Back in shape, blah, blah, blah...

I've worked out in the gym a couple of times in the week since renewing membership there. I started with ten minutes on the stationary bike both times, then continued to the circuit machines, in reps of five, various times (depending on the machine); I always do the complete circuit, which takes 30 minutes max, and I'm not rushing (and try to gently stretch in between sets, and definitely when moving from one machine to another). I lift the weights somewhat more slowly than most gym rats, in order to truly resist gravity (after all, isn't it referred to as resistance training?), but not so slowly as to become like torture (though truly slow weight lifting may be the most effective routine). This modest regime works for me, as I have no real aches two days later, although I certainly felt my muscles while working the circuit.

* * *
Of course, the continuing drama about the overpaid, arrogant, and possibly mentally unstable "member" of the 'skins, Fat Albert Haynesworth, makes my blood boil. In a time of high unemployment and recession, this person could not be bothered to make the effort to work out once in a while, and repeately failed to turn up to training camp. Haynesworth now says he has a condition, rhabdomyolysis, that makes him unable to participate fully in training. According to the rhabdomyolysis entry in the online Sports Injury Bulletin, athletes most at risk for rhabdomyolysis are: "Out-of-shape athletes who begin training seriously in the summer are thus at particular risk; their lack of fitness places more stress on their muscles, and their lack of acclimatisation to the heat raises the risks of heat stress and dehydration." Effectively, if he worked out in the off-season and attended training camp, he might not be suffering from this. Folks are saying that he should be traded, but what team wants his lazy, uncooperative behind?

***
No, spoiled athletes are not whom I admire--my role model in physical fitness is this shining senior, Ernestine Shepherd:

Friday funny...on the importance of eating your vegetables

Your mother told you to eat your veggies, scientists are telling you to get 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, and now even canines are getting in on the act, as this little fella is letting his people know just how important cabbage is in the diet...

Sense in the summer...

Finally returned to the community center to renew my (lapsed) three-month gym membership, and noticed the following on the side of the center, its small youth garden in full bloom:

Beanstalk reaching for the sky


Grape tomatoes doing a Jackie Gleason impression


Dwarf sunflowers


Sage


Marigolds and green peppers


Thyme (one of the three types there)


Name these flowers!

Anise hyssop in bloom

At least the community center (which is next door to an elementary school) had the good sense to keep a garden, unlike Bancroft Elementary in DC, which demolished its garden (which Michelle Obama helped the school revive). The little garden that could shows how much food can be grown in a small space; even most townhomes have this amount of space (if you count the front and back), and many of the herbs and tomatoes can be grown in containers. If I could only rip out the entire monster juniper the developer put in front!

Speedy summer supper: succotash

Nothing says summer like tomatoes and corn! A quick, tasty way to combine them is to make a succotash, which also traditionally includes lima beans, and is a light, but filling summer meal, especially nice served over rice.


Succotash (serves 4)

2 ears corn
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
half a large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup (thawed) edamame or (cooked) lima beans
salt, pepper to taste (sometimes use Season All instead, or add dried thyme also)
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
2 cups hot cooked rice

Cut the corn kernels off their cobs, and set aside. In a large frypan (preferably cast iron), heat oil over medium heat (swirl oil around in the pan a bit). Add the onion, stir and cook a few seconds, then add the garlic and stir some more, about another minute. Add the cut corn and stir some more to cook another minute. Add the edamame or lima beans, add the seasonings, and stir again to cook a couple more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir, and cover the pan to let cook another five or so minutes, until the skins are slightly falling off the tomatoes and the mixture is thickened.

Serve over hot cooked rice and enjoy.

Friday funny...

The importance of water safety for both people and dogs, demonstrated the fun way by Cooper the corgi...


(This video also emphasizes the importance of exercise, for the participants and the viewer, who can get aerobic exercise from all the laughing.)

Not for kids only, part 3 (back to school and other August sales)

It's that time of the year, when we're inundated with back to school sales ads, commercials, ad nauseum. Might as well take advantage of the situation, even if you don't have children. How so? Well, if you have a home office, like to do crafts, or volunteer with a community organization, or frankly just need to purchase something, this is the time to head to the store (mortar and brick and online), as many stores are now getting in on the act, like Costco and Staples, as well as the usual suspects.

For instance, last summer, the swivel chair I had in the den finally gave up the ghost, so it was time to find its replacement. As it happens, with all the back to school hoopla, I was able to find a cheap, decent chair. Actually, a few--a couple from Staples, and one from Target.

Of course, because college students must go fully equipped to college, just about anything conceivable is on sale at this time of year. So, Costco currently is having a such a sale, particularly for cell phones. As you might have guessed, Amazon couldn't be far behind, and it's participating in such a sale, too. (I was looking in its grocery section, and noticed such a promotion in the coffee area, presumably for college kids needing their caffeine fix. I'm sure it's having a back to school promotion in other parts of its site this month.)

I always have to make the pilgrimage this time of year to Staples, because office products that might be too pricey come down to earth, more or less. For instance, you get 100% back in rewards (rebate/discount) if you buy a ream or two of copy paper. The regular Staples copy paper is about $4.99; however, I buy the 100% recycled, which is normally $6.99. With rewards of 100%, I'll be getting a coupon for that amount (6.99) or more (since I recycle my ink cartridges, which automatically gets you $2 in rewards per cartridge[but it used to be $3--oh, the economy]). And other items are directly on sale, so paper clips, etc., anything that you might need, come and get it!

Now you too can be this excited, even if you don't have youngsters...

Sweet things...

Summer time, the time I try to go on regular fresh fruit runs (and pick up canned tropical fruit, to supplement) to the grocery store or other market. The payoff--lots of delicious fruit, obtained at good prices, which helped me drop a few pounds. The last is accomplished by simply having lots of fruit at home all the time, so anytime I'm feeling hungry and it's not quite mealtime, I simply pop fruit into my mouth, which keeps me from getting into dietary trouble!

So, I stocked up at Giant with fresh fruit on sale--blueberries, strawberries, and, of course, cherries (I stocked up on peaches a couple of days earlier). Of course, sweet cherries were there in force, on sale for $1.88 a pound, so I got a bit over a pound. But wait, I also saw the beauties above, pints of tart cherries from upstate New York's Orbaker Fruit Farms (part of the Red Tomato network). Whoa! Now, these were not on sale (not at $3.99/pint), there weren't many of them, and I had never tasted fresh tart cherries, so resistance was futile. All fruits have health benefits, and tend to be high in antioxidants (blueberries and cherries in particular), and tart cherries have among the highest antioxidant levels. OK, so I figure I'll make a stovetop cherry slump or grunt in a couple of days for breakfast.

I'll still make that dish, but it might be a smaller one than I originally planned, 'cause it's hard to stop popping these little red orbs directly into my piehole. Frankly, these guys should be renamed as "sweet'n'sour" cherries or "sweettart" cherries, because while not as sweet as their sweeter cousins, they do have a reasonable amount of sweetness to go with the acidity, almost making them more interesting to eat. Addictive, almost. These tart cherries, so-called "pie" cherries because they keep their shape better than sweeter ones. Fair enough. But don't relegate them to pie only if you happen to run across the fresh version of the tart ones at a farmer's market or pick-your-own farm.

Now, the ones that I will cook do present another dilemma--how to pit. After all, I don't have a cherry pitter at home, as I don't cook enough of them to justify one. But, for a small amount like a pint, kitchen utensils already at home were handy enough. For the first step after stemming, cutting the cherries in half, the knife best suited is a small steak knife (or any small serrated knife), like this...
Notice how pale the tart cherries are inside, which means that there were no stained fingers even after cutting and pitting!

On to pitting. The easiest, quickest way for me (but not for everyone, obviously) was to take my right thumbnail to scoop out the pits. Using a small knife works OK, as I tried pitting with the serrated knife and a smaller knife, but really, a cherry pitter would work best for folks with short nails, because using a knife takes too long.

For people who want some of the benefits (and plump texture) of tart cherries when they're not in season, you can find canned tart cherries packed in water at the supermarket. So far, Giant rules again, as its brand is the most reasonably priced canned tart cherries I've seen in stores or online.

That's right--it's almost impossible find canned tart cherries for less than $2.50 a can, so this was a revelation, one which made its way straight into the shopping cart!

* * *

Of course, when you think of sweet things, you can't help but also think of this classic from Rufus and Chaka Khan...

I feel the earth move...not!

No, I didn't feel last night's earthquake, although apparently folks in close by towns felt it. Then again, it was of 3.6 magnitude, strong enough for light sleepers to feel it, but not enough for folks that sleep like logs to notice. In other words, your perception and experience may vary, even from the people next door. I'm used to loud noises at night, grew up with them, in fact, living near railroad tracks in DC as a preteen, so I grew accustomed to night noise. That earthquake would have had to be stronger for me to notice, as jets from Andrews fly overhead at times, scaring the daylights out of me as they sound like they might crash into the house. Day or night, especially before the airshow in May.

Sleep researcher Stanley Coren wrote in Sleep Thieves that when he was a grad student at Stanford, he felt he generally didn't get a good night's sleep. One morning, he awoke to the clock radio, which reported that an earthquake took place. In his words, "Although I felt that I had been awake all night, I had actually been so soundly asleep that I had completely missed an earthquake that had brought down a large quantity of plaster from the ceiling of our bedroom onto our bed. In fact, as I got up, two large chunks of plaster, each the size of a tennis ball, rolled off my chest, where they had apparently been resting for the hour or more since the earthquake. So much for my experience of a completely sleepless night!" I don't think I'm that oblivious, as there's nothing out of place at home, thankfully.

Of course, this morning's adventure makes me think of a favorite song by Carole King...

Yuan Fu--fast, fresh, and friendly...

Hadn't been this way down Rockville Pike in a while (as it's a little ways straight from the Rockville station), but was in the area the other day, and hungry, so I stopped in Yuan Fu Restaurant for the first time in a while. The outside is nothing to brag about, but at least the signage is prominent. (Have been here a few times before.)
Now, I was there for lunch, a rather late one, in fact. But no worries--the lunch special is served until 4:30 pm, and I was there at around 3. So far so good. The prices are still reasonable, as the special offers a choice of four appetizers (I chose the tasty curry dumplings, which are turnovers), and an entree, which range in price from $6.95 to $9.95; most of them are $6.95 or $7.50. You have to specifically ask for the lunch specials menu, as you're first offered the regular menu; however, the server is quick to provide it once requested.

There were a couple of other tables also being served, but service was quick, and friendly. Of course, being that the day was a scorcher, I had a glass of watermelon juice to start (and go along with my meal). Then, I saw the another table get hot tea, so I got hot green tea, too (just so I'd have something else to drink, and wouldn't slurp up the juice in five seconds flat, as I'm liable to do).
In a matter of minutes, after I finished the stuffed curry dumplings, my order of crispy eggplants arrived, with a side of brown rice (it offers a choice of white or brown rice).
Yum, crispy batter-fried slices of eggplant with a slightly sweet, slightly hot (OK, I didn't crunch into the chile peppers) sauce. And broccoli, too. I've tried the faux meats in the past, and enjoyed most of them (e.g., Chinese-style sausage, tuna steak), but there were a couple of misses, probably because I didn't like the recipe (the yu-shiang recipes have seaweed, which isn't to my liking unless it's in sushi; the soft shell crab was made of potato). Even for dishes I wasn't fond of, it was the combination of foods that turned me off, not the quality of the food.

In fact, I got confirmation of why so many people rave about the quality of its food, as I witnessed this scene while eating the eggplant; in between serving, the servers sat down at a table in the dining room to
pick through fresh snowpeas (presumably for the dinner service meals). Now, I'd been there a number of times and had not seen this happen before.

Anyway, I was feeling adventurous, and decided to order dessert. As the few desserts are (mostly) authentically Chinese, maybe they're not for Western tastes, as pretty as they may be. I chose the small Eight Treasure steamed taro roots paste pudding, to find out what the deal is with taro. Perhaps it should have remained a mystery.

The pudding paste is hot (a hot mess?) with a gelatinous-seeming glaze. What appear to be nuts near the front are gingko nuts, which I can live without. Also didn't realize that taro paste would appear pinkish, which was offputting. (Maybe this will teach me to stick with eating taro in the form of chips.) The pudding also contains various fruits, like dates and berries, which had odd flavors (wolfberries, maybe). Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Most of the lunch was a win, however, so I wouldn't hold this odd dessert against the place.

Fact is, except for dessert, lunch at Yuan Fu was tasty, nutritious, and reasonable in price, as usual. (Which means it's cheaper than The Vegetable Garden, down the pike, which has its own merits, like better desserts [e.g., vegan key lime pie].) Yuan Fu's obviously doing something right, as it's holding its own during these tough times, which is more than I can say for many of the former businesses along the same stretch of Rockville Pike.

Happy Fourth!

Photo by Kabir Bakie (via wikimedia)

Time to have a happy, sweaty, 4th of July, wherever you celebrate. For me, it's a cookout this year. Can't be bothered with going to see fireworks on the mall, particularly since I can see the Andrews fireworks display from my deck.

OK, I did go to the Mall with friends once to see the fireworks, during the '80s, whichever year Roberta Flack was one of the singers. It was great to hear homegirl's (she got her start in DC) sweet voice floating in the air, as we were walking down the hill toward the grassy area. This after we were unsure that we were going to make it there in one piece, due to some kamikaze driving to Capitol Hill, so it was extra nice to hear her. Well, it's always good to hear Roberta Flack, on the 4th or any day.

Water, water, everywhere?

Just in time for summer vacation comes mandated water restrictions, courtesy of a potential giant water main break in Potomac caught in the nick of time. Sadly, it seems these infrastructure slip-ups are no longer for the winter season only.

These regulations aren't too stringent--basically, no topping off of swimming pools, no watering lawns (I avoid this anyway, as this region is a swamp), or washing cars (another activity I loathe).

Car washing is something I've always seen as a complete waste anyway--of time and water. Maybe it's seeing neighbors spend hours soaping and rinsing their vehicles over the years that totally turned me off from even thinking of washing the electric carriage myself. Honestly, I'm thankful for the local car wash, which is the more environmentally friendly, and efficient, way of taking care of a dirty vehicle. Five minutes to the car wash, ten minutes to get ride clean, five minutes back home, with both vehicle and owner being clean and dry. What's not to like?

If only the folks at Andre's also had these skills:

For best results, keep it brisk!

No excuses today for not getting outside and doing something, like taking a brisk walk, which I did this morning. Nice! Perfect weather for the next day or so, giving me and the a/c a much-needed break.

Speaking of exercise, a study published in the June 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (part of the long-term Harvard Nurses Study II) concerning exercise and weight control in young women. Namely, it compared bicycle riding to walking in regard to weight management. The finding is that the women who regularly either rode bicycles, walked briskly, or engaged in other physical activities for 30 minutes per day gained significantly less weight than women who walked slowly as a form of physical activity.

While the above is good news in nice weather, when the outdoors turns into the jungle without the helicopters whizzing overhead a la Apocalypse Now, it's time to find other exercise options. Like the gym, but certainly not the "affordable" options mentioned in the Washington Post the other day. (What, that article was supposed to be serious?) No way, I'm renewing my membership in the gym at the local community rec center, which only runs $35 for three months (slightly over $100 for the entire year), and allows unlimited access to its decent gym. If I were desperate to get to a gym, and the rec center's was full, I'd head to the nearby Capitol Sports Complex (the old Run 'N' Shoot), which you can visit for $10 a pop, and offers access to a spacious gym.

Good ways to keep it toned without taking up the dreaded activity of jogging/running for my life.

So, you're not into the bar scene...

You're not alone. So, a special place in DC exists for people who want to talk tech, without the loud music and background of restaurants and bars.

That place is 1410 Q Street, NW. By day, it's an elegant, unassuming brick rowhouse that incubates tech startups. By night, it hosts various IT and other technical group meetings. (Shhhhh!)

Which is why the comfy yet refined meeting space came to house a "Blogging Buddies" meetup tonight, meant to encourage people to exchange, and, if needed, to begin blogging. It happened--two--count 'em, two--people actually began their blogs tonight, on two separate subjects. I'd call that success, especially for a first meeting.

If you're looking for advice, war stories, technical advice, and practical encouragement on blogging, get thee to 1410 Q Street next month, the 4th Thursday (which would be July 22nd) between 7 and 9 pm. Bring yourself. Bring a friend. (No need to BYOB, though!) Most important, bring your point of view.

Keeping it cool...with dessert.

It's that kind of day--while fruit's great as dessert, at times, you want something different, a little extra on a scorcher like today. Particularly if you don't have to make it yourself.

Like, say, ice cream and other ice treats. But you're worried about your waistline. Not to fear, Turtle Mountain's got you covered. Its most recent icy creations are coconut-water based sorbets, so they're low in calories, from 100 to 110 calories per serving. (A serving is half cup. Sure.) I got the 'lemonade' flavor from Giant, and boy, it is good. Smooth, soft, and (if you have any left over), doesn't get lots of ice crystals. Yum!

Double yum if you're out and about is the soft-serve soy ice cream at Everlasting Life (in Capitol Heights, near FedEx Stadium). You have to call to find the flavor of the day, which is strawberry today. Sounds good, although my favorites are the rum raisin and sweet potato. Which might go splendidly with one of the cobblers (pictured above is the peach, which I particularly love). Most recently the cobblers were mixed berry and apple, and I just had to have the berry; turned out to be a good choice, full of sloppy fruity juices and such.

Or the guilty pleasure of the soft-serve ice cream from the Miller Farm store in Clinton. I last had the banana nut in a cone, but the flavor changes daily.

***
For a decent, large, fruit pie for those days when there's no time to find a farmer's market, scarily enough, you can find a reasonable one at the grocery store (for some reason, Safeway in particular). That's right, good ol' Sara Lee makes a delish cherry pie from the Signature Selections Deep Dish Gourmet pie line). Made with those tart Montmorency, aka "pie," cherries (which hold their shape better than sweet ones, and have higher levels of antioxidants to boot), they are a revelation; not too sweet, and full of plump cherries, instead of crimson-colored cherry cornstarch.

It's big enough, and rich enough, for company, but not too expensive. And, again, not too sweet. Because it's full of cherries, which are, in fact, the first ingredient, which, sadly, is almost unheard of for storebought frozen fruit desserts. In fact, the ingredients are: cherries, enriched flour, vegetable oil, sugar, water, as well as less than 2% of each of the following--modified corn starch, high fructose corn cyrup, salt, soy flour. Now, this is no natural product, as the vegetable oil may contain cottonseed (?) oil, and there's high fructose corn syrup, but again, this isn't an everyday food (as fatty as this is, it shouldn't be).

This is treat-yourself weather, so go ahead and do as The Jacksons used to sing:

The best Father's Day gift...

Today, my cousin received what must be the best Father's Day gift ever: celebration of (one of) his son's success. The son, Louis Young (Good Counsel's most recent football hero), is headed off to Georgia Tech on a football scholarship. Woo hoo! More good news: two of Louis' sports-playing friends (in the field of basketball) are headed to Georgetown and Princeton. In this day and age, anytime parents have raised young people to be kind, academically oriented, and to excel in sports, as is the case with Louis, it's time to celebrate.

Future good news--little brother wants to follow in Louis' footsteps. (However, the younger brother looks like a linebacker, and is Louis' height, so we can't call him "little" anymore!)

Brains and brawn are what we as a community, and as a nation, need to hold in high esteem, to affirm at every turn.

Another dispatch from Digital Capital Week...

Attended one more Digital Capital Week session today, "Can I Tweet That?," a discussion about user-generate content and the law. Three attorneys, two in person (moderator Kendell Kelly, mentioned in a previous post), and Andrew T. Mirsky, and another (David A. Wheeler) via teleconference, generously provided information and answered questions about various aspects of the law and how it affects online publishers/writers/commentors (this means you!). The session got into the nitty-gritty of the things that you say online that would be protected by copyright, and what would (or might) not, what constitutes fair use, etc.

All in all, another productive (and still free) event, one of many during this first annual Digital Capital Week.

Is this Nirvana? (Restaurant)

The wait area at Nirvana, near the entrance.

Not sure if Nirvana Vegetarian Restaurant qualifies as nirvana, but it's a nice spot for lunch. It's practically mandatory to visit an Indian buffet, just to see what's available, and because it's a pretty inexpensive way to get tasty, nutritious food, as much as you can handle--it also makes it easy to eat enough that you don't have to worry about dinner. (Or at least I tried to eat that much. Says a lot about me, I know.)

The decor is warm and inviting, in the waiting area and in the restaurant itself. In addition to tables, there's also a bar, a nice option for singles. However, the buffet is the main event, so I got a table nearby, close to the action. I should first say that though the place was close to full (this was between 12:30 and 1 pm), it wasn't packed, so the tone of the place was civil. (I'm surprised there wasn't a tv at the bar with World Cup coverage, so perhaps that helped keep the vibe calm.) The attentive service, from the wait staff to the owner, helps keep the ambience friendly, as well.

In the midst of this Old World atmosphere is the $11.95 buffet, which was vegan except for a lentil-yogurt dish at one end. (It didn't look as appetizing as the other dishes, so I stayed away). As it is a Thursday, today's buffet featured savories. I think the rice was a biryani, but I also had the chole, a chickpea dish infused with flavorful coriander, so I went for seconds. Also making an appearance was one of my favorite breads, the puffy puri. There were also potato patties, a bit too soft for my liking, as well as a nice bagda, another bean dish, slightly spicy. There was a different potato dish, an aloo, with many peas and other vegetables. There was also a dish made with chickpeas and papadi, which had an odd (but not bad) texture and good flavor, just took getting used to. The spiciness snuck up on me, but a nice glass of the $1.00 (during lunch) iced tea helped tame it. (Not that the spiciness really bothered me, as I like it spicy.) My plate was full, and refilled...
If you're in the 18th and K area, and need a place to go for lunch, keep Nirvana in mind, as the buffet menu differs depending on the day of the week--Monday is North Indian food, Tuesday, the food represents the Gujrati region, Wednesday, it's South Indian, Thursday it's savories (whatever that means), and Friday is food of the Rajasthani region. Which means you'll probably never be bored no matter which day you decide to go. (Oh, Nirvana also serves dinner, so I may have to try it sometime.)

Serene at Java Green? (And more foodstuffs...)

The above scene at Java Green was serene, but only because I was there during the morning, when it serves breakfast (9 am to 11 am), before lunchtime's zoo-like atmosphere. In addition to all the hot and cold coffee and tea concoctions, the drinks menu has expanded to include a few raw items, three raw lattes (mate latte, ginger latte, and a green tea latte), all for the hair-raising price of $9.00! (The other coffee drinks start at about $3.80, more in line with reality.)

During breakfast hours, you can also get a tasty sweet treat, such as cookies from Sticky Fingers Bakery, or one of the cakes and pies from Sweet-n-Natural Bakery (also sold at Brown's Market and Everlasting Life) and Seemconi, which seems to specialize in delectable-looking cashew "cheesecakes." Had I known about the latter beforehand, my hand would have slipped into my purse to pay for the chocolate cashew cheesecake, and eat the fattening goodness, but that will have to wait for another time.

Not that I was showing any waistline discipline, mind you, but I was going to eat something savory, such as one of the hearty breakfast sandwiches. And for a not-bad price of $5.95, at least compared with the lunch sandwiches. (Admittedly, lunch sandwiches at Java can be enormous.)

The breakfast sandwich above, "Eggcentricity," could have been great. The bread is very tasty, the soy chicken chunks are firm and delicious, and the sandwich itself is a decent size overall (very important for breakfast, IMHO). However, there is no need to shred the soy cheese, as that makes the "cheese" fall out of the sandwich and all over the plate. Also, there's entirely too much garlic in the scrambled tofu! The other breakfast sandwiches, often called "che," also feature the same bread and the scrambled tofu, so I'd forget the ones that don't have the soy chicken. And stick with one of the drinks and sweets.

* * *
Speaking of sweets, Hello Cupcake's cheery exterior just called out to me from Connecticut Avenue. I answered that call, and was not disappointed. That is, after I finally decided which cupcake to buy. The lemon "you tart" was suitably tempting, as was the dulce de leche sweetie. However, I chose a vegan chocolate with strawberry icing. Ooooh, the chocolate was moist and sweet, and the icing, swoonworthy, tastes of real strawberries and piled high atop the cake. It tastes like the bakers actually do bake the cupcakes every morning. Freshness--what a concept!

* * *
I'm looking forward to the premiere of the new season of Top Chef DC tonight, if only to see local boy Timothy Dean obtain even more exposure and success (maybe then I'll finally be able to eat in one of his establishments, as his last DC foray was less than successful). Also curious to see how Tameesha Warren, sous chef at the Oval Room, does this season (the one time I ate there, years ago, was a joy). I haven't watched this program consistently since the season Carla Hall was a contestant. Go DC!

Dispatch from Digital Capital Week, part deux

Panelists Najeema Washington, Chris Cooks, and moderator Faith Dow listening intently to a participant.

All's well that ends well, so tonight's Digital Capital Week session, "Integrating Technology with Advocacy and Education," moderated by Faith Dow (Acts of Faith blog, and all-around social media maven), was a success, although there were logistical problems in the beginning. (Aren't there always?)

The discussion, a Black Tech Blazers event at the MLK Library, had a panel well versed in all things social media--Najeema Washington of the Hell in a Handbag blog, who started DC WIN, a networking organization, and Chris Cooks, social media enthusiast and co-founder of NGage DC, a different networking group.

The other participants were a varied lot, and their presence proved the point that familiarity with social media is becoming necessary across many fields. We discussed the advantages of Twitter for getting a point across, Ning as a social-networking jack of all trades, as well as the pros and cons of Facebook. The panelists drove home the necessity of in-person networking, that social media, important as it is, cannot replace face-to-face communication, and lamented the dearth of minorities at such events, although they know of many minorities working in their respective fields.

Speaking of serendipity, near the end of the session came Patrick Timony, of the MLK Library's office of Adaptive Services, which uses adaptive technologies to help persons with disabilities access various media. (There was a mixup between his office and the classroom the session was held, so we had a chance to view Assistive Services' setup before, so he agreed to come to our session near the end to provide us additional information about his office's services.) Glad he stopped by, for I certainly wouldn't have known that the iPad is convenient for the visually impaired (at least for those who can afford it).

Looking forward to another Digital Capital event this week, and toward a second annual Digital Capital Week same time next year.

Time to step it up...

Tonight's the night. Yes, the President is finally giving a speech outlining what his Administration plans to do regarding the Gulf oil spill cleanup, as well his plans for an energy policy.

It's about time. However, the President, and the government in general, can only do so much. We as individual citizens have to get serious about reducing energy consumption and resource waste. It's ridiculous for Limberger to attempt to blame the spill on "environmentalists," as the need to drill deep comes not from BP's caring about anyone's opinion, but rather the need to go (as all oil companies do) where the oil is.

What can I do, you say, to cut down the use of petroleum? Any number of things, which may be easier to implement in your life than you might imagine.

If you must drive a car, don't be a leadfoot. Seriously, again according to tests done by Edmonds, easing up on the accelerator alone can cause you to save, at minimum, 20 percent gas (and lives), no matter where you drive. For city drivers, there's still significant savings in easing up, as you're not stomping down on the brakes so often (or so hard); being easier on the brakes also saves petroleum, and reduces wear and tear on your vehicle (which is also composed of petroleum, in large measure). Please, drive the speed limit. (On the highway, drive 55). It's not a communist plot--the federal speed limit was passed, in fact, during the original oil crisis of the 1970s, to save gas. Oh, and you're not saving that much time when you speed, weaving in and out of lanes, etc., particularly when you're not driving on the highway.

We've all heard the saying, "reduce, reuse, recycle," which has always struck me as an updated version of the old saying, "waste not, want not."

To reduce means to look at whether we need to buy something in the first place, whether we'll actually use what we buy. We also need to look at product packaging, as some packaging is excessive, and other packaging is easily reusable. For instance, I've kept certain candy and cosmetic tins, glass jars, and the like and reused them, to use for office products (e.g., pen and pencil holders) and other uses. Sometimes that's the reason I've bought certain mints, because I could see that I'd be able to reuse them (in addition to the delicious candy, of course).

Look at what you use most often--can you use less of it? Be it paper, laundry detergent, or something else, chances are you use way more of it than you need. For instance, with laundry detergent, for one load, you don't need to use the entire scoop, only up to the first fill line. You might find that using this reduced amount not only saves money, but gets your clothes cleaner. I have found this to be the case when doing laundry, particularly for my dark clothes.

Perhaps the last part, to recycle, is not done as often as possible is that often, municipalities make it as difficult as possible to do so. Thankfully, in my part of Prince George's County, officials have made it easy to recycle, ever since single-stream recycling has been implemented (as I mentioned in an earlier post, of Jan. 7, 2009). If you live in PG and don't have single-stream recycling yet, it will be coming to your neighborhood sometime this year. If you don't live in Prince George's County and don't have single stream recycling, contact your local public works and ask why it hasn't implemented single-stream recycling; perhaps contact P.G. County yourself and ask how it came to be put in place. Remember, plastic is made from petroleum, so when it's recycled to make new products, less petroleum overall is used in the process.

Of course, it makes sense to complete the circle, and purchase recycled goods, when you need to buy things. It's almost too easy to buy 100% recycled paper for writing or printing/copying, and the quality is the same. Actually, someone mentioned to me that the 100% recycled copy paper by Staples is better in quality than the 30% recycled version, that it was more trouble free with office equipment. If you think you can't swing the price of the recycled product, and you have a Staples rewards card, bring in your used inkjet cartridge or toner cartridge for recycling next time you go shopping there, and soon enough, you'll be getting coupons for $3, $5, $6, or more off your next purchase. Easy. Without a button.