GREEN HOLIDAYS




Last holiday season I urged readers to buy items created and sold by local ashtangis (you can read it again here).

This year I wrote an article for Yoga Chicago about sensible green gifts (ie; not the ones that sound good but turn out to be fairly useless, but ones people will actually love and use). The good news is that most of these items are available everywhere - not just in Chicago - although some have their roots here.

Here it is (or read it here, at the YC website):









A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE (GREEN) THINGS
By C.K.





Green has become the new gold, and every day there are more green products flooding the marketplace. But which are the best? Many seem like a good idea at first, but turn out to be either frivolous or difficult to incorporate into daily life. The following items are both innovative and practical.

Yoga mats

While I like the natural rubber yoga mats made by Jade and Chicago-based Natural Fitness, I find that Ashtanga practitioners who don't “float” on jump-throughs tend to wear them out rather quickly. On the other hand, I've found that Manduka's Blackmat Pro and ProLite Travel Mat are nearly impossible to destroy--even if they're not made of natural materials. To me, it makes sense to buy a single non-rubber mat that lasts for eons, rather than replacing my mat over and over again. And now, the Manduka comes with a lifetime warranty. For an extra $8.50, Manduka will send you a mat recycling kit, so you can mail it to Recycle Your Mat (go to recycleyourmat.com for the mailing instructions). They also make a rubber Manduka eKO mat, but I haven't tried it yet--since my old Mandukas are still going strong! Visit manduka.com for more.

Yoga mat bags

Malia's recycled yoga mat bags are made from colorful Vietnamese rice bags. But they're not just environmentally friendly; the goods sold by Chicago-based Malia Designs are made by nonprofit organizations that employ disadvantaged people in developing countries, and a percentage of profits go to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Founders Lia Valerio and Maria Forres Opdycke both spent time in Southeast Asia, where they “recognized the need for women to have a secure and safe source of income in order to foster economic development in the region.” The bags are $24 and may be purchased at Majamas in Oak Park, or at maliadesigns.com .

Water and bottles

At a time when bottled water often comes in single-use containers, it makes sense to bottle your own. In fact, the last time I bought bottled water was when I moved six months ago--and I still have some left. I like the inexpensive, easy-to-install Pur faucet-mounted water filter ( purwater.com ), which I usually put into an old pink Sigg water bottle that has survived four trips to India and is still a workhorse ( mysigg.com ). It's made of aluminum and has an enamel lining. But I'm also a big fan of the Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottle I picked up when Mata Amritanandamayi ( Amma) visited Chicago last year. Its curving corners and rounded threads help eliminate areas where bacteria and dirt can hide, plus the bottles are recyclable and come in many shapes and sizes. Visit kleankanteen.com.

Reusable utensils, etc.


I have “saved” countless plastic knives, forks and spoons ever since my dear friend Erin gave me a set of Snow Peak titanium utensils last year. Durable, lightweight and portable, they have traveled around the world with me… until I lost each piece, one by one. The set is about $30, at snowpeak.com. I replaced them with To-Go Ware's just as light--and far cheaper--sustainable bamboo utensils, which include chopsticks. Plus, the utensil holders are made from plastic bags made by an NGO (non-governmental organization) project in India (about $11 for the set, at to-goware.com). [NOTE: To-Go Ware is having a 25 percent off sale through Sunday 12/13; use the code HOLIDAY25]. They also make tiffin stainless steel food carriers as well as the smaller steel containers that I use instead of resealable plastic bags (you can purchase similar containers at Kamdar Plaza, 2646 W. Devon Ave., Chicago). I also carry a bandanna with me at all times; it's great for mopping the brow, cleaning up spills, using as a napkin, wrapping up leftover food and more.

Bike Bags

A good bike bag or basket makes it easy to go grocery shopping or run errands without getting into the car. After searching fruitlessly a few years ago for the perfect bike bag I could hook on the rack and carry over the shoulder, I gave up and bought a wonderful Wald folding rear bike basket (about $22.95 at Uptown Bikes, 4653 N. Broadway, 773.728.5212). But a student recently turned me on to Detours' Toocan Utility Pannier ($60), a light, durable and stylish bike bag that has a rubber bottom and clips into the bike rack. It has a wide opening, reflective taillight tabs on both ends and a removable raincover--plus it's easy to clip on and off the rack. Even cooler is the Toocan Juicy, which is covered in recycled fruit juice pouches and is made by Money from Garbage, an initiative of the women-owned B. Luz Cooperative in the Philippines. Detours also sells an equally stylish removable handlebar bag. Find them at detours.us.





Garden-in-a-Box

City Farm's Green Boxes are ideal for apartment and condo dwellers who don't have access to a yard - plus they're the brainchild of a local ashtangi! The portable 2' x 3' Green Boxes are made of recycled local materials and built by volunteers. Small enough to fit on porches or balconies, they're constructed to grow a maximum amount of vegetables with shallow roots, such as spinach, chard, mustard greens, parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme, bok choy, and bush green beans. Each sustainable box comes with reusable City Farm compost and starter lettuce seed, and costs $75--$50 of which is a tax-deductible contribution to City Farm and its parent organization, The Resource Center, which is a 30-year-old nonprofit environmental education organization (resourcecenterchicago.org ). Get them at City Farm, 1204 N. Clybourn, or at Grand Street Gardens, 2200 W. Grand Ave., or by E-mailing greenboxchicago@me.com .

But wait, there's more!

I asked readers of my blog to chime in with their favorite things, and they came back with a number of suggestions. One recommended Laptop Lunches' Bento Box, which they use to bring lunch to work; the version 2.0 set costs $24.99 and comes with a hard black outer shell with five food containers, a set of utensils, and a user's guide; visit laptoplunches.com , which also has lots of lunch ideas. The eco-alternative to plastic Baggies is Wrap-n-Mat's sandwich wrap mats ($7.49 and up), which unfold into a handy eating surface. They also make reusable snack pouches; visit wrap-n-mat.com .

Another reader loves the recycled plastic tongue scrapers by Preserve, which are made from Stonyfield Farm yogurt containers and allow you to practice Kriya and Karma yoga at the same time. Preserve also makes recycled plastic toothbrushes, mixing bowls, cutting boards, and more (visit preserveproducts.com).

Someone else recommended buying used and local items rather than new green things, and gave high marks to Scout in Andersonville ( scoutchicago.com ), an upscale “urban antique shop” that repurposes furniture and other items. The same reader found Jadeite glass food storage containers that were the precursors to Tupperware at the Broadway Antique market (6130 N. Broadway St., bamchicago.com), and mismatched Bakelite-handled silverware at the Salvation Army (various locations; see salvationarmyusa.org).

FAIRYLAND






Last night was the first snow.

This morning the world looked like a pre-winter wonderland.....



....and one local resident thanked her lucky stars that it snowed after The Second Big Move of 2009.

SURPRISE











YogaNow's holiday party took place last night at the new, much-improved Gaylord India restaurant in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.

Food was eaten, friends were made, and awards were given out for everything from "Best Class Soundtrack" to "Most likely to Sub a Class" to "Best Yoga Book" (Autobiography of a Yogi, which I have been re-re-reading*) to "Most Likely to Open an Ashram."

Guess who won the last one.






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*The first time I read this book I was, like, "No way, this is impossible," and stopped reading it. The second time I was, like, "Well, yes, this is possible." And now I think, "Of course."

THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD



Last night Big E and I went foraging for food in the new neighborhood - which I have dubbed Wes Anderson-ville.

Within a single block there is an Ethiopian restaurant, an authentic Mexican restaurant that serves meat-free beans (and where we got a wonderful drink made of red hibiscus flowers, called Agua de Flor de Jamaica), an Italian grocery story / deli with handmade sandwiches, and a large and very busy Mexican bakery featuring every manner of confection, including churros and many types of conchas, a sugary bread.

(This is not good if you are trying to slouch towards a live, vegan and sugar-free diet).

That said, there are many benefits. The gentleman at the Mexican restaurant even showed us the box of dried hibiscus leaves he uses to make drink.

Also within that block is a resale shop and an antique shop, a Turkish restaurant, a pizza place and an independently-owned coffee shop.

It ain't Little India, but it'll do for now.

THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD




I went to the old stomping grounds to enjoy a coconut and some lunch yesterday.

To my surprise, everything was still there.

We went again today after recycling the boxes used in the move. The food was even better than usual at Uru-Swati.

But it was not easy to get rid of those boxes - especially the special wardrobe containers. (Sadly, there was no room for them in the storage unit).

How hard it is to let go sometimes - even of the most mundane things.

MOVING PICTURES






This is the view from the new living room, which is above the boiler. Notice the size and condition of that radiator!







The new bedroom, pre-move (the bed was made by an artist from the U.P. and is rather delicate. A big thank-you to PKB for moving and assembling it and the futon, below).








This is the dining room, which also boasts a massive radiator (on the left, in the corner).










This is how the living room looks at this very moment:






Even Kirby (bottom left) likes it. It took him only a few hours to get over his I-hate-moving disappearing act and start enjoying the place.

SMOOTH MOVE


(This photo shows the final sunset in the old apartment. I will miss the view and the wonderful people I met on Devon Avenue).


* * *


The move took only 3.5 hours; a new record. We actually were able to take a break from unpacking and enjoy a late lunch at the nearby Ethiopian restaurant - which is wonderful, by the way. The whole thing was surprisingly calm and civilized.



Things that helped make it it go well:

-Remembering everything I learned the last time around (and pretending to be my sister-in-law while packing)

-Sticking to a schedule (sorting, shedding, packing, pre-moving, moving and unpacking)

-Numbering each box, and keeping a Master List of the contents of each

-Using stickers to designate where to put each box

-Having everything packed ahead of time

-Using Move-Tastic! They. were. amazing. (and so much better than Four Hangovers and a Lorry).

-Having friends on hand for moral support - and unpacking

-Breathing.

-Trying to remember that that I am not the doer, and offering everything up to you-know-Who










A big thank-you to all who helped: the students, friends and family who loaned boxes and moral support, Mon'ca for her excellent advice; PKB and Dorian Black, who made the pre-move possible; the landlord for being accomodating; the readers of this blog for giving their two cents on what to shed; everyone who listened to the complaints about the old place and offered counsel; and Dog and Bo for unpacking and celebrating this much-needed change with me.... and everyone else I can't think of right now because the brain stopped functioning some time ago. The heart is filled with gratitude. OM shanti.

FOUR GUNSHOTS



Late last night there was a lot of commotion outside.

In spite of the new, nearly soundproof windows, I heard yelling and screaming, on and off, for some time.

I also heard something that sounded like pops.

Half asleep, I thought, "I hope they're OK" and "Om shanti shanti shanti" and "Please don't wreck my car."

Today I spoke to Dorian Black, who lives next door and is also moving out tomorrow.

"Did you hear the gunshots last night?" he asked.

He was awake when it happened.

"There were four gunshots at 1:55am," he said.

Afterwords, he saw two guys running down the alley.

He did not hear the police come.

And we agreed that we are getting out while the gettin' is good.

GRATITUDE II



Paramahansa Yogananda once said of the Thanksgiving holiday, "Be grateful of the Divine plan that will expedite the karmas of all the sacrificed turkeys, and be grateful that you are not one of the turkeys on the table."



and from Sri Dharma Mittra:

“God is right there in the center of your chest. This is our spiritual heart. The stomach residing underneath the heart center is the Lord’s Table. Practice ahimsa [no-harming], and consider what you are about to offer to the Lord, as your own body is his altar. As you sit to the feast, practice aparigraha [non-hoarding] and take only what you need and share equally with others. As we continue to practice yama & niyama [the ethical roots] and rest our mind on God, we will become more compassionate and our bodies will be cleansed physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our heart centers will become clearer and we will be lighter.”

ON GIVING THANKS



from my dear writing teacher, Mel Livatino:

"I long ago concluded there is absolutely no happiness without gratitude. It's as absolute a law as the law that says all circles have 360 degrees."

DOES MY CAT LOOK FAT TO YOU?






I actually said this to someone last week*.

He was polite, and said Kirby looked "fine" to him.

Clearly, he'd had prior experience in this area.







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*It dawned on me that Kirby might be overweight after meeting Smitty Smith (yes, that is his real name), an equally athletic Tabby whose belly does not hang down to the floor.













This photo shows Kirby's room, which is now in a state of anarchy. To show his displeasure with the pre-moving activity, he spent much of the day snuggled under the covers in the bedroom. I wanted to join him, but only did so after filling Box #50.

TABLES TURNED



On Thursday I treated myself to the $3.49 fixed plate meal at my current favorite Indian veg. restaurant. It's on the west end of Devon, and the mood inside is very sattvic.

The quiet was interrupted by two men who burst in. They were carrying Christmas toys. The tall white one in the suit did the talking. The African American one in the cornrows kept quiet and watched.

The tall one tried to sell the Christmas toys to the cashier. "These are usually $34.95, but I'm selling them for $11 each. I only have six left. How many do you want? Two?

The woman was impassive. She looked skeptically at the toy. "No."

"Are you saying you don't like a good deal?" the man asked. He was high-energy. "Do you like a good deal?"

"Yes," said the woman quietly.

"Then how many do you want?"

The woman started to turn away when the cook walked over. She grabbed the toy and looked at it. "How much?" she asked.

"Eleven dollars each. How many do you want?"

"Two for eleven," she said. (Sitting at a nearby table, I couldn't help but let out a loud guffaw).

The man was shocked by her offer. "I can't do that," he stammered. "You're already getting a great deal." Then he remembered his spiel. "How many do you want?"

"Two for eleven." The cook would not budge. She was smiling.

And the man, having met his match, threw up his hands and walked out.

His apprentice followed.

They went east on Devon Avenue towards the heart of Little India/Pakistan, where they were sure to meet more expert bargainers. I didn't envy them at all.

As soon as they were gone, I looked over at the women and said, "Well done!"

We all giggled, and smiled from ear to ear.

And I felt sad to be leaving a neighborhood where things like this can happen.

Very sad indeed.

TODAY'S BURNING QUESTION: PORCELAIN OR STAINLESS?




Somehow I inherited two sets of mixing bowls from women who rarely cooked.

I use them about as much as they did.

Which should I keep?

The lightweight, indestructible, boring stainless set?

Or the pretty, vintage, extremely heavy, sentimental and breakable porcelain ones?

So far, the advice has been to keep the stainless.

The arguments have been....

"You can't break it."

and

"Non-attachment"



What would you do?







-------------------------------




UPDATE: I'm taking (most of) your advice, and chucking the nouveau-pink Chucks. Ladies size 10, by the way.

WHICH CHUCKS TO CHUCK?



The mind has been very good about getting rid of many, many things, but for some reason it cannot decide which pair of Converse All-Stars to keep, and which to toss.

(It was even able to give up the pair of Adidas purchased in Nurnberg).

Should it be the older, old-school black ones on the right, or the newfangled black-and-pink model on the left?

They're about equally beat up and equally smelly.

Any advice?

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
...OR JUST TOSS IT OUT





On Saturday I made the annual trek to Wicker Park to sell my old books at Myopic ($65) and old clothes at the resale shops ($6). The clothes places are super-picky this year - either that or my second wave of castoff clothes is not as good as the first. Nonetheless it was still energizing to get money for my old things. I can use it to buy boxes for the move.

I took the leftovers to the Salvation Army dropoff center on Clybourn. The parking lot was PACKED, with people both dropping off and buying things at the store. Interesting economic times, these.

On Sunday I went through the closets, and filled two gigantic contractor bags with castoffs. (I had 92 boxes of stuff on my last move; my goal for this one is 70. Also the new apartment has only two closets, while the current place boasts four).

Today I called The Ark thrift store on Lincoln Avenue, to find out if they are still accepting donations. Last week I noticed several large "Liquidation" signs in the window.

My hunch was correct; they've closed the Lincoln Avenue location but are still taking items at 1302 N. Milwaukee.

Not exactly convenient.

But at least The Ark doesn't chase you down the street, forcing you to take back your stuff like these guys once did.

I also called the city's computer and hazardous waste recycling center to find out if they take old cassette tapes.

They do not, and recommended throwing them out.

Twenty years of mix tapes will wind up in a landfill, ouch.




To read my article on getting rid of stuff and how it fits into the yoga system, click here.

THE BIG PICTURE





I've been busy transferring VHS tapes to DVD, using a machine that Gridlife loaned to me.

We made a lot of videos in the early 1990s, and there were a lot to transfer.

One of them was shot by me at a get-together before a Dead Can Dance concert, in December of 1990.

I was shooting the different guests, and asking them how the heat in their apartments was working.

Suddenly, the camera was turned on me (in black Louise Brooks hairdo, big black boots, miniskirt and perky hat from the Tweeds catalog). In those days, I was working for a local filmmaker, waiting tables, deejaying, making my own films and videos, and living in an illegal basement firetrap that rented for $295 a month.

Watching the video at home, for the first time in 19 years, I couldn't believe the things I heard coming out of my old self's mouth:

"Bla bla bla my landlord comes over unannounced bla bla bla I don't have any heat in my place, bla bla bla landlord bla bla freezing cold bla bla bla.

Two decades later later, nothing has changed....*

I may be slightly less obnoxious, but the exact same words are coming out of my mouth.

It was a sobering moment, to say the least.




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*Actually, I'm moving to a smaller, warmer place at the end of the month - and am desperately seeking cardboard boxes. If you have any, lemme know.

QUOTE OF THE DAY


from Wordsmith:


'Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: "Because the animals are like us." Ask the experimenters why it is morally OK to experiment on animals, and the answer is: "Because the animals are not like us." Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction.'

-Charles R. Magel, professor of philosophy

THE SIX POISONS



Boodiba's current teacher recently mentioned something about the Six Poisons to her. The perimenopausal mind recalled learning about them at some point, but could not remember the specifics.

Then I found this:

The six poisons:

A vital aspect of internal purification that Pattabhi Jois teaches relates to the six poisons that surround the spiritual heart. In the yoga shastra it is said that God dwells in our heart in the form of light, but this light is covered by six poisons; kama, krodha, moha, lobha, matsarya, and mada. These are desire, anger, delusion, greed, envy and sloth. When yoga practice is sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long period of time, the heat generated from it burns away these poisons, and the light of our inner nature shines forth.

One hopes that by yoga, they mean all eight limbs - not just asana (the poses) - and/or yoga as taught in the Bhagavad Gita.

When it is just about asana practice - especially Mysore-style ashtanga - it can add to the poisons (desiring and being greedy for more poses, envy of those who are "ahead" in the practice, being angry at the teacher for not giving more poses, being deluded about the importance of the pose, and sleeping all afternoon because of the intense, early morning practice). At least in the beginning anyway. (That could explain why there are six series).

Sri Ramakrishna said the greatest obstacles to spiritual growth are "women" and "gold" (desire and greed).

My teacher mentions anger, lust and greed. (He also says that without Yama [ethical roots], there is no Yoga).

I'm challenged by all of them, but the biggies would be sloth and anger (although I haven't put a fist through a wall or window - or broken a phone - since I started practicing yoga.... knock wood now).

What are your biggies?

THE RETURN OF ROBERT FEDER

The former Sun-Times media critic started his new Vocalo blog on Monday.

He hit his stride today, with a salty piece on the demise of Chicago's hallmark radio station, WGN.

An excerpt:

Everything that’s gone wrong at WGN-AM (720) in the past year can be summed up in two words: “Pig Virus.”

No, we’re not talking H1N1 here. “Pig Virus” is the nickname Howard Stern gave long ago to Kevin Metheny, the man in charge of programming at the Tribune Co.-owned news/talk station since January.

Under Metheny, an acolyte of Tribune Co. operating boss Randy Michaels (and one of nearly two dozen Clear Channel alumni Michaels brought in with him), WGN has shown disdain or disregard for listeners who felt a unique bond with the station and its personalities.

There was the needlessly ham-fisted way Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey were run off the air after a phenomenal 20 years as midday duo. (Since they’re still being paid every penny of their contracts, what was so urgent that WGN couldn’t let them finish out as they’d planned and retire this spring?) There was the hiring of morning host Greg Jarrett, a capable broadcaster but one who’d never worked a day in his life in Chicago, to step right into the No. 1 job in local radio. (Jarrett almost lost me for good his first day on the air when he mispronounced “Devon Avenue.”) And there have been numerous other personnel and programming moves — in afternoons and on weekends, especially — that simply boggle the mind.

Read the rest of the story here.

I LOVE MY (LITTLE) INDIA






My guide to Chicago's Little India neighborhood is now online.

You can read it here.







Some tips:

-The main drag is on Devon Avenue between Damen and Francisco.

-Most places open around 11, and are closed on Tuesdays (the sign will say "Tuesday Closed")






-There's a free parking lot (5-10 weekdays and 12-10 weekends) at St. Timothy's, on the corner of Rosemont and Washtenaw.

-The best selection of fabric can be found east of Western AVenue.






-Other types of ethnic goodies - kosher, Russian, Jewish, Georgian, Iraqi - can be found west of California Avenue





-The late-night mecca Delhi Darbar Kebab House recently reopened at 2916 W. Devon Avenue. They're open from 5pm to 4am, and the food is made per order - and inexpensive.








I already miss living in this neighborhood....








....and I haven't even moved yet.

SCARY!





On Halloween I did door duty at a friend's house.

The kids came in droves, between 5 and 7pm.

Princesses were big this year. And characters from "Scream." The best was a very original court jester, complete with over-the-top makeup. He was going it alone, too.

Most endearing were the kids who could barely get up the stairs, and could hardly form the worlds "Twick ow Tweat" - once they remembered what to say, that is. Sometimes the parents had to prompt them. So, so cute.

I was not a fan of those who came with two bags, saying, "One is for my little brother."

Indeed, a few tart things came out of the mouth - especially when big kids with no costumes (or just a mask) came around:


- "No trick-or-treating while talking on the cell phone!"

- "No smoking while trick-or-treating!"*




and my favorite, to a group of three very big "children" wearing hoodies and carrying pillowcases:


- "You're kind of old for this."

- "We're the last generation," they replied.



That one made my night.







*This reminds me of what came out of the mouth on my first trip to Mysore, when I saw a fellow AYRI student sucking on a cigarette - after hearing him brag ad nauseum about being a yoga instructor back home. "So, yoga teachers smoke now?" Suddenly, I was the only one left at the table.

ELVIS THE YOGI





from the motion picture "Easy Come, Easy Go" - which came out a year before Elvis's famous Comeback Special (His career had been considered by many to be artistically fallow since his return from the Army (1960), the subsequent Beatles invasion and a slew of mediocre motion pictures).

He seems pretty flexible to me.

“Yoga Is As Yoga Does” Lyrics

Well I can see that you and yoga will never do

Yoga is as yoga does there’s no in-between
Your either with it on the ball
or you’ve blown the scene
I can see lookin’ at you, you just can’t get settled
How can I even move, twisted like a pretzel

(Yoga is, yoga does)
(There’s no in-between)
(Your either with it all the way)
Or you’ve blown the scene
(Or you’ve blown the scene)

Come on come on, untwist my legs
Pull my arms a lot
How did I get so tied up
In this yoga knot
You tell me just how
I can take this yoga serious
When all it ever gives to me
is a pain in my posterious

(Yoga is, yoga does)
(There’s no in-between)
(Your either with it all the way)
Or you’ve blown the scene
(Or you’ve blown the scene)

Stand upside down on your head,
feet against the wall
A simple yoga exercise done by one and all
Now cross your eyes and hold your breath,
look just like a clown
Yoga’s sure to catch you if you come falling down

(Yoga is, yoga does)
(There’s no in-between)
(Your either with it all the way)
Or you’ve blown the scene
(Or you’ve blown the scene)

(Yoga is, yoga does)
(There’s no in-between)
(Your either with it all the way)
Or you’ve blown the scene
(Or you’ve blown the scene)

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Thanks to Shiva for the head's-up

IT'S BAA-ACK: THE RETURN OF THE WEST RIDGE POTHOLE!

Just in time for Halloween...




Apparently the metal plate wasn't fastened down.





Oops! So much for The City That Works.









Good thing the neighbors never put the pylon away.

YOU MAKE THE CALL











Funny?



Offensive?



Or neither?




(Sadly, this Far Side-inspired cartoon will not appear in an upcoming issue of Yoga Chicago magazine).

THINGS I MISS ABOUT JOURNALISM....




...include quotes like this:

Heene, a storm chaser and inventor, and his family have appeared on the reality show "Wife Swap." Alderden said the couple met in acting school in Hollywood. Richard Heene has described himself as an amateur scientist, but Alderden said Heene has only a high school education.

"He may be nutty, but he's not a professor," Alderden said.

It writes itself....

¡HAPPY DIWALI!



Saturday marks Diwali or Deepavali, the Hindu new year, also known as the festival of lights. It is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.

That would make today the final day in an annus horribilis; perhaps the computer dying today, and then getting caught in a bitter rainstorm while on the bicycle will serve as the final nails in the coffin of Hindu Saka Era 1930.



Diwali itself began nicely enough last night, with a wonderful Lakshmi puja at a nearby restaurant. The intimate event went on and on, and included a small homa (fire ceremony) at the end, as well as singing, spinning in circles and of course feasting. The crown of the head was vibrating by the end. The priest from the Balaji Temple in Aurora was wonderful, inclusive *and* funny, and seemed genuinely surprised when I said "wamabaga" and held out the left hand during the string-tying part of the ceremony. (The photo above shows how Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, looked after being bathed and dressed during the puja. She is on the left. Another version is below).




Saturday is a good day to buy Lakshmi coins, to ensure wealth of all kinds in the coming year. I usually buy an affordable silver one, after doing some comparison shopping. They can be purchased at jewelry shops on Devon Avenue; read about my favorite ones here.

Most local temples are holding events events on Saturday; click here for a listing. And on Sunday there's a Diwali puja and celebration at the (Hare) Krishna Temple in Rogers Park, starting at 5:30. For more, go here.

And have a happy, peaceful and prosperous new year.

HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD BY NOT EATING MEAT





Sunday's New York Times magazine had a wonderfully thoughtful and non-dogmatic piece about going vegetarian for all the right reasons, by Jonathan Safron Foer, called "Against Meat."




An excerpt:

According to reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. and others, factory farming has made animal agriculture the No. 1 contributor to global warming (it is significantly more destructive than transportation alone), and one of the Top 2 or 3 causes of all of the most serious environmental problems, both global and local: air and water pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity. . . . Eating factory-farmed animals — which is to say virtually every piece of meat sold in supermarkets and prepared in restaurants — is almost certainly the single worst thing that humans do to the environment.

Every factory-farmed animal is, as a practice, treated in ways that would be illegal if it were a dog or a cat. Turkeys have been so genetically modified they are incapable of natural reproduction. To acknowledge that these things matter is not sentimental. It is a confrontation with the facts about animals and ourselves. We know these things matter.

Meat and seafood are in no way necessary for my family — unlike some in the world, we have easy access to a wide variety of other foods. And we are healthier without it. So our choices aren’t constrained.

While the cultural uses of meat can be replaced — my mother and I now eat Italian, my father grills veggie burgers, my grandmother invented her own “vegetarian chopped liver” — there is still the question of pleasure. A vegetarian diet can be rich and fully enjoyable, but I couldn’t honestly argue, as many vegetarians try to, that it is as rich as a diet that includes meat. (Those who eat chimpanzee look at the Western diet as sadly deficient of a great pleasure.) I love calamari, I love roasted chicken, I love a good steak. But I don’t love them without limit.

This isn’t animal experimentation, where you can imagine some proportionate good at the other end of the suffering. This is what we feel like eating. Yet taste, the crudest of our senses, has been exempted from the ethical rules that govern our other senses. Why? Why doesn’t a horny person have as strong a claim to raping an animal as a hungry one does to confining, killing and eating it? It’s easy to dismiss that question but hard to respond to it. Try to imagine any end other than taste for which it would be justifiable to do what we do to farmed animals.

Children confront us with our paradoxes and dishonesty, and we are exposed. You need to find an answer for every why — Why do we do this? Why don’t we do that? — and often there isn’t a good one. So you say, simply, because. Or you tell a story that you know isn’t true. And whether or not your face reddens, you blush. The shame of parenthood — which is a good shame — is that we want our children to be more whole than we are, to have satisfactory answers. My children not only inspired me to reconsider what kind of eating animal I would be, but also shamed me into reconsideration.

And then, one day, they will choose for themselves. I don’t know what my reaction will be if they decide to eat meat. (I don’t know what my reaction will be if they decide to renounce their Judaism, root for the Red Sox or register Republican.) I’m not as worried about what they will choose as much as my ability to make them conscious of the choices before them. I won’t measure my success as a parent by whether my children share my values, but by whether they act according to their own.

Read the whole thing here.

Learn how to eliminate meat from your diet here.




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NON SEQUITUR




In other news... a friend just called and said that my name was mentioned several times during Steve Dahl's podcast today (in relation to this). Thanks to Gridlife for the head's-up.

STRESS, PART DEUX






"How stressed were you?" you ask.

Well....

It seemed like arrows were coming from every direction.

It was exacerbated by the lead-up to the father's death-day.

But most of the stress came from without, and it made the mind very busy.

On Tuesday night I awakened at 2:30 with racing thoughts, and never went back to sleep.

I took some Melatonin on Wednesday night so I could get some sleep. I retired at 9:30.

I awakened at 12:30, and never went back to sleep.

I was so tired while getting ready to teach at 6am that I did a classic maneuver.

Just before leaving, I carelessly popped a Shatavari capsule into my mouth, in the hopes that it would regulate the hormones.

A few second later, I realized it was not Shatavari, but Melatonin.

NOOOOOOO!


I immediately stuck the fingers down the throat and tried to womit it up.

You have to stick the fingers down quite deep, and leave them there for awhile, before something happens. How the bulimics do it is beyond me.

Finally, I gagged - and some watery, citrus-y stuff came up.

I think it was the large cup of lemon water I'd had earlier, rather than the orange-flavored Melatonin tablet.

I stuck the fingers down there four more times, in the hopes of getting everything out.

All day long I had a sore throat, from the womiting, and worried that I was catching a cold.

All day long the body was exhausted and the mind was numb.

I was so tired in fact that on Thursday night I finally got some sleep.

And on Friday I awakened at the usual 4:30am, feeling like a brand-new person.










*The song above is by the late M.S. Subbulakshmi - one of the greatest Carnatic singers of our time. It's difficult to listen her music and remain depressed/anxious. She combined technical perfection with unwavering devotion to the Supreme, which is apparent in the video. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. Of course she was South Indian (from Madurai, Tamil Nadu).

OH, THE STRESS



When the stress level has been at an all-time high, the last thing you want is to see this - a health department sticker on the door of your favorite local comfort-food joint.

On the other hand, maybe it's for the best....


* * *

The good news is that I have been able to test and refine some of the stress-reduction techniques I'll be sharing at the November 14 Holiday Survival workshop at Yoga Trek.

Calm breathing, anyone?

TINTARELLA DI LUNA


One of the many groups and solists performering at last night's 30th Anniversary of Link's Hall extravaganza did a quirky, 60's-ish dance with robotic elements to this 1959 song by the Italian pop singer Mina Mazzini, which has been stuck in the head ever since.

And now it's in yours....

The perfect song for a full moon day.*



* * *


Apparently Mina was Italy's first female rock singer, and a symbol of female emancipation. Read more here.

Local dance legend Asimina Chremos, who is sometimes known as "Mina," also performed at the festival - in the stairwell, after the main performance. The final performer and main-stage headliner was Link's Hall cofounder Bob Eisen - who accompanied me on my very first trip to India. More details soon.....


*Tintarella means "suntan."

LATEX GALS' NEW INSTALLATION "ILL. WISHES" TO DEBUT AT RAVENSWOOD ART WALK






The Latex Gals' new interactive installation makes it debut at The Ravenswood Artwalk, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm, and starts at 4256 N Ravenswood.

Called "Ill. Wishes," it will appear as part of a special one-time-only extravaganza called The Blago Project, which will feature work inspired by and about disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevic. The gallery is in his former office - the one that was wiretapped - at 4147 N. Ravenswood.


The centerpiece of "Ill. Wishes" is a wishing tree, upon which people may hang their hopes for the state of Illinois, post-Rod.





Here's some text from the installation...




The Tradition of the Wishing Tree

In Asian Buddhist tradition, it is believed that if you put your wish on a piece of paper and tie it to a tree, the wind will blow the words into the air and your wish will come true. In India, the kalpa or Wishing Tree is one of the celestial trees in the god Indra’s heaven. It grants whatever is asked and leads the aspirant liberation from the bondage of karma.

In the West, people have believed that certain trees contain spirits, and that you could make a wish by touching the trees (hence the term “touch wood”), or by walking around them three times in each direction. Sometimes, coins are offered - which can be effing golden.


***


In the spirit of hope for the future, what would you wish for the state of Illinois, post-Blagojevich?

Please write your wish on a leaf and tie it to the tree to bring it back to “life” - or write it in the green book.



* * *


Illinois Facts

Six Illinois Governors have been arrested or indicted since the state entered the union in 1818 (Seven if you count Gov. Joel Aldrich Matteson [1853-1857] and his shoebox full of money).

“Illinois” is an Algonquin word that means “tribe of superior men”

Some other famous Illinois men: Burl Ives, Melvin Van Peebles, Preston Sturges, Harrison Ford, Leopold & Loeb, John Paul Stevens, Ronald Reagan, Sam Shepard, Bill Murray, Quincy Jones, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Pryor, Miles Davis, Jimmy Connors, Raymond Chandler, Al Capone, Ray Bradbury, Harry A. Blackmun, Richard Speck, John Chancellor, Walt Disney, John Dos Passos, Wild Bill Hickok.