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Michael Levin's Blog (509)

A Great Day at the Garden

It was a great day today at the garden. Chick here to see a set of photos.

Added by Michael Levin on January 10, 2009 at 8:56pm — No Comments

Ethiopians have exquisite food. It’s more than just nutrition. It’s culture. It’s friendship. And, it tastes great. My Ethiopian friends at The Nile amazed the guests I brought to their restaurant on another visit. My friends couldn’t believe I had only been there once before. We were greeted so warmly. The food was so good. We ate with our right hand, using injera, the pankake like bread made from teff, a nutritious gluten free grain. And, I came… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on December 23, 2008 at 2:22pm — No Comments

Seminole Wind

Shot in Florida, this video mixes music with photography of nature.…

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Added by Michael Levin on December 22, 2008 at 12:30am — No Comments

Staying Warm When Winter is Cold

Staying Warm When Winter is Cold: "Culinary herbs that make us feel warmer and improve circulation include: Black pepper (Piper nigrum), a member of the Piperaceae (Pepper) Family. It has antiseptic, and antioxidant properties.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), a member of the Zingiberaceae (Ginger) Family. It improves mental alertess and…

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Added by Michael Levin on December 13, 2008 at 11:28am — No Comments

A Great Day at the Garden

I went to the garden yesterday and it was beautiful. That's Ron Chandler's circular patch above. Ron is in Thailand right now, I think. I just sent him an email this morning. Last we heard, he was stranded in the Bankok airport.

Read the rest…

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Added by Michael Levin on December 11, 2008 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

Food Deserts

Taos, New Mexico has a public radio station you can listen to online called Cultural Energy dot org. Today, a show about food deserts talks about how the poor often have no good healthy food outlets. You can hear the show at http://www.culturalenergy.org/mp3/farmthruseasonsdec08.mp3

Why the thoughts about Taos? I…

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Added by Michael Levin on December 10, 2008 at 9:52am — No Comments

Clouds and Alignment

Let me indulge a few random thoughts. Ron is still abroad, though we haven't heard from him since his last post from Thailand, basically stranded as the airport is controlled by protesters.

The picture you see above is one I took from the shore of… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on December 6, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

The Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant

The Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant's (CIFAE) vision is "A just, equitable and peaceful society in which elephant and human have the resources necessary to thrive." Ron Chandler founded the CIFAE and he's writing in from Thailand now to keep us in the loop as he works to assist these amazing animals. Read the rest… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 23, 2008 at 12:16pm — No Comments

Random Thoughts

Thanks to all of you for contributing your ideas, blog posts, discussions and media to Zoobird! It's a lot of fun and informative, too, isn't it? Thanks also for inviting your friends.

Check the "Latest Activity" section at the bottom of Zoobird's homepage to see what's new in general.

I see that Bob Tuskin is having an event on web radio with… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 21, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

The Great American Smokeout

(Photo from American Lung Association)

Today, November 20th, is the Great American Smokeout. It's a day smokers are encouraged to quit smoking for 24 hours. This article has some pretty graphic info about what smoking does to your health.

What you see above is a healthy lung.

(Photo from American… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 20, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

Central Park Hostel

I just got an email from Drue, former co-owner of Jockamo's, Orlando's best Cajun restaurant, hooking me up with a friend of hers who is in the hostel, budget travel andando, seat of the pants travel world to try and entice me to get involved with the classes he teaches and other possibilities. His name is Jim and I hope he joins Zoobird and the Travelin' Zoo.

Click… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 19, 2008 at 9:00am — No Comments

A Great Day at the Garden

Yesterday, I rode to the garden on the new bike. My goal was to peek underneath the leaves of the plant I thought was an arugula, but that I now suspected was a Daikon radish.

And, sure enough, there was the white root that confirmed it as a Daikon!

Click here to read the… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 18, 2008 at 10:30am — 4 Comments

Portland Hawthorne Hostel ::: Lunch Buffet Today!

The Portland Hawthorne Hostel is one of my favorite hostels in the world. It's in Portland, Oregon.

Many of you Zoobirds have been to the Portland Hawthorne Hostel. I won't try to name you all! But, don't we have a blast there? Read the rest of this post… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 16, 2008 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

Daikon Radish

Day before yesterday, I wrote that this was arugula. But, David Beasley saw the picture and said it was Daikon radish.

This is what the original Daikon radishes looked like. In fact, they caught my attention the day I met Shmal! That's why I took the picture. Pretty huge… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 16, 2008 at 10:30am — No Comments

Feathered Friend from Afar visits the Garden

We have all sorts of visitors at the McRorie Community Garden. Yesterday, a rather large bird dropped by just before sunset.

He saw us and we saw him. When I started taking pictures, he seemed to notice and perked up.

Then, he just decided to chill and lay back.

Meanwhile, our fine friend… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 15, 2008 at 9:30am — No Comments

Vestigial Arugula, Blake's Patch and Collard Green Joy

Blake's patch is a tecnological work of art. It just calls out to the elements, saying "Grow".

This is some vestigial arugula that Sh'mal must have planted in the patch I inherited from him. Thanks, Sh'mal! Yet another gift, and unexpected. It will make for more tasty salads and ... chicken stuffed with arugula and goat cheese! Yum!

I brought some collard greens home tonight from the garden… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 14, 2008 at 11:02pm — No Comments

Grapefruit in Paradise

The best thing about Fall is the ripening of citrus. I had a few of these for breakfast today.

What do the crops look like in your part of the… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 13, 2008 at 9:54am — No Comments

Dreaming of Black Creek

I've been excited like a little kid since I got my new bike Monday. The short story is I love riding bikes. Bill Hannahs told me about this bike he noticed for sale sort of near me. It was in Florida, at least. So, I drove up the coast of the panhandle to Freeport, FL and wound up getting it. To me, riding a bike is a lucky situation that I can take advantage of because I am usually within biking… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on November 9, 2008 at 9:30am — No Comments

Beautiful Butterfly Garden

There are many fine things which you mean to do someday, under what you think will be more favorable circumstances.

But, the only time that is surely yours is the present.

Hence, this is the time to speak the word of appreciation and sympathy, to do the generous deed, to forgive the fault of a thoughtless friend, to sacrifice self a little more for others.

Today is the day in which to express your noblest qualities of mind…

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Added by Michael Levin on November 8, 2008 at 5:37am — No Comments

Barry Sides ::: In Your Pocket!

So, there I was, minding my own business and as usual, life gave me a surprise: Barry Sides!

I was just riding the new Merckx, I guess we've got to call it "Eddy", and shooting photos of it along side a pristine run of Porsches I kept seeing, and I heard someone say "Hiiiii!" It was Barry Sides! What a happy coincidence.