The reason for this blog came from a casual conversation with my Mom about the decline in manufacturing here in the good ol' USA. While it's hard to avoid imported products particularly China but there are many reasons to buy local wherever local is to you. These could include living more simply by having less stuff, better for the planet by using less energy for transport and yes, humanitarian reasons.
http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/letter-chinese-laborer-pleading-help-found-halloween-decorations-202400773.html
By no means was this blog established to bash China and certainly not the Chinese people. But I do ask my gentle readers to read the labels and to seek local (wherever on the planet local is to you) alternatives. If you can't find any you might ask yourself as the woman in the article did; Do I really need this?
Showing posts with label Fremont. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fremont. Show all posts
12/20/12
For my next kitchen.
If you watch the DIY network you know the design principle of: pick three objects you love then find tones, color and materials that compliment them. When I remodeled my condo I had a selection of handmade Mexican tiles I'd found at a local import store. http://www.ttazteca.com/
Each tile was the perfect design to bring the outside in. The owner travels south each year to visit craftspeople in Mexico. He even looked for themes I wanted like kitchen implements, more of the sun and moon imagery, squash and melon image tiles etc.
So just match them, right? It took forever to find Travertine tile to match the size, texture and tone. By the time I found some I was beyond caring about their country of origin. I was just happy to find tile that complimented them.
Each tile was the perfect design to bring the outside in. The owner travels south each year to visit craftspeople in Mexico. He even looked for themes I wanted like kitchen implements, more of the sun and moon imagery, squash and melon image tiles etc.
So just match them, right? It took forever to find Travertine tile to match the size, texture and tone. By the time I found some I was beyond caring about their country of origin. I was just happy to find tile that complimented them.
But had I known about this I may have bought direct from them.
11/5/12
Made in USA bicycles.
We have enough bikes. If you're looking for a bike and want one US made perhaps you, my gentle reader remember this post http://madeinusareviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-day-in-lbs-local-bike-shop.html
Here's a partial list of where bikes are made, with the caveat that this is the info I could gather for CURRENT bicycles (many of the locations have changed especially in this decade), but the accuracy can only be confirmed thru the honesty of the companies. You will find many of them have deceptive or elliptical explanations on their websites.
Made in USA:
Gunnar/Waterford.
Sweetpea
Georgena Terry Custom (built by Waterford)
Hampsten
Rodriguez
DeSalvo
Strong
Moots
Lynskey
Ira Ryan
Kirk
Davidson
Steelman
Seven
Co-Motion
Independent Fabrication
Kish
Vanilla
When we say bikes made in USA I am speaking of the frame. There are many parts that go into your bike. The same disclosures apply but look for components & parts from...
Chris King
Paul
Enve forks
LH Thomson
White Industries
Thank you to the women and men of the forum on teamestrogen.com for researching this lis.
Here's a partial list of where bikes are made, with the caveat that this is the info I could gather for CURRENT bicycles (many of the locations have changed especially in this decade), but the accuracy can only be confirmed thru the honesty of the companies. You will find many of them have deceptive or elliptical explanations on their websites.
Made in USA:
Gunnar/Waterford.
Sweetpea
Georgena Terry Custom (built by Waterford)
Hampsten
Rodriguez
DeSalvo
Strong
Moots
Lynskey
Ira Ryan
Kirk
Davidson
Steelman
Seven
Co-Motion
Independent Fabrication
Kish
Vanilla
When we say bikes made in USA I am speaking of the frame. There are many parts that go into your bike. The same disclosures apply but look for components & parts from...
Chris King
Paul
Enve forks
LH Thomson
White Industries
Thank you to the women and men of the forum on teamestrogen.com for researching this lis.
9/13/12
Venting; what do men think about when they ride?
First a disclosure; I like men, there are many men I love. Some of my best friends are men. When I ride my bike I think about all the men who taught me so much about cycling and life. Yes, men and bikes are a good thing.
What follows may be a huge overgeneralization but I want to talk about behaviors I often see on the road by guys.
Today on an enjoyable errand ride only interrupted by my forgetting something at home I spotted ahead a large obstacle on the MUT. Kneeling with his head and butt squarely blocking the path, whirling his blue and yellow Lemond "I coulda been a contender" road bike so it was blocking the road was a road cyclist. His puzzled head bowed, something clearly stopping his epic ride.
Riders and runners deftly whirled around him. His body language clearly saying "I could pass all of you but this mechanical that's clearly not my fault is halting me. I just want you to observe how cycle chic I look. That is why I am not off to the side. I must exhibit my puzzlement".
Decked out in Not Your Daughter's jeans, Ibex wool shirt, Chacos and Wald bike rack I slowed to give the traditional cyclists call out; are you ok? it's traditionally abbreviated to: you ok?
Yeah, he said with dejection in his voice.
Well you would be ok with a full set of tools on the bike. But he's observing the road rider's rule; carry nothing that's big enough to actually be observed in a jersey pocket.
I rode on.
A little while later I turned back to get whatever it is I thought I forgot. There he was on the porch of my LBS with his bike up on the repair stand of shame. This is the one they provide for those who say "oh yeah, I can fix this. I don't need any help, just a stand is all. Uh, can I borrow your tools?"
Presumably some time later he'll ask if they can keep the bike overnight and fix it.
People; mechanicals happen on the road of life. Carry what you need to fix them. When stuff happens get yourself and your bike OFF the road or path unless you actually need to stop someone (health emergency). Blocking the path can cause a crash, move to the right.
What follows may be a huge overgeneralization but I want to talk about behaviors I often see on the road by guys.
Today on an enjoyable errand ride only interrupted by my forgetting something at home I spotted ahead a large obstacle on the MUT. Kneeling with his head and butt squarely blocking the path, whirling his blue and yellow Lemond "I coulda been a contender" road bike so it was blocking the road was a road cyclist. His puzzled head bowed, something clearly stopping his epic ride.
Riders and runners deftly whirled around him. His body language clearly saying "I could pass all of you but this mechanical that's clearly not my fault is halting me. I just want you to observe how cycle chic I look. That is why I am not off to the side. I must exhibit my puzzlement".
Decked out in Not Your Daughter's jeans, Ibex wool shirt, Chacos and Wald bike rack I slowed to give the traditional cyclists call out; are you ok? it's traditionally abbreviated to: you ok?
Yeah, he said with dejection in his voice.
Well you would be ok with a full set of tools on the bike. But he's observing the road rider's rule; carry nothing that's big enough to actually be observed in a jersey pocket.
I rode on.
A little while later I turned back to get whatever it is I thought I forgot. There he was on the porch of my LBS with his bike up on the repair stand of shame. This is the one they provide for those who say "oh yeah, I can fix this. I don't need any help, just a stand is all. Uh, can I borrow your tools?"
Presumably some time later he'll ask if they can keep the bike overnight and fix it.
People; mechanicals happen on the road of life. Carry what you need to fix them. When stuff happens get yourself and your bike OFF the road or path unless you actually need to stop someone (health emergency). Blocking the path can cause a crash, move to the right.
9/6/12
Cooking for the cure
I own a small, underwater, 70's era condo in the Bay Area. It was expertly remodeled by my friend, contractor, carpenter Hilary. We found and used many local products some of which I mentioned here. I'll go over more of those later.
Gentle readers, please remind me, I get distracted especially when I talk about food, cooking and their impact on our health.
One of the first projects of the remodel was that I decided to remove the stereotypical, 70's, dated, cottage cheese ceiling. You know the stuff in bad hotels? It makes the ceiling look low, like it's closing in on you. I'd try to be optimistic and say "look, it's shiny like stars!" but let's be honest.
That stuff is gray depressing, cluttered and nasty. It had to go.
But first I had to clean and scrape the grease off the ceiling spending days tottering, scared up on the ladder with TSP, gloves and a mask. The signs of the sellers poor diet were visible all over the property but only if you looked up. The ceiling was just covered with a thin film of grease from the kitchen out to the dining room. It seems they fried everything they ate. I'm guessing from the aroma mostly meat and fish.
What wasn't on the ceiling was in the kitchen plumbing which also eventualy had to go.
One can only imagine their circulatory system and general health. I'm sure not all the grease went up to the ceiling or down the drain. Some must have gone into the 6 adults and 2 kids who lived cramped in what was then a cluttered 2 bedroom 1.5 bath condo.
I had already removed the dated, 70's, wooden beaded room dividers. Those were as greasy as they were dated, dark, dusty and tacky.
We put up tarps on all floors as I cleaned mostly so I would not slip later on the grease/TSP mixture. I was not worried about protecting the 30 year old linoleum in the kitchen, dining room and supremely ugly blue shag carpeting in the rest of the condo. I was more concerned with slipping on the clean up efforts.
At least their style of "staging a house for sale" had kept the price affordable for me.
Once we'd cleaned and prepped I stepped back to let the pro's attack the cottage cheese. During the ceiling project I removed myself from the fray for the weekend. I went up to Sonoma to my Mom's. My mutt, Mae (that's my dear, now departed and very much missed dog pictured above) went far, far away for the weekend.
Hilary and crew took every precaution because what is that dated cottage cheese anyway? Asbetos perhaps, asbestos probably. And contact with asbestos can be deadly with direct links to a cancer called mesothelioma.
It's not that I did not want to help them out. During the remodel I tried to do everything an unskilled, untrained, owner could. This is mostly clean or clean up afterwards, run errands some of which I theorize contractors invent to get their clients out of the way and write lots of checks.
But when it comes to asbestos lacking the skill, training, experience and equipment of a pro I did not want to risk being around and much less even breathing that stuff. Dealing with asbestos is something we want to stand back and let the trained, properly equipped and experienced pro's handle it because it's a carcinogen. Best to come back later on and say "Ah! Beautiful!"
Cancer has cut a swath through my family. I've lost several loved ones to cancer, others are survivors. I hate cancer, all forms of cancer.
Other than avoiding contact with carcinogens is there prevention, cure or certain treatment of cancer? Can lifestyle factors particularly good diet and nutrition lead to a life free of cancer?
Maybe, perhaps and it can be as simple as eating your fresh, local fruits and vegies.
I recently read a study in the Journal of Cancer Research which was done by Mark H. Shiffman, Linda W. Pickle, Elizabeth Fontham, Sheila Hoar Zahm, Roni Falk, Joy Mele, Pelayo Correa and Joseph Fraumeni Jr. called Case Control Study of Diet and Mesothelioma in Louisiana.
In this study 37 patients with mesothelioma were matched with case controlled subjects. Patients were matched to controls according to age, sex, race, region, occupational histories and many factors. In this study reductions in risk were seen with increasing consumption of vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables. These associations could not be explained by differences in exposure such as occupation.
The results indicated that eating your vegetables may reduce the risk of mesothelioma.
Eat your local vegetables.
Referenced study http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/48/10/2911.short
More information here www.mesotheliomahelp.net
Gentle readers, please remind me, I get distracted especially when I talk about food, cooking and their impact on our health.
One of the first projects of the remodel was that I decided to remove the stereotypical, 70's, dated, cottage cheese ceiling. You know the stuff in bad hotels? It makes the ceiling look low, like it's closing in on you. I'd try to be optimistic and say "look, it's shiny like stars!" but let's be honest.
That stuff is gray depressing, cluttered and nasty. It had to go.
But first I had to clean and scrape the grease off the ceiling spending days tottering, scared up on the ladder with TSP, gloves and a mask. The signs of the sellers poor diet were visible all over the property but only if you looked up. The ceiling was just covered with a thin film of grease from the kitchen out to the dining room. It seems they fried everything they ate. I'm guessing from the aroma mostly meat and fish.
What wasn't on the ceiling was in the kitchen plumbing which also eventualy had to go.
One can only imagine their circulatory system and general health. I'm sure not all the grease went up to the ceiling or down the drain. Some must have gone into the 6 adults and 2 kids who lived cramped in what was then a cluttered 2 bedroom 1.5 bath condo.
I had already removed the dated, 70's, wooden beaded room dividers. Those were as greasy as they were dated, dark, dusty and tacky.
We put up tarps on all floors as I cleaned mostly so I would not slip later on the grease/TSP mixture. I was not worried about protecting the 30 year old linoleum in the kitchen, dining room and supremely ugly blue shag carpeting in the rest of the condo. I was more concerned with slipping on the clean up efforts.
At least their style of "staging a house for sale" had kept the price affordable for me.
Once we'd cleaned and prepped I stepped back to let the pro's attack the cottage cheese. During the ceiling project I removed myself from the fray for the weekend. I went up to Sonoma to my Mom's. My mutt, Mae (that's my dear, now departed and very much missed dog pictured above) went far, far away for the weekend.
Hilary and crew took every precaution because what is that dated cottage cheese anyway? Asbetos perhaps, asbestos probably. And contact with asbestos can be deadly with direct links to a cancer called mesothelioma.
It's not that I did not want to help them out. During the remodel I tried to do everything an unskilled, untrained, owner could. This is mostly clean or clean up afterwards, run errands some of which I theorize contractors invent to get their clients out of the way and write lots of checks.
But when it comes to asbestos lacking the skill, training, experience and equipment of a pro I did not want to risk being around and much less even breathing that stuff. Dealing with asbestos is something we want to stand back and let the trained, properly equipped and experienced pro's handle it because it's a carcinogen. Best to come back later on and say "Ah! Beautiful!"
Cancer has cut a swath through my family. I've lost several loved ones to cancer, others are survivors. I hate cancer, all forms of cancer.
Other than avoiding contact with carcinogens is there prevention, cure or certain treatment of cancer? Can lifestyle factors particularly good diet and nutrition lead to a life free of cancer?
Maybe, perhaps and it can be as simple as eating your fresh, local fruits and vegies.
I recently read a study in the Journal of Cancer Research which was done by Mark H. Shiffman, Linda W. Pickle, Elizabeth Fontham, Sheila Hoar Zahm, Roni Falk, Joy Mele, Pelayo Correa and Joseph Fraumeni Jr. called Case Control Study of Diet and Mesothelioma in Louisiana.
In this study 37 patients with mesothelioma were matched with case controlled subjects. Patients were matched to controls according to age, sex, race, region, occupational histories and many factors. In this study reductions in risk were seen with increasing consumption of vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables. These associations could not be explained by differences in exposure such as occupation.
The results indicated that eating your vegetables may reduce the risk of mesothelioma.
Eat your local vegetables.
Referenced study http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/48/10/2911.short
More information here www.mesotheliomahelp.net
7/23/12
One day in the LBS (Local Bike Shop)
One day I was moseying around a shop absorbing that "new bike smell" a new rider asked the LBS employee questions about getting a new bike. After answering them and lining up bikes in her size and price range to test ride she asked "Are any of these made in the USA?".
He paused, then said "There are bikes made here. They tend to be expensive". There's a long list of hand-made, mostly full custom bikes made in the USA. I'll get to some of them. I hope you'll see from this blog there are tons of options for parts, clothes, lights, racks and the stuff you either need to ride or would be nice to have to ride.
Much of that is very affordable.
Bikes made in the USA tend to be pricey. By "pricey" I mean starting at $2,000 to $3,000. When we talk about an "American made bicycle" we mean the frame. Many parts go into a bicycle and they are from all around. It's just about impossible to get an entirely US made bicycle.
What started this post is that our friend Donald Boothby has passed away. He was a truly wonderful man whom K had the honor and pleasure of meeting a few times. Don had a wonderful sense of humor, a great family, he loved to cook and of course ride bikes. He bought a touring bike made by a small local builder: Davidson Bicycles.
He rode tens of thousands of miles on that bike often with family and friends. Sadly we never got to ride together. I'd hope to do so when I moved here.
We see Davidson bikes a lot while riding in Seattle. Not that there are a lot of them. They are few so they really stand out. They stand because not only are they rare and beautifully made but the obvious ease and comfort to the rider.
Davidson fits you right to the bike. You sense it's a Davidson approaching from afar away because bike and rider move as one.
Sadly as Don lay at home, just days from dying of cancer a thief broke into their home and stole his bike.
This is a friendly blog with a kind purpose. I'm a peaceful person. There's few if any people and even things I dislike. I like cats, liver and lima beans. I'm pretty zen.
But I hate bike thieves.
Perhaps the only thing worse than bike thieves is cancer. Cancer just took our friend and not before thieves took his bike. So I'm a little upset.
So I'm just saying; rare, unique, custom built, custom painted bike which the entire cycling community recognizes is out there. If you have the bike and ride it skilled riders can tell from a mile away "That's not yours. It is not fit for you, is not your bike."
If you're looking for a fine custom bike to buy new or legitimately and reliably used from the owner or a good bike shop you can do no better than a Davidson:
http://davidsonbicycles.com/
But to the ditwad who stole or the unsuspecting or unscrupulous buyer riding Don's bike, karma will find you. For your sake let's hope karma finds you before the Seattle cycling community does.
We are looking for a: 56 cm Davidson frame, black with red trim and a lot of chrome. Steel front forks with chrome tips, chrome on the rear triangle and on the head tube. If you see the bike or know about it contact Davidson Bicycles and they will contact Don's family and/or police.
I believe I can safely say all the family wants is Don's bike back. So if you read this and know about the stolen bike please just get it back no questions asked. They'd just like it back as a memento of a beloved husband and father. It's of no use to you.
If you've seen or know anything you can contact Davidson Bicycles at the website above and/or Seattle Randonneur Cycling club. Contact information and pictures of the bike on:
http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/
He paused, then said "There are bikes made here. They tend to be expensive". There's a long list of hand-made, mostly full custom bikes made in the USA. I'll get to some of them. I hope you'll see from this blog there are tons of options for parts, clothes, lights, racks and the stuff you either need to ride or would be nice to have to ride.
Much of that is very affordable.
Bikes made in the USA tend to be pricey. By "pricey" I mean starting at $2,000 to $3,000. When we talk about an "American made bicycle" we mean the frame. Many parts go into a bicycle and they are from all around. It's just about impossible to get an entirely US made bicycle.
What started this post is that our friend Donald Boothby has passed away. He was a truly wonderful man whom K had the honor and pleasure of meeting a few times. Don had a wonderful sense of humor, a great family, he loved to cook and of course ride bikes. He bought a touring bike made by a small local builder: Davidson Bicycles.
He rode tens of thousands of miles on that bike often with family and friends. Sadly we never got to ride together. I'd hope to do so when I moved here.
We see Davidson bikes a lot while riding in Seattle. Not that there are a lot of them. They are few so they really stand out. They stand because not only are they rare and beautifully made but the obvious ease and comfort to the rider.
Davidson fits you right to the bike. You sense it's a Davidson approaching from afar away because bike and rider move as one.
Sadly as Don lay at home, just days from dying of cancer a thief broke into their home and stole his bike.
This is a friendly blog with a kind purpose. I'm a peaceful person. There's few if any people and even things I dislike. I like cats, liver and lima beans. I'm pretty zen.
But I hate bike thieves.
Perhaps the only thing worse than bike thieves is cancer. Cancer just took our friend and not before thieves took his bike. So I'm a little upset.
So I'm just saying; rare, unique, custom built, custom painted bike which the entire cycling community recognizes is out there. If you have the bike and ride it skilled riders can tell from a mile away "That's not yours. It is not fit for you, is not your bike."
If you're looking for a fine custom bike to buy new or legitimately and reliably used from the owner or a good bike shop you can do no better than a Davidson:
http://davidsonbicycles.com/
But to the ditwad who stole or the unsuspecting or unscrupulous buyer riding Don's bike, karma will find you. For your sake let's hope karma finds you before the Seattle cycling community does.
We are looking for a: 56 cm Davidson frame, black with red trim and a lot of chrome. Steel front forks with chrome tips, chrome on the rear triangle and on the head tube. If you see the bike or know about it contact Davidson Bicycles and they will contact Don's family and/or police.
I believe I can safely say all the family wants is Don's bike back. So if you read this and know about the stolen bike please just get it back no questions asked. They'd just like it back as a memento of a beloved husband and father. It's of no use to you.
If you've seen or know anything you can contact Davidson Bicycles at the website above and/or Seattle Randonneur Cycling club. Contact information and pictures of the bike on:
http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/
5/9/10
Body by chocolate.
I'm a local'varian where possible and favor Fair Trade products. K has slipped me the Folger's coffee and it's fine but I prefer Fair Trade and swear I can taste the difference. There are fair trade organics I eat with the sense of "I will eat this Fair Trade Organic product that others may live".
And there's this chocolate:
https://www.theochocolate.com
https://www.theochocolate.com
Theo repurposed a factory in the quirky Fremont district of Seattle. You don't need the address, go to Seattle, head for our funky Fremont district, then follow your nose.
At Theo's you find a cozy store full of dark wood, comfy chairs and chocolate. On cold rainy days the fireplace is going and you may be served hot chocolate. On any day a well informed staff answers questions and hands you samples till your head spins and your wallet opens for more.
There are single origin chocolates from Ghana to Madagascar, dark chocolates to milk chocolate. Some of my favorites are the spicy ones like chili chocolate. This is no Mars bar. Theo's is chocolate you will pair with the right wine, ale, local cheeses and fresh fruit or slowly savor alone. There are imaginative seasonal concoctions like cherry and pink peppercorn for Valentines day. That one was heavenly. We watch for that each year.
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