Purveyors of the Obvious

Denver Art Museum – First Saturday

// November 9th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

We at OSSUMNISS took advantage of the cultural offerings in Denver this past Saturday.  It was First Saturday and the Denver Art Museum (DAM) was open to visitors gratis from 10 am – 5 pm.  It was also Celebrate Denver Arts Week thus 10 museums were open for free from 5 pm – 10 pm (including DAM).  If you don’t go on a free day admission is only $10 for CO Residents and yearly membership for families is $70.

FYI Denver is great with cultural affairs opportunities even if you don’t have much cash.  The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District works to offer free and severely discounted opportunities to residents.  Get to know their website and check their calendar.    Also the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs has a 2-for-1 ticket program for a myriad of events, see their weekly updates.

Anyway, DAM was fun.  We arrived to find a bunch of kids climbing all over a a broom and dustpan sculpture they were not supposed to climb.  Obviously how can one resist?  It looks like you are supposed to be on it.

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Boulder’s Mate Lattes

// August 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

In honor of Stephen Colbert decreeing that Boulder is the TEA BAGGING CAPITAL OF AMERICA, and all the giggling I did here is my latest post.  Hell, I giggle at the Celestial Seasonings Tasting Room where they have their certificate for the Guinness Book of World Records World’s Largest Tea Bag.  Anyway I am doing my round of up of mate lattes in this area.

Something all of you countless Ossumniss readers should know is that we here at Ossumniss headquarters are a frugal lot.  I don’t really go to coffee shops and tea shops.  I buy my quality tea in bulk from Pekoe and make an exquisite cup at home just the way I like it.  That is until one day this past January when I had to kill some time at a coffee shop and took a gander at the mate latte to make it worth my while.  The Cup in Boulder, January 26th, around 2 PM.  I remember this occasion because my husband was getting his one and only tattoo that day next door at Rising Tide.

I ordered.  The barista prepped.  I took that pint glass of frosty green to my lips.  The green was like an avocado mixed smoothie.  The scent was complex like dirt, with grass, topped with dirt, and a touch of cow juice.  It was earthy and delightful.  I sipped gently from the foam.  Ahhhh, I was hooked. (more…)

Wake Up Call America, Sugar

// August 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Wake up America.  There is something seriously wrong with our food supply system that affects our diets, politics, fuel economy, and environment.  Please get informed and make good choices.  In the last few days a coalition of big food production companies that include Hershey Co., Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc. General Mills, and Unilever United States Inc. has written a letter to the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Tom Villisack, to raise quotas of the amount of sugar that is imported to the United States.  Sugar is now at a 28-year high and they are concerned that as a country we can run out which will mean food production could be brought to a screeching halt.  Here is a summary of this situation from the Los Angeles Times and the BBC.

Reasons cited for a global shortfall by the big companies include turbulent global weather patterns affecting harvests, competition for sugar cane between food markets and fuel markets, and an increased U. S. sweet tooth.

According to the American Sugar Alliance, a coalition representing domestic sugar cane interests, the U. S. annually consumes 10 million metric tons of sugar per year.  The current quota via the USDA is no more than a combined export of 1.3 million metric tons to the U.S. annually excluding Mexico due to NAFTA.   Yesterday’s press release from the American Sugar Alliance is that the big companies are “crying wolf” and domestic sugar suppliers are more than capable of meeting their needs with the October harvest around the corner. (more…)