iPhone Diaries #314: "More fern frost and the illussory nature of life"

Fern frost in the morning on a  blueberry-coloured car. The depth of this frost is in the micrometers but it's location on the car provides for the illusion of depth.

This makes me wonder as to what extent our senses delude us. Things and happenings are never what they seem to be. Ephemeral, too. All it takes is just a bit more than a hint of sun and these forms are gone. And unique... no two are alike. Just like all of us... similar in our uniqueness, and just as fleeting,  in the whole scheme of things.

A cold (-13C) and dampish 7 am, March 7th.

Really?!? I would have thought that...

... if it is meatless, then the word "meatless" shouldn't be followed by the word "chicken". "Meatless chicken" would rank with these phrases: "genuine fake" and "hot ice". Makes sense on one level, doesn't on another level.

Other names that I imagine were rejected by the marketing types:  faux chicken, pseudo-chicken, fake chicken, pretend chicken, make-believe chicken, in-your-dreams chicken, leap-of-faith chicken, improvised chicken, and for Halloween, trick-or-trick chicken. "Meatless chicken" is celebrated in song: "The Great Pretender" chicken.

Seen at the Zehr's, Hartland Plaza, Guelph. March 5th.

Really?!? I would have thought that...

... this would be discouraged.

SIMP Alert #3: "Europe and Libyans... Jesus would have approved"

Moronic and, alas, Pathetic.

The last time I checked on GoogleMaps, Libya is across the Mediterranean Sea from the shores of southern Europe, two hours away. How much effort does it take for France, Italy and Great Britain (three countries who don't hesitate to conjour up faded colonial memories to establish connections with empire when resources are involved, i.e., oil, cocoa, diamonds) to load up some cargo aircraft with baguettes, olive oil, pasta, and steak-and-kidney pies, on a daily basis, to help out the refugees streaming into Tunisia and Egypt? Libya is not some faraway Oriental country. Libya has sent 80% of its oil production to Europe for at least the last 3 decades... European oil consumers owe the Libyan people a helping hand or two (never  mind that we have known for years that the bulk of that oil money hasn't trickled down to the Libyan people...  oh yeah, I forget that it's none of our business).

Forget about meetings in Geneva and Brussels (I can imagine the catering bill for the breakfast tray... I've shot functions with Belgian and other Euro-functionary-types and the food is NICE). Why not  just load up planes with goods where the best-before dates are past due (if money is an issue). Give the guys in Tunisia and Egypt a call asking for permission to land on a desert strip and I'm sure the answer will be a resounding YES! 

Forget about the optics with sovereignty issues... believe it or not, regular people aren't stupid. We recognize genuine help, no strings attached, when we see one.

And oh, where's the Vatican in all of this. A day's dry-cleaning bill on all those robes should pay for a planeload of goods. 
Jesus would have approved.
It would also be a perfect time for the Israeli people (as opposed to the Israeli government) to show their sympathies for their fellow Semites (some Israeli groups are probably already helping out). Show that they can lend a helping hand faster and better than the Saudis (and other Arab brethrens). 
Good Karma, y'all.

(Chocolates) Cocoa and it's suitability for growing in the Philippines... a mental exercise, Part 2.

from Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the dark side of the world's most seductive sweet*, by Carol Off:

"But more interesting, he (Quarshie) realized that it produced possibly the most perfect cash crop imaginable. The tree thrives in a mixed farm operation and it flourishes best when surrounded by other crops, especially food-producing ones. Since Theobroma needs shade, the tall banana plant with its broad canopy of leaves is a perfect neighbour; yam, and cassava crops around its feet contribute to a nourishing sponge-like mulch, perfect for retaining moisture and a habitat for the tiny mites that pollinate the fragile cocoa flower."

To somebody familiar with the Philippine countryside, how familiar is the above evoked scenery?  I might also add other cash crops to the mix, plus chickens, goats, etc. Wouldn't this be a change from, or in addition to, the monoculture of rows of sugar cane so familiar to us.

Carol Off adds:

"And there is no machine that can cultivate or harvest cocoa as effectively as the human hand. Compact, family-run mixed farm operations are ideal for Theobroma, and for Africans."

There is no shortage of man/woman-power in the Philippines and the break-up of big farms due to government land reform programs lends itself well to growing cocoa. Just change the wording from "Africans" to "Filipinos".

The climate may not be quite equatorial but I'm sure there is a suitable variety for a zone between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator.

Growing cocoa is not a new enterprise in the Philippines. There already is a thriving industry in the Philippines. But as far as I know, cocoa is a relatively minor agricultural product on my home island of Negros.

In Part 3 of this series, I will look into the statistics for cocoa in Negros.
Part 4 of this series will look into the cautionary issues in growing cocoa... or lessons learned from other countries.
* Off, Carol. Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the Dark side of the World's Most seductive sweet. Random House, Canada. 2006