Blessed Are The Peacemakers (Five Quotes on Non-Violence)

(To read about Sister Karen Klimczak, the originator of the peaceprints signs, click here.)

This is in response to the horrific incident that happened at the University of California at Davis very recently (to see videos and photos, click here or here). It is inconceivable to me that this actually happened. Whatever side of the fence you may sit in the Occupy Movement these protesters were non-violent, unarmed, and showing no aggression. Some people, I believe, are truly terrified of non-violent and non-resistant behavior. I also believe that it is ingrained in everyone of us, from pre-birth, that we are all connected and when you hurt one another you hurt each of us…the original truth. I really find it difficult to believe that these police who did this to these students had a good night’s sleep last night. What has attracted me to the Occupy Movement from the very start is that it is a non-violent movement. Needing to clear my head this evening I walked down to the Occupy Buffalo site with my son (that’s him pictured in the lower left). I was glad to see they are still there, and thought to myself as I snapped a few photos what a wonderful scene it was…these people so dedicated to a cause that they are basically living here–in the cold (snow will come soon enough)–and doing it peacefully.

We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators oftension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that isalready alive.

I had no idea history was being made. I was just tired of giving in.

Myreligion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God.Non-violence is the means of realizing Him.

 Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Jesus the Christ

Some reading this may be a bit too young to remember the Tank Man of Tienanmen Square in 1989. He had the courage to stand before a line of moving tanks…unarmed, by himself, and looking to be carrying only a few groceries; he is pictured in the video below. It’s rumored that the people talking to him, just before the video ends and before he left the square, were government officials. It’s also rumored that he was executed shortly thereafter. 

It’s interesting–and sad–that three of the people from the above quotes were killed;’ they are not alone, of course…some are so threatened by others who have the courage to stand their ground and not use violence as a method. To just stand knowing what is true. These to me are the real heroes we should look up to–not athletes who make way too much money, or other so-called celebrities–but people like this. And today, to me, the people who are occupying cities still–with the threat of violence from their own cities yet show no violence in return–these are real and living heroes. 

Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#369 & #370)…and how I turned them into bread (recipe and pics)

#369 (on my way to work in the morning)…A canvas bag containing a couple books and writing implements, 3 plastic buckets of different sizes…the largest of them containing a whole wheat preferment made with an  additional seven grain mix and its cooking liquid,  the other containing a whole wheat autolyse with a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, and the smallest containing extra virgin olive oil, honey, and a few teaspoons of kosher salt.

#370 (On my way home in the late afternoon)…Two empty plastic dough rising buckets, and a cardboard box containing a canvas bag and three freshly baked loaves of 7-grain whole wheat bread.

7-Grain Whole WheatBread
Makes 3 loaves
1 cup (6.6oz/187g) 7-grain mix
3 quarts (96floz/2.83L) water
____________
fully cooked grains
2/3 cup (5.3 oz/157ml) cookingliquid
2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour
2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instantyeast
____________
4 cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheatflour
2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten
1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cookingliquid
____________
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) honey
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) olive oil
3 teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) instantyeast
3 teaspoons (.5oz/14.1g) koshersalt
Combine the grain and water in a mediumpot and bring to a boil; lower the heat to simmer and cook the ricefor about 45 minutes or until very soft. As the grain cooks add morewater to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which isfull of nutrients, will become part of the recipe. After the grainsare cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature,refrigerating if necessary. Then drain it, squeezing it with yourhands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Place two bowlsside-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the other autolyse. Inone bowl combine the cooked and drained 7-grains with 2/3 cup (5.3oz/157ml) of the cooking liquid, 2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour, and 2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instant yeast. Stir just untilcombined then cover it with plastic wrap. In the other bowl combine 4cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten, and 1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cooking liquid; stirjust until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not toget yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at roomtemperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment willbegin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and theautolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten.
After an hour or so, combinethe ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixerfitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) of yeast (add the yeast and salt on oppositesides of the bowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover itloosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled inbulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30minutes.

Turn the dough out onto afloured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loavesand place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves withplastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until doublein size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentationremains. Preheat an oven to 450f (232.2C).

Bake the breads forabout 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (eitherwith ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every tenminutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and soundhollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allowthem to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#369 & #370)…and how I turned them into bread (recipe and pics)

#369 (on my way to work in the morning)…A canvas bag containing a couple books and writing implements, 3 plastic buckets of different sizes…the largest of them containing a whole wheat preferment made with an  additional seven grain mix and its cooking liquid,  the other containing a whole wheat autolyse with a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, and the smallest containing extra virgin olive oil, honey, and a few teaspoons of kosher salt.

#370 (On my way home in the late afternoon)…Two empty plastic dough rising buckets, and a cardboard box containing a canvas bag and three freshly baked loaves of 7-grain whole wheat bread.

7-Grain Whole WheatBread
Makes 3 loaves
1 cup (6.6oz/187g) 7-grain mix
3 quarts (96floz/2.83L) water
____________
fully cooked grains
2/3 cup (5.3 oz/157ml) cookingliquid
2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour
2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instantyeast
____________
4 cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheatflour
2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten
1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cookingliquid
____________
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) honey
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) olive oil
3 teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) instantyeast
3 teaspoons (.5oz/14.1g) koshersalt
Combine the grain and water in a mediumpot and bring to a boil; lower the heat to simmer and cook the ricefor about 45 minutes or until very soft. As the grain cooks add morewater to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which isfull of nutrients, will become part of the recipe. After the grainsare cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature,refrigerating if necessary. Then drain it, squeezing it with yourhands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Place two bowlsside-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the other autolyse. Inone bowl combine the cooked and drained 7-grains with 2/3 cup (5.3oz/157ml) of the cooking liquid, 2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour, and 2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instant yeast. Stir just untilcombined then cover it with plastic wrap. In the other bowl combine 4cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten, and 1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cooking liquid; stirjust until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not toget yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at roomtemperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment willbegin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and theautolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten.
After an hour or so, combinethe ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixerfitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) of yeast (add the yeast and salt on oppositesides of the bowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover itloosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled inbulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30minutes.

Turn the dough out onto afloured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loavesand place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves withplastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until doublein size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentationremains. Preheat an oven to 450f (232.2C).

Bake the breads forabout 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (eitherwith ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every tenminutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and soundhollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allowthem to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Wind Power

Now this looks really fun…if not a bit dangerous. They’re images of hotel guests from the Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida taken in 1903 (the images were found here). Unfortunately, the hotel–which was on the list of the US National Register of Historic Places was torn down to make room for beachfront condominiums. I love the image on the lower left (click it for a larger view), both of  the men have their feet off their pedals and are being pushed by the wind…what could be more fun and freeing.

Wind Power

Now this looks really fun…if not a bit dangerous. They’re images of hotel guests from the Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida taken in 1903 (the images were found here). Unfortunately, the hotel–which was on the list of the US National Register of Historic Places was torn down to make room for beachfront condominiums. I love the image on the lower left (click it for a larger view), both of  the men have their feet off their pedals and are being pushed by the wind…what could be more fun and freeing.

A Few Images Through an Inexpensive Lense

This post is twofold. Firstly, it is another in the theme that when you walk or ride a bike you witness so much more than when in a car (yes, I know I’ve been harping on this lately but it is important in my daily life), and in the case of myself–or anyone–it offers near-countless opportunities to appreciate the beauty around and capture some of it in pictures. After a crazy-busy day in a hot and bustling kitchen the last thing I want to do is hop in a climatically controlled and comfortable car (though now-and-again I have to)…what I want to do is get outside and walk or ride a bike. And when I do this and look around at all the beauty as I walk and ride it is–to me–like nature’s own therapy…a person does not have to live in a rural setting to see nature, it’s all around, and it is entirely free. This brings me to my next topic…the camera. While I have always been interested in photography and used to use 35mm cameras, in recent years I’ve been using inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras.Yes they have their limitations (many limitations, for sure) but what’s awesome (besides their price…the current one I use cost $99US) is that they fit in your pocket; when you need it just pull it out and snap away (I believe neighbors and co-workers are finally used to me taking pictures of what I cook or what I see in my front yard). And to help the limitations of an inexpensive camera there are plenty of free or nearly-free editing software available. Two of my favorites are both open source and can be found here and here. Often I don’t see the beauty around me, especially if I had a really busy day and I’m feeling cranky, so I have to force myself to look…to look at what is directly in front of me. And it is right in front of me an all of us–always–all we have to do is look.

“The kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, but people do not see it.”
The Gospel of Thomas, verse 113

 Alright, I’ll get down from my little soapbox pulpit now…to see a few more photos that I’ve taken recently, while either walking or riding a bike click here, here, here, or here; click any photo for a larger view

A Few Images Through an Inexpensive Lense

This post is twofold. Firstly, it is another in the theme that when you walk or ride a bike you witness so much more than when in a car (yes, I know I’ve been harping on this lately but it is important in my daily life), and in the case of myself–or anyone–it offers near-countless opportunities to appreciate the beauty around and capture some of it in pictures. After a crazy-busy day in a hot and bustling kitchen the last thing I want to do is hop in a climatically controlled and comfortable car (though now-and-again I have to)…what I want to do is get outside and walk or ride a bike. And when I do this and look around at all the beauty as I walk and ride it is–to me–like nature’s own therapy…a person does not have to live in a rural setting to see nature, it’s all around, and it is entirely free. This brings me to my next topic…the camera. While I have always been interested in photography and used to use 35mm cameras, in recent years I’ve been using inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras.Yes they have their limitations (many limitations, for sure) but what’s awesome (besides their price…the current one I use cost $99US) is that they fit in your pocket; when you need it just pull it out and snap away (I believe neighbors and co-workers are finally used to me taking pictures of what I cook or what I see in my front yard). And to help the limitations of an inexpensive camera there are plenty of free or nearly-free editing software available. Two of my favorites are both open source and can be found here and here. Often I don’t see the beauty around me, especially if I had a really busy day and I’m feeling cranky, so I have to force myself to look…to look at what is directly in front of me. And it is right in front of me an all of us–always–all we have to do is look.

“The kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, but people do not see it.”
The Gospel of Thomas, verse 113

 Alright, I’ll get down from my little soapbox pulpit now…to see a few more photos that I’ve taken recently, while either walking or riding a bike click here, here, here, or here; click any photo for a larger view

Is this Ironic (or just circular)?

I think this picture is really interesting but can’t wonder if it’s not a bit ironic. I often ride past this building on my way to a store; it’s the original Pierce Arrow building, which was once the factory of luxury cars by the same name. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that this company, along with a lot of other automobile companies, began as a bicycle companie….and many of the original car mechanics were bicycle mechanics. Interestingly, at both of the websites for the Pierce Arrow Transportation Museum (click here or here) there are no mention of bicycles. According to Carl Burgwardt, in his book Buffalo’s Bicycles, in 1900 the Buffalo City Directory listed seventy-nine bicycle manufacturers and 136 dealers, and that it was because of the bicycle that road signs and rules came into existence. As aforementioned, on the websites of the transportation museum there are no images or links to bicycles. I’ve not yet been there yet (I really should go), but I can only hope that there are some bikes on display as well as the cars. Anyhow, with the current gas/car/environmental “crisis” I can only wonder what the future of transportation has in store…but I still can’t help wonder if the above photo is not just a bit ironic.

To read a couple of stories I wrote in the past on the importance of bicycles, click here or here.

Is this Ironic (or just circular)?

I think this picture is really interesting but can’t wonder if it’s not a bit ironic. I often ride past this building on my way to a store; it’s the original Pierce Arrow building, which was once the factory of luxury cars by the same name. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that this company, along with a lot of other automobile companies, began as a bicycle companie….and many of the original car mechanics were bicycle mechanics. Interestingly, at both of the websites for the Pierce Arrow Transportation Museum (click here or here) there are no mention of bicycles. According to Carl Burgwardt, in his book Buffalo’s Bicycles, in 1900 the Buffalo City Directory listed seventy-nine bicycle manufacturers and 136 dealers, and that it was because of the bicycle that road signs and rules came into existence. As aforementioned, on the websites of the transportation museum there are no images or links to bicycles. I’ve not yet been there yet (I really should go), but I can only hope that there are some bikes on display as well as the cars. Anyhow, with the current gas/car/environmental “crisis” I can only wonder what the future of transportation has in store…but I still can’t help wonder if the above photo is not just a bit ironic.

To read a couple of stories I wrote in the past on the importance of bicycles, click here or here.

Interfaith Occupation

I hadn’t been to Occupy Buffalo for a couple weeks but heard that this evening they were having an interfaith service and candlelight vigil so I went down. I was impressed with the occupation for a few reasons today. The first is that they are still there…we have had some foul weather and they have stayed. And not only have they persevered, but it looked to me like there were at least twice the amount of tents as the last time I visited. The gathering today was moving. By the looks of it there were a fair amount of visitors (which I count myself). There was a series of clergy speaking and then–as we were all handed candles and lit them from one to another–we sang Amazing Grace. Tears always well up in my eyes when I hear that hymn. It was really awesome to be standing there in the cold with a rather large group of people whom I did not know personally but realized that we were all related or connected in some way…brothers and sisters of the same human race. It was a really nice way to spend a couple hours, I almost didn’t go…but I’m glad that I did.

To see earlier posts on Occupy Buffalo, click here, here, here, or here.

Interfaith Occupation

I hadn’t been to Occupy Buffalo for a couple weeks but heard that this evening they were having an interfaith service and candlelight vigil so I went down. I was impressed with the occupation for a few reasons today. The first is that they are still there…we have had some foul weather and they have stayed. And not only have they persevered, but it looked to me like there were at least twice the amount of tents as the last time I visited. The gathering today was moving. By the looks of it there were a fair amount of visitors (which I count myself). There was a series of clergy speaking and then–as we were all handed candles and lit them from one to another–we sang Amazing Grace. Tears always well up in my eyes when I hear that hymn. It was really awesome to be standing there in the cold with a rather large group of people whom I did not know personally but realized that we were all related or connected in some way…brothers and sisters of the same human race. It was a really nice way to spend a couple hours, I almost didn’t go…but I’m glad that I did.

To see earlier posts on Occupy Buffalo, click here, here, here, or here.

Frittata di Verdure Arrosto al Forno

This is really just a variation on a theme from other open-faced omelets (frittati) that I’ve made, posted on this blog, and then eaten. During the summer months I’ll often cook them entirely on the stove top, as not to heat up the kitchen with the oven, but this time a year the heat is a welcome accompaniment to the preparation. And because the oven was on I roasted the vegetables before adding the eggs, giving the omelet a slight sweetness to it. Just another example of making dinner from whatever I happened to have on hand. Delicious.

For additional recipes, with many variations, pictures, and more explicit directions, click here.

Frittata di Verdure Arrosto al Forno

This is really just a variation on a theme from other open-faced omelets (frittati) that I’ve made, posted on this blog, and then eaten. During the summer months I’ll often cook them entirely on the stove top, as not to heat up the kitchen with the oven, but this time a year the heat is a welcome accompaniment to the preparation. And because the oven was on I roasted the vegetables before adding the eggs, giving the omelet a slight sweetness to it. Just another example of making dinner from whatever I happened to have on hand. Delicious.

For additional recipes, with many variations, pictures, and more explicit directions, click here.