Got Watchers?

"[I am] not even two bites into breakfast, and there are already nearly 25 sites that are tracking me. I have navigated to a total of four.” -- Gary Kovacs, Tracking the Trackers
Who is tracking you online? 
 http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_kovacs_tracking_the_trackers.html

Worth watching,
from Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

Got Omega VRT350 HD "Issues" ?

You don't need a juicer to juice this beauty.  Here is a sample of search terms that got folks to my site last week: omega vrt pulpy juice

omega vrt350 banana

omega vrt350hd issues

omega vrt350hd leak juice

problems with omega vrt350

vrt complaints All I can say is, "Scroll back in time and you will find over a dozen reviews of my dissatisfaction with the Omega VRT350HD juicer.  I finally returned the second one because the problems were the same with both.  Leaks. Overflow.  Too much plup.  Strings.  More unusual matter in the juice.  Daily dissatisfaction. To all you suffering Omega VRT 350 HD owners I say,  "If you cannot get a satisfactory juicer after paying the better part of US $400, please return it for a refund."  Don't let them bully you into keeping something that does not work well, does not produce a clean juice free of strings and excessive pulp, etc. You deserve to be happy when you make your juice and drink your juice.  You cannot accept problems for the price you paid.  You are investing your time and effort daily as you purchase the produce to juice, clean the produce, cut the produce, juice the produce, clean the juicer (You have to do it.  I know you don't like to, but you have to.) and reassemble the juicer when it is dry.  Yes, I know that was a sentence within a sentence, but I am feeling your frustration and rage.  If you have tried to remedy the situation, and problems persist, insist on a refund.  Contact the seller's local Better Business Bureau if you are getting a run around.  File a complaint if necessary.  Quit suffering in silence. I AM glad the VRT350 HD is out of my house. Ciao babe.  Adios.  Via con Dios.  Good riddance. You can't juice this, but it is perfect for smoothie. Or just eat it! Note to the banana guy, I have tried juicing unfrozen and frozen banana, but it was a big mess.  Not worth the yield and clean up.  Bananas don't juice well.  Just eat them when ripe or make smoothies with your bananas.  You can probably get a new Blender for under US $20.  I upgraded to an Oster that can crush ice cubes in smoothie quite nicely.  It cost less than US $50 at the big box store I lovingly call Costlo.  They will easily refund your money if you do not find the product acceptable for any reason.  Shouldn't an Omega VRT juicer come with the same courtesy? So banana man, let your bananas ripen, scroll down to my several posts with smoothie recipes, make a green smoothie (sounds bad, but is so good!) add 4 or 5 ice cubes if it is summer where you are, and stay cool. Unhappy VRT owners, be proactive!   Get your vrt350hd refund.  Be happy. I am considering reviewing some of the cheaper juicers on the market.  Let me know if this would be useful for you. Special sayonara  to you Southwest Desert Blogger readers in Japan.  Thanks for checking this blog. Happy trails to all, Your Southwest Desert Blogger C. (c)2012 P.S.  I do not have ads (with cookies that track you!) in this blog.  If you'd like to support this blog and save money, check the health foods and supplements, including raw and organic at www.iherb.com/info/benefits.  The iherb site also has super- foods, vitamins, green powders (Hawaiian Spirulina, and others), homeopathics, organics, raw food http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=raw+organic and supplements such as raw organic chia seed, hemp seed, cacao, coconut oil, kelp noodles, healthy pet food, Dr. Bronners, organic soaps, shampoos and skin products, tea, loose herbs, sports supplements, essential oils, protein powders, all at discounts. Use the WAL660 code will get you $5 off  your first order and free shipping for US orders of $20 or $40 or more.  Just enter the code WAL660 in the shopping cart before final check-out.  Remember to add a "freebies" free product to your order. iherb ships to over 180 countries.  Thanks for your support.

Hovering 'round 100

The Southwest Desert temperatures will be hovering around 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) -- yes, I know, it couldn't be 100 degrees centigrade, even in the Earth deserts.  No complaining about the weather yet.
Enjoy the blooming non-indigenous plant we call the "Bishop's Cap." 

Each "Bishop's Cap" flower blooms for only one day.  Notice the closed and wilted flowers from previous days around the fresh yellow bloom.

The flower lasts one day.  If you do not check it daily, you will miss the bloom.  What life lesson is there in this? 
Getting philosophical in the desert garden,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

New Blogger Format?

Prickly Pear in bloom -- I'm waiting for the fruit

Until I figure out the new Blogger format, which currently seems restrictive and irritating, I may not be posting.  Send me a comment if you want more posts -- I need your feedback regarding what sort of topics interest you, and / or any of your thoughts. 
Scroll down and see my previous posts and the slide show at the bottom of the page -- Is it still there?  There should be a list of post topics down there also, so you can find posts of interest.  Some of the posts are hot, some are not.  I can't even figure out how to edit with the new Blogger.  Where's the "edit" function?

See my most popular post if you scroll down to 12/3/11.  
Recommendation: Check out www.iherb.com for discounts on health foods, raw foods, superfoods, organics, chia, cacao, maca, acai, shampoos, hemp seed, coconut oil, raw food bars, a variety of proteins, vitamins, minerals, herbs, even organic soaps and pet foods.  Use discount code WAL660 at checkout for $5 off first purchase and free shipping for orders over $20.  They ship international.  There are helpful product reviews and other information on the site.  I have been doing business with them for many years and shipping is expedient, the prices are super, and the selection is amazing.  Hope this helps.

If I cannot figure out the new format, this will be the last rodeo.
Your
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

The Heat Is On

The temperature hit 101 in the shade yesterday.  It seemed to be near 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) before sunrise this morning.  It is getting seriously hot in the Southwest Desert.  There may be a few cooler days later this week, but I put an extra ice cube tray in the freezer anyway.

Above is a photo of a Palo Verde Tree in full bloom.  Enjoy.

On the edge of breaking a sweat,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

1 Haiku 4U:

New moon soon dark night

Should I fast for one day then?

Will it bring back moon?

Rest in Peace Levon Helm -- passed to the other world 4/19/2012 1:30PM in New York.  You are remembered with fondness by Southwest Desert Blogger  C. (c)2012

Southwest Desert Weather Report

The new moon is due in the Southwest Desert shortly after midnight April 20 turning into April 21, 2012.  The nights are still pleasantly cool in the upper 50s (degrees Fahrenheit).  By new moon, we will be experiencing daytime temp's near 100 degrees (F).  The sun is strong at mid morning and into the afternoon.  If you plan on visiting the Desert Southwest, you better bring your sunhat, sunscreen, and maybe long sleeve type protection and a generous supply of drinking water.  The heat is on.

Freeze some cut fruit for your smoothies.

Still cool in the Southwest Desert,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

Tiny Spring Flowers 4/4/2012

The post title says it all.  Coin size 3/4 inch.

You're right, the post title does not say it all.  I feel guilty for not giving you my two cents worth.  Looks like all you got was a penny and some puny wild flowers from the Southwest Desert.  

Where's the juice?

Today is April 4, 2012.  That is 4-4-2012.  Fourth day of fourth month:  4+4+2012=2020, 2+0+2+0=4.
It is a perfect 4 day.  The card of the day is a 4 of spades -- if you follow such things.  Mercury goes direct.

Southwest Desert weather is predicted to be over 90 degrees (Fahrenheit) be-4 next week. The heat is on!

Just 4U,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

Prius Rant -- Just an Opinion

What is going on with folks who drive the Toyota Prius car?  I don't know how it is in your town, but out here, folks who drive a Prius have several unusual behaviors.  They tend to drive slowly, i.e., too slow for the traffic flow.  What's yer problem there Prius driver?  Can't get it into second gear?  No third gear on that buggy?  Afraid that gas pedal will stick? 

The Mensa Genius has a theory.  Genius postulates that Prius drivers do not want to use energy; they think driving slower will save energy.  Well Prius folks, let me clue you in.  The fact that everyone coming up behind you has to break, because you are driving so slow that it reduces the flow of traffic, may actually increase the use of gas because we will finally have to accelerate to get around and ahead of you.  There may also be a contribution to air pollution from the needless use of our brakes as we slow down when you are ahead of us going so darn slow.

The second thing I notice about Prius drivers is that they always leave about 7 car lengths between themselves and the vehicle in front of them.  What's that about?  Don't your brakes work?  You don't need 7 to 10 car lengths to break when you are holding up the flow of traffic at your vehicular crawl of 30 miles per hour. 

An online search revealed that the Prius v gets 44/40 est. mpg (miles per gallon, estimate?).  Big deal.  My old Honda Civic Hatchback manual transmission from the 1980s got over 40 mpg and I did not need to suck electricity from coal burning or nuclear plants to make it happen. I did not need to drive slowly or leave excessive space between my Civic and the vehicle in front of me.  That Honda was a good car with great mileage using technology nearly 30 years old.

 I have come to a conclusion:  If I see a Prius on the road ahead,  I
a) seek an alternate route,  or  b) find the fastest way to get around and ahead of it.
I am pleading with all you Prius drivers -- Help the rest of us Southwesterners out and step on it!  If you want to drive slow, move up north!

Sincerely,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

Discount Code

Howdy to the first Southwest Desert Blogger reader from China.  2012 is the year of the Dragon -- the Water Dragon.  What will this mean for us?  Anyone out there who can explain this?

Last year's 99 cent store plant is blooming again.  I keep it in the shade.

The sun is getting stronger in the Southwest Desert.  Some of the days are tasting like the hot dryness of summer.  It is just a taste -- an appetizer -- a reminder of what is to come.

The Code:  WAL660
For all you international jet-setters, cowboys, cowgirls, city slickers, taxi riders, horse riders, bike riders, board riders, wave riders, bus riders, range rovers, raw vegans, omnivores, and everyone just hoofin' it, I have a discount code WAL660 you can use at iherb.com . Link to: www.iherb.com/info/benefits.  My iherb shipments to the USA Desert Southwest arrive in 3 business days, with online tracking.  The iherb site has health food, super foods, vitamins, green powders (Hawaiian Spirulina, and others), homeopathics, organics, raw food and supplements such as raw chia seed, raw hemp seed, raw cacao, coconut oil, kelp noodles, healthy pet food, organic shampoos and skin products, tea, loose herbs, sports supplements, essential oils, protein powders, and new products added every week, all at discounts.  I think it will help you balance the budget. The WAL660 code will get you $10 (USA dollars) off your first order of $40 or more, or $5 off a first time order less than $40.  Just enter the code WAL660 in the shopping cart before final check-out. 
I am also told there is free shipping for international orders over $60, available now, but it may end March 31, 2012.  So get a move on and check it out.  iherb ships to over 180 countries.  They have been shipping international for over 14 years.  Average shipping time to China: 8-day average delivery time with possible extra delays/ expenses due to customs. This option offers tracking information. Yamato Japan, average 4 day shipping barring possible customs delays.  Check out the average delivery time for International Airmail for selected countries, based on feedback from iherb.com customers. Updated May 2011:

Australia 11	Canada 9	Germany 12	Israel 7	Mexico 15	Romania 8	Sweden 12
Austria 7	Czech Republic 7	Great Britain 10	Italy 14	Netherlands 8	Russia 17	Switzerland 11
Belarus 13	Denmark 8	Greece 9	Latvia 9	New Zealand 10	Singapore 9	Taiwan 11
Belgium 11	Estonia 10	Hong Kong 9	Lithuania 10	Norway 8	Slovakia 7	Ukraine 8
Brazil 22	Finland 8	Hungary 10	Malaysia 13	Poland 15	Slovenia 6	Spain 9
Bulgaria 8	France 10	Ireland 8	Malta 11	Portugal 9	South Korea 9

More international shipping info at http://www.iherb.com/info/shipping/International#iqs .

Be sure to visit the iherb freebies pages and select one free item with your order.  For all you domestic folks, i.e., non-international, there is free USA shipping for orders over $20 and faster free shipping for orders over $40.  Just select your shipping option at checkout.  I have dealt with this company for years and find the shipping fast and efficient.
Most of the products they sell have customer reviews with interesting ideas and thoughts about the products.  Check it out between waves you Hawaiian dudes and wahinis, rhinestone urban range cowfolk, sprout-growing southerners, and radiant raw food friends.  This cowpoke wouldn't steer you wrong.

I AM your
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012