I have not been involved with Republican politics for very long, so take this report for what it's worth.

When I first started meeting Republicans in this area, Ron Paul was regarded as something of an absurd anomaly. If they didn't come right out and laugh at him or insult him, it was only because they knew there were Ron Paul supporters in the room and they were trying to be polite.

In the last couple of weeks, that attitude has changed somewhat. It still seems to be a widely held opinion that Ron Paul's foreign policy is either "crazy" or "scary". But now, when people say Ron Paul's name (which they do surprisingly often) they follow it up with, "there are a lot of things I like about Ron Paul." Or "He really seems to understand our economic problems." Or, even more interestingly (and I've heard this sentiment multiple times), "I may even have to vote for Ron Paul."

I'm not trying to suggest that the whole GOP is singing Ron Paul's praises. It isn't. But his message is starting to get through. Progress is being made. And in a race where most Republicans dislike all of their options and can't settle on a candidate, there may just be hope for Ron Paul after all.  [Full article]

When I was more involved with animal activism and outreach, the issue of lobster tanks in restaurants and grocery stores would periodically come up. Some activists took particular offense to the idea of consumers picking out a lobster while it is alive, and then eating it. I could never understand why this was a greater crime than choosing from a whole slew of dead animal parts that had been slaughtered out of site.

This New York Times article asks this same question, albeit in a much more gruesome way. In this case, a chef slaughtered a chicken on British television. Another chef performed cruel factory farm practices on animals in order to educate viewers about the true cost of cheap meat and eggs.  [Full article]

Repetitive strain injury, and other computer-related physical stress, is a growing problem in today's high-tech world. Many of us spend long, uninterrupted hours sitting and staring at computers. For some, the strain continues after work as well, as more and more people become addicted to surfing the web and checking email. This can result in back and shoulder pain, wrist pain, headaches, eye strain, and a general waste of time and energy.

AntiRSI is a great little program that forces computer users to take regular breaks. It's been around for well over 2 years, but for internet addicts like me, it's ground-breaking news. Since I started using it a week ago, it has transformed the way I use my computer.  [Full article]

Planting a vegetable garden has been on my list of things to do since I moved into my new Asheville home this past July. Many convenient excuses have prevented me from getting started on this health-giving, money-saving, highly satisfying project. Today is the day when I put it off no longer.

I spent this weekend reading about gardening, trying to find out the "right" way to go about it. There is a ton of information out there and it can be prohibitively overwhelming. The best advice I found was to just get started. Don't worry about doing everything perfect on your first garden. If you worry about all the nuances, you'll never plant anything.  [Full article]

Cafe Indigo isn't easy to find, tucked away in the back of a business park, but it is definitely worth going out of the way for. The menu offers fairly standard items, such as eggless egg salad, lentil soup, veggie burger, and faux meat wraps, as well as a nice selection of baked goods and desserts, but the flavor and texture make this some of the best vegan comfort food I've ever had.  [Full article]