Penultimate Glass Blowing Class

Don't you just love that word?!?!  My grandfather taught it to me when I was in lower school and I try to use it AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.  Any whooo ... who would believe that we only have one more glass blowing class.  During the first 30 minutes or so we got a tour of the cold shop so we would be able to finish our pieces in the coming weeks.  Basically it is a room filled with all kinds of machines that will help us smooth out the rough edges and if we desire polish our glass.  The great part is that we can schedule a time (for FREE) to go and finish out piece, so even though we finish blowing next week I will still get to finish the last of the cups/bowls. 

Today my team and I were on a roll!!  I was able to bang out my first cup in about 20 minutes.  Some of the ones we made last week were pushing 40, so this was a HUGE improvement.  We also got to experiment a bit with color which was fun.  I decided to keep the first one simple i.e. no color and for the second one I got crazy and added some blue swirls. 

The class and half of the upstairs work space

I was also "that girl" who decided to whip out my camera and takes some pictures.  

First you gather a bit of glass and marver it down to take out some of the heat/gain control (one of my partners, Gabby at work)

Then you get a starter bubble going

After some steps in between like getting a second gather, getting all the glass heated to one temp, using one of the blocks to form the glass into a cohesive ball, putting in a jack line and a bit of air to form a bubble, it is time to head back to the marver and cool down the bottom (pictured below) to gain control and make sure you have enough glass on the bottom to later transfer it to a punti 

 The slowly adding some air to make the bubble bigger. 

Sadly this was the last step we could photograph because for the next few ones it is all hands on deck as one partner blows and the other helps form a flat bottom before the whole thing is transferred to a punti.  My post from last week has a link to a website which outlines the steps REALLY well so you should check it out!

Pictures to come next week of today's creations!!

7 Worst International Aid Ideas

A friend from the real uganda posted an article the other day about the 7 Worst International Aid Ideas.

Maybe their hearts were in the right place. Maybe not. Either way, these are solid contenders for the title of “worst attempts at helping others since colonialism.”

1. One Million T-Shirts for Africa
2. TOMS Buy One Give One
3. Machine Gun Preacher
4. 50 Cent Ransoming Children in Somalia
5. Donor Fund Restrictions
6. Making Food Aid the Same Color as Cluster Munitions
7. Making USAID a foreign policy tool



When I was volunteering over in Uganda one of the biggest lessons I learned is that programs will only be sustainable if the community takes a vested interest in the project.  It might be great for aid workers to come in with a program about HIV/AIDS, but if the community does not see that as a major problem the project will fail as soon as the workers leave.  Unfortunately, this makes the community look like they are not appreciative and also makes programs hesitant to work with the community in the future because they do not have a track record of keeping these kinds of programs alive.  The truth of the matter is that the community sees other issues/problems as having greater importance and funnel funds/resources to fixing those instead of keeping the aid workers program going.  (How about that for a stream of conscousness)  We also talked a lot about this concept in our COPC classes and that is why getting community involvement/participation is one of the first steps of the cycle.  Food for thought!

Moustache Monday Anyone?

Monday's Mantra

Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII

I am sure that many of you can remember back to when you used to tune into Channel Thirteen to watch Mister Rogers Neighborhood. 

Well it turns out that the show was written and produced here in Pittsburgh.  Every Tuesday when I am driving between clinic and our home office I always pass this slightly terrifying dinosaur.  After some careful research it turns out that his name is Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII; he is dressed up in one of Mr. Roger's iconic zip-up sweaters and tennis shoes and is holding two puppets, King Friday XIII and Henrietta Pussycat.

Fred Rogers was a huge advocate for children's television and after 30 years on television has become "an indelible American icon of children's entertainment and education, as well as a symbol of compassion, patience, and morality."

Some fun facts about Mr. Rogers:

• He graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
• He earned 40 honorary degrees
• He was red-green color blind
• He was a vegetarian who did not smoke or drink
• There are memorials in Pittsburgh, including one over on the North Shore

The Bullying Project

If you were like me you might know that bullying does exist out there, especially among middle school and high school students, but do not know how big of a problem it is in our community.  I was fortunate enough to go to a school where this was not a huge problem (or at least I never saw it in the halls), but that might have stemmed from the fact that I graduated with a small class and most of us had grown up/gone to school together for years.

Recently, thanks to a video preview which is going viral, I came across the Bullying Project.  This powerful documentary follows: 

"five kids and families over the course of a school year, the film confronts bullying’s most tragic outcomes, including the stories of two families who’ve lost children to suicide and a mother who waits to learn the fate of her 14 –year-old daughter, incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With rare access to the Sioux City Community School District, the film also gives an intimate glimpse into school busses, classrooms, cafeterias and even principles offices, offering insight into the often-cruel world of children, as teachers, administrators and parents struggle to find answers."

What astounded me after visiting the project's website were these two statistics:

• 13 million children will be bullied in the United States each year
• 3 million children are absent from school each month because they feel unsafe at school

The documentary will be released on March 30th in select theaters.  Until then I would urge you to check out the project and get involved and see what you can do to put a stop to bullying in your community.

Picture This on Oscar Sunday

So with the Oscars readily approaching, that means that Hollywood will be buzzing with movie and celebrity news.  The other day I came across an article on the Loving the Bike blog

In order to raise awareness about bikeing in the US, one bike commuter sent out a letter celebrities asking them to bike to the awards ceremony instead of taking a car.  His letter opens with:

“Some of you try to use your celebrity for good — especially if you get some good publicity doing it. I want to help you prepare for your most important commute of the year — whether you care about the planet, or if you just want to appear that you care. Quite a few of you like to be seen in your hybrid cars.

“But in terms of ‘making a statement,’ the hybrid thing kind of peaked in 2005. … I’d like to suggest something that would have real impact. Not just environmental impact, but the kind of impact that matters most to you: Chatter! You want to out-care DiCaprio? I’m suggesting that you arrive at the Oscars by bike!”

What a crazy cool idea right?  Well those of you who will be tuning in will have to keep me posted as I do not

Wacky Wednesday Bike Picture

How fun would this be to have in your house?

Kiln-N-Time

Thanks to superstar Emma, a couple of us headed over to Kiln-N-Time to blow off some steam and get our creative side on.  After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally able to pick on a bowl and decided to paint a seascape - something that would get me through the final winter weeks here in PGH.  I for sure won the "preppiest" piece of the evening!  What a shocker, I know. 

Mars Candy Bars < 250 Calories

According to a recent NPR interview, all Mars candy bars will all be under 250 calories by 2013.  

While that sounds great in theory, it turns out only a small portion, literally a sliver, will be gone from your candy bar.  On the up and up I guess that mean that the king size candy bar is out of here. 

Super Easy Brisket

When the weather gets cold that means it is time for one thing ... the crockpot.  Before I went out on a bike ride today, I threw everything into the crockpot to make Southwestern Pulled Brisket and early this evening dinner was ready. 

Set the timer for 10 hours ... yup 10 hours

And Voila!  Brisket you can break apart with a fork!

A Divide in Health Care

Emma recently posted a quick 2 page article that looked at the division in health care, and its impact on children's health care.

The study found that children who are on public assistance have a much higher chance of being refused a doctor's appointment compared to children who held private insurance.  Thinking back to my health disparities class in grad school this is something we discussed a great deal, especially with mental health and dental services.  During that semester I believe that there were only one or two dentists in DC that actually took government insurance.


There are currently 37 million children being covered by CHIP and Medicaid.  This leaves a huge number of children at risk of not being able to see a health care provider when they may need it most.  States also differ in requirements for children to see specialty care doctors.  For instance, in PA children first have to see their PCP before they can get a referral to a specialty care doctor.

Many are reluctant to take on patients with government insurance because of reimbursement rates which is a well known problem.  Some see this population as being more likely NOT to show up for their appointment than someone who has private insurance.  In some instances this is true, but for many transportation (especially when someone has to bring along several children) remains one of the biggest barriers in gaining access to health care.  There are also a different set of priorities where spending money on food and/or a house may be more important than seeing a doctor for a routine checkup or a minor health problem.  This is definitely something we see with the adults in our clinics.  Unfortunately by the time we do get many of these adults, their disease(s) has progressed to a point that primary prevention will no longer be an option.

Processed vs. Whole Food: A Stomach’s Perspective

Yesterday the Fooducate Blog posted a really cool video on the different impact between whole and process foods once they are digested by the body.  This project came from the idea that while we know processed foods are not as good as whole ones, no one actually knows what kind of an impact they have once they are inside the body.

The screen on the left is after a person imbibed blue Gatorade - as you can see the dye from the dye from the drink can still be seen once it hits the intestines.  The one on the right is from a "whole food" drink with no color.  It definitely makes you think about what other chemicals/dyes are doing once they start to break down inside the body.

Michael Pollan Gets Stop-Motion Animated

The Kitchn blog posted a video yesterday featuring a Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts video finalist.  Check out the video that took three weeks to produce!  For those of you who have no idea who Michael Pollen is, check out his website or pick up one of his books.

Blowing Bubbles Like They Are Made Of Bazooka Gum

We hit the ground running last night and started blowing bubbles as soon as we walked in the door.  Our threesome fell back into the same rhythm and started banging out bubbles left and right.  Half way through the class we learned how to make punti's - these are small pieces of glass that are used to take the bubble off the original pipe and onto another one; this will allow us later to open the end which was attached to the original pipe and make a cup.

The punti is the red portion on the end; the end with the jack (tweezers) is where the original pipe is located

So I know that a lot of this might be hard to picture, especially if you have never seen glass being blown.  To get a REALLY good step by step, check out this website. 

When my two partners blew the first two we found out, sadly, they were a bit too large.  As a result the glass around the bottom was fairly thin making it hard to transfer to the punti.  The fist one got too cold too quickly and as a result when the hot glass from the punti touched the bubble it exploded.  The second one was blown up too big and the seal between the ball and the punti was not strong enough to support it.  Here is some of the carnage from our first two tries. 

When it came to my turn I decided we were going with a new approach - small, Christmas ornament size, which was a complete success.  We were able to pass it back and forth several times. 

Next week we are going to start making cups which I am SUPER excited about.  Hopefully I will be able to bang one out

Fun V-Day Surprise

So thanks to my totally addicting Google Reader I found this super creative and fun Valentines Day surprise.  Someone should test this out and let me know how it turns out. 

Happy Valentines Day

How good do these look?!?!?!

Valentines Woopie Pies - the state treat of Maine.

A Little Homesick for DC

I LOVE LISTS!  Best places to travel ... best Facebook posts.  You get the idea.  Today the fantastic people over at the Brightest Young Things asked some of DC's best to submit a list of 5 things/people/places/food plates/drinks/anything really that they LOVE (all caps) about Washington.  Today the first half of the list was posted and there are some great things.  Check back tomorrow to see what else they were able to round up!


With a little bit of time on my hands (and wanting to delay studying a little longer), I put together a few of my own. And yes, I may have lifted some of the pictures. 

The Smithsonian - I never knew how wonderful it is not to have to pay for museum entry

Big Bear and their Farmers Market 

(The Bike Ride to) the National Harbor

Brunch

The National Arboretum

The Constitution from Founding Farmers

Ethiopian Food

Street Art

If a Picture Could Paint 1,000 Words

It would say that I am going to FREEZE TO DEATH today.  

Feels like no more than 11 degrees Fahrenheit?  I need to move. 

How Many Names Are There For Grey?

The Inuets have over 100 words for snow only a handful of words for snow, so shouldn't Pittsburgers have more than one word for grey during the winter months?  I tried to remember back to my box of Crayola crayons to see if I could start a trend, but could only come up with a few names/shades.  After seeing some of the pictures I took on my walkabout, you will see what I mean about it being a grey day. 

Mr. Rogers

 Towards the end some colors started to pop, but nothing too crazy. 
Pittsburgh is pretty into Buff and Blue despite the Steeler's colors being back and yellow. 

Bill Mazeroski AKA Maz

1 Billion Hours

Yup that's right.  AmeriCorps members have given 1 BILLION hours since 1994.

Musetta's Waltz

After the first few weeks of glass blowing, I have come to relize that glass blowing is not only a spectacular art form, but also requires waltz like synchronized movements around the studio. 

During the beginning of class we started putting starter bubbles in glass - some that I had definitely struggled with last week before we wrapped up.  Finally after about the 4th go, I was starting to master what we were after (apparently I was not blowing enough air into the pipe to form said bubble).  As my threesome was moving back and forth from the glass chamber, the bench and glory hole, I began to realize that everyone's movements began to fall into a pattern.  We were able to pick up on where each other was standing and anticipate where others were going.  After a while, it began to feel pretty rhythmic, much like a waltz.

In the last hour we added a second layer of glass to our starter bubbles which would allow us to start blowing bigger ones which we will eventually turn into cups.  All of the skills keep building upon one another (think calculus or chem) so a lot of the process we were familiar with.  Once we had put in our starter bubble, making sure it was not too big/small, close to the edge of the glass and centered, we would go back and put a second gather on top.  Then using a series of wooden blocks we would mold the glass down until we had a light bulb shape on the bottom and then put the piece into the glory hole to warm everything up to the same temperature (this would allow us to blow and even bubble).  Back to the bench where we would use one of the tools to make sure it was the right shape and then out partner would blow into the pipe. 

Then over to marver the glass to put in a bottom to cool off the bottom and elongate the whole structure.  A few more small puffs of air and VOILA!!  A GLASS BALL!

 

At the end of the class we were able to pick up the animal we had created last week.  I am quite happy with how my bird turned out.  In a few weeks we will be able to finish them up in the cold room (whatever that means).

Not Too Many Super Bowl Leftovers

Ever wonder what happens with all those food leftovers from major sporting events.  Turns out that Super Bowl executives grappled with that very issue and made reducing food waste one of its major enviornmental priorites this year. 

Turns out that 30,000 pounds of leftovers were donated to Second Helpings, an organization which turns donated food into thousands of meals for those most in need.  Due to nice weather, there was not as much food to be donated as originally thought, but Second Helpings will definitely be able to make good use of the donation (it was projected that as much as 90,000 pounds could be left over).  The creativity really starts once the food gets back to their headquarters.  Prosciutto and caviar - the chefs will make it work. 

This idea sound familiar?  DC Central Kitchen has been collecting leftover food donations and redistributing them to DC's food insecure and homeless populations since 1989.  DCCK also helps adults gain culinary skills which makes them more employable, as well as raise money and awareness about their cause.  This is an AMAZING NGO and was one of my favorite places to volunteer when I was an undergraduate.  If you have time definitely check them out!  Similarly, the founder Robert Egger is extremely charismatic and someone you should try to hear speak at least once in your lifetime. 

Eat More Kale

Two of the big past times for Americans, especially around this time of the year, seem to be watching football and eating highly caloric food; the big culmination seems to occur on Super Bowl Sunday.  I should know - I enjoy a beer and some chicken wings while watching the Giants as much as anyone. 

Fooducate had a great post this morning about commercials you will never see during these kinds of major sporting events.  It even includes a spoof for eating more Quinoa. 

A few months ago the Eat More Kale campaign caught national news attention when Chick-fil-A called foul on their slogan.  What if health food companies had the funds to compete with the big beer and junk food companies for slots during the Super Bowl?  Food for thought this Monday afternoon. 

Fraley’s Robot Repair

There is a new project in down thanks to a partnership between Urban Redevelopment Authority, Department of City Planning and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.  The Project Pop Up: Downtown is bringing together artists, entrepreneurs and non-profits to redesign and redecorate abandoned Downtown storefronts.  The Project launched as a part of the 51st Duquesne Light Light Up Night.

Yesterday I got to check out Fraley's Robot Repair - pictures below!

It looks like nine others will be going up between now and March so keep checking back for some other pictures.