A friend turned me on to a most interesting book. I couldn’t put it down. I list it as a “must buy” for anyone who likes to look upside down at the world we live in.
Freakonomics, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, explores the brilliant mind of Rogue Economist (their description!) Steven Levitt. Mr. Levitt has a bizarre and novel way of looking at data and drawing stunning conclusions. Some of the ideas he puts forth may offend, but they make you think. He touches on the everyday (such as the importance of a name) to the odd (why crack dealers still live with their moms). He likens Sumo Wrestlers to school teachers, and the Klu Klux Klan to real estate agents. Did I mention he is controversial?
Steven Levitt has a way of looking at the raw data that will just blow your mind. Whether you agree with his findings or not, you will be amazed and amused at the way he looks at the world. I can’t recommend this book enough! Here is a link to Amazon for the book. Enjoy!
Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
If you have read it, please shoot me a comment.
[tags]freakonomics, steven levitt, stephen dubner, rogue economist, book review, great books[/tags]
[dels]freakonomics, steven levitt, stephen dubner, rogue economist, book review, great books[/dels]
I have always been a big believer in using the most natural remedy possible. If I can avoid medicine, I will. Especially antibiotics. Yes, I realize they are necessary for certain ailments, but if I can allow my body to heal naturally without running straight for the doctor, I will.
Thankfully, I have found a wonderful homeopathic doctor to help keep me healthy. I have turned to him many many times, and he as always had exactly what I needed. This time is no different. Our small city is experiencing an outbreak of a nasty little intestinal bacteria that is highly contagious. My 6 year old’s elementary school is the site of the original case, and they have been the hardest hit so far. This bacteria is so nasty, that children must be tested and have a clean stool sample before being allowed back into the school system. We are still waiting for my daughter’s to come back.
Meanwhile, we are dealing with stomach cramps and diarrhea… YUCK!
Since I know many other people are interested in natural remedies, I am sharing our current course of treatment. With the help of my homeopathic doctor, we have my daughter on Oil of Oregano. This concentrated oil is extraordinarily anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. A quick search on THE GOOGLE (heehee) comes up with a wide variety of uses, including dissolving warts and clearing nail fungus (topically applied). The one down-side to this oil is the spicy flavor. You do NOT want to get this near your mucus membranes. Only a drop or two mixed with water is nearly unbearable for me!!, not to mention my poor daughter. In searching the ‘net, I found some ingenious ways to make the oil more palatable. The smartest of them all was to get empty gel caps and put the appropriate number of drops inside, then take as a pill. My daughter has trouble swallowing big pills, so we need another option. My answer was to break out the straws! And IT WORKED! The straw keeps the majority of the oil away from your tongue and taste buds. My daughter sucked it right down, with only one small complaint. 
The other product we have my daughter on is garlic tablets. Thankfully the pills are small, so my daughter can just swallow them. Otherwise they would need to be crushed up and mixed with applesauce.
If you are interested, you might take a few moments and begin researching these two homeopathic remedies. They are both great health-inducing products that can ward of sickness at the first sign. I’ll keep you all informed of our progress here.
[tags]oil of oregano, homeopathic remedies, naturally antibacterial, naturally antiviral, garlic pills, taking garlic, taking oil of oregano[/tags]
[dels]oil of oregano, homeopathic remedies, naturally antibacterial, naturally antiviral, garlic pills, taking garlic, taking oil of oregano[/dels]
Well, I am finally back from vacation. It was simply amazing… despite my 6 year old getting sick as soon as we arrived.
We drove 11 hours to Elkmont, TN in the Great Smoky Mountains. We camped and hiked, and cooked over the fire. Ahhhh… my description of a perfect vacation.
The most amazing thing about Elkmont is the abandoned houses. Built in the 30’s, these homes were vacation cabins for Knoxville’s wealthy families. When the government decided to create the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, they purchased the land from the families. Most families sold immediately, though some decided to stay on until they died, at which time the land was transferred to the government. The final house was vacated in 2001. Originally, these homes were to be demolished, but the government rezoned the area into an historic district and they have not been razed. There is some movement afoot to restore these homes, but as of yet nothing has happened. They are falling down and rotting out, but are absolutely amazing to explore. They are all situated along side the river/creek and you can walk up to them and look inside (OK.. so you are only supposed to look through the windows… never actually go inside… um… I promise… we didn’t set foot inside even one… nope… wouldn’t ever….). Most still had old refrigerators inside, old bottles of cleaners on the counters, old rotting curtains hanging from the windows. It was like a ghost town.
For anyone who is thinking of visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, consider adding the Elkmont village to your itinerary. You’ll be glad you did!
As for the cooking? We ate like KINGS! Over the campfire, we cooked hots dogs and hamburgers, sloppy joes, spaghetti and eggs, bacon, toast, stew, garlic bread, baked beans.. and on and on. There is something so empowering about waking up, rolling out of a sleeping bag into 44 degree weather, starting your own fire, and cooking up a mess of grub. (hmmm… mess of grub… I think I might have spent TOO much time in TN… LOL)
If you are interested in learning more about the community of Elkmont, and see pictures of the abandoned homes, visit this link.
[tags]elkmont tennessee, elkmont abandoned houses, great smoky mountains, great smoky mountain national park, hiking, camping, cooking over a campfire, kathleen frassrand[/tags]
[dels]elkmont tennessee, elkmont abandoned houses, great smoky mountains, great smoky mountain national park, hiking, camping, cooking over a campfire, kathleen frassrand[/dels]
So, what do you do when you have WAY too much to say in a comment on another blog? Well, my choice is to create a post on it.
Over on Marilyn’s Royal Blog, (please go read the discussion there too - this link will open in a new window) there was a fascinating discussion on the Daniel Edwards statue of Prince Harry. For some reason, this topic just fascinates me. It isn’t that I think his art is particularly amazing, but I think the messages he puts out there with his art are meaningful. Let me try to explain myself.
I believe that Daniel Edwards is trying to show that the “celebrities” of this world are held up to unreasonable ideals. They are petted and loved, no matter what they do. People get so absorbed into the fact that the celebrities are famous, that they are willing to overlook all but the worst behavior. Daniel Edwards pokes fun at these “pampered prima donnas” and at the special treatment they receive.
Prince Harry (who at least is famous for good reason!) gets special treatment because of his position in life. On one hand, his inability to fight in the war makes sense. He would become a primary target. He would put the life of the men in his unit in more danger by being there. Harry’s troop would spend most of their time trying to protect him, rather then completing their mission. But, it still goes back to every other celebrity that has used their position of “power” and influence to get out of a responsibility. “Average” people will be sent to Iraq and be expected to complete their missions. Harry gets out of it because someone threaten’s to “cut off his ears”.
The Britney statue, to me, shows the disparity between who she is and who she pretends to be. She does take her most private moments, and plays them out in front of an audience. The statue portrays her in a wholesome and “mothering” light. A woman, doing what nature intends, in as natural a way as possible. But, at the same time, he degrades her with the positioning. The bear-skin rug smacks of sensuality and sexuality, the position of Britney screams out more as a sexual position rather than a birthing position. I really think he is poking fun at her. She isn’t wholesome, and she certainly doesn’t *seem* to be a good mother. I think he is highlighting her coarseness and vulgarity, reminding people that even if she is becoming a mother, that it doesn’t really change the things she has done or the way she has acted.
Now, the Suri poop cracks me up. This is just brilliant. Here we have bronzed poop, from a wee babe who is famous for no other reason than her parents. From the moment Katie Cruise stated she was pregnant, the unnamed child became the most loved baby on the planet. People waited with baited breath for the coming of Baby Cruise. They hungered to catch a glimpse of this golden child. She is just a baby! She has no more claim to fame that my children! Daniel Edwards highlights this by bronzing her baby poop. Think of the symbolism. We bronze our baby’s slippers as a way to hold tight to those first few months of life. Those tiny feet, little hands curled into fists, sweet baby breath. And Mr. Edwards bronzes POOP? That is just brilliant. Suri Cruise is a child who will never have the ability to grow up “normally”. She will be petted and cossetted by not just her family, but by the entire world. Can we say “Paris Hilton” in the making?
Speaking of Paris, I feel this post is already too long. So I’ll skip the Paris statue for now (though I could go on and on with that topic). I might try to revisit this at a later date and talk about her.
Bottom line - whether I love the statues or not, I DO love the message behind them. I think that each of Daniel Edward’s statues is meant in a derogatory manner, and I think they are brilliant when viewed in that light.
I’d love to know what you think. Please share a comment - even if you are disagreeing with me.
[tags]daniel edwards, britney birth statue, prince harry iraq statue, bronze suri poop, bashing celebrities, artists with message, kathleen frassrand[/tags]
[dels]daniel edwards, britney birth statue, prince harry iraq statue, bronze suri poop, bashing celebrities, artists with message, kathleen frassrand[/dels]