Search This Blog

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Terms of engagement

A privilege is a special advantage available to some, and not to others. Having a privilege is not inherently bad or good. I love king cake, and had the privilege of being in New Orleans during king cake season (aka Mardi Gras). That privilege is inconsequential to some, and makes others a bit jealous. I'm not a bad person for being in New Orleans, or for loving king cake, or for eating it when I could, and those poor souls who love king cake, but couldn't get any, are not bad people because they missed out. Though they might be sad people. Sad, king-cake-less people. But some privileges are much more substantial than access to delicious baked goods. It may not be such a big deal if I joke about the fact that not everyone who wants king cake can have it, but shouldn't it be a big deal if I joke about the fact that one group has the special advantage of full human dignity, while another does not?

Of Dogs and Lizards: A Parable of Privilege is an excellent explanation of privilege, its perks, and its pitfalls. It's fairly brief, and also funny—if you haven't already read it, it’s worth checking out!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

New juice excitement

I've been continuing to experiment with juices, and have just started to branch out with the greens. T. recommended that I try sneaking in a little spinach, to to try it -- she said I wouldn't even taste it. So, I put a little bit into a celery/carrot juice I've gotten fairly comfortable with. I could definitely taste it, but it wasn't bad. So, today, I took the full plunge and tried a modified version of this kale, spinach, and pear smoothie for breakfast. I forgot to take a picture, but it suffices to say that it was very green. Surprisingly enough, it was also very delicious.

Blend one big handful of spinach, a handful of kale, 1 cup of orange juice, and several ice cubes. Add 1 banana, 1 pear, and honey. Blend. Pour over ice.

It was a little sweeter than I'd drink regularly. Next time, I'll try a fresh orange, either less pear or no honey, and maybe 1/2 a lemon. And I'll remember to freeze the banana. I didn't feel hungry afterwards, but wasn't quite satisfied, either -- I'm not sure yet how much green juice or smoothie I'll have to drink for it to substitute effectively for a meal.