Getting Drupal experience as a Sierra Club web volunteer

This was in a recent newsletter of the Loma Prieta chapter of the Sierra Club (of which I am a member):

Web Support Needed

Help improve the chapter’s website and web services. Seeking a web developer familiar with Drupal related services including installation, configuration, design, module development, and customization.

It's a fortunate stroke of serendipity. I am looking to get some Drupal experience, and this is a great opportunity to do so while helping out a local environmental organization - and putting it on my resume as non-profit experience.

I had a chance to chat with the person coordinating their website effort, and we've identified some easy tasks for me to start with. I'm going to start working on it tomorrow.

Job listings at Beaconfire Consulting serving non-profit clients

This contractor job listing caught my eye. I don't have the qualifications (yet), but in future, this is the kind of work arrangement that appeals to me.

Beaconfire Consulting: Careers

Beaconfire often utilizes independent contractors as part of providing our clients with the best advice and solutions for their business needs. We prefer contractors who are not employed full time and who may be able to commit anywhere from 5-20 hours per week on an as needed basis. Flexibility, availability and reliability are key to building a contracting relationship.

We are looking for contractors with the to fill the following roles. If interested, send resume and cover email/letter according to the instructions in each listing. Please include the role or position of interest in the subject line.

Programmer/Developer

Mushroom growing kit, day 27: another feast, and back to square one

We harvested the rest of the mushrooms from the kit and prepared another recipe from the MSSF cookbook:

Scrambled Eggs with Oyster Mushrooms

Serves 4 as a main course

Most mushrooms may be used with scrambled eggs, but oyster mushrooms converts them into an elegant main dish.

• 1 pound oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1/2 cup slivered shallots or green onions
• 8 eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Dredge the mushrooms in the flour. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook until brown. Add the shallots and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the eggs, Tabasco sauce, parsley, salt, and pepper. Scramble the eggs and sprinkle the sesame oil quickly over the eggs while they are still soft. Serve immediately. --Edward Lodigiani

I recommend it! It's one of those recipes where the ingredients and preparation methods are very simple, but the combination of flavors and textures is ingenious and delicious.

Now we are back to square one. Sniff, sniff...the mushroom block is bare. We will keep watering it per the instructions and see if we can get another flush of mushrooms.


Read the entire saga of the mushroom growing kit

Keep CA state parks open - public hearing on Tuesday 4/15 in San Jose

I just sent this message out to family and friends:

Dear friends and family,

If you share my concern about the state government's plans to close a number of state parks, I invite you to join me at a public hearing on the closures, to be held in San Jose next Tuesday. At this hearing, the State Park and Recreation Commission will be accepting spoken and written public comments. Details on the time and location of the hearing are given here:
http://coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/state_park_closure_hearing_in_san_jose_april_15/
I haven't seen confirmation of these details from an official source, so I recommend contacting the California Department of Parks and Recreation to confirm the date/location before attending: 800-777-0369, www.parks.ca.gov

Also, please spread the word to other interested folks who might be able to attend. Hope to see you there!

Science Debate 2008

I heard about this today and it interested me. You can join as a signatory to show your support for the debate and for candidates to accept the invitation. From their website:

Science Debate 2008: Call for a Presidential Debate on Science & Technology

Science Debate 2008 is a grassroots initiative spearheaded by a growing number of scientists and other concerned citizens. Science Debate 2008 has invited the presidential candidates to participate in a debate on policy issues affected by science and technology, to be held on April 18.

The debate may include such policy issues as: American economic competitiveness and support for scientific research; policy approaches to climate change; clean energy; the healthcare crisis; science education and technology in schools; scientific integrity; GM agriculture; transportation infrastructure; immigration; the genome; data privacy; intellectual property; pandemic diseases; the health of the oceans; water resources; stem cells; conservation and species loss; population; the space program, and others.

This is a policy debate. It is not intended to be a science quiz. Nor are we interested in state-level battles such as the evolution versus creationism/ID debate. Our goal is to find out how aware candidates are of America's major science and technology problems and opportunities, and how they propose to offer the kind of visionary leadership and policy solutions that will tackle those challenges and ensure America's place as the most scientifically and technologically advanced nation on earth. This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you are such a leader.

The debate will be held at 7PM on Friday, April 18, 2008 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is four days prior to the Pennsylvania primary. The debate is non-partisan. All viable candidates for President will be invited. It will be held even if only one candidate participates.

The cosponsors have reputations for putting on fair and informative events serving the best interests of the public and the highest principles of this nation. We intend to make the debate available for broadcast on nationwide television on April 18 and re-broadcast at a later time on both television and the internet.

Mushroom growing kit, day 19: harvest and feast

We picked several of the clumps of mushrooms today. Here's the first:


And here are a couple more clumps:


The mushrooms await their culinary destiny...


Which is to be prepared with the following recipe from the MSSF cookbook:

Mock Abalone

Serves 4 as a side dish

Sautéed oyster mushrooms are similar to abalone in taste. Serve them hot.

• 1/2 cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pound oyster mushrooms (cut large ones in half)
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
• Lemon wedges and/or soy sauce

Put the flour, salt, pepper, marjoram, thyme, garlic, and paprika in a small paper bag. Add the mushrooms and shake well.

Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan or skillet and sauté the mushrooms on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and/or soy sauce. (by Lois Der)

Here the mushrooms are getting coated with the seasoned flour:


And now into the pan!


They're cooking up nice and golden:


Getting the fixin's out. For mock abalone, gotta have our salt, lemon wedges, and tabasco:


Bon appetit!


A closer look. The spouse pointed out that they look like pork chops.



And so we ate them. Delicious! The texture and appearance does bear a resemblance to abalone or some other mild shellfish. I do think that this dish attests to the fact that ANYTHING breaded and fried in enough butter tastes good. The spouse commented that "it tastes like something as unhealthy as you would get at the county fair," which is not necessarily a good thing in his book, but is fine by me :-)

More recipes and pics to come, I'm sure - those mushrooms are ready to eat!

Read the entire saga of the mushroom growing kit

Mushroom growing kit, day 16-18

Day 16, front:

Day 16, back:

Day 17, front:

Day 17, back:

I see stir fry in my future.

Day 18, front:

Day 18, back:

Notice how the edges have gotten quite frilly and turned up.

We are going to be eating a lot of oyster mushrooms very soon. Fortunately, the Mycological Society of San Francisco has an excellent online mushroom cookbook with a whole section devoted to fabulous oyster mushroom recipes.

Read the entire saga of the mushroom growing kit