AERICA LAUREN - Brush Creek Ranch Music Studio

Daylight Hours Explorer

What a cool little application: a Daylight Hours Explorer. Plug in your latitude and the day of the year you are interested in, and the graph will show you how many hours of daylight you have that day. What a great way to calculate play time! (click on the image below to launch).

Daylight Hours Explorer

Dect Phones and Microwave Radiation on the Electrosensitive

Study shows, unequivocally, that microwave radiation from a cordless DECT phone immediately affects the heart causing arrhythmia and tachycardia (irregular and rapid heart rate) at non-thermal levels well below federal guidelines.

The Illinois Presidential Inaugural Gala

Here are some video snippets of my night at the Illinois Presidential Inaugural Gala at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel on January 19, 2009 - the eve of the inauguration of our new president and vice president, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. What a treat it was to go. Special thanks to The Southern Winds Band and Chad for the comp ticket. ;-)

Bush: A Review of 8 Years

Keith Olbermann: I love him. Here's his succinct, emphatic, and heart-wrenching list of the travesties wrought by GW Bush, Dick Cheney and those with whom they colluded at incalculable expense on inconceivable levels.

What do these crimes and violations against our citizenship, the world's people and nature say about our nation and our system of justice? If money and power can so readily supersede truth and accountability, do we have real democracy?

Olbermann / Bush Years: 8 In 8 Minutes (Friday, 16 January, 2009)
Full transcript

Proposition 2 is Passed in CA

Fantastic! California's Proposition 2—the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act—won 63% of the votes on Nov 4, so the statute passed. The proposition will prohibit confining some farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.

Unfortunately, the animals that will benefit from this—calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs—may have to wait until January 1, 2015 for any change in the deplorable treatment they currently receive. Farming operations have until that date to implement the new space requirements. Also unfortunately, a failure to comply will result only in misdemeanor penalties, including a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment in jail for up to 180 days.

The good news is that farm animal treatment is gaining exposure as an issue of tremendous importance. When we understand that the way we treat farm animals affects us directly and indirectly in multiple and significant ways—health, economy, and environmental sustainability, to name a few—we will make choices more circumspectly. Everyone gains, and most importantly our animal friends are accorded a life more worth living.

Photo by Phillie Casablanca. Creative Commons.

Fighting to Keep Food Local at Polyface Farm

Joel Salatin is an amazing writer, speaker, community-based agriculture advocate and owner of Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA. In this short video, he succinctly explains the methods he uses to farm. I've been a customer of Joel's for roughly a decade, and I continue to appreciate the many gifts he gives, including the best eggs, poultry and pork I've ever had. Joel informs as well as inspires, and you'll see why in this video. (Apologies ahead of time for the commercials in the video - I wish I could take them out...)

Also below: a video about a measure being proposed in California - Proposition 2 - to require more humane treatment of factory farm animals. If it is passed, it will be a great boon for animals, farmers, and consumers.