Thailand Update

Pictures are coming soon...its tough on these different computers,
because either you have to import them on a cd or the card reader..
its just a bit more work.
Everytime I post from somewhere else, you can tell
because the margins are usually different and the type
seems to be darker for some reason.
Oh well...the message is what counts.

We just left Koh Tao (Turtle Island) and are now
on Koh Samui. Koh Tao is more of a snorkeling
island...the beaches are a bit lacking, and the price of fruit
there is twice as much as bangkok...maybe more.
Everything has to be shipped in. Even the coconuts!
They say that the local coconuts taste sour, but Im assuming
that they are just WILD coconuts and the tastebuds of the
locals have been twisted by cane sugar and coca cola.
Koh Samui is much cleaner, and the vibe seems to be
much nicer. Way more europeans here...like WAY more.
Old white men with big bellies laying on the beach,
getting a rub down from small thai ladies. Paradise??
Yikes.
I have to tell you though, its tough to travel while being really conscious about
what you put into your body. In this insane world, you have to be
pretty extreme in order to avoid most of it.
Im spoiled I guess, or maybe I just demand non-toxic food.
Sea Salt is nowhere to be found, despite the fact
that they could be making it from the ocean every day.
On every table is iodized salt. Aargh...
The fruit is lacking BIG TIME.
Cambodia in January is light years ahead.
No durians, expensive and smaller coconuts,
no soursops...just mangos and mangosteens
to keep me satisfied. I really ask for so little...
just for some cool tropical fruits, some decent coconuts,
and a place to lay out and read. Its harder to come by than
one might think.
Ive got to be more grateful though. But still...
I just finished "Fruit Hunters" last night, and thats not helping.
Once youve had some, you start to wonder about others.
Mangosteen blew my mind last year, but now Im looking
for something more. Spoiled. Rambutans are just ok...I'm now Spoiled.
I am going to the front desk of the hotel tomorrow
to see if there are any fruit tree farms on the island.
Ive come to realize that Im basically a fruit tourist.
What Im REALLY looking forward to is Bali.
The town of Ubud has an organic market every saturday!
And our friend Leah from D.C. said that its durian season
down there too. Its sad to realize how excited I am about
this. This is what it boils down to. Traveling across the globe
to eat fruit. Sad or wonderful? Depends on the perspective.
Nevertheless...its a good dip into the heart of the country,
and Im hoping to score some really nice goodies there.
Im also making it a point to meet with these people in Bali.
Big Tree Farms in Bali, Indonesia.
They are doing what anyone interested in permaculture
and living in a "developing" country should be doing.
Here is a great video from him on youtube.
And check out this page here for even more great info.
I am VERY excited to go here...when you see the site you will
understand what Im talking about.
Please watch this...and let it inspire you as much as it did for me.
Pictures manana!!!!

In Bangkok...and do away with VILSACK.

A LONG 18 hour flight, which wasnt so bad
because of the comfortable seats available on
Thai Airways and some semi-decent movies
to pass the time...I usually cant read too much
on planes because it makes me sleepier than normal,
so the movies and documentary TV shows helped a bunch.

We are staying at Baan Dinso, which I would HIGHLY
recommend to anyone coming here. Only $50 a night,
and totally amazing, clean, and comfortable.

Havent explored much yet...today is the day for that.

Viktoria Gomez sent me a link to a petition
to block the appointee of the Secretary of Agriculture.
I was so hopeful for Obama, and still am, but his pick
for this post is a TOTAL SLAP IN THE FACE.

The guy is Monsanto through and through,
and either Barack is lying about pushing for organic
farmers or he is trying to convert those who are
set on destroying diversity and patenting every
living thing on the planet.

Hate is strong word, but those men and women
who are so afflicted with the disease of greed will
do whatever it takes to make money by abusing
honest farmers and poisoning this planet...
for them....I say...I um...wish you would change,
for the sake of your own soul.

Check the link here, sign the petition.

SAY NO TO VILSACK

I cried when Obama won...seriously, I was
so overjoyed that someone who believed in
equality for gay people could be elected,
and the hope for a positive future just overwhelmed
me at the moment.

But the jury is still out on him as far
as I am concerned...I will not hold my tongue
or hold back from typing my opinion.

This is from the site...six reasons to say no to this guy:

-Vilsack has been a strong supporter of genetically engineered crops,
including bio-pharmaceutical corn:

-The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry
Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He was also the founder
and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.

-When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of
economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning
dairy cows.

-The undemocratic and highly unpopular 2005 seed pre-emption bill was
Vilsack's brainchild. The law strips local government¹s right to regulate
Genetically Engineered seed.

-Vilsack is an ardent supporter of corn and soy-based biofuels, which use as
much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving
up world food prices and literally starving the poor.

We pledge to continue working for a just and sustainable food and farming
system. We urge Congress and the office of the President-Elect to consider
appointing a Secretary of Agriculture that will advance a sustainable and
just future.

Thats it...Im floored. I cant believe this! What a BAD CHOICE.
Why isnt everyone pissed off about this??

Off to explore...but check that link out and do whats right.

Vilsack is a corporate tool of greed...lets do away with him.

Anthony

WLIR-Au Lac-Recap

I feel peaceful just looking at this photo...
(courtesy of Mia Michal Mass,
the mother of this beautiful baby boy)

I was so busy chatting with all the wonderful friends
that showed up yesterday that I took hardly any photos.

If anyone from the event has some photos,
feel free to send them over and Ill surely post them up.

A HUGE thanks to everyone that came yesterday.
You could have been outside enjoying the wonderful day,
but you chose to spend it with us and we are totally thankful for it.

I hope everyone had a really great time,
and I hope to get more into the raw scene out here soon.
Everyone is so great! Maybe its just the good weather?

Also, a big thank you must go out to Ito from Au Lac
for letting us use the space to enjoy, and to Diana
Harrelson for pulling all the strings and getting things
hooked up for the event. Wish you could have been there!

Deb from Debbie Does Raw gave me a really special present
during the event too...well, she gave a few! BUT...one that
Id like to share with you is the book called "Fruit Hunters".
Check it out here.

Thanks Deb and Sam! Love you both!

Amazing book, and Ill be sure to use it during the travels.
We are off to Thailand today, and in two weeks Indonesia!
Ive got to get back to work soon though, but now seemed
like a good time to make it happen and do some research
on retreat possibilities and of course...fruits!

Much love to everyone who came or who wanted to come
but couldnt! Have a wonderful week and I will be
posting and videotaping lots as we go.

Thanks always...

Anthony

Meetup THIS Saturday...

I know its a bit last minute-
but I honestly just found out that this was possible.

I was on hold for a job in Miami,
and they just let me know that it fell through,
so I contacted Ito and everything magically worked out.


We are going to be in LA tonight until Sunday night,
and Saturday at 1pm was perfect for the meetup.

SO....if you honestly can make it, please email me
at Anthony@rawmodel.com so I can put
you on this list and give it to Au Lac so they can
plan accordingly. I'll talk a little bit, but its more
about all of us hanging out together.


Its going to be Prix-Fixe so there is no
mathematics lesson at the end of the meal
as we figure out who owes what.
(I dont know the price, but I think the previous
one was around $30 each...don't hold me to it though)


Check out Philip's Au Lac experience HERE.
(I want Philip's tan!!! Can't wait for the sun again!)

Spread the word...it will be worth the drive!

email me! (comment too...of course!)

Anthony

Hemp: What the World Needs NOW!!

I know that I said I was going to do a new year post
right after my dome greenhouse update, but I felt
compelled to share this with all of you right away.

My good friend John from Sunfood Living
sent out an email last week about his new book.

Here is what he wrote:


Hello everybody,

After years of work, I have decided to pass over the traditional book
publishing fiasco and to publish my newest book on an
advertiser-supported Web site:
http://www.hempnowbook.com.

People told me, “Oh, you can't do that!”

Yes, I can!

Yes, I did!

Various publishing companies that looked at the manuscript
wanted the book to be shorter, to be focused only on hemp,
and to not contain the “controversial chapters” about the drug war,
political corruption, the prison industry, and corporate greed.

To their proposals to cut my book in half, I say: No, thanks!
That would truly be a book to nowhere.

By publishing the book for free on the Web,
people all over the planet can educate themselves on the topic.
People all over the planet have already been looking at
my other Web sites (http://www.sunfoodliving.com,
and http://www.sunfoodtraveler.com - which is going to be overhauled).
This new site will give them more of my writing to read.

I didn't write the book for money. I wrote it for the environment,
for wildlife, for family farmers, for the health of humanity,
and for a more sustainable world.

According to the authorities and industry leaders who
read through the manuscript as I was writing it,
it is the most up-to-date and complete book on the history,
laws, and uses of hemp, the world's most useful plant.

Even though the U.S. is the world's number one
importer of hemp products, U.S. farmers are not
allowed to grow it, but Canadian farmers are growing
many thousands of acres of it, and they are doing so
largely to supply hemp products for the U.S. market.
Read my book and understand why the U.S. government
refuses to allow family farmers to grow hemp.

My new book has been endorsed by
The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance;
The Hemp Lobby;
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML);
Oregon NORML;
and The Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform.

Also, the people at http://www.VoteHemp.com read
through the manuscript, provided me with information for the book,
and connected me with people to interview.

After years of writing, rewriting, researching, toiling,
interviewing, editing, and more researching and writing and rewriting…

As of today, December 30, 2008…

The complete manuscript of
HEMP: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
can be read for free by accessing:
http://www.hempnowbook.com

"Hemp: What The World Needs Now" is the first book to be formulated for this strain of Web delivery by a new company. If you know of any other authors who want to publish their books in the same advertiser-supported format, feel free to contact Sam Estrin: Sam@Odinmetatech.com.

Meanwhile, spread the word about http://www.hempnowbook.com.
Link it to your Web sites.

Educate yourself about hemp and what it can do
to create a more sustainable culture.

Add raw hemp seed powder and raw hemp oil to your
daily diet, and feel your health improve.

And, have a great New Year!

Rock on!

John McCabe


John REALLY resonates with me.
He is doing it for the love, for the planet, for us.

I will do whatever I can to get people to read this.
I was going to do a big post on hemp, but
if you were to read this, you could be at
the leading edge of what is going on with this
wonderful plant and the industry it can support.

Thank you so much John for spreading the light
and the knowledge, and doing it for the right reasons.

Please everyone, for me, for you, for US...
Spread this link and get others to try
hemp products...especially the food products.

Manitoba Harvest is my favorite,
and have vastly expanded their operations
because of the huge growing demand.

Tell Obama that you want hemp grown
in the USA for consumption in the USA.

I honestly believe that it can
solve SO many of our problems.

Hemp is a HUGE piece of the puzzle.

Im editing videos of the greenhouse right now,
so once I get a better connection in LA
they will be up.

Im trying to get something arranged
at Au Lac this Saturday, but it
depends on scheduling with Chef Ito..
CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!

-Anthony