the writing was on the wall

 

the plane

farm sanctuary walk

Well the farm sanctuary walk was quite lovely. i believe my favorite part watching people in their animal customs doing morning yoga. it was nice to see some many people come out in the name of compassion. 

here is some info about what they are working on now.

Current Campaigns

Across the U.S., animals raised and killed for food are subjected to intolerable cruelty. They are routinely packed inside factory farm warehouses, barely able to move or engage in basic natural behaviors. More than 9 billion land animals are slaughtered in the U.S. every year, and millions more die before reaching the slaughterhouse.
Farm Sanctuary confronts agribusiness on all issues affecting farm animals. We work to end cruel factory farming practices through investigations, public education, legislation, and litigation. Listed below are some of our key campaigns and efforts for farm animals.

Anti-Confinement Campaign
The animal agriculture industry views farm animals as mere commodities. This mentality has led to widespread institutionalized cruelty, culminating in the advent of three particularly abhorrent confinement systems (battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates) that Farm Sanctuary is working to eliminate through public education and outreach, legislative efforts and the ballot box. Learn how you can get involved.
 
Truth Behind Labels Campaign
A growing number of meat, milk and egg product labels suggest that the animals they came from were treated “humanely.” Our Truth Behind Labels Campaign educates the public about what these labels really mean when it comes to animal welfare and exposes misleading marketing schemes that give people a false sense of compassion. Learn more and get involved.  

Veg for Life Campaign
From former cattle ranchers to Hollywood celebrities, more and more people from every corner of America are recognizing that veganism is good for our health, the Earth and all animals. Our Veg for Life Campaign encourages people to make this important transition and provides them with the resources they need to successfully make the switch.  We also reach out to national restaurant chains and ask them to include vegan items on their menus, as well as encourage activists to approach establishments in their communities about doing the same.  Learn more and get involved.

Green Foods
As the undeniable links between meat, milk and egg consumption and environmental devastation are uncovered by science and find their way into the mainstream consciousness, more and more people are learning about the importance of eating lower on the food chain and adopting a vegan diet. By introducing a Green Foods Resolution in your city or town, you can create a media platform for these important issues to be considered more widely and also influence future legislation affecting your community. Learn more and get involved.

No Downers Campaign
The No Downers Campaign seeks to prevent the suffering, marketing and slaughter of all downed animals (animals too sick even to stand or walk) through legislation and policy change. Learn more and get involved.

 

farm sanctuary tomorrow!

Simone Bogode

Kevin & Simone

Welcome to my Walk for Farm Animals page!

For 25 years, Farm Sanctuary has relied on the Walk for Farm Animals to support its life-saving mission to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassion.

I am walking with Farm Sanctuary to give animals a voice and to challenge the cruel practices of the factory farming industry. Please support my participation in the Walk for Farm Animals by making a donation today!

Walk for Farm Animals
Farm Sanctuary
Support me!

Donations for Simone Bogode

I haven't raised any money yet. Support me!

skip the store

i need to get back up on my little soap box... go eat local food! i know i know you have all heard me rant about this before. the farmers markets in the city are such a joy. not to mention that where ever you live in this city no matter what day off the week it is, a framers market is not far off. why not swing by there instead of the grocery store you stop into for your evening fixing? unless your local store is the dill pickle do you even know where your store got that head of lettuce? what does it taste like? is it fresh and clean and flavorful? has it had all the nutrient frozen out of it for transport? how much did the farmer actually get paid for it? like i said get to a farmers market and support our local farmers. feed your body with living food.

every time i walk into a market i feel like a child bursting of anticipation on halloween. something wonderful is about to happen.

you know what i think it is? community.

please fallow this link to find the closest market to you.

my frequents are

green city
andersonvill
logan

the below images were taken at the andersonvill market with susie q this last wed evening. nothing like hand made pasta, amazing pasta sauce,  fresh mushrooms, and a good friend to help you study for an unpassable final exam!

beach

i simply adore the beach in late summer. even more so right before sunset. can you smell it? fall is in the air..... that means pumpkins!

back to sanity

tinley park is a frighting place to me. i feel so disconnected and alone when i am there. the thing is though that i don't want to relate. for the first time in my life i am excepting of being an outside. tinley park is filled with big box stores, a huge stadium concert hall, and every fast food chain you can think of. suburban culture is such a strange one to me. it lacks personability, uniqueness, individuality, it's almost the anti culture, or devoid of culture. it seems content with instant gratification and total disregard for sustainability. it makes me feel as if everything is topsy turvy and i have lost my mind. i feel as if the people around me are complacent, no longer have a hunger for information and don't question the status quo. 

now i don't claim every suberb is like, for i have been to some rather nice ones with lots of character and charm, nor do i claim that every individual in tinley fits this mold. but tinley really feels that way to me. tinley is where i spend most of my days currently. this all creates such a tension in me.

i have had a few classmates ask me how i can live in the city, for it's a dirty, and dangerous place. i smile and ask if they have been to this beautiful city i love so much. 

the chicago sky line is iconic. however, im sure it hold different meaning to different people. above is the first glimpse of it as i speed back to the city as quick as i can. i have suburb phobia, i swear it. when i see the sky line i can't help but smile and all is right with the world again.

to me the sky line is
culture
intelligence
art
music
theater
great coffee
freedom
farmers markets
bikes
intresting people
change
compassion
open mindedness
adventure
great food
diversity
people i care about
people i respect
people i relate to


please add to my list.... it goes on and on


as i continue driving i hope on lake shore drive. lately there have been lots of boats out, people are walking, running, cycling, sunbathing, recharging their bodies and minds. this makes so much more sense to me then the suburban sprawl. this is where life is. it all makes me want to grab my bike or running shoes and get out there... a lot of the time i do.

yesterday in one of my classes we were working on aerobic cardio strengthening. to reach our vo2max

we had to pick one of two testes to do.

the first was to walk a mile as fast as you can (no running) and to see how long it took. class average 15min!

the second was to get as far as you could in 12 min. I was in this group. me and a small handful of the group ran. 

today most everyone was limping due to the fact that they were so sore. i was floored! how can you be limping from walking... yes it was a mile... but it's walking. 

then i thought about. people in a city walk. people in the suburbs drive.  

how do we get people out of their cars and moving their bodies more? 
what is the purpose off all this suburban sprawl? is there any up side at all?

samosa

hand made samosas by a dear boy

coffee shop cramming

i have a huge project due tomorrow. how i love sitting here and working on it!

today's images

Blood Count

just in case you ever wanted to know.... i had to put this together for a class and thought i would share
there are normal ranged for blood tests

 

Blood Cell Counts

Normal Ranges

           

	WBC	RBC	Hematocrit	Hemoglobin	Platelet Count
Adult Male	5000-10,000 cells/mm3	4.7-6.1 106/mm3	42-52%	14-18%	150,000-450,000 cells/mm3
Adult Female	5000-10,000 cells/mm3	4.2-5.4 106/mm3	37-47%	12-16%	150,000- 450,000 cells/mm3

Hemoglobin levels of 8-10 g/dL contraindicate therapy

Platelet   counts precautions made at- 1.5-2.5 times the reference range.

Adult INR Coagulation Study= 0.9-1.1

When INR is above 2 consult a doctor. When above 3 the pt. is at sever risk.

Electrolyte values

Potassium-      3.5-5 mEq/ L   

therapy contraindicated below 3.2 or above 5.1 mEq/L

Sodium           136-145 mEq/L

Chloride          90-110 mEq/L

Calcium           9-10.5 mg/dL

Magesium       1.2-2.0 mEq/L

Blood Glucose Levels

Ideal ranges for adults 80-120 mg/dL

Safe ranges for adults 100-250 mg/dL

Hypoglycemia-    less then 70 mg/dL  

Symptoms: Headache, weakness, irritability, muscle weakness, apprehension, inability to respond to verbal commands, and psychosis

Hyperglycemia      greater or equal to 250 mg/dL

Symptoms: acetone breathe, dehydration, weak and rapid pulse, and Kussmaul’s respirations

Renal Function

Creatinine            female 0.5-1.1 mg/dL 

                               male 0.6-1.2 mg/dL

BUN              female and male 10-20 mg/dL

  

Lipid panels

Cholesterol    less then or equal to 200 mg/dL

HDL    low risk-  greater then 60 mg/dL,

mod risk 35-60 mg/dL,

high risk less then or equal to 35 mg/dL

LDL  high risk is greater then 190 mg/dL

Arterial Blood Gas Values

pH                     7.25-7.55

PCO2                 20-60 mm Hg

HCo3                 13-40 mEq/L

PO2                    greater or equal to 40 mm Hg

02 saturation       greater or equal to 95%

 

sights of yesterday

i would like to start posting an image a day. here are some from yesterday to get a jump start.

the day yesterday started off with me waking up way too early on my one day off a week. i had spent the night at a good friends house and it felt interesting walking up in a different space. her apartment is as lovely as she is with a hint of vintage charm.

after waking up i met good friends for dim sum  
yum
were were stuffed and our tummy's were happy
well maybe a little too stuffed

the plan next was to go for a long bike ride, but we were too stuffed (i felt guilty so i made it up to myself today... nice long ride)
so we played ascension  instead. the board game.... not the app.... i fully enjoy being such a dork sometimes

lulu wanted to play too... but her paws would not let her

then i went to work for a training- one that was kinda fun. i like it when they make us do skits

next i went home to finish up home work and wait for a good friend to come in form out of town

said friend came in to town and we went to the beach for the sunset

then we picked up some thai food and some good craft beer and re-meet up with said dear friends from the morning and finished up the evening with suzie q becoming the god slayer

i spent the night at suzie q's and woke up to an early, but gorgeous monday morning.
i was so thankful for the coffee she poured into an rei nalgene for my drive to school

i simply adore my friends

up from below

the amount of rain we have been getting lately is unreal. today it hailed again. I personally love summer rain. i especially love riding my bike in it with all my clothing clinging to me and my shoes making that squish squash noise. rain is soothing and comforting to me. when i am indoors and it rains i feel safe and comfortable. i use to really like to bake when it rained. i like to cry in the rain. rain is re-birthing, it washes it all always and starts out fresh. i like the smell of the air after a rain. i like to run in the rain.

more then i like the rain i like the light after the storm. there is nothing compared to that quality of light. being a storm chasing photographer must be nice. i like the star burst explosions in the sky    

today's storm as it rolled in. view from the window at work

the rest of these are from my home. i would have actually liked to have shot these with a real camera but that did not work out.

 

far from below how high can we go