Warm Mulberry Milk

Warm Mulberry Milk

photo by Lady J in Lotus Pose© 2016

From Rawlicious Superfoods  by Peter and Beryn Daniel.

2 cups hot or cold water
1/4 cup dried white mulberries
1/4 cup cashews
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp honey

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Garlic Tomatoe Sauce by This Rawsome Vegan Life

This recipe is from the raw food blog, This Rawsome Vegan Life. I love this girl's blog. Emily Von Euw is also the author of Rawsome Vegan Baking, 100 Best Juices, Smoothies, and Healthy Snacks; and on December 8th, she'll be releasing The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook. I  can't wait!

Now on to the recipe.

The Noodles:
3 spirilized zucchini.

The Sauce:
2 tomatoes
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 an onion
1 garlic clove
2 dates
2 red bell peppers
1/4 cup walnuts

Blend!

Sometimes I'll add 1 jalapeño de-seeded.

The dish is topped with cut tomatoes,  cilantro,  and avocado.

Photos - Lady J in Lotus Pose  © 2015

If any of you are wondering,  the "Eat Raw" fork came from Milk and Honey Luxuries on Etsy.

Strawberry Kombucha Smoothie by Julie Morris

I put my drink in a flower pot. . la la la. . .la la la. This is the closest I get to drinking alcohol. Should I feel like a big girl when I crack open a bottle of the booch? This here is, Strawberry Kombucha Smoothie. I need to add some exclamation marks here, gimme a second.. ! ! ! ! There, I feel better. SO good!

2 cups Original flavor GT Kombucha
2 cups Frozen Strawberries
2 tsp Maqui Berry Powder.

Recipe yields two 14oz servings.

You can use any brand of original flavor kombucha that you desire, however, GT is the only brand I drink .

This recipe was created by the talented Julie Morris of Superfood Smoothies.

All photos by Lady J in Lotus Pose © 2015

I highly suggest you check out Julie Morris ' other recipe books, Superfood Juices, Superfood Kitchen, and her most recent publication,  Superfood Snacks.

Juice!

I've been on a journey of eating raw for more than a year now, & I am positive that this is exactly how I should be living. One of the great lessons I've learned is the glory of Juicing. Juicing is a great way to consume vegetables & fruit as it is easier for the body to digest, process & utilize than when the food is chewed. In liquid form the nutrients are highly absorbable. Presto they're in your cell!

Some of the oh so great benefits are-

Energy. Want some?
detox. In  future post I'll delve into this concept.
Mental clarity.
Prevent disease. don't see this as a flighty statement!
Lowers cholesterol
Tighten skin
Smooths wrinkles
Weight loss
Restore alilinity
Increase strength

Are you excited? You should be excited!

I'd like to share a few amazing titles that sit glowingy in my library.

Part of what maintains my motivation & what propels me forward is when I know what I'm putting inside my body in the name of health. When I know what celery really is & what it does for me, I then celebrate celery.

Juicing isn't just about that green stuff or beets. There are so many variations & you can invent your own. I now like the challenge of building myself up to drinking stronger juices. We tend to start sweet, & then explore.

Juice: Recipes for Juicing, Cleansing, and Living Well by Carly de Castro, Hedi Gores, & Hayden Slater -- founders of Pressed Juicery, in Los Angeles.

 The 2nd is..

Superfood Juices: 100 Delicious, Energizing & Nutrient-Dense Recipes by Julie Morris

I love what comes from the creative mind of Julie Morris. I also recommend her books Superfood Smoothies & Superfood kitchen. She breaks down the staple superfoods. 

Lastly, 

The Juice Generation: 100 Recipes for Fresh Juices and Superfood Smoothies by

Packaging really makes a difference & the photos within these books put them in the realm of art. Enjoy the photography & use the information within as tools. Happy Juicing!

relax

More and more my leisure reading ends up being a text book. What is that?

Book Learnin'

Last night I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up more of those book things, and a small boy caught my eye. He had been running around nosily and his who I assume was his guardian was reading a romance novel, not paying attention to how he was disturbing all around. He stopped to look at me, and before he revved up again, I made a motion as to suggest that I was going to run with him. He bolted and I followed and I asked; "where are we going?" He gleefully replied, "I don't know!" Finally we landed right in front of the children's book section. He smiled, he found mommy, auntie, nanny, stranger,  somebody, and I looked down at the first floor, to a whole lotta people looking up. One of the best nights of my life. I think I'll do that more often.

so true

(source unknown)

Max + Free Humanity

By street artist Free Humanity via Stephen Cockroach Zeigler

Hard Art DC 1979 - Lucian Perkins, Alec MacKaye and Henry Rollins

This event was recorded at Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC, on May 19th, 2013.

Hard Art DC 1979 - Lucian Perkins, Alec MacKaye and Henry Rollins - 2013

In 1979 Lucian Perkins, the future Pulitzer-winning photojournalist, was a Washington intern and the vibrant D.C. punk-music scene was about to erupt. Perkins captured the images, and his iconic photos are complemented with stories on the bands and their shows by punk musician Alec MacKaye. 

 To purchase, click here.

Before the Chop: LA Weekly Articles 2011-2012 by Henry Rollins

Storyteller and music artist, Henry Rollins dropped a new book yesterday. The book consists of 100 articles written for the LA Weekly, dated 2011 to 2012.

Description from the website:

For reasons of space, the Weekly must often slightly truncate the pieces and also sees fit to change the name of the piece.

So, what you read there isn't always what I sent them. This is one of the reasons I wanted to put this book out. Also, knowing there are a lot of people out there without the time to go to some website and read something every week, I thought it would be a good idea to have the articles all in one place.

Rollins continues to write for the LA Weekly, and his article posts each Thursday.

Henry Rollins - Before the Chop: LA Weekly Articles 2011 - 2012 

Visit LA Weekly, here.

Visit Henry Rollins official site, here.

Libraries

Out of Step: Faces of Straight Edge by Raymond McCrea Jones

Although I live a drug free life; the label, Straight Edge, fell off my back years ago. No particular reason other than the simple outgrowing of it. I like the idea of Straight Edge, and technically I am still a part of it, but the aesthetic of it and the life of it never went hand in hand for me. As you will see below, it isn't necessary to look the part.

The rules of Straight Edge fluctuate for some and are very concrete for others. This makes sense being that it was never meant to be a movement. Whether you're basic, straightforward Straight Edger, a fair weather Straight Edger or a purist, there is a basic root in common.

Front man of the former band, Minor Threat, wrote a song called Straight Edge which spoke to the avoidance of drugs and manipulative sex. The former front man, Ian MacKaye is currently part of The Evens, and owns his own record label, Dischord Records.

Photographer Raymond McCrea Jones, doesn't stray far from the music as he titles his 2007 book, Out of Step. Out of Step is no doubt reference to a Minor Threat song and album of the same name. The book features every day people, (whatever that means) who live Straight Edge.

I found it enjoyable to see that Johnny of Johnny Cupcakes appears in this book. A man who loves cupcakes is a friend indeed.

 Sporting white X.

RUN!

Clean couple.

The illustrious Straight Edge tattoos are impressive but they cause me anxiety. A permanent statement of Straight Edge is risky. It is either a true example of hardcore, or it is an example of in-the-moment intensity: in other words, a really stupid idea. All nervousness aside, I do like the public outcry. The qualification is that I can appreciate the aesthetic of it as long it is not a statement of judgement; an attempt to foist personal values onto someone else, or a display of bumpersticker socio-politics.

Photography Credit: ©Raymond McCrea Jones


Out of Step: Faces of Straight Edge - Trailer

I purchased mine last week. To view more photos, to purchase the book and to learn more about Raymond McCrea Jones, visit the website, here.

Happy 109th Birthday, Dr. Seuss

(source)  

March 2, 1904-September 24, 1991

Happy 88th Birthday, Edward Gorey

 

Edward Gorey

(February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000)

Book Hangover

Life After Death: DAMIEN ECHOLS in conversation with HENRY ROLLINS

From the Live from The New York Public Library website:

"In 1993, then 18-year-old Damien Echols was arrested along with fellow teenagers Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and charged with the murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. As the supposed “ringleader” of the group, Echols was sentenced to death, while Baldwin and Misskelley were given life sentences. The convicted men, known as the West Memphis Three, ultimately became part of one of the most notorious cases of wrongful conviction in recent history.
Damien Echols, the central figure of the West Memphis Three, presents a gripping, eloquently written account of his early life, his arrest and trial, his eighteen years on death row, his new life after prison, and his ongoing quest for full exoneration in his definitive memoir, Life After Death. In conversation with Henry Rollins, a longtime supporter of the effort to free the West Memphis Three, Echols will discuss the story of his life before and after his trial, including his spiritual and intellectual journey in prison as well as his wife, Lorri Davis, whom he met and married while on death row. As inspiring as it is terrifying, Life After Death reveals Echols to be not only a survivor, but also an extraordinary writer."

Life After Death: DAMIEN ECHOLS in conversation with HENRY ROLLINS - November 7, 2012

Forget Romance; This is True Like

Journalism is..

(source unknown)

Little Red Riding Hood

Tattoo acceptance in the workplace

Ryan Gosling Meme Has Become a Book. Was it All Just a Matter of Time?

I first laid eyes on Ryan Gosling when I saw him in The Believer. I was incredibly impressed by his abilities and towards the end of the film, I thought to myself: "Hmm, he's handsome." I continued to follow his work and as he stepped into the mainstream, I saw that I wasn't the only one who paused to offer a quick, "Hmm."  Only; stampedes don't "hmm" -- they rush forward and run over -- and stampedes frighten me.

What I'm saying, is that I don't feel comfortable with the fanfare. When the memes came out, I couldn't not roll my eyes at them. It started with Fuck Yeah! Ryan Gosling, where every quip began with "Hey girl.." and ran through with a flattering statement.

I am a feminist and I admire Gosling's work, and yes, he is handsome. The meme is harmless and I imagine it is meant to be light hearted, but I find it quite ridiculous.

The next Gosling themed tumblr site was "Feminist Ryan Gosling", but since, many others have sprouted. Being that I'm a feminist you'd think that would have struck a chord with me, but I was actually turned off because I knew where the meme stemmed from.

When the film Blue Valentine was released, the film was initially given a NC-17 rating. Gosling made a great feminist statement about the fact that the film was initially rated NC-17 and later given an R rating. Gosling responded to the critics who opposed the scene in which his character performs oral sex on Michelle Williams character.

"You have to question a cinematic culture which preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex. It’s misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman’s sexual presentation of self. I consider this an issue that is bigger than this film."

Feminist Gosling fans went gaga.

What bothered me about the meme is that we had/have no idea if he considers himself to be a feminist.
It'd be great if he is a feminist, but it would be equally grand if a less attractive actor were proclaiming feminism as well. I find Gosling to be a handsome man, but I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that he's a feminist when there's no way to know for certain. It's rude to assume. Even if the assumption is towards something positive, I take issue with it.

The feminist meme is still out there, and it has become so popular that many of the individual meme panels are now collected in a book. I was in shock when I saw it and that shock subsided quickly. The meme won. It was all just a matter of time.

What you're looking at is, Feminist Ryan Gosling: Feminist Theory (as Imagined) from Your Favorite Sensitive Movie Dude by Danielle Henderson.

Book Description:
What started as a silly way for blogger Danielle Henderson and her classmates to keep track of the feminist theorists they were studying in class quickly turned into an overnight sensation. Since its launch in October 2011, the Feminist Ryan Gosling blog has close to 30,000 followers and more than 3 million page views per month.

In this hilarious book based on the wildly popular blog, the author pairs swoon-worthy photos of the steamy actor with sensitive feminist theories and plenty of sweet talk. Included are 120 full-color photos and captions throughout, with some of the best entries from the blog along with 70 to 80 percent brand-new material for the book.

About the Author:
Danielle Henderson is the genius behind FeministRyanGosling.tumblr.com and the author of Tales from Fish Camp. As a graduate student and instructor at the University of Wisconsin, her work has been published in several magazines and the anthology Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, and Abandoned Rock Operas. Danielle lives in Madison, Wisconsin. 

I am certainly not  boycotting the book. I'm able to find some gentle humor here. In fact, in recent months I had stumbled across a couple of other Gosling memes, which prompted a wiry smile. Those would be the Ryan Gosling, Lindy Hopper meme and the Ryan Gosling, Social Work meme.

I feel comfortable with the farce that Gosling is a lindy hopper or social worker because no one is questioning if Gosling is truly either of these things.

When it comes to a world view, I find it important to be more responsible. Unless Gosling announces to us all that he is a full fledged feminist, we have no right or reason to think so.

Reviews: (Posted on Amazon)

"The Feminist Ryan Gosling meme puts a clever spin on celebrity worship, with fans of the Canadian actor pairing images of his dreamy face with text in which he sweet talks ladies with references to feminist theory."
—Rolling Stone

"I wouldn’t question too closely whether or not the words under Ryan Gosling’s pictures are real quotes or not. Let’s just say they are. He’s so sensitive and understanding. *Collective Sigh.*"
—The Daily Beast

"I didn’t think anything could be better than the 'F**k yeah, Ryan Gosling'/'Hey Girl' meme about my boo, but then Feminist Ryan Gosling came along and appealed to my Betty Friedan-loving, bell hooks-reading side."
—The Frisky

These reviews exemplify my points. There's nothing wrong with fantasy. When we fantasize about the hims and hers of our lives, they most likely embrace the things that we find important. Speaking for myself, there are few hetero men in Hollywood and other avenues of media who give themselves the Feminist stamp. I don't misunderstand the desire to have fun with this meme. As mentioned earlier, I recognize that the meme is meant to be light hearted. I've smiled at a few of the panels myself.

Gosling is obviously aware that this book has been published. Being that there have been no legal objections, I imagine Gosling has no qualms with it.

My problem lies within the idea that it is okay to make claims on something that is uncertain.