in the present time...

Canadian Health Care

2010-02-14T13:46:00.009-06:00

If the Canadian model of health care is so poor, why do they live longer than us (81.2 vs. 78.1, according to the WHO)?

First let me say that living longer doesn't necessarily living a GOOD long life, but the chart above shows that Canadians also have more healthy years than US residents.

Perhaps the disparity is because although many US residents may get slightly better treatment for their ailments than they would in Canada, ALL Canadians get the treatment they NEED. Maybe - maybe not.

The answer probably is more true that Canadians live healthier lives, NOT that their healthcare is any better (or worse). See the graph below, which shows the percent of citizens who are obese.

According to Carrie Dalhberg of the Sacramento Bee, we might get better longevity results if, instead of putting attention on extending medical care to everyone, we put our attention on more systemic problems:

When taken all together, the other factors that play a bigger role [if health] include education, income, toxins in the environment, crime, violence, family structure, stress, obesity, nutritious food and exercise.

It's no surprise that the people who don't have health care in the US also are more likely to suffer from the systemic challenges Dahlberg refers to.

Income disparity in the US is a prime reason for the lack of access to health care, but again that is not the real issue (but please don't hear me saying that I don't desire reform). A typical US view is that buying the "thing" will solve the problem. If we could just get more people to get access to this special "thing" that is so valuable (because it costs money), then we can solve our problem.

But it's not so much a thing we can acquire so much as it is a list of behaviors we should engage in:

Exercise
Eat healthier foods
Quit smoking
Minimize stress

To a large extent these are choices we must make. For example, I have eaten the large part of three King Cakes this Mardi Gras season. My bad. They taste good and they are oh so accessible thanks to modern food processing. I am programmed to eat more of that stuff than I should and it's just a battle we must all fight. Personal responsibility is a huge piece of this.

To another extent, the above problems are created/exacerbated by the income inequality in the US. The cheapest food is the "fakest" food - chock full of artificial ingredients and chemicals. The cheapest food is highly processed and highly calorie dense and makes people fatter faster than unprocessed food. We know that more educated people smoke less. That's not to say that education necessarily stops smoking, but I believe the socioeconomic link is very strong.

To sum up: Put down the doughnut, be less stingy with your tax dollars, and vote to ensure those tax dollars are spent on smart, robust, and equitable educational programs (in my view, the key to socioeconomic equality).

Obesity Data - http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

Taylor Swift VS Lady Gaga

2010-02-12T08:02:00.012-06:00

Having been a Lady Gaga fan, I was somewhat stunned that someone I viewed as immature and less sophisticated would win the best album Grammy. So, I grabbed my wife's copy of Taylor Swift's Grammy winning Fearless album and began to listen. Here's what I figured out.

The Vitals

Swift: 20 years old Gaga: 23 years old. Both women are young, precocious songwriters and performers, and grew up in financially stable - if not affluent - home environments. Both play instruments with skill (Gaga - piano, Swift - guitar).

Voice

Taylor Swift has a powerful, rich voice. She demonstrates is on a range of songs in her music and it is prominently featured in the mix.

Lady Gaga has a powerful, rich voice (see "Speechless"), but she doesn't flex that power as much on her dance tracks.

Winner: Taylor Swift. Their voices may be equally amazing, but Swift shows hers off more on her album.

Persona

Taylor Swift has a wholesome appeal. She has a good deal of innocence and although she is 20 years old, she comes off as very young and for me it's not hard to imagine her as a high school student. Her attire is typical of someone her age. In interviews, she seems to be an ordinary person who appears very grounded.

Lady Gaga falls on the other side of the continuum - her lyrics can be jaded, emotionally inert, and somewhat aggressive. Although she is 23 years old, it's not hard to imagine her lyrics coming from a 30-something bitter divorcee. She doesn't need men - they need her. As an artist, she projects a very progressive image with her attire being exceptionally creative. It also contributes to the idea that she is inaccessible emotionally. She appears to be very devoted to her wardrobe creativity. She can show more of her body than is commonly accepted in US culture. In interviews, she appears to be fairly down to earth and opens up much more than you'd expect based on her music, giving much affection to her fans, and downplaying her fame and demonstrating modesty in her talent. She occasionally uses her fame to discuss social issues such as gay rights.

Winner: Lady Gaga. As an artist I find her much more interesting. However, this would not factor in a Best Album vote.

Songwriting

Both artists are the primary songwriters on their albums.

Taylor's songs nearly always relate to romantic relationships, and often specifically relate to cheating, breakups, or some other love triangle. The lyrics often reveal a story. Her musical arrangements are fairly simple. Instrumentation involves a fairly routine cast of sounds - strumming guitars, some electric guitar, piano, organ, and violin. Swift's music can be upbeat, touching, or plaintive. Lyrically, Swift wears her heart on her sleeve. Her songs have a lot of variety across songs (fast/slow, happy/sad, upbeat/slower) but not a lot happening within each song.

Consistent with her persona, Lady Gaga's music represents a large difference from Swift on many dimensions. Lady Gaga's songs often relate to aggressive pursuit of relationships with men, whereas Swift is more pleading and hoping. While shallower than Swift's lyrical content, I often find it more enjoyable because it is simple and catchy. Unlike Swift, her lyrics rarely tell a story or take you on any kind of journey. Occasionally she touches on personal topics such as relationships. Her arrangements are a bit more complex than Swift's and she uses a wider array of sounds in her music. However, across her songs, Gaga's sound is more consistent, where Swift shows a good bit of variety from song to song. Gaga's music tends to be more upbeat and energizing - like most good dance music. Unlike Swift's heartfelt lyrical sentiment, with Gaga, you're probably just seeing a protective outer coating - not the real Gaga.

Winner: Swift wins on lyrics, song structure, and song variety. Lady Gaga's music is more interesting sonically, the songwriting is very strong, and I would actually prefer to listen to Gaga's music because it's more fun and interesting, but critically I understand that Swift's album may be a greater collection of songs.

Lyrical Sample

Taylor Swift: "You be the prince and I'll be the princess" "She wears high heels I wear sneakers, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers"

Lady Gaga: "Cherry cherry cherry boom boom" "Loving me is like chewing on pearls"

Conclusion

The fact is that right now I would prefer to listen to Lady Gaga because of the upbeat energy, sonic variety within each song, and the depth of her persona. But, I really do appreciate Taylor's talent, personality, and the results of her effort, which are usually very enjoyable.

This leads me to the question - why does a given person prefer one type of music to another? What accounts for musical taste?

Agriculture is Killing Me

2010-02-07T22:02:00.005-06:00

Was humankind's shift toward agriculture a mistake?

This article suggests that our transition from a hunter-gatherer society to a society bound by agriculture was actually detrimental to us in many ways.

It seems as though we traded a relaxing existence of relative equality and happiness for a stressful, competitive, oppressive, divisive, and biologically harmful way of life.

I would think our lives are certainly longer thanks to our economic development and we have been able to answer many of our age-old scientific questions thanks to innovations which were only possible because of industrial productivity. But are we happier? Do we have a net gain in quality of life?

I got started on this line of thinking thanks to a great profile of a current-day hunter-gatherer society living in Tanzania I read in National Geographic.

I work 40 hours a week. I spend 5 more hours away from my home eating lunch. I spend another 5 hours each week traveling to and from work. Add another 5 hours each week preparing for my office job, which requires shaving, ironing, careful selection of attire, and preparation of each day's lunch. That's 55 hours each week devoted to work. That total could easily approach 80 if I had a more demanding job, my home were in the suburbs, and if I required more time to primp myself for work.

Does having an iPhone justify all that labor? How about a flat-screen TV? Don't forget about the added health problems that come along with sustaining the cycle of work and consumption.

I'm not saying I want to gather nuts and live outdoors, but it gives one pause.

Cash Influence in Democracy

2010-02-06T17:25:00.021-06:00

Democracy is terrific. You get a vote, your neighbor gets a vote, every person gets a vote.

But every day money is pumped into the democratic system without your active participation.

If you own corporate stock, are a union member, or are a member of a professional association (e.g., Association of Realtors, Society for Human Resources Management), then your membership dues or ownership dollars are being used to fund political candidates and issues which you oppose. I guarantee that.

Of course, such organizations advocate on your behalf and many of the issues they promote are in your interest. But do you agree with all the issues on their respective agendas? Independent of your membership in the organization, would you have sent money to a political candidate, party, or PAC to support issues you oppose? Is your professional association or corporation pushing only issues that you agree with? No. No. No.

Money Gets a Vote

Candidates and issues that are the best financed get on the ballot. Elected officials, who plan on keeping their jobs, depend on money for re-election. While in office, those officials behave in ways that help ensure the steady flow of cash for their next campaigns. In fact, they spend time away from their official jobs raising those necessary funds.

Clearly, the deepest pockets will be able to flex their influence far more powerfully than less well endowed folks.

(See Open Secrets for the rest of this list and info on top donors - http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php)

I think it's time to severely curtail the influence of money in the political process.

Reasons to End Corporate (and Many Other) Financial Influences in Democracy

There are five reasons I can think of that for-profit corporations should not be permitted to influence the democratic process in any way and/or heavily regulated in doing so. Many of these reasons also apply to labor unions and professional organizations. To the extent that these reasons apply to any organization, I believe money should not be permitted to flow to political donations.

(1) corporate democracy is an illusion
(2) the choice that people have when investing is a false one
(3) owning corporations/joining an organization is not an inherently political statement/action
(4) for a large segment of the population with very specific and related characteristics, there are barriers to participating in corporate ownership
(5) corporations have un-democratic advantages in the political process

Corporations are Not Democratic

As an owner of many corporations, you have a vote. But there are large institutional investors with much more important votes. Therefore, you can hardly expect any corporation in which you invest to be responsive to your needs. So you could take my money elsewhere, right?

"Just Take Your Money Elsewhere" is a False Choice

Corporations all play by the same rules. Don't you want to invest in the biggest, strongest corporations that play as close to the rules as possible without violating them? I sure do. My future financial security is at stake here and that is serious business (especially when you consider that my middle class is losing ground each day). However, that does not mean that I want the rules by which all corporations play to be relaxed in such a way that violates my values. I want the democratic process to set the rules, and then I must invest in the for-profit corporations who take the best advantage of those rules.

Even if investing my money elsewhere WERE a fair option, who has time to research and verify which corporations even match my values anyway (assuming that could even be known or possible)? Partly because of the lack of transparency and accountability mentioned above, and partly because we are all busy people, forcing me to research my investments this way is not reasonable.

The choice we should be discussing is how the rules of business are defined, not forcing investors to use their investment dollars to both secure themselves financially AND figure out how to make a political statement.

Owning a Corporation is a Private Financial Action, not a Public Democratic Action

If I buy a hot dog, I don't do that because I want money going to the hot dog industry. Of course the hot dog shop owner can use his profits however he wants. And when I buy a piece of General Electric, I also do not want the money going to loosen environmental laws or weakening labor organizing regulations. That's especially true since in these examples I am consuming the hot dog but I am OWNING the General Electric. These are things I do privately and I don't expect them to have political ramifications. Nor should they.

For Many, Barriers Exist to Investing

Barriers to democracy should not exist. It's fairly easy to vote (especially if you have a cushy desk job and a car to bring you to the polls). Every citizen (felons excluded) gets to vote and everyone gets ONE vote. However, some people simply cannot afford to cast another vote by investing in for-profit corporations. Some might have the extra loose change to invest, but they may have no clue how to go about doing that or they may not understand what it means to own stock. Some may have the extra funds AND understand investing but they may need more immediate access to their money since they live on a tighter budget. Many people are not lucky enough to work for employers who contribute EXTRA money into retirement funds, which are usually corporate investments. There are people don't receive stock options in their jobs.

Our poorer, less educated citizens tend to be the people described above. If corporations are allowed to influence the political process with their powerful resources, those citizens are at a democratic disadvantage.

Corporations Have Other Advantages

The corporation has one goal - to make money. And the corporation becomes an actor in the democratic process through lobbying, political donations, etc. The for-profit corporation shares a singular goal -- profit -- with its fellow for-profit corporations, so they bring an enormous influence in the direction of some similar agendas which are not necessarily in the best interest of a majority of citizens:

- Minimal regulatory oversight of environmental issues
- Minimal rights for people to organize to improve their bargaining power as employees
- Minimal product oversight
- Minimal rights for employees in general

But Doesn't Money Help Challenging Candidates Get Name Recognition?

Yes. But if the incumbent is performing satisfactorily, what is the problem?

Closing

I wish I had a solution to this problem. It appears that legislation or constitutional admendments may be required to movie this issue forward.

Contact the White House with your feedback. Contact your elected officials. Contact the organizations you are members of and the corporations you own. Sadly, one feature of our large, complex society is that access to decision makers is very difficult. I believe that unless change is effected, the larger and more complex society becomes, the less democratic it will be.

Fruitless Human Pursuit #2: Business Attire

2010-02-04T07:54:00.005-06:00

Why the tie?

I like ties in part. They add color to men's usually boring stock of tan, blue, and grey.

But couldn't we adorn ourselves in a more comfortable manner? It even looks like a metaphor for being under "the man's" control. I mean, what better way is there to signal that you've given your weekdays over to a master institution for the promise of a (hopefully) consistent paycheck than to tie a snugly fitting knot around your neck and letting the remaining fabric hang down like a leash for easy manipulation.

Silky and Delicate Fabrics

They resist wrinkles, but are they much protection in the cold? If they get a stain, are they inexpensive to replace? If you bump into something rough, are they durable to resist scuffing or tearing? Do insects enjoy eating them (as in the case of wool, a common suit fabric)? Do they look good if they aren't ironed? Do they make sense for humans to wear?

The answer to all of the above is "no."

Shiny Leather Shoes

Our office lives are very cushy. They don't challenge us with physical activity. Why not embrace the sedentarianism by donning footwear that has no other function than to shine and to thereby reflect the wearer's affluence?

A good shoe needs:
(1) a sole for gripping walking surfaces
(2) arch support
(3) a durable exterior
(4) cushioning adequate for walking moderate distances

Rare is the business attire shoe which meets these criteria. (I wear Rockports with SuperFeet aftermarket insoles.)

Anyone take umbrage to these remarks? Lemme hear a shout out.

Fruitless Human Behavior #1: Ironing

2010-02-04T07:42:00.004-06:00

I spent 20 minutes ironing a pair of pants for work yesterday.

Why do we subject ourselves to this? We either waste time ironing or waste our time working to earn the money to pay someone else to do the ironing. Why do we do this? So people won't laugh at us behind our backs at work. So people with think we're "with it."

"Did you see Mike? His pants had a wrinkle. He looks like a street person."

I suppose if you can wake up early, iron your clothes, make them look like they are fresh off the sweatshop floor where they were made and pressed, then you must be a good worker. It's a signal that you can make it in this world.

Is this the best use of our 21st century lives? Is this even a good use of our 21st century lives? I say unto thee: it is not.

I could have spent the time sleeping, or reading, or working, or bettering myself.

Simplicity Parenting

2009-12-22T19:16:00.005-06:00

I am reading this book by Kim John Payne. The basic premise is that we need to slow down children's lives to spare them of the stress that overwhelming choices and competitive pressures bring upon them.

My favorite quote so far is:

Advertisers would have us believe that our kids have no inner life at all, except that which toys--particularly their own--can provide.

The author goes on to state that an overabundance of toys (and most kids have an overabundance) inhibits creative thinking.

I'm only on page 66. More to come.

A Week O Food

2009-04-19T22:20:00.002-05:00

Here is all the food we eat in a week (approximately). The cat does not count as food, he is a member of the family. However, in a pinch, we would consider all options.

Water - 3 gallons
Pineapple
Extra virgin olive oil
Cat food
Garbanzo beans (organic)
Buckwheat pancake mix
Orange marmalade
Peanuts (organic, unsalted)
Raisins (organic)
Bananas
Red onion
Apples (pink lady)
Apples (fuji)
Orange pepper
Mango
Falafel wrap
Tomatoes (Roma, 8)
Purple potatoes
Sesame bars (3)
Whole wheat tortillas
Avocado
Eggs
Butter
Emergen-C
Orange juice
Olives (garlic-stuffed, jar)
Milk (whole)
Black beans (can)
Almond Nut-Thins (crackers)
Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal
Cascadian Farms Honey Nut O's cereal
Baby spinach (organic)
Asiago cheese
Carrots (organic)
Beets (can)
Turkey meatballs
Homemade viniagrette salad dressing
Clementine tangerines
Feta cheese
Yogurt
Hummus

Not pictured:
Small cookies and cream gelato
Small dark chocolate ice cream
Homemade whole wheat bread
Homegrown basil
Homegrown cilantro

Zack and Miri

2009-04-16T19:46:00.001-05:00

Patty and I watched Zack and Miri (Make a Porno) a couple of weekends ago. A comedy about a down on their luck pair of friends who make a porno and find love and material success. It sounds ridiculous and though it offered many funny moments, I must say that I found it disturbing how the movie portrayed their enterprise as acceptable and praiseworthy. It tried to have a feel-good ending with Zack and Miri being married and having a successful porno business. Very strange. Disturbing how porn has become so mainstream.

I few years ago I would have called my current self a prude. It's not that I have a problem with sex or bodies, I just think the cavalier attitude toward sex is way messed up.

Garage Ceiling

2009-04-16T19:41:00.001-05:00

A 10 foot piece of ceiling fell out of the garage a few weeks ago.

This is the patch job.

Spring colors in Central Texas

2009-04-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

Flutter

2009-04-13T12:06:00.001-05:00

My Face

2009-04-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Because you miss looking at me.

Welfare for the Rich

2009-04-02T11:06:00.001-05:00

There's been a lot of talk about tax payers funding our economy, which it's fairly well documented is quite effective at distributing wealth disproportionately to the richest of us. I read the following quote on a newspaper website which puts another spin on the issue of taxpayer supported welfare for the rich:

Universities, especially those that maintain cauldrons of original research, are incredible engines of economic development. That is why so many pharmaceutical companies start up, for example, within an hour's drive of major research universities, like California's Berkeley and Stanford.

The person who wrote this was advocating more development of research universities to spur economic development.

My interpretation of this is that our tax dollars fund universities, which leads to research that benefits the marketplace. Sure these companies employ people and put out some truly useful goods and services, but are the taxpayers getting our full return on that investment? When that company lays people off, do they have a safety net? Are they being paid fairly even when they are employed? Are those goods and services beneficial, or are they actually harmful? Are historically under-supported people (aka, people targeted for destruction) being lifted up by this "economic development," or is their subjugation being reinforced?

Questions, questions. I haz no answerz.

Re(a)d (About) Meat

2009-04-02T08:42:00.001-05:00

I found this article interesting. Usually these health articles are kind of vague and scary, but this one tries to spell out the specific amount of red meat, etc. that was used in the study and explains exactly what the results were in more detail than usual. Plus it involved 500,000 people, so it was a very expansive study group. The group was 50-70 year olds, but I think it's relevant for anyone.

Looks like eating about 3.5 ounces of red meat per week will keep risk the lowest. Possibly harder is less the conclusion I draw to eat less than 1 ounce of processed meat per week (anything cured, dried or smoked).

Quote from the article: 'You don't have to be a vegan. You don't have to be a vegetarian.' But you really need to cut out the sausage and the pepperoni and the baloney, all those processed meats, or have them very little. You also need to be careful and cut down your red meat intake. Have it [only] a couple times a week."

http://www.utsystem.edu/benefits/newsletter/articles/09apr_wel.htm

Nader-licious

2009-03-24T14:42:00.001-05:00

http://www.nader.org/index.php?/archives/2100-Letter-to-Rush-Limbaugh.html

One of many interesting posts on www.nader.org

Also, I recommend "An Unreasonable Man," a documentary profile of Ralph Nader.

Philosophy

2009-02-12T16:55:00.001-06:00

I liked this:

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip. You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just read the through, you’ll get the point.

· Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

· Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

· Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

· Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

· Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

· Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are not second -rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

· List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

· Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

· Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

· Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

· Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

World Air Traffic

2009-01-22T08:07:00.001-06:00

This is pretty cool. Notice how the pattern changes as the daylight hits, then leaves, each area.

Will it Blend?

2009-01-16T12:09:00.001-06:00

Probably I am the only person who has not seen this. But if you have not, it’s unbelievably funny. The deadpan comments from the “lab tech” dude are great.

http://www.willitblend.com/videos.aspx?type=unsafe&video=iphone

Beyond the Grave

2009-01-06T21:27:00.002-06:00

Patty and I went to see a presentation on Sunday by a guy who claims to be able to speak to the dead. I think he said that we all have this ability but I forget what makes him special. Anyway, it was interesting to see him work. He bounced from person to person in the room randomly, claiming he was "getting something" from various parts of the room. I was nervous that he'd try to communicate with one of the spirits floating around me, which of course he did.

My theory on this man is that he starts out by setting up the rules in his favor. For example, he said that while he may say something to you that you doesn't make sense, it could make sense based on facts which you aren't currently aware of, or it could be a spirit talking who is trying to use you to communicate with someone that you once met but in truth you hardly know. That opens up immense possibilities for fudging.

Next, he enhances his odds at a successful "communication" by making a decisive statement of something he heard from a spirit, but allows audience members to self-identify as being the person who is connected with that statement. For example, he may state that he's getting a strong "miltary voice" trying to speak to someone about a recent auto accident. But that voice is near one of four people sitting in the corner and he's not sure who it's for - oh no! He encourages one of the people to identify themselves as the person being spoken to. Chances are better than zero that one of those four people had a male in their family with a military connection and who also had some connection to an auto accident within the past year.

And here's where his third and fourth tricks tie in - wide time frames and use of social networks. See, for Mr. spirit man, "recent" is relative. Got a spirit talking about that "recent" auto accident? YOU happen to work with someone who's sister had an accident 5 months ago? Okay, chances are good that one of the numerous people you know had an accident within the past year. The wide time frame and the numerous connections we all have make it much more likely that his predictions will appear real.

Another trick he uses is he draws on what he knows about people as a foundation for his communication. Got a shaved head? Mr. Communicator will claim he's hearing from someone in the military. Happen to be black? He'll throw out some slang and cop a working class southern black stereotypical tone to make your spirit sound more authentic. Sitting a bit too far from your apparent opposite sex partner (I noticed this with another couple), the spirits will comment on your relationship and how you need to work on it. Those spirits, so perceptive.

Now, he did hit a couple of things which seemed eerie. For one woman, he seemed to correctly know that she had two friends commit suicide in her life - a male and a female. And for another, he knew about a miscarriage. Lucky breaks I tell ya.

Do I think he's faking on purpose? No, I believe that people like the man I saw really believe that they can communicate with the dead. I believe they either hear voices or think they're somehow really communicating with spirits. When I was a kid, I thought I had x-ray vision because my left eye saw a slightly different image than my right (it's called parallax). And then there was that rumor that went around that when kids turn 13, they might find out that they're really sorcerers with special powers. I wish that were true, man, oh man. My theory - some people buy these stories and they never let go.

Or the SOB could be lying, too.

Either way, he got my $8, and I got to write this blog.

- Mike

Memory Foam

2009-01-04T14:15:00.003-06:00

Patty got me a memory foam pad for my side of our mattress. It feels very nice and cozy. She wasn't interested in having foam, so I'll be 1.5" higher than her from now on.

For the People Down South

2009-01-02T21:26:00.002-06:00

The morning of a 6" snowfall Patty and I shoveled Dana and Marie's driveway. I couldn't resist it.

New York

2009-01-01T21:54:00.006-06:00

Went to Albany, NY, for the holiday break. Some highlights below - other photos can be found at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pattyandmike/tags/200812albany/show/ The photos from this trip have been tagged "2008-12_Albany".

Extra special video clips are forthcoming!!!

Raising Happy Kids

2008-12-31T06:16:00.004-06:00

Just finished reading the book "Raising Happy Kids" by Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer. I found it to be full of intuitive ideas for being a supportive, thoughful parent. What I realized was that the tips also seem to apply to adults as well. I think the tactics are applicable to any person, especially someone who is responsible for leading others. So I'm glad I read it because it lines up with a couple of my interests: parenting and managing people (two things I have yet to undertake).

In other news, Patty and I are finishing up a week in Albany, NY, today. It was an enjoyable, action-packed week. I'd say my highlights included

An hour+ nap taken yesterday
Seeing some of the central NY finger lakes
Enjoying delicious home-cooked Italian meals
Spending time with all of Patty's family
Playing with fresh snow
Playing with Tabitha
Laughing

Photos to come

- Mike

Patty's trip to California

2008-12-18T18:57:00.009-06:00

Patty's trip to California. She is officially Christmassed out! We Took Timmy To The Pacific Beach Christmas Parade, La Jolla Farmer's Market and Balboa Park

Alex, Aunt Pattie and Patty drove back to Tierrasanta after attending a wonderful Christmas show called "Christmas Traditions" in East County.

Ferry Ride on San Diego Harbor

Tree at Hotel Del Coronado

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

La Jolla

Dinner at The Godfather- family tradition

16 Things

2008-12-15T16:59:00.000-06:00

1. I treat my cat like it's my perpetually infant-aged child.
2. I spent a weekend with people who laugh, cry, and scream on purpose.
3. I am physically fit, but I often eat past the point that I am comfortable, and that bothers me.
4. Grocery shopping is near the top of my favorite activities.
5. I need a good cry.
6. I like people about 100 times more than I show them. If you're reading this, that means you.
7. I stole a pocketknife from a kid when I was younger and I think about it sometimes. I still have it.
8. I love reading Yes! magazine.
9. I love being on stage.
10. I wanted to be a mechanic when I was a kid and I still sometimes daydream about following up on that.
11. I want to be a daddy!
12. It bothers me that I can't find the instructions to this 16 Things stuff.
13. Sports interferes with my important personal relationships.
14. I have been craving chicken wings for quite a while.
15. I wish I had a loftier job title.
16. I love to sing about as much as I love breathing.

The Crash Course

2008-12-06T08:16:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I stayed home from work sick and spent a chunk of my day digesting "The Crash Course" online (http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse). This online audio-visual presentation lasts over 3 hours and makes the case that the next 20 years will be very different due to economic, energy, and environmental forces. Allow me to sum up:

A massive change is coming

A declining standard of living is coming - down from the current USA standard, that is

World population is nearing the Earth's capacity

Our economic system is inflationary, and therefore discourages saving and encourages speculation and risk-taking with capital

Our nation's % of debt to GDP is around 342%, which is way higher than its historical limit of around 160%, and which far exceeds the last great spike. All of which is dangerous because you can't sustainably spend (debt) more than you create (GDP).
Citizens are acting no more responsibly than the federal government: our savings rates have dropped to near zero levels since 1985 - the same time when the national debt began to spike.
Inflation statistics are manipulated. Actual inflation is around 13%. He makes some interesting insights here.
Oil production has remained flat, even while the price shot up from around $50 to over $130. This leads to the conclusion that we must have reached peak oil and a decline will be coming soon.
Hyperinflation is very likely in the near term.
The world's resources (e.g., food, metal, other raw materials for living) are becoming harder and more costly and more laborious to extract. And since the population is growing, more people will be demanding these increasingly scarce resources - hence, higher prices.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say that blogger.com is irritating in how it creates bullets and block quotes and every other formatting change, including inserting images. Sorry for the diversion.

Mr. Martenson never tells us exactly how to handle these impending issues. I suspected he would try to sell us a "Prepare for the End Times" DVD series, but no such thing exists. He didn't try to tell us gold or any precious metals. Interestingly, Mr. Martenson doesn't seem to be trying to sell us anything, except his ideas, which he offers at no cost. He does ask for donations to allow him to preach his message to all who will hear. He got me so nervous, I decided I couldn't afford to donate anything.

He also did not go into too much detail as to how the next 20 years would be so different - he seems to be averse to predictions. That doesn't stop him from making this the most frequently seen slide in "The Crash Course":

Lest you take Mr. Martenson for a fool, he reminds us of a quote of old that all truth passes through 3 phases - ridicule, violent opposition, and finally, acceptance as self-evident.

I enjoyed the 3+ hour presentation, and feel that it was honest and informative. I am certain he left out some information and that there were some logical fallacies and statistical manipulations (not malicious), but it's food for thought. I do believe that our current economic system is unsustainable. I think we have too much debt, too much disparity between rich and poor (which appears to be accelerating), and too much of an impact on the environment. If everyone lived as US citizens do, we'd need more Earths than we've got. And the number of people living like US citizens is growing - China and India are great examples.

Bread!

2008-12-04T22:52:00.002-06:00

Ate some hot, fresh French bread out of the breadmaker. Mmm! The maiden voyage was a success!

Manna from Louisiana

2008-12-03T22:13:00.001-06:00

Got a breadmaker from my folks. Simon enjoyed the packaging.

O Solstice Tree!

2008-12-02T22:38:00.004-06:00

Patty and I don't celebrate Christmas, per se, but we do see relevance in the concept of Soltice, which is somehow a celebration of the new beginnings or the earth or some such thing. It marks the transition from shortening days to longer days, so that's something important, right? Anyway, we have a tree.

Giving Thanx!

2008-12-01T19:12:00.004-06:00

Been reading Yes! magazine and it's great. Positive stories about how we can have a better more connected life with people and a more just society.

In other news, went to Baton Rouge for Thanksgiving. Had a good time. And lots of boudin. Won my age group in the Turkey Trot 5k (30-34 years old).

Work Stuff

2008-11-25T10:54:00.001-06:00

Completed a leadership course at work. Reception at the UT System Chancellor’s house (nicer than mine). Photo of me with Dr. Ken Shine (interim chancellor) and my project group (Craig, Ed, Jennifer, Dawn, and missing from the shot was Terry).

Catching Up

2008-11-24T20:57:00.004-06:00

Since we last spoke, some things have happened. Let's catch up.

We went to New Mexico, Patty hurt her knee, we went to Lost Maples State Natural Area, Tom Kavanaugh visited with his family (Timmy pictured with Patty), we played soccer (Mike, for the first time ever), Simon was cute, and we sewed some grocery bags at a cost of about $15 each. Not in that order.

I'm out.

BD Presents

2008-09-23T21:25:00.001-05:00

A shot of a couple of gifts I picked up on by BD - a nice and sharp 8" chef's knife and a cast iron skillet. Mmm! The knife cuts like a dream - I love it!

Pollster

2008-09-18T17:09:00.001-05:00

This blog is hardcore. Predictions about the presidential elections, complete with highly detailed poll figures. Bordering on insane. The link: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

NBA Player Out of Line?

2008-09-18T16:26:00.001-05:00

People are bent out of shape about Black professional basketball player Josh Howard remarking how he doesn’t care about the national anthem. Here’s how I break this down:

White western Europeans explore and settle the New World, killing, betraying, and taking land from the “inferior” natural inhabitants. Then the wealthiest of these white landowners imported “inferior” slave labor from a faraway land to work their farms, treating them in less than hospitable ways, to put things mildly. After some time they were liberated from bondage, grudgingly given the right to vote, alienated from mainstream society, and marginalized by public policies. They now experience ongoing underemployment, inferior education and income, and high incarceration rates. Now, how would you feel about “your” country’s feel-good song if you happen to be Black?

Hey, America has some great things, and America has offered some great things to Black American descendants of slaves. I’m glad we’re all here in this country. But I don’t think Howard deserves to be lambasted over his hard feelings.

Video report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BqG9kjknVw

(Blog Photo Found At: http://www.answers.com/topic/african-american-photography-to-c-1960)

Eat Meat, Keep Your Brain Intact?

2008-09-16T10:23:00.001-05:00

Apparently, eating meat helps avoid brain shrinkage! OMG!! Eat a cheeseburger, quick!

Just kidding. Well, not totally. Research is so easy to overblow, but take a gander at this article that adds fuel to the debate.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24336544-23272,00.html

Born to Run (and Eat Meat?)

2008-09-15T13:21:00.001-05:00

Evidence found by scientists (http://discovermagazine.com/2006/may/tramps-like-us) seems to confirm we were born to run long distances. It doesn’t define long distances, though. Long enough to wait for whatever animal we were planning to eat to get tired, is what I understand from the piece.

Cars Escaping from Hurricane Ike

2008-09-12T06:43:00.001-05:00

Photo of cars heading from Houston on Highway 290 into Austin the day before Hurricane Ike is scheduled to make landfall.

Soda, Pop, Coke: Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

2008-09-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

What do we American’s call carbonated drinks? This blog post solves it once and for all: http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/308-the-pop-vs-soda-map/

And if you’re interested, here’s my suggestion on such beverages: Don’t drink it.

Consolation Prize

2008-09-09T13:41:00.001-05:00

I never thought I would be bummed out when receiving $1,000 cash. However, since our deal to sell our home and then buy another one has fallen through, we will receive $1,000 in earnest money from our former buyers. But, we have lost the house we shopped endlessly for and for which we ourselves spent $400 inspecting.

Reversible Raincoat

2008-09-09T09:58:00.001-05:00

Great, short article on a speaking technique commonly used in the political arena these days: The Reversible Raincoat.

Slate.com describes it like this: “…the nickname speechwriters have given to the rhetorical device in which words are repeated in transposed order, as with Churchill's famous line: "Let us preach what we practice—let us practice what we preach.")”

http://www.slate.com/id/2199536/

Chef's Story

2008-09-09T07:13:00.001-05:00

Just finished reading this book about 27 chefs and how they got into cooking. These chefs are all at the top of the field: Anthony Bourdain, Jaques Pepin, Bobby Flay, etc. Many have copies of their most successful restaurants in Las Vegas, many have TV shows.

The common themes in the stories: lots of hard work, long hours, and personal connections that helped them progress. Kinda like real life.

New Mexico

2008-09-09T06:57:00.002-05:00

We went to Albuquerque and Santa Fe Labor Day weekend. Beautiful weather (dry, low 80s during the day), beautiful scenery (mountains, clouds, huge skies), and beautiful architecture (adobe style) were all in abundance.

Birthday

2008-09-06T06:32:00.002-05:00

Patty made a key lime pie for my birthday. Yum!

---

In home selling/buying news, our sale is on tenuous ground and hence so is our purchase. We are waiting for word from our buyers to tell us if this deal is going to go down.

Living Dangerously

2008-09-04T19:32:00.000-05:00

No, I don't smoke.

Photo taken in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Ear Wax

2008-09-03T09:28:00.001-05:00

Don’t take out your ear wax.

Read article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26443394/

That’s all.

Lyrics

2008-08-26T21:01:00.002-05:00

I enjoy this song by the RX Bandits.

"Overcome (The Recapitulation)"

We've had enough
We've had enough
We've had enough of the politicians
We've had enough yeah
Of these politician's wars
All we need right now is love
We've had enough of these military scoreboards
What we need right now is love, come on
We've had enough of these politician's wars
All we need right now is love
We've had enough of these military scoreboards
All we need right now is love
We've had enough of these politician's wars
All we need right now is love
We've had enough of these military scoreboards
All we need right now is love

Turn it up
The future is held in the hands
Who right the textbooks
Ignorance is bred when falsified thinking is taught
To the youth instead of
Past mistakes and mind elevation,
Like the graves that manifest destiny has created
So we can build our
Capitalist consumer based economy,
To build, market,
And sell commodities we don't need
But we are trained to believe like celebrity imaging
Well I'm here to take my feelings back and I hope That you will be with me

I can't wait for that day
When I hear us all screaming.
Ahhhhhhhhh,
I can't wait for that day
When I hear us all singing together,
Ooooohhhhhh
I can't wait for that day
When I hear us all screaming.
Ahhhhhhhhh
I can't wait for that day
When I hear us all singing together,
Ahhh,

I can't wait for the day
When I hear us all screaming,
HERE COMES THE REVOLUTION.
When every race color
And creed of militant human beings stand up
With fists together for substance and true meaning
Because right now we got our feet stuck in cement
We're too caught up in
A material status quo punishment
And one thing is for sure
And that's the sun will always set,
Darling you can bet our moon is quite the opposite
So baby take an axe to your makeup kit
Set ablaze the billboards and their advertisements
Love with all your hearts and never forget
How good it feels to be alive
And strive for your desire
Just cause you can't see
Your cage doesn't mean that you are free
When there are laws against nature
But its ok for you to be
Addicted to over the counter prescriptions
And magazines dictate all our human relations

I'm not buying, no I'm not giving in
To a culture that objectifies all of our women
I'm not buying, no I'm not consuming
The apathetic dribble on the news media's chin
I'm not buying, no I'm not giving in
The lies that are sold through textbooks to children
I'm not buying, no I'm not consuming
Cause the positive will
Always overcome the negative right

And we stay inside, its right outside,
We stand in line
We all enjoy the fences to keep it at bay
But I'm not giving in

Opposing Views

2008-08-25T19:29:00.004-05:00

I found this great website, OpposingViews.com, which features debates between knowledgable experts on controversial issues. Users can vote, comment, and read the pros and cons of each debate.

To Meat or Not To Meat

2008-08-25T18:30:00.006-05:00

VS.

I started this post hoping to settle the dispute forever one way or the other: Ethics of animal consumption aside, can eating meat be as healthy, or even healthier, than a vegetarian diet?

Naturally, I scoured the internet for information to point me to the answer. The problem is (a) to really answer this question, serious scientific inquiry is necessary (b) much of the research may not be sound and (c) I don't have the time to sift the scientific wheat from the chaff, to use an agricultural analogy.

Some of what I expected to find related to humans' ability to handle meat biologically. I found disagreement on this issue. And even if we are able to merely process it, is eating meat detrimental to our bodies? There wasn't a lot out there, backed by science, to suggest that eating meat HAS to be a bad thing.

Although some would disagree, I am going to take it as fact that industrially produced meat sources (e.g., grain and anti-biotic fed beef from packed feedlots) are less desirable for our bodies and our environment than pastured animals.

Taking the above for given, I don't find the evidence particularly compelling either in favor of vegetarianism or meat consumption. If one does choose to eat meat, it seems that eating naturally-raised meat in moderation, cooked without heavy browning over high heat, and accompanied by high levels of physical exertion (exercise) would be required. I am struggling to find solid, science-backed information to support that eating meat responsibly (as described above) will shorten your life or lower its quality. My guess is that a "flexitarian" diet is the most healthful.

Here's some of what I found:

Here is an excellent webpage by westonaprice.org, with research citations, debunking myths of a meat-free diet.

Here's an argument supporting that it's natural for us to eat meat, from straightdope.com.

A quote from emagazine.com:

Cardiologist William C. Roberts hails from the famed cattle state of Texas, but he says this without hesitation: Humans aren’t physiologically designed to eat meat. “I think the evidence is pretty clear. If you look at various characteristics of carnivores versus herbivores, it doesn’t take a genius to see where humans line up,” says Roberts, editor in chief of The American Journal of Cardiology and medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

I recommend an excellent book, Real Food, which makes the case in favor of meat and dairy products (from naturally raised animals). The book cites many scientific research sources and I feel it's very credible.

From National Geographic: Humans evolved not only to eat meat, but to eat cooked meat. This explains our smaller mouth structures and lack of typical carnivore's teeth, which is often cited by anti-meat folks to support their case.

A note on my problem with the scientific research:

Scientific studies can be very deceptive if you do not understand the method that was used to gather the data and which factors were accounted for in the research. Did the study account for how the meat was cooked? Did the meat come from pastured animals spared of unnatural levels of anti-biotics and other chemicals? Was the meat unadulterated or was it processed into lunch meat or some other concoction? Were lifestyle factors accounted for, such as whether the subjects smoked or exercised. What was the measure of success? Long life? Cholesterol levels? Quality of life? Who paid for the study? Argghhh....

For those who argue that prehisoric man ate meat, it's possible that our ancestors merely died from other causes (sabre-toothed tiger, influenza, angry neighboring tribe) before the ill effects of meat consumption were able to strike them down. It's also possible that our bodies aren't even designed to last us far past age 40 anyway.

Perhaps it has not been our eating of meat that has caused the purported increase in heart disease and cancer, but instead our choice of industrially produced meat and lack of the strenuous physical exertion our ancestors were required to engage in to survive.

The debate goes on...

If you have any strong evidence either way, please share!

Monkeying Around

2008-08-24T18:36:00.003-05:00

Went to the San Antonio zoo this weekend. Here are some sights.

Hot Sauce

2008-08-24T18:19:00.004-05:00

Today was the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Fest in Waterloo Park, which is here in Austin. Imagine a park-full of hot, sweaty people listening to hot, sweaty music and standing in long lines to taste hot (but not sweaty) salsa - what some call "hot sauce."

There seems to be a discrepancy out in the world about the meaning of the phrase "hot sauce." I have heard many people refer to what I'd call salsa as "hot sauce." Salsa and hot sauce are not the same! Perhaps this is a regional distinction (like "coke," "soda," and "pop" all referring to the same thing depending on where you find yourself). Allow me to clarify:

SALSA: Mushy combination of solid ingredients which are not homogenized or emulsified. Made from chunks of tomato, onion, peppers, and other stuff. Very dippable with a tortilla chip. Photo below:

HOT SAUCE: Soupy emulsion of liquids/liquefied ingredients. Made from peppers, vinegar, salt, and other stuff. Not particularly dippable with a tortilla chip. Photo below:

Tasting: Honey Boy Pink Salmon

2008-08-24T18:13:00.003-05:00

I tried Honey Boy Pink Salmon (canned) today, and I spooned in a few bleu cheese crumbles to add another dimension. It was pretty moist, but I'd say it was lacking in salmon flavor, which was present but not distinctive. Also, the color was a bit less than pink - more of a tan, I'd say (see below).

Overall I'd say it's passable and not offensive whatsoever. If you're craving salmon and you can't get fresh salmon, this will certainly do. Just don't serve it to your guests.

Drinking Age

2008-08-19T11:10:00.003-05:00

Here is a fascinating development out of the higher education news wire: about 100 higher education institutions are asking congress to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18. The cynic in me thinks that college presidents must have gotten tired of binge drinking scandals and think this is a solution: Just push the youthful sneaking of booze earlier in the life cycle of humans, so that by the time they get to college, they'll have gotten it out of their system.

This might actually turn out well: With the drinking age at 18, parents may be more apt to intervene in any underage binge drinking since most young people will be living at home during their pre-drinking age high school years. And I am generally in favor of increased personal freedom, so this notion has strong appeal for me.

The cynic in me wonders about the role of big business in this - won't they have significantly more to gain by opening up the consumer market to the 18-21 crowd? I think not, since that group is already consuming alcohol to a degree that apparently warrants college and university intervention.

As for whether we should be consuming alcohol at all, I'll leave that for another post.

Comments?

Throwing Stones at McCain and Obama

2008-08-19T10:27:00.000-05:00

McCain is a borderline compulsive gambler? (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-c-rose/mccains-mostly-ignored-ga_b_119535.html)

Obama is a nicotine addict? (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/06/obama-admits-sm.html)

Who among us is without sin? Let them case the first stone.

The fact is that whether it’s eating, drinking, sex, shopping, knitting, collecting, exercising, or anything else, most of us do things somewhat compulsively at times. And doing things compulsively often doesn’t make sense rationally but it make us feel good or helps us numb out in some way. Should we try to stop? Of course. But we shouldn’t think that our presidential candidates are horribly flawed people because they do things that everyone else does.

College: Waste of Time?

2008-08-15T09:25:00.001-05:00

From the Wall Street Journal:

Imagine that America had no system of post-secondary education, and you were a member of a task force assigned to create one from scratch. One of your colleagues submits this proposal: First, we will set up a single goal to represent educational success, which will take four years to achieve no matter what is being taught. We will attach an economic reward to it that seldom has anything to do with what has been learned. We will urge large numbers of people who do not possess adequate ability to try to achieve the goal, wait until they have spent a lot of time and money, and then deny it to them. We will stigmatize everyone who doesn't meet the goal. We will call the goal a "BA." You would conclude that your colleague was cruel, not to say insane. But that's the system we have in place.

Full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121858688764535107.html?mod=most_viewed_day

The article goes on to say that instead of years of college and judging prospective employees based on the status of their school and the inflation of their grades, that we base hiring decisions on credential test results, such as the Certified Public Accountant exam. Such test results measure actual ability, instead of how well connected daddy is to the Yale alumni association.

Jump Into Football Season! (Or Not)

2008-08-08T14:59:00.004-05:00

So, it's almost football season. That makes me happy, yes it does. But not everyone enjoys the game. And just because I enjoy it, does that make it a good thing? I mean, I'd probably enjoy a nice shot of heroin in my arm right now, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea or that I would choose to do it. So what's good and not so good about football?

What About Male Bonding?

Nothing brings people (usually men) together like a football game. You've got your food, your analyzing the play tactics, the play calling debates, and at halftime you can go outside and toss the ball around. For once in our often numb and unfeeling lives (not our fault and totally fixable), we can show unconditional support for another set of people - male people, in fact. This is somewhat remarkable. How often do you see anyone, especially men, so excited in their support of another person that they would jump up and down and scream how happy they were? Shouldn't we all support our loved ones with this kind of enthusiasm?

Yes there is a bit of unsupportive behavior: booing (the other team and even your own team), objectifying women, numbing out with booze, but those are not required parts of the sports experience.

Isn't Football Just Mindless Entertainment?

Would you rather watch life happening on TV, or live it? Why do we get so keen to support a bunch of people we don't know, playing a sport we might play ourselves outside at a park, and living someone else's lives?

This seems compelling at first, but let me ask this: Do you enjoy art? Does that mean you should spend time dancing or painting and never watch another ballet, or gaze upon a marvelous Picasso? The athleticism, intellect, and strategy of football has a beauty all its own. That said, don't forget that it is just a game on TV. Real life is a mix of doing your own thing, supporting others, and connecting with friends/family. Don't let football overshadow those.

Doesn't Football Create Unnecessary Rivalry Between People?

As a person from a football rabid town (Baton Rouge, LA), I can tell you that support for a common team brings a level of community connection that's very valuable. Wherever you are, you know you've found a friend when you see them wearing your team's logo. Does this translate into hostility toward other teams and their supporters? For many unthinking people, yes it does. But if we have the right attitude, we can have mutual respect for and closeness with other teams' supporters. I have generally seen respect between my teams' supporters and fans of another team.

Isn't Football Bad for Relationships?

Some women are not fond of their significant others' passion for football. I can see why. Some men spend all weekend poring over stats, alienating family, and watching game after game. I say to this person, you're probably taking it too far. Support your team, enjoy the camaraderie, but don't ignore your real life.

Isn't Football Bad for the Players?

This one is of increasing concern to me. I have read many stories of players

- playing through pain
- sustaining lifelong injury
- returning to "real" careers with no skills

Should we support a system that creates perverse incentives for players to injure, drug, abuse themselves, and ignore their minds? I have to trust that most players are in the game with eyes wide open, but this one deserves more research and analysis. It may be that most athletes lead healthy, successful lives after football. My guess is that most athletes, due to the passion, wit, and perseverence that got them into pro sports initially, would be successful in almost any field of endeavor. As for the health issue, I don't claim to be clear on it. Comments, anyone?

A great topic for another post: Should college athletes be paid to play?

The Artist at Work

2008-08-06T20:21:00.001-05:00

Patty's latest work. Acrylic on newsprint.

Clouds

2008-08-06T08:16:00.001-05:00

Check out these amazing cloud formations on environmentalgraffiti.com.

Gay-Friendly Travel for Me

2008-08-05T10:36:00.003-05:00

The above ad came up while I was doing a search on Travelocity for holiday travel to Albany with my wife. I guess they got wind of my recent post on gay marriage and sent me a targeted ad. The gay market is very strong and businesses are wise to pay attention to it. I actually enjoy discovering ads which are subtly targeted to the GLB consumers without overtly referring to them. Kudos to Travelocity for not being secretive - they want your dollars, gay men of the world!

Water

2008-08-01T15:52:00.002-05:00

Great video on the blessing of water in our lives.

Same Sex Marriage

2008-08-01T11:35:00.003-05:00

Now persons of the same sex can get married in Massachusetts. First off, let me say this issue has been in the news so much, I can't keep straight where same-sex marriage is legal, where civil unions are legal, where the laws have been repealed, appealed, and overturned multiple times. All I care to say about this is that I am for personal freedom. Thank you Massachusetts for letting people live their lives.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/08/01/same_sex_couples_applaud_repeal/

Chocolate, Craisin, Walnut Crunch

2008-07-30T21:09:00.002-05:00

Patty made a tray of these little puppies today. They're supposed to be for our campout this weekend. We'll see if they last.

Strange Name Changes

2008-07-30T09:13:00.000-05:00

I got a kick out of this article:

http://www.slate.com/id/2196204/?from=rss

The 'Burbs

2008-07-28T14:49:00.004-05:00

Our desire for big yards, big homes (based on world averages, 1000 square feet is huge), cute little communities has led to the growth of suburbs. Cheap gas has enabled it. That may be coming to an end.

This movie looks as though it may be enlightening. I'm actually quite interested to see what will happen to our far-flung suburbs as gas prices either maintain their current levels or rise. Our suburbs currently are places where people sleep and spend money. All you see there are homes, Targets, Home Depots, and such. Very few people earn their living working in the suburbs. They commute. And even when they get basic things within the suburb, such as groceries, they must drive a few miles to get to that place, too. Almost no one walks to the corner store for groceries, or to meet friends.

Psychologically and sociologically, our suburban lives are very isolating. We're isolated from how our food is made, from the people we love, from the people who run our government, and in many other ways. The debate about the pros and cons of surburban life could last interminably. I'm sure I'll post on it in the future.

This all hits home since I will likely be moving to a more distant suburb in the near future - it's all I can afford and still have a safe living environment for my family.

Some thought provoking questions about isolation on which you can feel free to comment (and about which I will likely post on in the future):

- How is your food made?

- What did he/she really think when you sent them that e-mail? (could you see their reaction, or just their terse response?)

- Would Mr./Mrs. politician be acting this way if you were looking them in the eye?

- Would you eat meat if you had to kill it with your own hands?

- How would your social life change if you didn't have to drive at least 15 minutes to see most of your friends?

- If suburbs are safe to live in, what places are not? What could be root causes of that be?

Final note:

Terrific article from NPR on home sizes: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5525283

Quote from the article:

"I always wanted a house big enough that my kids could be in their room screaming, and my wife could be in a room screaming, and I could be somewhere else and not hear any of them," he says. "And I think I have accomplished this with this house, because this house is so big that everyone has their own space."

Draw your own conclusion.

Krause Springs and Tikka Masala

2008-07-28T07:03:00.002-05:00

We went to Krause Springs over the weekend. Great place with a great swimming hole. Excited, I once jumped from a 2-foot high rock into (unbeknownst to me) 1 foot of water. The result was shockingly only a hurt toe.

We came home and I cooked some tofu tikka masala. Turned out pretty well.

Albany

2008-07-17T22:14:00.001-05:00

Fun times were had in Albany, NY, at our belated wedding reception. More photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/pattyandmike123/200807Albany

I Couldn't Resist

2008-07-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

I saw this and had to add it, after I posted earlier today about our flag.

Nations

2008-07-17T13:41:00.005-05:00

I watched the start of the Major League Baseball All-Star game the other night. It was the first game I've watched all year, and I'll note I didn't watch past the 4th inning or so. But I did see the National Anthem performed by Cheryl Crow. This got me thinking - should we be singing the praises of our country? What does this say about other countries? Isn't nationalism dangerous?

Let's take a look at the lyrics of the National Anthem of the United States of America (a song called "The Star Spangled Banner"):

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

This is only the first verse, according to wikipedia, but it's the only one anyone really knows.

Here's what I notice about the lyrics right away: it's not about our brotherhood as citizens so much as it is a love song for our country's most notable symbol - the flag (although our most notable symbol could also easily be the golden arches or a coca cola logo). We seem to have an unusual fixation upon this cloth representation of our free and brave selves. In fact, we go so far as to pledge our allegiance to this piece of cloth in the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

So we seem to favor focusing on this symbol - a flag. Symbols are very powerful things. It's certainly more hypnotic to focus on a symbol than to discuss and sing directly about brotherhood, connection, equality, and acceptance. A symbol has more mass appeal. Plus, if you focus on the symbol, then it can be imbued with whatever values the top manipulators want to give it. How many times have you heard people argue about what the USA stands for: power, freedom, independence, money, military might, homeland security, diversity, democracy, etc. Some of these values are not in alignment.

We feel so arduously about the flag that many have sought to protect it's burning over the freedom it represents. Some would imprison you for exercising your freedom by destroying a piece of red, white, and blue cloth. Talk about allegiance to the flag.

As for the Pledge, we make our children repeat this oath each day at school until it's seared into their consciousness. It may be one of the most effective examples of mass hypnosis on record. Who ever really stops to think about what they're saying here - especially when they're 8 years old? "I pledge my allegiance?" Wow! I was a practicing Catholic for 21 years and I rarely recall having to publicly state my perpetual commitment to God. I think I did it once and it was called Confirmation.

If you plan on making war as a country, or fear being warred upon, it makes sense to indoctrinate your citizens with a countlessly repeated public oath of duty to your country, but the concept seems a bit to nationalistic to me.

Hey, I love this country and the people here. We've got a good thing going, and I am all for singing about my love for the things we like about the USA. I just wish we could do it with a bit more consciousness and depth. And let's lose this Pledge thing.

Can I get an Amen?

Men Holding Hands and More

2008-07-16T08:58:00.003-05:00

Men holding hands should not be such an alarming sight. The president can do it – you can, too! Seriously. Normally a photo of Bush would be reason for derision on my blog, but in this case I want to emphasize that we are way too homophobic in our culture.

Speaking of this, here’s an interesting article on homosexuality: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=bisexual-species&print=true Excerpt:

Researchers are now revealing, for example, that animals may engage in same-sex
couplings to diffuse social tensions, to better protect their young or to
maintain fecundity when opposite-sex partners are unavailable—or simply because
it is fun. These observations suggest to some that bisexuality is a natural
state among animals, perhaps Homo sapiens included, despite the
sexual-orientation boundaries most people take for granted. “[In humans] the
categories of gay and straight are socially constructed,” Anderson says.

Fat vs. Carbs

2008-07-15T16:04:00.001-05:00

The research described below settles it: 100 calories of fat = 100 calories of carbs

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080715/hl_time/arefatcaloriesmorefatteningthancarbs

Now we can focus on real issues like eating crappy carbs (like the completely delicious ones found in the pizza I stuffed myself with this past weekend in New York) versus decent carbs (like whole grains). Or we can think about eating oils and fats which require highly complex mechanical processes (cottonseed oil, for example) versus more easily isolated fats like butter or olive oil. How the heck do you get oil out of a cotton seed anyway? And how many cotton seeds would you need to sauté an onion using their oil? Should we be breaking food down into its finest elements and isolating them? I am thinking that we should not. This is why I am wary of anything containing soy protein isolate or vital wheat gluten, soybean and wheat derivatives that are commonly used in meat substitutes. I’ll take a naturally-raised grass-fed cow steak any day over such industrial food.*

* I am not perfect in my pursuit of these standards, but they are the ideal to which I aspire…

Last Pastel Class

2008-07-09T22:41:00.001-05:00

Beachin'

2008-07-06T18:17:00.004-05:00

Went to Padre Island Beach with the Austin Happy Campers meetup group. The weather was rainy, windy, at times chilly, and overcast almost constantly. We had a blast! There were loads of fireworks on Friday night (July 4th).

Latest Pastel Work

2008-07-03T07:01:00.002-05:00

Pastelz

2008-06-19T19:08:00.002-05:00

Some more drawings from our pastel class (the feet were done by me, the dog, by Patty).

Just finished reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Pretty much everyone has read this book; it seems like "The DaVinci Code" for non-fiction readers, such as myself. I found Pollan's book to be a great summary of the struggle we all face when choosing how to eat in this modern age. We face questions of ethics, health, economics (ranging from global to personal), and logistics. Pollan's writing style is very accessible and enjoyable, as well as thought provoking from a content perspective.

Men = Job Losses; Women = Job Gains

2008-06-17T12:21:00.002-05:00

Interesting article on Yahoo! Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/105040/The-Slump:-It

They eat from the same dishes and sleep in the same beds, but they seem to be operating in two different economies. From last November through this April, American women aged 20 and up gained nearly 300,000 jobs, according to the household survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). At the same time, American men lost nearly 700,000 jobs. You might even say American men are in recession, and American women are not.

What's going on? Simply put, men have the misfortune of being concentrated in the two sectors that are doing the worst: manufacturing and construction. Women are concentrated in sectors that are still growing, such as education and health care.

This article also goes on to address pay issues between men and women, which boil down to less pay for women.

The Fine Arts

2008-06-15T22:56:00.003-05:00

Today we cooked a large batch of Dal, which is an Indian dish, and a large batch of escarole and beans, which is an Italian dish.

Also shown are drawings we did in our pastel class. After we drew them, we ate the strawberries. Yum!

Real Food

2008-06-12T16:58:00.001-05:00

Been reading this book. The premise is that we should be eating food in its natural state with no processing or minimal processing. This means fats and oils, such as canola oil or sunflower oil, are unnatural and not healthful. She makes a series of scientific assertions about how eating food that’s been processed means we are over-consuming nutrients which are harmful in large doses and that we are bypassing nutrients which we need – nutrients which are found in more natural sources. Some of these natural sources include unprocessed foodstuffs such as butter, lard, eggs, olive oil, beef, chicken (skin included), etc. Yep – she argues that butter is a superior fat to cook with compared to canola oil, for example. She certainly makes a persuasive case. The science I don’t really understand, but I must say it all resonates with me. The tough thing, however, is that the generous portions of animal-based milk, beef, etc. that she recommends over a vegetarian diet is best consumed totally naturally – and that means grass-fed, pastured animal products, which can be hard to find and expensive. I do recommend the book.

Sketching

2008-06-08T22:28:00.002-05:00

Here's an example of some of my sketchwork lately. This was done for Patty for an art exhibit talk that she's delivering to some young people. Mostly I've been doing greeting cards for family and friends on special occasions.

Bonus Shotz

2008-06-08T12:54:00.002-05:00

Vegetables from our garden (above). Our adoring son (below).

Reimer's Ranch / Pedernales River Hike

2008-06-08T12:24:00.003-05:00

Patty and I went on a lovely hike yesterday with a group from meetup.com along the Pedernales River. It was at Hamilton Pool Park and/or Reimer's Ranch - not sure which, but it was gorgeous and refreshing and challenging. I took a swim in the river after the hike and it was just a great sensation feeling the cool water and the freedom of jumping into a natural body of water and not worrying about still wearing my hiking clothers. Terrific!

- Mike

Window Fixed

2008-05-26T11:44:00.003-05:00

Window: Fixed.

Had to get a custom-cut piece of glass from Lowe's, then when I got it home, it was a bit too wide, so I used the etching tool I had from the mosaic tile mirror I did (I think it's pictured in an earlier post). I nipped the glass to size and caulked it in.

Fish Fry

2008-05-26T06:22:00.003-05:00

Fried up some Mahi Mahi the other day - yum! Sweet potatoes on the side. I have found that Colman's mustard is exceptional on fried fish. I also whipped up a basic tartar sauce of mayonaise and capers.

Soccer and Food

2008-05-11T18:04:00.003-05:00

Went to see the Austin Aztex soccer team beat the Houston Leones with our friend, Jeri. Good times.

Had to clear out some brush to get my plants more sunlight. It might not be enough - the plants just aren't coming in like I hoped.

Patty learned how to preserve vegetables at a class locally. They gave her tomatoes, cucumbers and all the skills to preserve the stuff. I am personally looking forward to the pickles - mmm.

Boil at Home

2008-05-07T21:54:00.003-05:00

My neighbor received a windfall in the form of an icechest full of crawfish and luckily for me, he's a generous man. I took home about 2 or 3 pounds of 'em and gave them my best. Not quite spicy enough for my taste (user error), but nothing that a little Tony's and Tabasco couldn't help.

Good times.

- Mike

Waldorf Salad

2008-05-07T11:48:00.001-05:00

Delicious salad. Good use of leftover celery, which is pretty harsh raw, unless you cover its flavor significantly, which is the key to this salad! This takes almost no time to prepare, and we had all ingredients on hand (except the mayo). If I had a camera handy – I’d take a photo of me eating one!

Waldorf Salad (for One)

Half apple, chopped (probably best to use a red apple)

2 ribs celery, chopped

¼ c onion, chopped (Optional. I prefer red onion. This measurement is very rough.)

Handful of raisins (Optional)

Some walnuts or pecans, chopped (Optional – I don’t because of a possible allergy)

Dressing:

2 T mayo

1 T Dijon mustard

1 t apple cider vinegar

¼ to ½ t granulated sugar

(apparently you can add an herb, like tarragon, or a spice, such as cinnamon, to the dressing – haven’t tried it)

You probably won’t need all the dressing – depends on your taste.

(notice difference between “T” and “t” … tablespoon and teaspoon, respectively)

Art

2008-05-06T23:01:00.003-05:00

Patty showing off her latest creations. The pennies are shown because the painted dots in the first image are more than just painted dots - yep, my precious 1865 pennies worth thousands...actually, just regular pennies from the street.

How Does Our Garden Grow?

2008-05-01T21:49:00.003-05:00

The garden is a growin'. We've got squash and tomato coming up...

I've been having some stomach issues again for the past couple of days - I think it was the pound of tofu I ate Tuesday morning. I've suspected for a while that soy is a no-no for me. I think this is a confirmation. So far on my banned list: Pecans, flaxseed oil, walnuts, almonds, and soy.

Cost of College

2008-05-01T14:02:00.001-05:00

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v54/i34/34b01701.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

College costs are up significantly over years past and the payout is dubious. I see a trend of the responsibility for paying for college being shifted significantly toward the students. This is a great article about the costs and benefits of getting a degree (or not).

May Day!

2008-05-01T09:26:00.001-05:00

Today is May Day, a day of remembering struggles of the labor movement. The story seems to capture an important aspect of American life at the time.

http://www.iww.org/projects/mayday/origins.shtml

Financial and Emotional Cost of Health Care

2008-04-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

This link contains a story about the cost of healthcare and how it impacted at least one patient. I think it’s unfortunate that not everyone can get quick access to healthcare. It’s not as simple as giving everyone what they want – there is a limit to our resources in this arena. It’s a complicated issue and I won’t try to dissect it, but I do want to share the story.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120934207044648511.html?mod=2_1566_topbox

- Mike

Stuff

2008-04-27T22:20:00.003-05:00

Nothing more to say on this one.

We had a stray dog visit us for a couple of days. Cute pup. Looked like a mix of dalmation and pit bull, possibly.

Some of my tomatoes are coming in. Photos to come soon.

Population Charts

2008-03-24T10:59:00.001-05:00

Cartograms show the size of geographic areas in proportion to certain statistical measures. Above, a cartogram of world population.

Fascinating cartograms of world statistics here.

Cartograms of US electoral results here.

Sustainable Livin'

2008-03-23T19:22:00.005-05:00

Had the idea to create this nifty magazine holder out of cardboard the other day. I sketched it out while on the bus, drew the template onto a large cardboard sheet (from our new screen door) and cut it out with a box cutter. Works great! Re-using existing resources makes it even more cool.

On the same note, we have created a vegetable garden! In the course of 24 hours we purchased compost and 12 plants, tilled a flower bed (shovel and elbow grease only) and planted tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. We're looking forward to the results. It seems to us that food will continue to become more expensive as oil/gas prices continue to rise and that being able to grow one's own food is valuable skill. I even pondered the possibility of starting a farm.

(soil preparation)

(planted vegetables!)

One last note - these snack bars are great! Larabars contain only 3-7 ingredients such as dates, almonds, figs, cinnamon, and pecans. They come in 15+ flavors. Minimally processed (they say "unprocessed"), I find them outstanding.

(pecan pie and lemon bar are shown here)

The Real South Will Rise Again

2008-03-19T13:53:00.002-05:00

The South has a stereotypical reputation for being racist, trailer-dwelling, uneducated, and slow-witted. Many reasons could probably be cited for these assertions, some based in fact (South Carolina leads the country in % of population living in trailers, Mississipi brings in the lowest % of population with advanced degrees). I can't back it up, but I am confident that the dual economy which existed during the inhumane slavery era (one being progressive and increasingly industrialized, the other being agriculturally-based) and the subsequent collapse of slavery (proper though it was) led to the economic disparity we now see between North and South.

The Real South will rise again - the people of the South are more than these unfortunate stereotypes. They are valuable and strong but sadly overlooked.

The above chart shows that almost all Southern states (including all 3 deep South states of Louisiana, Mississipi, and Alabama) rank in the top 13 in terms of percentage of population living below poverty. Contrast this to the top group:

Virginia stands out as the lone Southern exception, but my guess is that the gaggle of well-paid DC suburbanites looking to avoid the minority throngs of DC streets (see note below) skews its percentage.

A note about Washington DC: Ranks #1 in percent of population with advanced degrees and #2 in highest percent of people living below poverty. Something to ponder. A glut of highly educated kids just out of school trying to make it in government? I'd instead bet that the suit-and-tie folks of the DC professional set are rubbing elbows with the downtrodden minority population being overlooked by the nearby officials and institutions that promise to care for them. DC blows away its nearest competitor (Mississippi) with a whopping 55% of its population being African American. This all says much more about racism and the direct aftereffects of slavery than it does about the subtler economic effects of slavery's collapse, but it's worth noting.

For a more detailed breakdown of poverty data: http://www.censusscope.org/us/map_poverty.html

For more state ranking data: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GRTSelectServlet?ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&_lang=en_sse=on

I welcome comments, as usual.

Dubai's Growth Engine

2008-03-19T08:11:00.001-05:00

Migrant workers in Dubai living 6 to a room (room pictured). American Public Media's Marketplace (marketplace.publicradio.org) did a series last week on the exploding city-state Dubai, which is part of the United Arab Emirates. I posted a slideshow from the website showing the fantastic buildings and development taking place there. In this slideshow (http://marketplace.publicradio.org/standard/display/slideshow.php?ftrv_id=65105&slide=1) you can see who made those buildings happen. It makes one wonder - what kind of conditions/situations did these people leave to take this opportunity?

A Crude Awakening

2008-03-18T13:17:00.002-05:00

This movie looks excellent. Someone in my office today spoke at a lunch about peak oil and how experts are projecting us to run out of oil sometime between now and 2030. When peak oil hits, the price of oil will begin to skyrocket as production slows and demand continues to grow exponentially. Oil production won't end immediately, but the prices will make so many things more expensive to do. How will we move around, make stuff, harvest food, build buildings, etc. by using oil costing $200+ a gallon? We'll have to get around with less oil/gas and buy less stuff. We might not be so concerned with everything looking so pretty, nice smelling, or convenient (e.g., disposable goods). Are you ready? It's coming.

Scenes of Dubai: A Desert Urban Explosion

2008-03-14T16:06:00.001-05:00

These photos must be seen. Absolutely amazing. According to the radio program, gasoline runs 70 cents per gallon in Dubai. It looks like a cross between Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Manhattan. The wealth is mindblowing.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/middleeast/ss/dubai_aerial/

Where Hitler Went to Retire

2008-03-14T11:12:00.001-05:00

According to Yahoo, this is an aerial shot of a retirement home in Decatur, AL. Ridiculous. The designers should be stripped of their professional designations. My guess is that heads will roll on this one now that a Jewish activist has complained to the government agency which funds the home.

Bat Speed

2008-03-13T11:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, so you may not play softball like I do or follow baseball and therefore may not care about bat speed. However, I found this web page (http://www.batspeed.com/research10.html) explaining some of the physical principles of powerful hitting very interesting. Plan to test them out in my game tonight. The image above shows the forces exerted by average hitters. The second frame shows forces exerted by great hitters. Great hitters don't just move the bat in a straight line through the hitting plane; they also use their hands to enact a dual pendulum effect on the bat. Read the site for more info.