Help La Vida Locavore

Jay flapping arms upwards, doing the "come on" signal thing!!! (4.00 / 12)

Help!

Okay, I have nothing and I'm unemployed myself right now.

But I'm in for $5 right now, it won't hurt me too bad.  And if my upcoming interview works out, I'll be in for much more as soon as I find out...

Anything any of youze can give will be appreciated more than you can ever know, thank you so much!

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 03:54:55 AM UTC

Jay, I can't take your money (4.00 / 9)

It's just not right. When you're rich some day, you can give me all the money you want.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 05:20:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, nobody can ever say... (4.00 / 7)

I don't put my money where my mouth is!

I'll still do everything else I can, prepare for more frequent Jay pieces soon!

When you're rich some day, you can give me all the money you want.

Okay, I will.

:)

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 06:06:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hi Jill (4.00 / 12)

So sorry about the job. I help out wherever I can.

One thing I've observed since meeting you, you do bounce back very quickly. I just thought I'd remind you of that.

And if you don't find anything by the time I get out there to visit, lots of fun times.    

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by: Eddie C @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 05:45:44 AM UTC

Lots of fun times (4.00 / 9)

but only if someone else is paying. I'm a really going to have to cut back on my spending.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 06:03:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Come out here and we'll get Dallas Doc to (4.00 / 8)

take us both out again!

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by: TheFatLadySings @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 07:58:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

in for ten (4.00 / 9)

and another $50 on the way.

You got my donation budget for the month. Good thing I'd been holding off on deciding!

"If God were to appear to starving people, he would not dare to appear in any other form than food." - Mahatma Gandhi

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by: Miep @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 06:09:36 AM UTC

You're awesome! (4.00 / 6)

Thank you, Miep!!!

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 06:16:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

no problem (4.00 / 7)

I could easily see kicking in $50 a year to keep something like this going. If there were 500 people who did that, Jill could gross $25,000 a year, which would be a pretty respectable chunk of change.

It's important that people remember that blogs don't grow on trees...

"If God were to appear to starving people, he would not dare to appear in any other form than food." - Mahatma Gandhi

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by: Miep @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 06:28:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

omg thank you so much Miep (4.00 / 6)

and i think it's cool you have a donation budget. I gave a LOT last year - $750 to help students and homeless get to vote in Ohio, and about $1000 that I could count in charitable donations to other causes. And I think $50 to Obama? And then more money to several other politicians, I can't remember how much. Ron Shepston, Jeff Merkley, and a few others. Eric Massa, I think. But I don't have a set amount set aside like you and I think that's very cool of you to do.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 07:54:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Omg, thank YOU!!! (4.00 / 7)

Ron Shepston, Jeff Merkley, and a few others.

The People of Oregon thank you, Jill!  We finally have two US Senators representing us!!!

:)

Can't even begin to count the number of doors I knocked on last year for Jeff...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 08:43:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

you're very welcome (4.00 / 5)

and I wish you the best of luck in finding work that is more in line with your avocation, and less in line with fluorescent light bulbs. I don't even get migraines and I hate offices because of that sort of thing. Fluorescents and no windows...ewwww.

"If God were to appear to starving people, he would not dare to appear in any other form than food." - Mahatma Gandhi

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by: Miep @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 18:37:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I promise I'll be posting more. (4.00 / 9)

I haven't written much about food even though its a health care topic. I read about it a lot. Especially your diaries!

I'm happy to kick in my $50 a year as per miep's suggestion.  Give me a few days and I will get it to you.

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by: TheFatLadySings @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 07:56:58 AM UTC

Thanks for helping! (4.00 / 4)

"If God were to appear to starving people, he would not dare to appear in any other form than food." - Mahatma Gandhi

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by: Miep @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 18:38:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

hey jill, saw your post on dkos (4.00 / 10)

& came over here to sign up. i'd like to help, i'm thinking i may be able to scratch up 50 bucks or so - hell, i found 50 for bill in portland maine a year or so ago. have you thought about seeing if markos would make a similar arrangement for you over at great orange satan? you've been a very valuable contributor there for years.
my daughter (who loves your "vegetables of mass destruction" tee shirt) is graduating from beloit this may, so that should free up a bit of money, but work has been sporadic. i'll try to scratch up 50, like i said. i'd rather just send you a check or even cash, not sure advertising my wood flooring business in tucson on your blog is an efficient use of funds, you'd have  to declare it as income & pay taxes, yes?
best of luck to you with your writing & the blog. if you're not married to san diego, you might consider moving here (tucson) agreeable climate, when it's not stinking hot & the rents are much more reasonable.  

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by: rasbobbo @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 08:04:54 AM UTC

Tucson is nice (4.00 / 4)

although I have 2 relatives-I-avoid there so that makes it less optimal. I'm kind of married to San Diego... the mountains and the weather make it good for me bc I can walk a lot of places and go hiking - exercise outdoors is kind of key in managing my migraines.

Re: Markos... I'm not the same as BiPM... he's on the front page. Markos is a great guy and he gave me a "blurb" for my book, which I'm thrilled about. But I wouldn't want to ask him for financial help.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 07:13:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wish I had money to send (4.00 / 9)

I'm barely scraping by, myself.  But I will certainly link to as much as I can here instead of at Orange, if that will help.  And I'll add you to my blogroll there; it needs an update anyway.

I rarely write diaries, and most of the ones I do tend to be frivolous, so I probably can't help you in that respect, either.  Damn.

BTW, did you see this in Friday's NYT?

When food industry giants like Kellogg want to ensure that American consumers are being protected from contaminated products, they rely on private inspectors like Eugene A. Hatfield. So last spring Mr. Hatfield headed to the Peanut Corporation of America plant in southwest Georgia to make sure its chopped nuts, paste and peanut butter were safe to use in things as diverse as granola bars and ice cream.

The peanut company, though, knew in advance that Mr. Hatfield was coming. He had less than a day to check the entire plant, which processed several million pounds of peanuts a month.

Mr. Hatfield, 66, an expert in fresh produce, was not aware that peanuts were readily susceptible to salmonella - which he was not required to test for anyway. And while Mr. Hatfield was inspecting the plant to reassure Kellogg and other food companies of its suitability as a supplier, the Peanut Corporation was paying for his efforts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03...

Jill, I wish you the best for a quick rebound into a better job.

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. -- Calvin Trillin

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by: Youffraita @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 08:10:14 AM UTC

Okay, PS, I just found (4.00 / 4)

the diary about the NYT story...sorry.

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. -- Calvin Trillin

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by: Youffraita @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 08:47:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

No problem... :) (4.00 / 4)

Nobody is expected to be up on every single thing that is ever posted here (or elsewhere)...

Never any need for "sorry".  Don't worry about it, Youff!

:)

Great to see you back around again these past few days, too!

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 09:36:43 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks so much (4.00 / 4)

and money's not necessary if you're barely scraping by yourself. Seriously. I'm gonna have to look at downgrading my lifestyle. I was making so much, so money wasn't an object. Expensive apt, new car, weekly massages, weekly therapy appts that I paid cash for (insurance won't cover it), ate almost every meal out. That's all coming to an end.

I returned the SCUBA equipment and got a refund for the lessons I'd signed up for too. And I've rediscovered my kitchen. I made black beans for dinner... didn't screw them up TOO badly. No massage tomorrow :(

The apartment's harder to fix. I found it recently and it was actually the CHEAPEST I could find... that allowed pets. It's a VERY pet-friendly place. And it's in a neighborhood where I can walk most places. Therapy will continue on a MUCH less frequent basis because it's the most helpful thing I've ever done for myself and I think it would be counterproductive to stop going.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 07:19:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

On the cooking front: (4.00 / 4)

Maybe I can be of some help.  Rice pilaf is a most versatile dish: it is more a cooking technique than a recipe.  For example, arroz con pollo and jambalaya are both variations on rice pilaf, imo.  If you are a vegetarian (I think I remember that you are) just omit the meat.  To balance the protein, you could add some version of soy...or just eat a grilled cheese sandwich or a couple of eggs at another meal and don't worry about it.

Back in the day, the conventional wisdom was that you had to balance your protein at every meal, but I think that has since been debunked.

Once you have the basic rice pilaf mastered, you can play with that template using other grains.  Somebody wrote about it in the NYT a few years ago (maybe Mark Bittman but I don't actually remember).  The great part is, you can make a big batch & not have to cook again for a couple of days.

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. -- Calvin Trillin

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by: Youffraita @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 07:59:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks (4.00 / 4)

once upon a time I cooked a lot. Just haven't done so in a loooong time. I was on the road so much that it was hard to keep food fresh in my fridge for the 2 days I was at home.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 08:02:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah, that can be rough... (4.00 / 3)

I was on the road so much that it was hard to keep food fresh in my fridge for the 2 days I was at home.

But since we'll both be home much more these days, maybe we can go back and forth on the "cooking with a broke vegetarian" things...

:)

One of these days (tomorrow?), I'll actually put up my first one of 'em!

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 08:26:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Looking forward (4.00 / 3)

to it, Jay.  I'm not a vegetarian...just can't afford to eat meat much.

This Pakistani takeout place in NYC I used to go to had a curry that included hard-boiled eggs (the rest was veggies).  I don't know a recipe for it, but it was good!

Their cauliflower & potato curry, OTOH, is the template for a rice pilaf-type thing I've been making lately.  (My version is SO not authentic...but I like it.)

Am salivating at the thought of new recipes!  You rock, Jay!

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. -- Calvin Trillin

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by: Youffraita @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 09:31:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's the great thing... (4.00 / 3)

...about my veggie cooking!

It's like a template - and you can always just throw in (or substitute for something I use; like beans or mushrooms or tofu) chicken, turkey, fish, beef, etc into everything I do.

:)

I never did, and never would, pass judgment on people who eat meat.  It's not for me, but to each their own...

I'm not vegan, and I do eat eggs (from trusted local producers through our farmers markets who do things the correct way); and I'm cutting way back on cheese and cream these days (again, I want to only do so through trusted local producers who do things the proper way) - but yeah, rice and beans is a staple to live on for everybody.

As for me, I'll throw fresh greens into everything I ever do - but again, that's just me.  

A meal without fresh greens for me?  Would be like Harold Melvin without the Blue Notes.  Would never go platinum...

Pardon the obscure reference.

:)

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 09:59:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

You have talent and energy, you shouldn't worry. (4.00 / 7)

PayPal is our friend!

Sic Transit Gloria Locavore!

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by: Asinus Asinum Fricat @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 13:10:05 PM UTC

Hi! I came over from DK (4.00 / 8)

I'm unemployed as well, so I can't really help in the financial department. I'm excited about checking out your site! How do you feel about the Weston Price foundation?

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by: Laurdet @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 14:07:05 PM UTC

This is Kibbutz from (4.00 / 8)

Daily Kos.  I will be sharing this blog with as many folks as I can in an attempt to help out - I wish I could send money right now and if my circumstances improve will definitely do so.  

Best wishes to you and thank you for your great diaries.

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by: Avital533 @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 16:05:14 PM UTC

hey, we're all broke together (4.00 / 4)

don't send money if you can't. Thanks for coming here to check out the site.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 07:20:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Happy to help - where can I send a certified check? (4.00 / 8)

I'm new here - just linked moments ago from Kos. Always been meaning to visit since I see Lavida on a lot of the other Kos diarists' blog rolls, and sustainable ag is my number one policy area of interest. (I worship at the feet of Pollan and Planck.)

So I'm good for $100 because I've always enjoyed your posts on Kos.

And good for another $100 because I am a professional writer/creative director with a great deal of respect for anyone keeping language alive and well.

I've just emailed you as well, so reply there and let me know the address I should send $ to.

XO
AV

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by: amie valentine @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 16:47:14 PM UTC

Hey there! (4.00 / 8)

If you end up selling your car, you might get a good price for it. A Prius is a high demand car -- and in wealthy/green areas a dealer might even give you a good price -- especially if s/he's having trouble getting hold of them.

I am also not working -- rather, not getting paid to work. But I'll definitely drop in a write here.  :)

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by: rb137 @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 17:01:43 PM UTC

just came over from dKos too, and made an (4.00 / 7)

account, which I should've done before, and am glad I finally did.

two things:

1. how do I change the automatically assigned password? I can't find that function.

2. I mentioned this at dKos, too, but here it is again: Can somebody make a beautiful flyer promoting this site, and post it here so people can download, print and post in our own local areas?

best of luck!

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by: jennifer poole @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 17:19:36 PM UTC

to change your password (4.00 / 7)

Go to the menu bar in the upper right corner and click on your user name's page.

Then click the "profile" tab.

Then click the "e-mail and password" tab.

It's self-explanatory from there.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 17:59:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks for the help! I just did it. (4.00 / 7)

I'd checked the Profile page, but somehow missed the email sub-tab.  

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by: jennifer poole @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 18:35:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's a good idea (4.00 / 5)

AAF said for a while he'd make a logo - don't know what's going on there but he's a busy guy (family, work, life, etc) so I can't fault him at all if life got in the way.

I can make up a flier if you'd like and email it to you.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 07:21:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

yes, send me a flyer when you have one (4.00 / 3)

I can post it, and give it to a few people I know. I've added my email to my profile here, so when you're ready, there it will be. I'm thinking smaller than an 8.5 x 11 page might be good, maybe half? Just because smaller flyers might stay up longer on a community bulletin board. but whatever works. thanks.  

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by: jennifer poole @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 17:22:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Car payment (4.00 / 7)

You may want to give them a call Mon AM and see if you can lower your payments for a bit or get a couple month deferment or extension. They may be willing to work with you if you approach them while still current with your payments. Same with your other bills. This way you can stretch your cash on hand until UE or other money comes in. Makes it a bit easier to function if you can ease the money pressure a bit!  :)

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by: nycstray @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 18:28:05 PM UTC

Thanks (4.00 / 4)

good idea - will call. Visa's not bad. Under $2000. Sometimes it gets up to $7000 which is scary, but that's only because I lay out a LOT of cash for work and get reimbursed regularly. Each week it was $1100, I think. I always pay it off in full. And, god, the month Adam died, I had a $700 phone bill. They lowered it a little for me but not very much. Fucking T-mobile.

Anyway, the car loan thing was a 5-year loan that I got in November. I've made 3 payments so far, and I've paid an extra $4500 over what I actually owed. So it would make sense for them to lower it a bit, really, because I've paid a bit extra in advance. I paid off 10 mos of payments in advance, actually.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun Mar 08, 2009 at 07:30:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

i'm going to take your info (4.00 / 6)

to our local co-op, natural food store, and a few other places. maybe they'll be able to advertise.

hang in there jill.

hugs to you -
birdie

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by: birdbrain64 @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 19:26:36 PM UTC

Thanks so much nt (4.00 / 5)

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 20:29:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Now I Know (4.00 / 6)

Who should be the recipient of the "Freegan Potluck Cookoff" fundraising event I'm trying to organize with the FNB "kids". Hang in there.  

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by: Farmboy @ Sat Mar 07, 2009 at 21:50:48 PM UTC