POEM OF THE MONTH

WRITERS OF THE WORLD UNITE

This is certain to be the most clueless advertisement that I have ever read. I do not know who their marketing person is (or one hopes, for the sake of the publication, was...) but what ethereal planet are they are orbiting, or inhaling? Smells like something green and illegal from BC (No, I don't do spark or anything like that. My greatest vices are chocolate and white tea but not together). Here is the text in its entirety and my further comments afterwards.

"In today's strange social and economic times, it's essential that we take care of ourselves and each other - whether it be through our health regimes, our careers and finances, our relationships, or the wonderful food in our pantries. How do we create happiness from the inside out? Our website is dedicated to searching for those answers. We're a new yet rapidly growing blog/social networking website dedicated to bringing holistic health and wellness to people everywhere through insightful, funny, compassionate, and informative articles. If you're a college student, graduate student, stay-at-home mom seeking a little "me" activity, or anyone else looking for intern experience in new media, then we'd love to hear from you! We're seeking both Marketing and Editorial interns (or those who enjoy both), who can lend us a few hours a day, a few days a week. While there is no outright compensation, we make it a point to reward a job well done -- we've done the unpaid intern thing ourselves, so we know full well how to appreciate them! We'd love to hear from potential interns with social media experience. Ideally you have a strong profile and network on sites such as Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and Delicious, and be an avid consumer of and participant in the blogosphere...but you know what? Even if you don't have these things, we'll teach you! Don't worry about traditional cover letters...those are quite boring. Just tell us why you'd like to be a virtual intern, how many hours a week you could spare, and what interests you as a writer or reader! Thanks so much! Have a Peaceful Day."

I hope a hurricane wipes this company from the globe. Have a happy day! The false sense of camaraderie that the advertiser tries to build with the first lines about the rough times and how we must all stick together is nauseating. I prefer an advertiser who has specific business needs and states these goals in a matter-of-fact statement. Skip the cutesy stuff, just tell me what you need for writing services and how much money you offer. This false lifeboat of New Age marketing jargon is abusive towards people who are struggling to find work for their survival in a tough economy.

What irritates me most about this classified is that any self-respecting stay at home mum who was looking at adverts on the Web would be searching for a pay cheque attached to a job, not a "little me activity". The writers of this ad treat women if they are second class citizens who do not want to be employed or who are not, like single moms I know, breadwinners in their own right. I agree with Harlan Ellison's rant about those parasites who expect a writer to feel oh-so-grateful for a free interview or an unremunerated internship. He believes that writers should not give their content away for free or for the lowest pay and that those skinflints who desire unpaid internships or 400 words for 40 articles a day at $.01 a word should go take a long walk off a short pier over a piranha infested river.

I think, as writers, we are obligated to starve the penny-pinchers out of the publishing market. Refuse to take jobs that pay less than minimum wage. Let their businesses fail without our work. The companies do not have our talents and will go under without us. They will only have our competent labour if they reward us with decent wages. The other side of the coin is to do well for those companies who value their writers and pay decent wages and who, in other terms, act professional. Those flighty buggers who continue to live in this fantasy world where moms want a little me activity and not a paycheque will only get the worse of the lot, if that.

Technorati Tags:harlan ellison, writing advice

COMFORT FOOD

I am doing an update on this post, originally posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008,to include information for our feline friends as well as further information that I have learned about potatoes. The original post begins,  "I recently joined a cooking group on Facebook where I can practice my literary craft and write about food. Here is one of my posts." This is another comfort food and, yes, if you aren't careful with aspects of the recipe you can be doing some serious daisy pushing or at least have some icky nausea. With those legalities out of the way, it is time to make Egg Mess.

Ingredients:

*One small onion diced This is actually good for your health because onions have wound-healing properties and are antiseptic. So if you slip with the knife when dicing this plant, there's a built-in cure.

However, onions and other members of the Allium family like garlic are toxic for your feline friends because these foods contain a chemical called N-propyl disulphide that can cause destruction of red blood cells in cats (and dogs) and resulting, life-threatening anemia.

*Margarine or Butter Don't eat too much of either because both can lead to those so difficult pounds to shed. 

Cats should not have margarine because of unknown ingredients and butter can cause gas and diarrhea.

*Potatoes diced (I prefer red potatoes) Here is the potentially toxic part. Potatoes are a member of the nightshade family that has the temptress belladonna as cousin. Potatoes that have gone green or that are sprouting in your pantry have the poisons solanine and chaconine and can give you dreadful cramps.   

Cats should not have potato eyes or green parts because of the toxins.

*Pepper and Salt to Taste

No black pepper or salt for cats because black pepper is poisonous for cats and salt can cause an electrolyte imbalance. 

*Eggs I usually use six to eight eggs because I am feeding four people (six if you count two growing children). Washing your hands after cracking eggs is important because salmonella is a risk from uncooked eggs. Salmonella causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and food borne illness. More toxins! Yea!

Raw eggs are bad for cats because the whites contain the chemical avidin that can bind to biotin and cause a biotin deficiency. The symptoms are thickening of the outer layer of skin, hair loss, increased salivation, diarrhea and dry secretions around the nose, eyes, and mouth.Cooking the egg thoroughly removes the avidin and makes the cooled egg safe for your kitty.

Where was I? Oh, instructions. They are very facile.
Wash the onion and potatoes. Cut both into small chunks. Put the butter in a frying pan (not the non-stick kind). Add the onion and fry until clear. Add the potatoes and fry until brown. Add the eggs, sprinkle on pepper and salt to taste, and stir until the eggs are scrambled. Remove from heat and enjoy.

Technorati Tags: comfort food, writing advice

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Technorati Tags: samuel taylor coleridge

EASY-PEASY SOUP

UPDATE_2/07/2018 This post was initially a reference to the television series, New Tricks, but the original cast has departed since the publication date of August 25, 2008. Furthermore, the actor Dennis Waterman is no longer someone I admire. However, I am keeping the title Easy-Peasy Soup.

Easy-Peasy Soup

Two cups of lentil soup mix

I favour a gluten free generic mix of split yellow peas, split green peas, French lentils, red lentils, and long grain brown rice.

Three cups of water

32 ounces pre-packaged vegetable broth, or homemade vegetable stock

The broth that I use is Pacific or Imagine brand but any will do. The Pacific brand has thyme, bay, onion, carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions, leeks,sea salt, and parsley. It is more robust than the Imagine brand. With a pre-packaged broth you do not have to worry about storing celery that may release poisonous, phototoxic furocoumarins from the spoiled plant.

A pinch of rosemary if you would like it sweet.

Two carrots; peeled, washed, and chopped

Just the root, not the leaves because the greens can give you contact dermatitis if your skin is exposed to sunlight. 

One medium onion, washed and chopped

A can of diced tomatoes, if you wish

Pepper and salt to taste
***********************************************DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the lentil mix in a sieve. Drain. Put the lentil mix in a large saucepan or soup pot.
Pour in the water and broth into the soup pot. Dump in the carrots and onion, tomatoes optional. Sprinkle the soup with rosemary, if you wish. Bring the liquid to a boil. Turn down the heat. Simmer the soup for an hour to an hour and a half. This makes a better crock pot recipe, basically a six hour commitment on high and eight on low.

This is nice to serve with small red potatoes and bread. It is a good soup that will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Serves 3

NOTE: This is my 100th post on The Writer's Home.

ANOTHER POEM OF THE MONTH

The violet-lapped Muses' lovely gifts belong
to you now, children, and the piercing lyre, the friend of song.

My body, that before, was supple, age already has taken by surprise, my raven tresses are turned white,

my spirit has grown heavy and my knees too weak
to carry me, that once were quick to dance as fauns.

I grumble at them often but what good is that?
For human beings to be ageless is not possible.

They say that once, for love, Dawn of the rosy arms carried Tithonus aboard her golden bowl to the world's end

when young and handsome, but all the same in time gray age.

Sappho

Technorati Tags: sappho

POEM OF THE MONTH

This place is sacred to the goddess. Here her constant pleasure is to watch the sea as it shimmers from the shore, and ensure the comfort of sailors; all around the ocean trembles as it gazes on her statue, oil-smooth.

Anyte of Tegea

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