Do you ever get the feeling that you grew up in an alternate reality or something? The Holiday season makes me aware of so many things other people take for granted that were never part of my life. Maybe it’s because I’m from a different generation or something, but I don’t seem to have a common footing sometimes.
For instance, the other day I overheard a co-worker talking about her family’s tradition of getting Santa photos with all the children, which they have done since she was a little girl. I never had a photo taken with Santa, though I do remember one Christmas when Santa came to our little town (La Grande, Oregon), and I got to meet the reindeer. That was pretty special, because they were really cute little guys, and I didn’t know reindeer were so small. Santa smelled funny too. He’d had a few nips of Jim Beam to keep warm (that was before I knew what Jim Beam was).
When I was a kid, everybody in the family gave gifts to everyone else. We didn’t draw names, but then nobody expected to get expensive gifts either. We knew we’d get clothes from Mom and Dad, and maybe a new doll or board game, and our stockings “hung by the chimney with care” would be filled with oranges, candy, and nuts. An iPad, plasma HDTV, or Lexus would have been things that movie stars wished for, but not us, and most gifts I remember were made by the people giving them. As a kid, I usually made candy and cookies as gifts until I learned to sew and crochet (I didn’t learn to knit until after I went to college), though my folks would always give me ten or twenty dollars (a fortune in those days) to buy presents for family members. Grandma and I would go downtown to Falk’s (the local department store), and I roamed the aisles looking for just the perfect gifts. One year (I couldn’t have been more than five) I remember buying Grandma a bottle of cologne and listening to the store loudspeaker playing “Silver Bells.” It was snowing outside and seemed a most magical day. Grandma loved the cologne so much she never used it but kept it on display in a prominent spot in the bathroom, so after that, I found out what KIND of perfume she liked before making a purchase.
Back in the days when watching your waistline was not yet in fashion, Christmas was a time of frantic baking. I remember spending days in Grandma’s kitchen making sugar and candy cane cookies, fudge, peanut brittle, and fruitcakes. Grandma made pies, and on Christmas Day we always had a huge turkey, because Christmas dinner was always at her house. People sat around in the living room before and after dinner (there wasn’t room in the kitchen for more than three people) and TALKED. Yes, I know—that was in the era before TV, but my family was never into football games, and I can’t remember even hearing one on the radio. We listened to Christmas carols instead.
We went to church Christmas morning and then to Grandma’s for dinner. I always got to help Grandma cook, and I loved being her little helper, so I was the one who set the table with the damask linen tablecloth, china, and silver. Most of all, however—and I’m sure this is true for all of you reading this—the best part of Christmas was being with the ones I loved. Christmas is a time for sharing that love with everyone else too, so I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a most happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Endings and Beginnings
The old year is winding down, and I’ve found it’s the perfect time to think of new beginnings. As of January 5th, I will begin a new job (actually, I’m returning to my PREVIOUS job), and there will necessarily be several other changes linked to that.
For instance, I will be working a different shift (at least for a while) so I hope to be better able to add in time for a daily walk with my dog and several daily hours with my horse. Roxi and I have both gotten a bit pudgy these past few months due to the lack of exercise, and though my horse Hadarah isn’t fat, she is suffering from a lack of activity as well. At least she’s seen me this winter, but that’s not really good enough. Also, spending time with my critters every day is the best thing I know of in terms of reducing my stress level, which has gotten rather far out of hand lately.
With all of that said, I’ve turned my attention back to my goals—MY goals, which had sadly fallen by the wayside over the past few years, what with buying and furnishing a house, and moving into a different job at work. I found that what I really wanted to do with my life had gotten lost in all the daily chores and tasks, and since I’m not getting any younger, it was past time for getting back to them.
So, yes, I DO have some New Year’s Resolutions this year. Yes, some of them DO have to do with losing weight and getting in shape, but the difference here is that in order to achieve those goals I was talking about, I HAVE to do it for myself, and it has nothing to do with fitting into a bikini. Please, I’m over 60, so that isn’t even on my horizon!
One thing I want to do next year is take a series of intensive riding lessons at the National School of Academic Equitation (there really is such a place) up in Snohomish County. Before I can do that, however, I need to get myself into better physical condition and save my money, because it isn’t cheap. At least they have school horses, so I don’t have to worry about trailering mine up there—an ordeal I would just as soon avoid. While Hadarah has perfectly good trailer manners, I just don’t want to have to deal with renting a truck and trailer or persuading one of my friends to haul us up there! Several weeks of instruction should give me the boost I’ve needed in terms of honing my riding skills. And in case you are wondering, yes I do know how to ride—but I want to improve enough to be able to show in dressage classes one of these days. There’s a lot more to riding than being able to stay on while your horse hauls you around on the trails. If that were all I wanted to accomplish, I’ve already done it.
I will be sending the manuscript for my book of poetry off to the publisher in another couple of weeks. It’s actually been done for a while, but I still had a few loose ends to tie up. It will be nice to be able to hold it in my hand and say, “I did this.” And, I really did all of the writing, editing, and formatting myself.
Sam is remodeling the small front bedroom in our house so I can use it for my office and craft room. Wow, a place where I have a real desk, and my yarn and sewing things are organized, not stacked around in bags all over the floor! I even have a real drop-leaf work table! I’ll have my own TV and wireless headphones too, so I can watch TV while knitting without bothering Sam (he despises TV).
Now to get past the Christmas Holidays . . . .
For instance, I will be working a different shift (at least for a while) so I hope to be better able to add in time for a daily walk with my dog and several daily hours with my horse. Roxi and I have both gotten a bit pudgy these past few months due to the lack of exercise, and though my horse Hadarah isn’t fat, she is suffering from a lack of activity as well. At least she’s seen me this winter, but that’s not really good enough. Also, spending time with my critters every day is the best thing I know of in terms of reducing my stress level, which has gotten rather far out of hand lately.
With all of that said, I’ve turned my attention back to my goals—MY goals, which had sadly fallen by the wayside over the past few years, what with buying and furnishing a house, and moving into a different job at work. I found that what I really wanted to do with my life had gotten lost in all the daily chores and tasks, and since I’m not getting any younger, it was past time for getting back to them.
So, yes, I DO have some New Year’s Resolutions this year. Yes, some of them DO have to do with losing weight and getting in shape, but the difference here is that in order to achieve those goals I was talking about, I HAVE to do it for myself, and it has nothing to do with fitting into a bikini. Please, I’m over 60, so that isn’t even on my horizon!
One thing I want to do next year is take a series of intensive riding lessons at the National School of Academic Equitation (there really is such a place) up in Snohomish County. Before I can do that, however, I need to get myself into better physical condition and save my money, because it isn’t cheap. At least they have school horses, so I don’t have to worry about trailering mine up there—an ordeal I would just as soon avoid. While Hadarah has perfectly good trailer manners, I just don’t want to have to deal with renting a truck and trailer or persuading one of my friends to haul us up there! Several weeks of instruction should give me the boost I’ve needed in terms of honing my riding skills. And in case you are wondering, yes I do know how to ride—but I want to improve enough to be able to show in dressage classes one of these days. There’s a lot more to riding than being able to stay on while your horse hauls you around on the trails. If that were all I wanted to accomplish, I’ve already done it.
I will be sending the manuscript for my book of poetry off to the publisher in another couple of weeks. It’s actually been done for a while, but I still had a few loose ends to tie up. It will be nice to be able to hold it in my hand and say, “I did this.” And, I really did all of the writing, editing, and formatting myself.
Sam is remodeling the small front bedroom in our house so I can use it for my office and craft room. Wow, a place where I have a real desk, and my yarn and sewing things are organized, not stacked around in bags all over the floor! I even have a real drop-leaf work table! I’ll have my own TV and wireless headphones too, so I can watch TV while knitting without bothering Sam (he despises TV).
Now to get past the Christmas Holidays . . . .
Monday, November 1, 2010
An Update to the 2010 WEG
Y'all will remember in my recent blog post on the 2010 World Equestrian Games, I commented that Moorlands Totilas, the horse winning the Gold medal for the Dressage Freestyle (he won the Golds in the Grand Prix dressage competition, the Grand Prix Special, and Team Dressage as well--a highly unusual clean sweep, plus his Freestyly scored 92%--this is like scoring a perfect 10 folks!) was sold shortly after the WEG was over to Paul Schockemule of Germany. Dressage-News.com posted the news that Totilas was slated to breed 175 mares this season out of 350 applications, before he was sold. Mr. Schockemule paid the equivalent of $13.2 million for this 10-year-old stallion, so we should expect to see lots of Jrs running around in a few years! I hope they're half as good as their daddy is.
Friday, October 29, 2010
The 2010 World Equestrian Games
I am so sorry this piece is a little dated! I wrote it and then got sidetracked--but I felt it was worth posting anyway. The WEG was fantastic, and I very much enjoyed what I watched of it. Wish I could have seen it in person though! The picture I've attached shows Edward Gal of the Netherlands riding Totilas. This pair took the gold medals in Dressage, for each of the competitions. I echo many other sentiments, I am sure, when I say I would "consider cutting off a limb for a ride" on this horse!
For the first time since the World Equestrian Games (WEG) began in Sweden in 1990, they were held in the United States this year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Competitors from over 60 countries around the world sent 1,700 athletes (800 human and 900 equine) to compete for 16 days in what essentially amounts to the “other” Olympic Games for equestrian sports only. Always before it has been held in Europe, but this year was different—it was finally our turn, and nobody does horses like Kentucky.
Three of the disciplines would already be familiar to people who watch the Olympics: Dressage, Three-Day Eventing, and Show (or Stadium) Jumping. The WEG also included competition in Reining, Vaulting, Endurance, Combined Driving, and Para-Olympics. Over a period of 16 days, all eyes in the world equestrian community were focused on Kentucky, and NBC Sports carried taped coverage of highlights three week-ends in a row for a total of six hours, which is almost unheard of. The Olympic Games equestrian events never fared so well! And if you were a real fan, you could watch live, streamed action (or video on demand) through Universal Sports or FEI.TV. You could read blogs from a number of different writers and read breaking news as it happened. You could watch different video packages, too, depending on your interest, and now you can purchase DVDs of the events through the Kentucky Horse Park Web site. I can tell you, I plan on watching all of this several times again! Well, I won’t be watching ALL of it, but I will be watching the Dressage and Three-Day Eventing pretty closely. Just for the record, my all-time favorite equestrian sport is Three-Day Eventing, with Dressage a close second. I’ve never competed as an eventer, because I fell off too much when jumping, and considering my age felt it was not a wise choice for me, but that didn’t affect my love of the sport!
Few people outside the equestrian community have any concept of what it takes to bring all these horses and their riders together to compete. For many of the smaller countries, it can be likened to putting a man on the moon. All of the competitors must be flown to their destination, not to mention the feed, equipment, and support personnel that go along with them, and that trip is not without peril. Several years ago the entire Mexican equestrian team and their horses went down in a crash on the way to a Pan American Games competition, the speculation being that one of the horses got loose on board and unbalanced the plane. Few people are aware too, that up until just a few years ago Australians were forced to sell any of the horses taken to outside International competitions, because they were barred from re-entering the country for health reasons.
The costs of equipment are staggering too. If you watch any WEG footage, take note of the helmets many of the eventers and stadium jumpers are wearing. Those GPS brand helmets retail for over $500, and that’s just a start (No, I don’t have one of those!—I’ve got a well-worn Troxel Legacy that I bought several years ago and need to replace!) . Saddle pads can run $150+ each, those ear nets go for about $80+, and saddles are around $2000+. Then there is what the riders wear: Breeches $200+, body armor $300+, custom boots $1000+, dressage frock or hunt coats $600+. Horses and riders need loads of miscellaneous gear, too: Anti-sweat sheets, stable sheets, water buckets, salt blocks, clippers, tack trunks, grooming brushes, etc., etc., etc. No way around it, competing at any level is very pricey, especially if you wear the latest in fashion and technology. Yikes, I get depressed just thinking about all that!
In the end there were many surprises and upsets, as there are in any sports competition. There were moments of shining glory that were so moving and beautiful they brought tears to my eyes. If you can watch nothing else, please see the brilliantly performed Dressage Freestyle ridden by the Gold medalist Edward Gal of the Netherlands on Moorlands Totilas, and you will never forget it. Several different videos are available on YouTube. One unhappy piece of news that I've heard since the end of the Games is that Moorlands, the owner of Totilas, has already sold him to Paul Schockemuhle of Germany. Mr. Schockemuhle, once a world-class show jumping competitor, is now a horse breeder, so Totilas won't be with Mr. Gal anymore (a crying shame), and he may not even be used in competition any longer, which is a real crime for a horse so brilliantly talented. Money talks, however, and we lesser humans must always remember that "It's the MONEY, stupid!" Never mind ART! Pul-leaze!
Another real disappointment was that the number two-rated pair in the dressage world was eliminated from competition, because the horse somehow managed to get a small cut on his tongue which bled for a few minutes. It had to happen though, because everyone is now supremely conscious of the welfare of the horses, and that is as it should be. Other disappointments came as Team USA saw its hopes of a medal in the Three-Day competition go up in smoke when Karen O’Connor’s young horse Mandiba had a refusal and then knocked down the gate jump in their Stadium round. Then Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil, whom many believed would win the gold medal in show jumping, saw his hopes dashed when riding the Final Four competition for best horse and best rider. At the same time, others rose to prominence that had never been heard of before, surprising everyone—perhaps not least themselves. For instance, Abdullah Al Sharbatly of Saudi Arabia had the good fortune to take home the silver medal for Saudi Arabia at his first world-class competition--quite a break for a very talented young man.
In the end, 11 countries out of the 60 or so represented took home at least one medal, with the United States winning a total of four (two golds, one silver, and one bronze), just besting the medal count of Germany (two golds, two bronzes), and Great Britain (one gold, three silvers). It was less than any of them had hoped for, but each one was well-deserved and hard won. In any case, the equestrian community and equestrian sports are the real winners, not to mention International cooperation and good will! Now let us look forward with anticipation to the 2012 Olympics.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Sam's Vision Quest
As many of you are aware, my husband Sam is off on a solo trek through the wilderness of Northeastern Oregon right now, pursuing what most of us would call a Vision Quest. While many of you think he’s totally insane (and that I must be too for allowing him to do this), I have to tell you that I support what he’s doing 100%. In fact, I’ve been engaged in my own quest in my own way for some time now. Besides, tell me just how I would stop him? Draw all the money out of his bank account? Let the air out of his tires? Be a complete bitch on the subject and insist that he “just forget it, or else?” Please! You all know that’s not me, and perhaps you don’t have the kind of relationship that Sam and I do. We don’t tell each other what we can or cannot do. We can raise objections, if we think the other person is totally off his/her rocker, or if the budget won’t support it, but we have pretty generous limits in our marriage. If it’s something that we really want to do, and we are willing to make the requisite sacrifices of time and money while meeting our other obligations, then our attitude is, “Hey, go for it man!”
I did have two requirements of my own before Sam left on his trip: (1) He needed to have some way of letting me know where he was and that he was all right; and (2) He had to have extra insurance to cover any possible rescue efforts or injuries he might incur. I did not feel these were unreasonable requests, nor did he, so Sam bought a Spot Tracker at REI and paid the subscription's costs of activation and tracking, plus he paid for the accompanying Lloyds of London insurance that went with it.
Sam has been planning this trip for at least the past year and possibly even longer—and I mean PLANNING. Down to the last little gnat, if you know what I mean. While he’s gone, he plans to take a bundle of photographs for at least one book he wants to write, and today I decided that I would keep a journal of sorts too, printing out each Spot Tracker message and the locator photos that go with it, so I can record Sam’s journey in my own way. For some reason, neither of us has ever been able to access the Spot Tracker shared Web page (I always get a “Server is busy, try again later” message), but that’s okay. I AM getting the E-mails whenever the beacon sends a message.
So Honey, have a great time! I know you wish I were there, and so do I, but that time will come. This is your time to do what you need to do, and those experiences should not always be shared with someone else—at least not at the moment when you are engaged in doing them. I look forward to hearing all about your journey and looking at all the incredible photographs when you return. I know they will be awesome.
I did have two requirements of my own before Sam left on his trip: (1) He needed to have some way of letting me know where he was and that he was all right; and (2) He had to have extra insurance to cover any possible rescue efforts or injuries he might incur. I did not feel these were unreasonable requests, nor did he, so Sam bought a Spot Tracker at REI and paid the subscription's costs of activation and tracking, plus he paid for the accompanying Lloyds of London insurance that went with it.
Sam has been planning this trip for at least the past year and possibly even longer—and I mean PLANNING. Down to the last little gnat, if you know what I mean. While he’s gone, he plans to take a bundle of photographs for at least one book he wants to write, and today I decided that I would keep a journal of sorts too, printing out each Spot Tracker message and the locator photos that go with it, so I can record Sam’s journey in my own way. For some reason, neither of us has ever been able to access the Spot Tracker shared Web page (I always get a “Server is busy, try again later” message), but that’s okay. I AM getting the E-mails whenever the beacon sends a message.
So Honey, have a great time! I know you wish I were there, and so do I, but that time will come. This is your time to do what you need to do, and those experiences should not always be shared with someone else—at least not at the moment when you are engaged in doing them. I look forward to hearing all about your journey and looking at all the incredible photographs when you return. I know they will be awesome.
Friday, September 3, 2010
The New Zombies
Tell me, am I the only one who is upset and annoyed by the current trend of so many people walking around with their noses glued to their cell phones? Whatever happened to life without constant interruptions and being continuously hooked up to everyone (that is, everyone else who’s plugged in) on the planet? Whatever happened to “normal” life, where you talked to the person who was in front of you, and actually looked at them and paid attention? I am very unhappy with and disturbed by this behavior. It reminds me far too much of the Borg of Star Trek Next Generation fame.
Who would have guessed that the telephone and the Internet would have such consequences? Not me. I happily got my first cell phone so I could call 911 if I fell off my horse on a trail ride (I used to ride by myself all the time—and I often still do) and to locate my husband Sam if I needed to ask or tell him something. It was a convenience to ME, and I rarely used it.
Likewise with the Internet: Sam and I got our first PC, courtesy of a friend who used to rebuild them and give them away (it was his hobby and way of giving back to others), because Sam was writing a book. Our friend Tim came by for a visit one afternoon and found Sam literally cutting and pasting his book copy on the living room floor and told Sam that there was a better way. The next thing we knew, we were signed up for Qwest dial-up and had our own E-mail accounts. Wow! Sam pretty much stuck to writing his book, but as for me, I was plugged into the world and everything I could ask for on the Internet. I jumped in and basically never looked back, shopping for Christmas presents and paying all my bills on-line—that is, until I got onto Face book. That is such an incredible time suck that I refuse to go there more than once a month, and I’m considering chucking it entirely, I hate it so much!
I really haven’t been unset with most incarnations of modern day Tech up to now. I feel comfortable with most of it in fact, happily playing my iPod Touch and watching TV shows on my dinner break at work, for example. I used to look forward to whatever E-mails all my friends would forward me every day like a kid on Christmas morning, and I spent a great deal of time reading, replying, and forwarding them on—that is, until my PC got a virus from one. That put a sudden end to enjoying all those attachments. Then too, it occurred to me that all of this was replacing real human interaction. Unlike many people, however, I don’t walk around plugged into my iPod all day long. In some ways, I think the iPod phenomenon may have been partly to blame for the current texting craze, but then who knows how it really got started?
Texting has gone beyond being a craze or an addiction. It is dangerous and absurd! Just the other day I watched a woman (and not a teenager) cross the street at a major intersection without glancing up even once from texting on her cell phone! I’m sure she believed she was perfectly safe, but seriously, I would never do that. If a car had come around the corner and hit her, she would have never known. Then there is the obvious danger of texting while driving. People who do that should have their licenses revoked, their heads examined, and their priorities re-evaluated—and that’s when they are on their own time. Doing social networking while on the job is just plain stealing, in addition to everything else.
Then there’s the appalling rudeness these folks exhibit. I’ve encountered it a number of times while at work with people who can’t put their phones down for the 30 seconds or so it takes to answer my questions and do my job, and I have to say I’ve completely lost patience with them. When they are ready to talk to me, then they can let me know, otherwise I’m not wasting my time being background noise. I’ve even had a couple of them who were really clueless accuse ME of being rude, because I refused to tolerate their rude behavior—and believe me, I’m not about to start.
No, zombies are no longer limited to being the shambling undead in the movies; they have pulses now, and you can find them practically everywhere. These are probably less aware of their surroundings than traditional zombies of Voodoo lore. Those at least knew what they were doing on an elementary level, and zombie-dom was usually not their fault. Maybe one day, medicine will advance to the point where they can just have their phones grafted onto their heads, or put on a special pair of contact lenses. This last is no joke—it’s new technology that’s in the pipeline, according to a brief segment I saw on the TV news not long ago. When that happens, my friends, no one will be safe. As the Borg always say, “Resistance is futile.”
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Definitions of Self
Due to a number of focused thoughts, movies, and magazine articles I’ve encountered recently, I began thinking about how we define ourselves as individuals. What makes us who we are? There are so many labels we can attach to ourselves, but the labels are always insufficient. In the end, what is it that captures the essence of each unique and irreplaceable identity that comprises humanity? Of course the answer, if there is one, is complex and not easy to find.
I’ve encountered this question before, most recently in having to write an “About the Author” piece for a book I have in the works. It’s not easy to talk or write about yourself without sounding pompous or boring. I mean, you can’t just write an “I was born on such and so, and I did this, and this, and this.” Come on! Who wants to read that drivel? Not me, I can tell you—and yet I had to come up with something that covered the ground without putting the reader to sleep or making me sound like a conceited ass.
Part of all this includes how we THINK about ourselves. For instance, I’m a wife; I am not a mother (of human kids anyway); I have a job; I have a dog and a horse; I have a car unique to me (yes, it’s customized); I grew up in a specific area of the country with a unique familial upbringing. All of those things would tell you a great deal about me—but that’s not who I am. I am not the political party I “belong” to (not at all!); I’m not the high school I graduated from, or the college(s) I attended. See what I mean? This is not easy to pin down!
After considering all the above-mentioned stuff about me, it occurred to me that perhaps the closest thing to what I would call “Me” is my mind and what goes on there: the thoughts, dreams, and aspirations that take up residence or just fly through, maybe taking me on to other thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. Am I the sum total of all the thoughts I’ve had in my lifetime, or am I what is there right now? Some of what was “there” in times past has since been rejected and replaced by other notions that I find more “at home” in my present circumstance. I’ve “changed my mind,” so to speak. Mind boggling, is it not?
Well, in the end, I had to finally compromise: I AM those labels I might pin on myself, but in addition, my mental and emotional world has to be given its own justifiable space too. I am a wife, employee, dog and horse mommy, writer—you name it. I am also the jumble of thoughts dealing with what I read in Scientific American this morning, Vogue Knitting the other day on my break at work, and Practical Horseman magazine that I digested last week. I am still pondering the movie Michael Clayton that I watched yesterday, as well as a movie trailer I saw two nights ago on Repo Men (Jude Law and Forest Whitaker). Are you getting dizzy yet? I sure am!
I’ve encountered this question before, most recently in having to write an “About the Author” piece for a book I have in the works. It’s not easy to talk or write about yourself without sounding pompous or boring. I mean, you can’t just write an “I was born on such and so, and I did this, and this, and this.” Come on! Who wants to read that drivel? Not me, I can tell you—and yet I had to come up with something that covered the ground without putting the reader to sleep or making me sound like a conceited ass.
Part of all this includes how we THINK about ourselves. For instance, I’m a wife; I am not a mother (of human kids anyway); I have a job; I have a dog and a horse; I have a car unique to me (yes, it’s customized); I grew up in a specific area of the country with a unique familial upbringing. All of those things would tell you a great deal about me—but that’s not who I am. I am not the political party I “belong” to (not at all!); I’m not the high school I graduated from, or the college(s) I attended. See what I mean? This is not easy to pin down!
After considering all the above-mentioned stuff about me, it occurred to me that perhaps the closest thing to what I would call “Me” is my mind and what goes on there: the thoughts, dreams, and aspirations that take up residence or just fly through, maybe taking me on to other thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. Am I the sum total of all the thoughts I’ve had in my lifetime, or am I what is there right now? Some of what was “there” in times past has since been rejected and replaced by other notions that I find more “at home” in my present circumstance. I’ve “changed my mind,” so to speak. Mind boggling, is it not?
Well, in the end, I had to finally compromise: I AM those labels I might pin on myself, but in addition, my mental and emotional world has to be given its own justifiable space too. I am a wife, employee, dog and horse mommy, writer—you name it. I am also the jumble of thoughts dealing with what I read in Scientific American this morning, Vogue Knitting the other day on my break at work, and Practical Horseman magazine that I digested last week. I am still pondering the movie Michael Clayton that I watched yesterday, as well as a movie trailer I saw two nights ago on Repo Men (Jude Law and Forest Whitaker). Are you getting dizzy yet? I sure am!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
How Time Flies!
I had the veterinarian out a couple of weeks ago to do my horse Hadarah’s teeth and got a shock. As many of you know, I’ve had horses in one way or another much of my life, and I’ve had Hadarah since she was six-months-old, so she’s like my kid—or at least the closest thing I will ever experience to having children. Anyway, when the vet asked how old she was, I thought she was about 23 or so. Since Hadarah is in really great shape, most people don’t think she’s even that old, so when I dug out her registration papers the other day, I got a surprise!—She’s 25! The vet thought she was in really terrific shape, even for 23, except for her teeth, that is, and I have to face the fact that one of these days Hadarah will become a gummer.
Now I’m reading up on how to take care of OLD horses, something I’ve not had to do before, since most of them never live long enough to need hay or complete-ration pellets and start viewing hay or grass merely as entertainment. I’m glad though, to know that even as an old horse, I can still continue to ride and enjoy my equine partner for many more years yet. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to those research institutions that have made this possible! It will indeed be a very sad day when Hadarah and I part company, and I’m happy to know that it’s still some years down the road.
All of this was in preparation to getting my own backside into the saddle again—something I haven’t done for about the past year. I’ve had my own health problems, but one of the main reasons why I quit riding was because my ortho Doc really scared me. Now, she knew when I got my total knee replacement several years ago that I planned to continue riding, and she didn’t tell me I couldn’t. What she did tell me was that I could NOT fall off, or I would break my leg right below where the prosthesis ends in my tibia. Well Jeez, that put the fear of God into me! Granted, I really don’t fall off anymore, unless there are mitigating circumstances, but one never knows when a horse might shy and there you are looking up from the ground! All the same, that news scared me to death, because what would I do then?
Well, I’ve chewed over this news for the past year or so. I continued to pay my horse’s board and buy her treats, but considering that horses are very expensive creatures to maintain under the best of circumstances (you don’t want to know how much the vet bill was for the teeth, general exam, and shots mentioned above), it rankled that I was now too scared to hop on and go for a ride—me, who has taken several years worth of riding lessons and paid out a small fortune buying horse tack through the years!
Finally, I just said, “To heck with it! Life is too short not to enjoy what we love! If I break my leg, I break it, and we shall just deal with it then! So there!” This week I’ve been on vacation, and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time every day with Hadarah—and yes, we have gone for some rides I loved it, and yes, it’s just like riding a bicycle—you never forget how!
Now I’m reading up on how to take care of OLD horses, something I’ve not had to do before, since most of them never live long enough to need hay or complete-ration pellets and start viewing hay or grass merely as entertainment. I’m glad though, to know that even as an old horse, I can still continue to ride and enjoy my equine partner for many more years yet. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to those research institutions that have made this possible! It will indeed be a very sad day when Hadarah and I part company, and I’m happy to know that it’s still some years down the road.
All of this was in preparation to getting my own backside into the saddle again—something I haven’t done for about the past year. I’ve had my own health problems, but one of the main reasons why I quit riding was because my ortho Doc really scared me. Now, she knew when I got my total knee replacement several years ago that I planned to continue riding, and she didn’t tell me I couldn’t. What she did tell me was that I could NOT fall off, or I would break my leg right below where the prosthesis ends in my tibia. Well Jeez, that put the fear of God into me! Granted, I really don’t fall off anymore, unless there are mitigating circumstances, but one never knows when a horse might shy and there you are looking up from the ground! All the same, that news scared me to death, because what would I do then?
Well, I’ve chewed over this news for the past year or so. I continued to pay my horse’s board and buy her treats, but considering that horses are very expensive creatures to maintain under the best of circumstances (you don’t want to know how much the vet bill was for the teeth, general exam, and shots mentioned above), it rankled that I was now too scared to hop on and go for a ride—me, who has taken several years worth of riding lessons and paid out a small fortune buying horse tack through the years!
Finally, I just said, “To heck with it! Life is too short not to enjoy what we love! If I break my leg, I break it, and we shall just deal with it then! So there!” This week I’ve been on vacation, and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time every day with Hadarah—and yes, we have gone for some rides I loved it, and yes, it’s just like riding a bicycle—you never forget how!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Gushing Continues
Like everyone else I know, I watch in agony and disbelief as the oil from BP’s destroyed Deep Water Horizon well continues vomiting crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It has been for the past 60 days—TWO MONTHS now! BP tells us the end is in sight—in August? Tell me, do any of you still believe anything BP’s talking heads have to say?
As bad as it is, I must tell you that this isn’t the worst oil spill ever—aside from the Exxon Valdez mess in Alaska, it’s only the best publicized. I guessed there were worse ones out there, since the Media was touting this one as “the worst in U.S. history.” Selective journalism, tsk, tsk. In case you are wondering, here is a list of the five worst oil spills on record, according to Mother Nature Network on-line:
1. The Gulf War = 360,000,000 gallons (about 100x the current BP spill)
2. Ixtoc 1 = 138,000,000 gallons
3. Atlantic Empress = 90,000,000 gallons
4. Nowruz Oil Spill = 80,000,000 gallons
5. Exxon Valdez = 10,800,000 gallons
We don’t yet know where the BP spill in the Gulf will finally stack up.
That this has become a political football should surprise no one. First of all, let me remind all of you that our troubles concerning federal support of Big Oil began many decades ago. Most of us never knew (or have forgotten) that the Bush family made its fortune in Texas oil, and always believed it was in its best interests to rubber stamp anything the petroleum companies wanted. You’ve heard of de-regulation? There was never much federal Reg-ulation to start with, and oil companies pay very little of the cost of doing business—WE pay for it, in the name of keeping the costs of oil exploration (and doing business) low. They pay no taxes, so you can see why this disaster is such a big deal—I mean aside from the actual disaster itself. It should not have surprised anyone that Elizabeth Birnbaum, the recent head of MMS (Minerals Management Service, the government agency charged with supervising oil companies operations) was so cozy with the oil companies (there are multiple accusations involving her and various employees of the agency) that she was forced to resign. None of this is new, and it is all inherited baggage from several previous Presidential Administrations, Democrat as well as Republican.
BP has been an especially notorious offender where worker’s rights and safety are concerned. It accounts for 97% of the violations OSHA has handed out over the past three years, amounting to a whopping total of 760 “egregious violations. In comparison, Sunoco and Conoco-Phillips each had 8, Citgo had two, and Exxon had only one during that time (OSHA). Most of us never heard about the explosion at the BP Texas refinery in March, 2005 or the leaks at their Prudhoe Bay pipeline almost one year later.
So, while some of us are cheering that President Obama secured $20 billion in an escrow account to help people and businesses hurt by this disaster, what is Rep. Barton (R) of Alabama saying? We owe BP an apology for such a shakedown? I thought I was going to vomit. This fund was put together so people could get the money BP owed them in a timely manner, without having to spend years in court haggling over whether they even had any claims. Remember the Exxon Valdez? After initially agreeing to pay all the costs associated with damages and clean-up, Exxon went to the courts for 20 years to fight it. When duly-elected representatives in this country are uttering such complete and asinine drivel, do they wonder WHY the people place no trust in them anymore? When you hear words such as these, there should be no question in your mind who this man calls his constituents—and it ain’t the people of Alabama who voted for him.
As horrible as this disaster is, I have to say that BP’s CEO Tony Hayward has made it seem even worse. Who could possibly be a more incompetent representative for his company than this unconcerned, self-indulgent, supercilious clown? The only thing he genuinely cares about is whether he will lose money—or maybe his job. If BP had been truly alarmed by the extent of the destruction, the company management (including Mr. Hayward) would have been down there in the trenches from the very beginning actively doing everything possible to contain this mess. They didn’t even have a real back-up plan in place (theirs was a rubber-stamped version from the Exxon Valdez spill, as evidenced by the fact that they planned to save endangered seals and walruses), plus the company representative named to call in emergencies had been dead for five years. There weren’t any relief wells in place, as is required in many places throughout the world, and only in the past few days has BP begun drilling them. Yes, Mr. Hayward, if you had been down there in your coveralls getting your hands dirty scooping up tar balls or cleaning pelicans, I could possibly forgive you—but you weren’t, were you? This week-end you were off to the Isle of Wight to watch your $450,000 yacht compete in a race. At least BP had the sense to finally put an American in charge of their claims process. Mr. Darryl Willis comes across like he cares, saying he volunteered for this assignment, because he was born and bred in Louisiana. Well Mr. Willis, if BP had come clean about the extent of this mess from the very beginning and called for all help possible, most of us would be lining up at your gas stations, rather than boycotting them! I sincerely hope your track record is an improvement over what we’ve seen so far.
So, I live way up here in Washington State (as do most of my friends). Like you, I’ve watched the daily newscasts with the “blow-by-blow” details and felt heartsick over the loss of wildlife, their habitat, and the complete collapse of a way of life that depends on fishing and tourism in the Gulf States. I’ve felt totally helpless in terms of giving any meaningful help in this situation. I mean, today we are actually planning on rescuing somewhere around 100 endangered manatees? Nobody ever figured it would come down to rescuing individual animals of this order. I don’t suppose we’re worried about saving sharks (then again, we probably are), but what about the coral beds, birds, turtles, dolphins, fish, and shrimp?—It boggles the mind. What on earth can I do? I know it almost sounds trite now, we’ve had so many unbelievable disasters this past year, but we CAN send money to organizations on the scene that are doing the work to clean up the Gulf and save wildlife. Here are a few responsible organizations that I personally endorse for donations:
The Louisiana Gulf Response Network (http://www.lagulfresponse.org/):
In the wake of the BP Oil Spill that is threatening our coast, local, regional and national conservation organizations are coordinating volunteers to assist in local, state and federal recovery efforts in Louisiana.
Our organizations - including
the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (http://www.btnep.org/home.asp),
the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (http://crcl.org/),
the National Audubon Society (http://audubon.org/),
the National Wildlife Federation (http://www.nwf.org/), and
The Nature Conservancy (http://www.nature.org/)
- are established, active advocates for the preservation and restoration of coastal Louisiana.
We are organizations with a history of on-the-ground work in Louisiana, and we are combining efforts and experience to implement an effective volunteer response and make a real difference in the BP Oil Spill recovery efforts.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Earth Day Revisited
I was so inspired after writing yesterday’s blog that I felt I had to add a bit more. For those of you who have decided you want to start living more responsibly, where do you start?
Okay, you’re doing the obvious things: using your own shopping bags, instead of plastic; recycling and reusing containers; maybe even driving a more energy-efficient vehicle. What about those “green” cleaning compounds I told you about? What about organic gardening? What about buying products more responsibly?
Recipes for household cleaning products are easily found on-line; or if you wish to just buy them, those are now available too. Just a few minutes ago I went on the Internet and did a Google search for “recipes: environmentally friendly cleaning products,” went to http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html , and downloaded their PDF of recipes for the most common cleaners. To be honest, I have to say I have not tried them myself, though you may remember how excited I was a few blog posts back when I discovered that plain rubbing alcohol was outstanding at cleaning up that greasy goo that collects on everything in the kitchen. No, I’ve taken the usual human way out and bought the Clorox Green cleaning collection (which is, by the way, backed by no less than the Sierra Club). I am excited about making some of these cleaners, because I really want to do as much as I can. Besides, it’s got to be less expensive, and I won’t be supporting some mega corporation that hasn’t necessarily been that green in the past. Money in my pocket and better for the planet at the same time; sounds like a deal to me.
What about getting a hybrid car? Toyota has made millions on sales of their Prius, and all the other car manufacturers are jumping on board. From BMW to Lexus and Chevy to Ford, models of every type of vehicle are now available as hybrids. Want a pick-up? The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab or Tahoe was made for you. What about and SUVs, America’s favorite type of vehicle? According to the Kelly Blue Book site on-line, there are now 16 models from a range of carmakers. Want a luxury hybrid? No problemo! Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz have stepped up to meet your needs. There’s even a luxury GMC Yukon for you.
But do you really NEED a NEW car? One thing I haven’t heard mentioned anywhere in all the hype about “Cash for Clunkers,” for example, is the fact that the manufacture of all those new cars is pretty polluting all on its own. Think about all the chemicals, etc. that go into making a car, and where does the energy come from to make it? Sorry folks, if it’s coming from coal-fired electrical plants, your “green” car ain’t so green anymore. Then there’s the electricity to charge the batteries. Does it come from a wind farm that is minimally polluting (those have environmental impacts of their own, but thankfully not ones involving so much CO2)—or does your electricity come from a coal-fired furnace? Some of us are really lucky, because our electrical energy comes from burning garbage, and I don’t even want to go there.
Everyone who drives a car can make sure it is running properly. Get a tune-up. That’s not beyond the reach of anyone. If you want a different vehicle, buy a used one that gets better gas mileage. The pollution from the manufacture of that vehicle went into the atmosphere a long time ago. And don’t drive anywhere you can reasonably walk. You probably need to get more exercise anyway, and being outside is not only healthier for you, but you will also look around and be more aware of the environment surrounding your home. Do you commute huge distances to your job? Consider getting a job closer to where you live, if at all possible. I know that it often isn’t, but it’s a consideration. You will be putting far less carbon into the atmosphere if you only drive six miles to work, rather than 25 or 30 miles every day. You will also be far safer, because one of the biggest risks in any of our lives is driving or riding in our cars. See if you can car pool. Many companies actively support carpooling, and in some places you can even get a free, fuel-efficient van from the state for the purpose of driving your group back and forth from work. One of the perks of carpooling is that you can drive in the car pool lane! Think of it: You can get to work much faster, less expensively, visit with people you know (hopefully they are friends), and save wear and tear on your own vehicle and nerves at the same time. You might consider taking the bus to your next destination, and then you won’t have to pay to park your car—or worry that it might be vandalized while you are there.
Well, I really need to wrap this up, but I think you can see how living a more green existence is well within the reach of anyone. It isn’t hard, and you don’t have to move away, live in a log cabin, and start eating nuts and berries—unless that’s what you really want to do! Just start doing something, and think about what you do. If you see some trash on the ground, pick it up. Use the KISS principle, and before long you will be coming up with ideas of your own that never even occurred to me!
Okay, you’re doing the obvious things: using your own shopping bags, instead of plastic; recycling and reusing containers; maybe even driving a more energy-efficient vehicle. What about those “green” cleaning compounds I told you about? What about organic gardening? What about buying products more responsibly?
Recipes for household cleaning products are easily found on-line; or if you wish to just buy them, those are now available too. Just a few minutes ago I went on the Internet and did a Google search for “recipes: environmentally friendly cleaning products,” went to http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html , and downloaded their PDF of recipes for the most common cleaners. To be honest, I have to say I have not tried them myself, though you may remember how excited I was a few blog posts back when I discovered that plain rubbing alcohol was outstanding at cleaning up that greasy goo that collects on everything in the kitchen. No, I’ve taken the usual human way out and bought the Clorox Green cleaning collection (which is, by the way, backed by no less than the Sierra Club). I am excited about making some of these cleaners, because I really want to do as much as I can. Besides, it’s got to be less expensive, and I won’t be supporting some mega corporation that hasn’t necessarily been that green in the past. Money in my pocket and better for the planet at the same time; sounds like a deal to me.
What about getting a hybrid car? Toyota has made millions on sales of their Prius, and all the other car manufacturers are jumping on board. From BMW to Lexus and Chevy to Ford, models of every type of vehicle are now available as hybrids. Want a pick-up? The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab or Tahoe was made for you. What about and SUVs, America’s favorite type of vehicle? According to the Kelly Blue Book site on-line, there are now 16 models from a range of carmakers. Want a luxury hybrid? No problemo! Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz have stepped up to meet your needs. There’s even a luxury GMC Yukon for you.
But do you really NEED a NEW car? One thing I haven’t heard mentioned anywhere in all the hype about “Cash for Clunkers,” for example, is the fact that the manufacture of all those new cars is pretty polluting all on its own. Think about all the chemicals, etc. that go into making a car, and where does the energy come from to make it? Sorry folks, if it’s coming from coal-fired electrical plants, your “green” car ain’t so green anymore. Then there’s the electricity to charge the batteries. Does it come from a wind farm that is minimally polluting (those have environmental impacts of their own, but thankfully not ones involving so much CO2)—or does your electricity come from a coal-fired furnace? Some of us are really lucky, because our electrical energy comes from burning garbage, and I don’t even want to go there.
Everyone who drives a car can make sure it is running properly. Get a tune-up. That’s not beyond the reach of anyone. If you want a different vehicle, buy a used one that gets better gas mileage. The pollution from the manufacture of that vehicle went into the atmosphere a long time ago. And don’t drive anywhere you can reasonably walk. You probably need to get more exercise anyway, and being outside is not only healthier for you, but you will also look around and be more aware of the environment surrounding your home. Do you commute huge distances to your job? Consider getting a job closer to where you live, if at all possible. I know that it often isn’t, but it’s a consideration. You will be putting far less carbon into the atmosphere if you only drive six miles to work, rather than 25 or 30 miles every day. You will also be far safer, because one of the biggest risks in any of our lives is driving or riding in our cars. See if you can car pool. Many companies actively support carpooling, and in some places you can even get a free, fuel-efficient van from the state for the purpose of driving your group back and forth from work. One of the perks of carpooling is that you can drive in the car pool lane! Think of it: You can get to work much faster, less expensively, visit with people you know (hopefully they are friends), and save wear and tear on your own vehicle and nerves at the same time. You might consider taking the bus to your next destination, and then you won’t have to pay to park your car—or worry that it might be vandalized while you are there.
Well, I really need to wrap this up, but I think you can see how living a more green existence is well within the reach of anyone. It isn’t hard, and you don’t have to move away, live in a log cabin, and start eating nuts and berries—unless that’s what you really want to do! Just start doing something, and think about what you do. If you see some trash on the ground, pick it up. Use the KISS principle, and before long you will be coming up with ideas of your own that never even occurred to me!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day, World!
Today is the 40th anniversary of the Earth Day celebration. It’s hard to believe it’s been around that long, and as one of the original OSPIRGers (Oregon State Public Interest Group, started by students at the University of Oregon in the 60’s with Ralph Nader’s backing), I have a great deal to cheer about, in terms of progress made and battles won for the environment in the intervening years. There is also a great deal not to cheer about.
I am not a fanatical environmentalist, but it saddens me deeply when I see natural areas devastated by private interests whose only concerns are making a quick buck, or trash thrown down by some uninvolved (and lazy) passerby. It takes so very little time, energy, and money to do a great deal of good; but it also (obviously) takes even less time and effort to do nothing. The thing that worries me, however, is how long it may take for Joe or Jane Q. Public to wake up and realize that there’s a problem. How long before they start doing anything to change? Anything at all would be a start!
Yes, we OSPIRGers got the Oregon Bottle Bill passed back in 1969 (I believe), which was immediately followed by several sister organizations springing up across the country pushing similar legislation through their respective state legislatures. Yes, we members of the Eastern Oregon Environmental Council (another college group I was part of—I was secretary, among other things) got out the write-in vote for S.T. Minam (Save the Minam—now a part of Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, where Sam and I spend a considerable amount of our vacation time) when our US Representative Al Ullman wanted to make it into a “multi-use area” years ago. He lost the election to S. T., backed off, and to the amazement of nearly everyone, worked to make the Minam River drainage part of the US Government Wild Rivers Act. Eagle Cap was made a Wilderness Area in the wake of the Minam River action, and there is even talk nowadays of making it into a National Park. See what can happen when YOU get involved? It even amazes me at times, but I didn’t do any of this myself. I was only one of many of concerned citizens who saw something happening that they believed was wrong—and got off their backsides and did something about it.
Much has been accomplished in the past 40 years, but so much remains that it’s enough to depress anyone into doing nothing. Now I live in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, and I hear news that grieves and disheartens me every single day. One of the symptoms of depression is a state of inaction, but I say what it should do is make me angry—very angry, and angry enough to fight about it.
One thing I learned while writing the posts about killer whales (orcas) is that they are not considered endangered world-wide, but the Puget Sound killer whales are, however—NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal agency focused on the conditions of the oceans and atmosphere) has placed them on their endangered list. We had a local population of 88, until eight of them simply disappeared in 2008—that’s 10% of our local killer whale population, folks! As far as I know, no one knows to this day what happened to them. This year five gray whales have died in Puget Sound thus far. I hear on the news that it is not unusual for this to happen as they migrate south from Alaska to their breeding grounds off Baja California, and this is an El Niño year, so the food chain in the Pacific Ocean is skewed. Not surprisingly, the post mortems have shown that these whales starved to death, but what is alarming is that their stomachs were full of plastic bags, sweat pants, and all manner of indigestible trash. Did they ingest this stuff along with whatever else they were eating, or were they eating it because that’s all there was? Either way, the answers are disturbing.
Sam and I recently vacationed in Pacific City, Oregon, and on the drive home we stopped at a little spot up the coast near Netart’s Bay. I don’t know the name of the place, but these people are engaged in research and growing oyster larvae for the big commercial outfits. They were kind enough to give us an impromptu tour (I got to look at two-day-old oyster larvae through the microscope! They look just like oysters, except they are transparent and swim around like crazy.), and a brief from-the-hip lecture on their concerns. National Geographic Magazine had been there just one week before filming, so these people know what they are talking about. They told us that there is a problem with the PH in the Pacific Ocean; it’s becoming too acid, and nobody knows why. Some people have some guesses, but no one knows for sure. Anyway, it doesn’t take much acidification to dissolve baby oysters’ shells, and that’s what’s happening all over the ocean, so if the problem isn’t solved soon—and I mean very soon—oysters may be extinct, because they can no longer reproduce viable offspring. You know, I had been worried about the environment before, but that news scared me.
The list of scary news could go on and on, but I don’t wish to bore you. What I would like to do instead is challenge those of you who read this to examine your lives and see what small changes you can make that will make a difference in the world around you. Pick up your trash and put it in the appropriate can, NOT the Recycle bin—AND put your recyclables in there. Don’t toss soda pop cans in the garbage. Aluminum cans take a great deal of energy (in the Great Northwest, that’s hydropower, elsewhere it’s coal-fired generators) to manufacture. Most solid waste companies, at least in the Puget Sound, don’t even require you to sort your recyclables anymore. Take your plastic bags to the store to be recycled—or better yet, replace them with your own tote bags. You can get them almost anywhere now, or even make your own. Keep that crap out of animals’ stomachs! And, when you buy products, buy environmentally friendly ones. With the huge push behind the Green Movement that’s been going on for the last couple of years, it’s easy to do. You may be quite surprised to learn that you can clean up the most horrible mess with simple, organic cleaning products, rather than buying the super-poisonous chemical ones we’re used to. You’ll SAVE MONEY too, while you’re doing the planet a favor. What could be easier than that? What could be better? Basically, just don’t be a planet slob. Be responsible, like a grown-up. You are one, aren’t you?
Monday, March 8, 2010
In Fairness, My Last Word
In the interest of fairness, I went to Sea World’s Website to check them out, and I did learn a few things. Since 1965 they have rescued and rehabilitated over 17,000 stranded, sick, or injured animals, and they do conduct an endangered species breeding program. You may be interested to know that Tilikum (I’ve been misspelling his name), also affectionately known as Tily, was caught in November, 1983 near Iceland—remember the US Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972? Apparently other nations don’t feel shy about violating it and then selling the whales to us (while the Marine Mammal Protection act put a stop to Pacific Ocean captures, it didn’t end those occurring near Iceland). Tily is currently the largest orca in captivity, weighing in at around 13,000 lb., or about six-and-a -half tons. At this moment, there are 42 captive orca whales (according to Wikipedia), and Tily is the sire of 15 of them per the most recent head count.
Blog posts at Sea World’s site are full of comments about the recent incident, but what interested me was that a number of people, including youngsters, stated how inspired they had been by the work being done there. One young person wanted to become a veterinarian, for example. I can honestly say I can applaud much of what the people at Sea World are doing. It is not cheap to rescue and rehabilitate wild animals, but that is not what is happening with the orca population there—or if whales are being rehabbed, that does not seem to be the main thrust of the program. Also, I wonder how much it costs to keep 29 orca trainers employed, not counting the staff required to take care of the animals. That can’t be cheap either. Trained killer whale shows are big business, and many people don't want to admit it.
I would sincerely like to know what kind of conditions these animals live in? Are they happy? Do they engage in a healthy social life, or are they isolated from each other-and if so, why and how often? These are questions I can’t answer without going there and seeing first-hand, and frankly, that won’t be happening, because I can’t afford it!
I could not find out how many shows are done weekly at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, but the (on-line only) purchase of a ticket to Sea World guarantees you one visit anytime within one year from the date of purchase. With that ticket you can visit a second time free within seven days of your initial visit. The price of an adult ticket on-line is $78.95, and a child’s ticket is $68.95. If you buy a ticket good for two parks, it will cost $109.95 for one adult and $99.95 for one child. The bonus is that with a multipark ticket, you get unlimited admission, plus free round-trip transportation between Sea World and Busch Gardens. Wow! That’s a pretty good deal, but at the same time, only available to people with the time and money to go there, and that leaves a lot of us out.
You might be interested to know that there is an effort being mounted to return Lolita, the solitary remaining whale at the Miami Seaquarium, to the wild in her native waters off Puget Sound. According to researchers, she still vocalizes in the unique language shared by the Puget Sound orcas—which NOAA has listed as endangered. Apparently the Board of the Seaquarium has not yet ratified the agreement put forward by the Orca Network ( http://www.orcanetwork.org/) , and based on what happened with Keiko, I question whether it is the right way to go. She should not have to remain isolated where she is, however, and I doubt many people would disagree with that.
Blog posts at Sea World’s site are full of comments about the recent incident, but what interested me was that a number of people, including youngsters, stated how inspired they had been by the work being done there. One young person wanted to become a veterinarian, for example. I can honestly say I can applaud much of what the people at Sea World are doing. It is not cheap to rescue and rehabilitate wild animals, but that is not what is happening with the orca population there—or if whales are being rehabbed, that does not seem to be the main thrust of the program. Also, I wonder how much it costs to keep 29 orca trainers employed, not counting the staff required to take care of the animals. That can’t be cheap either. Trained killer whale shows are big business, and many people don't want to admit it.
I would sincerely like to know what kind of conditions these animals live in? Are they happy? Do they engage in a healthy social life, or are they isolated from each other-and if so, why and how often? These are questions I can’t answer without going there and seeing first-hand, and frankly, that won’t be happening, because I can’t afford it!
I could not find out how many shows are done weekly at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, but the (on-line only) purchase of a ticket to Sea World guarantees you one visit anytime within one year from the date of purchase. With that ticket you can visit a second time free within seven days of your initial visit. The price of an adult ticket on-line is $78.95, and a child’s ticket is $68.95. If you buy a ticket good for two parks, it will cost $109.95 for one adult and $99.95 for one child. The bonus is that with a multipark ticket, you get unlimited admission, plus free round-trip transportation between Sea World and Busch Gardens. Wow! That’s a pretty good deal, but at the same time, only available to people with the time and money to go there, and that leaves a lot of us out.
You might be interested to know that there is an effort being mounted to return Lolita, the solitary remaining whale at the Miami Seaquarium, to the wild in her native waters off Puget Sound. According to researchers, she still vocalizes in the unique language shared by the Puget Sound orcas—which NOAA has listed as endangered. Apparently the Board of the Seaquarium has not yet ratified the agreement put forward by the Orca Network ( http://www.orcanetwork.org/) , and based on what happened with Keiko, I question whether it is the right way to go. She should not have to remain isolated where she is, however, and I doubt many people would disagree with that.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Addendum: The Tragedy of Captive Killer Whales
I did not mention this, but one thing I cannot emphasize enough is that $$MONEY$$ is the real motivator for much of what is happening with the captive killer whale population in the United States. People can excuse having them by the need to study and understand them—which I personally can agree is important. The fact remains, however, that if Grandpa and little Suzie weren’t willing to cough up the big bucks for those Sea World tickets, the shows would not be happening. If you disagree with me, let me remind you that three movies and a TV series were made about Keiko (or a fictional killer whale in part patterned after him), and another one is due out soon. If we were truly interested in learning how to communicate with them and in what they are really like as creatures, it seems to me that we’d be studying them more in their natural environment, and we certainly wouldn’t be training them to do tricks.
While SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is a noteworthy endeavor, what will happen if we ever do find someone out there? We’d better know how to communicate with someone other than ourselves (which we don’t do well either) if we have any dreams of it ending other than badly—for us. Remember The Day the Earth Stood Still starring Michael Rennie (1951), War of the Worlds starring Gene Barry (1953), or how about The Arrival, starring Charlie Sheen (1996)? I remember a Gahan Wilson cartoon in Playboy Magazine many years ago when I was in college that showed a huge gray amoeba-like alien oozing down the highway in the middle of a Southwestern desert scene, heading for a little restaurant on the horizon with a huge neon sign above it that said, “EAT.” If we do find intelligent alien life somewhere, we have a good chance of ending up just like our killer whales, unless they happen to be a benevolent species, such as the Vulcans in Star Trek: First Contact (1996).
The other thing I need to say is that I was taught from a very early age when working with the horses we had on our ranch not to EVER turn my back on a stallion. And, it’s never a good idea to turn your back on any animal that is larger, stronger, and faster than you. If they should decide to attack, then you have no clue it is coming until it is far too late. I was taught to never underestimate them, and to never take them for granted—no matter how much I loved them or thought they might love me. I ignored that advice a couple of times and was injured because I was foolhardy enough to do so. Lucky for me, I was not killed, but I have a hunch that Ms. Brancheau made this fatal error and paid dearly for it. A hunting animal will always look for the moment when the prey animal’s guard is down to move in, and who knows how Tillikum really regarded his trainers? An animal will never go against its true nature, and we disregard this fact at our peril.
Another thing to remember is that what may be play to them will harm us. I well remember one time when my six-month-old Arabian filly Mafdiy (whom I had been around since the moment of her birth) suddenly whirled around in front of me, kicked up her heels, and struck me on the point of the hip. I was her human "Mom," and I know it was intended as play, since we had been playing a version of Tag in the pasture, but she forgot that I was not just another horse. It was nothing more than a tap, but I was brought my knees in pain. It could have been far worse, and even then it was enough to hurt a great deal. She expressed afterwards that she was very sorry, but we never played like that again, and both of us learned a lesson.
I am reminded of an old Indian story which tells of a scorpion who wanted to cross a river, but he couldn’t unless he persuaded another animal to carry him across. None were willing to take him though, because he was a scorpion and would sting them and kill them. He was about to give up when finally a fox agreed to take him across, but he had to promise that he would not sting the fox. The scorpion said, “Well of course I won’t sting you! We’d both drown in the river and neither of us would get to the other side!” So the fox let the scorpion get on his back and swam into the river. All was going well, and they were about halfway across, when suddenly the fox felt a sharp prick in his back. In shock, he realized that the scorpion had stung him after all, and in a rage he screamed, “Scorpion, why did you sting me when you promised not to? Now we will both die, and it’s all your fault!” The scorpion said, “I know Fox, and I’m truly sorry; but you see, I’m a scorpion, it’s my nature to sting, and I couldn’t help myself.”
The Tragedy of Captive Killer Whales
The death of Dawn Brancheau, erstwhile trainer of Tillikum the Killer Whale, at Sea World on February 24, 2010 prompted a great deal of outrage on both sides of the question regarding wild animals performing in captivity, in particular killer whales. People wondered how an animal obviously beloved by its trainer could turn on her so unpredictably. According to her sister, Diane Gross, Dawn was living her dream and would never want any harm to come to the animal. She loved working with him.
Tillikum had in fact been implicated in the deaths of two other people prior to this incident, but Chuck Tompkins, head of animal training at all SeaWorld parks, in an interview with the CBS Early Show stated, “There wasn't anything to indicate to us that there was a problem.” Oh really? While with Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia, a trainer drowned in his enclosure, before he was sold as a breeding animal to Sea World in Orlando, Florida. Then in 1999 a man, who snuck into the facility during the night, was found dead of hypothermia in Tillicum’s tank one morning. There was no sign the whale actually killed him, though he did have bumps and bruises on his body. Neither of these deaths may have been “his fault”, but due to his blemished history, only a dozen of Sea World’s 29 trainers were allowed to work with him, and none were supposed to be in the water with him.
Remember Keiko? The killer whale who starred in the 1993 Warner Brothers movies Free Willy? The original movie was a blockbuster and was followed by Free Willy 2, and Free Willy 3, plus a short-lived animated TV series. A fourth movie is projected for release in 2010. Keiko was rescued from life in a dinky little swimming pool at Reino Aventura in Mexico City, his hide rotting away from skin lesions he’d developed due to poor health. Donations from Warner Brothers’ studio and Craig McCaw led to the establishment of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation in 1995 and with money sent in by thousands of school kids (and many others) in the U.S. who felt moved to help him, Keiko came to the U.S. where he received top-level care and where he became the star-in-residence for several years at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. Over $7 million dollars was spent to build a facility to house him and return him to health, and while at his home in Oregon, he regained over a ton in weight. People flocked to see him, and the country fell in love. Eventually an effort was mounted to return Keiko to the wild, where the hope was he could live out his days as Nature intended, and he was flown to Klettsvik Bay in Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland, where he was installed in a specially-built sea pen, to be re-trained to hunt for himself so he could be released to live with his own kind one day. Many felt that these efforts were misguided, if not downright ludicrous, and millions more dollars were spent in the effort to help him have a normal life.
Well, it was a fine and noble dream—but it failed, and Keiko, even though he was finally released, never joined up with a pod to live out his days as everyone hoped. Steinar Bastesen, a Norwegian politician of the time made International news when he said that Keiko should be killed and the meat sent to Africa as foreign aid! I believe the Norwegians realized it would be a huge PR faux pas if they followed up on this threat, but it does highlight how outrageous the entire venture had become. The fact remains that Keiko never learned to hunt again in order to feed himself, and he eventually died of pneumonia, beaching himself on December 12, 2003 at the age of 26 years. He was buried in a cairn of stones in Halsa, Norway, made by local Norwegian school children, and a memorial site remains there. In all, it was a very sad end for an animal much-beloved by millions of people—including me.
Fortunately, the US Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 made trapping wild killer whales illegal, because some people at least realized it was a mistake to take these creatures out of their element (many never survived being caught in the first place), stick them in little pools, oftentimes in complete isolation from others of their own kind, and then “train” them to perform for our pleasure. Nearly all of the killer whales seen performing now are bred in captivity—and Tillikum has sired a number of them, making him a very valuable commodity. The one figure I saw quoted regarding his worth was $2 million dollars.
The environment these creatures inhabit leaves much to be desired. Imagine being cooped up in a barren little room all alone for years at a time, with no contact with anyone but an alien creature that you can’t talk to. Then these beings engage you in training, so you can perform on command for treats, which is somewhat better than being bored out of your mind. What a complete and total insult to creatures of high intelligence with a complex social structure! The rest of the time they do things to you that you can’t understand. Don’t you think you’d go a little nuts? Don’t you think you’d be insulted, get angry, and rebel? I can say that, if I were placed in that situation, I’d probably have lost it long before Tillikum did—if that is truly what happened. In fact, taking a good look at this whole scenario is animal cruelty in my book.
The thing that annoys me most, however, is that of course the animal is always at fault when bad things happen. Anytime an animal does something to hurt or injure a human being, it is labeled as “bad,” a criminal, and since it is guilty of the ultimate sin, it must be destroyed. No matter who is really at fault, the animal is ALWAYS the one to suffer.
People forget entirely the nature of the creatures who share our lives—the majority of whom have had no choice whatsoever in the matter. We have taken them out of their natural habitat (sometimes even destroyed it), made them totally dependent on us, invested them with all sorts of unnatural thoughts and feelings we’ve projected on them, and then we are horrified when something bad happens. We forget too, that “just because we love them,” what the animal feels toward us is not necessarily love at all—and that they may be utterly mystified or frightened by what we do to them and act to defend themselves. Many of us think of them as little furry humans or our children. Heck, I’m a pet parent myself, but at least I realize that my dog is not a child—and my horse isn’t either. I don’t know why animals seem to like us, but for some strange reason they often do—at least until we prove we can’t be trusted and drive them over the edge to insanity.
I sincerely hope that a humane solution (what a euphemism!) can be found for Tillikum and the others of his kind in captivity, so they may live with others of their own kind and not be expected to perform tricks for the gratification of our children. Let them be what they are: killer whales—Orcas, for Pete’s sake—and stop vilifying Tillikum. Regardless of why he did what he did—and we may never know the real answer, it’s time to back off. As one researcher (I’m sorry, but I don’t know his name) said in a TV interview this past week, there are no recorded incidents of killer whales attacking human beings in the wild—where they belong. And, who wouldn’t rather see them there, swimming and hunting fish or seals with their pods? I know I sure would. Let’s clean up the environment where they ought to live!
Friday, February 5, 2010
PETA Has Done It Again
I can’t say I was overly surprised when PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, founded in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and boasting a membership of two million members world-wide) came out earlier this week saying it was cruel for Punxsutawney Phil (the official weather groundhog of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.) to be exhibited on Groundhogs Day, and that he should be replaced by a robot. Really? I should think PETA would be against the entire operation, but replacing him?--With a robot? Puh-leaze! It would be laughable, except they’re 100% serious.
First, let me say that Groundhog Day is one of my favorite holidays out of the year, precisely because it does involve these furry creatures. One look at Phil and you know that he is a pampered pet—and he doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest missing out on hibernation in favor of all the publicity. Not to mention that his home town rakes in the dough, thanks to Phil. Remember Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day? Losing Phil would put a major dent in the local bottom line, I’m sure. It would probably not be a good day for Phil, either.
What I want to know is where it will end with PETA? For an organization which equates the rights of a rat with those of a human boy, who knows? According to Wikipedia,
"PETA is an animal rights organization. It rejects speciesism, and the idea that animals may be regarded as property. It therefore opposes the use of animals in any form: in animal testing, as food, entertainment, clothing, furniture, decoration, companionship for people, seeing eye dogs for the blind, or as working in any form such as shepherding sheep. PETA would like for all animals to be completely free from dependency on humans to survive." (For more please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_for_the_Ethical_Treatment_of_Animals)
Please don’t misunderstand me, I am 100% behind them when they target abuses in research or the meat industry, for example, but I believe that some of what PETA takes exception to is way out of line. According to them, none of us could have pets anymore, no more service animals, nor could dogs be trained to sniff out drugs or explosives in order to protect us from terrorists. No more horseback riding, especially jumping over courses, no more . . . anything to do with animals! Gosh, I guess we wouldn’t need to worry about preserving endangered species anymore either. Forget the world going to the dogs, there would be nothing here but wall to wall people!
Nearly all of the people I know have had pets sometime during their lives or lived on farms, and aside from the occasional irresponsible person, have regarded their animals as trusted friends and companions. For some, their pets are more like their kids. Farm animals, which are expected to earn their way and eventually end up as food, are valued and cared for humanely, and yes, oftentimes even loved too. I don’t think I speak out of turn when I maintain that animals greatly enrich the quality of our lives just by being there. The few times I’ve been without a cat or dog to share my life have been lonely and miserable, because they give back something that the companionship of other humans does not. They don’t judge us, and they are always there and glad to see us, whether we’ve been gone five hours or five months. When they are finally gone, we are heartbroken, and the grief is just as real as for a human being. I remember every cat, dog, horse, and goat that has been kind enough to share my life, and I miss each and every one of them.
So PETA, please forget replacing Punxsutawney Phil with a dead thing made of electrical wires and plastic. No matter how realistic, it wouldn’t come within a million miles of being what Phil represents to the rest of us. To even make the suggestion makes me wonder if you truly care about animals at all. You certainly must have never loved one—or had one love you.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Uh-oh! My Inner Geek Is in Love Again!
I’m afraid it’s true. Those of you who know me won’t be surprised, since it was love at first sight with the iPod Touch, and I soon was the proud owner of a 32 GB version. I never went for the iPhone; somehow it just never grabbed me, but the Touch has been my constant companion ever since I forked over the roughly $500 purchase price several years ago. Looking back, I’d say I got my money’s worth.
Fast forward to 2010: I had always liked the idea behind Amazon’s Kindle (and I’m sure I must be one of their best customers), but I was never much enamored of its gray-scale interface, though it was kind of cute. Seeing as how I’ve always been an eclectic reader (and part of my lumbar scoliosis is due no doubt to the fact that I always hauled tons of books home from school as a kid), the idea of being able to pack all the books and magazines I wanted to read in a little e-Book reader was appealing. I maintained that I would buy one when it came out with color, which it seems was not to be—or at least Apple beat them to it.
As with the Touch, it won’t be cheap, but it supposedly will go far beyond even the Touch’s capability and be useful in gaming or even at work. Available in 16-, 32-, and 64 GB interfaces with Blue Tooth wireless, it weighs in at 1.5 lb. I hear that’s a bit heavy if you plan on watching a 30-minute TV show, but it beats the socks off my 4 lb. laptop. Battery life for video is 10 hours (or a once monthly charge if you only read print), according to Steve Jobs (the best I ever got on my iPod Touch was 7 hours, and that was playing music with the display turned off—not playing video), and my Dell or HP laptops have never done better than 2.5 hours. Wi-Fi capability will cost you an additional $130 for the hardware, no matter which version you buy, but monthly plans (through AT&T only) will be $14.99 for up to 250 mg or $29.99 for unlimited usage. That seems reasonable enough for just about anybody, assuming they can afford the unit in the first place.
And to think I was considering upgrading to the 64 GB Touch. Now I don’t think so. The iPad is supposed to start shipping in March. I think I may need one.
Fast forward to 2010: I had always liked the idea behind Amazon’s Kindle (and I’m sure I must be one of their best customers), but I was never much enamored of its gray-scale interface, though it was kind of cute. Seeing as how I’ve always been an eclectic reader (and part of my lumbar scoliosis is due no doubt to the fact that I always hauled tons of books home from school as a kid), the idea of being able to pack all the books and magazines I wanted to read in a little e-Book reader was appealing. I maintained that I would buy one when it came out with color, which it seems was not to be—or at least Apple beat them to it.
As with the Touch, it won’t be cheap, but it supposedly will go far beyond even the Touch’s capability and be useful in gaming or even at work. Available in 16-, 32-, and 64 GB interfaces with Blue Tooth wireless, it weighs in at 1.5 lb. I hear that’s a bit heavy if you plan on watching a 30-minute TV show, but it beats the socks off my 4 lb. laptop. Battery life for video is 10 hours (or a once monthly charge if you only read print), according to Steve Jobs (the best I ever got on my iPod Touch was 7 hours, and that was playing music with the display turned off—not playing video), and my Dell or HP laptops have never done better than 2.5 hours. Wi-Fi capability will cost you an additional $130 for the hardware, no matter which version you buy, but monthly plans (through AT&T only) will be $14.99 for up to 250 mg or $29.99 for unlimited usage. That seems reasonable enough for just about anybody, assuming they can afford the unit in the first place.
And to think I was considering upgrading to the 64 GB Touch. Now I don’t think so. The iPad is supposed to start shipping in March. I think I may need one.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Another Day in the Life
It’s been another soggy Seattle day. I hate to say that, because the rest of the week-end has been rather nice with lots of sun, and because so many people elsewhere think that’s ALL it does here. Today though has been downright wet. I’m sure the ducks, if there are any still here this time of year, love it.
Since I haven’t wanted to go outside, what have I been doing instead? I’ve been cooking, knitting, reading, and watching TV. It looks as though I may finish the sweater I’ve been working on since completing the baby blanket project, and I tried a new recipe. Last night we watched PBS’ Nova program on the Sphinx on Comcast On Demand (which has a companion article in this month’s Smithsonian magazine, by the way—if you get a chance, see both of them), plus a couple of Netflix rentals: The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007); and Babel (2006), starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Quite a juxtaposition of movies!
I rented The Silver Surfer because Sam and I used to be big comics fans many years ago (my own favorites being The Mighty Thor—Marvel Comics, 1970, scripted by Stan Lee’s brother Larry and penciled by Jack Kirby; and Conan the Barbarian—Marvel Comics, 1970, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. These are collector’s items, folks!), and because the Silver Surfer character was supposed to have some sort of cosmic significance—since I’d never read any of The Fantastic Four comics, I didn’t know what that was. If you’ve ever been to my house, you’ve probably seen the painting I’ve been working on of Odin, which was taken from an old back issue of Thor. Anyway, the Silver Surfer movie is extremely light-weight stuff and very comic-bookish, which was no doubt intentional. Stan Lee even has a cameo in it. Sorry guys, it was entertaining but not much more than that. There is probably a sequel planned, because we see the Surfer floating in space at the end of the movie, after he’s defeated Galactus and saved Earth from destruction. Tsk, tsk, I won’t be adding this to my library.
Babel is quite another story. I rented this movie because it had a number of Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and won a Golden Globe for Best Drama in 2006, but aside from those things, I had no idea what the story was about—except perhaps the obvious theme from the Biblical story regarding the Tower of Babel. The movie posits that humanity still suffers from confusion and the lack of communication, though according to New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott, October 27, 2006, in his review of the same name, emotion needs no translation. It is a moving story, and I don’t want to say too much in case you haven’t yet seen it. It is worth viewing, and I find myself still reflecting on it today.
Now let’s get to the recipe. This year I re-subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated magazine (they are the same folks who produce America’s Test Kitchen TV series), and part of the deal is weekly emails from them. This week there was mention of a recipe they had developed for beef enchiladas, which I had not prepared for some time (the last time I made it, I used a recipe from one of Betty Crocker’s cookbooks), so I went to their Website and downloaded it. Needless (perhaps) to say, I came up with my own variation of the recipe after preparing it once, and frankly, I think it’s better and easier to make than their version. I will share my version, and maybe you’ll be inspired to make it yourself:
Aunt Di’s Beef Enchiladas (Serves 4 to 6)
3 large (or 6 small) garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ lb beef flatiron or flank steak, cut in strips
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 (15-oz) or 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
½ C water
1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 C shredded medium Cheddar cheese
½ C chopped fresh cilantro leaves (a nice big handful)
1 C chopped, canned nacho jalapenos (I used the hot La Victoria ones that come in a jar. These are actually only about medium hot, or I couldn’t eat them. If you want milder chilies, you can buy them canned, though I’ve found those have hardly any flavor at all.)
12 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
Combine the minced garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Slice the flatiron or flank steak into strips against the grain and also set aside. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the meat until browned on all sides, about six minutes, and then transfer it to a plate. Cook the chopped onion in the pot until golden and then add the garlic/spice mixture. Cook this about a minute, and then add the tomato sauce and water. Bring sauce to a boil, return the meat to the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer it for about 1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender enough to break up with a spoon (if not, you’ll have to remove the meat and chop it up when you get to the next step).
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat oven to 350⁰ F. Strain sauce over a medium bowl to remove the meat and set it aside. In another medium bowl mix the meat with ½ cup each of the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, plus the chopped cilantro and jalapenos.
Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by spreading about ¾ cup of the sauce in the bottom. Microwave the corn tortillas for about a minute to soften them, and then spread about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture in each tortilla. Roll the tortillas and set into baking pan with seam sides down, and then ladle the remaining sauce over the top, being sure to cover all the tortillas. Spread the remaining cheese over the sauce, then cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake until fully heated—about 20 minutes. Remove foil and brown the cheese for another 5 minutes, then serve. Sour cream and/or guacamole make nice accompaniments, as does a tossed salad or other greens.
Note: The beef filling and sauce can be made ahead and the enchiladas rolled and baked just before serving.
I should tell you that when I asked the butcher at QFC about using blade steaks, as directed by Cook’s Illustrated, he told me, “No, no, no! You don’t want to have to be messing around boning out meat for this—just use a flatiron or flank steak and cut it against the grain before you cook it.” Well, I took his advice and was not sorry, though I did have to chop the meat before making the enchiladas. Enjoy! This is great comfort food for a cold rainy winter day.
Since I haven’t wanted to go outside, what have I been doing instead? I’ve been cooking, knitting, reading, and watching TV. It looks as though I may finish the sweater I’ve been working on since completing the baby blanket project, and I tried a new recipe. Last night we watched PBS’ Nova program on the Sphinx on Comcast On Demand (which has a companion article in this month’s Smithsonian magazine, by the way—if you get a chance, see both of them), plus a couple of Netflix rentals: The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007); and Babel (2006), starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Quite a juxtaposition of movies!
I rented The Silver Surfer because Sam and I used to be big comics fans many years ago (my own favorites being The Mighty Thor—Marvel Comics, 1970, scripted by Stan Lee’s brother Larry and penciled by Jack Kirby; and Conan the Barbarian—Marvel Comics, 1970, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. These are collector’s items, folks!), and because the Silver Surfer character was supposed to have some sort of cosmic significance—since I’d never read any of The Fantastic Four comics, I didn’t know what that was. If you’ve ever been to my house, you’ve probably seen the painting I’ve been working on of Odin, which was taken from an old back issue of Thor. Anyway, the Silver Surfer movie is extremely light-weight stuff and very comic-bookish, which was no doubt intentional. Stan Lee even has a cameo in it. Sorry guys, it was entertaining but not much more than that. There is probably a sequel planned, because we see the Surfer floating in space at the end of the movie, after he’s defeated Galactus and saved Earth from destruction. Tsk, tsk, I won’t be adding this to my library.
Babel is quite another story. I rented this movie because it had a number of Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and won a Golden Globe for Best Drama in 2006, but aside from those things, I had no idea what the story was about—except perhaps the obvious theme from the Biblical story regarding the Tower of Babel. The movie posits that humanity still suffers from confusion and the lack of communication, though according to New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott, October 27, 2006, in his review of the same name, emotion needs no translation. It is a moving story, and I don’t want to say too much in case you haven’t yet seen it. It is worth viewing, and I find myself still reflecting on it today.
Now let’s get to the recipe. This year I re-subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated magazine (they are the same folks who produce America’s Test Kitchen TV series), and part of the deal is weekly emails from them. This week there was mention of a recipe they had developed for beef enchiladas, which I had not prepared for some time (the last time I made it, I used a recipe from one of Betty Crocker’s cookbooks), so I went to their Website and downloaded it. Needless (perhaps) to say, I came up with my own variation of the recipe after preparing it once, and frankly, I think it’s better and easier to make than their version. I will share my version, and maybe you’ll be inspired to make it yourself:
Aunt Di’s Beef Enchiladas (Serves 4 to 6)
3 large (or 6 small) garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ lb beef flatiron or flank steak, cut in strips
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 (15-oz) or 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
½ C water
1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 C shredded medium Cheddar cheese
½ C chopped fresh cilantro leaves (a nice big handful)
1 C chopped, canned nacho jalapenos (I used the hot La Victoria ones that come in a jar. These are actually only about medium hot, or I couldn’t eat them. If you want milder chilies, you can buy them canned, though I’ve found those have hardly any flavor at all.)
12 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
Combine the minced garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Slice the flatiron or flank steak into strips against the grain and also set aside. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the meat until browned on all sides, about six minutes, and then transfer it to a plate. Cook the chopped onion in the pot until golden and then add the garlic/spice mixture. Cook this about a minute, and then add the tomato sauce and water. Bring sauce to a boil, return the meat to the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer it for about 1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender enough to break up with a spoon (if not, you’ll have to remove the meat and chop it up when you get to the next step).
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat oven to 350⁰ F. Strain sauce over a medium bowl to remove the meat and set it aside. In another medium bowl mix the meat with ½ cup each of the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, plus the chopped cilantro and jalapenos.
Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by spreading about ¾ cup of the sauce in the bottom. Microwave the corn tortillas for about a minute to soften them, and then spread about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture in each tortilla. Roll the tortillas and set into baking pan with seam sides down, and then ladle the remaining sauce over the top, being sure to cover all the tortillas. Spread the remaining cheese over the sauce, then cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake until fully heated—about 20 minutes. Remove foil and brown the cheese for another 5 minutes, then serve. Sour cream and/or guacamole make nice accompaniments, as does a tossed salad or other greens.
Note: The beef filling and sauce can be made ahead and the enchiladas rolled and baked just before serving.
I should tell you that when I asked the butcher at QFC about using blade steaks, as directed by Cook’s Illustrated, he told me, “No, no, no! You don’t want to have to be messing around boning out meat for this—just use a flatiron or flank steak and cut it against the grain before you cook it.” Well, I took his advice and was not sorry, though I did have to chop the meat before making the enchiladas. Enjoy! This is great comfort food for a cold rainy winter day.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
I'm Ba-a-ack!
Hello again to all my friends and Happy New Year! Christmas and the old year are behind us at last, so now we can move forward, hopefully to a better future filled with many good things. I’ve been quite busy these last few months, though not with writing—as you are aware, since I’ve scarcely written anything on my blog for ages. No, I’ve been knitting or crocheting baby blankets for several co-workers’ new arrivals, not to mention Christmas presents I made for friends. Whew! Now I can finally turn my attention to something else.
It feels good to be writing again. There were a number of times I almost sat down and blogged, but then something would interrupt, or I just didn’t have the time, or the time was past regarding what I wanted to write. Well, no more!
For example, I was in my kitchen cleaning the other day and discovered something fantastic. I felt so smug; I wanted to share my discovery with you. You know that nasty layer of grease and dust that settles over everything in the kitchen? I found out how to get rid of it! Honestly, I’ve bought all kinds of super-duper grease-and-dirt-fighting products through the years, but most household cleaners just smeared it around—that is, if they touched it at all. Plain old soap and water, which is good for most cleaning, won’t cut it, but the amazing wonder cleaner I discovered right in my bathroom medicine cabinet will: Rubbing Alcohol. Imagine that! No kidding! It’s fabulous!
I had thought of writing a blog on Holiday movies in the same vein as my Halloween movie review, but I got involved watching them, and before I knew it, the Holiday season was marching along rather fast. I had loads of other things I needed to get done, so the blog on Holiday movies will have to wait until NEXT season. In the meantime I shall continue my research.
It went like that with a number of ideas. Believe me, nobody cares about Halloween movies on November 1st, unless they’re dyed-in-the-wool horror movie fans. I came up with a few new recipes, which I may share eventually, but I need to get them properly written down first. There were some Thanksgiving reflections among other things, and even a few thoughts regarding the professional sports scene up here. What I wrote has been saved for future reference.
The real killer where my writing is concerned, however, is that this year I became a serious knitter. I’m not joking! Most people’s stereotype of a knitter is some little granny sitting in her rocking chair by the fireplace knitting socks. Man, that is so yesterday! Today’s knitter may still knit socks (it’s all the rage now), but there is so much more going on in the knitting scene. There are shelves of books on knitting and knitting patterns at the library, not to mention more than a dozen magazines that I know of devoted to the subject. Some of them target teenage knitters and several carry high fashion designs, in addition to homier projects such as afghans, shawls, dishrags, or socks. The patterns, stitches, and process are fascinating. I subscribe to six magazines now myself.
Then there’s the yarn. That’s IF you decide to buy it, rather than spin your own (that’s the rage too). You can literally buy any kind of yarn you can dream of, in any color, from any part of the world, at any price you wish to pay. There is that much variety out there; and if you can’t go to the store, then the store can come to you via catalogs or the Internet. All that demand has a huge impact. I’ve been told that the Chinese government is farming so many of the goats that produce cashmere fiber that you can see the denuded pastureland from outer space.
New fibers are “in” too. There’s yarn made from bamboo fiber, even from corn, and some very rare animal fibers (e.g. qiviut from the arctic musk ox) are on stage now. In addition, there’s llama, alpaca, and bison—or if you’re really adventurous (tsk, tsk), you can save fur combed from your pets, send it off, and it will be made into yarn for you. If you’re like me and grew up knitting Red Heart acrylic (there was something else?), the new yarns will knock your socks off. They are wonderfully soft and beautiful, especially the hand-painted ones, but holy moly are they ever expensive. You get ruined though, and it’s so hard to go back to scratchy old acrylic (no matter how cheap) after knitting a lacy scarf in a wonderful teal color from Rowan’s “Kidsilk Haze” and Debbie Bliss’ “Cashmerino!” Once you’ve gone there, there’s no going back.
No, I won’t stop knitting. But I’ve got to write too, so discipline will have to prevail. You know, “moderation in all things.” Besides, I’ve got bundles of yarn I’ve bought for projects pending just waiting for me.
It feels good to be writing again. There were a number of times I almost sat down and blogged, but then something would interrupt, or I just didn’t have the time, or the time was past regarding what I wanted to write. Well, no more!
For example, I was in my kitchen cleaning the other day and discovered something fantastic. I felt so smug; I wanted to share my discovery with you. You know that nasty layer of grease and dust that settles over everything in the kitchen? I found out how to get rid of it! Honestly, I’ve bought all kinds of super-duper grease-and-dirt-fighting products through the years, but most household cleaners just smeared it around—that is, if they touched it at all. Plain old soap and water, which is good for most cleaning, won’t cut it, but the amazing wonder cleaner I discovered right in my bathroom medicine cabinet will: Rubbing Alcohol. Imagine that! No kidding! It’s fabulous!
I had thought of writing a blog on Holiday movies in the same vein as my Halloween movie review, but I got involved watching them, and before I knew it, the Holiday season was marching along rather fast. I had loads of other things I needed to get done, so the blog on Holiday movies will have to wait until NEXT season. In the meantime I shall continue my research.
It went like that with a number of ideas. Believe me, nobody cares about Halloween movies on November 1st, unless they’re dyed-in-the-wool horror movie fans. I came up with a few new recipes, which I may share eventually, but I need to get them properly written down first. There were some Thanksgiving reflections among other things, and even a few thoughts regarding the professional sports scene up here. What I wrote has been saved for future reference.
The real killer where my writing is concerned, however, is that this year I became a serious knitter. I’m not joking! Most people’s stereotype of a knitter is some little granny sitting in her rocking chair by the fireplace knitting socks. Man, that is so yesterday! Today’s knitter may still knit socks (it’s all the rage now), but there is so much more going on in the knitting scene. There are shelves of books on knitting and knitting patterns at the library, not to mention more than a dozen magazines that I know of devoted to the subject. Some of them target teenage knitters and several carry high fashion designs, in addition to homier projects such as afghans, shawls, dishrags, or socks. The patterns, stitches, and process are fascinating. I subscribe to six magazines now myself.
Then there’s the yarn. That’s IF you decide to buy it, rather than spin your own (that’s the rage too). You can literally buy any kind of yarn you can dream of, in any color, from any part of the world, at any price you wish to pay. There is that much variety out there; and if you can’t go to the store, then the store can come to you via catalogs or the Internet. All that demand has a huge impact. I’ve been told that the Chinese government is farming so many of the goats that produce cashmere fiber that you can see the denuded pastureland from outer space.
New fibers are “in” too. There’s yarn made from bamboo fiber, even from corn, and some very rare animal fibers (e.g. qiviut from the arctic musk ox) are on stage now. In addition, there’s llama, alpaca, and bison—or if you’re really adventurous (tsk, tsk), you can save fur combed from your pets, send it off, and it will be made into yarn for you. If you’re like me and grew up knitting Red Heart acrylic (there was something else?), the new yarns will knock your socks off. They are wonderfully soft and beautiful, especially the hand-painted ones, but holy moly are they ever expensive. You get ruined though, and it’s so hard to go back to scratchy old acrylic (no matter how cheap) after knitting a lacy scarf in a wonderful teal color from Rowan’s “Kidsilk Haze” and Debbie Bliss’ “Cashmerino!” Once you’ve gone there, there’s no going back.
No, I won’t stop knitting. But I’ve got to write too, so discipline will have to prevail. You know, “moderation in all things.” Besides, I’ve got bundles of yarn I’ve bought for projects pending just waiting for me.
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