by Mary Ellen Ryall

Why are we doing this? Does the butterfly not have enough challenges on Earth without sending it into space?

This reminds me of the poor monkeys who were sent into space by the Russians when I was a young woman. According to Wikipedia, “The Soviet/Russian space program in the Bion program satellites used only rhesus species. The first Soviet monkeys, Abrek and Bion, flew on Bion 6. They were aloft from December 14, 1983 – December 20, 1983.”

Now it is monarch caterpillars. Just look at the poor things. I don’t believe they even know what is happening to them. The experiment appears to promote monarch biology in the classroom and also studies the life cycle of the butterfly in outer space and affect of loss of gravity and weightlessness at the same time.

Butterflies are free. We build habitat for the monarch butterfly and sell milkweed seed (their host plant) so they might live. Happy Tonics is building a floral corridor across the USA so the butterfly will have abundant host and nectar sources along its migration route. We have a Monarch Butterfly Habitat in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. If you go outside surely you will see that they live in a natural world. They fly, but not in outer space.

I made another bracelet inspired by Silver Parrot’s challenge – even though I can enter only once, and it ends today anyway. I am really fond of how the colours of this one turned out. But it was hard to get the fit right… I used a bronze toggle first – too short. Then I made this hook clasp from copper wire – still a little too short. In the end, I just added some extender chain, so now I can wear it, and I will! I ended up using my new bronze metal core beads, which I had already shown you – I didn’t intend to, I wanted to use some bronze connectors, but it just didn’t look balanced.

The bracelet was inspired by this picture of a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus):

This butterfly lives in North America and happens to have pretty interesting caterpillars – they are first very small and brown, later they turn green and in the end they are yellow-orange, just before they pupate. But the funniest thing: they have a swollen thorax with very realistic eyespots, as you can see in this beautiful photo. For human eyes, I think this makes them look incredibly cute. In the eyes of a bird, it makes them look like a small snake

Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio troilus), ursprünglich hochgeladen von Michael Hodge

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir arrest four people trying to smuggle the rare medicinal herb, caterpillar fungus, to China…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: xiamen china. The blog is also related to: xian china.

Have you ever asked yourself what all you have accomplished?  Are you accomplished in anything?  Have you ever done anything that you feel good about? 

These questions are difficult for me to answer.  Often times, I feel like I fail at many things, though I give everything all I have.  Am I too critical?  I have been told that I have the worst self-esteem of anyone.  Would that be my accomplishment?  That I have accomplished a low self-esteem?

Hmmm…

Back in the spring of 2008, my son and I visited a butterfly farm and purchased a caterpillar to raise into a Monarch butterfly.  It was an amazing process to witness.  I photographed every stage from the larva eating milkweed, to forming the chrysalis, and finally ”her” emergence, which I also video taped.  I definitely felt that I had accomplished something that day.

Having a child and raising him has given me a sense of accomplishment, but it requires much more involvement.  One thing has been for certain, I haven’t been able to just sit and photograph him growing and maturing into a young person…who will later become a man.  Yes, a man!  Someone recently told me that I was raising a man. YIKES! 

Raising the Monarch was much easier and quicker.

Here are the highlights of our Monarch’s metamorphosis.

Unbelievable site that I recently discovered somehow (if I could retrace the site-to-site-to-site-ad infinitum itinerary, I promise I would.): Kiddie Records Weekly: Classics from the Golden Age. Kiddie Records Weekly features a weekly selection of  vintage children’s album designs. Their archives are enormous, AND they stream all the audio! It’s pure old-school craziness! Go forth and enjoy. And, for now, here are some of my faves (but I still have stacks to pore through):

Aren’t they amazing? Love them. Love the colors, love the type, love the illustrations… love it all.

Understanding the laws of Nature has its own merits. Sometimes they puzzle you, sometimes they baffle you and sometimes they tell you to learn from the lessons which Nature gives you every moment. All what is needed is time to pay attention to detail.

I would like to tell you a small story.

Caterpillar

The caterpillar is one of the ugliest creations. Kids loathe it. They jump away when they see a caterpillar with its hairy body. The caterpillar has no fault, neither does it intend to harm anybody. It has the softest skin which is torn apart by crows and woodpeckers. It moves slowly and eats the fruits, flowers and everything else which it can bite. Poor caterpillar, it cant even see. It moves in response to stimuli of vibration, roughness of the surface and adjusts somehow. It can not even run away from its enemy. To add to its misery, its growth is slow and it has to endure all the pain, suffering and hatred of people around it. It just lives. However, it does not give hope. It fights. It doesnot obey rules, it does not think much ahead. It lives in the present and hopes to end the day, alive. It is a painful phase and the caterpillar is gloomy and truly enough, it radiates dullness, pain and disgust for itself. But still, an inner voice within it propels it forward to the next day.

Caterpillar cant think, or maybe it can. But in any case, Caterpillar has a mind. And a fire burns within the mind. Mindfire. Slowly, with each passing day, the caterpillars body shrinks, its hairs fall off, become microscopic and it adds tan. The tan is of the sun, of the experience of evading predators. It basks in sunlight. Slowly its antennae develop and now it can sense things much better. It keeps on struggling and keeps on fighting. Willpower is at its peak, dedication is at its peak, not for prosperity, but for survival. It starts enjoying success. It forgets the pain it had been through. It develops its legs, tiny yet strong. It starts to walk. There is a great difference between crawling and walking. It can only be experienced by people who have been thorough such phases.

Butterfly

The caterpillar always has 2 options in life. One, to give way to the air of disgrace around it, crib, suffer and die. Two, to fight, stay alive and move to the next fruit to eat. Surprisingly, the small creature does the second. Amazingly, in a few weeks, the caterpillar develops eyes and wings! It can not only see but can fly too. And suddenly, it understands the meaning of the suffering. It was only meant to make it stronger. It is no longer crawling, but it can now spread its wings and fly! When it spreads its wings, nature marvels at the beauty of the tiny creature. It is no longer tiny now.

Children love it. They call the caterpillar – Butterfly. Colorful, Radiant, Successful. It is not afraid anymore. It is free.

The story ends. The moral is clear.

All startups have risks. But not all established companies are risk free. Since they are not, every company has a risk mitigation strategy built by paying thousands of dollars to Risk Advisory Consulting firms. Mid-sized companies with lesser manpower capacities are like caterpillars who have lost their disgust and are now developing the eyes and wings. They have seen the hardships of the startup, now have a sustained and increasing customer base, more and more projects in the pipeline. However, they are not butterflies. They have not learnt how to fly yet, but getting ready for it. Client appreciations, repeat business and customer testimonials give them the courage to go ahead. Caterpillars are not ugly, they are just on the verge of becoming Natures most beautiful creation. They are far away from untruth. Mid-sized organisations are the same. Non-hierarchical, seamless information flow in lesser time, easier to adapt to unforeseen situations and who stand by you in delivering all what you need.

It is time to start recognizing the future butterflies in the corporate world.

Cheers!

See you guys tomorrow.

Let’s look at the Tomato Hornworm!

The Tomato Hornworm

This big green caterpillar LOVES tomatoes! It’s a big green caterpillar with these cool shaped markings on its side and has a black horn on its rear.

Imagine how this little creepy crawler affects farming, and your local grocery store. They are so hard to spot because of their green colour. They hide right under branches close to the truck, commonly attacking tomato, eggplant, pepper and potatoes.

One way to reduce the population of tomato hornworms is by planting Marigold flowers!

The Tomato Hornworm

Did you know?

Pupa. Don’t call your friends this, but a pupa is basically the life stage of insects that undergo TRANSFORMATION! They go through 4 stages: from the embryo, larva, pupa then imago (adult stage).

These guys, morph into a HAWK MOTH! Yes a HAWK MOTH. Hawk moths are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. Some are capable of flying at over 30 miles an hour!

Bonjour

Pour INFO, nous avons des livres “CATERPILLES ” en vente à l’USTM CGT Isère au prix de 5 €. (v.PJ)

Ce livre rassemble des photographies de luttes suite au conflit social contre les licenciements à CATERPILLAR Grenoble et  Echirolles.

We were having a drink in Regusto, a bar in Beirut, when this little guy came ‘walking’ by. One thing you’d never see in Amsterdam… (but maybe not one of the reasons I miss Lebanon!)

See also Qussa.nl: Stories from Afar and Up Close

English Breakfast Spiral Roll Sushi

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

Forget the dried tasteless stuff you find in the supermarket, nothing beats freshly made sushi, it’s delicious! I decided to experiment with my sushi fillings and came up with some untraditional combinations.

First up were dragon/caterpillar rolls. I couldn’t get my hands on barbequed eel so I used goose & smoked salmon for my fillings. The classic combination of goose & plum worked well, as did the smoked salmon & chicory. However I need to work on my rolling technique as they were on the loose side so fell apart.

Goose filling & caramelized plum Dragonpillar Roll

Smoked salmon & cucumber filling, chicory & red onion Dragonpillar Roll

Secondly I made my spiral roll. I love playing around with different cultural cuisines so decided to incorporate the English Breakfast into my sushi. I used fried egg, sausage, tomato, mushroom, peas, baked beans. This was exciting and tasted great, my favorite of all the sushi I made.

Fried egg, tomato, baked beans, sausage,mushroom & peas

English Breakfast Spiral Sushi Roll

Finally I made Maki rolls. I went for a sweeter theme to this, using figs, pumpkin, beetroot, apple, sweetcorn & cream cheese. I used a mixture of black sticky rice as well as sushi rice for a two-toned effect. Unfortunately I ran out of time & rice to make the nigiri sushi in time for the posting date.

Maki Sushi Rolls

Cream cheese, chive & fig Maki Roll

Black sticky rice & Pumpkin Maki Roll

PART 1 : SUSHI RICE (makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice)

Preparation time: 1¾ hours consisting of :-
Rinsing and draining rice: 35 minutes
Soaking rice: 30 minutes (includes 5 minutes making the vinegar dressing)
Cooking and steaming time: 25 minutes
Finishing the rice: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2½ cups uncooked short grain rice

2½ cups water

For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water

Optional Ingredients

3 inch (75mm or 15 grams) square dashi konbu (or kombu) (dried kelp seaweed) wipe with a damp cloth to remove white powder & cut a few slits in the sides of the kelp to help release its flavours

2½ teaspoons (12.5 mls) of sake (Japanese rice wine)

Sushi vinegar dressing

5 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar

5 Teaspoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar

1¼ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt

DIRECTIONS:
Rinsing and draining the rice

Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don’t crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.

Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.

Soaking the rice

Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).

Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu.

Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.

Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.

Heat on low setting.

Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked.

Cooking the rice

After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice.

Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil.

Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.

Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.

Finishing the rice

Turning out the rice

Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.

Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.

Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.

Dressing the rice with vinegar

Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.

Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don’t stir or mash rice.

After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.

Fanning & Tossing the rice

Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don’t flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended.

Stop fanning when there’s no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.

Keeping the rice moist

Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

* Tip: To make sushi rice: for each cup of rice use 1 cup of water, 2 Tbs rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sake. For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water when cooking the sushi rice since the weight of rice can vary. Weight of 2½ cups of uncooked rice is about 525 grams or 18½ ounces.

* Tip: While the rice is draining, soaking and cooking prepare your rice vinegar dressing, sushi fillings and toppings.

* Tip: Photo series on How to Cook Rice with a Pot
http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/how_to_make_sushi/how_to_cook_rice_with…

* Tip: Photo series on How to Make Sushi Rice with Tools You Already Own
http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/how_to_make_sushi/how_to_make_sushi_ric…

NOTES:
Sushi Rice – choose a short or medium grain rice. Do not use Arborio, long-grain, or parboiled white rice. Medium-grained calrose is a suitable rice. Rice expands (about 3 times) when cooked so make sure your pot is large enough. Washing the rice removes the rice flour that coats the rice and gives a fresh flavour and scent to the cooked rice. Look for rice that is labelled ’sushi’ rice. Cooked sushi rice can be placed in plastic bags and frozen for 3 months, microwave when needed. Cooked sushi rice should be sticky, shiny and the individual grains of rice can been see. Price: AUS $4/KG.

Dashi konbu – or ( dashi kombu) – dried kelp, it looks like broad, leathery, wrinkly greenish ribbon often coated with a white powder. The darker green the leaves, the better the quality of kelp. Dashi konbu adds a refreshing light ocean taste to sushi rice. Price: AUS $1.50 for ten 3”(75mm) squares.

Rice Vinegar – this gives prepared sushi rice its unique clean, crisp taste. Do not use bottled “sushi vinegar” as it is too harsh and has a bitter after-taste. Look carefully at the label of the rice vinegar it should have NO SALT and NO SUGAR in the product. Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute if rice vinegar is not available. You can use mild white wine vinegar or mild red wine vinegar if you cannot find rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. DO NOT USE NORMAL WHITE VINEGAR it is too harsh. Price: AUS $4 /500ml bottle.

Sake – Japanese rice wine. Do not use cooking sake or Chinese cooking rice wine, look for a reasonably priced drinkable sake. Refrigerate opened sake & use within two months. You can use vodka or a mild tasting gin if sake is not available. Price: AUS $10/500ml bottle.

Sugar – you can use mild honey or any other vegan substitute to give the equivalent sweetness.

PART 2 : Dragon Rolls (also called Caterpillar Rolls)

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Cooking time: about 5 minutes (grilling the eel)

Yield: 2 inside-out (uramaki) sushi rolls

INGREDIENTS:

1 sheet 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm) of toasted nori (dried seaweed sheets), cut into halves

1/2 Japanese cucumber

2 cups of prepared sushi rice

Glazed Barbecued Eel (ungai) (about 3½ ounces or 100 grams)

1 Avocado

Vinegared Water – ½ cup of water combined with a dash of rice vinegar

Various small amounts of sauces to use as the flames of the dragon (or legs of a caterpillar)

Optional

2 tablespoons (25 grams or 1 oz) Fish Roe (Fish eggs)

DIRECTIONS:
1.Cut cucumber into strips ¼ inch (6mm) x 7” (175mm) long, then salt, rinse & dry the strips.
2.Grill (broil) the eel for about 2-5 minutes until bubbling. Cut into two lengthwise strips.
3.Halve, pit and peel the avocado. Cut the avocado halves into thin even 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Fan out the cut avocado into a 7 inch (175 mm) overlapping pattern.
4.Cover bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori shiny side down, lengthwise, on the edge the mat.
5.Moisten lightly your hands in the bowl of vinegared water.
6.Place one cup of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
7.Flip the rice-covered nori over (so the bare nori is now on top) and place on the edge of the mat closest to you.
8.Arrange one of the eel strips across the length of the nori, not quite centred on it but a little closer to you. Place half the cucumber sticks next to the eel.
9.Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with both hands, keeping your fingertips over the fillings, and roll the mat and its contents until the edge of the mat touches straight down on the nori, enclosing the fillings completely. Lift up the edge of the mat you’re holding, and continue rolling the inside-out roll away from you until it’s sealed. Tug at the mat to tighten the seal. If the rice doesn’t quite close the roll add more rice in the gap and re-roll using the mat to completely cover the inside-out roll. Place the roll on a damp, clean smooth surface.
10.Spread about 1 tablespoon of the optional fish roe along the entire top of the rice-covered roll. Using the plastic covered mat gently press the fish roe so it adheres to the rice.
11.Slide a knife under one fan of avocado and transfer it onto the top of an inside-out roll. Gently spread out the avocado layer to cover the entire roll. Lay the plastic wrapped mat over the avocado-covered roll. Squeeze very gently to shape the roll.
12. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll. Slice the roll into 6-8 equal, bite-sized pieces, wiping your knife with a damp towel before each slice. Discard the plastic wrap. Repeat the above to make one more roll.
13.Arrange the cut pieces on a serving plate with the sauces so the finished dish appears as a dragon breathing fire and flames (or a caterpillar with many legs).

* Tip: The most common mistake is having too much filling the golden rule is less is more when it comes to making sushi it is easier to roll an under-filled roll than an over-filled roll.

* Tip: Dampen your knife with a moist lint-free towel before every cut – this prevents the sushi rice from sticking to your knife.

* Tip: Excellent videos on making Dragon Rolls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQZGRohVNFQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo55iBN9FQs&feature=related

NOTES:
Bamboo mat (makisu) – A 10 inch (25cm) square mat made of thin slates of bamboo tied together with string.
Substitutes: a thin magazine cut to size wrapped in plastic wrap or a few layers of parchment paper cut to size about 10 inch (25cm) square.

Nori – Sheets of seaweed (laver) processed into thin sheets about 7 inches x 8 inches (17.5cm x 20cm) in size. Always re-toast the nori sheet over a gas stove on low flame for 5 to 10 seconds, or place nori on a clean oven rack and bake it in a preheated 350F-degree (180C) oven for 30 seconds. Nori should be sealed tightly in a plastic bag and used within a few months. It can be stored in the freezer. Nori will deteriorate if left out of its sealed package so use quickly.
Substitutes: Thin cooked egg omelette cut to same size as a nori sheet (7 inches by 8 inches or 17.5cm x 20cm). Also soya bean wrappers, rice paper, tofu wrappers, dosas, crepes or an overlapping layer of thinly sliced cooked vegetables.

Glazed Freshwater Barbecued Eel (unagi) – Deliciously rich and a little like pork they are sold in packs in the freezer (and sometimes the fresh fish) section of Asian markets.
Substitutes: Teriyaki chicken, cooked crab meat, smoked fish, smoked chicken, seared beef with BBQ sauce, deep fried tofu with dark soya sauce, tinned pink or red salmon, smoked salmon, fresh cooked soy beans with a selection of dark sauces, caramelized onions, firm cream cheese, or extra avocado with BBQ sauce as the filling. Any remaining eel should be left in the package re-wrapped in plastic and returned to the freezer as quickly as possible.

Japanese Cucumber – Japanese cucumbers are thin-skinned, seedless and contain much less water than normal cucumber.
Substitutes: English or hothouse cucumbers which have been peeled, de-seeded and salted as above. If not available try matchsticks of your favourite crisp vegetable.

Avocado –
Substitutes: If not available use slices of roasted capsicum (bell pepper), slices of roasted tomatoes, lightly cooked whole snap (snow) peas, slices of Japanese daikon radish or other cooked thinly sliced vegetables, or slices of ’sushi’ grade fish such as tuna, yellow tail and red snapper; smoked salmon, pastrami, salami, various colours of fish roe, or various colours of sesame seeds.

Fish Roe (Fish eggs or caviar) – most roes (fish eggs) are rich so they are served in small portions. Try salmon roe (ikura), smelt roe (masago) or seasoned flying-fish roe (tobiko).
Substitutes: You can use toasted sesame seeds or black onion (nigella) seeds as a vegan choice.

PART 3 : Spiral Sushi Roll
This is easiest ‘decorative’ sushi roll.

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice

Yield: One Roll, cut into 8 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

2½ cups prepared sushi rice

2 sheets of toasted nori, each sized 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm)

Six assorted fillings, each filling should be the size of a pencil (see note below)

DIRECTIONS:
1.Join 2 sheets of nori by moistening the adjacent edges and overlapping them about ½ inch (12mm).
2.Place this double sheet shiny side down on a rolling mat, part of the nori will extend beyond the mat.
3.Using moist fingers place 2½ cups of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly, leaving ¼ inch (6mm) nori showing on the both ends of the sheet. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
4.Using your fingers form six grooves (in the same direction that you will be rolling the mat) at even intervals across the bed of rice. Make the first groove about 2 inches (50 mm) from the edge of the nori sheet. Form the grooves by pushing the rice away, do not mash or squash the rice, leave a loose one grain layer of rice in the bottom of the grooves. Level the areas between the grooves where you have pushed the rice.
5.Place your fillings in the grooves. Fill the grooves a little higher than the surrounding rice bed.
6.Then roll the sushi up from the edge closest to you, this will form a spiral pattern of nori, rice and fillings inside the roll.
7.Slice into 8 pieces with a very sharp wet knife, wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each cut.
8.Place the pieces on a platter and garnish.

NOTE:
Make each groove about a finger-width wide they will hold about 1-2 tablespoons of filling. Use fillings that compliment each other and are highly coloured. Use parboiled vegetables cut into strips, seafood, left over eel, smoked fish or chicken, whole cooked beans, edible flowers etc….

PART 4 : Nigiri Sushi
Nigiri sushi is the type of sushi most often made in sushi bars. In Japanese, nigiri means “squeeze”.

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice

Yield: 14-16 pieces of sushi

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups prepared sushi rice

8 pairs of assorted toppings, 200 gms/7 ozs total of fish, meat or vegetables (see note below)

1 tablespoon Wasabi (paste, reconstituted powder) or any other paste to adhere topping to rice

Optional

Garnishes such as Ginger (pickled), chilli strips, vegetables flowers etc

Thin strips of nori or vegetables (for tying topping on)

DIRECTIONS:
1.When handling sushi rice, make certain your hands are very clean. To keep the rice from sticking to our hands moisten your hands with vinegared water.
2.Form nigiri sushi by scooping up a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of rice with your forefinger and second finger of your right hand and placing it in your cupped left palm.
3.Use the fingers and thumb of your right hand to form it into a long, narrow mound (about 2 inches x 1 inch wide or 50mm x 25mm) in your cupped palm.
4.Press enough to make the rice hold firmly together. Place the nigiri on a damp cutting board flat side down. Don’t let sushi touch or they’ll stick to each other. At this point, you can cover the sushi with plastic wrap, and they’ll keep at room temperature (not the refrigerator) for several hours.
5.Smear a thin line of wasabi on top of the rice and place the topping piece on it. You may need to press the topping down lightly with your fingers and adjust the shape of the rice accordingly to form an attractive piece of nigiri sushi. If your topping is very loose like fish roe you can place a strip of nori (higher than the rice) around the nigiri and form ‘battleship’ sushi. The cavity that the nori forms holds the topping so it does not fall off.
6.Garnish as desired and use strips of nori (or vegetable) to tie the topping to the nigiri if needed.
7.It is customary to make nigiri sushi in pairs, so make two of each variety.

* Tips: A great video on making nigiri sushi
http://www.howcast.com/videos/270-How-To-Make-Sushi
A great web page on slicing fish for nigiri
http://www.sushilinks.com/sushi-recipes/how-to-buy-fish/index.html

NOTES:
Seafood nigiri must use sushi grade (sashimi grade) fish. Try tuna, red sea bream (red snapper), yellowtail or salmon. Cooked shrimp, cooked crab, cooked meat can also be used! You can use any vegetable you wish try asparagus, pumpkin, carrot, avocado, cucumber, shiitake mushroom, tofu, thin sliced egg omelette, etc… Thinly slice or julienne vegetables, parboiling if necessary tie on with a thin (1/4” or 6mm) strip of nori or vegetable strip wrapped around the whole sushi if needed..

*MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE YOU MUST READ THIS* – If you are using raw fish or raw meat it must be ’sushi’ grade (sashimi grade) ask your fishmonger or butcher for advice and if in doubt don’t use. Find your local Japanese market and ask them where the best sushi (sashimi) fish is. Maybe you can buy sushi grade fish at your local sushi bar. Purchase flash-frozen sashimi grade fish which is guaranteed to be free of all parasites. Only salt-water fish and shellfish should be consumed raw. Crab and prawn (shrimp) should always be cooked. Sashimi grade fish should have a clean cool smell if it smells fishy it is a sign that the fish is old and cannot be used. If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system only use cooked ingredients. There is no need to use raw fish or raw meat in sushi.

     Caterpillar

     Disney Princess

     Dora The Explorer

     Dynamix

     Go Diego Go

     Halo Wars

     King Arthur

     MagnaBones/MagnaSaurs

     Magnext

     Mega Bloks Maxi System

     Neo Shifters

     Plasmaverse

     Spheron

     Struxx Construction System

     Tiny n Tuff Buildables

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• [TOTAL] 969
• [NUKES] 37 (3.81%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Alvin.Superstar.2007.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-Republic [1 year 30 wks 1 day 1 hour 24 mins 20 secs] [04/15/2008 16:10:46 GMT]
• [LATEST] S.Darko.2009.iTALiAN.720p.BluRay.x264-Republic [1 day 8 hrs 51 mins 47 secs s] [11/11/2009 07:43:19 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Corsa.A.Witch.Mountain.2009.iTALiAN.1080p.BluRay.x264-Republic [wrong.audio.stream_get.rerip] [Wed Aug 05 10:42:44 BST 2009]

BoX

• [TOTAL] 3651
• [NUKES] 278 (7.61%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] The.Singing.Detective.2003.iTALiAN.MD.DVDRip.DirFiX.XviD-BoX [4 yrs 37 wks 1 day 20 hrs 27 mins 45 secs] [02/25/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] La.Signora.In.Giallo.S10E01.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-BoX [1 day 22 hrs 47 mins 15 secs s] [11/10/2009 20:40:30 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Scrubs.S08E09.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-BoX [no.reason.given_get.repack] [Thu Nov 05 06:00:14 GMT 2009]

MvN

• [TOTAL] 2760
• [NUKES] 46 (1.66%) [Last 24hrs] 13
• [OLDEST] Shoot.Em.Up.Spara.O.Muori.2007.iTALiAN.MD.DVDRiP.XviD-MvN [1 year 28 wks 6 days 22 hrs 9 mins 2 secs] [04/23/2008 19:29:46 GMT]
• [LATEST] Better.Of.Ted.S01E04.iTALiAN.LD.HDTV.XviD-MvN [1 hour 45 mins 14 secs s] [11/12/2009 14:53:34 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Bones.S01.D01.iTALiAN.PAL.DVDR-MvN [grp.req_get.repack] [Mon Nov 09 16:55:40 GMT 2009]

SVD

• [TOTAL] 1568
• [NUKES] 76 (4.84%) [Last 24hrs] 1
• [OLDEST] Felix.Il.Coniglietto.E.La.Macchina.Del.Tempo.2006.iTALiAN.LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-SVD [2 yrs 31 wks 1 day 21 hrs 10 mins 8 secs] [04/08/2007 20:31:54 GMT]
• [LATEST] Dont.Say.A.Word.2001.iTALIAN.DVDRip.XviD-SVD [18 hrs 10 mins 37 secs s] [11/11/2009 22:31:25 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Lost.S04E04.iTALiAN.720p.BluRay.x264-SVD [dupe.Rebels.2008-12-29] [Thu Sep 17 08:41:00 BST 2009]

Rebels

• [TOTAL] 269
• [NUKES] 7 (2.60%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Hostel.Part.2.2007.iTALiAN.1080p.BluRay.x264-Rebels [45 wks 4 days 21 hrs 50 mins 25 secs] [12/27/2008 19:05:18 GMT]
• [LATEST] Walk.All.Over.Me.2007.iTALiAN.STV.DVDRip.XviD-Rebels [1 day 4 hrs 31 mins 31 secs s] [11/11/2009 12:24:12 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] L.Arte.Della.Guerra.3.2009.iTALiAN.STV.PAL.DVDR-Rebels [grp.req] [Sat Aug 29 12:39:21 BST 2009]

CPY

• [TOTAL] 1117
• [NUKES] 45 (4.02%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] American.Beauty.DivX.ITALIAN-CPY [8 yrs 47 wks 4 days 17 hrs 59 mins 54 secs] [12/15/2000 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Il.Cacciatore.1978.ITALIAN.DTS.1080p.BluRay.x264-CPY [3 days 21 hrs 58 mins 51 secs s] [11/08/2009 19:01:03 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Il.Grinch.2000.ITALIAN.DTS.720p.BluRay.x264-CPY [dupe.DuX.2009-10-29_pred.1256796874] [Sat Oct 31 15:57:31 GMT 2009]

KnG

• [TOTAL] 461
• [NUKES] 8 (1.73%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Los.Serrano.T03.EP17.TVRip.XViD.MP3.2004.ES-KNG [5 yrs 20 wks 1 day 19 hrs 36 mins 26 secs] [06/24/2004 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Cavalca.Vaquero.1953.iTALiAN.DVDRiP.XviD-KnG [3 days 5 hrs 43 mins 18 secs s] [11/09/2009 11:53:08 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] La.Signora.Gioca.Bene.A.Scopa.1974.iTALiAN.DVDRiP.XviD-KnG [dupe.CSi.2007-10-31] [Thu Dec 13 11:54:46 GMT 2007]

S0NA

• [TOTAL] 290
• [NUKES] 3 (1.03%) [Last 24hrs] 4
• [OLDEST] La.Vita.Secondo.Jim.S08E01.iTALiAN.LD.HDTV.XviD-S0NA [19 wks 6 days 4 hrs 9 mins 54 secs] [06/26/2009 14:28:42 GMT]
• [LATEST] S.Darko.2009.iTALiAN.PAL.DVD9-S0NA [1 hour 31 secs s] [11/12/2009 16:38:05 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Senza.Traccia.S06E03.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-S0NA [grp.req] [Tue Sep 29 19:05:08 BST 2009]

ENCRyPTED

• [TOTAL] 290
• [NUKES] 17 (5.86%) [Last 24hrs] 2
• [OLDEST] Lo.Scudetto.Del.Centenario.2008.iTALiAN.Disk3.DVDRip.XviD-ENCRyPTED [49 wks 5 days 20 hrs 5 mins 20 secs] [11/28/2008 23:15:45 GMT]
• [LATEST] Estate.Violenta.1959.iTALiAN.FESTiVAL.PAL.DVDR-ENCRyPTED [22 mins 52 secs s] [11/12/2009 18:58:13 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Gremlins.1984.iTALiAN.BDRip.XviD-ENCRyPTED [dupe.FTS.2001-05-31] [Sun Nov 08 19:51:00 GMT 2009]

ITZ

• [TOTAL] 2279
• [NUKES] 66 (2.89%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] American_Beauty-DVDRip-ITZ [7 yrs 27 wks 5 days 21 hrs 23 mins 25 secs] [05/03/2002 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] X-Files.S4.P24.Gethsemane.DVDRip.DivX.ITA-ITZ [4 days 3 hrs 33 mins 24 secs s] [11/08/2009 15:50:01 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Law.And.Order.SVU.S10E03.iTALiAN.SFV.FiX.LD.DVDRip.XviD-ITZ [invalid.fix_you.cant.sfvfix.only.repack] [Fri Oct 02 16:02:25 BST 2009]

i7

• [TOTAL] 96
• [NUKES] 0 (0.0%) [Last 24hrs] 3
• [OLDEST] The.Listener.S01E01.iTALiAN.720p.HDTV.x264-i7 [12 wks 3 days 23 hrs 41 mins 45 secs] [08/16/2009 20:43:11 GMT]
• [LATEST] Secondo.Amore.1955.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-i7 [52 mins 46 secs s] [11/12/2009 18:32:10 GMT]

169

• [TOTAL] 287
• [NUKES] 4 (1.39%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Weekend.At.Bernies.1989.ITALIAN.PAL.COMPLETE.DVDR-169 [4 yrs 39 wks 6 days 12 hrs 36 mins 40 secs] [02/18/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Donne.Con.Le.Gonne.1991.iTALIAN.PAL.DVDR-169 [1 week 6 days 13 hrs 27 mins 10 secs s] [11/10/2009 22:09:30 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Da.Grande.1987.ITALIAN.PAL.COMPLETE.DVDR-169 [dupe.ITZ.2007-06-22] [Fri Sep 04 22:07:09 BST 2009]

BBFiTA

• [TOTAL] 784
• [NUKES] 13 (1.65%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] 24.S2.D1.iTALiAN.DVDR.PAL-BBFiTA [4 yrs 40 wks 4 days 12 hrs 39 mins 47 secs] [02/13/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Troppo.Forte.1986.iTALiAN.COMPLETE.PAL.DVDR-BBFiTA [4 days 16 hrs 44 mins 34 secs s] [11/19/2009 18:55:13 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Fratelli.D.Italia.1989.iTALiAN.COMPLETE.PAL.DVDR-BBFiTA [dupe.ENCRyPTED.2009-11-06] [Thu Nov 19 12:02:47 GMT 2009]

BBZ

• [TOTAL] 4107
• [NUKES] 109 (2.65%) [Last 24hrs] 2
• [OLDEST] Korea.Forgotten.Conflict.ITA-BBZ [5 yrs 42 wks 4 days 12 hrs 42 mins 1 second] [01/31/2004 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] FlashForward.S01E08.iTALiAN.HDTV.XviD-BBZ [1 hour 24 mins 24 secs s] [11/24/2009 10:17:37 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Naruto.S02E19.iTALiAN.DVDRiP.XviD-BBZ [stereo.for.mono_get.RUNNER.proper] [Sun Nov 22 17:08:20 GMT 2009]

CATERPiLLAR

• [TOTAL] 1131
• [NUKES] 13 (1.14%) [Last 24hrs] 6
• [OLDEST] La.Soluzione.iTALiAN.XXX.DvDRip.MP4.PSP-CATERPiLLAR [4 yrs 5 wks 5 days 13 hrs 44 mins 30 secs] [10/15/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] NCIS.S06E11.iTALiAN.LD.DVDRip.XviD-CATERPiLLAR [21 hrs 47 mins 28 secs s] [11/23/2009 13:57:02 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] NCIS.S06E05.iTALiAN.LD.DVDRip.XviD-CATERPiLLAR [no.reason.given_get.repack] [Tue Oct 20 22:55:17 BST 2009]

CSi

• [TOTAL] 768
• [NUKES] 46 (5.98%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Veronica.Mars.S03E04.iTALiAN.LD.DVDRip.XviD-CSi [2 yrs 1 week 2 days 20 hrs 21 mins 40 secs] [11/15/2007 15:25:35 GMT]
• [LATEST] Prison.Break.S01E23.iTALiAN.DD.720p.BluRay.x264-CSi [4 wks 7 hrs 35 mins 38 secs s] [10/27/2009 04:11:37 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Las.Vegas.S04E14.iTALiAN.LD.DVDRip.XviD-CSi [dupe.DiViN3.2008-01-21] [Fri Jul 25 13:06:35 BST 2008]

DiVER

• [TOTAL] 1623
• [NUKES] 12 (0.73%) [Last 24hrs] 6
• [OLDEST] Full.Metal.Panic.Fumoffu.2003.DVD1.iTALiAN.COMPLETE.PAL.DVDR-DiVER [3 yrs 35 wks 18 hrs 4 mins 44 secs] [03/24/2006 17:46:07 GMT]
• [LATEST] La.Stampa.11.24.09.iTALiAN.eBook-DiVER [3 hrs 31 mins 31 secs s] [11/24/2009 08:19:20 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] La.Gazzetta.Dello.Sport.06.15.09.iTALiAN.eBook-DiVER [9.03.06.inside] [Mon Jun 15 13:05:18 BST 2009]

DiViN3

• [TOTAL] 1965
• [NUKES] 20 (1.01%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Tickets.2005.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-DiViN3 [4 yrs 11 wks 2 days 13 hrs 52 mins 41 secs] [09/06/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Distretto.Di.Polizia.S09E24.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-DiViN3 [1 day 12 hrs 30 mins 10 secs s] [11/22/2009 23:22:31 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Squadra.Antimafia.Palermo.Oggi.S01E02.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-DiViN3 [dupe.4SG4RD.2009-04-11] [Tue Apr 14 22:58:20 BST 2009]

DUX

• [TOTAL] 2347
• [NUKES] 26 (1.10%) [Last 24hrs] 1
• [OLDEST] American.Dreamz.2006.iTALiAN.PAL.DVDR-DuX [3 yrs 9 wks 1 day 2 hrs 51 mins 26 secs] [09/22/2006 10:03:29 GMT]
• [LATEST] Assassinio.Su.Commissione.1979.iTALiAN.MULTiSUBS.PAL.DVDR-DuX [18 hrs 14 mins 24 secs s] [11/23/2009 17:40:31 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] La.Casa.Stregata.1982.iTALiAN.COMPLETE.PAL.DVDR-DuX [dupe.BBF.2004-11-26] [Sat Nov 14 23:24:12 GMT 2009]

GALACTiCA

• [TOTAL] 98
• [NUKES] 5 (5.10%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Dexter.S01D01.iTALiAN.PAL.DVDR-GALACTiCA [1 year 1 week 2 days 15 hrs 45 mins 47 secs] [11/14/2008 20:10:29 GMT]
• [LATEST] Mai.Dire.Grande.Fratello.2009.E14.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-GALACTiCA [2 days 7 hrs 25 mins 26 secs s] [11/22/2009 04:30:50 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Moto.Gp.2009.Gran.Premio.Del.Giappone.DiRFiX.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-GALACTiCA [fix.for.nuke_oversized_should.be.440mb_i44.tinypic.com.29yp9ja.png] [Sun May 17 16:05:25 BST 2009]

FSi

• [TOTAL] 998
• [NUKES] 44 (4.40%) [Last 24hrs] 1
• [OLDEST] Desperate.Housewives.S03E07.iTALiAN.iNTERNAL.LD.HDTV.XviD-FSi [2 yrs 32 wks 3 days 15 hrs 25 mins 49 secs] [04/11/2007 21:32:31 GMT]
• [LATEST] Hokuto.No.Ken.S01E96.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-FSi [6 hrs 10 mins 2 secs s] [11/24/2009 05:48:18 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Hokuto.No.Ken.S01E20.iTALiAN.DVDRip.XviD-FSi [bad.audio_get.repack] [Fri May 15 22:42:19 BST 2009]

iTWINS

• [TOTAL] 378
• [NUKES] 27 (7.14%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Warhammer.40000.Dawn.Of.War.Winter.Assault.iTALiAN.CLONED-iTWINS [4 yrs 7 wks 5 days 14 hrs 1 minute 32 secs] [10/01/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Still.Life.2.RETAIL.READNFO.iTALIAN-iTWINS [4 days 1 hour 57 mins 54 secs s] [11/20/2009 10:03:38 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Secret.Files.2.Puritas.Cordis.iTALIAN.CloneDVD-iTWINS [dupe.CPY.2009-05-14] [Fri May 15 11:11:29 BST 2009]

TRiBECA

• [TOTAL] 1893
• [NUKES] 47 (2.48%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Skw-Alter_Ego-2005-TRiBECA [4 yrs 45 wks 2 days 13 hrs 2 mins 57 secs] [01/11/2005 23:00:00 GMT]
• [LATEST] Las.Vegas.S02E10.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-TRiBECA [1 day 17 hrs 6 mins 30 secs s] [11/22/2009 18:56:27 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Chuck.S01E04.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-TRiBECA [.fine_pdtv.vs.hdtv-)] [Tue Oct 28 22:32:55 GMT 2008]

PMB5

• [TOTAL] 1104
• [NUKES] 42 (3.80%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Il.Commissario.Montalbano.La.Pazienza.Del.Ragno.2006.iTALiAN.STV.DVDRip.XviD-PMB5 [3 yrs 1 week 4 days 21 hrs 21 mins 51 secs] [11/13/2006 14:42:44 GMT]
• [LATEST] The.Shield.S07E09.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-PMB5 [1 day 21 hrs 36 mins 23 secs s] [11/22/2009 14:28:12 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] The.Shield.S07E02.iTALiAN.PDTV.XviD-PMB5 [bad.ar] [Sun Oct 04 12:12:12 BST 2009]

MaGNETiC

• [TOTAL] 49
• [NUKES] 2 (4.08%) [Last 24hrs] 0
• [OLDEST] Ars.Il.Codice.Lavoro.e.Ambiente.73.Ottobre.2006.DVD.iTALiAN-MaGNETiC [3 yrs 5 wks 3 days 15 hrs 54 secs] [10/17/2006 22:05:19 GMT]
• [LATEST] ADOBE.CS4.MASTER.COLLECTION.iTALiAN-MaGNETiC [3 wks 1 day 2 hrs 7 mins 22 secs s] [11/02/2009 09:58:51 GMT]
• [LAST-NUKE] Windows.Vista.SP2.And.Windows.Server.2008.SP2.x86.x64.ia64.Update.DVD-MaGNETiC [free.from.web_tinyurl.com.pt94yx] [Fri May 29 18:44:54 BST 2009]

“Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.”

Daniel J. Boorstin

“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.”

Albert Einstein

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds. Won’t you help to sing the songs of freedom?”

Bob Marley

“I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have. For example, the freedom of thought. Instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.”

Søren Kierkegaard

“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

Benjamin Franklin

“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.”

Moshe Dayan

“We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.”

Edward R. Murrow

“Everything can be taken from a man but … the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Viktor Frankl

I had originally intended to write about a different lesson at this point in the journey. Even though I had written quite a lot, it wasn’t coming together and feeling ready to share. I sat with that for a few days, and during a time of contemplation and reflection, the word freedom loomed large in my awareness (!), and I knew I needed to write about this first.

That was a key right there, having the freedom to change and adapt. Yes that touches on a couple of previous lessons, like flexibility and choice, as it should. All these lessons I am writing about are interrelated, an interconnected weave that makes life all the better!

OK, back to my chosen word for this lesson – freedom.

Sometimes it takes the most challenging situations to truly learn how free we really are. Viktor Frankl’s quote above and his experiences demonstrate, perhaps better than anyone, how free one can be, even in the most dire circumstance. Viktor Frankl survived imprisonment at Auschwitz during World War II. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, he wrote about his experiences there and found inner freedom, which is a powerful teaching. He also had recognition that, rather than our driving force in life being sex and desire (as Freud believed), we are driven more by purpose and meaning as our deepest desire. I concur! But I digress.

I am grateful that I have not had the journey that Viktor had (I certainly appreciate what he went through, and the teaching he brings!). In my far less extreme, yet interesting journey of house-sitting(!), I have learned there is an innate sense of freedom I have on many levels, not least of which is my attitude and choice of how I respond, independent of situation or circumstance. Thank you, Viktor, for your incredible example.

Looking back over the last sixteen months of my house-sitting experiences, I have really experienced an amazing amount of freedom, not just in physical locale (which has been quite an expansive opportunity in itself!), but definitely in my daily experience, feelings and thinking. This experience has afforded me a different, perhaps higher perspective from which to view life, and the choices I make. Yes, there is the obvious freedom of lower overheads – no rent, no utility bills, no upkeep. Yet beyond the surface freedoms, there are some powerful openings of freedom on deeper and more innate levels. I have less attachment to things like a perfect place to stay, or specific luxuries. I have preferences, don’t get me wrong, however, I find I am more free and adaptable in the different places I have stayed, which include air mattresses and bunk beds (careful to look before rising from bed!).

Freedom is one of those weighted words that many misunderstand or they limit in its use (limiting freedom, isn’t that an oxymoron?!). Yes, on the grand scale, in good conscience, we desire to free the slaves, free the oppressed, free the victims from the controllers, etc. Not to belittle these very real concerns, however, look at freedom from the inside out, rather than from the outside in (in the macro, so in the micro, so to speak). How so?

Edward R. Murrow quote above speaks to this in my interpretation, with a couple of substitutions – “We cannot defend freedom outside ourselves by deserting it within ourselves.”

How are you choosing to enslave yourself to the rules, to outside structures, or even to other people’s voices? Are you victim to your own habits, addictions, feelings, needs and wants? Do you find yourself in situations that oppress you?

If we don’t unshackle our own chains first, we will only limit ourselves trying to help others. Their entrapment will simply trigger and confine us. However, when we have freed ourselves from our own limited perceptions, then we can positively serve and free others. For example, if an alcoholic overcomes his or her addictive patterns, he or she can be a powerful role model and guide to others who are in the same or similar situations.

Before we can effectively and truly free anyone else from slavery, oppression or victimization, we must, absolutely, get free from the self-imposed and self-created limits that we put in front of ourselves like some bizarre form of Olympic hurdles!

Speaking of the Olympics, and as an example, as a human race we have found freedom within an apparent limitation. How so? Gravity! Gravity is a trap if we look at it from the point of view of not being as mobile and light as we want, or more readily feeling frustrated and angry because of obesity or simply being overweight. Yet, for many, when we cannot escape this apparent limitation, we accept it, and actually learn to play with it, and in that we claim our freedom! Ever used a skipping rope, a pogo stick, or a swing? There’s even a worldwide phenomenon that happens every four years and involves all manner of gravity defying activities called the Olympic Games. I know that’s a long way to make a point, however truth is, all these, and more, are powerful ways we express freedom in the face of gravity! We find freedom even in the structure of limitation. Apply that to some other areas of your life! What inner limits have you placed on yourself, from self-talk, from others’ influence, from societies rules and laws? Time to embrace a little freedom I reckon!

Many of us have experienced a dark or challenging time in our lives, known perhaps as a dark night of the soul in spiritual circles, a mid-life crisis in polite society, or depression in other circles. Whatever it may be called, it is most often a paradigm shift of world reality that is being birthed, and knowing this before or during the experience is a powerful opening to freedom.

I liken this experience to the caterpillar in the cocoon, where the old has dissolved and the new has yet to manifest. It’s called Caterpillar Soup (thank you Lyena Strelkoff for your capturing that phrase). It can be a time of peace, at one end of the spectrum, or at the other end of the scale, a time of pure panic!

To quote Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy – DON’T PANIC! Getting back to the butterfly, or rather the caterpillar in this stage(!), the caterpillar goes through a transmutation of its form to become the butterfly. It has to totally let go for that transformation to occur, in which there is freedom rather than control or constriction. When the butterfly is ready to emerge fully formed from its cocoon and gain it’s freedom, it must do it alone. The action of pushing itself from the cocoon is the pumping mechanism that pumps into its wings so it may fly. If we interfere with this process, we doom the butterfly to a short limited existence and death. Freedom is not something we can give another, truly. It is something we can experience and claim for ourselves, and cheer another on in their quest for freedom.

My intention is to save you challenges or unnecessary problems, life experiences or traumas. My wish is for you to gain more freedom and joy in life, independent of what life may be bringing you – ultimately turning lemons into lemonade if that’s what life presents to you! And of course, if you need assistance, I bring a powerful set of coaching tools to your aid!

Be inspired!

PB&J
Barry.

* Again, the continued journey of house-sitting and couch-surfing moves forward, and the count increases, so now it rests (for the moment) at 41 places in 16 months. I continue to be so grateful for the support of friends and friends of friends, and am welcoming my next residence immediately!!

Ceci est pour la personne qui a tapé “pelleteuses caterpillar photo” et est arrivée sur ce site …
Ceci étant fait, nous pouvons passer à d’autres choses.

Le film My suicide de David Lee Miller a l’air vraiment tout bon, et en plus Tony Hale joue dedans.
Le pitch : Archie Williams, 17 ans, media-obsessed geek, se retrouve soudain au centre de toutes les attentions quand il annonce qu’il va se suicider (et filmer ça) pour un projet de cours. Du coup, des tas de gens essayent de le sauver. Archie, lui, filme toute son expérience high-school sans rien en cacher (sexe, drogues, violence, …), quitte même à choquer le petit monde qui l’entoure. Le film a d’excellentes cotes et a déjà décroché de nombreux prix, donc on ne peut que vous le recommander.

Le site du film : mysuicide.net
Un critique du film sur Cinematical

Le twitter de Simon Pegg est très cool à suivre, mais Twitter ça devient galère quand vous suivez trop de personnes, et que certaines twittent “énormément”. (Cela dit, grâce au twitter de Nora j’ai appris que le nouveau Douglas Coupland (Generation A) était sorti, ainsi que le dernier Chuck Klosterman (Eating the dinosaur). Evidemment, quand on ne suit pas tout ça de près parce qu’on lit des livres comme The Road Movie Book, on a tendance à vite perdre le fil.)

Et voici quelque chose pour Elixie, si elle ne l’avait pas encore vu (elle a sans doute autre chose à faire à Portland, mais qu’elle en profite, les celebrity ne sont que dans Itunes Canada & USA) : les celebrity playlist podcast d’Adam Goldberg et Drew Barrymore.

Merci Google pour ce retour en enfance avec Rue Sésame, grâce à vous j’ai regardé de vieilles vidéos avec mon neveu et nous avons même été dans le grenier pour en sortir un vieux circuit de voitures électriques. Et Kate est rétablie, merci pour vos petits mots.

These were all homemade by their respective costumers.
Photos are taken from coolest homemade costumes dot com.

Big Rental, a division of Big Machinery provides heavy construction & transport equipment like graders, dozers, trucks & trailers in caterpillar, hitachi, komatsu, volvo and mercedes-benz brands.

Visit:

http://www.bigmachinery.nl/services

http://www.bigmachinery.nl/big_rental

BIG Machinery provides heavy and used machinery equipment like jeep, wheel loaders, mobile excavator, trucks, graders, articulated trucks & trailers in volvo, komatsu & mercedes-benz brands.

Visit:

http://www.bigmachinery.nl/about_big

Contact Big Machinery for articulated trucks, rigid frame trucks, back hoes, dozers, excavators, wheel loaders, mobile excavators in caterpillar, komatsu, hitachi, mercedes benz, volvo, scania, tadano brands.

Visit:

http://www.bigmachinery.nl/contact

For more than 20 years, BIG Machinery has been building the world’s leading distributor and supplier of heavy construction and mining equipment.

BIG Machinery stock of heavy equipment, consisting of more than 150 new and used machines. We have the largest fleet in Europe, and consequently, we can deliver the equipment you want at very short notice.

We supply equipment for very varied applications, from mining, construction and road construction to screening and crushing directly from stock: Articulated trucks, rigid frame trucks, back hoes, dozers, excavators, wheel loaders, mobile excavators, graders, generator sets, telehandlers, trailers, trucks, mixertrucks, concrete pumptrucks, asphalt plants and concrete plants.

BIG Machinery delivers heavy equipment of all leading brands as: Caterpillar, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Komatsu, Scania and Hitachi.

We are a global company, with locations on almost every continent of the world to serve and support you, and respond quickly to needs.

BIG Machinery B.V.
Schiemerik 1
5334 NL Velddriel
The Netherlands

P +31 (0)418 674 545
F +31 (0)418 633 108
E info@bigmachinery.nl
W www.bigmachinery.nl

You’ve booked the flight…secured the coach surfing…just refresh your German now!

Caterpillar is preparing the flash mob in Berlin…follow the German lessons for people who don’t speak German, taught by people who don’t speak it either!

(Vielen Dank, Herr Ramius…)