There is No Snow in a Snow Cone

The snow this morning looked edible. At first the flakes were oyster sized and sparse, then curtain-like falling diagonal across the sky, and now soft and but present in the air. It reminded me there is no snow in snow cones. But wouldn't it be rad if there was? I've been thinking about magical thinking and the media and food. From the snake oil of the early 1900s (which was in truth mineral oil and turpentine) to rumors of genetically modified headless chickens raised for KFC the food industry has proven to be a furtile bed for disinformation.

I saw Milk the movie last night which was great and I highly recommend. And at the end when summarizing Dan White's trial for the execution of Harvey Milk and George Mescone the film stated that White was innocent by way of insanity, insanity that was CAUSED by eating too much junk food. This is quite different then what actually happened. White's junk food (twinkies were never mentioned in the court room) addiction was actually used in his defense, as mentioned in an earlier post, but as a symptom of his depression. The term "The Twinkie Defense" now refers to a defense that some unusual biological component factored into the causes or motives of an alleged crime. I ate twinkies, they made me crazy, I killed. I blame Hostess.

Another misnomer I keep bumping into is the Einstein bee quote, "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live." Believe me I wanted this to be accurate. But it's not. It's poetic, reverent, dire and maybe true but was never uttered by our dear white haired genius. He did however speak a few wisdoms:

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."

One wonders if this was before or after the Manhattan Project. And:

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

Sounds like snow to me. Save the bees in NYC. Go outside and make your own snow cone... Maybe a bitters snow cone? Also fortune cookies come from California and not China.

Portrait by Bella Foster

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Today I am Thankful for the Bee's Dance

Dance till the stars come down from the rafters.
-W.H. Auden

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Good Night Sweet Princesses

Honey Bees don't hibernate. Instead they cluster through the winter, staying warm with themselves and their queen's body heat. They take turns flying out into the freeze.

They also don't sleep so the name of this post is completely without context. But it's what I thought today when I thought about winter coming.

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Get Roasted

The Greenhorns is a documentary film that explores the lives of America's young farming community—its spirit, practices, and needs. As the nation experiences a groundswell of interest in sustainable lifestyles, The Greenhorns, both the vision of the film and the group of dedicated young people making it, see the promising beginnings of an agricultural revival. Young farmers' efforts feed us safe food, conserve valuable land, and reconstitute communities split apart by strip malls. It is the filmmakers' hope that by broadcasting the stories and voices of these young farmers, we can inspire another generation of optimistic agrarians.

The Glynwood Center is a working organic farm and conference center set in the middle of 2,000 acres of preserved forest glory. Their work revolves around helping communities preserve land and a strong agricultural economy. The site is stupendously beautiful with goats, chickens, orchards, rare cows and sheep, and an ancient orchard.

Join forces this weekend to raise awareness and money. I am particularly curious about workshops called: DIY Undergarments for obvious reasons and Anarchy Apiaries for more serious reasons! Alas I can not attend but Tom will be up there teaching meat curing! For more information check out the Greenhorn's blog the irresistible fleet of bicycles.

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Words for the Week

Whoever looks at a beehive should actually say with an exalted frame of mind, "Making this detour by way of the beehive, the entire cosmos can find its way into human beings and help to make them sound in mind and body."
-Rudolph Steiner

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More Summer Reading In the Sky

Also known as the only book Andrew has finished this summer. When you have 20,000 bees to take care I suppose it's wise to read up.

I think it is neat how these old extractors look like printing presses. Is there a more modern way of extracting now or have we reverted to old techniques. Bears with our paws in?

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We Love Bees and We Love Crossdressing

Famous for many things, Richard Eagan makes great honey. No pun intended. Featured all over our menu Kay Sera Honey has charmed us. If you find yourself wandering through the store you may notice at some point that you are surrounded by honey. Jars and jars of honey. Honey combs, varietals, shades of amber. Someone here is obsessed with honey and I suppose it is contagious. When "flu season" starts you will see more than one of the staff walking around sneezing and chugging jars of the cultivated nectar. Eagan is also a striking artistic talent and a renowned karaoke diva frequently appearing at The Hope and Anchor bar in Red Hook. Sera honey is sweet. And as delightful as the colony and the QUEEN behind it.

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posted by DRUNK N SAILOR at 4:51 pm

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A Few of Our Favorite Things

Pigs, bees and Michael Pollen in last weeks New York Times Magazine.

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