Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share. If you remember a while back, there was a trade deal that was being negotiated called the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). I wrote a rather long post about this trade deal, at the time, which you can read here: Just How Scary Is The TPP?. But, suffice it to say, it is a terrible deal if you're anyone except a multinational corporation or a billionaire.

One of Trump's campaign promises was that he would kill the TPP. And, to be fair, he did do. Of course, he's Trump, so now he's reneging on that promise and is resurrecting the deal. So, take a few minutes to watch the video below. And then, if you agree that you don't want this country's government to be completely handed over to corporations, you might want to contact your Senators and Congressperson and let them know what you think. Peace!

#Spicy Potato And Chickpea Soup #Recipe!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got another hearty soup recipe to warm you up at night! Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine (your favorite kind)
1 cup heavy cream
5 potatoes washed and chopped
2 15oz cans garbanzo beans drained
2 onions chopped
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 chili pepper diced
3 cups spinach chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
4 tbsp turmeric
2 bay leaves
4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
4 tbsp tahini
4 tbsp corn meal
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, add the onions, carrots, pepper, and olive oil and saute until onions start to brown and the pepper and carrots start to soften. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt and pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes start to soften and add the beans. Taste and adjust salt as necessary. In a separate bowl, combind the cream, tahini, chili powder, and cornmeal. When the potatoes are fork tender, stir in the cream mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in the spinach and remove from heat. Serve hot with a side of crusty bread.

Bon Appetit!

#Lucky #Reads #StPatricksDay #Giveaway! $100 #Cash #Grand #Prize! #Free To #Enter!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

There's a new giveaway for St. Patricks's Day!  Please take a moment to check out the Lucky Reads St. Patrick's Day Giveaway!!  There are lots of awesome books and prizes!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 30 prizes, and the grand prize is $100 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)

#Animal #Rescuer's #Guide To #Staying ( #Relatively ) #Sane! #Free! :-)

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Just a reminder, for those who haven't checked it out yet, I've collected all my animal rescue/care posts together and published them as a small book.  If you'd like, you can download the book for free from Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, and iTunes.

Amazon

Smashwords

iTunes

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Thanks for stopping in today, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)

#APC #Spotlight: #Liberty: An Electric Eclectic Book by Markie Madden!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got Markie Madden in my APC spotlight, today! Markie is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and her new release, historical fiction short story, Liberty, looks great! Here's the description:

The reign of Hatshepsut, the first female Pharaoh in Egyptian history, is threatened by the actions of her stepson, Prince Thutmosis. But Hatshepsut's daughter, Neferure, takes matters into her own hands to ensure the path of destiny her mother began.

 If you think this sounds like something you might enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 694

Hey Everyone! :-)

Agent Thoth discusses more of the trials and tribulations associated with living with hominids. Incidentally, if you've missed Agent Thoth's earlier entries, you can find them here: Thoth's Journal

Department for the Preservation and Confirmation of Intelligent Life (DPCIL)

Agent Thoth's Personal Log

Day Six-Hundred-Ninety-Four:

Despite my many reservations about having so many hominids in my domicile, it was clear that the canid did not share them. In a shameless display of self-abasement, the creature begged and cavorted among the hominids for both food and attention. Frankly, it was embarrassing to watch, though I cannot argue with his success rate. Still, I cannot foresee such methods ever being employed by a DPCIL Agent; we have far too much dignity to resort to such disgraceful tactics.

The juvenile felid, on the other hand, clearly shared my qualms, and so spent the majority of the evening in full retreat beneath my hominid-servant's sleeping platform. Since none of the invading hominids entered that room, I must admit that it proved a safe refuge for my young companion. However, due to the removed nature of the position, I cannot believe he was able to gather much useful information regarding this particular hominid ritual. Overall, I believe that I was the only one who found an acceptable compromise between the two extremes preferred by my compatriots.

Well, was the superiority of DPCIL Agents ever in doubt? ;-) You may have noticed that Agent Thoth has a new look. I hope you like his new picture as much as I do, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, either way. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. ;-) Happy reading, everyone!

Fixing The Bug In The System

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got a little more of Alyce's adventure to share with you, today! Enjoy! :-)

Excerpt from sci-fi satire novel:
I nodded. "And this barely even scratches the surface. The color of a person's skin, or the country that they or their ancestors originally came from, can affect not only their chances of getting a job, but also where they are able to live, what schools they and their children have access to, what jobs they have available to apply for in the first place, and how society, in general, interacts with them. I've already told you a bit about how a person with darker colored skin is more likely to be treated unfairly by the police and the courts, but that's just the beginning. Like I said, this kind of unconscious societal bias colors almost every aspect of life for people with darker colored skin."

"I find it hard that your people are so willing to squander their resources that way. Especially, when the reason is so absurd."

I shrugged. "Humans can be exceptionally stupid, sometimes."

"And none of the people with lighter colored skin are willing to combat this miasma of inequality your society exists in?" asked Squid-boy.

"Some are willing to fight it. Others refuse to even acknowledge that change is necessary. And some of those become actively hostile towards anyone who points out that inequality in the system exists."

"How can they deny the existence of a problem that affects so many?" asked Yax.

"Because it doesn't affect them. And it doesn't affect their close friends and relatives. And the system the way it is allows them to have an unfair advantage over other people that they don't want to give up. It's what has become known as 'privilege' and a lot of people are heavily invested in maintaining their privilege."

"That's incredibly selfish and short-sighted of them. Allowing for the maximization of the potential of every individual benefits society as a whole, which improves conditions for everyone," observed the tall alien.

I shrugged. "I agree with you. But you also have to understand that it's hard to explain to people who have almost nothing that they are privileged, even when it's the truth. Many of the people who are the most obstinate in their refusal to acknowledge the systemic inequality are also among the poorest members of society. It's much easier, not to mention safer, for them to blame those who are even worse off than them for all the ills of society than it is for them to recognize the truth."

"Which is?" asked Squid-boy.

"That if anyone is preventing them from getting ahead, it isn't the people who are even more disenfranchised than they are. It isn't the immigrants, the poor people who live in a different part of the country, or the people with different colored skin than them who have rigged the system against them. It's the people in power, the people with money and influence, who have arranged things so that poor people never seem to catch a break. That if they really want to do better for themselves and their families, they'd be much better served by joining forces with the people they look down on and working together to make all of their lives better."

"So it all goes back to the divisions created by the power structure in your society in order to maintain that power," said Yax.

"Yes and no. There are plenty of rich people who are just as hostile about acknowledging that there's systemic bias and that they are the beneficiaries of privilege, but much of it goes back to those in power working to divide people so that they can control them. Honestly, that's something you'll find to be true of pretty much every injustice in our society."

"Will your people ever succeed in fixing that bug in the system?" asked Squid-boy.

I shrugged. "Like I said before, sugar, that's exactly the question that's being decided right now. The more people come together to protest and non-violently resist tyranny, the more likely it is that we'll be able to take back control of our government and put into place a system that's fair for everyone. But it won't be a short or easy fight, and even if we win we'll still have to be vigilant to keep the corruption from getting back in. So, it will depend on if we, as a people, can muster the necessary energy and determination, or not."