Thursday, December 15, 2016
Cowspriracy
Popular Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson is back with a hot topic - Animal Agriculture and Sustainability! Emma is a recent college graduate from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Emma just started getting involved in the world of Sustainable Permaculture this year. Please read her Permaculture article! What about eating animals? Is it sustainable? How are these animals raised and slaughtered? What affect does production of animals for human consumption affect the environment of the Earth? The Cowspiracy documentary talks about these issues and Emma talks about how she found this documentary, below!
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret
As a young adult in a changing society, I find it important to stay informed of local and global events, keeping up with the national news as well as the issues we face as a species. I often watch documentaries and series that shed light on phenomena that aren’t in the spotlight or aren’t discussed enough in the mass media. Some of the most incredible documentaries I’ve seen include Inside Job about the 2008 financial crisis and Inhabit about the permaculture movement. Although I love learning about many different topics, I can’t help but be drawn to documentaries about permaculture, the environment, agriculture and the food industry. There are many amazing documentaries in this arena: Super Size Me, Food Matters, An Inconvenient Truth, Planet Earth, Cooked, and Food, Inc to name a few.I usually feel inspired or challenged to change my ways when I watch these films, but I recently watched a documentary that completely turned my perception upside down… it’s called Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. Available on Netflix and their website http://www.cowspiracy.com/, this film explores and delves into the “true number one cause” of climate change, global warming, deforestation and pollution: animal agriculture. Since the industrial revolution, farming and agriculture have become a mass industry that works to feed the world as cheaply as possible. With this cheaper process, comes less care for the animals, the land, the soil and the atmosphere. Raising livestock for consumption is responsible for thirty percent of the world’s water usage and forty-five percent of the world’s land usage. It takes thirty-two trillion gallons of water a year to raise livestock on a global scale, which is largely factory farming.
This inspiring film was made by Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn, both hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to making this film, Anderson was already hyper conscious of his carbon footprint: giving up driving for biking, limiting his water and electric usage as well as recycling and composting. After watching An Inconvenient Truth from former Vice President Al Gore, Anderson felt called to look deeper into how he could contribute to global health and environmental justice… he discovered just how much damage modern animal agriculture has done to the world and started to approach environmental organizations about the issue. Not a single major environmental organization was willing to have a conversation about animal agriculture and quickly dismissed it as a major cause of environmental devastation.
Together, Anderson and Kuhn connected with many experts that were willing to talk about this issue including Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Dr. Richard Oppenlander (author of Food Choice and Sustainability), and Dr. Will Tuttle (author of The World Peace Diet). Eventually, after the first release, Leonardo DiCaprio executive produced the newest cut of the film and released it on Netflix in 2015. This film changed the way I thought about meat, farming and agriculture. After watching this film, I research where my meat and fish come from, I pay attention to how I contribute to the environment, and I am much more conscious of my carbon footprint. I highly encourage everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone, to watch this documentary and get educated. I would especially encourage meat lovers to take a hard look at the reality of consuming animals and how the world is being affected by continuing to order steak for dinner.
Labels: "Emma Samuelson", cowspiracy, documentary, Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, environment, permaculture, sustainability, vegan, vegetarian
Monday, November 07, 2016
A Permaculture Perspective - What is Permaculture?
Popular Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson is back with a hot topic - Permaculture! Emma is a recent college graduate from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Emma just started getting involved in the world of Permaculture this year. What IS Permaculture? How is it good for us and for the environment? Emma tells us what Permaculture is, and shows us 3 videos that answer the question, What is Permaculture!
A Permaculture Perspective
Beginning in April of this year, I began a journey of learning and practicing permaculture as a way of life. It turned out to be my practice of connecting back to the earth, and after living from a permaculture perspective this summer, I will never look back. As a garden intern at a hot springs community in Southern Oregon, I worked in our garden every day growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, and medicinal plants that fed and nourished our local community of residents, visitors and friends. I learned how to plant seeds, tend them as they grew, harvest and process food, as well as how to take proper care of the earth and environment around me as I did it. Not only did we study the practice of farming and gardening, but we also delved deep into permaculture design and applied it to our practices of growing food.Permaculture, which reflects the concept of "permanent agriculture”, is the conscious based design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems. It is a solution based outlook that utilizes harmonious appropriate technologies, efficient modes of energy, and provides goods, shelter, and other needs in a sustainable way. One of the goals of permaculture is regenerative designs that honor earth care, people care and fair share of resources. In comparison to industrial farming, permaculture not only provides people with better food and resources, but also decreases environmental damage immensely... permaculture works with the earth and its soil rather than depleting its beneficial value.
What is Permaculture?
In this short documentary, Ana Sany and Jacob Redman interview countless people involved in permaculture design and practice asking them “What is Permaculture?” This is just a brief introduction to permaculture and how it can impact various people around the world. The interviewees include Pandora Thomas, a well known permaculture professor from the Bay Area, Rosemary Morrow, known as one of the pioneering women of permaculture based in Australia, and John Champagne, another pioneer of the Permaculture Movement in Australia.
Permaculture is a way of life.
As you can tell, permaculture is more than just a way of gardening, it’s a way of life, it’s a movement that is at the forefront of environmental science and social justice. Permaculture branches out into many different areas including agriculture, environmental science, food science, and even government and politics. In particular, I’m very excited about diving deeper into the connection between permaculture and sociology, looking at how we are as a society can benefit and grow from adopting a permanent regenerative design for gardening and farming. Starhawk, a well known writer and activist, recently did a Social Permaculture Conference along side Pandora Thomas, which a few of my friends attended. Starhawk is very influential in many different networks and has a lot to offer in the world of sustainable living and connection to the earth. In the following video, pre-conference, Starhawk discusses some of what she believes Social Permaculture is.
Permaculture restores Mother Nature.
As Starhawk said here, “permaculture is the art of designing beneficial relationships, it’s a system of ethical, ecological design.” I truly believe that permaculture is the way to resurrect the soil we walk upon, it is the way to restore mother nature and allow ecosystems to flourish naturally, it is the way to consciously feed our communities. There are many different Permaculture institutes and classes you can take all around the country, including courses that provide you with a full permaculture education resulting in a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC). By getting your PDC, you can go on to pursue further education, practice and get involved in global projects to help support sustainable living and regenerative design. After getting the basics down, I am currently on the road to getting my PDC and giving back to the earth that has given so much to me.
As a twenty two year old in the technology era, I am so incredibly proud to say I can grow my own food. I can make compost, I can grow vegetables and herbs and preserve them, I can cook, I can chop wood and build fires... I can feed myself, from seed to skillet, which is a skill I will have for the rest of my life. One of the films that truly helped me to learn more and understand what having a permaculture perspective is, came out last year and is entitled INHABIT. It is an incredible documentary that interviews a variety of people, groups and communities that practice permaculture in daily life. It is a well crafted and informative documentary that changed the way I looked at agriculture and farming. I highly recommend watching it and learning more about how you can be a part of this amazing movement. Here is the trailer, just to give you a taste of how permaculture can better our world and the way we work with it.
Read more about Permaculture on Steemit.
Labels: "Emma Samuelson", Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, Food, gardening, nature, permaculture
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Emma discusses the Awareness of Privilege
Here is popular Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson with a discussion of some of the very hot topics in today's world! Emma is a recent college graduate from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Now, let's see what Emma's thoughts are, on Privilege. Have you thought about this yourself? Is there something about who you are, which you have no control over, that affects your life? Is there something that should be done to reduce inequality in the world? Can we achieve Social Justice? Is it right to allow the capitalist system to make some people very wealthy if their innovation helps us all? What can we do about violence in Syria and around the world and should the United States get involved? What can you do, personally, to improve the world?
Continue on. Read Emma's thoughts on these matters. Watch the videos she mentions. Think.
The Awareness of Privilege
Privilege. It’s something we come across everyday in our own lives, but sometimes it’s hard to recognize for those that have a lot of it. I, personally, have become much more aware of my privilege since turning 18. It’s not like I wasn’t aware I was privileged growing up, but as I stepped into adulthood and attended a San Francisco college that focuses on social justice amidst the Black Lives Matter movement and ever-growing gentrification… I became hyper aware of my own privilege.
As a middle class white woman, I stand in a very privileged spot. I had the privilege of getting a free education K-12, I had the privilege of being sent to a private, Jesuit college, and I have the privilege of still being a dependent on my parents bill as I turn 22. I am eternally grateful for my education and my parents for making this a possibility for me. I recognize that the opportunity for this kind of education is slim for many people in our world, a sad truth I think about a lot as a recent college graduate.
This is the big stuff… education, financial stability, and a web of support. However, privilege is not just the big stuff. Privilege is having clean water, it’s having access to food, it’s having a bed. These are the things we need to think about.
In the current state of the world, many people are becoming more and more aware of just how privilege affects their daily lives. Sometimes, I just take a moment to be grateful that I have shoes to put on that day. Little reminders like this can be a great lesson in how to recognize your own privilege and a lesson in how to be grateful for it.
Despite these little helpful reminders, sometimes privilege is totally overlooked. People casually listen to stories on the radio and in the news about millions of people losing their homes, their country, and even their loved ones due to injustice… sometimes a reminder is not enough. In the real world right now, thousands of Syrians are displaced and being forced into refugee status, they have lost so much and yet countries like the United States are not doing enough to help. People in general are not doing enough. If it’s hard to imagine something like this happening in your country, it won’t be after watching this Save The Children PSA. This video documents a young girl’s life day by day for a year as she is impacted by a civil war (simulating Syria’s events).
This is real, and it can be difficult to absorb but I believe it is important. It is vital to understand your privilege, to understand that you have so many advantages in your daily life. Regardless of where you stand, everyone is affected by privilege and everyone deals with it.
In the United States, media, film and television generally reinforce stereotypes of different races, ethnicities, classes, genders and ages. However, even though many of these stereotypes and controlling images of people are not true, they still are somewhat honest in how people are treated in our society. I do not agree with any of the stereotypes I see portrayed in film and television, but I have seen scenes in television shows that I have experienced in real life.
This is where awareness totally changes the game. For example, I am aware that a lot of people in our society view LGBT people as sinners, as deviants, as 'unnatural people making poor choices’… but I have also seen real people treat real LGBT people like that is the truth. As a bisexual woman, I have been harassed, bullied and degraded because of that part of my identity… and I see the same thing happening to my fellow LGBT people on television. It makes me feel like the media understands what I go through, but at the same time it reinforces that truth. I do not want to live in a world where people are treated differently based on their identities, I want to live in a world of equality, of justice, a world where everyone has opportunity, where privilege doesn’t separate us.
Awareness can change everything, it can help us come together and let go of inequality. Buzzfeed contributed to this awareness, and had people do an activity based on self-identified privilege. Although reading about it and watching videos is helpful in understanding your privilege, doing something like what Buzzfeed did really puts it into perspective.
Anyone can have a difficult time discussing privilege. It is not an easy topic, but it can open the doors for more deeper conversations about our society and how we want to evolve. Doing an activity like this is a powerful way to look at privilege, it can open your eyes to just how much you can be grateful for. It can shift your consciousness from your individual world to the global need for change. It can dramatically reduce your record of complaining. It can lead to new friendships, new opportunities, and new ways of giving back and supporting the evolution of the world. Regardless of where your final position is, awareness can lead to action, and action can lead to change. Check your privilege, every single day.
Labels: Black Lives Matter, bullying, Buzzfeed, clean water, Cyber Bully, education, Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, feminism, gender, inequality, LGBT, privilege, race, refugee, religion, social justice, stereotypes, Syria, War
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Emma writes about La Blogothéque
Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson is back to tell us about some very cool music videos! Emma is a recent college graduate from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Today, Emma tells us about 3 “field work music videos” -- music videos from La Blogothéque filmed in cafes, on streets and in apartments. Sounds interesting so let's get started!
La Blogothéque
Of all the different musical endeavors in blogging, La Blogothéque is truly a unique collective of bringing new ways of consuming music to the world. Beginning in 2003, bloggers came together to produce music out of the typical context of live shows and making albums… instead they created an online project that gives both musicians and audience members a brand new experience. La Blogothéque’s main director, Vincent Moon, guides this group in filming “field work music videos”, entitled Take Away Shows, with various artists in scenes such as cafés, historical venues, city streets and apartments. They have shot over two hundred music videos featuring artists like Fleet Foxes, Local Natives, Father John Misty, Leon Bridges, Arcade Fire, Phoenix and Beirut. By taking these musicians into various contexts of daily life, the music gains a element of purity in sound. The quality delivered in every short film is incredible, without dubbing songs over or imputing any technical corrections, the music is pure in sound and delivery. With France as the main background for these epic music videos, anyone would enjoy the experience La Blogothéque has to offer.
One of my favorite Take Away Shows features Jack White at Château de Fontainebleau in France back in 2014. He, along with other talented musicians, performed “The Same Boy You’ve Always Known” and “Entitlement”, each in different parts of the palace. In comparison to his live shows which deliver a bold, classic rock, bring the house down kind of style, these performances are acoustic, quaint and quite moving.
Another memorable performance was done back in 2008 when La Blogothéque followed Bon Iver around Montmarte, Paris, France. Singing “For Emma, Forever Ago”, Bon Iver first sings the piece a cappella in a building lobby with a group of people standing witness to the gorgeous harmony. Next, the cameras follow Bon Iver as they slowly wander the neighborhood, as a group of tourists ahead continue on their walk, now with a soundtrack to their sight seeing. It truly is a remarkable short film well worth the time.
Lastly, I’d like to share with you all a beautiful masterpiece of Spanish guitar performed by the duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. To give you a little taste into the magical world of their music, Rodrigo y Gabriela are two guitarists from Mexico City that get their influence from neuvo flamenco, rock and heavy metal. Without lyrics, their music transports listeners into a space of incredible sounds produced from just two guitars. Combining instrumental rock and flamenco rumba, Rodrigo y Gabriela always put on a stellar performance. In this piece done by La Blogothéque, the duo sit outside a somewhat crowded café and perform “The Soundmaker”, as bystanders witness the magic.
These Take Away Shows, I believe, truly have a deep meaning in the world of music. La Blogothéque uses a unique approach of capturing artists in their element, as well as in a beautiful, intriguing, familiar place. Consuming music through this platform has the potential to impact listeners in a positive, uplifting and calming way. I encourage enjoying more of what La Blogothéque has to offer, and it will fill your ears with joy.
Labels: "Emma Samuelson", Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, La Blogothéque, music, music video
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Emma discusses Tastemade Recipes
Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson is here to talk about some delicious food recipes that are perfect for the Holidays! Emma is a recent college graduate from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Emma tells us about 4 videos from Tastemade and describes what they are trying to do with their video network built for the mobile generation. They have a passion for food and travel, but Emma is here to showcase some of her favorite holiday recipes created by Tastemade, so let's get started!
Tastemade Recipes
With the winter season upon us, Tastemade has created a whole lineup of videos entitled “Hungry for the Holidays”, and have added holiday recipes to their “Thirsty for…” videos. These videos give some traditional and some different takes on classic holiday recipes. The thing I love about using recipes from Tastemade, is that it’s interactive when you watch their videos, instead of simply reading a recipe online. You get to see the food being made in front of you before you have a go at it. They also provide the full recipe with every video so you can remake each dish you fall in love with. Most of these recipes are also quite simple; anyone could afford to make these amazing additions to their holiday meal. This first dish is one of my favorites…
Although there are countless recipes I could talk about, what are the holidays without eggnog? Eggnog has been a long standing holiday tradition in the United States and Canada, and today is consumed all around the world. It has made its way into coffee shops and restaurants during the winter months so anyone could go pick up an eggnog latte wherever they are, but what Tastemade delivers is something too sweet to pass up. Their homemade eggnog recipe is one to be reckoned with! A friend and I decided to make this eggnog for a holiday party and by the end, people were begging us to make it again in the future. I told them they could make it anytime they wanted, thanks to Tastemade.
Finally, Tastemade gives us a slightly different recipe for a holiday favorite… pumpkin pie bars. These delightful bars will liven up any holiday party you attend. The recipe uses some unique, distinct flavors to spice up the classic dessert, including maple syrup and orange zest. I love making bars rather than large pies because they are a little easier to eat and that way you can give everyone an equal portion size. Regardless of my favorite holiday recipes, Tastemade provides thousands of amazing recipes for all occasions and seasons that you can access anytime. They truly do provide the world with amazing food experiences, so you never know when you and someone on the other side of the world are making the same meal!
Labels: "Emma Samuelson", Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, Food, holiday, recipe, recipes, Tastemade
Monday, June 30, 2014
Emma's Back! "Perfection Does Not Exist"

Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson is back with an inspiring post that claims Perfection does not exist!
Emma is a singer-songwriter from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Now, Emma tells us about three popular videos that show how some individuals deal with being less than perfect in the eyes of much of society. Read Emma's excellent article, watch the great videos and remember the dream of Martin Luther King Jr - there will come a time when we do not simply look at someone's exterior features, but we will look inside and see "the content of their character."
Everyone has their own idea of what is “normal” or “beautiful” in the world. However, when it comes to physical appearance, society has a large impact on how we view people’s bodies and what constitutes a “perfect” one. We are constantly seeing images of models and celebrities that have rock hard abs, acne-free skin, and a size 2 waistline… but the truth of the matter is, every single human body that resides on this planet is unique in a certain way. Despite the fact that acceptance of others is a trend on the rise, people are still very quick to judge, assume and mock others for what they look like, their style, or even a disorder or disability they may have. Not only can disorders and disabilities make daily life more challenging, but with the dramatic attention received by others, whether it be mean-spirited or not, can cause low self-esteem in those living with that difference.
Cheri, who lives with Vitiligo, a skin pigment disorder, opens up and speaks out about her disorder and how she has moved past the “abnormality” of her appearance. Instead, Cheri challenges us to be confident and embrace our appearance as is in order to fully occupy a life worth living.
Looking further into how we categorize normalcy, a Swiss charity organization entitled Pro Infirmis has helped to raise more awareness around people living with disabilities, challenging the stereotypes that are often more crippling than the disabilities themselves. One project they conducted has received much global attention with the title: “Because Who is Perfect? Get Closer.” Five people living with disabilities were measured, and mannequins were then sculpted using those measurements. The results are very telling in regards to people’s reactions as well as reframing our idea of perfection.
Cassandra, another Dermablend Camo Confession subject, opens up about her acne and really shows how much others intolerance has affected how she saw herself. Just like Cheri, Cassandra emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-worth. One thing she does point out in particular is that she no longer uses make up to hide herself, but instead uses it as a tool of self expression, a perspective that is much more beneficial to one’s confidence.
Ultimately, physical appearance standards need to be challenged; just like a wild horse, stereotypes must be broken. Regardless of what you have said, done or thought in the past, the next time you see someone who looks different than you, send them love and give them a smile. Also, the next time you look at yourself in the mirror and find something you do not like or judge, send that area love to support and affirm your unique beauty. If you take one thing away from these videos, remember what Cassandra said: “A huge misconception in the world is that we think that perfection exists.”
Labels: acne, ASL, beauty, body image, disabilities, Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, exterior, inspiration, inspire, interior, perfect, perfection, self image, sign language, stereotypes, Vitiligo
Monday, July 09, 2012
Emma writes about what bonds us

Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson is back with an inspiring post about how history, music and art bind us all together.
Emma is a singer-songwriter from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!
Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.
Now, Emma tells us about three popular videos that demonstrate how history, music and art bind the human race together. Read Emma's excellent article, watch the great videos and think about what she Emma's words and the videos mean to you!
Of the many bonds that tie the human race together, the two most fascinating that come to mind from these videos are history and expression. The rich history this world has to offer is immense, captivating and concrete, however along with the expression of the human mind also comes perspective and opinion of said history. Many people use their talent, creativity and unique views to bring this history back to life, in astounding ways.
Keep calm and carry on. Sound familiar? This common expression used in modern times actually has a much deeper history than most would know. Originally mocked up during World War II in Britain, this sign took off as one of the most influential and popular of its time, putting over two and a half million copies to print. The poster was used as propaganda to be "reassuring" to the public during dark times. More than fifty years later in 2000, a copy turned up in the second-hand book store, Barter Books, a former Victorian railway station began by the Manley's. They had it framed and hung in the shop, leading to wide popularity and the reproduction of this timeless poster. As an icon of the second world war, Keep Calm and Carry On has led to a greater bond within the human race and is a reminder of the connection we all have to history and each other.
Music is by far one of the most international and embraced forms of expression. People from all around the world can be connected through music, whether consciously or not. The documentary "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music" travels around the globe through the music we all love and connect to. This video is one of the "first of many songs around the world" that are being released individually. The historic song "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King is extremely popular and well known, and also carries a deep message about the connection of people. International musicians as a group play this harmonious tune note by note, bringing the world a little closer together.
Another form of human expression is art, painting a canvas with the thoughts of your mind. David Garibaldi stepped not only into the realm of art, but also tied in that of musical history. An image of the rock and roll legend Jimi Hendrix swiftly comes to life in this amazing painting done by Garibaldi during a show. As one of the most short-lived but influential musicians is painted onto a black canvas, Garibaldi shows the audience not only a great ability for artistic creativity, but also proves how history and expression combined connects all beings as one. With the music of Hendrix playing over as the image awakens, connection is being made between the fans of this legendary musician and a brilliant artist.
History, expression, connection. The bonds of the human race.
Labels: Emma Samuelson, emmalane94
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