Poetry

From MTSU and Imperial Lighthouse Productions - I Am Trayvon Martin - a poem and film tribute to Trayvon Martin.  Zimmerman written and portrayed by Tilmon Keaton;  Trayvon written and portrayed by Ryan Carson.  Jasmine White as Trayvon's girlfriend.  Filmed and edited by Jairus Burks and Ramon Johnson.

Asparagus

courtesy of wikipedia

asparagus officinalis

1885 german botanical illustration

sautéed asparagus with almonds

appliances

wok

large spoon or stirring utensil

cutting board

chopping knife

ingredients

batch of fresh asparagus, cleaned

a few garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

a handful or two of unsalted raw or roasted almonds, chopped

a tablespoon or two of canola oil

seasonings, to taste

sea salt (alternatively, soy sauce)

freshly ground black pepper

note:  if you only have salted almonds in the pantry, go ahead, but be careful with any additional salt or soy sauce. just leave either out altogether.

courtesy of wikipedia

photographer:  muffet

batches of asparagus

procedure

1.  on a cutting board, cut off the ends of your lovely asparagus stalks.  then cut the stalks into two or three sections, depending on your preferences.

2.  oil your wok with the canola oil and heat on a medium to high flame. 

3.  when your wok is hot, add your chopped garlic, and stir and brown just slightly before adding your asparagus stalks.

4.  add asparagus stalks, chopped almonds, salt, and pepper, and stir and toss regularly for a few minutes or more, depending on desired tenderness.

Serve up and enjoy! 

Pleasant on brown rice, by itself, on salads with Provençal Aioli, with an omelette, or as an accompaniment to just about any meat, fowl, or fish entrée. 

Now I am thinking about white wine ..

courtesy of wikipedia

photographer:  Longhair

asparagus growing in mildura,

victoria, australia

other stuff

i thought of asparagus recipes because today's seattle times reports  the asparagus harvest underway in eastern washington due to rising temperatures.

according to wiki, asparagus is high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and a low calorie source of folate and potassium.

does your pee smell after you eat it? 

wiki reports studies indicating that it does, indeed, but not all people have the olfactory mechanisms to smell it (the way some people have inny belly buttons and some people have outty belly buttons - or the way some people can curl their tongue, and others cannot - etc).  there are some contradictory findings, however - if you don't smell it, you may be among a minority that does not produce this odor.  science has yet to draw firm conclusions here!

some of the "volatile organic compounds" responsible for the smell are

 

methanethiol

dimethyl sulfide

dimethyl disulfide

bis(methylthio)methane

dimethyl sulfoxide

dimethyl sulfone

with methanethiol and dimethyl sufide the most "pungent" and dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone the "sweetest."  says wiki,

These compounds originate in the asparagus as asparagusic acid and its derivatives, as these are the only sulfur-containing compounds unique to asparagus. As these are more present in young asparagus, this accords with the observation that the smell is more pronounced after eating young asparagus. The biological mechanism for the production of these compounds is less clear.

the odor was first scientifically investigated by polish chemist and doctor, Wilhelm Marceli Nencki, 1847-1901, whose main scientific interests revolved around "the chemistry of purines and the biological oxidation of aromatic compounds."  He attributed the smell to methanethiol. 

 

courtesy of wikipedia

Wilhelm Marceli Nencki, 1847-1901

polish chemist and doctor

who first scientifically investigated

the reasons for smelly urine excreted by humans

after eating asparagus

and a most interesting fellow, engaged in a peaceful pursuit!

- o.s.r.

Teach In

Today's teach-in comes from The White House.  Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, explains "The Buffett Rule" and why it is "necessary to restore fairness to the American tax system."

Redemption Song

An awesome Playing For Change rendition of Bob Marley's Redemption Song

Second Degree Murder

Reuters reports that George Zimmerman has finally been arrested.   He is charged with 2nd Degree Murder. 

Courtesy of The Washington Post

Live press conference going on now, via the Washington Post, viewable here. Jonathan Capeheart briefly reviews the story again.

Reverand Al Sharpton is stating at the news conference, "This is not a night for celebration.  This is a night that never should have happened."

Update: 

Live coverage no longer available at link.  Below, a couple of youtube segments of the press conference.  First, Trayvon's courageous parents - Sybrina Fulton who expresses her feelings of appreciation, saying that people's hearts have touched, and, "The heart has no color," and Traci Martin, who states, "As Attorney Crump said, 'This is just the beginning.'  We've got a long way to go and we have faith.  The first time we marched, I just looked to the sky and I told myself, 'When I walk, I will walk by faith.'  And we will continue to walk by faith.  We will continue to hold hands on this journey - white, black, Hispanic, Latino - we will continue to walk - we will march and march and march and march - until the right thing is done."



The second video is a PBS recording of the special prosecutor's extended press statement. The prosecutor declines to disclose details around the investigation or how they arrived at charges, stating, "That is why we try cases in courts."

Justice For Trayvon

Will there be justice for Trayvon Martin?

NBC reports that the special prosecutor Angela Corey (appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott) will announce criminal charges against George Zimmerman in the killing of minor Trayvon Martin late this afternoon, Eastern Time.  What the nature of those charges will be remains to be seen.  Although Zimmerman stalked Trayvon (which is evidence of premeditation in the opinion of this blogger), first degree murder is ruled out because she decided not to take the case to the Grand Jury.




Will there be justice for Trayvon? 

The answer to my question is in another question:  what kind of country do I live in?

100,000

The Center For Media And Democracy reports that the "99% Spring" is preparing to train 100,000 activists all over the country in non-violent direct action.

Billed as the 99% Spring Action Training, interested persons can sign on at Move.on org.  The group states:

Inspired by Occupy Wall Street and the fight for workers in Madison, Wisconsin, the 99% will rise up this spring. In the span of just one week, from April 9-15, 100,000 people will be trained to tell the story of what happened to our economy, learn the history of non-violent direct action, and use that knowledge to take action on our own campaigns to win change.

We'll gather for trainings in homes, community centers, places of worship, campuses, and public spaces nationwide to learn how to join together in the work of reclaiming our country through sustained non-violent action.

PR Watch at the Center For Media and Democracy lists the following lead organizing groups for the 99% Spring Training: 

the United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO, National Peoples Action, The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Rebuild the Dream, Moveon.org, and UNITE, the hospitality industry union. Following in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ghandi, the effort hopes to give young activists the tools to organize actions and follow in the footsteps of the Wisconsin Uprising and the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

Moveon.org lists the following groups as calling for a 99% Spring:

Jobs With Justice, United Auto Workers,National Peoples Action, National Domestic Workers Alliance, MoveOn.org, New Organizing Institute, Movement Strategy Center, The Other 98%, Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, Rebuild the Dream, Color of Change, UNITE-HERE, Greenpeace, Institute for Policy Studies, PICO National Network, New Bottom Line, Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, SNCC Legacy Project, United Steel Workers, National Education Association, Working Families Party, Communications Workers of America, United States Student Association, Rainforest Action Network, American Federation of Teachers, Leadership Center for the Common Good, UNITY, National Guestworker Alliance, 350.org, The Ruckus Society, Citizen Engagement Lab, smartMeme Strategy & Training Project, Right to the City Alliance, Pushback Network, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Progressive Democrats of America, Change to Win, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Campaign for America's Future, Public Campaign Action Fund, Fuse Washington, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, Citizen Action of New York, Engage, United Electrical Workers Union, National Day Laborers Organizing Network, Alliance for a Just Society, The Partnership for Working Families, United Students Against Sweatshops, Presente.org, Get Equal, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Corporate Accountability International, American Federation of Government Employees, Training for Change, People Organized for Westside Renewal (POWER), Student Labor Action Project, Colorado Progressive Coalition, Green for All, DC Jobs with Justice, Midwest Academy, The Coffee Party, International Forum on Globalization, UFCW International Union, Sunflower Community Action, Illinois People's Action, Lakeview Action Coalition, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, International Brotherhood of the Teamsters, Resource Generation, Highlander Research and Education Center, TakeAction Minnesota, Energy Action Coalition, Earthhome.us.