Slow Down Week Zoomed Right By Me

I completely forgot to put this up. Last week was the Official Slow Down Week as promoted by Adbusters:

"Still feeling frazzled from the December whirlwind of holiday shopping,
gift giving, and parties? Already burned out by extra hours at the
office in the New Year? Tired of spending more time in traffic than you
do with your family and friends?

It's not too late to slow down and renew your intentions for a saner,
more mindful way of life in 2007. If you’re ready to experiment with a
different, more fulfilling rhythm, join us in celebrating the second
annual INTERNATIONAL SLOW DOWN WEEK, January 14-20.

For one week, instead of running to catch the bus or zipping in and out
of traffic, try walking to work. Instead of grabbing take-out on the
way home, cook a meal with your family. Leave the TV and computer off,
and play an old-fashioned board game, or just sit and catch up with
family and friends. If possible, take a day off work — and then while it
away with a long walk and an afternoon nap."

Unfortunately for me, last week was too full of very important things to be done. Oh well, let's hope it comes back around next year and that my To Do list has no looming deadlines on it.

Women Choose to Control Our Own Bodies

Today on this anniversery of Roe Vs. Wade, bloggers are asked to answer one simple question -- why do we support a woman's right to chose.

The answer is very simple. This is my body and I claim the right to do with it as I please. I will resist all attempts to legislate away my freedom to choose.

Yesterday was Right to Life Day for those who think every egg, sperm and embryo are so special they must be brought to full term. Over Right to Life weekend, 27 US soldiers were killed in Iraq. Their right to life wasn't so important to all the religionists and fundamentalist-pandering politicians. No, they are far more concerned with hapless unwanted embryos that were created by accident.

"Pro-Life" is false and misleading advertising, because those folks are not pro-life when it comes to executing people or sending young folks off to die in war. The only lives they care about are those blobs of invading cells that take over the female uterus.

There are six billion and counting human beings on this planet. Why the heck should we insist that countless more be born, especially those that are unwanted and unwelcomed?

Obama, Clinton, Richardson et al for President

The Village Green endorses Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Christopher Dodd, and Dennis Kucinch for Democratic presidential candidate to win in 2008. I'm afraid I can't endorse the one whose name begins with V because I know nothing about him. He may very well be a good guy and a decent candidate, but he's going to have to work harder to get my attention.

I don't think Kerry should run again, but if he does it will be to be a power broker in who ultimately wins. Ted Kennedy is backing Kerry, which is a very utilitarian thing to do. He and Kerry (who honestly can't think that he'd win the nomination) don't have to go out on a limb and can watch it all shake out while holding on to MA's votes.

As for Al Gore, he doesn't need to be president to accomplish his goals. Once whoever is elected is in office, Gore can be appointed to head up the Department of Climate Change. The rest of the field should be given first look for all key positions. The only way to solve all the problems and clean up all the messes left by the Greedy for Oil Party will be as a strong united front. Put Kucinich in as head of the Department of Peace. That department should always be at the forefront of resolving conflicts.

The day after Kerry lost to Bush, I cranked up my printer and made some Obama/Clinton in 2008 bumperstickers. I also made some that said Clinton/Obama in 2008. It didn't really matter to me at the time which was president and which was vice president. I wanted to strike fear in the hearts of Republicans throughout Akron and Summit county. I passed them out to friends here and yond. You can see mine is still readable and I hope it doesn't fade until after election day 2008. May it continue to strike fear in the hearts of local Republicans!

On Meet the Press this morning, Ted Kennedy dominated the interview, like the mighty tribal elder with words of powerful wisdom. This after the first half hour of McCain dodging bullets about the surge in Iraq as well as his well-documented flip flops on social issues.

It was a pleasure watching a master politician at the top of his game. Kennedy took each question and turned it into an opportunity to make point after point, relentlessly tearing down any rationale for troop build up in Iraq. I am pleased to see that Sherrod Brown is a co-sponsor of the Kennedy Iraq bill that would stop

I can't find today's appearance on YouTube, so you will have to go to NBC's page to view it. I did find a nice clip from Kennedy's appearance before the Press Club. That was a very stirring speech:

Walmart to Eliminate Fabric Department

I try to avoid Walmart for all the good reasons -- the way it treats its employees, the way it squeezes its suppliers, and the way it has changed the landscapes of our towns and villages and helped to create the suburban mall sprawl. It is also a very depressing place to shop -- aisles piled with cheap goods from China and customers who are living on the downside of the American dream.

But today I had to buy a lot of patterns, fabric and notions to costume a huge show. Do you have any idea how much patterns sell for these days? They are in the range of $15 - $20 per pattern. Walmart sells them for half price. They can be found for similar rates online, but then you add in shipping and handling and the cost goes back up.

For the sake of my low budget theatre productions, I have continued to enter Walmart to buy patterns and to look over their dollar a yard fabric table as well. Today I found long lines of shoppers in the fabric store snapping up fabric by the bolt -- everything was 25% off. The clerks told us that Walmart is going through a big change which includes eliminating the sewing department. Except for four stores, the closest of which will be in Canton -- ack! I don't want to drive to Canton for patterns and fabric, but if I go to JoAnne's I'll be stuck paying the high prices. So I invested in a lot of patterns today! Some will be used on this show and some in future shows, I'm sure.

By the way, you can get vintage patterns like the one pictured above online. A pattern originally sold for 35 cents is now going for $22. Check your attics -- vintage patterns are apparently as collectable and expensive as comic books!

Time Out for a Commedia Side Show

Happy weekend! Here's a commedia dell'arte slideshow via YouTube. A young woman of 18 from São Paulo calling herself Boxcar Bertha put it togethe. It makes for some pleasant Friday evening viewing.

Response from ABJ to Actors' Summit Theatre

Neil Thackaberry had a response from the Beacon which he shared in a comment on my original November post on this topic. I'm re-posting it here for all to see:

"In response to the email I posted above, I received a response from the Beacon Journal. I replied as follows.

Mitch,

Thanks for getting back to me. I wish I could say that I found consolation or reassurance in your letter, but that would be untrue.

I stated that coverage of Actors' Summit no longer seemed to be a priority. That is exactly what was demonstrated by Elaine's choices for last weekend. I gather the three events you referred to were her reviews of two professional productions in Cleveland and one community theater production in Akron.

The Cleveland Play House, as one of the premiere regional Equity theaters in the country certainly deserves the Beacon Journal's attention, as does the Equity professional touring production of Light In the Piazza. But a choice was obviously made to cover two productions in Cleveland. That decision is an example of a priority, one that continues to denigrate the value of professional theater in the Beacon Journal's home market.

The question of priority is clearest in Elaine's decision to see Fat Pig at Bang & Clatter instead of QED at Actors' Summit. I'm glad that Fat Pig was reviewed. As a start up, semi-professional theater I'm delighted that Bang & Clatter is being covered. I'm also happy to see the Beacon continuing to cover Weathervane's community theatre efforts.

Neither of these ventures employ members of Actors' Equity, the international union of professional actors and stage managers. I believe that most of your newsroom staff are members of a union, as I am. Without just union compensation, healthcare and retirement benefits, it is impossible to sustain a community of artists capable of serving the highest aspirations of our community.

Elaine is working very hard to do an impossible task. While all of us involved in the theater are grateful for coverage of our productions, perhaps, given the paucity of resources the Beacon has committed to the arts, more care could be taken in allocating those resources. I would be happy to speak with you or any of the other editors or writers about suggestions you may have on how we can do a better job of keeping Elaine informed. The dates of all of our regular season productions are announced in late summer. We send press releases before each show opens. I have also contacted Elaine by email prior to each opening to remind her.

As for the possibility of Elaine's getting to QED during its final four performances, I'm afraid that any review she would write would have about the same relevance for the readers of the Beacon Journal as her dispatches from Florida -- coverage of performances that none of the readers will ever have a chance to see.

My original letter stated "I'm sorry that the Beacon Journal's priorities don't allow for consistent coverage of Actors' Summit, the only fully professional nonprofit theater in Summit County." My feeling is unchanged, and nothing in your letter leads me to believe that the Beacon Journal intends to establish policies or provide sufficient resources to change the situation.

I'm glad you read my letter and took the time to respond to it. I look forward to a time when we will be able to see more coverage of the professional theaters located within Summit County.

Sincerely,


Neil Thackaberry
Artistic Director"

Should the Highland Movie Theatre Be Preserved?

The Highland Theatre is the last of two remaining neighborhood movie houses in Akron. The owner has taken out a permit to wreck the back of the building, the part that houses the movie screen, according to an article in today's ABJ.

Many comments from the online readers today, run the spectrum from full capitalist glee in bulldozing down the past to lamenting communitarians who would seek tax dollars to save it for the community.

The only problem is, the community hasn't made good use of this theatre for decades. Various managers have taken it on only to fail due to classic reasons:

1. No parking except on the streets of the neighborhood.
2. The facility cannot compete with the suburban sprawl multiplexes. 12 screens going all day long vs. one screen -- it's a losing proposition.
3. Operating costs go through the roof -- the place consumes enormous amounts of energy to heat or air condition.
4. No matter the content, the community does not support it to make it operable.

It's sad to think of Highland Square without the Highland Theatre. I saw my first movie there as a child -- Bambi. Later on, the Highland became a very pleasurable way to spend a Saturday afternoon. All for a buck, you'd get a bunch of cartoons, some old time serials and then at least two features. I saw The Blob there and all those scary movies with the kids who had big eyes.

For awhile toward the end of the 20th century, rock and roll made an attempt to find a home at the theatre. Some remodeling with a night club theme was attempted to draw in a younger, hipper crowd, but it never seemed to work.

I always wanted it to run the movies that never showed up in Akron, the ones we have to drive up to the Cedar Lee in Cleveland to see. Back in the 60s, we used to be able to go the Art Theatre in the Falls to see underground stuff. But somehow, the customers for that venue vanished as well.

Highland Square is supposed to be "hip" but in reality there aren't enough of those folks to make it a viable operation. Can it really be called a landmark worthy of preservation? Certainly the Akron Civic Theatre is unique and worthy of every penny spent on its preservation. The Highland Theatre, however, is not an architectural gem. It doesn't serve anybody's needs anymore. The building does not meet current and future standards in terms of environmentally appropriate energy use. The cost of renovating it versus building a community center that provided programming that actually meets the needs of Highland Square residents has to be considered.

I have one idea, free to anyone who wants to try one more programming attempt to save the theatre. Since parking is a problem, residents within walking distance are the ones who need to be using the theatre. Walking to the theatre suggests an interest in maintaining physical fitness. I suggest that the place is loaded with fitness equipment, machines and free weights. On screen, one can show endless movies for people to watch as they row, cycle and walk their treadmills. Call it the Highland Theatre of Fitness, sell monthly passes and you are on your way to providing a real service while making the place finiancially solvent at last!

(Photo above is Copyright 2001 Brian Reichow, brian@casabrian.com and can be found at: http://www.casabrian.com.

The American Anti-Idol

George W Bush is the new American Anti-Idol. Think about it -- would you buy his records? His old hit singles are no longer charting. Weapons of Mass Destruction featuring "Aluminum Tubes," "Mobile Biological Weapon Labs," and "Nigerian Yellow Cake Walk" made an initial impression but faded fast. His next album, Mission Accomplished, flopped immediately, and every release since then has been the same old song and dance, a pathetic Vaudeville turn. The curtain comes down quickly before the jeers and rotten fruit can reach their target.

Yes, I along with the masses, watched the first episode of AI 6 this evening. It is a show that focuses on exposure -- of individual delusions, desperate attention-seeking and sometimes actual talent. Whether you are a sadist or a masochist, American Idol has incredible appeal. We watch people suffer utter humiliation as they confront their own lack of ability, while others compete to show off their lack of originality -- all to achieve 15 seconds of fame as an audition reject.

George W. Bush should go before a panel of judges who will tell him what he needs to hear. That he has no talent for statecraft, that he is incapable of honest self-reflection, and tone deaf when it comes to listening to intelligent advice. I want to watch his face contort in disbelief as a panel of experts tell him "NO, you are wrong for this, you must leave."

I want to see the president run out the door ("No not that one, the other door!") into the consoling arms of Laura, Condi and Harriet. They will scoop him up and gently unpin his audition number from his tie. They will cluck and coo, but he will be inconsolable. He wins no golden ticket to the Presidents' Hall of Fame. Infamy will follow him the rest of his days, but unlike William Hung there will be no novelty recordings.

Akron Beacon Journal continues to ignore local theatre

Akron is home to many theatre companies as well as being home to the beautiful Akron Civic Theatre pictured here. You'd never know that if you were a reader of the Akron Beacon Journal -- in print or online.

Today in a comment to an earlier post, Neil Thackaberry of Actor's Summit tells us that the ABJ is not reviewing their work:

Neil Thackaberry said...

"I sent the following email to the Beacon this morning.

I'm sorry that the Beacon Journal's priorities don't allow for consistent coverage of Actors' Summit, the only fully professional nonprofit theater in Summit County.

The regional premiere of QED was seen this weekend by critics from The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Cleveland Free Times, The West Side Leader, The Record Publishing Papers, The Chagrin Valley Times, and The Cleveland Jewish News. The critic from the Times newspapers is scheduled to attend this coming weekend. It seems that only the Beacon Journal doesn't consider our work worthy of critical review.

In the past, Actors' Summit was considered a priority of the Beacon Journal. I'm sorry to see that is no longer the case.

Neil Thackaberry
Founder & Artistic Director
Artistic Director"

I am very sorry to hear this. I've been having a heck of a time finding any theatre reviews at all at ohio.com, the ABJ's online presence. Elaine Guregian is still listed as Classical Music and Dance critic with no mention of theatre. Her theatre reviews are not posted under her listing as a columnist. I finally located them under a small heading on the Entertainment page: Peforming Arts. There are two reviews by Elaine -- one for the latest Bang and Clatter production and one for a musical at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. There is also a review by George Thomas's 12 year old son of the concert version of High School Musical. (George Thomas no longer writes movie reviews for the Beacon but rather has been assigned to the sports department.)

If one were to take the Akron Beacon Journal as an accurate reflection of our community, we could only say that Akron is a cultural wasteland. Furthermore, we would wonder why so many theatre companies are shown in the listings but are no longer reviewed. Certainly Actors' Summit was always on the agenda, and ditto Coach House and Weathervane. Theatre work of interest by Akron's own New World Performance Laboratory would be covered as well as note-worthy productions at the University of Akron, Kent State, Wooster and beyond. Carousel just opened a new show last week but not a peep from the Beacon yet. What about Magical Theatre? As for all those surrounding community theatres in Hudson, Stow, Medina and so on -- forget it! If the Beacon isn't going to cover Akron theatres, there is no hope for you.

The weekly Theatre Notes column has vanished, so we are cut off from news such as -- has Weathervane hired a new executive director yet. We never got a column on the untimely demise of Ingenue Theatre Company. If anyone of any importance was doing something in theatre locally, we once had a place to read about it. I can't fault Elaine -- how do you fit in covering all the local theatre when you are also trying to cover classical music and dance events as well?

So what is a local theatre-goer to do? Everybody who is in the know, subscribes to the NorthEast Ohio Performing Arts (NEOPAL) list put together by Fred Sternfeld, but that is more of a bulletin board. Some people do post reviews, but it is not the same as having a trusted and consistant voice from a reviewer you respect. The NEOPAL list does not necessarily target the potential audiences that our local theatres must have in order to keep existing.

You might check out Kerry Clawson's new blog From Page to Stage. She is writing about the local theatre scene. Post a comment and let her know you care too. Because obviously the ABJ doesn't give a damn. Don't let that stop you from joining Neil Thackaberry and write a letter to the editor. The editors won't do anything until they feel the pressure.

MLK Jr Day

Today Martin Luther King, Jr. would have turned 78 years old. Think of how many years he could have been working for the good of us all. Instead, he was shot to death at the age of 39 in 1968. At the age of 78, this man could still be working for the benefit of us all. Instead, we put aside one day to reflect upon what he accomplished and what is still left for us to overcome.

It is a very dreary and somber day here in NE Ohio. The rain is unrelenting and there is little reason to want to go out in it. Better to stay inside and refelect upon a man who was assasinated because he was such a threat to the old social order of keeping black people in their places -- serving the needs and interests of white folks.

The true story of who really caused MLK's death may never be uncovered. The killer(s) may not have realized that the act of murder created a martyr that day. Millions of people have chosen to remember and to take to heart these words:

"All too many of those who live in affluent America ignore those who exist in poor America. In doing so, the affluent Americans will eventually have to face themselves with the question that Eichmann chose to ignore: How responsible am I for the well-being of my fellows? To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

The above quote taken from an article, posted here.

Energy from a dump

Here's an idea for the Hardy Road landfill -- turn it into a source of gas for heating and fuel. Jackson Township is going to be home of a new facility called the Green Energy Center built on the cite of a landfill:

"E.P.A. okays Green Energy Center

The final air permit has been issued for the Green Energy Center next to SWACO's Franklin County Landfill (3857 London Groveport Rd, Jackson Township, Ohio). Construction on the facility should begin about six (6) weeks after local permitting approval.

SWACO's landfill will provide the gas needed to produce methanol and CNGat the Center. FirmGreen Fuels LLC of Newport Beach, California will operate the Green Energy Center and purchase the gas from SWACO.

The Center is expected to produce up to 20 million gallons per year of methanol, which would provide up to 100 million gallons per year of B20 biodiesel to the marketplace. Landfill gas will also be used to generate 1.6 MW from an engine and microturbines. Additionally, waste heat from the microturbines will provide space heat and hot water for the administrative office building and maintenance facilities of SWAC."

Is this form of energy source the wave of the future? Will it be restricted to already completed landfills or is it an excuse to keep on dumping? What kinds of things are in the landfill that create the methanol? More details here.

Theatre of War

What a heavy week it's been on the war front, with so much drama leading up to the anti-clamactic Surge & Sacrifice scene from the Oval Office. Like most news junkies, I was drawn into the story, only to realize that what we've experienced this week is not drama but rather tragical farce.

All the weeks leading up to the event, we were contstantly told that Bush and minions were examing all options and consulting with every possible agency of government and Pentagon that had anything to do with the so-called "Mission in Iraq." Meanwhile, the duly-elected representatives and senators began to sound more like a unified chorus in a Greek tragedy, expressing the fears and doubts of the common people -- rather than their usual role of jarring voices setting one side against the other.

But in the end, what a let down. The surge began before the official announcement and it will continue on because there is not a damn thing you or I can do about it. About 60 senators are showing some spine and many more representatives -- but not enough to over-ride a presidential veto. The power is still in Bush's inept hands.

Now we have threats, long brewing and now overt, against Iran and Syria, along with continued plotting to take over Iraqi oil deposits by Big Oil and all who profit from those corporations.

The only way I can see to change things at this point may have to begin assembling huge demonstrations all over the country and especially in Washington, DC. The Republicans in congress who continue to support Bush need to realize that their days will be numbered once Bush is gone. There is a rally planned for DC on January 27th. Are you going?

The Spoils of War, indeed!

I just stumbled across this interesting news from the UK Independent:

Future of Iraq: The spoils of war

How the West will make a killing on Iraqi oil riches

By Danny Fortson, Andrew Murray-Watson and Tim Webb

Published: 07 January 2007

"Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days.

The US government has been involved in drawing up the law, a draft of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday. It would give big oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon 30-year contracts to extract Iraqi crude and allow the first large-scale operation of foreign oil interests in the country since the industry was nationalised in 1972."

This is why it is so important to surge or "augment" as Condoleeza puts it. Which is to be understood as somehow differnt from "escalation." AT anyrate, they are desperate to hold on until this law can be passed. Then let the place burn to the ground so that Haliburton can come in and rebuild it. You can read the rest of this article here.

Condoleeza puts on a scary show before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

C-Span is running the full testimony tonight and that's the best entertainment going. The senators are going at her and she is irrational about Iraq and belligerant in her words, tone and physical expressions. Her nose wrinkles as she paints polite sounding insults around Iran and Syria, as if she smells her enemies approaching. I suddenly understood. She will never reach out and achieve an act of diplomacy -- because she needs to have enemies. So does Bush. It's the age old excuse for invade and plunder.

In the middle of the hearing, a man held up a sign behind her: "OLD LIES" Condoleeza had no idea there was a sign there and it took a very long time for "security" to get to the protester who went limp and let them drag him out. This was captured beautifully by the cameras from several angles, all the while the protester shouted "More lies!" "All Lies!" with a final "Stop the War!" The Senator at the microphone politely stopped to let the words of the protestor ring through the chamber. It was wonderful theatre!

I hope it ends up on YouTube. I can't even find a news story about it, although I've had MSNBC on all evening -- didn't see it there either.

So here's an old but apt clip. Shudder in your shoes kids. Condoleeza scares me far more than Yvonne DeCarlo (RIP) ever did.

No Iraq War

Bush gives us the one finger salute one more time. (For a look at the time he did it as governor of Texas, go here.)

At about 8:55 I turned the TV to mute and went upstairs for a long hot soak in the tub. I let go of the stresses and strains of the day and relaxed while a U$ president got on the air to tell us what everybody else knew he was going to say.

Just say No to "non-binding resolutions!" Stand up to the Big Bully!

Earlier tonight I was watching the House of Representatives on C-Span. It is an odd site to see the empty seats and just a few scattered reps there to get their on-camera moments to be inserted in the record. Wouldn't you love to see the rest of them? Why can't we? We pay them. They should be on-camera from the moment they clock in til the end of their congressional and senate days. It should be more like Big Brother -- that's it! Congressional Reality TV!

Nix on bathroom cams, however. Ewww. But a camera trained on the outside restroom door might get us some interesting footage. Who goes in there for an off-cam caucus and how long do they stay hidden! It would certainly highlight the gender gaps in both houses.

You see I'd rather think about anything tonight than what is going down in Washington, but I'm afraid I can't. The president is either mad or in complete and utter denial. What does the Constitution have to say about this situation?

Meanwhile as our duly elected representatives debate whether they have the nerve to stand up to this unintelligent and deluded person who is determined to see more deaths rather than face up to his mess.

What the hell are we doing anyway, blasting a country and people into bits? The planet is burning up and Bush wants to make it burn faster. Somebody -- please -- put on the brakes. Bring it to a halt.

No Iraq War.

Snow!

Here it is the 2nd week of January, and my dog has gone into full coat shed. He is what I call a Huskador Retreiver, with a thick arctic coat that fills in beautifully during the winter and then spends the rest of the year shedding all over everything. So I'm observing the big clumps of hair tufting and ready to fall onto the floor and Oberon is asking me, please -- stop staring and let me go outside for awhile. Oh my goodness! I open the door and it is snowing! Big flakes and lots of them. Oberon plunges out into his element and comes back looking like this:












I rush to the computer to check weather.com -- light snow is the current forecast. Only 1" total by morning. Thursday we'll be back to sunny with a high of 46 degrees. I'm not a big fan of snow and it certainly feels strange to be rooting for it, but dammit -- the ground has got to freeze sometime before spring officially arrives. My garden is counting on it.

Monday Mashup

I'm down with a cold. Ohio State is down by one touchdown. I'm wrapped up with blankets, with laptop, dog and cat for company. Not a whole lot of energy for blogging tonight. So let me point you toward some interesting reading.

Here's an article from last week's Washington Post on how climate change appears in gardens in the DC area. Former "tender" plants now flourish, while others suffer from the warming trend.

My favorite gardening blog, This Garden is Illegal, has the scoop on Walmart's push to go Green. The bottom line has bottomed out, methinks, and Walmart will do anything for positive PR.

God is 4 Suckers has a report on a British cardinal trying (and failing) to attack atheists, calling us "Christophobes!"

The Wooster Group is premiering a new work:

"The Wooster Group's HAMLET, directed by Elizabeth LeCompte, reconstructs
a hypothetical theater piece from the fragmentary evidence of Richard
Burton's "Hamlet", a 1964 Broadway production which was recorded in
performance and shown as a film for two days only in 2,000 U.S. movie
houses.  The idea of bringing a live theater experience to thousands of
simultaneous viewers in different cities was trumpeted as a new form
called "Theatrofilm".  This HAMLET attempts to reverse the process, like
an archeologist inferring an improbable temple from a collection of ruins."

And if you are going to NYC -- be sure to check here to see where Dred Scott will be playing. I see a gig listed for February 22nd at Lincoln Center with Richard Julian! Woo woo -- way to go Dred!

Half time here and it looks like Ohio State is fading fast. So am I. Good night all!

Separation of Church and State

My only complaint about all the ceremonies in Washington DC concerns the pledging and invocations and prayers that go on in these governmental gatherings. "So help you god" -- what does that mean? Is it supposed to arouse the fear of being condemned to hell if you don't do as you promise? I did find it highly ironic that Dick Cheney was the one who administered the oaths (in tones as scary as could be) to the new senators. Every time he got to the line about protect against enemies from without and within, I wanted to shout out "You sir, are one of the enemies within!"

At the dinner we had to stand up and pledge allegience to the flag which is something I really object to -- but what are you gonna do when you are in a room full of people who worked very hard to make something wonderful happen? In my case, I stood up but did not put my hand on my heart and did not recite the words. When it got to "one nation under god" I muttered "one nation without gods" and immediately felt better! Pledging is a ritual that reminds me of fascistic kinds of government.

Now as for all the invocations that we heard -- my question is -- why do they have to be delivered by ministers, reverends, clergy etc? Why not invite brilliant scientists or philosphers to address the group? They might have something more thoughtful and interesting to say then these other folks who say the same old platitudes over and over. We know that all the ministers and swearing oaths will not prevent some politicians from making unethical choices and take illegal actions -- so let's drop the pretense that swearing to god and saying prayers is in anyway useful.

To this godless liberal, what it means is that some people like to show off in public by taking a holier than thou kind of stance. But the religious don't give a damn, so to speak. They could care less that their actions ostracize the non-religious. Too bad an atheist can't get elected to office. Heck even gay people can get elected to office in the 21st century. How many more years before we atheists and non-religious folks are treated as equals not pariahs?

Tilting at wind turbines and the White House

Forgot to put this image at the end of my last post. These are the wind turbines (not windmills as I posted earlier -- the phrase must now be changed to "tilting at wind turbines" I suppose) I saw on the bus ride back from Washington DC. They represent a breath of fresh air, the progressive movement toward problem solving rather than the conservative need to never budge.

CNN rebroadcast Nancy Pelosi's swearing in along with her speech and her gesture toward the future -- the welcoming of children up to her seat of power to lay hands upon the gavel. Very nice symbolism!

These are hopeful times, and it is especially heartening to have the Democrats standing up to the War in Iraq on day 2, nicely undercutting all the White House propaganda leading up to the long post-poned decision about to be dropped upon us by the Great Decider some time next week. The Dems say No to the Surge and the military report they can only muster up 9,000 maximum new troops when Bush is demanding at least 20,000.

Lots of protesting was going on in Washington the past few days. I saw a bunch of folks setting up for an anti-Bush event just outside the capitol building. Cindy Sheehan has been active along with many other anti-Iraq War groups. I met two people, parents of a young war resister by the name of Darnell Anderson. You can read his story of resisting assignment to Iraq here. They came to DC to lobby for their son's freedom. They opened my eyes to the large numbers of military and ex-military who are resisting this war in numerous ways. Check out this organization for more information: Iraq Veterans Against the War Deployed.

We all have to keep the pressure up in order to bring these young people home from the horrors Bush and his minions created in Iraq. George Bush proves every day how easy it is to stall and put off facing reality. He somehow doesn't think the election last November was any kind of message to him personally.

Will we all have to go back to Washington to protest by the millions in order to stop the madness?

Celebrating the new senator from Ohio

Hundreds of Sherrod Brown campaign volunteers boarded buses to DC in the early hours of January 3rd. Lots of long hours spent at events and parades, on phone banks and hoofing a canvass from house to house -- all with this impossible goal -- to elect an avowedly progressive Democrat as Senator of Ohio. The buses left from Lorain, Bedford, Mansfield and Columbus. I met lots of folks from Mansfield, which is where Sherrod grew up. Emily Brown, Sherrod's mom, rode on one of the volunteer buses from Mansfield! She wanted to ride down with the people --nothing fancy for her!

The folks I met on the bus and at the Sherrod Brown events were proud of their work and excited by all the possibilities that change can bring. There were young kids, older kids, college students, family groups, gay and straight couples as well as some odd birds like yours truly -- earnestly talking about all the important issues of the day. We talked Iraq and we talked economy. We talked about health care and how many Americans are worked to stress-related death.

Thursday evening found us all gathered outside the ballroom, waiting for the doors to open. Sherrod and Connie arrived and shortly thereafter, Ted Kennedy rode down the escalater and strode into the crowd! Everybody swarmed around him, digital cameras flashing from every angle. Here's the best of my shots. Unfortunately, the batteries were low and I had left replacements up on the 9th floor -- drat! Anyway, Ted couldn't stay as he had to go to his son's party but he was there to give his support to Sherrod, who is on Ted's senate committee. Health, Education, Labor and Pensions -- HELP -- and boy do they need it. That's a great committee catch for Sherrod and so are his other ones.

The doors opened and there was Sherrod to welcome us all into the ballroom for a celebratory dinner -- and it was huge. Rows and rows of round tables seating ten per. I was at table 60 about two thirds back from the podium.

Speeches were made and cheers were given up for Sherrod's campaign staff, his family, and for us -- the volunteers. Ongoing slideshows featured pictures from campaign events. I saw the first one I attended, before joining the campaign. It was in front of the Science Center in Cleveland when Sherrod talked about making Ohio a leader in renewable energy resouces. I heard other people call out upon seeing their photo on the large screens -- it was a moving tribute to everybody's efforts.

The creative team that came up with Sherrod's television commercials were also honored and very deservedly too. We were treated to a chronological showing of his major ads, which made for a very nice historical summary of the campaign's progress.

The term "progressive" has come to supplant "liberal" and I think I am gaining an understanding of why that is. Sherrod's campaign focused on what will benefit all of society, not just the wealthy few. The ads appealed to the sensibilities of all Americans and not just to fringe groups. People have grown tired of endless war and foreign conflicts. The new progressives in the house and the senate have huge challenges ahead, but for this brief moment in time, they have the backing of the voters. Change is being sought, change toward real progress. The Republicans have made piles of messes to be cleaned up.

The dinner was tasty, the companionship was merry and earnest at the same time. Aterwards, several bus tours left for a drive around the monuments. I got to the sign up sheets too late. There was a Ford Theatre tour availble for Thursday morning, but I really wanted to go to the Folger Library. Meanwhile the ball room was humming as huge vortexes of progressives gathered around Connie and Sherrod. They certainly are a dynmic duo! Sherrod promised that he and Connie would stay and thank every last person in the room before retiring, and indeed -- they did!

Thursday morning I made my dash to the Folger gift shop and picked up some very useful items for my students. Got back to the hotel in time to fill up my luncheon plate before C-Span hit the big screens with the beginning of the new Senate term and the swearing in ceremonies. Sherrod was in the first group and we gave him a rousing cheer from our ballroom. I'm sure he heard it in his heart. We finished our lunch as the sentators continued their swearings in, four by four, many with holy books prominantly displayed for the television cameras. Thank dog Sherrod's hands were empty. Maybe that's a Lutheran trait, not wanting to publicly parade one's personal philosophy. If only all relgions were so humble and private.

I'm glad I went on this trip. I still can't quite believe that a candidate I could support actually won a major election! I ran into Yellow Dog Sammy on the trip. He rode the other Bedford bus, but we found each other by accident during the lunch stop! I told him that for most of my life I didn't vote on principle, but that I felt I had to begin voting as an act of self defense. It was great meeting him -- he had outstanding coverage and analysis of the fall Ohio elections at his old blog Ohio 2006. We are waiting for the new one to commence.

I met two war resisters and will write more about them tomorrow, along with some thoughts on religious displays as part of public rituals. On the bus ride home, I read my new books and thought about some exciting new lesson plans. I happened to look up at one point somewhere in Pennsylvania and noticed familiar tall and majestic shapes on the horizon. Wind mills! Just like the one in front of the Science Center where I made up my mind to volunteer for Sherrod's campaign. A sign of progress! Let us have more. Please.

High up in the Hyatt

I splurged for wireless broadband access, so I could post while in Washington. This is one expensive hotel. Continental breakfast was $21.00! Various bottles of booze can be delivered to your room for prices that would net you a case of decent wine. Needless to say, I didn't order a bottle of the cheapest wine (Beringer, White Zinfandel Napa -- $32.00) but did have a glass of white wine for $7.50 to accompany last night's dinner with Sherrod and Connie. Heck, when in Washington and hobnobbing with the rich and powerful, why not pretend for a moment that one can actually afford to pay that much money for a glass of wine?

I'm on the 9th floor of the Hyatt, looking out on an impossibly sunny January 4th, the day we all can celebrate the first woman Speaker of the House. We can also ask, why it has taken so long and why are there still so few women in public service roles?

I have taken lots of pictures which I wanted to post today. However, it turns out my laptop doesn't have a decent photo editing program on it. I always use my Mac for photo work and now I remember why! So you will have to wait until later for pictures of Ted Kennedy! Yes -- he dropped in the lobby of the event for a quick meet and greet. I also have some nice pics of Sherrod and Connie and Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

This morning is rather a nuisance. We have to check out by 11 but the bus doesn't leave until 3. The swearing in is at noon. I had big plans to get up early and run around DC on my own, but instead I opted for a leisurely morning with breakfast, newspaper and coffee. After I check out of this room, I'll be heading to the swearing in viewing room, then I hope to make one short break away to get to the Folger library. We'll see how that goes!

More later...
Vil

Off to DC!

I'm heading to the Sherrod Brown bus very soon to begin the journey to DC. We're departing from Bedford, OH just a bit north of Summit County. I'm looking forward to hanging with a bunch of people celebrating all the hard work that paid off last November 7th.

I'm taking my laptop and expect to be blogging from the hotel late tonight and early Thursday morning. The digital camera is packed and I hope to get some good pics to share with you all.

I used to live in DC for a few years in the 70s and I'm looking forward to revisiting favorite old places like the Adams-Morgan area and perhaps a visit to the Folger Library.

As for Sherrod -- wow -- I don't envy him his job. What a lot of messes to be cleaned up and huge planet-shaking decisions to be made. All those years in the House should give him a boost up right away -- he knows the people and he won big in Ohio. I predict he's going to be a major player and that items on his agenda will appear before house and senate soon.

More as it happens!
Vil

Department of Food Safety?

It's regulatory chaos in the current Bush bureaucracy, according to an AP article that takes a lot of paragraphs to tell us nothing about how our food may be made safer. Food producers and government agencies want to avoid another E Coli spinach episode like the one in the fall of 2006.

"Since September, two produce industry groups that together represent thousands of U.S. growers, processors, distributors, restaurants and supermarkets have worked to hasten revised guidelines for preventing contamination of leafy greens.

The goal is to tell farmers, before spring planting, and then consumers about the new safety guidelines."

Not a hint as to what those new guidelines might include. The problem is that somehow the E Coli virus originates in animals and so farmers must be very careful about what types of fertilizers they use and where they come from. However, in the case of the contaminated spinach, the last story I read put the blame on wild hogs that carry the E Coli virus into streams and ground water that eventually feed into vast acres of "organically" grown vegetables.

Here's more:

"The FDA started work on new safety recommendations in 2004 and has come up with voluntary guidelines for the vegetables that cause more than 80 percent of outbreaks from produce. They are lettuce and leafy greens, tomatoes, green onions, herbs and cantaloupes. As outbreaks have continued, the agency has looked for more ways to prevent them and respond more quickly. But that effort has been slowed while agency staff was diverted to handle the latest outbreaks. "Obviously, up to this point things have not worked as well as they should have," Acheson said. Consumer groups say things have not worked well because of inadequate money and staffing at FDA. Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, said putting one agency in charge of food safety would be a big improvement. "It's regulatory chaos" now, Kimbrell said. The Bush administration opposes the idea, saying it is unnecessary."

No matter what the problem that government is supposed to be handling, we find chaos and incompetence instead of an organized professional response. Public service used to be term that meant what it said. Now it appears to be nothing more than a chance to rip us off and toss us onto the heaps of spreading germs and viral infectious agents.

The beautiful picture of spinach was acquired from here -- Willie Green's Organic Farm in the state of Washington sounds like a great source for safe spinach.

ABJ Update -- Giffels takes leave

David Giffels announced in his column today that he is taking an extended leave to write a book. Good for him! Not so good for the reading public in Akron. I expect you have noticed how many of your favorite Akron Beacon Journal writers have either vanished or are writing much more than before. The paper is noticeably thinner and is mostly ads these days. The online content can be got through in a quarter of an hour.

So with Giffels gone, the only two listed local news reporters are Bob Dyer and Jewel Cardwell. Things sure must feel empty up there in the old newsroom. Checking on Elaine Guregian 's listing, I note that "theatre" is not listed as part of her title yet and that her theatre reviews still are not collected online under her name.

So long 2006, hello New Year!

It's time to reflect upon the passing of time one more time!

The image shown here is part of a drawing I did a long time ago. It pictures a world teeming with humans and on fire with war and other earth-shattering events. I find it utterly mystifying that religious people wish for this to actually happen, convinced they will be spared the flames and the suffering. And with that cheery thought --

Here's my list of memorable events from the year of 2006.

Top music:

Ray Davies' long awaited solo recording is released. Other People's Lives is a masterpiece! No kidding -- I'm not biased, just thrilled to have this new collection of songs to play over and over!

Storm Large dominated Rockstar: Supernova until they could no longer deal with her super talent and vote her off after her brilliant and tear-provoking rendition of Wish You Were Here. She's going into the studio in Jan/Feb to begin work on a new album. Whooo! After watching her on Rockstar, I loaded up on Storm Inc: The Calm Years, Storm and the Balls - Vasectomy and Hanging With the Balls.

Donovan in concert, Mansfield Ohio! Mesmerizing!

Bruce Springsteen's Pete Seeger tribute is fantastic and addictive listening. It's great for singing a long on long road trips.

Neil Young's brilliant Living With War Album was one of two major political-cultural events in 2006.

The Other Noteworthy Political-Cultural Event in 2006

Stephan Colbert's show and his performance at the White House Correspendants' Dinner. The man is an amazing peformer. To keep that character going show after show with never a break and always spot on in the moment, ready to hit an improvised response right out of the ball park -- that is performance art, in its greatest manifestation yet! The White House dinner performance before the Emperor and his wife with all their Poobahs in attendence and Media Toads swarming and ultimately squirming. That performance marked a huge turnabout that ultimately lead to the 2006 fall election results. Great stuff available still for viewing here.

Atheists Leap Out of the Closet and On to the Best Seller Lists:

"The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins (I'm just starting this one and it grabs the reader right away!)

"Letter to a Christian Nation" by Sam Harris (responding to religionists who objected to his book, The End of Faith.)

"Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" by Daniel Dennett

And the wonderful video documentary "The God Who Wasn't There."

Green Awareness:

"The Weather Makers" by Tim Flannery puts weather and climate into perspective with the latest scientific findings on planet earth's history of climate change.

"An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. Whoever gets elected president will want to appoint Al to be Secretary of the Environment.

"The Omnivore's Delight" by Michael Pollan, reviewed here.

Politics

On the personal level, this anarchist decided to get political, in a revolutionary act of self-defense! Well, that's how I justify it. I'm still an anarchist at heart and would love nothing better than to be living and participating in an anarcho-syndicalist sustainable-pastoral cooperative. But instead, I'm living in Kenmore, Ohio on a teacher's salary trying to get by and do the right thing.

Having had my gut-wrenched and heart broken in the past over supporting the leftest of the left candidates such as Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern, I was utterly shocked that Sherrod Brown won in Ohio this past fall -- despite the fact that I worked as a volunteer on his campaign. Well the times must finally be a chainging! He's got a huge job ahead of him in 2007 and we will be watching and cheering him and his progressive agenda onward.

2007

Here are some things I want to see in 2007:

U$ troops out of Iraq. No surge, no escalation, no more macho posturing. Get some real diplomats on the job and keep Bush pre-occupied with a bunch of hearings on his administrative failures like Katrina and war bunglings.

Universal Health Care -- make it happen. Shaking fist at congress and senate -- get going!

A Public Call to Action on Global Warming. It's time to dig new Victory Gardens for the War on Global Warming. Stop using plastic bags. Avoid buying products in packaging that can't be recycled. Make a list and follow through on daily actions that can cut down carbon release into the atmostphere. Mindfullness is what is needed in the now or there will be no future.

More atheists standing up and calling it like it is. I agree with Sam Harris. It does us no good to pretend religion is harmless. Why waste time on delusional thinking? Don't forget God is for Suckers!

Personal Goals for 2007

My first goal is to finish writing my thesis. It is my winter break task and is going very well, thank you. The first draft in total must be done before going back to school on January 8th.

Continue Blogging. Blogging is not only the daily discipline of writing, it is also the act of reading many other blogs, responding with comments and absorbing new ideas. It is a way of breaking through the ant-heap mentality of life on this earth, reaching out to folks far and near, tuning in and making contact.

Once the thesis is done, I am going to return to my visual art roots and finish a bunch of art works that have accumulated over the years: Unfinished masks, drawings that require coloring, and some new sketches to be made.

Theatrically, I'm very keen on doing some work with Dario Fo and Franca Rame materials and still there is the long held goal of bringing Preservation to a stage in Akron.

So little time to reflect and so much to do! Wishing you all the best for your new year ahead. May you make good progress toward your dreams and deepest ambitions.

Sunny Day in Kenmore

Another sunny December day in Kenmore, in the winter that has yet to arrive. Day after day of temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Snow is a distant memory -- we had a slight frosting one day last month. December has been a relief for our heating bills, but January is long and we hope it brings us a proper winter freeze before spring is due to arrive.

It was a good day to avoid television, radio and internet media. I didn't want to read continuing updates on the impending execution of Sadaam Hussein. No matter how you dress 'em up, state executions are just plain gruesome.

Nor am I interested in seeing all the tributes pouring in for Gerald Ford. How low has the status of US president sunk, I ponder, that Ford is suddenly elevated to noble heights for merely being in line to succeed Nixon. I just don't understand why he is now to be praised for pardoning Tricky Dick. My best memories of Gerald Ford are those Saturday Night live sketches with Chevy Chase tripping over whatever was at hand.

Above gulls fly over Summit Lake on a sunny December day.

Below is a close-up of some moss. Nice weather for moss -- it is flourishing all over my garden now.

Edwards for President!

John Edwards announced his candidacy for US president in tones that resounded of Sherrod Brown's winning campaign message. It's the new Popuplist Progressive wave that is appealing to so many voters. Health care, end the war, big turn around in energy policies toward sustainability and not relying on middle east oil. Job equity and decent wages.

The Village Green is endorsing anyone who says the above and looks like they have the intelligence and organizational skills to get it done. So far Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards are on message and looking good. I expect more candidates will jump on this progressive trend. People are not just tired of the same old crap, we're ready to pitch in to make good things happen. It's a little glimmer of hope in the usual dark and gloomy world of politics

Edwards has some nifty campaign ideas including getting folks on board who want to work on issues right away instead of waiting for the 2008 election. He's tapping into the DIY activism found in blogs and local progressive grass roots groups. Read more at Buckeye state blog here. Here's a handy link to Edwards' One Corps web portal.

I don't know if Edwards has a MySpace yet, but he got his campaign message out via YouTube.



He's very appealing as are many of the Dems this time around. This is all to our greater good. No matter who ends up winning it, they'll have a very impressive pool to select from to create a new and progressive executive branch. Al Gore should be head of Environmental Challenges, Dennis Kucinich for Secretary of Peace, and put Hilary on as head of Health, Education and Welfare. Obama for vice president or vice versa or any combination of the above mentioned.

US forced to face effects of global warming

Microdot points out that the White House is going to finally concede that climate change is real. In an AP report today, we find that polar bears are the creatures who reached through the bureaucratic blockade and touched somebody's sensibilites. Maybe one too many pictures of polar bears swimming desperately for solid ice in the middle of a melting polar region?

Face to face with actual evidence, some government workers -- you know, those people we pay with our taxes to take care of our common goods and interests -- have realized that polar bears have to be put on the endangered species list before it is too late. The polar bear population is between 21-25,000 (2001 count) and here is a handy click on map of the polar region, where you can read descriptions of various polar bear populations. For example:

"Kara Sea

This population includes the Kara Sea and overlaps in the west with the Barents Sea population in the area of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya archipelagos. The information for the Kara and Barents Seas, in the vicinity of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, is mainly based on aerial surveys and den counts (Parovshikov 1965, Belikov and Maeteev 1983, Uspenski 1989, Belikov et al. 1991, Belikov and Gorbunov 1991, Belikov 1993). Studies of movements, using telemetry, have been done throughout the area but data to define the eastern boundary are incomplete (Belikov et al. 1998, Mauritzen et al. in press). The population estimate should be regarded as preliminary. Reported harvest activities have been limited to defence kills and an unknown number of illegal kills; these are not thought to be having an impact on the size of the population. However, contaminant levels in rivers flowing into this area and recent information on nuclear and industrial waste disposal raise concerns about the possibility of environmental damage. Recent studies clearly show that polar bears from the Kara Sea have the highest organochlorine pollution levels in the Arctic (Andersen et al. 2001, Lie et al. in press)."

Can we save these beautiful creatures from our own toxic brews and planetary wrecking? Or will polar bears only be viewed in museums?

Photo from: Polar bear diorama at the National Museum of Canada, 1940 (with cubs shot in 1914). Source: Canadian Museum of Nature

Signs of global warming

In the past 24 hours, I've read the following stories:

The growth of holly trees is on the decline.

Brown bears in Spain are no longer hibernating in the winter.

The first inhabited island is now officially under water.

Here by Summit Lake in Akron, Ohio I note that the geese no longer fly south for the winter and that various plants continue to grow in my garden.

Can we even think of saying "Happy" New Year ahead? Perhaps "Get it together in the New Year" might be more appropriate.

James Brown

Gone but always with us courtesy of Youtube:

A trip to Cleveland's West Side Market

What a great place to shop! Why doesn't Akron have one of these? Seriously, I don't think I can go back to a regular grocery store again. So long Acme. Farewell Giant Eagle. Who needs you and all the petroleum that goes into running your business.


Granted, I'm burning gas to drive to the west side of Cleveland to get to all these goodies, and a great deal of the fruits and veggies on display at the West Side Market come from California and other great distances. However, much as Acme likes to call some of its bigger stores "Fresh Market" Acmes, they'll never be able to equal what I saw today.

The produce aisle formed an exhilerating pallette predominantly composed of greens, yellows, and oranges with browns and creams and reds scattered here and there. Stalls stacked tall with all manner of vegetables, vendors calling out specials and offering samples to prove the quality and freshness of their goods attracted crowds of shoppers.

Signs announced that certain fruits and vegetables were organically grown. One vendor offered me a bag of mixed organic fruit for five dollars. I happily took him up on his offer. I found avacados -- 2 for a dollar. So many lucious items I had to fight my desire to buy more than I needed. Shopping for one is always a striving for economy without waste.

The produce section forms a giant L shape to the rear and side of the market building. In the main shopping market, are a grid of meat markets, bread stalls, dairy and other specialty shops. If I were a meat eater, I would guess this would be the place to find healthy meat. I didn't look too closely, trying to avoid the sight of duck, pheasant and chicken bodies interspersed with hunks of cow and pig flesh. How people can eat sausage is beyond me!

Anyway, I found this very nice UK baked goods shop with a genuine Shephards's Pie for sale. I didn't buy it but I did take a picture of it. I bought a vegetable pastry and a Guiness stout ginger bread.




Another find was a dairy shop that featured local and organic cheeses. I bought some cheddar and pepper jack made in Wisconsin from Grass Point Farms, who use humane animal husbandry and the cattle are grass-fed.

Fresh wild mushroom pasta sounded like a tasty bed to prepare for all those vegetables I'd purchased earlier. One final stop before loading my cloth bags into my vehicle -- to pick up a bunch of flowers.

I'm thinking if we continue to have a globally warmer winter than usual, it might make good sense to shop here twice a month.



Speaking of Shepherd's Pie, what Kinks song has the line:

"What's the point of cracking up all because of Shepherd's pie?"

Friday Night at the Village Green

Winter Break! Two words that gladden my heart! I'm on it -- now! 17 days to de-stress and recharge for the second half of the school year. I don't write about that part of my life here. This blog is a way to put that aside and deal with the rest of the world. An essential mental health activity, perhaps! My work is important and it is all-consuming of time, energy and focus -- I love it very much. But when Winter Break arrives, I am ready for it!

Here's a little tune for the holiday:

The Omnivore's Dilemma Part 4

The final meal prepared by author Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma is hunted and gathered. Upon moving to Northern California, he connects with some folks who still understand the woods and the wild. So Pollan embarks on a pig hunt, becoming the predator in a food chain that starts with oak trees that take energy from the sun to produce acorns which the wild pigs feast upon. He also hunts for mushrooms, adding fungi into the mix.

Pollan gathered cherries in Berkeley and some wild greens from the surrounding hills. He made sourdough bread using yeast from the air itself, which I'd never heard of doing -- simply exposing the dough mixture to air through an open window. The yeast spores are everpresent, apparently.

It was fascinating to contemplate the evolution of the original hunter/gatherer humans, their diets changing as they moved from treetops to savanah and then on to fertile deltas where crops could be grown, and then animals domesticated for consumption. The rise of seed corn as a commodity in the 20th century saw huge increases in the planet's population. By the end of the 20th century, cheap processed food fed the poorest of the poor, while the wealthy began looking for "organics" and "alternative food sources." Pollan hints that of the two species -- corn and homo sapiens, the former may be the real driving force of nature.

One thing is for sure -- there are many more dilemmas involved in eating than one suspects. Most of us engage in rather mindless eating without doing much thinking about the where and the how of the food that is before us. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a must read!

The Omnivore's Dilemma, Part 3 (the meme)

I've been tagged by Pho, tagged as in "for a meme" a term I had to look up and found that it is something like a chain letter only not linked to any threats of dire fortune if one doesn't keep it going. It's more of a controlled random way of forging blog links, so I don't mind participating one bit -- especially since it turns out to be total serendipity here at the Village Green.

The meme's instructions are:

1. Grab the book closest to you.
   
2. Open to page 123, go down to the 4th sentence.
   
3. Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog.
   
4. Name of the book and the author.
   
5. Tag three people of your own.

I'm glad to do this because the book right in front of me is -- as you might expect -- The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. It is at hand because I'm about to post my third comment in a row, takin g a look at the Pastoral Grass food chain. Page 123 turns out to be the first page of that section in a chapter called All Flesh is Grass. Here are the three sentences:

"I was tired. I'd spent the afternoon making hay, really just lending a hand to a farmer making hay, and after a few hours in the midday sun hoisting and throwing fifty-pound bales onto a hay wagon, I hurt. We think of grass as soft and hospitable stuff, but once it's been dried in the sun and shredded by machines--once it's become hay--grass is sharp enough to draw blood and dusty enough to thicken lungs." (Omnivore's Dilemma, p 123)

This was my favorite section of the book -- the chapter on Polyface Farm in Virginia. The farm raises chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, rabbits, and pigs, as well as tomatoes, sweet corn, and berries in a unique configuration of animal and crop rotations. This all happens on one hundred acres of pasture plus 450 acres of forest. The guy who runs it calls himself a "grass farmer" and his name is Joe Salatin. A fascinating fellow! But even more so is his way of farming which he deiscribes as a place where animals do most of the work.

Grass farming recognizes that energy comes from the sun and is stored in plant leaves, such as grass, which is consumed by animals who are then consumed by humans. Salatin has observed nature and his farming techniques are like an "intensive rotational dance on the theme of symbiosis. Salatin is the choreographer and the grasses are his verdurous stage."

Basically, he grazes his cows on pasture land then moves them before the cows over graze the grass. Grass will recover its vitality after one clip of cow teeth, but not as well after two or more bites down to the ground. So the cows are constantly moved with portable fencing. After the cows leave one section, a mobile chicken coop is brought in, affectionately known as the "Eggmobile!" Chickens in pens go straight to the cow pies (!) and peck out the grubs and other nasties growing in them. The chicken coops stay for one day and are moved the length of the coop to new ground so that the entire pasture benefits from the chicken manure which supplies the grasses with copious amounts of nitrogen.

The beauty and intricacy of this operation is that it is highly productive without the added costs from antibiotics, wormers, paraciticides, and fertilizers. There is a lot more to it than my brief summation above -- Pollan delves into the nature of grass plants and soil, doing a magnificent job of taking us on a grand tour of the the chain of food and life itself. Pollan spent a week working on the farm, and even participates in the weekly slaughter of chickens for sale. I admire him for his willingness to experience and record things that I could probably never bring myself to do. I know I couldn't kill an animal to eat it, but after reading this chapter -- I began to understand my heritage as a human onmnivore. If I were to become a meat eater once more, I would want link to the chain that had animals who lived their lives on a farm like Polyface.

Oh and tagging this meme far out of the park and on to: Microdot, Nerve Doc, and Kevin.

Joe Finan Dead at 79

I heard this on 1350 Radio Free Ohio on the drive home from work. There's a brief notice on their web page here, which is where I got the picture. They have a gallery of images of Joe broadcasting on his first day. Odd to see a contemporay radio broadcasting booth, as I recall the booth at WCUE-FM back in the good old days of early progressive rock radio in Akron. This new booth looks so sterile and uncluttered.

As for Joe, he only left the air October 26, so that's almost as good as dying with his mic on. There's nothing up at the ABJ yet. While I didn't really care for his show that much, I did listen every day because he was the only local left-wing voice around. I still wish they'd give some air time to someone local, even if it were only a weekend slot or something late at night.

Anyway, sorry to see you go Joe. 79 is pretty young these days.