and hoarding it away where it does no one any good.

Besides, I don't think the poor would appreciate that bag of slime I just found in my fridge that I think started its life as basil.

and it's destructive effect on the poor in the world... and the world as a whole.

with all that money he's sitting on - for the poor. And the world as a whole.

packaging and retail industries to buy more of things like basil than we need. I grow basil. You might even be able to do it on a window sill. It doesn't take much.

I agree that wasting food is a terrible thing, but when I was working, I did not have the time to keep cleaning the refrigerator and sometimes food was not eaten. Now that I am retired, we waste very little food.

In addition to everything else, I compost vegetable parts that we do not eat. But all of that takes time that working people, especially working people with children may not have and effort that people who are disabled or sick or very elderly may not be able to make.

suicide pacts. No matter how or where I have replanted them, they've gone tits up within a couple of weeks. This was as true in Boston as it is out here in the high desert.

My problem is a side by side fridge that I hate with a purple passion because it's narrow and deep and stuff gets lost in there very easily. That plus the glacier that grows in the bottom of the freezer side.

I don't know whether this is the problem, but my basil lasts on and on regardless where I buy it because I pick the leaves by pinching off the stem right above a two-leaf start. That way new leaves grow. The stem grows tow sets of leaves in place of the one top one I took off.

I have had real good luck with Trader Joe's basil plants.

Now, if I plant 5 plants, I have pesto through the year until next year's first basil harvest.

I watched videos. That's how I learned.

Now if I could only get my squash blossoms to turn into squash and if I could only get lemons on my lemon tree and more figs to grow on my fig tree. Ah! The problems of gardeners. I love them. Especially since I can get so much help from the internet.

I had one for 3 years. I sort of "adopted" it, meaning that I felt bad about clipping its leaves and it just served no other purpose than to give a nice aroma to the kitchen. Whenever I needed basil, I went to the market and bought some. LOL!!!

The poor thing one day just gave up its last leaf and went to Herb Heaven.

basil plants in pots that you stick on your window sill and take a leaf or two when you need one and it keeps growing. Makes FAR more sense.

of the US folks, we may claim we care but we don't. Another one is that the so called religion taught us, money money money, and hatred, hatred, hatred. Give to me and I'll set you free - religion.

Not my GOD tho.

no judgements,

But, I'll keep being Jewish

I gotta work on some of my faults and wasting food is one of them.

women as human beings, and not just brood mares, then I will be a bit impressed. until then, he can pontificate all he wants.

I may not have his beliefs, but I can respect his words....over a billion ppl listen to the dude.

works, and I know what the words mean. he may be a new pope, but he has been part of the upper hierarchy for years.

I can respect. I was seeped in Catholicism until 18 yrs old... now a happy atheist. I will accept the enemy of my enemy as a friend. I hope this is REAL - over a billion ppl adhere to the pope - that's a SERIOUS coalition.

since he has taken the post. He actually has many of the upper hierarchy nervous because he is actually practicing along the original lines that were set forth by the original values of Christianity.

We will see how this plays out in the long run but for the time being he has my respect.

- Signed a non-practicing Catholic who believes organized religion corrupts.


P.S. ...I dislike people who declare themselves Atheist. Get over yourself.

...but I came to it honestly after years of consternation.

Just hope da pope follows his words w/action.

and how nothing is really being done about the pedophiles. and the position of women in the church (like his comments about the american nuns). a couple of nice gestures here and there does not overturn what is wrong with the church.

the last time a pope was a threat to the upper hierarchy, he was dead in a month. this guy has lasted three times longer already.

and, by the way, nowhere in my post did I say anything about being an atheist. kindly address those remarks to the correct person.

So, where does that leave us?

: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

Would you post that, too?

If not, why not?

in order to use that money for the local communities, I'll listen to him pontificating (yes, indeed) on wasting food.

..... let's see what happens. If he did sell off Vatican valuables I would be very impressed, but he would likely be 'taken care of'.

he died rather suddenly.

I think popes need to think carefully before they speak.

I imagine the vast majority of Americans have both the opportunity and the means to do with less by giving more. Our televisions, I-pods, computers, cars and running water would seem like rather a treasure to a subsistence farmer in Rwanda, yes? Further, I imagine those computers, those televisions and those cars could be sold to charity, and the proceeds given to more charity.

Otherwise, I can only think that those who lecture others to rescind wealth are themselves guilty of the same indictment, and hold others to a higher standard than they hold themselves... regardless of how we may rationalize the ethical discrepancy to ourself.

I'm waiting for the day when he begins practicing what he's preaching... maybe then I might have a spare fuck to give to what he says.

that I am not part of the clean plate club. Especially when it comes to liver, lima beans or broccoli.

requires speaking out on simple issues. This is a huge contrast to religious leaders like Pat Robertson and others. These things are obvious to me, but so rare for people with power and money to actually utter.

... a member of their 'club' that speaks the truth.... FDR, JFK.......

the money to the poor, I would listen. That's what Jesus would do.

... I wanna see what happens. Fingers crossed.

they have??

This guy could be a serious gamechanger (over 1 bill. ppl follow his words). Did Obama get out of Iraq or Afghanistan in 3 months after taking office? Think about it. This guy is making serious left wing statements.

If I am wrong please back me up with hard evidence. I believe he promised to get out of Iraq within 16 months. That is a lot more than 3 months.

You are not making sense. Just let your brain rest... It's OK.

he is a breath of fresh air and is making a billion plus people do a little introspection.

So far I like this guy

I would rather see the artifacts from ancient civilizations, such as the Etruscans, given over to museums that can study the articles.

Selling off artwork would be great... but the real treasure trove is archaeological.

Very often it is given with the proviso that it not be sold and that it be held in perpetuity or returned to the donor or the donor's heirs.

Much of the Vatican is a museum in itself, consisting of the work of the greatest masters.

Would the Chinese consider selling their treasures to bolster their treasury?
Should India sell the Taj Mahal to clean up its rivers and streams?
Should the USA sell the items of the Smithsonian to pay its debts to other nations?

Today there is talk of the treasures of the Detroit Art Institute being sold to settle the debts of the city of Detroit. Residents of that troubled city and of the surrounding area are sick and angry that some would be crass enough to consider selling off these treasures.

having access to the Etruscan collection at the min. BA Anth here.... OMG have you been to the Vatican museum?

1/2 hour before closing and they would not admit spouse & me in that we wouldn't have enough time to make the visit worthwhile.
I've been to the Vatican, though, obviously, and the great museums in several countries - London, Paris, Madrid, Mexico City, Berlin, Florence, etc.

I understand your desire for archaeological artifacts to be collected and shown, although they are best left near where they originated, if possible, and if they can be adequately protected. Lots of the best has been stolen from sites by native and non-native peoples, so I guess some has to be kept on museums.

Society can have both. Feed people and keep its history.

are not our president's personal property to sell (except for certain items in the family quarters).

I imagine Jesus might also give up surfing on political websites, donate the computer and use the extra time to engage in charity.

I do however, realize the ease of holding others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves.

There's nothing they enjoy more than stealing from the poor.

Any time a pope goes making statements I like, those manky fucks in Opus Dei or whatever haveta be fixin' to grease him.

PB

We'll see what happens when he tries to back up his beliefs w/ $$$$ from Vatican treasures.

And my folks were not poor by any means, just conscientious. So when I got to college I was appalled to see other students in the dining hall throwing away practically full plates of food - still kind of irks me to this day, when I think about it.

.... taught her well

I respect Francis and that's more than I can say for Dominick or John Paul II. John Paul I had promise but didn't have the time to deliver. Hopefully Francis will live long enough to make a difference.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1127&pid=45946

Below is the actual statement, it is only one paragraph long:

http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=c198b568-c04e-381e-228f-51af2fbba1f7&dl_t=text/xml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1


Dear Brothers and Sisters: Our Audience today coincides with World Environment Day, and so it is fitting to reflect on our responsibility to cultivate and care for the earth in accordance with God’s command (cf. Gen 2:15). We are called not only to respect the natural environment, but also to show respect for, and solidarity with, all the members of our human family. These two dimensions are closely related; today we are suffering from a crisis which is not only about the just management of economic resources, but also about concern for human resources, for the needs of our brothers and sisters living in extreme poverty, and especially for the many children in our world lacking adequate education, health care and nutrition. Consumerism and a “culture of waste” have led some of us to tolerate the waste of precious resources, including food, while others are literally wasting away from hunger. I ask all of you to reflect on this grave ethical problem in a spirit of solidarity grounded in our common responsibility for the earth and for all our brothers and sisters in the human family.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/audiences/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130605_udienza-generale_en.html

you can get back to me with the answers.

In South Korea we recycle our food. Everyday the food waste is dumped into a container in the freezer and then taken out to a bin every two or three days. Of course you don't want to get too close to those during the hot summer.

theft isn't always the physical act of taking...it can also be the act of with holding

that takes a whole lot of nerve....

sell the art, the gold, the land, use it to help the poor or STFU

yes, having been to the Vatican myself, i think somewhere there must be a mirror they can find to look into once in a while

that said, as a kid raised Catholic, this point was made to me, that wasting food was a sin

and it's not hard to see where that came from - over 100 years ago, going back all through history, calories werent just something that made your behind bigger, they were divided between how far your horse could go and how well you could feed your family

this idea was reborn in 1970 through environmentalism, but has been on the wane

the idea is good, we need to translate into today's living, so that future generations arent in famine with burned out soil poluted/exhausted water and used up resources

he should expand on this point