Book Review Time – “Track of the Cat”, by Nevada Barr

If you enjoy suspenseful novels that take place in the great outdoors, then Nevada Barr is your author.  “Track of the Cat” is the first in Barr’s Anna Pigeon series, which take place in various National Parks across the country.  Her protagonist, Anna Pigeon, is a park ranger who manages to stumble upon all sorts of calamities during her posts.

Having read “Deep South” by Nevada Barr several years ago (set in the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi) I was excited to read another one of her works.  “Track of the Cat” takes place in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, and involves the accidental death of a fellow ranger.  Anna of course couldn’t shake her suspicions when things didn’t quite add up.  Then when her own life is threatened and another fellow ranger ends up dead, well . . . now she’s in way too deep to turn away.   Being true to herself, Anna couldn’t let well enough alone.

Throughout her mysteries, Barr’s love of wildlife and the great outdoors is apparent as you read along.  Barr herself was a park ranger and spent time at many of the parks depicted in her books, so you know the descriptions are thoughtful as well as accurate. 

Conclusion:  Although I still like “Deep South” better, I have to say “Track of the Cat” was a fun read, and I look forward to reading about more of Anna’s adventures.  

Western Coachwhip Snake vs. Man & Baby Bird

Well, just another boring day out in the wilderness. . . . . Ha!  The following is an account of our excitement last Friday.  I just started volunteering for an organization named Nature Abounds for their "Watch the Wild" program.  I had only hoped to be able to start off with a bang, but couldn't imagine what my first incident report to them would be.  The following is my observation and photos of an interaction with what I believe was s a young Western Coachwhip snake and baby Cassin's King Bird. We believe the snake was a young snake approximately 3-4 ft long.

Observation: At approx 10:00 am I saw a snake climbing our flowering plum tree heading towards a nest containing a baby Cassin's King Bird. My husband and I ran outside and my husband flung the snake out of the tree with a rake. The snake dropped the baby bird and very quickly slithered away. The snake kept trying to come back and my husband kept flinging it away. When the coast was clear, we used a shovel to gently pick up the baby bird and put him in the nest. Not wanting to put human scent on the bird, but knowing that he still needed help, I put leather gloves on and uprighted him by his legs only.  The adult birds kept flying around but would not go back to the baby bird. The below photos explain why. Apparently, the snake climbed up an adjacent tree and crossed over to the tree containing the baby bird. Once again we ran outside and flung the snake away (this time before he got to the baby bird). My husband then transported the snake to a field across the street from our house.

Time will only tell now whether or not the baby bird survives, however, I am happy to report that about an hour after this incident the bird parents returned to the nest to tend to their baby. 

Do you see it?  Look closely . . . . 

Western Coachwhip snake going from right tree to left tree.

He wasn't too happy with us for taking him away from his meal.

However he did allow me to take a good shot of him.

Scott taking him to find a new home in a neighboring field.

It's hard to see, but the traumatized baby Cassin's King bird is back in his nest.

P.S.  Unfortunately this weekend we noticed that the nest was barren.  We can only assume one of two things happened, either a snake came back or the bird died.  Trust me, I was hugely upset at the snake because I so wanted that little bird to live.  However, after simmering down, I do realize this is nature running it's course.  I like to think that my husband and I have been very lucky to have observed some of the many wildlife incidents that we have.  One day when it's time to leave this earth, we will be able to say, "Wow, how fortunate we have been to have experienced life so fully."

For more information on Nature Abounds' Watch the Wild program, IceWatch USA, and their other initiatives, visit:  www.natureabounds.org.  

Have a great week everyone!

Garden Escapades – Radishes a plenty and more!

Today I plucked the remaining radishes out of the garden, and I have to say that this year I had a fabulous crop!  I wasn’t sure how these little red gems would do in the Arizona heat, but with a little shade netting and cool night temperatures, they did just fine indeed. 

I planted three different types all from Ferry-Morse.  The first, Cherry Belle, was the most abundant with a mild radish flavor.  The white Icicle radishes didn’t produce too many, but what did come up was mild in flavor, not my favorite, but fun to have a different color and shape.  Now the third radish, the Sparkler, was surprisingly hot.  These red and white radishes left my tongue screaming and my husband laughing at me (he doesn’t eat radishes).  Of course the question he posed to me was, “If they are so hot, why do you keep eating them?”  Well, I guess as any hot pepper lover knows, you just can’t help yourself.  It’s addicting in a way.  They are good and spicy, and they came from my garden, so by golly I’m gonna eat those little buggers!

Anyway, now it’s time to tend to the other items in the garden, all of which are doing fairly well.  That is, except for the carrots.  Yesterday I went out to water and discovered that all the green tops had been eaten off of those little sweeties.  As Elmer Fudd would say, “Hey there’s something awfully screwy going on around here.”  Yes, the rabbit is back.  Last month he promptly demolished our green bean plants which were doing so, so well.  Let’s just say if we find that little critter we’re going to make some hasenpfeffer stew!  But I digress. 

Back to the point.  The tomatoes are doing well, the peppers are doing well, the eggplant looks so good we have to pinch it to make sure it’s real, and the artichoke (our new experiment) is growing in leaps and bounds.  So I will report back on any interesting gardening tidbits, and in the meantime, “Shhh, be very, very quiet.  I’m hunting rabbits.”  Where is that Elmer Fudd when you need him? 

Happy Summer Solstice to you all!

Book Review Time – “Gone”, by Lisa Gardner

What do you like to read?  Do you like a little mystery?  Suspense?  Maybe a kidnapping?  Or perhaps a homicide or two?  Well, excellent!  I have a recommendation for you. 

I have to admit this is my first Lisa Gardner book.  I picked up “Gone” at a garage sale a year or so ago and just pulled it off my shelf to read a couple of weeks ago.  Let me tell you, I was happy that I did. 

So without telling you too much and giving the story away, “Gone” takes place over a two day span and is about a kidnapping that has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.  Gardner gracefully jumps back and forth between characters, a successful maneuver to keep you turning the page to find out what happens next. 

Along with your dose of suspense in this ever changing plot, she gives you interesting characters with human faults.  Characters that laugh, cry and are a little twisted, and meanwhile slowly feeds you bits and pieces that will leave you vested and hungry to learn more.    She’ll have you wondering if this crime was done by someone the victim knows, or if it could possibly be related to a heinous crime the victim was involved in some time ago.  Then again, could it just be random?

Of course I didn’t realize it at the time, but this book is the fifth in Gardner’s FBI profiler series.   But it didn’t matter one bit.  I never noticed.   If anything, now I want to read more of her books.  Well done, I say.  This book’s officially going on my recommended list.

Quote of the Day

"A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Breaking News -- Donna Summer Passes

Those of you who are old enough to remember the disco era from the '70's and 80's will no doubt remember such hits as:  "Bad Girls", "Last Dance", Love to Love You Baby" and many more.  These were songs with an infectious beat.  Admit it, how many of you would hum or sing "Toot toot, ah beep beep".  I particularly remember the lyrics to this song (Bad Girls) from my dance class as a kid.  That's why it was sad to hear of Donna Summer's passing this morning, which was apparently due to a battle with cancer.  Whenever a music icon passes we remember where we were or what we were doing in our lives when we first heard their songs. Sometimes the memories are fond, other times the memories are difficult, but either way music has a way of transporting us back to another time and place.

So do you have a favorite Donna Summer song?  Or perhaps you weren't a fan at all.  But either way, you have to admit that she made an impact on the music industry.  What music transports you back to another time filled with fond memories?   Whatever it may be, I'm sure you'll reminisce about it with a faraway look affixed to your face and a smile threatening to escape your facade.  But for now, I'll leave you humming a little disco melody, "Toot toot, ah beep beep . . . toot toot, ah beep beep . . ."

Quote of the Day

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.
-- Rabindranath Tagore 

Quote of the Day

"Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
-- Bernard M. Baruch

Birds of a Feather . . .

Ah, Spring.  So far the majority of our “free time” has been occupied with building raised garden beds.  This has had its challenges due to the dry and windy climate here, but I will tell you more about that another time.  

What I really wanted to report to you today is that I think one of things that has amazed me the most about living in the high desert is the amount of birds we are seeing and hearing.  Frankly I didn't know what to expect considering our deficiency of trees.  However, I have been pleasantly surprised.  Each day starting in the early morning, we are being serenaded.  The songs continue throughout the day with an abundance of melodies, and last into the evening as we watch the sun slowly retire behind the mountain range. 

We are noticing a wide variety of birds (new to us), and I was able to identify a few right off the bat, such as the familiar Mourning Doves.  However I needed assistance with others and consulted the Web.  I stumbled upon a helpful website, www.whatbird.com.  You can search by area, habitat, size, color, wing shape and many other identifying markers including listening to their song.  Now I knew that we had Western Meadowlarks, Mourning Doves, Roadrunners (very cool to see these) and confirmed what we suspected were House Finches, but there was a yellow and olive gray colored bird we were unfamiliar with.  So plugging in the criteria, I believe I have identified the Cassin’s Kingbird.  We see these birds throughout the day, but also notice them in the evening flying around our flowering plum trees. 

Now another thing I have noticed is that birds are not unlike humans.  We have two bird’s nests in two of our plum trees.  I am not certain who has inhabited the one closest to the garage (mourning doves nested there last year, see photo below ), but I believe the Kingbirds may be inhabiting one of these this year.  You see, these birds like humans, scoped out the neighborhood first by flying around doing drive-bys and hopping from tree to tree to see if they liked the area for their new home.  Then, once they moved into their new nest, just as humans do, they started redecorating. 

Mourning Doves nesting in flowering plum tree

The first thing I noticed was that they built an addition onto their home with the accumulation of some fresh greenery, a bright green branch of needles from a nearby pine tree.  Then, they acquired some new furniture consisting of some fuzzy type of material which lined the inside of the nest, and now they are happily flying around and just hanging out.  So it appears that Elvis and Priscilla have finally settled in (sorry, but they are Kingbirds after all – get it?  Yeah, yeah, I know.).  Anyway, now I just need to identify those little sandpiper looking birds that hop around on the ground.  We've nicknamed them bandits because of the black band across their eyes. 

It certainly has been interesting seeing the different wildlife here -- found a dead gopher snake this weekend just outside of the fence at the furthest point on the property.  Yes, the bad news is that it was a snake.  The good news however is, that it was a “gopher snake”.  The point thereby being that maybe they will help us with our battle of the pocket gophers!

So rest assured I will continue to update you on our encounters, including a future blog on our little Ornate Tree Liizards, and if one day we happen to see the elusive Javelina, I will be sure to tell you!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Day

"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
-- Jane Goodall

Hail to the Easter Bunny!

Walking through the stores this week, you couldn't help but see rows upon rows of all of the pastel colored candy waiving at you from the aisles.  So this of course made me think back to my own Easter basket which was sometimes filled with such items as jelly beans, foil wrapped gold coins, and chocolate peanut butter and coconut eggs to name just a few. 

So where did the Easter Bunny come from anyway?  Of course he has nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter, but instead represents the more playful side of the Holiday.  A little research quickly revealed that the first documented origin of the Easter Bunny (a/k/a “Oschter Haws”) can be traced back to the 1500’s in Germany, although even earlier accounts mention spring festivals and the symbolism of eggs with fertility and rebirth.

Then in the 1700’s when German immigrants landed in Pennsylvania Dutch country, they brought with them their tradition, and thereafter American Folklore soon developed. Children eagerly waited for the arrival of Oschter Haws with baskets of colored eggs.  Eventually this custom developed into the swapping of the colored eggs for candy or small gifts, similar to the tradition of good old Saint Nick (gotta love my German ancestors!).

Now personally, my fondest Easter Bunny memory hands down has to be that singular solid chocolate bunny wrapped in plastic and tied with a bow, standing center stage in the middle of the basket.  This bunny was revered to such a degree that he was cushioned by a soft pillow of glossy green, yellow or pink grass and surrounded by a bounty of colorful subordinates.  The accompanying marshmallow chicks (while still good) unfortunately could not hold a candle to this confectionary delight.  And as for myself, I had an entire system down in which to savor this little fellow.  It began innocently enough with biting off the tail (a mere tease at this taste of chocolate heaven), then the ears quickly followed.  This of course would be quite enough for the first day, because after all, I couldn’t make him disappear all at once.  Gradually the nose, head, feet and body would soon follow (yes, precisely in that order).   I would relish each delicious chocolate bite to the fullest.  (In hindsight I suppose this is where my chocoholic origins came from.) 

Now I know of some friends who do not actually like chocolate (I shudder at the thought), so I wonder what their favorite treat was from the Easter Basket.  Was it the jelly beans?  The marshmallow Peeps?   Or some other equally sugary treat?  What was yours?  Did you receive a unique treat unlike anything your friends found?  My basket magically appeared in my bedroom sometime in the middle of the night.  Did yours also or did you go downstairs to find it awaiting you in the kitchen? 

So hail to the Easter Bunny for bringing smiles to children across the country, and thank you Germany for sharing your “Oschter Haws” tradition with us.

Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable Easter.

Chris

Good Morning Friends!  I just wanted to let you know that I am in the process of tweaking this blog a little, so if it looked one way yesterday and another way today, that's why.  I'm also adding new gadgets to the site and hopefully will be including pictures soon.  Today, for example, I added a gadget for SocialVibe to help support the American Red Cross (bottom right corner on this blog).  All you need to do is click on the gadget to show your support.  It's free, so why not do what we can to help disaster victims.

Additionally, I am playing around with different backgrounds to this site as well as adding a new welcome message.  And if you like what you see, and want to recommend this blog, you can now push the orange Google +1 button on the top right to recommend me on Google.

Now don't forget to scroll through the blog and keep on the lookout for new changes, and if I am lucky enough to be flagged in your favorites, please remember to refresh my page if you do not see anything new.

Thank you, and if I don't have a chance to post anything additional before the weekend, have a Happy Easter!

Quote of the Day

You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth.
--William W. Purkey

You Are What You Eat: Pink Slime

Okay so here’s today’s riddle:  what is pink, meaty, contains ammonia, and can be found in your hamburger, your taco, your meatballs, and has been in some of your kids’ lunches for years?  Give up?  It’s called pink slime (a.k.a ground beef).  And no, the word ammonia isn’t a typo. 

Pink slime is the result of scraps of meat your butcher would normally throw away that are being used to make ground beef.  These are parts not meant for human consumption because they may contain salmonella. However they are given to dog food manufacturers to use.  Well not wanting to waste this stuff, someone (Beef Products, Inc.) got the bright idea to use ammonia to kill the bacteria.  So apparently they treat it with an ammonia and water solution, drain it, grind it up, and voila!  Hamburger! Now, don’t go looking for ammonia to be listed on the product’s label of ingredients.  It is not required to be there.  Oh, but not to worry though.  Federal regulators say pink slime is safe for human consumption!

Chef Jamie Oliver brought awareness to this outrageous practice last April and asked the public for help.  If you stomach hasn’t completely turned yet (and even if it has), watch this YouTube video (click here) where he informs a group of children and their parents about what really is in their school lunches.  

So here we are the beef eating public for years unknowingly consuming this ahem, meat at fast food joints, supermarkets, and in our kids’ cafeteria lunches. 

Last year McDonalds discontinued use of this product as a result of public outcry.  You should know however, that federal regulators, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Beef Products, Inc. and others have lashed back trying to dispel some of these “myths”, and have websites such as www.pinkslimeisamyth.com to address your concerns.

But now, after years of eating this stuff, the USDA has announced that it is finally taking steps to eliminate this pink slime product from some school lunches.  However, this won’t take effect until the end of the year due to contract issues.

So maybe in the meantime you might want to pack your kids’ lunches and look for hamburger products at your organic and natural grocers.  But hey, that’s entirely up to you; just remember, as the saying goes, you are what you eat.

For more information, check out this informative article from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html?pagewanted=all

Feel Good Moment - Beached Dolphins Rescued

Here's an interesting video I just caught on Right This Minute.  In Brazil, a group of dolphins came to shore beaching themselves, and a group of people rushed into the water to help them by dragging them back out to sea.  Enjoy this feel good moment!  Here's the link:  http://www.rightthisminute.com/video/30-stranded-dolphins-rescued-brazilian-beach-goers

Chicago: The Windy City?

This week we have had quite a bit of wind in my neck of the woods.   Sitting here at this moment the wind is howling, the tumbleweed is rolling in the fields, and little birds are courageously perching on the birdfeeders holding on tightly as they threaten to swing horizontally in the wind.  Earlier this week, you could add to the scene blankets of dust blowing through the streets and fields.  With this description, one would think this is shaping up to look like an old time movie based on the Wild, Wild West.  And you thought Chicago was the windy city?  However, when the winds calm and the landscape turns silent, the high desert becomes a magnificent sight to behold. 

But speaking of Chicago and its nickname of “the Windy City”, did you know that this nickname has absolutely nothing to do with the weather?  That’s correct.  Instead it was all the big talk, or “wind” that local leading men in 1890 Chicago were blowing about the city’s stature in this country that lead a New York editor to give Chicago its nickname.  I learned of this little known fact several years ago when I read “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson.  At the time this would not have been a typical book that you would find on my shelf (now I read a wider range of genres).  However, I heard it being discussed on the Dom and Jane show, a morning radio program based in Denver, Colorado, and my interest was sparked.  You will find this book in your bookstore’s history section, and if you are a strict reader of fiction then you may find this read a little difficult to get through.  However, if you stick with it, you will be rewarded with a story about a complex and mysterious villain who terrorized the city during the Chicago World’s Fair.  This man was a serial killer who charmed his unsuspecting victims and for many years, successfully got away with it.  This book also has tons of interesting facts.  You’ll learn of when shredded wheat and Cracker Jack got their start and the humble beginnings of the Ferris Wheel. 

Although my first thought for this particular blog was not to turn it into a book review, I think I will put this selection on my “recommended” list.  History buffs will most likely love it, and fiction lovers may not, but hopefully if they give it a chance they may find themselves intrigued by its redeeming qualities – a well written historical account of Chicago during the World’s Fair and the man who chose to terrorize it.   

Well, that’s all for now.  Happy reading and remember, spring is almost here.

Quote of the Day

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
-- Maya Angelou

STORY TIME

Good Morning!  I thought I would share with you a short story I came up with based on a Writer's Digest writing contest. The challenge:  In 750 words or fewer, write a story based on the following prompt:  You return to the house where you grew up, only to learn it has been condemned.  Below is my fictious story:

I rubbed my tired eyes and blinked as the 19^th century farmhouse came into view.  I had hoped that my eyes were deceiving me.  The wood post and rail fence was broken and worn, tattered from the secrets that it had held.  Newly built cookie cutter houses now bookended the property to the east and the west where the regal pines once stood, stripping the house further of its original lure.  The house appeared vacant and cold. Windows in the top floor had been broken and paint on the porch’s wood pillars was peeling away from its façade.  I slowed my car as I noticed a large orange sheet of paper blemishing the grand wooden door.  The house appeared abandoned now, so I decided to take a closer look.

I turned onto the driveway lined with wild Queen Anne’s Lace and Black-eyed Susan, and listened to the familiar crunch of gravel beneath my wheels. The sound reminded me of the State’s welfare checks on myself and the three other children fostered in this home.  I found myself wondering if that very noise was the previous inhabitants’ first alarm that the enemy was approaching.  Because just as this house comforted me during my childhood years, it was also a safe house many generations ago for the Underground Railroad. 

Once out of my car, I walked up the creaky old steps and approached the front door until the black print on the orange paper came into view.  CONDEMED it read.  I gasped.  Not this house.  I jiggled the handle on the front door, but it would not release, so I went around to the back door to try my luck there.  It was already opened a crack.  Cautiously letting myself in, I found myself standing in the mudroom, formerly the butler’s pantry, staring at the markings on the doorframe indicating the various children’s heights.  A smile graced my saddened face as I pictured my foster siblings and me sitting at the kitchen table waiting our turn to be measured.  I was the tallest until Bobby shot up in the seventh grade.  He overtook me by a foot that year.

Moving on, I first peered into the cellar, the musty odor both strong and familiar.  Continuing, I walked into the dining room where floor to ceiling panels of red fabric still framed the windows.  Torn and holed, I reached out to stroke the curtains.  A puff of dust billowed forward at my touch enticing a cough, to which I quickly retracted my hand.  The ornate built-ins still remained, albeit covered with a thick layer of dust.

Unable to resist, I bent down and grasped a corner of the hideous brown shag carpet and pulled it away to reveal the servant call button in the middle of the floor.  I remembered my foster parents explaining this fascinating button to all of us kids as we scrambled to see who could push it first.  Those past generations had seemed like a different world to me – maids and butlers a thing of southern storybooks.  But now, I found myself standing here, feeling the roots of this old house in quite a different way.  The foundation supporting much more than four walls of stone and mortar, but holding instead the history of our forefathers to be discovered and learned by those who chose to cross its threshold.  I instinctively knew what I must do.

I quickly walked through the remainder of the house gazing at the old bluestone fireplace and small upstairs bedrooms, taking note of every detail I could. 

Now I found myself almost running to my car.  The high school reunion wasn’t for a couple of hours and it could certainly wait.  This couldn’t.  I hoped that my schoolmate’s mother still worked there as I fumbled around the inside of my purse feeling for my cell phone.  Once located, I quickly dialed information and gained the number I sought.  

I hopped in my car and dialed the phone.  Now dust and gravel flew from beneath my wheels as I headed out the driveway and pointed my car towards town and in the direction of the county’s historical society.  I was going to save this house.

Quote of the Day

A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don't have a top for it.
-- Jerry Seinfeld

2012 Grammy Performance – Guaranteed to be Remembered

Did you watch the Grammys last night?  If not, you missed everything from soup to nuts – some parts of which you might be sorry you missed, and others, well . . . .

This year’s Grammys started off with a thoughtful prayer from LL Cool J in honor of the late Whitney Houston who passed away on Saturday, and ended with an exorcism performance by Nicki Minaj that is sure to have had many people talking long after the backlight dimmed on their TV screens.  What on earth was that?   I wholeheartedly embrace artistic freedom, but good grief Nicki.  Many are claiming her performance was an attempt to outdo Lady Gaga.  Others are just plain horrified.

The funny thing is it immediately took me back to 1989 when Madonna made a highly controversial music video to her song, “Like a Prayer”.  She too was surrounded by both fans who loved it and critics who hated it.  Comprised of a story about an African Amercian man who is unjustly arrested for a crime he didn’t commit and is then later released, Madonna’s video shows her being kissed by the African American man who is then portrayed as a saint, cutting her hands and bleeding, and dancing in front of burning crosses resembling the likes of an act by the KKK.   It’s easy to see how this video struck a nerve with many.  Religious communities were outraged by what they perceived as blasphemy, while some viewed it as racism, and others yet hailed her as a creative genius.

Fast-forward 23 years and Nicki Minaj’s performance seems to have induced similar results. Viewers watched dumbfounded as a mock exorcism was being portrayed while Nicki flailed around restrained as if possessed, and a scantily dressed female dancer bent over backward in front of a kneeling altar boy.  If it was attention she was looking for, she certainly is receiving it now.  The Catholic League apparently is already speaking out against not only Nicki Minaj but The Recording Academy which approves all performances stating, “Never would they allow an artist to insult Judaism or Islam”. 

Fortunately with freedom of expression comes the freedom to grab the remote control and turn the thing off if you don’t like it.  As for the comparison to Lady Gaga, Steve Helling, staff writer for People magazine summed it all up when he Tweeted, “Suddenly, Lady Gaga seems really, really normal.”

P.S.  Oh, by the way, did you catch the green neon trimmed mouse ears sported by the audience during one particular performance?  You know you’re getting old when Deadmau5 (pronounced “Dead Mouse”), has replaced Micky Mouse. (Sigh.)

Quote of the Day

Always do your best.  What you plant now, you will harvest later.
-- Og Mandino

Reminder - Wear Red Friday!

Just a reminder to those of you who will be joining me in bringing awareness to heart disease that Friday (February 3) is National Wear Red Day.  Read my prior post to find out more about this number one killer of women.

Quote of the Day

A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.
-- David Brinkley

My Soapbox Moment: Alert – Cougars are Now Offensive!

Okay, so my husband and I were watching the news the other night when a story came on that made us do a double take.  Did I just hear correctly?  Did they just say what I thought they did?  My husband and I just looked at each other dumbfounded.  Really?  We laughed in disbelief. 

Apparently, a Utah school held a student vote for the name of their future mascot.  And after the votes were tallied a winner emerged, the Cougar.  Sounds simple enough, right?  Wrong.  The school board decided to veto this choice of mascot and instead chose to name their new mascot something more appropriate, the Chargers.  Why you ask?  Get this, it’s because the term cougar might be offensive to older women.  Yes, you heard it right.  Since the modern vernacular for cougar refers to older 40-something women who seek out and have romantic relationships with younger men, this might be too offensive.   Allegedly parents were complaining to the school board about the distasteful connotation the animal now brings.

Now I ask, wouldn’t anyone with half a brain see the animal on the school’s logo and know that the animal is the cougar they are referring to?  Or were they planning on using a picture of a vivacious older woman with her boy toy?

Again, really?  Give me a break people.  Has society really become that uptight and PC?  Why even let the kids vote on their choice of mascot for their school?  Perhaps these folks need to stop watching so many made for TV movies and focus their energies on something a little more important -- say world hunger (since we know it won’t be a campaign to save the cougar!).

Exiting my soapbox now.

Your Health Segment: The Thyroid Guard Controversy

Recently I received an interesting email about thyroid cancer, which has been on the rise in both women and men over the past several years.  Maybe you have been the recipient of this email.  In the email it explains that on the Dr. Oz show (originally aired in September 2010) Dr. Oz mentioned that part of the increase could be due to the exposure we are receiving from dental s-rays and mammograms.  On this show and the follow-up show he did more recently, Dr. Oz explains how a thyroid guard is available during these procedures, but rarely used.  It’s a small inexpensive guard that is simply wrapped around your neck, which he explains could help lessen unnecessary exposure to radiation.

Since his original airing of the show, women have started to go into their doctor’s offices requesting use of this guard during their dental x-rays and mammograms.  Doctors, wondering why their patients were now all of a sudden asking for these guards, have been inquiring of their patients and hearing repeatedly that it’s because of the Dr. Oz show, proving to us once again the power of the media.

Now a heated debate has been ignited.  Experts across the country are weighing in to voice their opinions.  Opponents of Dr. Oz’s recommendation say that the risk to the thyroid is so little that this guard is unnecessary.   Additionally, some suggest that use of the guard during a mammogram can inhibit an accurate result thereby increasing the need for an additional mammogram if the results are skewed. 

So is a thyroid guard helpful or unnecessary?  I think it is up to the individual to decide.  If there is the possibility that an ounce of prevention could potentially ward off or lessen your risk of thyroid cancer, would you use that prevention or take the risk? 

To view the follow-up segment from the Dr. Oz show, visit this link:  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/thyroid-guards-do-you-need-one-pt-1 .  It is part one of a three part video where he discusses the pros and cons with a panel of experts.  Definitely something you may want to think about.  After all, it is your health.

Honor Your Heart - Wear Red on February 3rd

Pull out that red sweater, strap on those red shoes, throw a red scarf around your neck, or jump into those red long johns, because Friday, February 3^rd is National Wear Red Day! 

In 2004 the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women to educate women about heart disease and stroke.  There was a great need for this campaign since heart disease was typically viewed as an older man’s disease.  So National Wear Red Day was formed to bring awareness to this number one killer of women.  That’s right; heart disease kills more women than any other disease, including all forms of cancer, a staggering 500,000 lives of American Women are claimed to it each year.

Won’t you mark your calendar and join me to bring awareness to such an important topic?  If you have a mother, sister, wife, female friend or co-worker, or if you yourself are a woman, you should be concerned and informed about this silent killer.

To learn more, check out the American Heart Association website to find out anything and everything about the heart.  This site will give you information about events in your area, recipes, warning signs and ways you can help. 

Please don’t forget to mark your calendars and show your red!

Legal Debate: Should Cute Therapy Dog Have Been Allowed on Witness Stand During Trial?

There is currently a case in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York regarding a therapy dog who took the witness stand with an underage abuse victim.  Apparently the 15 year old girl had been raped and impregnated by the defendant, her own father.  Her dog, Rosie, is a cute golden retriever therapy dog trained to recognize and comfort a person who is under stress.  Rosie was allowed to sit next to the child on the witness stand as she bravely testified against her father.  When the child became distressed during moments of difficult testimony, Rosie recognized this and would nuzzle or lean into the child.  Thus allowing her to calm down and continue testifying.  The trial ended with a 25 year to life conviction against the father.

After the conviction, the defense filed an appeal which is currently pending.  One of their chief objections is that a therapy dog responds to the testifier’s stress, whether that stress is a result of telling the truth or from telling a lie.  The jury in turn sees the dog comforting the victim and assumes that it is because the victim is telling the truth.  Therefore the defense feels that the jury was unfairly impacted by observing this unconscious message portrayed by the “cute” dog.

Now, permitting a service dog into court is not new.  Many states have allowed service dogs into court with impaired victims.  There is some debate however, about whether a therapy dog, which is there to comfort a traumatized victim, falls into the same category as a service dog under the law.

Many are following this important appellate case due to the legal implications in cases such as these.

So what do you think?  Should a therapy dog or service dog be allowed in court?  Do you feel that the cuteness of a dog can sway a jury?  And if so, does that mean that a cute witness of any type, animal or human, will prejudice a jury?  What does that say about a jury or juror if they are swayed by cuteness?  Think about what a ruling on this case could possibly mean to future cases and the precedent it will leave. 

Quote of the Day

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.
 -- Seneca

Today's Mindless Trivia - Nature's Nightlight

Last night my husband and I were sitting in the living room watching TV, when we noticed a stunning sliver of light coming in from the sliding door and casting a gentle glow on the tile floor – nature’s nightlight was in full bloom.  I got up and walked over to the door and looked out.  The full moon was large and rising over the eastern mountain range.  It would soon appear to get smaller as it rose, so we both took a moment to marvel at its beauty and awesomeness.  I know there are some people who find a full moon eerie, but on the contrary I find it and the glow it casts gorgeous and even comforting.   Occurring once a month, nature’s nightlight always amazes me.  Something I once never gave much thought to, I now welcome, like an old friend.

Now there are negative stories of the moon’s effect on people and animals, and likewise there are positive stories as well.  You might even hear a bit of folklore including everything from migratory patterns of animals, to lunacy and birthing rates.  There is also folklore regarding a crescent moon:  seen over the right shoulder it is lucky, but the opposite is true if seen over the left shoulder.

Following are some fun facts about the moon that you can save for your next Jeopardy appearance.  (I’m just going to give you some of the English names for each of these moons.  The Native Americans had other names for some and there are other variations for all.) 

January – Old Moon

February – Wolf Moon (when wolf packs howled because they were hungry)

March – Lenten Moon

April – Egg Moon

May – Milk Moon

June – Flower Moon (because in most areas flowers are abundant now)

July – Hay Moon

August – Grain Moon

September – Fruit Moon (time to harvest the fruit)

October – Harvest Moon

November – Hunter’s Moon

December – Oak Moon

What about the Blue Moon you ask?  Well there is quite a bit of misinformation about a blue moon, but the version that appears correct states that a blue moon occurs an average of every 2.7 years.  We usually have 12 full moons per year, but every once in a while there is an extra moon, which we call the Blue Moon.  This occurs because the solar calendar differs from our own. 

And now that you have all of this loony information (yes, pun intended), go ahead and dazzle your trivia buff friends at your next party!

Quote of the Day

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
-- Wayne Gretsky