tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17096386547663492632024-03-04T23:56:10.631-08:00Estoy PachecoSimplify...simplify!Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-79136970294352180432014-02-05T07:11:00.001-08:002014-02-05T07:11:07.710-08:00Hemp Bill Passes in House: The Green Benefits of Hemp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A farm<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="inline_link omniture-click-processed" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/bill" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">bill</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>passed by the House of Representatives includes an amendment to grow<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="inline_link omniture-click-processed" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/hemp" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">hemp</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>for academic or agricultural research purposes in states where industrial hemp farming is already legal. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), instrumental in getting the hemp bill provision included on the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:S.359:" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Senate Farm Bill</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>said, "We are laying the groundwork for a new commodity market for Kentucky farmers." Kentucky is one of the 10 states that can now benefit from the passing of the hemp amendment.</div>
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Hemp is grown around the world in any climate and any soil. In fact more than 30 countries grow hemp for many industrial and commercial uses. With more than 75 percent of the global hemp market, China continues to devote<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://greenworkslinks.blogspot.com/2009/06/china-to-expand-hemp-fiber-acreage-in.html" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">more acreage</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to hemp agriculture. Industries worldwide are looking at hemp's sustainable and eco-friendly processes as a way to reduce costs and meet corporate climate change objectives.</div>
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While the United States is taking its first baby steps on the road to hemp legalization what are the environmental benefits to hemp production?</div>
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Here are nine reasons why a move to full scale hemp cultivation would be good for the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="inline_link omniture-click-processed" href="http://www.examiner.com/environment" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">environment</a>:</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Land Optimization</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
Whether it is used to replace wood-based paper products or textiles such as cotton, hemp is grown in dense rows and its stalk can be harvested within 100 days. An acre of hemp produces as much paper as four acres of woodland.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Woodland Preservation</b><br />
With global deforestation occurring at an annual rate of approximately three percent per year, hemp offers an alternative to our vanishing woodlands. Hemp averages four times the yield of a forest, yielding anywhere between three and eight dry tons of fiber per acre.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Paper Production</b><br />
All manner of paper products are being produced today from hemp owing to its strength and durability. Hemp also has low<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.ili-lignin.com/aboutlignin.php" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">lignin</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>content which allows it to be pulped with less chemicals. It's long fibers allow hemp-based paper to be recycled twice as much more than wood-based paper.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Fiber</b><br />
Ten times stronger than cotton, hemp fiber for clothing is one of the fastest growing industries related to hemp. Typically compared to cotton, hemp-based clothing requires a fraction of the water to grow than cotton. More absorbent and mildew-resistant than cotton, hemp clothing also protects against harmful UV rays.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Herbicides/Pesticides</b><br />
As a weed itself, hemp out-muscles other invasive weeds precluding the use of herbicides. With few enemies from within the insect world, pesticide use is at a minimum in hemp agriculture. By comparison, half of the planet's pesticide use is sprayed on cotton and flax.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Food</b><br />
Oils extracted from its seeds are less expensive than extracting protein from soybeans. Hemp milk is also making inroads on grocery store shelves and hemp based nutritional supplements are jockeying for space at health food stores.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"><a class="inline_link omniture-click-processed" href="http://www.examiner.com/topic/energy" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Energy</a></b><br />
Hemp waste product — biomass — generated from one acre of crop yield can produce 1,000 gallons of clean-burning ethanol fuel. Theoretically, energy produced from hemp biomass could eventually supply all of the energy needs in the United States.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Construction</b><br />
Fiberboard made from hemp-based composites are stronger and lighter than those made from wood. Beyond wood, hemp is also becoming a sustainable alternative for concrete. Mixing hemp with lime, produces soundproofing and insulating materials that are stronger and lighter than concrete. A hemp form of fiberglass may one day replace plastic piping.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Greenhouse Gas Reduction</b><br />
Hemp's speedy grow cycle avoids the build-up of carbon dioxide. Dioxides released into the atmoshpere are absorbed by the next crop.</div>
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The Hemp Industries Association (HIA), estimates that retail sales of hemp food and body care products<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://thehia.org/PR/2013-02-25-hia_$500_million_annual_sales.html" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">set records in 2012</a>, reaching $156 million. The HIA also reviewed sales of clothing, auto parts, building materials and various other products, estimating the total retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S. in 2012 to be at least $500 million.</div>
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With more than 25,000 known products that can be made with hemp, it is encouraging that The House has taken these first steps that will undoubtedly benefit the environment with the passing of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:h.r.525:" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088cc; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">House Resolution 525</a>. The bill was originally introduced as an amendment by Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).</div>
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A fully realized hemp industry will produce an economic boost while providing home grown jobs for American workers.</div>
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Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-26121532322832487342012-01-27T06:56:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:57:48.682-08:00DR_NK...I'd like to vowel a buy Pat!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pat Sajak was drunk on occasion in the early years of The Wheel of Fortune which puts him on par with most of his viewing audience. Somehow this has been making the news cycle. I wouldn't expect anything less than drunkenness from a television game show host. Not that I have anything against Pat or his letter-turning drinking partner Vanna White. Isn't being drunk a requisite in life? <br />
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But being drunk on a mindlessly tedious game show raises my estimation of the inebriated Mr Sajak? All I need now is for Alex Trebek to admit that he downed a bottle of angry juice before each taping of Jeopardy.<br />
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Watching mindless game shows is a family tradition. From Beat the Clock to Let's Make a Deal my childhood touchstones are rife with game show memories and very few of outdoor activities. My son even referred to the Price is Right's Bob Barker as "Uncle Bob" in a newspaper interview. Which begged the question, "What the fuck were you doing home when you should have been in school?"<br />
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When my grandfather cared for nothing but his next drink and the Wheel of Fortune I would walk by the TV temporarily blocking his vision, raising his blood pressure, and giving him the answer to the puzzle just to piss him off. I would also tell him that Jim McMahon was a much better quarterback than Bart Starr.<br />
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When it comes right down to it The Wheel of Fortune is the Jerry Springer of game shows. A quick trip around YouTube will leave you rolling on the floor with a collection of contestant gaffes and parodies including the infamous "clam digger" clip.<br />
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So, I don't blame Pat Sajak for owning up to being sloshed. I just wish that he was pounding back shots of tequila instead of margaritas. Somehow the mental image I have of him is as Senor Sajak sipping a marg with a paper umbrella attached to it. That's an image that's fine for Ms White who is curiously naked and much younger in my mind's eye but for the guy who replaced Adrian Cronauer on the radio in Viet Nam I was expecting more.<br />
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SportsCenter is on...get me a beer!<br />
<br />Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-49423835621275858142011-12-19T09:00:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:04:14.478-08:00Hipster Reindeer of New York<h3 class="post-title entry-title">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Or How New York Invented Christmas)</td></tr>
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New York lays claim to most everything and Christmas is no exception. From Santa Claus himself to eight tiny reindeer you wouldn't be noggin' if not for New York.<br />
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Christmas is so hip that St. Nick himself is from Chelsea. Clement Clarke Moore's Manhattan spread was named Chelsea and he developed the neighborhood that later became the hipster haven Chelsea. Where else would you expect to find characters named Dasher, Prancer, Donner, Blitzen, Comet and Cupid?<br />
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Wait, there's two more hipster reindeer but their names have disappeared into the city at night. When you think about it, Comet and Cupid are the 19th century version of Sid and Nancy who are forever linked to Chelsea if not the Chelsea Hotel. The rest of the hooved hipsters read like stage names on a Christopher Street revue.<br />
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While Moore may have dolled up the deer with sequins and rouge (more on that particular reindeer later) he didn't invent the reindeer. Washington Irving had Santa Claus traipsing through the skies in a horse and wagon, though in Irving's head Santa Claus was still Sinterklaes owing to New York's Dutch colonial roots. Speaking of those Dutch roots, the first Europeans to settle the five boroughs came over on a little boat not called the Mayflower. The intrepid Dutch rowed in on a beast called the St Nicholas. The Dutch hung their stockings with care.<br />
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But back to the reindeer.<br />
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The sled full of Kramers first came to fashion in 1821. Something called, "<a href="http://www.barnonegroup.com/2011/12/childrens-friend.html" target="_blank">The Children's Friend</a>." This anonymous, forgotten to the times, ode to high-flying reindeer pulling a sleigh in the sky was published two full years before Moore anonymously published his, "<a href="http://www.barnonegroup.com/2010/12/visit-from-st-nicholas.html" target="_blank">A Visit from St. Nicholas</a>." Moore didn't attach his name to the tale until it hit big time like happy hour at the White Horse Tavern.<br />
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(There is no happy hour at the White Horse Tavern by the way. When you're that famous you don't need a happy hour. Let's continue with our little White Horse digression to include mention that the author of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" - Dylan Thomas - drank himself to death at the White Horse Tavern in November 1953 after boasting, "I've had eighteen straight whiskies. I think that's the record!")<br />
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Today, a corner of the literati dispute that Moore penned the ode and believe that another New Yorker, Henry Livingston Jr. wrote, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Livingston's children later recalled their father reading the poem to them 15 years before it was published.<br />
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Seven years after the reindeer hit the pages of the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, A.T. Stewart's lower Broadway department store was marking its best sales of the year in the week preceding Christmas. And you thought Black Friday was a late 20th century contrivance. No, no, no. The commercialization of Christmas began with T.A. and other New York merchants. Stewart's radical idea of including prices on merchandise allowed women to come in off the streets to browse and not be hit with sticker shock.<br />
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That original Broadway store gave way to the "Marble Palace" that Stewart built across the street on Broadway. In turn and in time that store became the offices of the New York Sun. The paper that became part of Christmas lore for its editorial addressed to a little girl named Virginia. By 1862 Stewart's flagship store now at Broadway and 10th Street employed 2000 people and his personal income exceeded one million bucks, or stags a year. Either way it was a lot of doe! (It couldn't be helped.)<br />
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Speaking of commercialism, most people think that Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus. But how could that be? Coca Cola is from Atlanta, their ad agency was from St Louis, the artist from Michigan. Where is the New York connection? That image you have of Santa all jolly and fat garbed in red did not come from a bottle. If it did come from a bottle it came from one in Thomas Nast's cabinet.<br />
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Nast came up with a grinning bearded fellow in a trimmed hat. Holding an elongated pipe in one hand and an armful of toys in the other, Nast's jolly old elf was the standard until the 20th century. Known for his political cartoons attacking Tammany Hall and other New York institutions, Nast's vision of Santa Claus turned up in Harper's Weekly in 1860. But give Coke it's due. Haddon Sundblom, the artist who came up with the iconic Coca Cola Santa drew on Livingston's... er... Moore's depiction of St. Nick for his inspiration.<br />
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But back to the reindeer.<br />
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While a case can be made for Olive the other reindeer, it is the red-nosed one that people recall. While an advertising department in Chicago may lay claim to the most famous reindeer of all it was New Yorker Johnny Marks that brought him to life in music. No Nuryev or Valentino, this one reindeer was shunned by his peers because he was not like all the other reindeer. They used to laugh and call him names. What better place for this particular reindeer to shine than in Greenwich Village?<br />
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As much as it is the reindeer and Santa that pull on the heartstrings (or is that just the pickpocket on the C train during rush hour?) it is the songs, those inescapable songs that ooze through every speaker and elevator from November on. Those Christmas chestnuts that leave us longing for home and family for a white Christmas real or imagined. At one time the biggest selling song of all time, bigger than Madonna...bigger than Lady GaGa...bigger even than the Beib...was New Yorker Irving Berlin's White Christmas. <br />
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But back to the reindeer.<br />
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The reindeer names forgotten in the opening of this spiel - Dancer and Vixen. Both would feel at home performing on the Great White Way on stage at the Winter Garden or onstage at Flashdancers. Who hasn't tucked a single in the g-string of a Vixen? or a Dancer? Broadway brings us full circle to the lore of Christmas in New York. Christmas is art! Christmas is entertainment! Christmas is movies! <br />
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You cannot have a Christmas season without a blockbuster movie. Think back to, "Going My Way"...released in May, 1944. How about that magical year of 1947 when two all-time Christmas classics hit the big screen in "Miracle on 34th Street"...also released in May and "It's A Wonderful Life," upstate, yes, but still New York, released in January! Okay, so it took a while for Hollywood to get it right when it came time to capture New York and Christmas. They did give us, "Home Alone II" in 1992 and in 2011 we get, "New Year's Eve."<br />
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But back to the reindeer...Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-37360267896901862962011-12-15T13:58:00.000-08:002011-12-15T13:58:43.441-08:00Angel Dust Christmas Song<iframe src="http://www.collegehumor.com/e/6669728" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br />
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Feliz Navidad!Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-66298539535361877172011-10-02T05:36:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:04:47.479-08:00Radiohead to open for Carlos Santana in Autlan to Benefit Tenacatita<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tenacatita Beach February 30, 2009</td></tr>
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Hot on the heels of Radiohead's double-secret surprise concert for 80 000 people at #OccupyWallStreet on September 30, 2011 unidentified spokesmen have revealed that Radiohead will play a triple-secret concert in Autlan, Mexico on November 31, 2011.<br />
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The Autlan gig is to open for home-town hero Carlos Santana in a benefit concert for the residents of nearby Tenacatita who were evicted from their homes in August 2010. Justin Beiber is lending his support to the cause and to his Mexican girlfriend and has penned a new song along the lines of "We Are the World."<br />
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At least half a million people are expected at the Autlan event which will rival Woodstock in scope. Curiously, the official line from all concerned is that this event will not take place. Ever. Don't believe the denials. Mark November 31st on your calendar.Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-67739006762894951702011-09-28T07:07:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:05:10.648-08:00Wax On Wax Off: New Enviro Surf Wax<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a surfer, it is your responsibility to be aware of your impact on the environment. It is every surfer’s obligation to protect and care for the place that gives us so much enjoyment. After all, without a healthy ocean ecosystem, surfing would be nonexistent. Everything from driving in search of waves, wetsuit production (and disposal), surfboard foam and resins, and even wax, have an impact. Surf wax is the only product in surfing which is truly disposable, yet is required by every surfer, for every session. The goal of wax is to displace water, while remaining sticky, and petroleum-based products are extremely effective at accomplishing those goals.<br />
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Traditionally, surf wax has been produced using paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, petroleum jelly, Vistanex (petroleum-based adhesive), and scents/dyes. Every time you paddle out, a small amount of wax is released into the marine ecosystem and absorbed by the local species. Although the amount of wax that falls off of your board may be small, the accumulation of the thousands of surfers does equate to a significant amount, not to mention the effects of bioaccumulation.<br />
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It was only a matter of time before better alternatives became available. Envirosurfer offers some outstanding surf waxes that are not only petroleum-free, but made of 100% natural, organic, non-toxic, and biodegradable ingredients. The surfing industry is highly dependent on oil to produce most mainstream products, and by using a natural surf wax, you are taking a step towards cutting that <br />
umbilical cord. You are also avoiding the environmental damage which results from the slow release of wax into the ocean. To top it off, you are supporting the responsible wax companies through consumer sovereignty.<br />
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Besides using organic and biodegradable ingredients, here are some specifics on how the natural wax companies are using responsible sourcing and production methods: Matunas wax is made from organic products from a small, 25-acre farm in Santa Cruz, CA. Their product is entirely soy-free, and uses leftover strawberries, raspberries, and jasmine to scent their wax, instead of artificial or oil-based scents. Matunas, Sticky Bumps (soy), and Famous Green Label are all packaged in recycled paper and printed with soy ink (Matunas is printed with soy-free, recycled ink). Famous takes it a step further and donates a portion of every sale to the SIMA Environmental Fund, which works to keep breaks clean and accessible. All three of these companies are based out of California, which not only means you are <br />
supporting local jobs, but you are minimizing the carbon dioxide used in the transportation of these items.<br />
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Go ahead and give it a try. The ocean has been good to you. It’s time you return the favor.<br />
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<b>Corey Chin</b> <br />
<a href="http://www.greensurfshop.com/">Envirosurfer Team</a>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-48286517043499124242011-07-12T01:36:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:05:32.235-08:00Estoy Pacheco European Tour: In Search of a Buzz<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eight percent of liquid bliss!</td></tr>
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Estoy Pacheco's summer tour 2011 has us on the road in Europe. Last year we were stuck on a farm in Canada - <i>pinche gringos!</i><br />
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First stop in Europe - Rome. While we couldn't find any herb we found Cannabis Beer. I was already drunk by the time I started chugging it down - at the Cantina Mexicana along the banks of the Tiber believe it or not - so I can't say with any certainty if it tasted like sativa or indica. I was just grateful that it didn't taste like skunk.<br />
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There must have something in the Cannabis beer. At least there should have been for eight euros a pop. Maybe the Europeans charge one euro per one percent of alcohol. Peroni which is like Miller High Life goes for four euros a pop and its four percent. And if you're trying to do the conversion factor of euro versus greenback I'll make it easy. One euro equals a million fuckin' dollars.<br />
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When I woke up three days later I headed over to Firenze for the Fourth of July. <b>Simple Minds</b> (remember them?) was opening a new Hard Rock Cafe with a free concert in the town square. The first opening act played two songs, destroying The Beatles in the process and leaving me suicidal. The next act had one of those names that made you think they were somebody but they weren't. It was like Buffalo Springsteen or Britney Houston. You think they are but they ain't. By the time Simple Minds hit the stage I was long gone eating some 'za. I had a munch on.<br />
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Spent the next week riding the rails and getting fleeced up and down Italy. Two pretty girls scammed me out of 25 euros at the subway in Milan for a three euro pass. A thimble sized cup of ice cream was six euros so I headed off to the beach in Cinque Terra in the hopes of catching some breaks or at least a break from the state sanctioned pick-pocketing. The beach at Cinque Terra while picture postcard perfect was postage stamp sized. The "free" beach was a 50 foot square! And of course, being Europe, that "free" beach cost 50 pesos to use the restroom to change into your beach wear.<br />
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By the time I made it back to the base camp in Firenze I needed a vacation from my vacation. <b>Lou Reed</b> was playing at a Blues Festival in a nearby town. Yeah, I know Lou Reed is to blues as <b>Skunk Anansie</b> is to blues...oh wait, Skunk Anansie was the headliner for the night before.<br />
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I was game for Lou. The last time I caught his act was at an outdoor show and he paused in the middle of his set so that we could all check out the lunar eclipse. The logistics of getting to the nearby Lou Reed show proved a little too daunting. If he took another break or hit the stage late we were gonna miss the last bus back to Firenze. Having been stranded one night in Pisa to sneak a quick look at that crooked tower (and in my pictures the damn building is straight and fuzzy) I did not want to be stranded again.<br />
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So to recap: The only weed I've had came in a beer, I didn't see two concerts, got mugged, got fleeced and this weekend I'm going to try it all over again in Venice and see if I can walk on water...I hear the canals are open sewers. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly taking a much need break from Europe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-87068087670344668862011-06-30T02:07:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:25:21.679-08:00Eco Art by Christopher Rodrigues @ NYC's RARE Gallery<h3 class="post-title entry-title">
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New York City's RARE Gallery is pleased to announce "<i>. . . all of you on the good Earth</i>," an exhibition of Planets, a series of otherworldly photo-collaged digital images by British/Canadian artist <b>Christopher Rodrigues</b>. The show, which runs from June 30 to August 12, marks Rodrigues' solo debut at RARE.<br />
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The exhibition's title directly references the Apollo 8 crew's 1968 <a href="http://youtu.be/74kbBtD-88k">Christmas Eve address</a> that was broadcast live from the Command Module during lunar orbit as the Earth came into view over the Moon's horizon. Much like the televised images beamed back to Earth during the mission, Rodrigues' focus is on a planetary view of nature, where the entire solar system is home to isolated, Eden-like environments, inherently sick places, and those made uninhabitable because of human interference.<br />
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With his <i>Planets</i> series, of which nine of the nineteen images are being shown at <a href="http://www.rare-gallery.com/">RARE</a>, Rodrigues seeks to promote the healing of our planet. Each world focuses on a different stage our planetary landscape has passed through or can potentially inhabit. While a small group of planets portrays a balanced setting of water, land, and atmosphere, others reflect a manipulation of these components to create more aqueous, gaseous, or green realms, as well as ones marked by pollution, waste, and scarring. Some planets are more elemental, hardly formed at all, seeming to mimic the birthing process of stars, pure and unadulterated.<br />
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"<i>. . . all of you on the good Earth</i>" connects the artist's evolving concept of landscape depiction with the environmental issues that concern him. <a href="http://www.christopherrodrigues.com/">Rodrigues</a>' artistic methods have progressed over the years from traditionally focused painting, drawing, and collage to the utilization of digital imagery and Photoshop which have allowed him to create a unique, pop-up book aesthetic that resembles, yet breaks with, traditional practices for making art. His process is one of searching the Internet for images from which he can borrow pixels of color, manipulating the pixels in a painterly fashion using Photoshop to generate a library of elements (e.g., trees, flowers, rocks, water, clouds), and then assembling them in a collage-like manner to build his planets.<br />
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The <i>Planet</i> series of "photographs" honors nature while celebrating technology, an important concern in an age when humans are struggling to find a balance with the planet that sustains them. Rodrigues believes that through the proper use of computers we can organize and facilitate solutions to a fair share of today's global crises. According to the artist, while computers have been vehicles for greed that are partially responsible for many of the problems of our time, such as pollution, over-industrialization, and war, they can also be tools for positive change and evolution.<br />
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Rodrigues studied art at the University of Toronto from 1994 to 1995 and from 1999 to 2001, and at Ontario College of Art & Design from 1995 to 1996. He exhibited twice in 2011 at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art and the Vivarium Gallery, a window-front gallery he co-founded in Vancouver. In 2010, Rodrigues showed at Port Moodie Arts Centre in Vancouver, the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, the Hunterdon Art Museum in New Jersey, and The Rymer Gallery in Nashville, TN.<br />
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The opening night reception is being sponsored by <a href="http://www.grolsch.co.uk/grolsch_beer_new.html">Grolsch Premium Lager</a>.Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-5333539647529576462011-05-27T07:40:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:24:15.417-08:00Michelada Michigana - Mexico's Hangover Cure Adapted for Middle America<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrtIUElMRPlDaSp4ZIa9DU1qKU_6yFp2dVTK07nzSZLBrd2l6jg4L83fyJbWIB3747GrYoktA86rtGCXHHQ8fW-8xbMeqVk9EKRendf3LFIX_zTvumOP4aiTL3OBPc9queiDdNPIAg6dt/s1600/Estoy+en+chicago.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="346" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611410543090475186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrtIUElMRPlDaSp4ZIa9DU1qKU_6yFp2dVTK07nzSZLBrd2l6jg4L83fyJbWIB3747GrYoktA86rtGCXHHQ8fW-8xbMeqVk9EKRendf3LFIX_zTvumOP4aiTL3OBPc9queiDdNPIAg6dt/s640/Estoy+en+chicago.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
<span id="formatbar_Buttons" style="display: block;"><span class=" down" id="formatbar_CreateLink" style="display: block;" title="Link"><img alt="Link" border="0" class="gl_link" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" /></span></span><br />
When the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/dining/beer-cocktails-in-city-bars.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=tipsy%20diaries&st=cse">New York Times</a> starts writing about micheladas you know that one of Mexico's favorite breakfast drinks is catching on North of the Border... or at least in the East Village. What's that you say? We're not supposed to be drinking micheladas for breakfast. How else are you going to get rid of your hangover?<br />
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As one of the <a href="http://barnonegroup.blogspot.com/2010/06/contributor-biographies.html">Dharma Bums of Barra de Navidad</a> is quite fond of telling me, "You don't drink beer to get drunk. You drink beer to get sober. If you want to get drunk you drink liquor." It is why, when I am in Mexico, I will stop at the Kiosko once I stumble out of bed (or stagger home with the rising sun) and pick up a six pack of Modello and pay an early morning visit to my Guru of Grunge. A <span style="font-style: italic;">desayuna Mexicana</span> so that they could prepare me a mornings worth of micheladas while I scribbled down their timeless koans and coax them back down to earth following the mistep of an acid trip.<br />
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There are as many different types of micheladas as there are varying types of alcoholics. Some micheladas are truly regional, some are sublime in their simplicity requiring nothing more than a squeeze of lime and a dash of hot sauce. Others are works of art.<br />
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The <span style="font-style: italic;">Michelada Michigana</span> will carry you through the hellish mornings that are Chicago in the summertime. As of this writing summer has been cancelled in Chicago and I am sitting in <span style="font-style: italic;">mi casa</span> wearing a winter coat and blowing on my hands for warmth like some character out of Dickens - maybe it's just the shakes. Maybe I should have paid the utilities last month.<br />
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But I digress.<br />
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Here is what you need to make your own Michelada Michigana...<br />
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1 beer<br />
4 oz Spicy Hot V-8<br />
1 dash Valentina hot sauce<br />
1 dash Worcestershire<br />
1 teaspoon horseradish<br />
1 splash of vinegar<br />
1 pinch of celery salt<br />
1 lime (juice thereof)<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Destructions/Preparations</span><br />
One can of beer (bottles are an option, but should you really be handling glass? That's why most micheladas served in Mexico come in plus-sized Styrofoam cups. Or you can fish out a Starbucks cup from the trash.)<br />
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Fill that polystyrene cup full of ice, open your fridge door and get creative. We'll sweat the small stuff first. As you probably don't have any Maggi sauce in your fridge you are going to have to adapt. Coat your cup of ice with some Valentina hot sauce, a dash of <span style="font-style: italic;">salsa inglesa</span> (Worcestershire sauce for the linguistically challenged), a little horseradish and a splash of vinegar - think of it as a poor man's vermouth. DO NOT add the lime juice at this point. You will regret it.<br />
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Swirl your cup around and mix all that goodness together. Consider it foreplay for drunks. Most people opt for three fingers of Clamato at this point but we're not most people and this isn't their recipe. Our new wonder drug is Spicy Hot V-8 which, surprisingly, tastes okay without beer. Hell, with Spicy Hot V-8 you can save yourself a lot of time and effort and just mix the V-8 with your beer and a dash of lime - you remember the lime don't you? The lime goes in at the end of this process, otherwise your concoction will foam up like Lake Michigan in a storm once you add the beer. Our objective here is get you to prepare and to drink your michelada and not to clean up your kitchen.<br />
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Wannabe hipsters in the East Village and the tepid tipplers in Lincoln Park may want to rim their glass with lime and salt. But do you really want to be a poseur or do you merely want to be able to function? If you want to cure your hangover creatively, anthropologically, try a Michelada Michigana. If you want to get drunk just follow my friend's advice and start knocking back shots of tequila.<br />
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Now, if you'll excuse me I have company coming over for breakfast.<br />
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Salud!Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-68629680505858059832011-05-19T08:53:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:23:08.327-08:00It's the End of the World as We Know It!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPNh4A_cuK4k1D8KSLVD_UOeOilRJ3O94pcPQRKbBNVlbM3qmssxKT63gTEnTlmvM3r8llE8gcE5Yp03TiCD7UAk021Wamf2HtggiS8QkX4tttEF44uugWXYYKC4CecghpL6iOoiNFrDO/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="418" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608460624917086370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPNh4A_cuK4k1D8KSLVD_UOeOilRJ3O94pcPQRKbBNVlbM3qmssxKT63gTEnTlmvM3r8llE8gcE5Yp03TiCD7UAk021Wamf2HtggiS8QkX4tttEF44uugWXYYKC4CecghpL6iOoiNFrDO/s640/IMG_0625.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's the end of the world as we know it so I'll get high!<br />
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Since the world is coming to and end on Saturday May 21, 2011 this is going to be the last article from the fertile mind of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Estoy Pacheco</span>. I'm going to be getting incredibly stoned over the next two days!<br />
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<a href="http://www.familyradio.com/english/connect/bio/haroldcamping_bio.html">Harold Camping</a> and his merry band of doomsday followers have been telling us since 1996 - their last failed call for the end of the world - that the end is near.<br />
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What's that? The end of the world is not May 21st? How can that be? That's all that I have been <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1363837/Doomsday-campers-Project-Caravan-say-world-end-May-21.html">reading</a>.<br />
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You mean to tell me that May 21st is only Judgement Day and the actual end of the world is <a href="http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/outreach/tracts/may21/">October 21, 2011</a>. Talk about having your cake and eating it too! Now you're adding riders to your doomsday scenarios as obtuse as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Van Halen</span>'s concert riders declaring the backstage a brown M&M free zone.<br />
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So what are we expecting for May 21? Earthquakes, the release of souls into heaven - the rapture! Now you're telling me that all I'm going to wake up to on May 21st is a hangover. Worse yet, I'll still be compelled to periodically blather on incoherently between months long binges...at least until October.<br />
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Bullshit! I'll call your bluff Mr. Camping!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z0GFRcFm-aY" width="425"></iframe>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-47237456924854127162011-03-18T11:17:00.000-07:002011-03-18T11:24:03.751-07:00Super Mario: Super High<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4TdczoetXk4&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4TdczoetXk4&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object><br /><br />I came across an old Nintendo system before the holidays and spent far too much time reacquainting myself with Mario, Luigi, and callouses on my thumbs. Super Mario is back!<br /><br />Bigger than ever, Mario returns in this short clip making the rounds at SXSW. High on 'shrooms, the Mustachioed One is dangerously on the hunt for his ex-girlfriend.Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-1860743962884596602011-03-17T13:10:00.000-07:002011-05-17T13:12:52.969-07:00St Patrick's Day - Running of the Bulls Mexican Style<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5GVycE3Z7K8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />This is why your mother told you not to play with matches! <br /><br />The little town of San Patricio, Jalisco, Mexico celebrates its patron saint (St. Patrick) with a week long celebration culminating nightly with a fireworks display in the town square. <br /><br />They go crazy!Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-13184629787751627342011-01-27T08:56:00.000-08:002011-05-27T09:00:05.991-07:00Dharma Bums of Barra de Navidad: Volume One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKgAaGzO72c4NQx99ev_UvSdorKadAzoXqYHL21Icwf6ZT_DLcjE4fzsatiDgkM5puzTkkbJvIuKqQk16rXGEVS1shYqJUSFbtoZH7PjQB9og9ITEuJESIi4gAf3VS4zUrt5pS7hUb3tc/s1600/Bar+None+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKgAaGzO72c4NQx99ev_UvSdorKadAzoXqYHL21Icwf6ZT_DLcjE4fzsatiDgkM5puzTkkbJvIuKqQk16rXGEVS1shYqJUSFbtoZH7PjQB9og9ITEuJESIi4gAf3VS4zUrt5pS7hUb3tc/s320/Bar+None+Cover.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br />
The Dharma Bums of Barra de Navidad and their friends wax poetic on the beauty of the Costalegre, Mexico and the characters that populate a tiny seaside drinking village with a fishing problem. <br />
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Was it really a year ago that a disparate group of individuals found each other and a shared passion for art, literature, and poetry in Barra? It was and now the fruits of that experience can be shared with the first volume of <b>The Bar None Anthology</b>. Now <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bar-None-Anthology-English-Costalegre/dp/1453830774/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292168839&sr=1-5">available online</a>. (Advance copies have been circulating around Barra de Navidad for the past few weeks.)<br />
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Read what this <a href="http://barnonegroup.blogspot.com/2010/06/contributor-biographies.html">collective</a> has to say about each other, their shared experiences and their love for their adopted community by the Pacific Ocean. Whether it is the ABCs of Barra, the often cumbersome hangover or a walk in the rain, this time capsule captures the spirit and love from the fertile minds of <a href="http://barnonegroup.blogspot.com/2010/08/night-vision.html">Chuck</a>, Russell, Chynna, Billy, Brenda, Sue, <a href="http://barnonegroup.blogspot.com/2010/12/comfort.html">Jordan</a>, <a href="http://barnonegroup.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-lunar-groove.html">Zanne</a>, Mark, <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dx-OG2gqAw0/TEVOzmhaBhI/AAAAAAAAARI/3o0XeKGo2eI/s1600/72+dpi+barca.jpg">Sharon</a> and the Newlyweds. Their vision is captured through the stroke of a pen or through the stroke of a brush. It was a stroke of good fortune that brought them all together for one magical winter.<br />
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As it reads at the top of this page, the Costalegre is home to many talented individuals. The idea for this anthology took root in the prescient words of Russell who said, "that art which is not shared withers away and dies." The Bar None Anthology is intended to be shared among friends and family. Art will not wither away and die on our watch.Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-14858061009555275182010-12-22T06:13:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:26:59.929-08:00T’was Before That Night In Spanglish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE98LT1Ha63fGh0rSD2aQ2iyzvmL1DpFwKalPlHspaW8jQ9G6Sn6p1VQL8_kRZx2C4LKxPK8hUtvjRIXdx8ONjdmo5c7SnOmRb9TKwOEOdVQg11l_J9yWbCVC9bEZiWZHA66zHppLupL2t/s1600/DSC_0857.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553510059344049906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE98LT1Ha63fGh0rSD2aQ2iyzvmL1DpFwKalPlHspaW8jQ9G6Sn6p1VQL8_kRZx2C4LKxPK8hUtvjRIXdx8ONjdmo5c7SnOmRb9TKwOEOdVQg11l_J9yWbCVC9bEZiWZHA66zHppLupL2t/s640/DSC_0857.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,<br /> Not a creature was stirring - ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Los niños were tucked away in their camas,<br /> Some in long underwear, some in pijamas,</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;"><br /> While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,<br /> In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado,<br /> To bring all children, both buenos and malos,<br /> A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Outside in the yard there arose un gran grito,<br /> and I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.<br /> I ran to the window and looked out afuera,<br /> And who in the world do you think that it era?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero,<br /> Came dashing along like a loco bombero.<br /> And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,<br /> Were eight little burros approaching volando.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre,<br /> Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:<br /> "Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto,<br /> ay Chato, ay Chopo, Maruco, y Nieto!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho,<br /> He flew to the top of our very own techo,<br /> With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,<br /> He struggled to squeeze down our old chiminea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,<br /> With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,<br /> He filled all the stockings with lively regalos,<br /> None for the ninos that had been very malos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,<br /> He turned like a flash and was gone como el viento,<br /> And I heard him exclaim, y ¡esto es verdad!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 130%;">Merry Christmas to all, ¡y Feliz Navidad!</span>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-11535304206890261992010-11-23T09:42:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:27:50.300-08:00Clap Your Hands for Reverend Peyton<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9Ra0DsbiNs0?fs=1&hl=en_US">
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<a href="http://www.bigdamnband.com/home/">Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band</a> is on the road in support of it's latest disc <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wages</span>. The ironically named Big Damn Band consists of only three members - The Reverend on guitar, his wife Breezy on the washboard and drummer Aaron 'Cuz' Persinger.<br />
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There aren’t a lot of Warped Tour vets who can claim proficiency in the use of washboards, bottleneck slides and five-gallon buckets. Most didn’t spend their teens playing along to Charlie Patton and Bukka White albums. And just about none are fronted by a commissioned member of the Honorary Order of Kentucky Colonels.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The Wages, </span>their second album for SideOneDummy Records, <span style="font-style: italic;"></span> was produced by Paul Mahern (Zero Boys, John Mellencamp) and recorded in the band’s Big Damn Tradition: live in the studio with no overdubs on honest-to-goodness analog tape. Appropriate to our times, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wages</span> is thematically rooted in the blues tradition of hard-bitten reality matched with enduring optimism.<br />
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The band’s home base is deep in the hills of Southern Indiana’s Brown County, which boasts a population of 14,957. (Or 14,954 when the band’s out on the road playing close to 250 gigs a year, including appearances at the Austin City Limits festival and tours with Flogging Molly, Derek Trucks, and Clutch.)<br />
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“I grew up in the country, and rural life and rural culture has shaped me and my music,” says Reverend Peyton, who really is a Kentucky Colonel, just like Elvis Presley. “I have been playing music since I was a little kid. I am pretty sure we are on to something now.” <br />
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“We may be few in numbers, but we sound big,” says Washboard Breezy. “And I think we stand for something big too. Even if sometimes it’s just that it is okay to be a regular person.” </div>
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The Big Damn Band hits <a href="http://www.schubas.com/">Schubas</a> in Chicago the day before Turkey Day with local jam band <span class="whitetext12"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/frankbang">Frank Bang's Secret Stash</a> opening. The band hangs around the midwest for a while before heading for warmer climes down the Atlantic Coast swinging back around to Texas before</span> Christmas.</div>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-47329849871188942512010-09-08T09:02:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:29:20.736-08:00Maple Syrup - The Sappiest Canadian songs EVER!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3dPbDipMVH26xI-sV0wc5s_voTYnNrqXBCtLa9z9sz7X1LdrbGoAmGK36iqA3znHm_TDQL4ZKj-Gui18yUpe991r25YBRl-Qmt1zmjpW8hQPI0Q4HFO7rJPRpr0kUi35lLl_qiJseTkB/s1600/DSC_0484.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514579395578830290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3dPbDipMVH26xI-sV0wc5s_voTYnNrqXBCtLa9z9sz7X1LdrbGoAmGK36iqA3znHm_TDQL4ZKj-Gui18yUpe991r25YBRl-Qmt1zmjpW8hQPI0Q4HFO7rJPRpr0kUi35lLl_qiJseTkB/s640/DSC_0484.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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There's nothing like a weekend in Niagara Falls. The Honeymoon City, the Capital of Kitsch, snow globe souvenirs and a ride on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Maid of the Mist</span>. The musical lineup in the coming months include <span style="font-weight: bold;">Styx</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Foreigner</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tony Orlando</span>. Surely, this is where the 70s go to die.<br />
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All this musical reminiscing got me to thinking, "What are the sappiest Canadian songs ever written and foisted upon an unsuspecting public?" Or in other words how can I drive my friends crazy after a night of herbs and tequila. How do I get a houseful of reprobates to shout in unison; "Turn that @#$% off!"<br />
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What I do is go online and find "maple syrup."<br />
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I didn't know where this list was going when I started tormenting my friends but I did have some rules. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justin Bieber</span> doesn't count - I can't force myself to listen to him so I can't in good consciousnesses subject Herr Bieber to people I consider my friends. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Luba</span> gets omitted as does <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blue Rodeo</span> because no one south of the border (any border!) had to be subjected to them on a sustained basis. <span style="font-style: italic;">Rocket Man</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN3MGN899yE">Captain Kirk</a></span> is out - too campy to be sappy. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne Murray</span> is also out (pun intended) as she has a wing to herself in the Maple Syrup Hall of Shame.<br />
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In reverse order:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Everything I Do - Bryan Adams</span><br />
You know that your song is sappy when the embed code on YouTube is disabled. If I was associated with this sap I would want to pretend that it didn't happen too. This song was rated higher (lower?) but when you disavow it on YouTube your ranking takes a tumble. If you really want to subject yourself to this song you can click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGoWtY_h4xo">here</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Night To Remember - Prism</span><br />
The first of two songs with a titanic reference to sappiness.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell</span><br />
Could the b-side have been any sappier than this offering by the otherwise sainted Ms. Mitchell?<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Last Song - Edward Bear</span><br />
This was the last song that topped the charts for a band named after Winnie the Pooh.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Having My Baby - Paul Anka</span> <br />
Perhaps this should have been listed at 666 instead of 6 as it is surely the work of the devil.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Wildflower - Skylark</span><br />
It should come as no surprise that this song was penned by <span style="font-weight: bold;">David Foster</span>. 'Nuff said. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. When I'm With You - Sheriff</span> <br />
What's it like to have a number one song six years after you break up? Ask Sheriff. Don't spare the deputy.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion</span> <br />
Perhaps a tad unfair that Ms Dion is on this list because all her songs are syrupy.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Sometimes When We Touch - Dan Hill</span><br />
Keep your hands where I can see them and back away slowly.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />1. Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks</span><br />
The cream of the crop or the bottom of the barrel going over The Falls. This song goes beyond being the Maple Syrup champion of Canadian sentimentality. Mr' <br />
Jack's song is the sappiest song of all time - EVER!<br />
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Bubbling under and not making this list was: <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty Lady</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">April Wine</span>; <span style="font-style: italic;">If You Could Read My Mind</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gordon Lightfoo</span>t; <span style="font-style: italic;">Make Me Do Anything You Want</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Foot in Cold Water</span>; <span style="font-style: italic;">I Needed You</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne Murray</span>; <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad Day</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Daniel Powter</span>; <span style="font-style: italic;">Stay Awhile</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bells</span> and; <span style="font-style: italic;">Which Way You Goin' Billy?</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Poppy Family</span>. <br />
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I don't think that we have even scratched the surface of the iceberg. Oh well, time for another border crossing. And another shot of tequila with a Molson Canadian chaser.Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-80360403195838847282010-09-01T04:02:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:29:55.729-08:00The Blessing of the Waves in Surf City USA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48oDf3oWSAHJYD-nsR7Rp1twMwYY8A1mO24nmdIk1fix6l7jgXkRoZci9ivBWokZBq9Uy_fgAGjEdZhsnaDYQRLmSFf9NgK10Hx5ntd-y88PNq62QW_WDkuJSY6JGqZMMf2yYOEDWNmJD/s1600/BOTW2010flier.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511899727159739874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48oDf3oWSAHJYD-nsR7Rp1twMwYY8A1mO24nmdIk1fix6l7jgXkRoZci9ivBWokZBq9Uy_fgAGjEdZhsnaDYQRLmSFf9NgK10Hx5ntd-y88PNq62QW_WDkuJSY6JGqZMMf2yYOEDWNmJD/s320/BOTW2010flier.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 198px;" /></a><br />
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ORANGE, CA – Southern California is home to many world-class surf breaks and the majority of these are in Orange County. Many people spend much of their time surfing and enjoying the natural beauty of the coast line and recognize the spiritual importance of this natural asset. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange will, in solidarity with other faith traditions, host the third annual <span style="font-style: italic;">Blessing of the Waves</span> at the iconic Huntington Beach Pier (400 Pacific Coast Highway) October 3, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.<br />
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The goal of the event is to bring together surfers and ocean-minded people, regardless of their faith tradition, to show spiritual appreciation for the ocean and all that it gives the planet and its population. This gathering demonstrates concern for a cherished environment already compromised by the effects of climate change, toxic emissions, and other pollution.<br />
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“In Orange County our beaches are more than simple geography; they are a cultural and spiritual center of our community. It is important that we recognize this common element in all our lives, regardless of faith tradition,” said <span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Rev. Tod D. Brown</span>, Bishop of Orange.<br />
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The Diocese of Orange organized this first of its kind inter-religious event in 2008 drawing more than 400 participants to the Huntington Beach pier to take part in this community activity. The second annual event held in 2009 drew more than 1,000 participants to the iconic pier for this spiritual observance. Participants called attention to the immeasurable importance of our oceans and beaches, and took a deeper look at their spiritual significance. The third annual interfaith event will feature a pledge to protect our oceans and beaches, acknowledgment of marine safety representatives, and close with surfing priests and other religious leaders. Tongan and Samoan choirs will perform traditional ocean songs, giving thanks to God for our ocean environment.<br />
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“It is fitting that this blessing will be held on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. Our coast line and its diverse ecosystem are under constant strain and increased environmental pressures,” said <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rev. Christian Mondor</span>, OFM, PhD, Vicar Emeritus Sts. Simon and Jude. “I am excited to join with members of our diverse faith community here in Huntington Beach to bless waves, those who ride on them, and the lifeguards who protect ocean goers.”<br />
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California’s coastal region is under significant threat due to pollution and global climate change. California will lose an estimated 41 square miles of coastline due to erosion by 2100, according to the California Climate Change Center. Wave height and wave shape – requisites for surfing are adversely affected by sea floor conditions influenced by silt and other detritus entering the ocean. Our beach water quality is already dangerous to the health of swimmers and others – between April 2009 and March 2010, more than 100 beaches in California were closed because of the presence of toxic waste and other hazards.<br />
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(An unedited version of this release including video can be found by clicking <a href="http://www.rcbo.org/news-and-events/diocesan-news/493-blessing-of-the-waves.html">here</a>.)Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-79383820752960353072010-08-27T04:35:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:30:31.164-08:00I Wanna Be Like Mommy!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPjd7S2kFushHEZ05JsLiRuQCAF5ElNuWgtLryaqCPzvRVrRW04MCdQbbqJcPtTB-WZ1ZmciL46vfWGt_xH17u77qqobumQR40GIJuhGYtdEV56ciPjY8WThl4mnfqnH23OL11RcQzFHC/s1600/homework.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="477" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510052500216704162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPjd7S2kFushHEZ05JsLiRuQCAF5ElNuWgtLryaqCPzvRVrRW04MCdQbbqJcPtTB-WZ1ZmciL46vfWGt_xH17u77qqobumQR40GIJuhGYtdEV56ciPjY8WThl4mnfqnH23OL11RcQzFHC/s640/homework.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
Mrs. Pacheco (who does not exist) was really irked after seeing this artwork from little Estar (who doesn't exist either) who handed it in as a kindergarten assignment. Pinned to Estar's shirt the following morning was this note to the teacher:<br />
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Dear Ms. Brewer;<br />
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I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.<br />
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I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my son how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.<br />
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From now on I will remember to check Estar's homework more thoroughly before he hands it in.<br />
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Mrs. PachecoEstoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-50479123910338210712010-08-02T12:07:00.000-07:002011-12-19T09:31:01.940-08:00Joey's Journey: Medical Marijuana Saves Child's Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUFfxOe1thLdUpCySckXUFQ14_N159H7Oesj6S682ByDz3lL6pIhMPXNL993gzwOAtZ0PIWHnNbaJHKGpjyMRAmFCMTkdYfARPEUZTZylw8n6ZKtlgUis50zkdXRa1uP8F0OxUatpB1e5/s1600/Joey+in+costume+before+MMJ.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500892481787142690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUFfxOe1thLdUpCySckXUFQ14_N159H7Oesj6S682ByDz3lL6pIhMPXNL993gzwOAtZ0PIWHnNbaJHKGpjyMRAmFCMTkdYfARPEUZTZylw8n6ZKtlgUis50zkdXRa1uP8F0OxUatpB1e5/s640/Joey+in+costume+before+MMJ.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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Knocking on death's door, 10 year old <b>Joey Perez</b> was slowly dying. The potpourri of prescription medications he’d consumed since the age of five were damaging his body beyond repair. The side effects were literally killing him. Doctors had no answers, or any safe alternatives. Their only suggestion was the combination of a few more meds, and to experiment with what happened next. <br />
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Mieko, Joey's mother, knew that his body was weak and shutting down. She knew his fragile body could not handle the addition of any more toxic medicines. Luckily for Joey, her experience as a legal researcher gave her the tools she needed to start her and Joey on this journey. A healing journey with an effective treatment - medical marijuana.<br />
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Joey was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old. His mother, Mieko has been fighting that battle ever since. Her life is not consumed with why Joey has Autism, she now focuses on what she can do to effectively treat her sons condition.<br />
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<a href="http://compassionassociates.org/home/1-compassion-associates/124-joeys-journey-medical-marijuana-saves-childs-life-.html">Hook me up to the source...</a>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-88042217796125090512010-07-18T16:06:00.000-07:002010-07-18T16:22:43.566-07:00Broken Social Scene and the G20 Police State<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NiRjwpCrCMc&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NiRjwpCrCMc&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />Toronto's <a href="http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/">Broken Social Scene</a> are promoting this mash up video of the recent police state activities (otherwise known as the G20 meetings )in their hometown. Sent in by an anonymous fan the video is set to <i>Meet Me In The Basement</i>. BSS's YouTube statement reads in part, "The rest speaks for itself."<br /><br />The Arts and Crafts group fresh off a gig at Chicago's <a href="http://pitchforkmusicfestival.com/index.php?d=all">Pitchfork Music Festival</a> also asks that you, "please share this video."Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-28937828968876045592010-06-27T04:55:00.000-07:002010-06-27T04:55:57.447-07:00In Colorado, Pot-Selling Pioneers Try to Turn a Profit - NYTimes.com<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/business/27pot.html?hp">In Colorado, Pot-Selling Pioneers Try to Turn a Profit - NYTimes.com</a>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-17364987645698485392010-06-26T16:19:00.000-07:002010-06-26T16:19:06.817-07:00How to Get Politicians to Admit in Public That the Drug War Has Been a Complete Failure | | AlterNet<a href="http://www.alternet.org/story/147342/how_to_get_politicians_to_admit_in_public_that_the_drug_war_has_been_a_complete_failure">How to Get Politicians to Admit in Public That the Drug War Has Been a Complete Failure | | AlterNet</a>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-22250027445114042382010-05-11T05:26:00.000-07:002010-05-11T05:26:31.507-07:00Which illegal drug is best for the environment? - By Brendan Borrell - Slate Magazine<a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2251385">Which illegal drug is best for the environment? - By Brendan Borrell - Slate Magazine</a>Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-80244152074613369022009-08-12T06:09:00.000-07:002009-08-12T06:13:06.741-07:00Arctic Surf? Sea Temps at Record Highs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlzOMiojTh219hyE8RQeC9ij2p8T9sL1YNnwsIENzT3Y-7iu66GSQnNQJw6datpFdyOmQKkC89NsWxXJWDrlGIBMf2g9R472ghpeRkOIwtVJWisp410yLkEsgUYQqEHTErFu2ejB3Mq_7/s1600-h/surf+crowd.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlzOMiojTh219hyE8RQeC9ij2p8T9sL1YNnwsIENzT3Y-7iu66GSQnNQJw6datpFdyOmQKkC89NsWxXJWDrlGIBMf2g9R472ghpeRkOIwtVJWisp410yLkEsgUYQqEHTErFu2ejB3Mq_7/s320/surf+crowd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369064593621264418" /></a><br />Surface temperatures of the world's oceans are at their highest levels since records have been kept says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is particularly bad news for people living on the Atlantic coast as rising ocean temperatures fuel hurricanes and raise sea levels.<br /><br />The NOAA report also states that the Arctic sea ice contines to melt at a record pace shrinking 5.6 percent below the 1979-2000 average extent.<br /><br />Preliminary data extrapolated by the National Climatic Data Center reports that sea level temperatures for the month of June were 1.06°F above the 20th century average. To pour salt on the wound the NCDC also reports that land and sea temps combined for the second warmest June in history behind June 2005. At just over 61°F the global temperature rose 1.12°F over the 20th century average.<br /><br />The G8 recently agreed that a rise in global temperatures of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would set off a catastrophic chain of events. While many environmental groups chastised the G8 for setting distant and ambiguous targets it should be noted that the record temperatures that the NOAA has reported on for June 2009 are a little more than one half a degree Celsius.<br /><br />Inland, the temperature-related energy demand for June was up two percent. Depending on where you live in America you were either using your air-conditioner too much or in the case of North Dakota, which had a record cold June, using your furnace to warm up.<br /><br />While warming ocean temps may seem like a good thing if you surf do we really want to be surfing the Arctic?Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1709638654766349263.post-87828344778936120142009-08-07T03:21:00.000-07:002009-08-07T04:01:04.700-07:00Estoy Pacheco Rolls 11 Marijuana News Hits You May have Missed This Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP9KmBYD453tm9r38TH2wongpVIq7l5ajmJNTUlUaDldO6PCk9qbTsNJvrJj3Q9MTXoGkfKdJk8Xg61DY3AE3FoC735CRQBq4EQ_TX-12DFKXXrmWr71gqeDqtOBZF_0azIuBKL1x2qaP/s1600-h/amy-winehouse-not-guilty.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 171px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP9KmBYD453tm9r38TH2wongpVIq7l5ajmJNTUlUaDldO6PCk9qbTsNJvrJj3Q9MTXoGkfKdJk8Xg61DY3AE3FoC735CRQBq4EQ_TX-12DFKXXrmWr71gqeDqtOBZF_0azIuBKL1x2qaP/s320/amy-winehouse-not-guilty.jpg" border="0" alt="Amy Winehouse dresses up for a recent court appearance."id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367174646612661234" /></a><br /><br />News, views and reviews that may have slipped under your radar screen this week...and one easy on the eyes pic. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=a3G6baGGl9ks"><br />BMW Owners Show Hemp’s No Longer Just for Hippies</a><br /><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/08/tigard_police_halt_sexforpot_s.html">Sex-for-marijuana sting in Tigard goes to pot</a><br /><a href="http://hailmaryjane.com/14-childrens-show-characters-that-were-probably-potheads/">14 Children’s Show Characters That Were Probably Potheads</a><br /><a href="http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/141416/did_anti-drug_propaganda_help_bring_about_a_psychedelic_renaissance/">Did Anti-Drug Propaganda Help Bring About a Psychedelic Renaissance?</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6U3Wq-3jy0">The Marijuana Song</a><br /><a href="http://atwater-village.blogspot.com/2009/05/city-of-la-has-more-pot-clinics-than.html">City of LA Has More Pot Clinics Than Starbucks Stores</a> <br /><a href="http://www.key-z.com/dippedart.html">Dipped Art</a><br /><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/03/0301_shakespeare.html">Did Shakespeare Puff on "Noted Weed"?</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Safer-Driving-People-Drink/dp/1603581448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248318797&sr=8-1">Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?</a><br /><a href="http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/legalize-marijuana-in-australia.html">Sign the Petition: Legalize Marijuana in Australia</a><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/the-top-5-reasons-why-we_n_253348.html">The Top 5 Reasons Why We Should Grow Hemp</a><br /><br />Some places have centerfolds or a pet of the month, Estoy Pacheco has his <i>Roach Clip of the Week</i>. This week's <i>Roach Clip</i> is <b>Amy Winehouse</b>. <br /><br />The human train wreck, better known for looking like a junkie in recent years instead of her golden pipes, had a court date recently. Amy seems to have learned a trick or two on her road to Hell, namely don't look like a junkie when you show up to court - a lesson that everyone who has experienced the legal system knows. <br /><br />Did it work? She beat the assault rap.Estoy Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913885695142289820noreply@blogger.com1