I love art and I love vegetables as a lifelong vegetarian, but combining both together has never crossed my mind until recently when I saw master pieces of art created beautifully by using food, mostly vegetables. When you will see it yourself, you will agree, it is amazing, and if not it is surely creative. I wrote not too long ago about finding artist within you or finding your own creative side no matter how much you think you do not have creative soul inside you. I really think, there is a creative person hidden inside each of us. Hopefully this will inspire you to be more creative in your way or eat healthy and stop eating at fast food places at least.
These art work is created by 60 year old artist, Alon Zaid. Original art work is shown below so you can compare it with food art! Amazing truly. Hope you like it.
“At dinner tables across the country, mothers constantly tell their children: ‘Don’t play with your food!’ But for artist Alon Zaid, the habit has produced the most spud-tacular results.
The 60-year-old has recreated some of the world’s most well-known masterpieces using fruit and veg from his local greengrocer.
He sliced and diced vegetables including potatoes, cabbage, broccoli and aubergine and arranged them to look like the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.
He also crafted edible versions of The Son of Man by Rene Magritte, The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli and Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso. Each piece took five hours to create, in the project for food processor brand Magimix.
Alon said: ‘We picked these pieces of art because they stand out from the rest. They have survived against the odds to become an icon. We turned them into an outline sketch, bought fruit and vegetables that were in season and fitted the texture of these foods to the artwork itself.’
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa gets put through the food processor
Grate art: Alon Zaid uses carrots, lettuce, potatoes and courgettes to recreate Botticelli’s Birth of Venus
I would have never thought it this way! Magritte’s Son of Man gets a fruit and veg make over, still gentle man.
Picasso’s muse Dora Maar is given mushrooms for a nose and radishes for eyes, who knew?
Recently, we were in fast food place and saw a person ahead our our line ordering food. I am assuming the person was new to US as when the lady at the counter asked if the order was for “here” or “to go”, the person ordering seemed confused, why should he go and where? After explaining that does he want to food inside the restaurant or outside, he understood the words. He seemed good at English but apparently not knowing local lingo made it difficult for him.
I can totally relate, as English is my second language and I learned it more fluently after moving to US. I thought it would be interesting to see commonly used idioms and its true meaning. According to freedictionary.com it has been said, The Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms explains over 7,000 idioms current in British, American and Australian English, helping learners to understand and use them properly. The Dictionary of American Idioms, based on the 200 million words of American English text in the Cambridge International Corpus, unlocks the meaning of more than 5,000 idiomatic phrases used in contemporary American English. Full-sentence examples show how idioms are really used.
Here are some most used idioms in English langauge and its supposed meaning.
1. A penny for your thought
We all would be bit more richer, if we truly got a penny for every thought we got, the idea is not bad itself. But this commonly used idiom means asking a person what he or she is thinking about or asking his or her opinion about subject they are talking about. No actual payment occurs sadly.
This phrase has been in use since middle ages when penny was worth lot more and it supposed to mean that value of personal thought was valuable and important. This phrase generally credited to a man by the name of John Heywood, a writer who penned many plays and a book.
2. Speak of the Devil!
There is no actual Devil here. It simply means if you are talking about person A, and he or she just happens to come by as you or group talks about him or her. This is short form of rarely used original idiom “Speak of the devil and he doth appear”.
Many idioms including this one has its roots starting from middle ages. There was an old superstition that if you spoke directly about evil, it will bound to appear. There are similar phrase for this idioms in many other languages: see here.
3. Pulling Wool Over Others Eyes
Literal meaning is to blind someone through wool cloth, so he or she can not see. This idiom in reality means similar to deceive a person in a way so he or she can not see what the other person truly is doing.
4. Sit on Fence
Sitting on fence may not be safe and you may get splinter and fall off, so do not go and sit on fence literally. This idiom means that someone is not able to make a decision or does not want to make a choice, so he or she will wait before making a choice.
5. Costs Arm and Leg
Losing an arm and legs would be devastating to any person. This idioms means that someone cost so outrageously priced that cost felt like losing your precious limbs. Many payday loans and delayed credit card debt payments may seems like costing an arm and legs for people who are in huge debt.
6. Taking what someone says with Pinch of Salt
Taking what someone is saying with grain of salt or pinch of salt is not what it literally means. It means that do not believe whatever the person is saying, it might be not truth or only partial truth. Usually means to doubt the story that person is telling and not take it seriously.
7. Kill Two Bird with One Stone
This offensive and cruel sounding idiom has much simpler and much less sinister meaning, it simply means solve two problems with one single action or doing two things at the same time have been also used. For example, I had to go to post office to buy stamps and I also mailed gift to my cousin at the same time.
8. Hearing Straight From The Horse’s Mouth
I am always amazed at doing search on idiom that who came up with all quirky phrases. Funny sounding idioms are common as this. Talking horse would make a great TV show, wait there was one in 60s, wasn’t there? This idiom means that hearing straight from the original person, source or an authority before believing any story. For example, “I heard my friend Sarah was moving to Canada, so I called her up to hear straight from the horse’s mouth before believing the gossip. She was simply going to visit and not move there as I heard.”
9. Missing The Boat
I remember when we were in school, one of my friend said he missed the boat on applying for university. So we all joked that he should have taken a plane instead of boat, which would have been much faster. All joking aside, this idiom means that when someone has missed a chance or an opportunity for some thing, some one or some event.
10. See Eye To Eye
One can imagine seeing eye to eye, meaning two love birds are lost in to each other eyes and lost in their world, unaware of what is happening around them. Right? No. This idiom means that one or more people agree on the same thought or decision. For example, if two friends agree to visit Nigara falls during school break can be consider seeing eye to eye.
Summary:
There idioms are used or spoken has cultural reference and may mean completely different meaning to its literal meanings. It could be interesting to see someone from other culture or someone who is not aware of those idioms feel confused when one of the above idiom is used without its reference.
“This series is about how those in power have used Freud’s theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy.” —Adam Curtis’ introduction to the first episode.
A little while ago, I happened to see a great documentary is called “Century of Self”, it is a great eye opener on how whole propaganda or little better sounding relationship managing works. One thing in life for me is that I am lifelong student, and here is something new to learn and be aware of it and how it effects on us even now.
The Century of the Self is an award winning British television documentary film. It focuses on how Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, and Edward Bernays influenced the way corporations and governments have thought about,? dealt with, and controlled ?people to buy things, or do behavior modification during election time.
I studied and knew about father of pychology Sigmund Freud, but certainly was not aware of his daughter Anna Freud,and his nephew Edward Bernays, who was the first to use psychological techniques in public relations successfully even now.
Propaganda: How it has shaped America Today
One thing I like about the documentary is something close to my heart, as the documentary goes deep in to roots of today’s consumerism, elections, creating “me first” or “individuality” in a way you would never think of it.
One of the thing learned is how women in 30’s were not interested in smoking or using Betty C rocker’s Cake mixes. (Solution to Betty’s Cake Mix was simple enough when ad told women to add an egg to the cake mix, it worked then and it is working now too). To solve the first problem, attractive girls/women were paid to take a part in a parade, well let me not tell you, here is the part of the documentary that shows how that was achieved. Please note, it has some adult language words in there.
How long is the documentary Century of Self and where can I see it?
The whole documentary is about 4 hours long but it will change you will see advertisement, television and elections in new way. It is 100% worth it.
1. You can watch this documentary in parts or whole in you tube, you tube links to be not stable, as some disappearing with copyright issues. I am sure someone may post on you tube again.
2. You can borrow from your local library (if they have it) or borrow from friend. You can buy it here as well.
The one of the scariest thing said by Paul Mazer, a Wall Street banker working for Lehman Brothers in the 1930s, is cited as declaring “We must shift America from a needs- to a desires-culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. […] Man’s desires must overshadow his needs.”
That is pretty profound and scary. Our desire are our wants and needs are basic needs. We (our generation and onwards) have somehow learned to mixed our desire as our needs. So, that is why we hear people or advertisement saying “need for speed” “need for retail therapy” or “I NEED this.. product”…
So, What do We Human “Need” :
An interpretation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid with the more basic needs at the bottom.
For one of my friend, she has 9 credit cards and I do not know how she juggles all the bills. Credit cards use without control make your life topsy turvy.There are so many dangers of unwisely using credit or credit card. I have one credit card that I use and I try to pay in full every time I can.
If you spend without thinking, that practice can be very costly, financially as well losing mental piece. Here is a nice info-graphic that show you, how you can keep paying the credit card debt, and it will keep increasing instead of going down, thanks to compounding interest rate. Check it out below, and judge for your self.
What is scary thought is, if you paid minimum required on your average debt (current national average number) $10, 679, in 1000 years your remaining debt will be $212 million and you would have paid $5.1 billion dollars on your little over $10K debt. No wonder many of us keep paying debt and never see the light of the day. Danger of credit card debt is mind boggling and scary.
As no human has ever lived for 100 years, the debt can go in to next generation. Let’s be careful of what you buy today on Credit card, else our grand children and great great grandchildren might pay for our debt.
I am bringing an interview from a one these blogger friend, whom I admire and read. Her name is Evelyn Parham and she blogs at Become Healthier you, where she writes about being healthy, vegan diet and how to blog. If you a get a chance, visit her blog and subscribe to her blog or you tube videos.
Without further ado here is more about Evelyn in her interview:
Evelyn Parham: Smile is Contagious!
Interview With Evelyn Parham: Become a Healthier You
Zengirl: What made you interested in blogging and why?
Evelyn: I started blogging to document my raw vegan journey. I got to a point where I really enjoyed blogging and meeting other people online. I was passionate about sharing information to help others learn about becoming healthy and I decided to write about it.
Zengirl: .When did you start blogging, how was the experience at first?
Evelyn:I started blogging in 2008. The experience was fun, but a little lonely in the beginning. I started realizing that people were reading my blog, I got excited about that and kept blogging about my raw vegan experience.
Zengirl:. You have unique blog with health, vegan and blogging tips, what made you decide to write on different topics in one blog and how it is working out for you?
Evelyn: Well, those three health, eating a vegan diet and blogging tips are all very interesting topics and I thought since I have this blog, why not combine it all. I also know others who blog about vegan, health and fitness topics and when I share blogging tips, those readers let me know how helpful the tips are, so I keep writing about blogging.
It’s been working out fine. I haven’t measured the success of it, but I can say it keeps the blog from getting boring.
Zengirl: Which blogs, social media is must read on your list?
Evelyn: The blogs that I must read are 2 Create a Website and Copy Blogger. I learn the technical information and more from one and the other I learn how to improve my writing. I am active on 2 social media sites and that’s Twitter and Facebook. I have yet to get into Google (+) and Pininterest. Twitter and Facebook keep me busy and it is hard for me get into learning the ins and outs of other social media sites.
I am also into You Tube. I have two (2) You Tube channels. I am a You Tube partner on one of my channels and I enjoy the community of people that I have connected with. So I guess I’d have to say, I’m into Twitter, Facebook and You Tube.
Zengirl:Is blogging part of your passive income strategy or past time? How many blogs do you work or write for?
Evelyn: When I started blogging, I had no clue that I could make money online. I didn’t understand how all that worked, but now I have a better understanding. Blogging is now a passive income for me. I don’t make much blogging, but I do have the potential for increasing my earnings. Making money online is not my passion, my passion is sharing and helping others. If I can do that well, then making money will come. I’m working towards increasing my earnings, but I have to diversify.
I have a total of (3) blogs that I personally operate. As of now, I do not write for any other blogs. I will contribute to Black Enterprise’s health section very soon.
Zengirl:What motivates you every morning to write for your blog?
Evelyn: My motivation comes from my passion to share and serve. There’s a saying that goes something like this, “If you love doing something, the love of what you do will keep you going.” I also know that I have dedicated readers and I can’t let them down.
Zengirl: What have you learned from blogging so far? What you love about blogging and what you wished you can change?
Evelyn: I have learned that you cannot give up, especially if it is something that you love.
I love that I can share information and people actually read it and find it of value. That is something that amazes me and that people from all over this world can read my blog and meet me without having to leave the comfort of their homes. That’s really cool!
Blogging friends are some of the nicest and coolest people that I have had the privilege of meeting online. I count that a blessing. When a blogger needs assistance with something, we pull together and help them without question. I wish people were like this off line.
I can’t think of anything I would change.
Zengirl: How to you find balance between your heart and mind?
Evelyn: I find balance by unplugging from online. It is a must that I take time to unplug, because if I don’t, I get burnt out in my heart and mind. I spend time enjoying my family and friends, teaching my daughter, reading and watching my favorite T.V. shows.
Zengirl:. Tell me about your interest in veganism and how long have you been vegan and what made you change your diet?
Evelyn: I developed an interest in veganism in 2008. I participated in a raw vegan challenge and that really sparked my interest in eating a plant-based diet. I have been eating a plant-based diet for 2 years. Now, let me add during these 2 years it has been a challenge. There have been times when I’ve fallen off the wagon, but I never give up and I always get back in the game and I keep playing.
I changed my diet because of health reasons. After changing my diet, I noticed a change in how I felt and even my looks. My skin looks better now then it did 20 years ago. So, I have to stay on this path, because it works for me and I feel good.
Zengirl: What is most important thing in your life and why?
Evelyn: The most important thing in my life is making sure my daughter is able to function in society. The reason is because people are very cruel to people who are different. Some people could care less about getting someone who is a little different. Some people assume that people who are a little different can’t do certain things because of a medical diagnosis. I want my daughter to be capable of doing what she wants to do and to not allow others to define who she is. I want her to define who she is and to always be true to herself. That way I know she’ll be able to function and survive no matter what comes her way.
Thank you Evelyn for taking time for Interview at Heart and Mind.
I hope you enjoyed this interview questions and answers. I want my readers to know good blog and good information and Evelyn’s blog is one many will enjoy reading.Here are my some of the favorite blog posts from Evelyn’s blog:
Image source: Amit : Jamie needs a new Wheel Chair
Recently, a blogger friend asked if I can send a social media message about raising money for little Jamie, so he can get a wheel chair which can be expensive. That blogger friend is Amit, who is funny, kind and writes about variety of subjects on his blog, Unlimited choices. We have never met, but over blogging I got to many good people. While he is in UK and I am in USA, we both happened to be from same place in India, Gujrat as well.
I am always happy to hand to help someone, but since I am neither on twitter or facebook, I decided to write a small post to let others know about his good deeds and see if you can help Amit and Jamie in Raising money, any littlest amount you can help, please do so.
Here is a short information about Jamie from Amit’s blog:
Raising Money For Jamie
About 8 weeks ago, I was at a session of PACE and a man named Nick brought his son Jamie, who is just 7 years old, along to one of the sessions. Jamie was just so cute, bubbly and full of life. He made friends instantly and got stuck in. I commented to Nick about how Jamie just looked so adorable zipping around in his tiny power wheelchair.
Nick and I spoke further and it was then I found out that Jamie was outgrowing his mini Ferrari (I call it that because it was red and was so nippy) and needed a new chair. I also found out that those things don’t come cheap; something like £18,000 for a new one.
While you are there, check out Amit’s blog and subscribe to it, he has wide range of talent and overall funny and kind person. We wish him well in his upcoming Marathon too!
Right now with economy being down and jobs are far and few to find, life has been tough. While economy seems to be improving, I see many good and hard working people are struggling and hard to keep paying bills for mortgages, medical treatment and worst of all credit card payments.
While we can not help some bills such as medical and emergency situation but we can take precautions to make sure we are never in this uncomfortable situation where we may have to lose a house or lose credit ratings. Saving money has been practiced since early days of our great great grandparents to our parents.
There are easy and simple ways we can save money for everyday savings. Once saving habits are ingrain in our mind, saving money or being frugal comes as easy as breathing and it will have so many benefits that your quality of life will be improved.
Start today, do not wait for special occasion or a new year to start a new habits on our personal finance. We can save money on everyday expenses such as phone services, insurance, groceries and travel and more. When we are starting, every penny will count. Do not think, what you will do with saving a few pennies here and there. Just imagine, saving a few pennies will make a dollar and few dollars savings will makes hundreds of dollar. Just imagine you putting this saving towards debt or in saving account, how much money you can save in interests.
There are many ways to save money in our everyday life. Here are my to ways to save money for everyday expenses. Some tips may need getting used to in the beginning but, it is doable for any of us. Why wait, read on and start saving now.
1. Spend Less Then you Earn
Spend Less, period. This seems simple enough but sometimes hard to achieve, at first. This step is really important if you are serious about saving money for long term effect. Best way to do this is to write it down, each day what you spend money on; it could be gas for your car, or cookies from vending machine, a dollar for homeless guy, no matter what it is, write it down. Can you do without any of this expenses? When I looked at my expenses, I was spending on Latte a day, that saved me $4.50 a day and $135 a month when I stopped buying. And you know what is great about it? I had extra $1620 money which can be used towards traveling or paying off debt. See how every little things adds up?
Cooking at home also helps spending less money. One way you can start doing is by starting no spend money challenge to set a budget and spend only within that budget for the month.
2. Create a Budget and Stick to it
Budget is dreaded word. At least it was for me a few years ago. Now, I have have a budget and I like to call it as a spending plan instead. It sounds better but it is actually budget plan so I know how much money I am spending in various categories such as phone services, groceries, eating out and more. Establishing a personal budget and sticking to has helped me and it can help you too, whether you are a single student or large family with kids.
Just think of this way, if you do not know where your money is going, how can you know if you enough money coming in and going out? In order to know your own finance on piece of paper or a software spreadsheet, it will be much easier to stay motivated and stay on course.
3. Shopping Habits for Savvy Shoppers:
Many times buying bulk saves us bunch of money. Think of buying groceries such as dry staple, soap, and other necessities of daily expenses. If you plan you meals in advance you can do bulk buying and buy necessary ingredients when in sale and not at last minute. Sometimes buying food item in season and freezing or canning them for later also helps. You can buy not only food items but other needed items in bulk to save money, for example, printer paper, soaps, dish washing and laundry detergent, shampoo, diapers and so on in bulk when using a coupons or when in sale. If you are buying gifts for friends and family in advance, it will help you look out for sales and discount and can make you save money and plan things, so you are not buying things at last minute at retail price.
4. Do research before buying:
Before you buy an item, do a research online, ask friends and family before making a purchase, specially if it is a large ticket item such as flat screen Television or camera. Make sure the sale price is really a sale before making any large expense that cost $100 or more. What do I mean by that? Some product may it is 40% off retail price, while that many sounds good, not many product companies pay retail price, so check to see where is the best price comparisons such as similar stores, ebay or other online shops to make sure you are getting a best deal on item you want to buy.
Many time, “Buy one get one free”, “50% off”, and “Huge Discount” will make you think you are saving money, double check to make sure it is really a huge discount as they say as it is our hard earned money we are spending.
5. Buy used or generic when possible:
I have made a rule except a few items, everything can be bought used. I personally am fan of used items as it saves me tons of money. I have 2 years old car that is running fine and has saved money. I just make sure with a mechanic to make sure there are no hidden repairs and check car fax report before buying it. Cars loses 33% of value in its 1st year so if you wait a couple of years you can save a lot. You can buy used and good quality furniture, toys and so on. Other than diapers, medicines, food items, many of us can buy quality items from garage sale, craigslist and ebay.
How do you save money?
I have written poems before on this blog before along with posts (here is one Englightenment), here is another poem about celebrating the life we have. I like to write poems, short stories and fictional novels at home on my spare time. I have not published any of them and at this moment I do not have any plans to, other than putting on a blog here.
We should celebrate life everyday, life it self is a miracle and wonders, new learning, pain, suffering, frustrations, joy, love all mixed in to one. Why wait for a special day to celebrate it, when we can do it today. Here is my small attempt at life celebration. Hope you like it. Celebrate your life today with friends and family.
Celebration : A Poem about Life By Zengirl
Let us come together and celebrate the love and joy that is given
Life and Living with laughter and pain that may feel like hell and heaven.
Do you see and feel the miracle of life on earth today?
I did not until now, I always thought I would make time for it some day.
Someday never came as it is not one of the seven day
If you want to do something someday, I would say start today.
Make happy memories that can last long time for years to come.
Laugh, slow down and smell the roses, and do not be a gloom.
Live and learn, cry and laugh are part of our daily living.
If you just let go of a your worries, sometimes it can be misgiving.
Choose happiness over worrying, that one can never be
To happy to laugh out loud in face of problem, you’ll see.
Yes, it can be done, we can celebrate life in tiny bits
Our dark clouds of worries and tension will go away and life will be fit.
Other Celebrations Things:
I was just curious to see and find a few items and places that has celebration name or theme inside. Here are some noteworthy mentions;
Celebration Song by Kool and Gang: There is a nice catchy oldies song. “Celebration” is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. The song dominated the radio for nearly the entire year, and is still heard today at weddings and parties and sporting event.
Celebration song by Maddona:In 1990s Maddona has album released called celebration, which also had a song called celebration in it. It recieved mixed response from critics and some fans. Song nevertheless has dance beat to it. You can listen to it free on internet or you can hear on original album Celebration.
Celebration: The Town: I did not know there was a town called Celebration or had a history, until someone told me about this book. It has interesting history with Disney, Florida, Frantz and Cathy Collins and their two children moved in to participate in and report on this new venture. Their account, which The Richmond Style Weekly called a “fascinating and evenhanded” report from the trenches, follows the ups and downs of the two years the family lived this experiment firsthand; the new afterword details their surprisingly difficult transition back to a “normal life” in Westport, Connecticut. Their experience tells us as much about ourselves and our hopes and dreams as it does about the daily reality of building a community from the ground up.
Recently, we were in fast food place and saw a person ahead our our line ordering food. I am assuming the person was new to US as when the lady at the counter asked if the order was for “here” or “to go”, the person ordering seemed confused, why should he go and where? After explaining that does he want to food inside the restaurant or outside, he understood the words. He seemed good at English but apparently not knowing local lingo made it difficult for him.
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