tofu dumpling

INGREDIENTS Tofu Dumpling

In various unmeasured quantities:

for the dumpling skin - water, flour

for filling - firm tofu, finely chopped mushroom, leek, rice flour, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt

rant rant

RANT about the economy

Frankly, there's a struggle going on, between lots of people and what we call, the economy. What I mean by struggle, is working very hard and not getting very far, at least not far enough to survive or thrive month to month, day to day. Not far enough to keep track of debts, not far enough to invest in health, not enough to adequately care for others. No, nothing is free, but what is this economy and how can we get along with it? What I mean by getting along with it, is having a situation in which people who operate in the economy are valued enough to have a fair chance at survival. Again, nothing is free, but some things that are undeniably valuable in this world are getting shafted in our economy and pushed to disappear, overlooked and undervalued - things that keep us alive - nontoxic matter, trust, skilled labor, local culture, nutrients, physical proximity, authenticity, adequate rest, creativity, innovation. These things exist, but are often lost to current economic demands.

My understanding is that an economy is a system of trade, with determined values and rules of conduct. Sounds like a dynamic, open-ended kind of thing. Can it not evolve to work better, more efficiently than the cliche boom and bust cycle? It is so frustrating to see so many people put down, pressured, and made desperate by what I understand the economy to be in its current state - something that can barely hold itself up, lacking morality and integrity; weak. The foundations are under collapse - food, water, shelter, security - indicating that the status of the economy (its systems of values and rules) are dysfunctional. I know this argument is overly abstract, and the subject of the economy can be made out into millions of bits of ideas. The point of this rant is not to blindly curse the economy, but to express a frustration for hope of finding some direction.

So, at risk of seeming quixotic, I'm going to put the idea of a moral economy out there. Read about moral economy here from wikipedia.

shared economy

FORUM The Sharing Economy

shared shade in the wretched heat = good times :)

Yeah, maybe sharing things could result in a more efficient economy. Not that we must be communist, but we could at least have the option of sharing things to save money and resources when we feel like it. Sharing is the antithesis to loneliness, no? Policies could help: Policies for a Shareable City and innovative entrepreneurs could help:

The Sharing Economy Evening Forum

Tuesday, April 3rd at 6PM

654 Mission Street, San Francisco

with Leah Busque, Founder and Chief Product Officer for TaskRabbit; Jessica Scorpio, Founder of Getaround; Joe Gebbia, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer for AirBnB; Jamie Wong, Founder and CEO of Vayable; and Jay Nath, Chief Innovcation Officer of the City and County of San Francisco.

Shared: chickens with my neighbors; a neighborhood chicken coop! yay!

So hip

BUSINESS Urban Worm

Yeah, it's a hipster worm, yeah it is. My friend, Hayley, and her cohorts are running this thing in conjunction with Urban Adamah!

'Urban Worm is your Bay Area source for local, organically-raised red worms and vermicompost. Red worms are an ecologically friendly composting system and their castings are a nitrogen-rich soil amendment guaranteed to help your garden flourish! We are a project of Urban Adamah, a non-profit farm in Southwest Berkeley.'

Have you heard? Worm castings are like magic, making things flourish 'n such. Urban worm will be hosting their kickoff event this Sunday April 1st, from 2-4PM, including a workshop on how to start a home composting system.

San Jose!

SAN JOSE is a Poetry Slam

Last weekend, took a walking tour of Downtown and by chance, stumbled upon a number of interesting parts that makes this place, San Jose, so much more than one would suspect: art, technology, culture, space.

A R T s p a c e

Anno Domini urban art gallery with venue space and some really colorful/hilarious/bright/dark joys. The San Jose Poetry Slam - every second Friday of even numbered months (wow) is held here, $6-11.

T E C H s p a c e

Tech Shop, a membership-based workspace (like a gym) offers almost unlimited use of everything - 3D scanner & printer, water pressure cutting machine, wood shop, metal shop, industrial sewing & embroidery equipment, bike tools, autocad computer stations, workspace, classes, coffee stand, etc., oh my god and for $75 per month if you're a student. Walked right in and got a tour of the place.

C U L T U R A L s p a c e

Vietnamese/Mexican/Japanese markets, Vegan vietnamese home cooking, boba tea + pork rice pickled vegetable combos, dark films from Paris*, museums, and rock climbing, too.

S P A C E s p a c e

There's just more space here. Vacant space, too.

*watched a short film called Cushing's Syndrome - a twisted dark, murderous, and ridiculously amazing series of scenes - supposedly inspired by the filmmaker's former work as a trade analyst in the financial sector. The psychotic disease as analogous to finance, he explained.

home grown nursery

HOW TO Start a legitimate home nursery business

chickens!

Rained out from work today, so spent it researching potential business ideas. Here's one: a home nursery business selling organically-grown herb and vegetable starts at the local Japantown Farmers Market (specializing in rare heirloom and ethnic varieties). After a lot of web browsing and calling random government offices...

Assumptions: The business will be structured as a sole proprietorship (single owner) and operated out of the Downtown San Jose home, categorized as 'home occupation' as authorized by the Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement.

Necessary Legal Steps

1. File for a fictitious business name with the Santa Clara County Clerk by filling out a Fictitious Business Name Statement. $37.75

2. Procure a seller's permit by filling out an Application for Seller's Permit or visiting a CA State Board of Equalization field office. small fee

3. Procure a business license. Fill out the registration form, send it in through mail or hand-deliver to City Hall, and pay a fee (or fill out a Hardship Exemption Request and waive most of the fee as a low-incomer). $150 or $45

4. Procure a license to sell nursery stock from the California Department of Food & Agriculture. Their website links don't work :( so you have to call them. $150

5. Obtain a Producer's Certificate from the Santa Clara County Division of Agriculture. Call them and schedule an inspection. Prepare a list of all products/plants that will be sold and get your operation ready for inspection. $65/hour of inspection

6. Obtain Home Business Insurance to cover liability and loss. Call an insurance dealer. more money

7. Contact the Farmers' Market and make sure they even want you. Then fill out an application to sell and provide evidence of both Producer's Certificate and Business Insurance. Pay booth fees. $26/stall

Other steps:

Prepare a full-on business plan.

Seek consulting and feedback.

Seek funding to cover start-up costs.

Implement the business plan into action.

Record everything.

Pay taxes.

Smile?

Resources: businessownerspace.com (BOS) for Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley SCORE.