Today’s Daily Review has an article about the Warriors visiting the library to read to the kids. At the end of the article, they mention Mika and Mike:
The best part of the event, some parents said, was that nobody had to force their children to read.
Mike Katz, who was at the library event with his 4-year-old daughter, Michaela, said he could think of no other way to enjoy a great night out in San Leandro, especially on a Wednesday.
“Anything that associates fun with reading is good,” Katz said.
Author: marga (Page 107 of 158)
Ethanol, a fuel made from corn, has been hyped as the answer to our energy problems. Unlike fosil fuels, which will be exhausted at some point, you can grow corn. It will also make us less dependent on other countries. But, as the BBC reports, the corn used for ethanol is diverted from its more typical use: food. With more demand for corn, its price has gone through the roof, making the price of corn tortillas in Mexico rise 400%. As that’s the staple of the poorest of the poor, soon we can expect to see increases in hunger and malnutrition.
So I’m wondering if we should rethink this whole ethanol thing. Yes, we can grow corn, but by definition in limited amounts. We have so much land to do it. Land that, again, will have its use diverted from being used to grow food, which will make agricultural companies rich, but the poor unable to afford to eat. Even the middle classes are likely to feel the impact, so much of our food is corn dependent that higher prices in corn, will mean more expensive meat (cows are corn fed), more expensive sweets and sodas (corn syrup), more expensive baked goods (cornstarch) and so forth. Plus I wonder what does it mean to give so much power to the agricultural companies who own the land where this corn is planted. With unstoppable demand for their product, they will be able to fix its price wherever they want, and run more havoc in the US – and world – economy than expensive oil ever could.
It’s also worth noting that ethanol is not a clean fuel, so it won’t help our greenhouse problems. But what ethanol can do is distract us from actually looking for renewable and clean energy sources that will not starve the world’s population.
What else can I possibly say about this piece of news from the BBC?
CAR leader orders house burning
President Francois Bozize confirmed his order on radio
The president of the Central African Republic has ordered the army to set fire to the homes of two church leaders “to teach them a lesson”.
The Baptist Church pastors had burnt down the home of another pastor in a row over the use of a chapel for Christmas services in the capital.
One of the men was subsequently beaten up and the other has been arrested.
Francois Bozize said he wanted them “to experience the suffering they had inflicted on others”.
The BBC’s Joseph Benamse says people in the capital, Bangui, are surprised that the order came from the head of state.
But Mr Bozize confirmed on a private radio station and he himself gave the instructions.
“It is the anger of God which strikes those who offend or do wrong to a servant of God,” AFP news agency quotes him as saying.
It’s 10:00 pm and we have only 2 hours of Christmas left. It’s been nice. Yesterday, the day of the big celebration, I spent much of the day cooking – as well as washing dishes and cleaning up the house. We had a great Cristmas Eve dinner, with our wonderful friends, and then hang out in front of the remains of the fire, admiring the Xmas tree for one last time.
This morning Mika woke me up with a kiss (as we’ve taught her to wake us). We’d told her she couldn’t open her presents until we were awake, but that she could go through her Xmas stocking. Unfortunately she opened mine instead – she wasn’t as thrilled by the soaps Mike had bought me, as by the little toys and candy I’d left in hers. She was very excited, however, because she’d heard Rudolph’s hooves on the roof. In reality, it was just Kathy going to the bathroom, but of course the fantasy is so much better.
She was super excited by her first present – the one she had asked Santa for – a (My Little) Pony on a walker. Yes, the mere concept is ridiculous (don’t horses start walking as soon as they are born?), but it was soooooooooo cute. She’s been hanging out with her pony ever since, though I haven’t really seen her playing with the walker.
She opened more presents, being happy about some and extremely sulky about other ones. Yes, she’s only a 4 1/2 year old, but it did get frustrating. Kathy had a talk with her and she was better after that. Kathy is very good at talking with Mika in a way she accepts and understands.
Camila was very excited about opening presents and happy with everything she got – but she liked that so much that she’d insist on opening all the presents out of turn. Keeping her away from the tree proved frustrating as well.
But in all – and despite the fact that there were simply too many presents (grandparents really went overboard) – we really enjoyed our morning. In the midst of it Mike and I cooked breakfast – pancakes, french toast, bacon and sausages.
I got some terrific presents. In addition to the food ones, I got pajamas from my sister, a comforter and scarves from my other sister, portraits, a scarf and a book from Lola, a flashlight from Lotty and a bunch of presents from my mother. I’ll have to look at the list to remember them all š
We spent the day mostly hanging out in our new pajamas. Mike and Camila took a long nap, Kathy and Mika played and baked some cake in her new EZ-bake oven, and I hang out on my computer and didn’t do anything much – just like one should on Xmas. Later on we went to dinner at the Oriental Teahouse, then to look at Xmas lights. Mike and I tried to put Camila to sleep (it took quite a while) and then they watched Lord of the Rings while I blogged some.
Oh, I did do some cleaning, but not too much – tomorrow will be cleaning day. With the girls, as they are on Xmas break.
My only regret is that I didn’t get to talk to Gladys, we called her and she wasn’t there. We’ll have to try again tomorrow.
Merry Xmas everyone!
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