Oily Food

Americans consume about 400 gallons of oil a year per citizen for agriculture, a close second to our vehicular use. Getting the crop from seed to harvest takes only one-fifth the total oil used for our food. The lion's share is consumed during the trip from the farm to your plate. Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles.

A quick way to improve food-related fuel economy would be if every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.

This information was extracted from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

Soap by the slice: Lovely Lavender

The calming summer scent of lavender is infused into this smooth and silky soy-based soap. Even bits of dried lavender flowers are added to help you experience the natural botanical goodness of this 100% vegan soap.

Olive oil is also used to leave the skin moisturized and nourished. Coconut oil makes for a creamy and rich lather.

Free of skin-drying detergents and loaded with natural glycerin, this soap is pure enough to use on a baby! Relax in the tub with one of these 4 oz. hand-made bars.

All my soaps are lovingly made on the island of Kaua`i and can be purchased for $4.00 each, plus shipping. For more information email me!

Art imitating Life

She might look familiar to some people. This is just one of the cool images I can do with my new phone! Art segueing into technology or the other way around? I'm not sure which.

Anyway, this is my baby daughter embarking on her journey to college. It reflects her attitude toward life. Which, at the moment, is a bit non-traditional which is okay with me. Wish her well.

So, speaking of learning, did you know that the human brain starts slowing down as early as age 30? If you are past that magical age, luckily, there is something you can do about it. I've included a handy link to help send you on your way! Click here.

Judging a book by its cover?

Now this is my type of book! I've always been into self-help books. . .

Flap Art Book Covers are shocking covers that slip on top of your book. If you find yourself bothered by people on the subway or crowded bus, a book cover like this is a good tool to keep people away.

There are over 20 covers to choose from. Some are for the Do-it Yourselfer in the family, we all have one. For that person try Do-it-Yourself Dentistry, At Home Laser Eye Surgery or Do-it-Youself Liposuction.

Dance and the whole world dances with you

Matt Harding, 31, has spent the last 14 months creating a new video, called “Where the Hell Is Matt 2008,” a four-and-a-half-minute YouTube clip that, since posting two weeks ago, has had 4,655,756 views. The new video was filmed in 42 countries and features thousands of people who joined Matt in his dance.

The brief background is that Matt documented short clips of himself doing the same goofy dance at different places around the world then sent them to his parents to keep them up to date with where in the world he was. He posted them on YouTube, and they quickly became a viral sensation.

Sometimes he danced alone, other times with locals in that particular region and now, it seems, he is dancing with the world. There’s no talking in the videos, just moving images of a happy guy taking in the sights of the world. This video can't help but make you smile.

Soap by the slice: Goat's Milk and Honey

Honey and goat's milk are the special ingredients that make this soap so delicious for your skin. Goat's milk is wonderful for the skin. It contains naturally occurring alpha-hydroxyl acids (aha), which contribute to a micro-peeling of the skin, gentry scrubbing off dead skin cells. The low ph level is close to that of skin, making it a very gentle exfoliate. Goat's milk also contains high levels of nutrients (including, but not limited to: vitamins A, B-complex and C, and Zinc); elements that nourish and rejuvenate dehydrated skin.

The fat globules of goat's milk are small, allowing for fast and easy absorption into the skin, bringing with it the nutrients, restorative proteins, and moisture. This helps nourish the newly-grown skin and encourages the production of elastin. New skin emerges smooth, healthy and younger looking.

Clove adds anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. Honey is primarily known for its humectant and antimicrobial qualities. (A humectant is a compound that attracts moisture to itself and helps retain the moisture.) This soap is silky smooth and nourishing for your skin.

Interested in purchasing this soap? These bars are about 3 oz. and are $3.50 each. If you are interested in purchasing some, please contact me!

Sizing Up The Olympics

Even though I don't have a T.V. that gets any stations, I thought I'd chime in regarding the Olympics. I was, in fact, wondering when the word "Olympic" changed from a noun to an adverb (i.e. olympic-sized headache). Delving into this question further I did a little internet-investigation of my own and found out something interesting.

Apparently, the size of the pool is used to describe things of substance or volume to the "layman". Do most people know that an Olympic-sized pool holds 660,000 US gallons? My internal reference scale tells me that's a lot of milk jugs!

This photo is of the Olympic-sized pool in Munich, used in the 1972 games. I stood outside this building in January 2006 and I can confirm that there definitely was an Olympic-sized roof on that building!

Other references that you must absolutely know is that London alone fills an Olympic-size swimming pool with rubbish every half-hour. I'm sure that Bejing, during these very festive Olympics, will also be filling something with Olympic-sized rubbish; they'll just have to wait until a receptacle becomes available.