My friend, Tina Turbin, will be on two LIVE radios interviews on Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

Tina Turbin is a published children’s author, writer, humanitarian and researcher. Besides Tina’s “Danny the Dragon” series, Tina has strong interest working and writing on topics relating to family, children, the role of parenting and its importance. She is quite involved with child nutrition and education, research and writing on gluten-free sensitivity and eating as well as Celiac Disease, an auto immune disease.

1:00PM EST on Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul at BlogTalkRadio.com

She addresses community leaders and others who are actively making a positive and inspirational impact upon the world.

She will be discussing children’s literature, our responsibility as parents and leaders and will offer a tip-sheet for anyone with goals in writing children’s books.

Then at 6:00PM EST this same day the “Single Again! Now What?” Talk Radio Show- www.SingleAgainNowWhatRadio.com.

She covers many issues to help others and this title is misleading, as it is not just for single parents.

In the interview she will be talking about children’s literacy, children’s literature, schools and family.

She will be offering a different tip-sheet for this show.

Her new book series, “Danny the Dragon” will be a topic in both of these shows!

Again, these  two “Live” shows will take place on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 @ 1:00PM and 6:00PM EST.

If you listen to them, write a comment or send me an e-mail and let me know what you thought.

So go ahead, eat your cat!!!!!!

Jorjeana’s Reply: Got that.

I think I learned what you mentioned in a much less fancy way in fourth grade. But over time, my viewpoint has shifted dramatically and believe me, not without hours of research.

I feel good about my choice, and I know you certainly didn’t send that to change my mind (or did you, you cheaky devil?) I’m not going to defend myself in a paragraph.

I get a lot of shit on it, and it just means that A LOT of people aren’t actually informed as to today’s practices of food to the table.

Trust me, if I had the cash-o-la, I’d have a ranch and my own orchards and gardens, even, for others and Ron and guests like you my own cattle and chicken and hens. Just like the way it was when I was growing up…

You don’t have to look far to find the atrocities that occur in large number and on a daily basis to VERY sentient beings.

So there, chicken. You almost got me started on a rant. Almost.

Jen’s Response: No, I didn’t write it to change your mind. Despite the fact that I give you a hard time about it, I do respect your choice. I just found it amusing.

I am well aware of the disgusting things that are being done to our food and the animals that constitute our food. I swear that if I thought about it very much, I wouldn’t eat at all. In the meantime, I have to “Feed the Hole” as my brother and I call it. And you are right, it is also a matter of economics. I personally do not find it viable to go the organic route.

As long as you feel that it is a HEALTHY choice for your body, then I am cool with that. However, yes, a cow might be a sentient being, but it is still a lesser life form. The same might also be said for a virus or germs, or cells for that matter. We don’t hesitate to kill bacteria and viruses in a lot of instances. Food for thought, pun intended.

You can give me a hard time about being a “murderer” because I eat meat and wear leather shoes. I liked your almost rant. I love a good rant. Even when I disagree. I like it when people get passionate about what they believe in and can communicate it with intelligence and sufficient reason. YOU can rant with me anytime.

So it’s supposed to be a Democracy. At least that’s what it says in the tourist books. However, I might be inclined to quibble, since the President is the one who elects the Prime Minister, cabinets, and all other major government posts. Might be. If I cared enough. Which, incidentally, I don’t. Crazy me, thinking that in a democracy the people were supposed to elect such minor posts as Prime Minister. But I don’t care. Even the US doesn’t really rate the term democracy anymore, so who am I to pick on their social structure? Besides, we are not here for a political sciences class.

Why are we here, again? Oh yeah?!

What I’ve learned in Singapore:

Marines really do have an interesting tendency to believe they’re exempt to all laws but their own. Incidentally, caning is alive and well in Singapore.

McDonald’s are universal. However, details tend to flux. In Hawaii, all meals come with pineapple. In Singapore, most of the meats are made of turkey replacements. Doesn’t that kinda defeat the point of getting a bacon cheeseburger?

Americans, compared to the more sedate cultures of the East, are incredibly loud and obnoxious. Thank god they’re willing to put up with us for our money, cause otherwise we’d never have anywhere to vacation.

It actually is possible to keep public transportation systems nice. Just implement a $1000 fine for eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum, spitting, or not giving up your seat to someone more needy than yourself. Easy.

The quickest way to master using chopsticks? Don’t have any way to get a fork.

If you don’t have a light to help you cross the street, be prepared to have cars actually speed up and aim at you.

There is a reason Orchard Towers is called the Four Floors of Whores. And ewww!!

I’m sure there’s more, but my brain is numb. Thank god they give us a recovery day after libo ports. I call it the Get Over Hangover Day. Even if, like myself, you’re not hungover, it’s still pretty amazing how hard the lack of sleep and physical exhaustion catch up with you. I was wide awake at 10 this morning. I laid down in my rack to finish a book. And then I was wide awake again at 6:30 tonight. Hmmm.

But Singapore was awesome. We pulled into Changi Naval Base on Thursday
afternoon, and they started letting us off the ships around 5 or 6 that
evening. They have busses running to take everyone to the nearest MRT
station (think NYC subways – only way way nicer). You spend the first
couple hours trying to get cash and figure out where you’re going and how
exactly the passes work to let you on the damn train. After that, you
suddenly have the freedom to go most anywhere you want to. And if mass
transit isn’t your thing, the taxis are pretty reasonably priced, as well. Just make sure they use the meter if you don’t feel like haggling.

That’s another thing – you can argue the price of almost anything. Unless you’re incredibly lazy like me, in which case you shrug and go “Hey, they gotta make a living too!”

Friday and Saturday were spent walking around Singapore. Chinatown, Little India, Orchard Road, Raffles Plaza… They have malls here that are 5 and 6 stories tall. It’s a shopper’s paradise, but it’s sneaky, too. You go through money very quickly, and hardly even notice its passing. Good thing I have nothing to do for the next month but sit here and make more money simply by existing!

So all in all, Singapore gets two very enthusiastic thumbs-up. I didn’t
bankrupt myself, and I didn’t get caned. I consider this a VERY successful libo port.

Ron Rutherford
Rarestar Music
Rarestar Records
Tujunga CA 91042
www.ronrutherford.com
www.cdbaby.com/ronrutherford
www.myspace.com/rarestar

Aaron Nicholson – Singer/Songwriter
“”Some music has the ability to stop time, and Aaron’s music does that.”" – Deedee O’Malley
“”No cheap date!”" – Ed Asner

Deedee O’Malley – Singer/Songwriter
“”Mind-blowing power like you’ve never heard”" – Inside Indie Music Magazine
Winner of the Lilith Fair Competition

Jorjeana Marie – Comic Hostess
Fun AND funny – a sarcastic breath of fresh air and engaging physical comedianne.

This Week’s Special Guest – Bethany and Rufus
“Unbelievable!” is the word most used by audiences when first hearing Bethany & Rufus,hose cello and voice duo breaks new musical ground, sliding with seamless ease between groove, jazz and a gritty, unvarnished approach to traditional folk music.

Each Friday – Oct. 27 thru Dec. 8th, 10:30pm
Hub Theatre, tickets $15
5245 Lankershim blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601
info: 818-859-7056 – myspace.com/latenightliveLA
A Woodriver Production

I have a degree in Piano Performance From Syracuse University and have been teaching privately full-time for over 25 years. Many of my students have stayed with me more than 8 years, some have gone on to pursue music in college. I love teaching and would love to build a new studio here in Clearwater.

I can be reached by e-mail at betsyperkins@myway.com.