You're probably all wondering ... where in hell is he going with this? Well, nowhere, really. I just like the quote from Woody. It's got absolutely nothing to do with the wheat thing. Hopefully, however, it'll get you to thinking about war and killing and dying..and maybe realize we need to stop this shit. Ok, I'm gettin' off my bandwagon now.
Wheat. Yesterday, I posted an entry on this website about giving up wheat. In the interim, I got online and started to do just a tad bit more research. Glad that I did because I don't really have to give up all wheat and wheat products. Just the stuff that's been genetically changed since the 1960's. There's a company called Jovial that makes wheat products from the wheat berries of our father's and mother's generations. It's called einkorn wheat. Additionally, I can grind spelt and amaranth berries, too. What's happened since the 1960's is that the motto, "No good deed goes unpunished.", has been fulfilled once again. In the 1950's/1960's, a gentleman by the name of Norman Borlaug headed up a movement called, ironically, 'the green revolution' and created the dwarf wheat plant. This wheat plant was changed genetically so that it would produce more wheat in a smaller area of land. And it increased the gluten content of the wheat so that it produced "fluffier" products. Borlaug was credited with saving a billion lives because they didn't starve to death. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his effort. But he created a wheat that was not as nutritious as it used to be. The older style wheat has more nutrients and is a healthier form of it. Interestingly, pests didn't eat the new, white flour made from this new dwarf wheat berry. Those pests preferred the old stuff. Who's the dummy here, eh?
So, I'm still going to do the change up with wheat, but will use the older style wheat berries and a grinder that I presently own to grind up what I need. The Wonder Mill is still on my list of things to buy this year because I want to be able to make nut butter. The grinder I have works well for grains but not for making nut butter.
Oh, and I'm not giving up beer. Got that? I'll die with a beer in my hand. Take a look at the photo of me at the top of this website. There are some things that are just worth it. Plain and simple. Good, micro-brewed beer is one of those things.
Alright, time to go. Here's a tune to exit with. Phil Ochs doing "I Ain't Marching Anymore". Seems to connect with what I started with at the top of this entry. As corny as may still sound, love and peace are still the right answers. Ah, shades of the '60's...and to all those who've died since war began.
