thinker

"It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:11:43 -0400

““It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.””

- Chinese Proverb

"Everything can change with a blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks."

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:11:42 -0400

““Everything can change with a blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.””

- ~ unknown

Gov Central: Mixing Continuing Education With a Full-Time Job

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:07:00 -0400

Gov Central: Mixing Continuing Education With a Full-Time Job:

The alarm goes off at 5:30 am, and you could swear you went to sleep five minutes ago. First a quick shower, followed by the finishing touches on that homework assignment due tonight over coffee and breakfast — if there’s time.

Then it’s off to work, a solid eight-plus hours of time where you’re busy with reports, meetings and other assorted tasks. At the end of your workday, your coworkers are heading home to their families or to the local watering hole for a cold one. You, on the other hand, are heading to class.

Going back to school can be one of the most challenging undertakings of your life. Continuing education is different than going to school back in your youth because now you have to fit schooling around a full adult life with responsibilities like a mortgage, bills, and children. But it can be done.

Follow this advice to reach your educational goals while keeping some semblance of your sanity.

Set Your Expectations

You know going to school at the same time you’re working 40 (or more) hours per week is going to be tough. Now it’s time to get real about how tough it’s going to be. If you expect to get eight hours of sleep and three leisurely meals a day, you’re going to be very disappointed. Don’t be surprised if you have to pull some late nights studying. You can’t skip out on your work responsibilities even if you’re completely drained when that alarm clock wakes you up out of a deep slumber.

The best solution is to create a written log of how you expect to spend your time before you start your schooling. Be honest! Listing all the responsibilities in your life that you can’t afford to neglect will alert you to how much spare time you really have. This will help you figure out if combining the two is feasible and you’ll probably be more likely to avoid every student’s worst enemy: procrastination.

Know Your Goals

Don’t go back to school because you’re bored or hope you’ll be inspired to some greater heights than you can imagine right now. If you don’t have a tangible reason to learn new skills or pursue a degree, you’ll be far less likely to succeed.

Remember, school can be costly in terms of money and time. Make sure it’s worth your while. Only learn new skills for your current job if it will make you a markedly better employee, and preferably, put you in line for a promotion or raise. If you are going for a degree, have a clear plan as to how that degree is going to help your career aspirations.

Treat School Like It’s Your Job

Many people are tempted by online schools because they think the curriculum will be easier than traditional in-the-classroom schooling, like the difference between an open-book or closed-book test. Wrong. As online schools become more mainstream, their reputations are at stake. As a result, the curriculum at online universities and colleges can actually be more intensive than what you’re used to.

If the way you attend class is at home via your computer, treat it like any other kind of school. Give yourself a private area to study where loved ones or the TV can’t distract you. And if you’re attending classes after work in an actual classroom, don’t be tempted to skip out because of an unforeseen distraction. It’s really true that a large part of success is showing up. Miss one class and it’ll be easier to miss another. And another…

Don’t Go It Alone

You can’t make your friends go to work for you, and you definitely shouldn’t copy anybody else’s homework. Still, it is almost impossible — and definitely foolhardy — to work a full-time job and go to school at the same time without any help. Let people you trust know that you’re going to need some support.

Whether it’s a relative picking up your daughter from soccer practice or your spouse taking over dinner duties, it’s extremely important to accept help when offered, and to ask for it when needed. One person can only handle so much, and your true friends and loved ones should be happy to help as long as they aren’t being taken advantage of. Reward them with small tokens of appreciation and remember to thank them after you’ve reached your educational goals.

And finally, remember that you can do it. You can work hard during the day and still have the ability to focus on your schooling at night. It won’t be easy, but the payoff can be tremendous. Just make sure to understand what exactly it is you’re working toward, focus on time management and build a solid support system you can lean on when times (and classroom assignments) get tough. If you can do those things, continuing education is an investment in yourself that’s sure to pay off.

Talent Zoo: 'No Comment' Says More Than You Think'

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:04:00 -0400

Talent Zoo: 'No Comment' Says More Than You Think':

By now, you’ve heard that social media requires PR professionals to be transparent and honest. Idealism that smacks of hearts, puppies, kittens, and rainbows is great most of the time, but what about those hot-button topics that we can’t say anything about? One response to avoid at all costs is, ”No comment.”

“No comment” is a lot like saying, “Yes, we’re guilty, but I can’t admit that.” It has a stigma attached to it that has only worsened over time. However, this does not mean you need to fully disclose everything about your company, client, product, or service. Journalists and consumers will appreciate your honesty about what you can and cannot say.

Here are a few alternatives:

“I don’t have all the facts in front of me to answer that question. I will have to follow up with you.”
“I don’t know.” (Have you ever seen someone quoted as saying this? I didn’t think so.)
“We’re not launching that campaign/product/enhancement yet, so I can’t say.”
“That information is confidential. I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that.”

4-Hour-Work-Wk: The Choice Effect/Paradox of Choice

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:00:00 -0400

4-Hour-Work-Wk: The Choice Effect/Paradox of Choice:

“It’s impossible not to constantly wonder if there’s something better, someone better.”

My good female friend picked up her third glass of Syrah-Merlot and continued: “If I could only choose between three decent guys, it’d be a done deal. I’d be married already.”

I nodded. Having options–perceived infinite choice–isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. How, then, do you tame indecision, particularly in relationships?

The following guest post, written by Claire Williams, explores some of the more successful approaches… and realizations.

*********

In 2000, Drs. Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper set up a tasting booth at an upscale grocery store in California. On some days, they put out a selection of six types of jam; on other days they set out twenty-four. Although the wider selection attracted more shoppers, more people bought the jam when there were fewer options. It seemed
the more choices people had, the harder it was to make a decision.

The Paradox of Choice explored this infamous dilemma, in which having more options tends to leave us paralyzed and increase our buyer’s remorse. But what does that mean when you’re not just shopping? What about when you’re doing much more important stuff…like picking a job, a house, or – gasp – a life partner?…

If you ever listened to your teachers, talked to your parents, or watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, you learned that you were a special snowflake and the world was yours for the taking. But for a generation with more options than ever before, how do you choose when you’ve been taught you can have it all?

Choister?

Today’s twenty- and thirty-somethings approach life and love very differently than past generations. The explosion of choices now available has impacted our desires and expectations, and led us to reconsider traditional decisions. Young men and women are increasingly reluctant to make the ultimate commitment and get married, and much of
that is due to all the other glittery options out there competing for our attention – friends, professional success, 30 Rock, the people in the world you haven’t yet dated.

If you love choices and think the world is your oyster, you’re a choister.

In a world where you might have twenty careers by your 31st birthday, you just might want to cultivate some more stability in your relationships.

The “choice effect” is that pit in your stomach as soon as the waiter walks away with your food order and you realize you wanted what she’s having. It’s a reality, and one that impacts our love
lives.

So how do you overcome this paradox in relationships? For your mother’s sake, take notes.

5 Ways to Tame the Choice Effect:

Use the following “C”-words to make the other “C”-word–commitment–less daunting.

1. Criteria:

Before I decided to settled down with “J”, my now fiancé from Argentina, there were several key moments where I questioned the very basis of our relationship. As foreigners in each other’s lands, cultural and language barriers have been an ongoing theme. It’s taken him years to accept that in my country we eat omelets for breakfast – not lunch – and my visible upset at the break-up of Tipper and Al made him more than pause (okay, maybe that’s not cultural). But one day while I related a particularly hysterical Jon Stewart shtick, the worst happened. He told me it didn’t sound very funny. And that’s when I asked myself: could I really spend a lifetime single-handedly explaining the nuances of The Daily Show to a newbie?

My non-negotiables had been there from the start: internationalism, spirituality, and ambition. Although J matched me well on these fronts, we weren’t carbon copies of one another by any stretch of the imagination. He spends hundreds of hours a year on photography, and I traveled around the world for an entire year without bringing my own camera. I still don’t understand if a bass and a bass guitar are the same thing, but there are apparently three of them displayed in our foyer. I had never heard of Maradona.

We make trade offs in our love lives – J’s cultural “shortcomings” are made up for by key compatibilities. As I’ve come to believe, a man who has never tasted peanut butter can still make an excellent father. So think about what you need. Not a never-ending wish list about how the perfect partner will want to attend Lilith Fair and share your love of Neti pots. Pick the stuff that matters and find someone with those qualities.

2. Concentration:

Like Stephen Stills once sung: “Love the one you’re with.”

When J and I had been dating less than a year, I moved half-way around the world for an MBA program. Suddenly
my wonderful, intelligent, handsome boyfriend was a pixelated photo to Skype with. Meanwhile, real, warm-blooded men played lacrosse around me. This world will pull us in lots of directions, and you need to decide what your prize is and keep your eye on it. Don’t get distracted by every boy or girl that musters the energy for a “how YOU doin’?” Don’t forget your fiance’s cello concert because you’re wall-flirting with your middle school crush on Facebook. I’m all for canvassing your options, but beware the shiny ball syndrome.

3. Common Sense:

Does your ideal life involve a mud hut in Nicaragua with a partner equally thrilled by jungle monkies? Then don’t go trolling for men on what’s left of Wall Street. If you’re a conservative Christian who’s into side hugs, don’t make eyes at the atheist hippie at the local coffee shop. Yes, opposites attract. Paula Abdul said so. But they aren’t a long-term win. Don’t fall into a relationship that checks none of your boxes. Although you may think this is destiny slapping you on the face, this is actually just adrenaline. Probably heightened from the fog of patchouli.

4. Calculation:

Keep an eye on the clock. Not in the Marisa-Tomei-stomping-your-foot kind of way. But there’s being picky and then there’s being paralyzed. So ask yourself – whether you’re choosing a pair of shoes, a healthcare plan, or a spouse – “How long SHOULD this take?” For example – would you agree with the following: you should spend no longer than an hour of your life at GAP deciding between unremarkable fragrances, and no longer than 5 years to decide on a partner? Like my best friend who, after dating her boyfriend for seven years, suddenly thought, “How much more data can I expect to gather?” and suggested they elope to Vegas. You don’t have to adhere perfectly, but it’s good to step back, pick a number (I just might recommend two years), and buy a watch.

5. Choose Already:

If you went into an ice-cream store and saw a child ordering an ice cream cone with 7 different scoops, you’d tell him he was idiot (or not, because that is mean and he is small). Don’t be that kid. You don’t get to have everything.
And, to be fair, you don’t want to. College buffet lines were fun at the beginning, but a plate full of pasta-pizza-ranch-dressing-Fruit Loops loses its appeal after a while. So choose.

What stops so many of us from making a commitment is our fear that once we make a choice we have to close the door on all the other options. If we marry Andy, we will never date Charles. True. If we become an architect, we will never be a ferret trainer. Also true. However, if we do sack up and choose to become an architect, then we have a whole host of new and shiny choices to think about! Should we make a doghouse or a people house? Should the house be blue or red? Should the building be small, medium, or big?

Choosing doesn’t limit choices—it just changes them. So feel free to pick that city, that career, that partner, knowing that even commitment brings a whole new set of options – children/pets/red and blue houses – to be excited (and angsty) about.

By the way, I picked me an architect. (See how I tied that up?)

*********

Claire Williams is co-author of The Choice Effect, which explores overcoming the Paradox of Choice in decisions–big and small–that affect your life.

"Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there."

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:25:51 -0400

“Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there.”

- Josh Billings

"People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest."

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:05:50 -0400

“People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest.”

- George Matthew Allen

4 Hr. Work Wk: Working Statistics

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:45:00 -0400

4 Hr. Work Wk: Working Statistics:

The Top 10 Stats To Know: You Are Not Alone

63% of all employees want to work less, up from 46% in 1992

26% of adult Americans report being on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown

40% of workers describe their office environment as “most like a real-life survivor program.”

Only 14% of Americans take two weeks or more at a time for vacation. The average American therefore spends more time in the bathroom than on vacation.

61% of Americans check email while on vacation

53% of employees would opt for a personal assistant rather than personal trainer

62% of workers routinely end the day with work-related neck pain, 44% report strained eyes, 38% complain of hand pain, and 34% report difficulty in sleeping due to work-related stress

88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life

70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children

In 2005, a psychiatrist at King’s College in London administered IQ tests to three groups: the first did nothing but perform the IQ test, the second was distracted by e-mail and ringing phones, and the third was stoned on marijuana. Not surprisingly, the first group did better than the other two by an average of 10 points. The e-mailers, on the other hands, did worse than the stoners by an average of 6 points

Unending Workweek Growth and Burnout

Compared to 1970, American managers are working an additional month per year

Americans are working more hours than any time since the 1920s. 63% of Americans log more than 40 hours per week at the office, and 40% log more than 50 hours per week

Turnover rates among mid-level associates in New York City law firms is 36%. The entire system is predicated on burnout

62% of workers routinely end the day with work-related neck pain, 44% report strained eyes, 38% complain of hand pain, and 34% report difficulty in sleeping due to work-related stress

In total hours, the average middle-income family works four months more than in 1979

People work approximately 8 weeks longer per year than in 1969—in the space of a single generation—but for roughly the same income (after adjusting for inflation)

40% of employees work overtime or bring work home with them at least once a week

E-mail Addiction and Information Overload

66% of people read email seven days a week and expect to receive a response the same day

61% continue to check email while on vacation

56% have anxiety if they can’t access email

“Crackberry” was the official winner of the 2006 Word-of-the-Year as selected by the editorial staff of Webster’s New World College Dictionary. Blackberry addiction has been labeled “similar to drugs” in a study performed by Rutgers University; millions of users are now able unable to go more than five minutes without checking e-mail.

According to online surveys of more than 4,000 people, conducted jointly by AOL and the Opinion Research Corporation and reported in 2005:

41% of Americans check e-mail first thing in the morning

18% check e-mail right after dinner
14% check e-mail right when they get home from work
14% check e-mail right before they go to bed
40% have checked their e-mail in the middle of the night

More than one in four (26%) say they can’t go more than two to three days without checking email, and they check it everywhere:

In bed - 23%
In class - 12%
In business meetings - 8%
At the beach or pool - 6%
In the bathroom - 4%
While driving - 4%
In church - 1%

Being “e-mailed” (like blackmailed) worse than being stoned?

The USA vs. the World

Average Annual Vacation Days

Italy 42
France 37
Germany 35
Brazil 34
Britain 28
Canada 26
Japan 25
USA 13

Is it any wonder that US Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks just about everything but worker satisfaction?

Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers

The Japanese document approximately 10,000 cases per year of “death by overwork,” or karoosh Considering the above stats, what must the undocumented US numbers be??

The US is the only nation in the industrialized world with no minimum paid-leave laws. European law provides each worker with 4-5 weeks per year of paid-leave.

Nonetheless, Europe has had a higher productivity rate than the U.S. for 14 out of the 19 years between 1981 and 2000 More just isn’t better.

The Coming Extinction of Vacation

26% of Americans take no vacations at all

Only 14% of Americans take two weeks or more at a time for vacation . The average American therefore spends more time in the bathroom than on vacation.

American workers get an average of 8.1 days of vacation after one year on the job, and 10.2 days after three years . At that rate of growth (25.9%), you won’t even break three weeks after 12 years on the job.

Employees hand their companies more than $21 billion in unused vacation days each year

Work-Life Imbalance and the Disappearing Family

57% of the class of 1999 graduating business students in 11 countries said that attaining work-life balance is their top career goal

32% percent of workers cited work-life balance as the top priority in their careers, followed by job security at 22% and competitive salary at 18%

How are they actually doing?

88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life

70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children

64% of Americans report that time pressures on working families are getting worse, not better

What Happens When Employees Work Whenever and Wherever They Want?

By the end of 2007, all 4,000 staffers at Best Buy headquarters will be on ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment), which permits them to work whenever and wherever they want. So, what happens when smart companies realize that work isn’t a place where you go, but something that you do? That performance should be based on output and not hours?

Average Rise In Worker Productivity Since 2005: 35%

Average Change in Voluntary Turnover (Quitting) Across Divisions: -72.3%

Sun Microsystems Inc. calculates that it saves $300 million per year in real estate costs by allowing nearly 50% of employees to work anywhere they want.

If your company won’t wake up, you’ll just have to speed the process by firing their asses or outsmarting them

Mashable - How the World is Spending Its Time, Online

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:05:00 -0400

Mashable - How the World is Spending Its Time, Online:

So… whatcha doin’ over there on that laptop, denizens of the world? Well, according to a new study from Nielsen showing Internet usage in April 2010, 22% of the time, you’re engaging with social media.

Yeah, 22% might not seem like a mammoth percentage, but you have to take into account the fact that this finding is on a global scale. Also, a few more telling takeaways from the report:

Currently, three quarters of Internet users worldwide visit a social network or blog when they go online — that’s a 24% increase over last year.
Joe Average (the international version) spends 66% more time on these sites than he did a year ago — for example, your average user spent 6 hours on these sites in April 2010, while last year he spent 3 hours, 31 minutes.
Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia make an appearance among the world’s most popular brands.

We’ve seen ample proof of the burgeoning popularity of social media in the past — just two months ago, Nielsen reported similar growth — and it makes sense. Facebook has been giving Google a run for its money when it comes to traffic, and YouTube recently surpassed two billion views per day.

We’ll have to see how social media usage shakes out as Facebook continues to accrue users, and YouTube dips its toe into the newsfeed business in an attempt to become a legit news source.

In the meantime, check out a few more highlights from the study:

Brazil boasts the largest percentage of Internet users visiting a social network –- 86%
Australians spend the most time on social networking sites: an average of 7 hours and 19 minutes in April — the U.S. and Italy came in second and third with six and a half hours each.
Facebook has the greatest share of the market in Italy in April 2010, garnering two-thirds of the active unique audience in April 2010. Australia, the U.S. and the UK came in on Italy’s heels with more than 60% of active users visiting the site.

How much time do you spend on social networking sites? Has your hunger for social media contributed to this global increase?

Detox

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:05:00 -0400

Detox:

How’s this for insane? One in 20 women would rather give up a limb than be obese, according to a study in the journal Obesity. So it’s pretty much a no-brainer that hordes of rational women desperately want to believe in the power of a detox diet. “These diets are so popular right now, mostly because people think they’re a quick fix for shedding pounds,” says Jennifer Ventrelle, R.D., a nutrition counselor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

As nice as it is to think you can simply flush fat away by drinking so much liquid you spend half your day in the bathroom, the reality is that some of these diets are not just literally hard to swallow, but they may also be bad to swallow.

Recipe for danger?
The concept of fasting — drastically reducing caloric intake or following a liquid diet — isn’t new. The modern-day detox has existed since at least the 1930s, with the first grapefruit diet fad.

Today, most commercial detox diets tout an unhealthy formula of minimal calories and nutrients along with some key — usually foul-tasting — ingredient that has supposed fat-melting power, like cayenne pepper or vinegar. But no science backs the idea that following a specific diet for a week or eating only one food will get rid of “toxins.” Your body has the power to do that all on its own: That’s why you have a liver, kidneys, and a digestive system.

What’s worse, “most of the so-called ‘detox’ supplements and diets on the market aren’t regulated by the FDA and are potentially harmful, especially if they’re very low-calorie or contain diuretics that flush your body of potassium and other crucial nutrients,” Ventrelle says.

And with these very real risks come minimal rewards. Much of what you’re losing on this kind of extreme diet is water weight, which lasts only until you refill on fluids. If you see a more permanent drop on the scale, chances are it’s muscle, not fat, that’s missing. Without adequate protein (and a liquid diet doesn’t offer much), your body takes it from its most available source: your own muscle tissue.

Not good! Muscle is your built-in calorie furnace, torching those muffin-top makers even when you’re not moving. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, which is why dramatically slashing calories can actually slow your metabolism in just a few days. “Your body thinks you’re starving and panics,” explains Marc Hellerstein, M.D., Ph.D., professor of human nutrition at the University of California at Berkeley. “Your metabolism slows way down to preserve your muscle and basic bodily functions.” So when you go back to eating normally, you gain weight faster and from fewer calories.

Detoxes debunked
There’s no question that detox diets drastically slash your calorie consumption. But research has found that after just a few days of skimping on calories (even a very petite woman needs at least 1,200), your body stops producing a crucial growth hormone called IGF1, and reduces thyroid and other hormones as well as insulin levels. Over time, all of this can lead to problems such as bone loss and menstrual disruptions.

Even fasting every other day, which a 2009 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found may benefit obese men and women, hasn’t shown promise for those who are looking to lose only a few pounds.

And then there’s the quality-of-life issue. “When you eat that little, your sex drive disappears, you feel tired all the time, and you’re always hungry,” Hellerstein says. And what good is a hot body if you can’t summon the energy to use it?

A healthier head start
That’s not to say every cleanse is bad. Done in a healthy (read: sane) way, detoxing “can feel like an intervention, a fresh beginning,” Hellerstein says.

“Most people eat way more food than necessary, which taxes the liver and kidneys,” says Ronald Stram, M.D., director of the Center for Integrative Health and Healing in New York. Not only does a healthy detox give your digestive system a break, but by eliminating added sugar, saturated fats, and alcohol, it also rids your diet of things that can exacerbate health issues, Ventrelle says. “Plus,” she notes, “you’ll likely cut calories in the process.”

A good plan provides enough calories and nutrients to sustain you (the average woman needs 1,200 to 1,800 calories) and includes fiber and lean protein. With that in mind, Ventrelle created a 1,400-calorie plan exclusively for Women’s Health. (Note: Calories given are for a 5’3” to 5’5”, 115-to 125-pound woman. You may need to adjust for your own height, weight, age, and activity level.) Following it for at least three days will kick-start weight loss, but it’s safe to use as long as you’d like.

Because you’ll eat often — at least every four hours — and drink as much water and decaffeinated tea as you want, you’ll beat bloat while keeping your blood sugar steady and your energy high. This means you’ll be able to cut back without feeling cranky, exhausted, or hungry. And — we pinky swear — you won’t have to gulp down a single glass of cayenne-spiked liquid.

Liquid lunch?
It isn’t magic: Cleanses that offer few calories in icky-tasting liquid form may shed weight — but it’s not sustainable.

Breakfast

8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Scrambled egg whites with chopped fresh herbs (such as basil or oregano), topped with a dollop of salsa, and 1 slice whole-wheat toast, dry or 1 cup cooked oats or cooked oatmeal topped with 1/2 cup berries or 2 Tbsp nuts
8 oz decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack
Sliced apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter or 1/3 cup natural trail mix

Lunch

1 cup fresh spinach or lightly sauteed spinach or kale, squeezed with fresh lemon or orange juice or 1 cup asparagus with 1 tsp olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice
4 oz grilled, baked, or broiled salmon, chicken, or pork tenderloin, seasoned with spices such as lemon pepper
1/2 cup edamame beans, steamed
8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
8 pecan halves

Snack

1/2 sweet potato or one citrus fruit (orange or grapefruit)
4 oz low-fat yogurt

Dinner

Large spinach or romaine salad with vegetables. Dress with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with lemon juice or vinegar (any variety)
1/2 cup to 1 cup asparagus or artichoke hearts, steamed
4 oz lean chicken with spices, baked or grilled
1/2 cup brown rice, barley, bulgur, or quinoa
8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack

3/4 cup to 1 cup blueberries or 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
4 oz nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat organic yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese

4 Hr Work Wk: Organic? All Natural? Locally Grown?

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:45:00 -0400

4 Hr Work Wk: Organic? All Natural? Locally Grown?:

“This is no fairy story and no joke; the meat will be shoveled into carts and the man who did the shoveling will not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one.”
— Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

The catalysts for my newfound carnivore enthusiasm were two-fold: reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and getting to know local butchers in the San Francisco area. I’ve come to realize that, if conscious eating — knowing where your food comes from and how it’s both raised and killed or harvested — is the key to ethical eating, labels are the new battleground for your mind and dollars…

Marketing departments are excellent at inventing terms that don’t hold companies accountable, as non-enforceable claims (referred to as “puffery” in the business) don’t result in lawsuits. Hair “volumizers”, “age-defying” x-9 cream factor, and “all natural” meat, oh my!

I recently picked up an unusual magazine at the Ferry Building farmer’s market in SF: Meatpaper: Your Journal of Meat Culture. In Issue Six, there was a fantastic overview of label terms — the good, the bad, and the ugly — in an article entitled “It’s a Jungle Out There: What do meat labels mean?”

Please find it below, along with sample labels, reprinted with permission. Comments within brackets are mine.

It’s a Jungle Out There – by Marissa Guggiana

Meat is the only product in the United States that comes with a government seal of approval. Sinclair’s 1905 novel about the grotesqueries of the meat industry inspired outrage and led to the 1906 Federal Meat Inspection Act. The inspection label (or “bug”, as it is paradoxically referred to by industry folk) was, until recent history, the only label that mattered, promising third-party supervision of the production of an inherently high-risk, high-stakes product.

Today, a new generation of meat labels makes much more ambitious promises. Far beyond simply assuring that meat is sans rat, today’s labels seek to answer consumer concern over animal husbandry practices, like animals’ living conditions and diets. With new worries about food-borne pathogens like E. coli, and new focus on food’s provenance, just about everyone involved in meat, from the federal government to farmers, processors, non-profits, and chain supermarkets, is trying to convey its priorities, and find room on the package to do it.

Some of the claims are backed by USDA authority and have concrete definitions, dutifully recorded in the federal register; some are monitored by animal-interest or environmental groups; some are created by businesses themselves, which employ private auditors to guarantee compliance with their criteria.

Here is a survey of only some of the dozens of assurances your meat makes; hopefully, it will help to clarify.

ALL NATURAL
This means meat that is minimally processed with no artificial or synthetic products. It is not regulated, however, so anyone can put it on their package. This claim has no clout.

COOL (Country of Origin Labeling)
USDA regulated. It states where meat was raised, slaughtered, and processed (and if this means multiple countries, as in the case of some ground meat, they should all be listed).

GRASS FED
USDA regulated. It means, very narrowly, that animals eat grass. According to the USDA definition, “grass-fed” animals can also be fed grain, and can be raised on grass in confinement, as long as they have access to pasture.

[As documented in The Omnivore’s Dilemma and elsewhere, “access” can be — and often is — nothing more than a facility with a door to a small outdoor area. Livestock is transferred to this facility after they have been conditioned to remain indoors in a facility with no such exit. Get to know your local butcher or rancher and get to know your meat.]

FREE RANGE
This means strictly that the animal has some access to outdoors. There is no regulation for use of this term, except in the case of chickens raised for consumption. “Pasture-raised” is a more meaningful term concerning the animal’s welfare.

ORGANIC
USDA and third-party certified. This certification means that livestock wasn’t treated with hormones or antibiotics and was fed a pesticide-free diet.

VEGETARIAN FED
Refers only to an animal’s diet and does not guarantee the animal was pastured or raised humanely.

AIR CHILLED
This article addresses the treatment of living animals. Producers and retailers may also make claims about how the animal is handled between slaughter and purchase. Meat may be wet or dry-aged, frozen, and packaged in various ways.

HUMANELY RAISED; CERTIFIED HUMANE
Many ranches now choose to undergo an audit by third parties such as Animal Welfare Association and Humane Farmed to high-light their extra care. This type of label wards against practices like overcrowding, castrating, early weaning, and denying animals access to pasture. It measures the entire life cycle in terms of animal health and well-being.

OTHER LABEL ITEMS:

BIODYNAMIC
This pre-organic standard treats the whole ranching operation as an interrelated whole. While some meats are technically organic, a biodynamic farm assures the meat also came from a healthy, self-sustaining system.

LOCAL
Producers who take part in this affidavit program state in writing that the animals were raised within 20 miles. This label is not certified [or confirmed] by a third party, such as the USDA or a labeling certifier.

"He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past."

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:45:50 -0400

“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”

- George Orwell

My New Goal

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:22:00 -0400

My New Goal:

California’s Bike Ride for Women & Girls, October 3, 2010

The 2010 Princess Promenade is Sunday, October 3 in California’s State Capitol, Sacramento and we welcome ladies of all ages and abilities. This fun and inspiring event gives women and girls a lovely recreational ride along the beautiful American River Parkway bike trail with no cars, great food, wonderful entertainment, a challenging time trial, and a costume contest too!

The Princess Promenade offers bike trail ride distances of 5k, 15 mile, 26 mile, 55 mile, and a Metric Century (64 miles) making it fun for beginners yet challenging for veteran riders. We offer training program and bike skills classes throughout the year to get you fit, trained, and ready for the annual Princess Promenade and exciting Princess Fitness Festival held at Discovery Park, Sacramento, CA.

LET THE PROMENADE BEGIN! Tell your friends! We are in growth mode, ladies, Let’s roll!

Simple Pomegranate Poached Pears

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:22:49 -0400

Simple Pomegranate Poached Pears:

It’s on my to cook/bake list. ;)

The Science of Cake

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:22:14 -0400

The Science of Cake:

I love Buddy (Cake Boss) and Duff (Ace of Cakes) equally. This is for them. =)

What's Next?

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:00:00 -0400

After I graduated from college with a BA in Public Relations in 2008 everyone asked, “what’s next?” What else is there? Work of course. It wasn’t that simple. I graduated in the “bad timing” generation. 2008 was the start of the recession and my supposed entry-level career came at the peak of that aftermath.

Exactly one year ago today I took one of the hardest tests of my life. The LSAT. Since that greuling moment I have not started law school. I don’t think I ever will. I figured might as well take this down time to study and the economy isn’t going to pick up any time soon, might as well take the three or so years of that recovery period to go to law school. That is not a reason to go to law school.

Since then… I have lived in Spain. Enjoyed the amazing things the EU and UK have to offer. Decided I wanted a job that made me travel all over the world. While I was there, I figured, why not a Masters in International Communication. I could continue to live in Europe while pursuing that degree.

Since then…I have gone to open houses at Le Cordon Bleu in hopes to obtain a “masters” in fine arts and dreams of running my own restaurant one day as I always get compliments on my cooking. I have slowly started studying for my GRE so I could apply for the Masters in Public Policy Program because of my strong interest in politics, or the Masters in Public Administration Program because of all my administration experience, or the Masters in Non Profit Organization Management for my love of volunteering. I thought about applying to a long running dance studio as a ballroom dance instructor. I love dancing, why not do it all day and get paid to do it while I’m at it.

It’s been just one year and I have gone through so many possible arenas.

Each new idea caused a lot of frustration. Now, I realize, it’s not so bad. I think I could do anything so long as I were to be truly interested and work hard at it. I have so many interests and have versatile skills. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. There is no reason why I can’t do it all. I can have a career I’m passionate about, once I figure out what that is, continue to dance and cook and volunteer in my spare time.

I really enjoy PR. All aspects of it. I miss it. Ever since I’ve graduated, it’s always been a part of me. I can’t help, but to think in the PR state of mind. Social networking, event planning, attending social and networking events, checking the grammar on every article and piece of writing. I’ve spent enough time away from it trying to figure out what I already knew. PR, that’s what’s next!

What kind of Co-Worker Are You?

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:40:09 -0400

What kind of Co-Worker Are You?:

Luckily, I’ve never worked with these kinds. But I know what they mean!

If You Were a Billionaire for 5 Hours....

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

If You Were a Billionaire for 5 Hours....:

Good question. Two things are for sure, I would definitely pay off my student and car loans and make a few large donations to several NPOs. =)

This guy is absolute genius

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This guy is absolute genius

"Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music"

Sat, 22 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music”

- George Carlin