Peace and bullies

In the same week, the world paid homage to what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday and bullying was one of the top news stories. We publicize the tragedy of youth who commit suicide because others have bullied them to the point where they see no other escape. However, we ignore the fact that as a country we promote bullying on a local, national, and international level. In the same breath we create laws that promote racial profiling, restrict who can marry whom, and claim to support individual freedom. We wage a war, that at its core, tries to conform a culture we don't understand to be more like ours, and yet cry out in rage when our own youth torture each other until suicide seems the only option. We fail to recognize that our spoken values often categorically diverge from our actions. We ignore the fact that we demonstrate the behavior on a daily basis that we abhor in our classrooms.

Today, when religion has become political and expressions of faith bring the assumptions of others, I am hopeful when I hear groups across faiths express the desire for peace. In the words of the Baptist missionary, Robbi Rancovich, "The world is too big for anything but truth, and too small for anything but love." Stand up for what you believe in. Support the rights of others. Embrace differences. Through silence, we condone the acts of others. Speak up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NRriHlLUk&feature=related

APA style pages

This is a bit of a dorky post, but this was attached to a call for papers for the Annual in Therapeutic Recreation. Now, I know they just came out with an APA 6, but this is still based on the APA 5. It appears that journals are not ready to embrace the new version, and well, quite frankly, neither am I. Anyways, for all you grad students out there, or anyone else that needs to write in APA format and has the manual, this should be helpful.

Now if only manuscript acceptance was based strictly on one's ability to adhere to APA... but it can't hurt right?!

Important APA Style Issues:

Checklist

Please use this checklist to ensure that your manuscript adheres to the APA Manual (5th edition). Your adherence tothese guidelines will greatly enhance the editorial process.

_____ Title Page to Chapter: p. 10-12 (completed for all authors)
_____ Writing Clarity: p. 31-76, especially Table 2.1, also pages 77-111
_____ Headings and Levels, p. 111-115
_____ Seriation in Text, p. 115-117
_____ Quotations in Text, p. 117-122
_____ Numbers/Statistics in Text, p. 122-147
_____ Tables, 147-176 (see checklist p. 175-176)
_____ Figures, p. 177-201 (see checklist, p. 201)
_____ Footnotes, p. 202-205 (please do not use footnotes, except for copyright permissions)
_____ Appendixes, p. 207 (please do not use appendixes unless absolutely necessary)
_____ Reference Citations in Text, p. 207-214
_____ Reference List, p. 215-281 (especially section 4.01 and 4.02)
_____ Order of References on Reference List, p. 219
_____ General formats, p. 223
_____ Listing Authors, p. 224
_____ Electronic Sources, p. 231
_____ Periodicals, p. 239
_____ Books, p. 248
_____ Technical and Research Reports, p. 255
_____ Dissertations and Theses, p. 260
_____ Unpublished Works, p. 263
_____ Electronic Media [Internet], p. 268
_____ Manuscript Preparation, p. 283-320
_____ One-inch margins
_____ Double-spaced
_____ 12-pt Times Roman font
_____ Numbered pages
_____ Running head in header, with brief title
_____ Checklist in Appendix A, p. 379-383

Pear Basil Sorbet

So when I was home this summer, a friend of mine had a huge crop of pears grow in her backyard. Pears, like most fruit, apparently grow much more abundantly after pruning the trees; which was part of a backyard, patio renovation project. Not being afraid of ladders, or climbing trees, I went over one hot Sunday morning to help pick pears. Imagine standing in a tree holding a 10 foot pole with a small metal basket on the end. That was me, in flip flops. Not the best shoe choice, but the pear pickings were great! When I left, she was gracious enough to give me two bags of pears. Additionally, I left Kansas with a huge bag of Thai basil.

Now pears I can eat, but there were a lot to be consumed in the next few days, and basil I can cook with, but with just my roommate and myself, it was a tall order. A month or so ago, I discovered basil sorbet. I also discovered that I could make it. I couldn't find a recipe to fit my needs, so here's what I came up with. Don't let the green color scare you. It's fantastic. I prefer sorbet in the summer, because it's not quite so heavy. Plus, it's particularly good with gin, or for a bit lighter kick, some white wine poured right on top. Tasty!

Pear Basil Sorbet

Two cups Thai basil leaves

½ cup lime juice

2 cups water

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

Two ripe pears, peeled and cored

Mix sugar and water on the stove until sugar is dissolved. Chill sugar/water mixture. Place basil leaves, lime juice, and pears into a blender or food processor. Combine basil and sugar/water.

Follow instructions on ice cream maker. OR Place in freezer for 2-3 hours, or until frozen (should not be a solid block)*. Place the frozen mixture in a blender or food processor. Refreeze after processing.

Serve plain, with some fresh berries, or with gin or white wine on top.

* I froze this overnight, because it wasn’t quite ready after the 3 hours. Before I put it in the food processor, I ‘fluffed’ it (or scraped at it) with a fork. Turned out beautifully!