Got a call last night from a guy who can sell us three Yorkshire piglets, so I spent a couple of hours early this morning on the fenceline, trimming brush. I'll put the electric fence up this weekend and assemble a quick, pallet-shack for the beasts. Also have to get a trough and watering barrel. Lot of stuff to do.
On the goat front, the Southern Vermont Dairy Goat Association is right up the road from us. I've been doing some back-and-forth with them, and one of their members may be selling a couple of yearling goats. They wouldn't be ready for milking until fall, but ...
Need to rent a rototiller in the next week, too. We got flurries yesterday (!) and the last freeze shouldn't be for another couple of weeks, but we'll have to have everything in the ground by then. I've done just about enough hand tilling to last, oh, a lifetime.
Hoping to get back on the running track next week. Looks like physical terrorism is just about over.
A quick tip of the hat to Frances Bolles, Don's child (Don was the Arizona Republic reporter who was killed in 1976 by a car bomb planted by some major assholes, one of whom is 78 and asking for parole. And shouldn't get it). She's right about the cute little centerpiece in the Newseum:
She's married and has a son. She's a successful author and career development expert. Nearly 32 years have passed and still, at any moment, it's once again June 2, 1976. Like when she read that the recently opened Newseum in Washington, D.C., has her father's bombed out car on display.
“That is just grotesque,” Frances said. “I can't tell you what pain it is knowing that people are going to walk by and gawk. It reinforces the idea that my father is a footnote, and I rail against that. Over time, a victim is forgotten so that in something like a clemency hearing the focus goes to the person who is living rather than the person who was killed. My father was real. I don't want anyone to forget that.”
Back to the day job, aka making little rocks out of big rocks.
Showing posts with label rehabilitation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rehabilitation. Show all posts
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Doomers Are Out This Week
... and how.
Feeling better. Have the cheesemaking class on Saturday, and will hopefully rent a rototiller on Sunday. The crud is just about gone, and the shoulder feels a tad better. Been going hammer and tongs at the day job, at the expense of enjoying some truly gorgeous weather.
Here are the reads du jour, beginning with the quite inspirational and winding up with the utterly doomed (but yes, I did go to the co-op tonight and get a 25-pound bag of brown rice. And no, the Brattleboro Food Co-op was not limiting its customers).
First, the inspirational:
April 23, 2008
Starting His Retirement With a Splash
By PETE WILLIAMS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jeff Conine could have filled the first months of his post-baseball career with golf, fishing and travel — the usual pursuits that a 41-year-old with financial security might enjoy.
Instead, Conine, a 17-year veteran of six big-league teams, has spent long hours swimming, cycling and running in preparation for an ambitious triathlon schedule that will culminate in the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October. Several former teammates, accustomed to the less rigorous conditioning of baseball, have questioned his sanity.
“Guys in my position are supposed to sit back and relax, not do something ridiculous like this,” said Conine, who lives in South Florida and will make his triathlon debut here Sunday at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon.
The race attracts more than 4,000 competitors and is considered the kickoff to the sport’s national calendar. As an Olympic-distance event (0.93-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike ride, and 6.2-mile run), it is a small fraction of the grueling Ironman distance race, but longer than entry-level sprint triathlons.
Conine spent the final six weeks of last season with the Mets and is best known for his role as a first baseman and outfielder for the Florida Marlins teams that won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. A longtime follower of the Ironman world championship, he was inspired to take up the sport by David Samson, the Marlins’ president, who finished the event in 2006.
Conine, who stands 6 feet 1 inch, finished last season at 220 pounds, heavy by triathlon standards, and until recently had limited swimming experience. But he was regarded as one of baseball’s better athletes, having played professional racquetball as a minor leaguer.
He certainly looks the part, having been told for years that he resembles Lance Armstrong, a likeness that seems more pronounced as Conine loses weight while training.
Though baseball is an anaerobic sport with short bursts of activity, unlike the long aerobic nature of triathlon, Conine believes the experience of playing a mentally taxing sport over a 162-game season will ease his transition.
“It’s all about being mentally tough,” he said. “With long-distance triathlon, it’s all about knowing when to push your body and when to rest and persevering through these boring six-hour rides and three-hour runs.”
Next, the amusing:
Green Acres II: When Neighbors Become Farmers
Suburban Arugula Is Organic and Fresh, but About That Manure...
By KELLY K. SPORS
April 22, 2008; Page A1
BOULDER, Colo. -- When suburbanites look out their front doors, a lot of them want to see a lush green lawn. Kipp Nash wants to see vegetables, and not all of his neighbors are thrilled.
"I'd rather see green grass" than brown dirt patches, says 82-year-old Florence Tatum, who lives in Mr. Nash's Boulder neighborhood, across the street from a house with a freshly dug manure patch out front. "But those days are slipping away."
A growing number of suburban Americans are earning extra cash by growing food in their backyards.
Since 2006, Mr. Nash, 31, has uprooted his backyard and the front or back yards of eight of his Boulder neighbors, turning them into minifarms growing tomatoes, bok choy, garlic and beets.
Between May and September, he gives weekly bagfuls of fresh-picked vegetables and herbs to people here who have bought "shares" of his farming operation. Neighbors who lend their yards to the effort are paid in free produce and yard work.
A school-bus driver, Mr. Nash rises at 5 a.m. and, after returning from his morning route, spends his days planting, watering and tending his yard farms and the seedlings he stores in a greenhouse behind his house.
Farmers don't necessarily live in the country anymore. They might just be your next-door neighbor, hoping to turn a dollar satisfying the blooming demand for organic, locally grown foods.
Unlike traditional home gardeners who devote a corner of the yard to a few rows of vegetables, a new crop of minifarmers is tearing up the whole yard and planting foods such as arugula and kohlrabi that restaurants might want to buy. The locally grown food movement has also created a new market for front-yard farmers.
"Agriculture is becoming more and more suburban," says Roxanne Christensen, publisher of Spin-Farming LLC, a Philadelphia company started in 2005 that sells guides and holds seminars teaching a small-scale farming technique that involves selecting high-profit vegetables like kale, carrots and tomatoes to grow, and then quickly replacing crops to reap the most from plots smaller than an acre. "Land is very expensive in the country, so people are saying, 'why not just start growing in the backyard?' "
And on the "we're doomed" front:
Load Up the Pantry
April 21, 2008 6:47 p.m.
I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food.
No, this is not a drill.
You've seen the TV footage of food riots in parts of the developing world. Yes, they're a long way away from the U.S. But most foodstuffs operate in a global market. When the cost of wheat soars in Asia, it will do the same here.
Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.
"Load up the pantry," says Manu Daftary, one of Wall Street's top investors and the manager of the Quaker Strategic Growth mutual fund. "I think prices are going higher. People are too complacent. They think it isn't going to happen here. But I don't know how the food companies can absorb higher costs."
(Full disclosure: I am an investor in Quaker Strategic)
Stocking up on food may not replace your long-term investments, but it may make a sensible home for some of your shorter-term cash.
Do the math. If you keep your standby cash in a money-market fund you'll be lucky to get a 2.5% interest rate. Even the best one-year certificate of deposit you can find is only going to pay you about 4.1%, according to Bankrate.com. And those yields are before tax.
Meanwhile the most recent government data shows food inflation for the average American household is now running at 4.5% a year.
And some prices are rising even more quickly. The latest data show cereal prices rising by more than 8% a year. Both flour and rice are up more than 13%. Milk, cheese, bananas and even peanut butter: They're all up by more than 10%. Eggs have rocketed up 30% in a year. Ground beef prices are up 4.8% and chicken by 5.4%.
These are trends that have been in place for some time.
And if you are hoping they will pass, here's the bad news: They may actually accelerate.
Feeling better. Have the cheesemaking class on Saturday, and will hopefully rent a rototiller on Sunday. The crud is just about gone, and the shoulder feels a tad better. Been going hammer and tongs at the day job, at the expense of enjoying some truly gorgeous weather.
Here are the reads du jour, beginning with the quite inspirational and winding up with the utterly doomed (but yes, I did go to the co-op tonight and get a 25-pound bag of brown rice. And no, the Brattleboro Food Co-op was not limiting its customers).
First, the inspirational:
April 23, 2008
Starting His Retirement With a Splash
By PETE WILLIAMS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jeff Conine could have filled the first months of his post-baseball career with golf, fishing and travel — the usual pursuits that a 41-year-old with financial security might enjoy.
Instead, Conine, a 17-year veteran of six big-league teams, has spent long hours swimming, cycling and running in preparation for an ambitious triathlon schedule that will culminate in the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October. Several former teammates, accustomed to the less rigorous conditioning of baseball, have questioned his sanity.
“Guys in my position are supposed to sit back and relax, not do something ridiculous like this,” said Conine, who lives in South Florida and will make his triathlon debut here Sunday at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon.
The race attracts more than 4,000 competitors and is considered the kickoff to the sport’s national calendar. As an Olympic-distance event (0.93-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike ride, and 6.2-mile run), it is a small fraction of the grueling Ironman distance race, but longer than entry-level sprint triathlons.
Conine spent the final six weeks of last season with the Mets and is best known for his role as a first baseman and outfielder for the Florida Marlins teams that won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. A longtime follower of the Ironman world championship, he was inspired to take up the sport by David Samson, the Marlins’ president, who finished the event in 2006.
Conine, who stands 6 feet 1 inch, finished last season at 220 pounds, heavy by triathlon standards, and until recently had limited swimming experience. But he was regarded as one of baseball’s better athletes, having played professional racquetball as a minor leaguer.
He certainly looks the part, having been told for years that he resembles Lance Armstrong, a likeness that seems more pronounced as Conine loses weight while training.
Though baseball is an anaerobic sport with short bursts of activity, unlike the long aerobic nature of triathlon, Conine believes the experience of playing a mentally taxing sport over a 162-game season will ease his transition.
“It’s all about being mentally tough,” he said. “With long-distance triathlon, it’s all about knowing when to push your body and when to rest and persevering through these boring six-hour rides and three-hour runs.”
Next, the amusing:
Green Acres II: When Neighbors Become Farmers
Suburban Arugula Is Organic and Fresh, but About That Manure...
By KELLY K. SPORS
April 22, 2008; Page A1
BOULDER, Colo. -- When suburbanites look out their front doors, a lot of them want to see a lush green lawn. Kipp Nash wants to see vegetables, and not all of his neighbors are thrilled.
"I'd rather see green grass" than brown dirt patches, says 82-year-old Florence Tatum, who lives in Mr. Nash's Boulder neighborhood, across the street from a house with a freshly dug manure patch out front. "But those days are slipping away."
A growing number of suburban Americans are earning extra cash by growing food in their backyards.
Since 2006, Mr. Nash, 31, has uprooted his backyard and the front or back yards of eight of his Boulder neighbors, turning them into minifarms growing tomatoes, bok choy, garlic and beets.
Between May and September, he gives weekly bagfuls of fresh-picked vegetables and herbs to people here who have bought "shares" of his farming operation. Neighbors who lend their yards to the effort are paid in free produce and yard work.
A school-bus driver, Mr. Nash rises at 5 a.m. and, after returning from his morning route, spends his days planting, watering and tending his yard farms and the seedlings he stores in a greenhouse behind his house.
Farmers don't necessarily live in the country anymore. They might just be your next-door neighbor, hoping to turn a dollar satisfying the blooming demand for organic, locally grown foods.
Unlike traditional home gardeners who devote a corner of the yard to a few rows of vegetables, a new crop of minifarmers is tearing up the whole yard and planting foods such as arugula and kohlrabi that restaurants might want to buy. The locally grown food movement has also created a new market for front-yard farmers.
"Agriculture is becoming more and more suburban," says Roxanne Christensen, publisher of Spin-Farming LLC, a Philadelphia company started in 2005 that sells guides and holds seminars teaching a small-scale farming technique that involves selecting high-profit vegetables like kale, carrots and tomatoes to grow, and then quickly replacing crops to reap the most from plots smaller than an acre. "Land is very expensive in the country, so people are saying, 'why not just start growing in the backyard?' "
And on the "we're doomed" front:
Load Up the Pantry
April 21, 2008 6:47 p.m.
I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food.
No, this is not a drill.
You've seen the TV footage of food riots in parts of the developing world. Yes, they're a long way away from the U.S. But most foodstuffs operate in a global market. When the cost of wheat soars in Asia, it will do the same here.
Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.
"Load up the pantry," says Manu Daftary, one of Wall Street's top investors and the manager of the Quaker Strategic Growth mutual fund. "I think prices are going higher. People are too complacent. They think it isn't going to happen here. But I don't know how the food companies can absorb higher costs."
(Full disclosure: I am an investor in Quaker Strategic)
Stocking up on food may not replace your long-term investments, but it may make a sensible home for some of your shorter-term cash.
Do the math. If you keep your standby cash in a money-market fund you'll be lucky to get a 2.5% interest rate. Even the best one-year certificate of deposit you can find is only going to pay you about 4.1%, according to Bankrate.com. And those yields are before tax.
Meanwhile the most recent government data shows food inflation for the average American household is now running at 4.5% a year.
And some prices are rising even more quickly. The latest data show cereal prices rising by more than 8% a year. Both flour and rice are up more than 13%. Milk, cheese, bananas and even peanut butter: They're all up by more than 10%. Eggs have rocketed up 30% in a year. Ground beef prices are up 4.8% and chicken by 5.4%.
These are trends that have been in place for some time.
And if you are hoping they will pass, here's the bad news: They may actually accelerate.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Le Crud
It's coming, I know it. Weird feeling at the back of the throat, check. Starting to feel a bit snotty, check. Run-down feeling in general, check. Occasional dizziness, check.
Sigh. I don't need this.
Didn't stop me from getting up and going to town on the chicken run. I had a bit more chicken nastiness than anticipated -- 32 wheelbarrow-fulls, to be precise. Dumped it all close to where the back garden is going. Lisa raked it out.
Given the way the shoulder is feeling (bad), I'm thinking we're going to wind up renting a rototiller for the bulk of the garden creation. Just a little too much manual labor right now.
After I finished the chicken run cleaning, I did a little bit more work on it, mostly measuring for the new door and reinstalling some perches. The plan is to finish up the door, put the netting over the top, and then proceed with a duck rodeo. Yee-haw.
Also put up a clothesline and trimmed about 50 more feet of brush along the fenceline. Nasty, sticky thorns that took forever to get done. At least I got to listen to the frogs and owls while doing it.
Here's to hoping the Emergen-C kicks in.
Sigh. I don't need this.
Didn't stop me from getting up and going to town on the chicken run. I had a bit more chicken nastiness than anticipated -- 32 wheelbarrow-fulls, to be precise. Dumped it all close to where the back garden is going. Lisa raked it out.
Given the way the shoulder is feeling (bad), I'm thinking we're going to wind up renting a rototiller for the bulk of the garden creation. Just a little too much manual labor right now.
After I finished the chicken run cleaning, I did a little bit more work on it, mostly measuring for the new door and reinstalling some perches. The plan is to finish up the door, put the netting over the top, and then proceed with a duck rodeo. Yee-haw.
Also put up a clothesline and trimmed about 50 more feet of brush along the fenceline. Nasty, sticky thorns that took forever to get done. At least I got to listen to the frogs and owls while doing it.
Here's to hoping the Emergen-C kicks in.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Smells Like Crap
Must be crap.
Wow. Gorgeous day today. Believe I got a sunburn (too bad I'm so damn fat). Anyway, we fixed the frame of the chicken run. Didn't take as long as I was afraid it'd take. Cleaning out the inside of the run, though, was another matter. Imagine a 12 foot by 12 foot space, about six inches deep in hay, chicken crap, and chicken piss.
Oh, and it's been sitting there all winter.
I piled up about a cubic yard of the stuff before punting for the day. Went to town on the back fence, clearing brush along the soon-to-be fenceline with a pair of loppers. Shoulder was just absolutely killing me by the time it got dark.
Made dinner for the kids, did all the dishes, started everyone's laundry, and did some general sweeping, dusting and other cleaning around the house. Lisa baked bread, worked on the garden and did some cleaning. Watched the Jazz beat up on the Rox until midnight -- I think they're already done this year -- and went to bed.
More chickenshit tomorrow.
Wow. Gorgeous day today. Believe I got a sunburn (too bad I'm so damn fat). Anyway, we fixed the frame of the chicken run. Didn't take as long as I was afraid it'd take. Cleaning out the inside of the run, though, was another matter. Imagine a 12 foot by 12 foot space, about six inches deep in hay, chicken crap, and chicken piss.
Oh, and it's been sitting there all winter.
I piled up about a cubic yard of the stuff before punting for the day. Went to town on the back fence, clearing brush along the soon-to-be fenceline with a pair of loppers. Shoulder was just absolutely killing me by the time it got dark.
Made dinner for the kids, did all the dishes, started everyone's laundry, and did some general sweeping, dusting and other cleaning around the house. Lisa baked bread, worked on the garden and did some cleaning. Watched the Jazz beat up on the Rox until midnight -- I think they're already done this year -- and went to bed.
More chickenshit tomorrow.
Friday, April 18, 2008
I'm Back, and Tired
... so a couple of days in Washington, and I'm beat. I didn't run, I didn't exercise, I didn't do tourist things -- although I was there for the pope's visit -- I just worked. And my shoulder (wah!) feels like hell. But it's gorgeous weather out there. Spring's here. Finally.
First things first. Rockets, in six. They just can't lose to a team that plays defense like this:
First things first. Rockets, in six. They just can't lose to a team that plays defense like this:
The Jazz. Like Indiana Jones: "The Jazz. I hate those guys." The Rox need another 22-game streak, although (I think) 16 would do quite nicely.
Wendell Berry has an awesome essay in this month's Harper's. I'm going to reprint a few relevant snippets. If you don't have a subscription, get one. Between the Index, Berry, and this months' Kevin Phillips story on how the government cooks economic numbers, this month's issue alone is well worth the $16.97 annual subscription price:
And so, in confronting the phenomenon of “peak oil,” we are really confronting the end of our customary delusion of “more.” Whichever way we turn, from now on, we are going to find a limit beyond which there will be no more. To hit these limits at top speed is not a rational choice. To start slowing down, with the idea of avoiding catastrophe, is a rational choice and a viable one if we can recover the necessary political sanity.
Of course it makes sense to consider alternative energy sources provided they make sense. But also we will have to re-examine the economic structures of our lives, and conform them to the tolerances and limits of our earthly places. When there is no more, our one choice is to make the most and best of what we have.
More reading, from the NYTimes:
April 18, 2008
Sticker Shock in the Organic Aisles
By ANDREW MARTIN and KIM SEVERSON
Shoppers have long been willing to pay a premium for organic food. But how much is too much?
Rising prices for organic groceries are prompting some consumers to question their devotion to food produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or antibiotics. In some parts of the country, a loaf of organic bread can cost $4.50, a pound of pasta has hit $3, and organic milk is closing in on $7 a gallon.
“The prices have gotten ridiculous,” said Brenda Czarnik, who was shopping recently at a food cooperative in St. Paul.
Of course, we think we have problems? Read on ...
April 18, 2008
Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger
By MARC LACEY
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Hunger bashed in the front gate of Haiti’s presidential palace. Hunger poured onto the streets, burning tires and taking on soldiers and the police. Hunger sent the country’s prime minister packing.
Haiti’s hunger, that burn in the belly that so many here feel, has become fiercer than ever in recent days as global food prices spiral out of reach, spiking as much as 45 percent since the end of 2006 and turning Haitian staples like beans, corn and rice into closely guarded treasures.
Saint Louis Meriska’s children ate two spoonfuls of rice apiece as their only meal recently and then went without any food the following day. His eyes downcast, his own stomach empty, the unemployed father said forlornly, “They look at me and say, ‘Papa, I’m hungry,’ and I have to look away. It’s humiliating and it makes you angry.”
That anger is palpable across the globe. The food crisis is not only being felt among the poor but is also eroding the gains of the working and middle classes, sowing volatile levels of discontent and putting new pressures on fragile governments.
I'm guessing not even everyone in our own country is concerned about the price of organics. Lots and lots of rough times out there:
April 18, 2008
Workers Get Fewer Hours, Deepening the Downturn
By PETER S. GOODMAN
Not long ago, overtime was a regular feature at the Ludowici Roof Tile factory in eastern Ohio. Not anymore. With orders scarce and crates of unsold tiles piling up across the yard, the company has slowed production and cut working hours, sowing worry and thrift among its workers.
“We don’t just hop in the car and go shopping or get something to eat,” said Kim Baker, whose take-home pay at the plant has recently dropped to $450 a week, from more than $600. “You’ve got to watch everything. If we go to town now, it’s for a reason.”
Throughout the country, businesses grappling with declining fortunes are cutting hours for those on their payrolls. Self-employed people are suffering a drop in demand for their services, like music lessons, catering and management consulting. Growing numbers of people are settling for part-time work out of a failure to secure a full-time position.
The gradual erosion of the paycheck has become a stealth force driving the American economic downturn. Most of the attention has focused on the loss of jobs and the risk of layoffs. But the less-noticeable shrinking of hours and pay for millions of workers around the country appears to be a bigger contributor to the decline, which has already spread from housing and finance to other important areas of the economy.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Five-Oh
Thought real hard about skipping the run this morning. My shoulder was still stiff, I didn't get to bed until 11a, I had a lot to do at work, and it was likely to be the last clear day until the middle of next week. Then I had a thought:
Pansy.
So I dropped the boys off at school and did five miles. Went to physical therapy -- the therapist said my shoulder and neck were pretty stiff. Felt much better after some stretching and ultrasound.
Came home and picked up about five gallons of sap. It looks as though the end is near, as far as the sap season goes. The syrup is becoming progressively darker -- not quite Grade C, but close. I believe even after propane and paying for buckets, spouts, felt, etc., we'll just about break even with five gallons or so (and at $50/gallon, it's pretty steep).
Plugged away at the day job, called about some pigs, got my eggs together for market, and ordered pig waterers. It looks like it'll be raining too much this weekend to get the electric fence installed in the back pasture, but we'll see. House needs serious cleaning, anyway.
Pansy.
So I dropped the boys off at school and did five miles. Went to physical therapy -- the therapist said my shoulder and neck were pretty stiff. Felt much better after some stretching and ultrasound.
Came home and picked up about five gallons of sap. It looks as though the end is near, as far as the sap season goes. The syrup is becoming progressively darker -- not quite Grade C, but close. I believe even after propane and paying for buckets, spouts, felt, etc., we'll just about break even with five gallons or so (and at $50/gallon, it's pretty steep).
Plugged away at the day job, called about some pigs, got my eggs together for market, and ordered pig waterers. It looks like it'll be raining too much this weekend to get the electric fence installed in the back pasture, but we'll see. House needs serious cleaning, anyway.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Some Shameful Shit
... to quote Gus Haynes.
I didn't run this morning -- shoulder still hurt. Slept late, possibly because I was up working until 1a or thereabouts. Shoulder feels a bit better, but meh. Plugged away at the day job, mostly.
No wonder people are pissed. Here's some truly shameful shit:
April 9, 2008
Economic Scene
For Many, a Boom That Wasn’t
By DAVID LEONHARDT
How has the United States economy gotten to this point?
It’s not just the apparent recession. Recessions happen. If you tried to build an economy immune to the human emotions that produce boom and bust, you would end up with something that looked like East Germany.
The bigger problem is that the now-finished boom was, for most Americans, nothing of the sort. In 2000, at the end of the previous economic expansion, the median American family made about $61,000, according to the Census Bureau’s inflation-adjusted numbers. In 2007, in what looks to have been the final year of the most recent expansion, the median family, amazingly, seems to have made less — about $60,500.
This has never happened before, at least not for as long as the government has been keeping records. In every other expansion since World War II, the buying power of most American families grew while the economy did. You can think of this as the most basic test of an economy’s health: does it produce ever-rising living standards for its citizens?
In the second half of the 20th century, the United States passed the test in a way that arguably no other country ever has. It became, as the cliché goes, the richest country on earth. Now, though, most families aren’t getting any richer.
“We have had expansions before where the bottom end didn’t do well,” said Lawrence F. Katz, a Harvard economist who studies the job market. “But we’ve never had an expansion in which the middle of income distribution had no wage growth.”
More than anything else — more than even the war in Iraq — the stagnation of the great American middle-class machine explains the glum national mood today. As part of a poll that will be released Wednesday, the Pew Research Center asked people how they had done over the last five years. During that time, remember, the overall economy grew every year, often at a good pace.
... followed by this. I'm appalled that if you eat seven eggs a week, you've increased your chances of death by 23 percent. Apparently, six is just fine, though.
Sigh. I'm going to have to start peddling my product on street corners ... dodging law enforcement authorities. Following today's "The Wire" motif, I'll have to hook up with some of the other distributors and get a little Prop Joe-style co-op going.
As the late, great Clay Davis might phrase it: Sheeeeeeeeee-it.
Seven or more eggs a week raises risk of death
Wed Apr 9, 12:19 AM ET
Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs a week had a higher risk of earlier death, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
Men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death during a 20-year period studied, according to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study adds to an ever-growing body of evidence, much of it contradictory, about how safe eggs are to eat. It did not examine what about the eggs might affect the risk of death.
Men without diabetes could eat up to six eggs a week with no extra risk of death, Dr. Luc Djousse and Dr. J. Michael Gaziano of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School found.
Oh, but wait!
Men who ate the most eggs also were older, fatter, ate more vegetables but less breakfast cereal, and were more likely to drink alcohol, smoke and less likely to exercise -- all factors that can affect the risk of heart attack and death.
I didn't run this morning -- shoulder still hurt. Slept late, possibly because I was up working until 1a or thereabouts. Shoulder feels a bit better, but meh. Plugged away at the day job, mostly.
No wonder people are pissed. Here's some truly shameful shit:
April 9, 2008
Economic Scene
For Many, a Boom That Wasn’t
By DAVID LEONHARDT
How has the United States economy gotten to this point?
It’s not just the apparent recession. Recessions happen. If you tried to build an economy immune to the human emotions that produce boom and bust, you would end up with something that looked like East Germany.
The bigger problem is that the now-finished boom was, for most Americans, nothing of the sort. In 2000, at the end of the previous economic expansion, the median American family made about $61,000, according to the Census Bureau’s inflation-adjusted numbers. In 2007, in what looks to have been the final year of the most recent expansion, the median family, amazingly, seems to have made less — about $60,500.
This has never happened before, at least not for as long as the government has been keeping records. In every other expansion since World War II, the buying power of most American families grew while the economy did. You can think of this as the most basic test of an economy’s health: does it produce ever-rising living standards for its citizens?
In the second half of the 20th century, the United States passed the test in a way that arguably no other country ever has. It became, as the cliché goes, the richest country on earth. Now, though, most families aren’t getting any richer.
“We have had expansions before where the bottom end didn’t do well,” said Lawrence F. Katz, a Harvard economist who studies the job market. “But we’ve never had an expansion in which the middle of income distribution had no wage growth.”
More than anything else — more than even the war in Iraq — the stagnation of the great American middle-class machine explains the glum national mood today. As part of a poll that will be released Wednesday, the Pew Research Center asked people how they had done over the last five years. During that time, remember, the overall economy grew every year, often at a good pace.
... followed by this. I'm appalled that if you eat seven eggs a week, you've increased your chances of death by 23 percent. Apparently, six is just fine, though.
Sigh. I'm going to have to start peddling my product on street corners ... dodging law enforcement authorities. Following today's "The Wire" motif, I'll have to hook up with some of the other distributors and get a little Prop Joe-style co-op going.
As the late, great Clay Davis might phrase it: Sheeeeeeeeee-it.
Seven or more eggs a week raises risk of death
Wed Apr 9, 12:19 AM ET
Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs a week had a higher risk of earlier death, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
Men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death during a 20-year period studied, according to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study adds to an ever-growing body of evidence, much of it contradictory, about how safe eggs are to eat. It did not examine what about the eggs might affect the risk of death.
Men without diabetes could eat up to six eggs a week with no extra risk of death, Dr. Luc Djousse and Dr. J. Michael Gaziano of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School found.
Oh, but wait!
Men who ate the most eggs also were older, fatter, ate more vegetables but less breakfast cereal, and were more likely to drink alcohol, smoke and less likely to exercise -- all factors that can affect the risk of heart attack and death.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Jinx.
Working late tonight.
Got up, did a slow three miles. Spring (and mud season) is certainly here. Felt like it was in the high 40s by 7a. Came back home, started the sap boiling, and went to physical therapy. I'm getting to the point where I can start thinking about only once a week, which would be nice, from the day job perspective. Of course, I told the therapist, this just means that I'm going to slip on ice and screw it up again.
Jinx.
After therapy, we ran by the feed store and picked up materials for an electric fence. All we need now are four pigs and two dairy goats. Also got some more seed under the theory that seed is cheap, food is expensive.
Made it home early afternoon, just in time to grab about 15 gallons of sap from the buckets. I was carrying a full five-gallon bucket in the woods and slid into some slush. My head went one way, legs went another. Down on the shoulder.
See: "Of course, I told the therapist, this just means that I'm going to slip on ice and screw it up again."
Fortunately, I didn't slip on ice. I slipped on slush. Which meant I landed in slush. It was an owie, but not a painkiller owie. Toted the sap to the burner and went upstairs to work for a few hours.
Come dark, and I'd forgotten to chase my roosters into the barn. They got into this whole rooster competitiveness deal, no one wanted to be the last one inside, so I had to get them running. And I did. I ran four of the five into the barn, then started chasing the last one. He ran between my legs, I pivoted on an icy patch. Head went one way, legs went another. Down on the shoulder.
See: "Of course, I told the therapist, this just means that I'm going to slip on ice and screw it up again."
Again, I was pretty lucky. Another owie, but I fell harder on my arm than my shoulder. We'll see how it feels in the morning, but I think I'll be OK. As long as I don't slip on the ice and screw it up again.
In matters unrelated to slipping on the ice and screwing it up again, I just finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I'm not hugely enthralled with the gossip side of the journalism business, but damn! She can write. Powerful stuff. Makes me wish she'd get out of the celebrity racket and start doing narrative journalism. Incredible read. Five stars.
Got up, did a slow three miles. Spring (and mud season) is certainly here. Felt like it was in the high 40s by 7a. Came back home, started the sap boiling, and went to physical therapy. I'm getting to the point where I can start thinking about only once a week, which would be nice, from the day job perspective. Of course, I told the therapist, this just means that I'm going to slip on ice and screw it up again.
Jinx.
After therapy, we ran by the feed store and picked up materials for an electric fence. All we need now are four pigs and two dairy goats. Also got some more seed under the theory that seed is cheap, food is expensive.
Made it home early afternoon, just in time to grab about 15 gallons of sap from the buckets. I was carrying a full five-gallon bucket in the woods and slid into some slush. My head went one way, legs went another. Down on the shoulder.
See: "Of course, I told the therapist, this just means that I'm going to slip on ice and screw it up again."
Fortunately, I didn't slip on ice. I slipped on slush. Which meant I landed in slush. It was an owie, but not a painkiller owie. Toted the sap to the burner and went upstairs to work for a few hours.
Come dark, and I'd forgotten to chase my roosters into the barn. They got into this whole rooster competitiveness deal, no one wanted to be the last one inside, so I had to get them running. And I did. I ran four of the five into the barn, then started chasing the last one. He ran between my legs, I pivoted on an icy patch. Head went one way, legs went another. Down on the shoulder.
See: "Of course, I told the therapist, this just means that I'm going to slip on ice and screw it up again."
Again, I was pretty lucky. Another owie, but I fell harder on my arm than my shoulder. We'll see how it feels in the morning, but I think I'll be OK. As long as I don't slip on the ice and screw it up again.
In matters unrelated to slipping on the ice and screwing it up again, I just finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I'm not hugely enthralled with the gossip side of the journalism business, but damn! She can write. Powerful stuff. Makes me wish she'd get out of the celebrity racket and start doing narrative journalism. Incredible read. Five stars.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Really Good Journalism, Part Three
... and then I'll shut up. But this CNN Money special (America's Money) hit home, too:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/news/0803/gallery.real_stories/
Very good stuff.
Ran three miles this morning in some pretty slushy rain. Got by the feed store as it opened to buy egg cartons and bird leg bands for the chicks, plus more propane for the sap. Loaded up on eggs, had a physical terrorism appointment (and I'm feeling much better this afternoon).
Worked like hell on the day job; only took a break to escort Will to his annual checkup.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/news/0803/gallery.real_stories/
Very good stuff.
Ran three miles this morning in some pretty slushy rain. Got by the feed store as it opened to buy egg cartons and bird leg bands for the chicks, plus more propane for the sap. Loaded up on eggs, had a physical terrorism appointment (and I'm feeling much better this afternoon).
Worked like hell on the day job; only took a break to escort Will to his annual checkup.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Higher Food Prices?
Didn't run this morning. Woke up and felt really cranky, creaky and tired. Lot to do on the day job front today, so I skipped the Wednesday run. I'll do Thursday and Friday. Honest.
So why are food prices higher? I suppose Slate has a pretty reasonable explanation, although there's not nearly enough recriminations and accusations involved:
explainer
Why Are Global Food Prices Soaring?
Energy costs, investment in ethanol, bad weather in Australia …By Juliet LapidosPosted Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at 6:31 PM ET
The U.N. World Food Program's executive director told the Los Angeles Times that "a perfect storm" is hitting the world's hungry, as demand for aid surges while food prices skyrocket. Cost increases are affecting most countries around the globe, with prices for dairy products up 80 percent, cooking oils up 50 percent, and grains up 42 percent from 2006 to 2007. (For more specifics on how prices have changed since 2000, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has a handy chart.) Why are groceries getting so expensive all at once?
Energy prices. The global food system is heavily dependent on petroleum, not just for shipping goods from one location to another but also for production, packaging, and processing. As the price of oil rises—crude oil is currently hovering at around $100 a barrel—so do the costs of planting, harvesting, and delivering food.
High oil prices have also created a secondary problem: The burgeoning interest in biofuels. In 2006, 14 percent of the total corn crop in the United States was converted into ethanol; by 2010, that figure will rise to 30 percent. When the production of corn intended for human or animal consumption decreases, prices go up. Why does this local shift in policy affect food prices around the world? The diversion of American corn into energy has a ripple effect for two reasons: First, the United States is the world's largest corn exporter, accounting for about 40 percent of global trade, so when corn-as-food production decreases here, costs go up everywhere. Second, when the price of corn increases, farmers in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere who use the crop to feed livestock look for cheaper alternatives, like wheat or sorghum. These alternatives, in turn, become more expensive.
Another factor is the improved standard of living in rapidly developing countries. The demand for foodstuffs like meat and dairy is on the rise in China and India, sending costs skyward not only for those items but for the grain used as cattle feed. Finally, weather deserves a share of the blame. Australia has seen bad droughts six years running, and last year there was major flooding in Argentina. Since both of these countries are major dairy exporters, milk and butter are pricier than they used to be.
We're on a bit of a sustainability run this week -- made mozarella (finally! not ricotta!) last night, and Lisa baked some nine-grain bread. We're taking turns wandering out to the grill today to check on the sap that's boiling down. Figured we'd best do something when the sap stash got to 64 gallons. Which, depressingly enough, is good for two gallons of maple syrup.
I'm thinking it'll come in handy, though, when sugar prices go up. Gotta have something to flavor the border collie, who's about to be roasted for crimes against man and ducks.
So why are food prices higher? I suppose Slate has a pretty reasonable explanation, although there's not nearly enough recriminations and accusations involved:
explainer
Why Are Global Food Prices Soaring?
Energy costs, investment in ethanol, bad weather in Australia …By Juliet LapidosPosted Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at 6:31 PM ET
The U.N. World Food Program's executive director told the Los Angeles Times that "a perfect storm" is hitting the world's hungry, as demand for aid surges while food prices skyrocket. Cost increases are affecting most countries around the globe, with prices for dairy products up 80 percent, cooking oils up 50 percent, and grains up 42 percent from 2006 to 2007. (For more specifics on how prices have changed since 2000, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has a handy chart.) Why are groceries getting so expensive all at once?
Energy prices. The global food system is heavily dependent on petroleum, not just for shipping goods from one location to another but also for production, packaging, and processing. As the price of oil rises—crude oil is currently hovering at around $100 a barrel—so do the costs of planting, harvesting, and delivering food.
High oil prices have also created a secondary problem: The burgeoning interest in biofuels. In 2006, 14 percent of the total corn crop in the United States was converted into ethanol; by 2010, that figure will rise to 30 percent. When the production of corn intended for human or animal consumption decreases, prices go up. Why does this local shift in policy affect food prices around the world? The diversion of American corn into energy has a ripple effect for two reasons: First, the United States is the world's largest corn exporter, accounting for about 40 percent of global trade, so when corn-as-food production decreases here, costs go up everywhere. Second, when the price of corn increases, farmers in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere who use the crop to feed livestock look for cheaper alternatives, like wheat or sorghum. These alternatives, in turn, become more expensive.
Another factor is the improved standard of living in rapidly developing countries. The demand for foodstuffs like meat and dairy is on the rise in China and India, sending costs skyward not only for those items but for the grain used as cattle feed. Finally, weather deserves a share of the blame. Australia has seen bad droughts six years running, and last year there was major flooding in Argentina. Since both of these countries are major dairy exporters, milk and butter are pricier than they used to be.
We're on a bit of a sustainability run this week -- made mozarella (finally! not ricotta!) last night, and Lisa baked some nine-grain bread. We're taking turns wandering out to the grill today to check on the sap that's boiling down. Figured we'd best do something when the sap stash got to 64 gallons. Which, depressingly enough, is good for two gallons of maple syrup.
I'm thinking it'll come in handy, though, when sugar prices go up. Gotta have something to flavor the border collie, who's about to be roasted for crimes against man and ducks.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Whew.
Another run this morning. Shoulder blade was the tiniest bit tight, and my left knee was pulling a bit, kept waiting for something catastrophic to happen. Nothing. I warmed up after a mile or so. Held myself to three miles, which is fine. Not great; just fine. And I think I'll be happy to be just fine for quite some time. The exercise just makes all the difference in the world.
Deal du jour: Went into Brattleboro yesterday to pick up a prescription (and to take Will to the game store so he could spend some birthday money). Stopped by the co-op's bulk outlet and scored -- ta-da! -- 50 pounds of oats for only $20.
That's a lot of oats.
Can't resist this one:
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Back on My Feet Again
Got ambitious this morning and did three very, very slow miles after taking the boys to the bus stop. It felt ... good.
And my shoulder didn't even break off. It was a bit chilly at first, around 20 degrees, but I worked up a sweat.
Busy week in kid-dom. Have to take Will to town so he can spend his birthday money on a couple of Wii games. After two years, I finally discovered a Wii at retail price and figured, hey, he's been so good for so long that he deserves it. He had a one-word reaction when he opened the present:
"Sweet!"
He's also got a student leadership meeting Wednesday night. John is going to NYC Sunday and Monday on a combined biology/Western Civilization field trip (insert your own joke here).
The first batch of maple came out great. Just no comparison between doing it yourself and buying it, none at all. It took Lisa about 20 gallons of sap to get a half-gallon of syrup. We may try again for some more this weekend. As it stands, we've got about three pints in a jar in the fridge, and bought a half-dozen tiny, half-pint gift tins for relatives.
Scary news in the world of chickens. I'm hearing that one of the larger hatcheries had an avian encephalomyelitis outbreak. If true, sucks to be them, and and anyone who bought chicks from them.
I bought one batch while I was flat on my back from McMurray; the first box arrived dead. Some doofus put them in the back of the truck in subzero weather. The second replacement batch was delivered to the wrong post office, and someone else picked them up. Instead of giving McMurray another chance to abuse me, I ordered a batch from Cackle. They've been fine so far; no evidence of AE, anyway.
Gotta get cranking on some work.
And my shoulder didn't even break off. It was a bit chilly at first, around 20 degrees, but I worked up a sweat.
Busy week in kid-dom. Have to take Will to town so he can spend his birthday money on a couple of Wii games. After two years, I finally discovered a Wii at retail price and figured, hey, he's been so good for so long that he deserves it. He had a one-word reaction when he opened the present:
"Sweet!"
He's also got a student leadership meeting Wednesday night. John is going to NYC Sunday and Monday on a combined biology/Western Civilization field trip (insert your own joke here).
The first batch of maple came out great. Just no comparison between doing it yourself and buying it, none at all. It took Lisa about 20 gallons of sap to get a half-gallon of syrup. We may try again for some more this weekend. As it stands, we've got about three pints in a jar in the fridge, and bought a half-dozen tiny, half-pint gift tins for relatives.
Scary news in the world of chickens. I'm hearing that one of the larger hatcheries had an avian encephalomyelitis outbreak. If true, sucks to be them, and and anyone who bought chicks from them.
I bought one batch while I was flat on my back from McMurray; the first box arrived dead. Some doofus put them in the back of the truck in subzero weather. The second replacement batch was delivered to the wrong post office, and someone else picked them up. Instead of giving McMurray another chance to abuse me, I ordered a batch from Cackle. They've been fine so far; no evidence of AE, anyway.
Gotta get cranking on some work.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
I Am Not Nice
So Lisa and I are working at the co-op over the weekend, doing our two hours for the 10 percent discount, and she sees a guy in a blue padded sleeve that you put cold water into after shoulder surgery.
Hmph. Looks like me. Except I'm bagging. And he's grimacing. I shake my head in sympathy.
"Had one of those after my acromioplasty," I say.
"Yeah," he sighs, "I've had it for two days now."
Two days? Ummmmm, two days after my little shoulder job, I was scarfing down painkillers like an ether-addled rhesus monkey with a meth habit, to boot. Two days? I keep a straight face.
"Well, you should be able to get rid of it in a week," I say.
"Yeah," he grins, "I hope so. Doesn't that bagging hurt? When did you have your surgery?"
Despite the fact that I've just taken a big, fat pill because my shoulder is killing me after only an hour of bagging, I can't resist:
"Last week."
On other fronts, I've gotta, gotta, gotta get back in gear on the Book.
And wake up earlier to do an hour of physical therapy exercises.
Wrap up a bunch of stuff at the day job.
And start hitting the elliptical.
Hmph. Looks like me. Except I'm bagging. And he's grimacing. I shake my head in sympathy.
"Had one of those after my acromioplasty," I say.
"Yeah," he sighs, "I've had it for two days now."
Two days? Ummmmm, two days after my little shoulder job, I was scarfing down painkillers like an ether-addled rhesus monkey with a meth habit, to boot. Two days? I keep a straight face.
"Well, you should be able to get rid of it in a week," I say.
"Yeah," he grins, "I hope so. Doesn't that bagging hurt? When did you have your surgery?"
Despite the fact that I've just taken a big, fat pill because my shoulder is killing me after only an hour of bagging, I can't resist:
"Last week."
On other fronts, I've gotta, gotta, gotta get back in gear on the Book.
And wake up earlier to do an hour of physical therapy exercises.
Wrap up a bunch of stuff at the day job.
And start hitting the elliptical.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Frozen Sap
Hellaciously busy week.
Will's play was Friday night/Saturday afternoon/Saturday night. Three hours at a pop. In between performances, we ran down to Agway and got maple supplies. Lisa has about 15 sugaring taps going right now, although it got a bit chilly last night, so they're frozen. Hoping to get at least one gallon of syrup (out of 35 or 40 gallons of sap).
Got up early Sunday; we worked a double shift at the local co-op, which should take care of the member discount for the next couple of months. I did a two-hour shift at the cheese counter and another two-hour shift bagging. Came home and put up some more taps.
And wondered why my shoulder hurts like hell today.
Will's play was Friday night/Saturday afternoon/Saturday night. Three hours at a pop. In between performances, we ran down to Agway and got maple supplies. Lisa has about 15 sugaring taps going right now, although it got a bit chilly last night, so they're frozen. Hoping to get at least one gallon of syrup (out of 35 or 40 gallons of sap).
Got up early Sunday; we worked a double shift at the local co-op, which should take care of the member discount for the next couple of months. I did a two-hour shift at the cheese counter and another two-hour shift bagging. Came home and put up some more taps.
And wondered why my shoulder hurts like hell today.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Getting Back in the Saddle
It's been a slow process. Good Lord, I'm tired. Takes a lot to get through the day. Still, I've got about 75 percent range of motion in the shoulder, and we're starting to strengthen it a bit. Still gonna take a long time to get back to normal. A few weeks more before I can run again.
Parent-teacher conferences tonight. Two honor roll kids. Who knew? The youngest, who's pretty much a perennial honors student, was bragging all over the oldest. All things considered, not a bad night at all.
Here's my read du jour before I get to bed:
Clothesline rule creates flap
Advocates in 3 states fight ban, cite energy savings
By Jenna Russell, Globe Staff March 13, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - They say they only want to protect their "right to dry." And in three New England states, advocates for clotheslines - yes, clotheslines, strung across the yard, draped with socks and sheets - are pushing for new laws to liberate residents whose neighbors won't let them hang laundry outside.
Homeowners' associations, which enforce bans on clotheslines at thousands of residential developments across the country, say the rules are needed to prevent flapping laundry from dragging down property values. But in an age of paper over plastic, as people try to take small steps to protect the environment, more residents are chafing at the restrictions. And some lawmakers in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are taking it a step further, seeking legislation that would guarantee the freedom to let one's garments flutter in the breeze.
"People think it's silly, but what's silly is to worry so much about having to look at your neighbors' undies that you would prevent them from conserving energy," said Vermont state Senator Dick McCormack, a sponsor of "right to dry" legislation. "We're not making a big deal over clotheslines; we're making a big deal over global warming."
If successful, the measures in Vermont and Connecticut would be the first in New England, and among the first in the country, to protect the age-old custom of air-drying laundry. (The proposal in New Hampshire died in committee, but proponents say they plan to try again next session.)
In a society where most people own dryers, the idea of clotheslines seems to have retained its broad popular appeal. Tide detergent comes in a "clean breeze" scent, described as "the fresh scent of laundry line-dried in a clean breeze," and the signature creations of Yankee Candle Co. include "clean cotton," a scent that evokes "sun-dried cotton with green notes, white flowers, and a hint of lemon," according to the two companies' websites.
In some minds, though, clotheslines connote a landscape of poverty rather than flowering fields. Opponents of the proposed legislation say homeowners' groups have the right to protect property values by forbidding practices they consider unsightly, such as storing junk cars in driveways - and hanging wet laundry outside.
"If you imagine driving into a community where the yards have clothes hanging all over the place, I think the aesthetics, the curb appeal, and probably the home values would be affected by that, because you can't let one homeowner do it and say no to the next," said Frank Rathbun, a spokesman for the Community Associations Institute, a national group based in Virginia that represents thousands of homeowner and condominium associations, many of which restrict clotheslines.
The institute encourages environmentalism, "But we believe the homeowners in each association should determine the rules under which they live," Rathbun said.
Parent-teacher conferences tonight. Two honor roll kids. Who knew? The youngest, who's pretty much a perennial honors student, was bragging all over the oldest. All things considered, not a bad night at all.
Here's my read du jour before I get to bed:
Clothesline rule creates flap
Advocates in 3 states fight ban, cite energy savings
By Jenna Russell, Globe Staff March 13, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - They say they only want to protect their "right to dry." And in three New England states, advocates for clotheslines - yes, clotheslines, strung across the yard, draped with socks and sheets - are pushing for new laws to liberate residents whose neighbors won't let them hang laundry outside.
Homeowners' associations, which enforce bans on clotheslines at thousands of residential developments across the country, say the rules are needed to prevent flapping laundry from dragging down property values. But in an age of paper over plastic, as people try to take small steps to protect the environment, more residents are chafing at the restrictions. And some lawmakers in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are taking it a step further, seeking legislation that would guarantee the freedom to let one's garments flutter in the breeze.
"People think it's silly, but what's silly is to worry so much about having to look at your neighbors' undies that you would prevent them from conserving energy," said Vermont state Senator Dick McCormack, a sponsor of "right to dry" legislation. "We're not making a big deal over clotheslines; we're making a big deal over global warming."
If successful, the measures in Vermont and Connecticut would be the first in New England, and among the first in the country, to protect the age-old custom of air-drying laundry. (The proposal in New Hampshire died in committee, but proponents say they plan to try again next session.)
In a society where most people own dryers, the idea of clotheslines seems to have retained its broad popular appeal. Tide detergent comes in a "clean breeze" scent, described as "the fresh scent of laundry line-dried in a clean breeze," and the signature creations of Yankee Candle Co. include "clean cotton," a scent that evokes "sun-dried cotton with green notes, white flowers, and a hint of lemon," according to the two companies' websites.
In some minds, though, clotheslines connote a landscape of poverty rather than flowering fields. Opponents of the proposed legislation say homeowners' groups have the right to protect property values by forbidding practices they consider unsightly, such as storing junk cars in driveways - and hanging wet laundry outside.
"If you imagine driving into a community where the yards have clothes hanging all over the place, I think the aesthetics, the curb appeal, and probably the home values would be affected by that, because you can't let one homeowner do it and say no to the next," said Frank Rathbun, a spokesman for the Community Associations Institute, a national group based in Virginia that represents thousands of homeowner and condominium associations, many of which restrict clotheslines.
The institute encourages environmentalism, "But we believe the homeowners in each association should determine the rules under which they live," Rathbun said.
Monday, March 10, 2008
I'm Back
Sort of.
First day at work. A little light computer work. Don't feel hideous, at least not yet. Just a little ... strange, after six, seven weeks off.
Going to do some crunches later and go for a long walk.
Hell of a lot to do this week.
First day at work. A little light computer work. Don't feel hideous, at least not yet. Just a little ... strange, after six, seven weeks off.
Going to do some crunches later and go for a long walk.
Hell of a lot to do this week.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Book Reviews
An uncomfortable night. Not horrible, just ... uncomfortable.
So, on to book reviews. I didn't read as much (or as well) as I thought I would over the last month, because painkillers will do that to you. You'll be reading a really interesting book, making mental notes, and the next thing you know, it's 16 hours later and your shoulder hurts like hell because the painkiller has worn off.
Still. I read a fair amount -- probably more than I would have without a decent public library at hand -- and here are some quickie reviews:
The United States of Arugula. Two stars. Meh. I think it's mostly that I like producing food almost as much as consuming it. Or maybe it's just that a lot of people who are really into the restaurant scene have started to seem just a tad pretentious to me. Whatever, this book just didn't do much for me. The book also is based on the assumption that everyone who reads it has as much of an interest in the subject as the author. Not always so true.
A Man's Life: Dispatches from Dangerous Places. Four stars. I really liked this one. Clear-headed writing about climbing, hiking and consequences. I was full of 'amens' to the parts on rehabbing after injury. Mark Jenkins, who wrote for Outdoor magazine, just nails it.
Encounters with the Archdruid. Five stars. John McPhee rules. Ever some friends introduced me to him (Coming into the Country), I've thought McPhee should be a controlled substance. I saw where he's recently been given a Polk for career achievement. Only question is, why it didn't happen sooner. And before I finish slobbering, the book is a series of profile sketches centering around David Brower, the legendary Sierra Club leader who got booted out for being too confrontational.
The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood. Four-and-a-half stars. It's not five only because it's not Charlotte's Web. But it's really close. Just a very sweet, well-written book.
A Year Without 'Made in China.' Three stars. It's an insanely creative idea for a book, and that's why it gets three stars. There's just some pretty gratuitous spousal bashing, and the author never makes it clear why it might be important to not buy anything from China for a year. And I felt really sorry for her child, in particular.
Guests of the Ayatollah. Four stars. Shouldn't have surprised me that Mark Bowden has another good book out. I cheated slightly -- I listed to this one a couple of years ago as part of a CD rental while driving through Montana. But it's pretty much the definitive account of the Iranian hostage crisis.
In Defense of Food. Three-and-a-half stars. The problem is, I already read The Omnivore's Dilemma. Michael Pollan set the bar so damn high with that book that anything else is going to be a bit of a letdown. If there was a part that annoys me about this book, it was the emphasis on the fats debate. Yawn.
Barnyard in Your Backyard. Three stars. Nothing I haven't read. Decent reference.
Pastured Poultry Profits. Four stars. In a much better world, Joel Salatin would be in charge of American agriculture. Only real criticisms of this book are that it's very much written for an audience in a semi-tropical (i.e., not New England) environment, and I might have really appreciated chicken tractor plans.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Three-and-a-half stars. Very thorough and engaging. My only real beef with this book is that as badly as the CIA has screwed up some things, I'm sure there are other, untold things that weren't screwed up. Maybe not as many, but a success or two -- assuming there were a few -- would make for a much more balanced, nuanced story.
Five Acres and Independence. Four stars. I liked the tone of this book for some reason. It was written in the 1940s, so a lot of it is quite dated. On the other hand, it never hurts to read about how to get back on your feet after hard times, and the 1930s would've qualified as hard times. Again, I just really liked the tone -- there's no rah-rah, let's all go to the farm, and there's no my-way-or-the-highway advice.
The Lobster Chronicles. Four stars. It's a wonderful memoir, and Linda Greenlaw deserves major props for not getting caught up in the Gloucester storm hype. Only weakness was that it kind of leaves readers hanging at the end, and I wish there were a bit more devoted to the art of lobstering, rather than the politics of a small town.
The Northern Forest. Three-and-a-half stars. Mixed emotions. Some parts were really, really good; others seemed to get bogged down into land-use and administrative trivia. The Northern Forest (it's basically Maine, northern New Hampshire and Vermont, and the Adirondacks) should be a bigger issue than it is, but it needs more than this book to explain it.
The Bourne Identity. Two stars. I like reading these books for no apparent reason. The plot devices are insanely ridiculous and the dialogue can just plod along for years. But I still like the series. Why?
The Complete Guide to Beekeeping. I didn't get to do more than skim this. After doing some thinking, I've decided to hold off another year on getting bees. I've got enough on my one-armed plate as is, without having to worry about learning a new craft.
You Can Farm. Another Salatin screed. Three-and-a-half stars. Worth reading, although I wish he'd dwell a bit more on disasters that can happen on a farm. Which is half the fun of farming. But you'll never read (at least, I didn't) about anything like the time my little brother got the jeep stuck at my dad's ranch and tried to get it out with the pickup ... which then became stuck. Dad intercepted little brother as he was heading out to the field in Dad's Cadillac.
Seed to Seed. I've only skimmed this one. It looks like a phenomenally good resource, but maybe not so much for entertainment. We'll see; the reviews are good. Seed-saving strikes me as one of those things that's a royal pain in the ass but just essential to know about.
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Two stars. I should've read the cover jacket a bit more closely. This is more about neurology (I think) than adventure. This book just bored the hell out of me, for no good reason.
Gardening When It Counts. I haven't read this one yet. Want to, but haven't. Maybe I'll be coherent enough this weekend to get through it. It's part of the Mother Earth series, so I'm certain it'll have good information (although has anyone besides me ever wondered why there are so many ads for heavy machinery in the monthly MEN?)
Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. Four-and-a-half stars. So I was browsing the innernets and came across a review of this book by Adam Shepherd. He gave himself a year to start with nothing and build up to a place to live, car and save up some money. And did it, successfully, in Charleston, S.C. Kind of an optimistic version of Barbara Ehrenreich. It's very well written and reminds you that there's maybe some economic hope after all if you're willing to work hard and stick to a plan.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette. Four stars. So, some of this book is over the top. And some of it's just not do-able for some people. But you can't fault people for trying to save money, and so much of this is just common sense. Question yourself before you buy something not completely essential, don't drive somewhere if you don't have to drive, look at yard sales for some things, etc. The cooking tips alone are invaluable and worth the price of the book (even if we got it from the library). But I'll be buying our own copy just so I can put sticky notes in some parts.
So I guess the moral of the story is: I like to read.
Going to sleep now. This took about 45 minutes, and I am just beat.
So, on to book reviews. I didn't read as much (or as well) as I thought I would over the last month, because painkillers will do that to you. You'll be reading a really interesting book, making mental notes, and the next thing you know, it's 16 hours later and your shoulder hurts like hell because the painkiller has worn off.
Still. I read a fair amount -- probably more than I would have without a decent public library at hand -- and here are some quickie reviews:
The United States of Arugula. Two stars. Meh. I think it's mostly that I like producing food almost as much as consuming it. Or maybe it's just that a lot of people who are really into the restaurant scene have started to seem just a tad pretentious to me. Whatever, this book just didn't do much for me. The book also is based on the assumption that everyone who reads it has as much of an interest in the subject as the author. Not always so true.
A Man's Life: Dispatches from Dangerous Places. Four stars. I really liked this one. Clear-headed writing about climbing, hiking and consequences. I was full of 'amens' to the parts on rehabbing after injury. Mark Jenkins, who wrote for Outdoor magazine, just nails it.
Encounters with the Archdruid. Five stars. John McPhee rules. Ever some friends introduced me to him (Coming into the Country), I've thought McPhee should be a controlled substance. I saw where he's recently been given a Polk for career achievement. Only question is, why it didn't happen sooner. And before I finish slobbering, the book is a series of profile sketches centering around David Brower, the legendary Sierra Club leader who got booted out for being too confrontational.
The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood. Four-and-a-half stars. It's not five only because it's not Charlotte's Web. But it's really close. Just a very sweet, well-written book.
A Year Without 'Made in China.' Three stars. It's an insanely creative idea for a book, and that's why it gets three stars. There's just some pretty gratuitous spousal bashing, and the author never makes it clear why it might be important to not buy anything from China for a year. And I felt really sorry for her child, in particular.
Guests of the Ayatollah. Four stars. Shouldn't have surprised me that Mark Bowden has another good book out. I cheated slightly -- I listed to this one a couple of years ago as part of a CD rental while driving through Montana. But it's pretty much the definitive account of the Iranian hostage crisis.
In Defense of Food. Three-and-a-half stars. The problem is, I already read The Omnivore's Dilemma. Michael Pollan set the bar so damn high with that book that anything else is going to be a bit of a letdown. If there was a part that annoys me about this book, it was the emphasis on the fats debate. Yawn.
Barnyard in Your Backyard. Three stars. Nothing I haven't read. Decent reference.
Pastured Poultry Profits. Four stars. In a much better world, Joel Salatin would be in charge of American agriculture. Only real criticisms of this book are that it's very much written for an audience in a semi-tropical (i.e., not New England) environment, and I might have really appreciated chicken tractor plans.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Three-and-a-half stars. Very thorough and engaging. My only real beef with this book is that as badly as the CIA has screwed up some things, I'm sure there are other, untold things that weren't screwed up. Maybe not as many, but a success or two -- assuming there were a few -- would make for a much more balanced, nuanced story.
Five Acres and Independence. Four stars. I liked the tone of this book for some reason. It was written in the 1940s, so a lot of it is quite dated. On the other hand, it never hurts to read about how to get back on your feet after hard times, and the 1930s would've qualified as hard times. Again, I just really liked the tone -- there's no rah-rah, let's all go to the farm, and there's no my-way-or-the-highway advice.
The Lobster Chronicles. Four stars. It's a wonderful memoir, and Linda Greenlaw deserves major props for not getting caught up in the Gloucester storm hype. Only weakness was that it kind of leaves readers hanging at the end, and I wish there were a bit more devoted to the art of lobstering, rather than the politics of a small town.
The Northern Forest. Three-and-a-half stars. Mixed emotions. Some parts were really, really good; others seemed to get bogged down into land-use and administrative trivia. The Northern Forest (it's basically Maine, northern New Hampshire and Vermont, and the Adirondacks) should be a bigger issue than it is, but it needs more than this book to explain it.
The Bourne Identity. Two stars. I like reading these books for no apparent reason. The plot devices are insanely ridiculous and the dialogue can just plod along for years. But I still like the series. Why?
The Complete Guide to Beekeeping. I didn't get to do more than skim this. After doing some thinking, I've decided to hold off another year on getting bees. I've got enough on my one-armed plate as is, without having to worry about learning a new craft.
You Can Farm. Another Salatin screed. Three-and-a-half stars. Worth reading, although I wish he'd dwell a bit more on disasters that can happen on a farm. Which is half the fun of farming. But you'll never read (at least, I didn't) about anything like the time my little brother got the jeep stuck at my dad's ranch and tried to get it out with the pickup ... which then became stuck. Dad intercepted little brother as he was heading out to the field in Dad's Cadillac.
Seed to Seed. I've only skimmed this one. It looks like a phenomenally good resource, but maybe not so much for entertainment. We'll see; the reviews are good. Seed-saving strikes me as one of those things that's a royal pain in the ass but just essential to know about.
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Two stars. I should've read the cover jacket a bit more closely. This is more about neurology (I think) than adventure. This book just bored the hell out of me, for no good reason.
Gardening When It Counts. I haven't read this one yet. Want to, but haven't. Maybe I'll be coherent enough this weekend to get through it. It's part of the Mother Earth series, so I'm certain it'll have good information (although has anyone besides me ever wondered why there are so many ads for heavy machinery in the monthly MEN?)
Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. Four-and-a-half stars. So I was browsing the innernets and came across a review of this book by Adam Shepherd. He gave himself a year to start with nothing and build up to a place to live, car and save up some money. And did it, successfully, in Charleston, S.C. Kind of an optimistic version of Barbara Ehrenreich. It's very well written and reminds you that there's maybe some economic hope after all if you're willing to work hard and stick to a plan.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette. Four stars. So, some of this book is over the top. And some of it's just not do-able for some people. But you can't fault people for trying to save money, and so much of this is just common sense. Question yourself before you buy something not completely essential, don't drive somewhere if you don't have to drive, look at yard sales for some things, etc. The cooking tips alone are invaluable and worth the price of the book (even if we got it from the library). But I'll be buying our own copy just so I can put sticky notes in some parts.
So I guess the moral of the story is: I like to read.
Going to sleep now. This took about 45 minutes, and I am just beat.
Friday, February 22, 2008
There Will Be Whining
It's been a one-Vicodin day, but not without some effort.
Took the boys to the bus stop this morning; it was snowing lightly. Came home and didn't quite feel like going back to sleep, didn't quite feel like staying awake. Did the next-best thing and sat down with The Complete Tightwad Gazette for some ideas. Which, while good, promptly put me back to sleep.
Woke up just in the nick of time for an 11a physical terrorism session. Range of motion is slowly getting better, but I've just got no strength left in my right arm. My left arm isn't doing so well, either, but that's mostly because it's being used for the first time in 44 years. Anyway, the one Vicodin (so far, anyway), is a good sign, I think.
Really, I've had maybe three or four very, very bad nights in the last month -- the kind where you're looking for a .38 to chase your oxycodone -- and one was the night after the operation. The last bad night was earlier this week, when a muscle decided to spasm for a few hours.
Got home after the therapy, quick grocery run, hardware store stop, chicken egg dropoff and post office check. There was a long, long line of cars heading south in the snow; it's been winter break time in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, so the tourists were doing what tourists do, and going home in the worst possible weather.
Wiped out beyond belief when I got home ... which meant it was time for my boss to call and check on how I'm feeling and when I can get back to work. I'm hoping I didn't sound like a total drooling crack-monkey on the phone.
But speaking of crack: I'm hooked on The Wire. I need to find the first four seasons. And this is one of the most creative blogs I've ever seen -- on the NY Times site! Who knew? Anyway, check it out. How cool is that?
Book reviews tomorrow, assuming a certain level of ambulatory-ness. Maybe not so cool.
Took the boys to the bus stop this morning; it was snowing lightly. Came home and didn't quite feel like going back to sleep, didn't quite feel like staying awake. Did the next-best thing and sat down with The Complete Tightwad Gazette for some ideas. Which, while good, promptly put me back to sleep.
Woke up just in the nick of time for an 11a physical terrorism session. Range of motion is slowly getting better, but I've just got no strength left in my right arm. My left arm isn't doing so well, either, but that's mostly because it's being used for the first time in 44 years. Anyway, the one Vicodin (so far, anyway), is a good sign, I think.
Really, I've had maybe three or four very, very bad nights in the last month -- the kind where you're looking for a .38 to chase your oxycodone -- and one was the night after the operation. The last bad night was earlier this week, when a muscle decided to spasm for a few hours.
Got home after the therapy, quick grocery run, hardware store stop, chicken egg dropoff and post office check. There was a long, long line of cars heading south in the snow; it's been winter break time in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, so the tourists were doing what tourists do, and going home in the worst possible weather.
Wiped out beyond belief when I got home ... which meant it was time for my boss to call and check on how I'm feeling and when I can get back to work. I'm hoping I didn't sound like a total drooling crack-monkey on the phone.
But speaking of crack: I'm hooked on The Wire. I need to find the first four seasons. And this is one of the most creative blogs I've ever seen -- on the NY Times site! Who knew? Anyway, check it out. How cool is that?
Book reviews tomorrow, assuming a certain level of ambulatory-ness. Maybe not so cool.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Look, Ma, One Hand!
"An injury worth the time will slow you down -- precisely what we all desperately need. An injury will make you do one thing at a time. You'll re-remember that multitasking only means you're doing several things poorly. Injured, you must focus on the one thing for it to happen at all. With this singularity of focus comes happiness, for you have been released from distraction, the most corrosive disease of twenty-first-century life."
...
"These are the emotional ups and downs of rehab. I try to accept it. Acceptance -- particularly accepting the present just the way it is -- is one of the greatest lessons a serious injury can teach. Unfortunately, it will probably take a few more wrecks before I learn it."
A Man's Life.
Dispatches from Dangerous Places.
By Mark Jenkins.
So it's been one month post-op, and here's the thing about shoulder surgery:
It sucks. Really, really sucks.
...
"These are the emotional ups and downs of rehab. I try to accept it. Acceptance -- particularly accepting the present just the way it is -- is one of the greatest lessons a serious injury can teach. Unfortunately, it will probably take a few more wrecks before I learn it."
A Man's Life.
Dispatches from Dangerous Places.
By Mark Jenkins.
So it's been one month post-op, and here's the thing about shoulder surgery:
It sucks. Really, really sucks.
Yep, that's my shoulder. The bloody spots are where the bone spurs were removed, the puffy white stuff is lacerated tendon, and we just won't even post -- let alone discuss -- what the end of my collarbone looks like, where the surgeon did the acromioplasty. Eh, we can talk about what it looks like (a stump), but not really what it feels like. I've been telling people that my shoulder has been through the grinder, but the above picture shows that clearly, the grinder has been through my shoulder.
Several times, in fact.
It didn't start out all that badly. I showed up at the hospital at 1015a on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and was chatting with the anesthesiologist by 1115a. The conversation went something like this:
"I can't move my right arm. Did that have anything to do with the shot?"
"That's the nerve block. It'll reduce pain, swelling and sensation for eight to 24 hours."
"If I can't feel anything, can we do this with a local?"
He put a syringe up to the line sticking out of my hand.
"We can discuss it later."
"How much later? Because I'm afraid I know just a little too much about general anesth ..."
I woke up a few hours later, thinking: Son. Of. A. Bitch.
But I was alive. And except for a tickle at the back of my throat where they jammed the funnel, I felt ... well, I felt terrific. And in a hurry to get home and curl up under a whole lot of blankets. The orthpaedist came in and gave the shoulder the once-over. Nothing awful, he said, other than a ton of fluid in the shoulder. Bone spurs sanded down, labrum not too shredded for recovery. All in all, I got off light, but even so, he felt obliged to mention that I'd be in a lot of pain for a long time.
I'm hoping he's as right about the recovery as he's been about the pain.
But enough about that. I'll whinge some more about the intervening month later. I didn't even look at a computer for two weeks, and I've been doing a very cautious left-hand type for the last two weeks. The physical terrorists said it's OK for me to use two hands now, at least until I feel pain.
Which would be right about now.
Monday, January 21, 2008
My Holiday
... off to get the shoulder fixed. Be in a sling for a couple of weeks, able to lift a five-pound weight in three months and back to full use within a year.
Wah. Poor me.
Back in a few weeks.
Wah. Poor me.
Back in a few weeks.
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