Why I buy Organic milk
March 24, 2014 by A Slice of Orange in category ArchivesI buy organic milk. There. I’ve said it. And it’s true.
But I do not buy organic milk because it’s organic.
I do not buy organic milk because of its lack of pesticides.
Nor do I buy it because it’s fashionable and others will admire me for my thoughtful and responsible choices.
In addition, I do not purchase it because I know that my milk choice will, in some small way, Save The World.
In fact, let me say this right up front: there is only one thing I really am interested in with anything ingestible: Does it taste good? Well, actually, the question really is ‘do I like it,’ because “goodness” is clearly self-defined.
And in terms of self-definition, I have little taste memory, so my assessments use the scientific A/B method on everything—that is I taste things back-to-back to try to determine which I like better, or indeed, if I can tell any difference at all.
I also need to confess that I am a tea drinker and have both milk and sugar in my tea.
Thus I must have milk available every day, and it has to last. It is inexpressibly sad to see a kelp bed of white curdled milk streamers appear at the top of your mug as you milk-up first thing.
And I like fat milk, a creamy taste. I call it Boy Milk, i.e. whole milk, Vs Girl Milk, which is skim (as I child I thought was called ‘skinned milk.’ Really not too far off).
I was initially intrigued by organic milk by the remarkable sell-by date—often a month away. Given the issues around the allowed sell-by date (in New York City, the allowed date migrated to 5 days later, so milk that used to last for a week past the sell by date expired in two days, totally messing up my arithmetic) this swath of time was seductive. I was seduced.
Then an odd thing happened. I found the organic milk not only lasted longer, but tasted better, sweeter, creamier, I could have 2% and it tasted as good to me as regular whole milk (yes, I verified this in an A/B taste test).
There’s a fair bit of information out there as to the whys and wherefores, but the most compelling explanation for me was in Scientific American. The article’s focus is on the long shelf life of organic milk. It notes that organic milk processing is different from regular milk, as it is heated to a higher temperature (UHT), which kills more bacteria and enables it to last longer and hence travel further. There are fewer organic farms and the product ships longer distances. The high temperatures slightly caramelize the trace sugar in the milk, giving it a sweeter taste. Yum.
I have not found non-organic UHT milk, and do not care for the taste of Parmalat, so I’m just paying the price.
And happy to.
Do you have things you do or buy for all the “wrong” reasons?
0 0 Read moreemaginings: To Blog or Not To Blog? @LyndiLamont
March 16, 2014 by Lyndi Lamont in category The Romance Journey by Linda Mclaughlin tagged as #RLFblog, blogging, emaginings, Kayelle Allen, Kristen Lamb, Marketing For Romance Writers, Rise of the Machines, Triberr, TwitterTo Blog or Not To Blog? That is one question every writer must ponder.
I have a love/hate relationship with blogging. It’s not that I mind doing it, but I resent the time involved that takes me away from writing, and I’m not sure blogging has been worth my while. What I am sure is that I haven’t gone about it in a very systematic or effective way, though I try.
My big project for this year is to launch a new website and blog combining both of my writing names into one site, for easier maintenance. In the meantime, I’m still learning as much as I can about author branding, platforms and the use of blogs.
In January, I read Rise of the Machines: Human Authors in a Digital World by Kristen Lamb, the well-known blogger and social media maven. The first chapter, The Changing Paradigm, was fascinating. She talks a lot about technological change in general, often quoting from Neil Postman, author of several books, including Technopoly. His contention was that technological change isn’t “addictive or subtractive but ecological”. Advances in technology change everything, including the way humans think, certainly changes the way we talk and write. Hashtags, emoticons, text speak… You all know what I’m talking about, like the changes or not.
Lamb is a big proponent of blogging, and while I value her advice, I’m not sure I can manage to do everything she recommends. But after reading her book, I think I have a better notion of what to do and, perhaps more importantly, what not to do. Some of her advice includes:
Be present on social media, at least some of the time; don’t automate everything.
Your name is your brand; use it in some version. Don’t tweet with a silly handle that no one will recognize.
Be careful what you share, esp. where politics and religion are concerned.
I wish her book had been available eight years ago when I started blogging, but as Kitty Bucholtz said in her time management class, it’s never too late to hit the Restart button. I’m hoping to do better when I get the new, better blog later this year, and I’d love to take a branding class from her some day.
In the meantime I have finally joined Triberr, the “Home of Influencers.” If you’re not familiar with Triberr, it’s a blog amplifier. Bloggers ban together in tribes and tweet each other’s blog posts, giving everyone an enhanced range. Since I joined, my blogs are getting tweeted more often, my page stats have shot up, and I’ve picked up new followers at Twitter. I’m still not getting a lot of comments, but I think that’s somewhat normal. Unless there’s a giveaway or a controversy, people are not inclined to comment a lot, esp. where the dreaded Capcha is involved. Personally, I hate those things. So does Kristen Lamb.
For more information on Triberr and how it interacts with Twitter, check out this post by Kayelle Allen, founder of Marketing For Romance Writers and another Social Media maven:
Blog Titles Matter in Triberr: Tips for Authors by Kayelle Allen #RLFblog #author
So to blog or not to blog? What is your answer. Leave a comment if you can get past the Capcha!
And if social media generally has you befuddled, OCC’s own Elena Dillon will be teaching an online class on Social Media for the Confused and Terrified from April 14 – May 11, 2014. I’m not terrified, but I often find myself confused, so I’ll be taking the class.
Linda McLaughlin / Lyndi Lamont
0 0 Read moreThe Princess and the Magic Shamrock by Jina Bacarr
March 11, 2014 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as book, bookshop, Confessions of a Podcast Goddess, job, king, magic, poem, prince, princess, romance, shamrock, St. Patrick's Day, tiara, video, Vimeo, workSt. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner…
So how could I not put up a Princess video with a magic shamrock theme?
Here is the latest in my “Princess Chronicles” — video romance poems about being a princess. My princesses know a tiara doesn’t a princess make…and in this story, we meet a princess who’s not looking for a prince but a job!!
The Princess and the Magic Shamrock from Jina Bacarr on Vimeo.
In case you’ve missed my other Princess videos, check them out at:
https://vimeo.com/user216350
Best,
Jina
Assembling a Self-Published Book by Kitty Bucholtz
March 9, 2014 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as It's Worth It, Kitty Bucholtz, Scrivener, self-publishing, Smashwords Style Guide, Superhero in Disguise, Superhero in the Making, Unexpected Superhero
Where Will You Distribute?
Incompatible Upgrades
A Professional Print Version
Checklists Save Time
Michael Hauge Storytelling Mastery Workshop
March 3, 2014 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Master Class, Michael Hauge, OCC Special, One-day Workshop, Special Workshop, Storytelling, Storytelling Mastery.JPG)
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