Eeyore from the Hayride

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Eeyore from the Hayride

Cow Buttocks

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Cow Buttocks

@Landmade Brewing

Pretzels and hot mustard.

And a Lillie Beer just to taste. 

Lillie is an Italian Pilsner bittered with Hallertau Mittelfruh and dry-hopped with Saphir and force carbonated.

Not sure what that all means, but the beer was tasty.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Dossy Blumenthal)

@Landmade Brewing

Farmer Folk

Imagine running into these farmers. 

They are a perfect couple. 

Look like brother and sister.

In the dark, with a flashlight on their faces, I think I'd take some fright. 

And the pitchfork would give me a sharp little pause as well.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Farmer Folk

That's Such Bull

A bull with large horns, a nose ring, and a pearl necklace. 

How gorgeous honey, simply gorgeous! ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

That's Such Bull

Ever Sit On A Cow

Ben and Jerry's has great ice cream and an earthy, peaceful decor. 

This cow comes with child's seat is a good use of the store's "real estate."

Both country fresh milk from the cow and a kid-friendly environment too.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Ever Sit On A Cow

Nice Country Hats

Men and women of many religions cover their hair for modesty.

On display were some nice, colorful, country-style hats for women.   

Head coverings in church, mosque or synagogue, are a way to express modesty and humbleness before G-d. 

Also, we cover our hair/head, more generally, to remember that G-d is above us, watching and guiding us always. 

Modest, humble, and G-d fearing–a hat is a potent symbol of faith.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Nice Country Hats

@The Amish Experience

It was a fun time at The Amish Experience today in Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania. 

One and a half hour bus tour of Amish country. 

45 Minute movie about Jacob, an Amish teen, trying to decide whether he wants to be in the outside world or in the Amish one.

And another hour of so tour of an Amish school house and home. 

Felt like I learned a lot about their culture (including no TV, internet, electricity [just batteries and solar], and education only through 8th grade). 

Honestly, it doesn't seem like they really have much a choice in whether to choose the church and become Amish or leave, because if they choose to leave they are shunned (i.e. excommunicated)!

So you either choose you family, church, community, and a wife (and there is no divorce) or you run off to G-d knows where completely alone and "divorced" from everything you know. 

The video is when we stopped at an Amish farm and I went in to the big barn with all the cows.  

After so much time on the bus, I needed to ham it up a little and have fun with:

"How now brown cow. It is so nice to eat you! You are beautiful animals.  And thank you Hashem for making you!" ;-)

(Credit Video: Andy and Dossy Blumenthal)

@The Amish Experience

@Clarksville Sunflower Festival 2020

(Source Photos: Andy and Dossy Blumenthal)

@Clarksville Sunflower Festival 2020

@Green Meadows Farm - Father's Day 2019

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

@Green Meadows Farm - Father's Day 2019

Life Cycles for Carnivores

I thought this was interesting-funny in terms of the the food life cycles for us carnivores:

For meat, it's:

"From farm to fork."

And for seafood, it's:

"From boat to throat."

Either way, we end up eating it. 

Just plain hungry or only the strong survive. 

Vegetarians and vegans can ignore this post. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Life Cycles for Carnivores

Andy @ Apple Picking

Practicing my TV skills here...

And enjoying a good apple.

Just picked it at the farm. 

Nothing like being one with G-d, family, and nature. 

Nice time--thank you! ;-)

(Source Video: Dannielle Blumenthal)

Andy @ Apple Picking

ROBOTS Wanted!

Good video from The Atlantic on automation and the concern about Robots taking our jobs.

From the 1800's, when "the Luddites,"--British textile workers--protested the loom to the 1900's where 40% of our nations job were farm workers and now it's just 2%...the question is where does automation stop?

Very likely it doesn't (thanks to evolution)!

As robots can first mimic and then outdo their human developers and as artificial intelligence gets more intelligent, robots are moving from farm to factory to white collar jobs.

Computers and robotics, once relegated to repetitive tasks like on the assembly line, are becoming good at winning Jeopardy and as a surgical platform. 

The bar is being raised not just on technology, but on humans to retrain to ever more sophisticated thinking and communicating positions (from software developers and product designers to branding and communications specialists). 

People are constantly evolving to think and innovate better and are in turn building ever more capable technologies to replace more human jobs and leading once again to the need for even higher-level human performance. 

Progress--a never-ending cycle of outperforming ourselves. 

Where does it stop--the attainment of ever-higher levels of knowledge and productivity leading to heavenly bliss here on Earth or perhaps large elements of burnout, breakdown, and potentially self-destruction.

I often hear people recalling and reminiscing about earlier, simpler, and "better times."

The Wall Street Journal (17 August 2013) just had such an editorial looking to bring back the tranquility and idleness of hot summer Augusts, instead now replaced by more work and school. 

At the same time, very few of us would really want to go back in time before all the technology-wunderkind that we have now and enjoy (many seem think more like you'll have to pry that iPhone from my cold, dead hands!). 

The challenge: Robots may be taking jobs, but we need to stay ahead and to master not only ever higher levels of human knowledge and skills, but also the good sense to reconcile with the technology blitz and be able to actually find the time and inner-peace to sit back and enjoy it all as well. ;-)

ROBOTS Wanted!