A lion kills a village, and no one cares. A dentist kills a lion, and.. boy howdy. The other day the subject came up, and a friend suggested that hunting the dentist would be only fare. Someone has to say something.
I don't think it's wrong to kill an animal. I wouldn't eat them if I did. I personally wouldn't kill a lion, because I think they are too intelligent. Clearly the dentist didn't agree. Instead of blaming a man for doing something perfectly legal, maybe they should just make hunting lions illegal. But there's only one problem. You could save a loin, but put an end to lions.
Am I crazy? If a human kills a lion, there'd be less lions. How can lion hunters be good for lions? A better question would be, 'What good are loins to people?'
Sure we like to look at them - behind glass. We love the idea of them frolicking in their native habitat - somewhere far from here. And from across the world, us Americans can pat ourselves on the back saying we speak up for the lions. But what about the people who live next door to the lions? How would you feel as a poor man in a poor country trying to raise a family next door to a loin?
For the people of Africa, lions are a liability. Or at least they would be, if people like that american dentist weren't ready to pour thousands of dollars into their economy to hunt one. A poor nation can afford to pay for parks, game wardens, and anti-poaching patrols with that money.
Mistakes were made in this case; apparently by hiring an unethical guide. But let's not make a mistake of our own. Most of the people talking about hunting the dentist are doing nothing for loins as a species. The ones doing the vast majority of the work preserving large game for future generations are ones who hunt legally.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Still Batching It
"I blame the cats."
Loretta's death was over a month ago, and we buried her more than 3 weeks ago. Ellie is still staying at Loretta's, and I am still batching it. "How can this be?" you might ask. ( Perhaps not, but let's assume you do. )
A specific promise Ellie made to Loretta was to care for her cats ( whom Loretta dearly loved ... "love Loretta love her cats" was a saying that her friends understood to be more than just a cutsie saying ) and her thought was she would bring them home.
The cats had been with Loretta since they were kittens, virtually since birth. They are both elderly ( mid-teens ) and missing Loretta had caused them considerable stress. At the time of Loretta's death, they were already missing her for two plus weeks and neither Ellie nor I wanted to further stress them by so soon moving them to their new home. They were, after all, elderly, set in their ways, and spoiled practically rotten. That meant somebody ( Ellie ) had to stay with them, as they needed feeding much more frequently than anyone could manage who was not living there.
( Ellie is the executor of Loretta's will, and staying there puts her much closer to the amazing amount of work that needs to be, also a positive. But that is another story. )
It did not take very long for Ellie to realize taking the cats home was not a good idea. There were good reasons, beyond my not particularly wanting them to move in with us, but those need not concern us here. This meant, however, that if we were serious about minimizing stress, which we were, we wanted to find a permanent home and then move them directly there. A temporary move to our house presented them with too much stress in too short a time.
To make matters worse, we quickly discovered that none of our friends had an opening for two cats; we'd have to find temporary shelter for them, from which they would move to a full-time home. Even without taking them home first, we saw two moves in the immediate future for these two elderly, loveable, spoiled feline friends. We could not possibly take them home, introducing yet another move into their near future(s). This cemented Ellie's continuing to stay at Loretta's and my batching it for a while yet. We have since discovered that cat rescue places are also full, not currently taking cats. We're pondering our options while Ellie continues to live with the cats.
"You're still batching it?"
"Yup. I blame the cats."
Loretta's death was over a month ago, and we buried her more than 3 weeks ago. Ellie is still staying at Loretta's, and I am still batching it. "How can this be?" you might ask. ( Perhaps not, but let's assume you do. )
A specific promise Ellie made to Loretta was to care for her cats ( whom Loretta dearly loved ... "love Loretta love her cats" was a saying that her friends understood to be more than just a cutsie saying ) and her thought was she would bring them home.
The cats had been with Loretta since they were kittens, virtually since birth. They are both elderly ( mid-teens ) and missing Loretta had caused them considerable stress. At the time of Loretta's death, they were already missing her for two plus weeks and neither Ellie nor I wanted to further stress them by so soon moving them to their new home. They were, after all, elderly, set in their ways, and spoiled practically rotten. That meant somebody ( Ellie ) had to stay with them, as they needed feeding much more frequently than anyone could manage who was not living there.
( Ellie is the executor of Loretta's will, and staying there puts her much closer to the amazing amount of work that needs to be, also a positive. But that is another story. )
It did not take very long for Ellie to realize taking the cats home was not a good idea. There were good reasons, beyond my not particularly wanting them to move in with us, but those need not concern us here. This meant, however, that if we were serious about minimizing stress, which we were, we wanted to find a permanent home and then move them directly there. A temporary move to our house presented them with too much stress in too short a time.
To make matters worse, we quickly discovered that none of our friends had an opening for two cats; we'd have to find temporary shelter for them, from which they would move to a full-time home. Even without taking them home first, we saw two moves in the immediate future for these two elderly, loveable, spoiled feline friends. We could not possibly take them home, introducing yet another move into their near future(s). This cemented Ellie's continuing to stay at Loretta's and my batching it for a while yet. We have since discovered that cat rescue places are also full, not currently taking cats. We're pondering our options while Ellie continues to live with the cats.
"You're still batching it?"
"Yup. I blame the cats."
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Wednesday, September 9, 2015
The MN State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair has ended, but that's okay. I've had my fill. I was able to attend twice this year. Most people will tell you that there's a lot to see and do at the fair, but don't listen to them. The state fair is all about the food. He are my high points.
1919 root beer
It's actually about the same price as you'd get in a restaurant.
Foot Long Hotdog
No, you can't get these just anywhere. The fair has a few stands that are some kind of chain. They just say, "Foot Long Hotdog" on the side. They're the all beef ones with grilled onions.
Cheese Curds
The best can be found near the campers on Machinery Hill. They have the crispiest shells, and they serve them with marinara. You get a lot.
Fresh Lemonade
This can be found throughout the fair. Or you could make it very easily at home, but you don't.
Deep Fried Candy Bar
It's at a booth that just says "Deep Fried Candy Bar" on it. This is a name brand candy bar, there are a few to choose from, dipped in mini donut batter, deep fried, and rolled in powered sugar.
These are just a few of my favorites, and the list does go on. The most amazing thing is, every one of them has zero calories... Okay, I probably gained a pound in the last couple of weeks, but I'll do it again next year. No regrets.
1919 root beer
It's actually about the same price as you'd get in a restaurant.
Foot Long Hotdog
No, you can't get these just anywhere. The fair has a few stands that are some kind of chain. They just say, "Foot Long Hotdog" on the side. They're the all beef ones with grilled onions.
Cheese Curds
The best can be found near the campers on Machinery Hill. They have the crispiest shells, and they serve them with marinara. You get a lot.
Fresh Lemonade
This can be found throughout the fair. Or you could make it very easily at home, but you don't.
Deep Fried Candy Bar
It's at a booth that just says "Deep Fried Candy Bar" on it. This is a name brand candy bar, there are a few to choose from, dipped in mini donut batter, deep fried, and rolled in powered sugar.
These are just a few of my favorites, and the list does go on. The most amazing thing is, every one of them has zero calories... Okay, I probably gained a pound in the last couple of weeks, but I'll do it again next year. No regrets.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Odes to Loretta
I wrote several poems celebrating Loretta after her cancer diagnosis four years ago. I share two of them here.
Senior citizen
Now retired
But always and ‘er
The teacher.
Any topic
Church, world, metaphysics
Any place
Hers, mine, a coffee shop.
Never preaching
Only talking.
Her very being
Enriches me.
Disease’s stricken her
Slowly taking energy
And vibrancy
Threatening life.
Days are fuller now
But shorter
Filled with hope about treatment
With prayer … brief activities … love.
Sharp stabs of back pain,
She retreats to sleep to cope.
Her new barbs cheer me.
A Life on the Brink
Senior citizen
Now retired
But always and ‘er
The teacher.
Any topic
Church, world, metaphysics
Any place
Hers, mine, a coffee shop.
Never preaching
Only talking.
Her very being
Enriches me.
Disease’s stricken her
Slowly taking energy
And vibrancy
Threatening life.
Days are fuller now
But shorter
Filled with hope about treatment
With prayer … brief activities … love.
Barbs as Good News
My friend had stabbing, debilitating back pain. Tough though she is, all she could do was hide from it by slumping in sleep in her living room chair. Movement from the kitchen table to that chair was slow, deliberate, and reminded me of the walking dead from the movie of years gone by. A visit to the Emergency Room surrounded by two nights resulted in a transformation that is hard to imagine and even harder to describe.Sharp stabs of back pain,
She retreats to sleep to cope.
Her new barbs cheer me.
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Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Diet vs Budget
I continue my journey to reduce the amount of food I get from restaurants. I've easily cut it in half. You could call that a success, although I imagine that most adults would have been able to get down to zero by now. I continue to experiment in cooking. As expected, all this "success" has lead to is an obvious change in my diet. You might be thinking that less fast food is a great idea to lower my calorie intake, and increase my nutrition. That's debatable.
I had found places like Chipotle and Subway to be great sources of fresh veggies on the go. Now any vegetables need to be planned around. They need to be eaten in a few days, or thrown away, which would completely defeat the point.
I think I'm active enough, and sweat enough, to not worry too much about salt. When I cook I do consume less, and fast food is of course loaded with it. Although I am getting most of my food from the grocery store now, it is mostly boxed dinner type stuff, and that's just as high.
As for calorie count, I can't say for certain, and that's part of the problem. When I was eating from restaurants, I ordered from the menu, and ate it all on the spot. There was little question to the amount of calories I ate. Now I'd need to measure and weigh, and I'm just not. It's not to say I can't, but it's a habit I have not yet formed. I did just put a new battery in my food scale, and do want to find the motivation to start.
I will say my sugar intake seems to be down. I had been eating dessert every day, and now it's about every other. Mostly because the desert I find in grocery stores are not quite as tempting. The amount of dessert I buy out is probably my biggest failure in my plan to eat out less though.
Then there's the biggest problem with this plan. I have to choose when to stop. Cereal is cheap, and relatively healthy, but there's nothing stopping me from eating four bowls at a time. When eating out I bought one meal, and ate it. Now I have to tell myself when the meal needs to end. Even when cooking, it's just inefficient to make one serving at a time.
Dieting while preparing most of my own food is still pretty new to me, and I think I am making progress. I'll keep you all informed of what I find.
I had found places like Chipotle and Subway to be great sources of fresh veggies on the go. Now any vegetables need to be planned around. They need to be eaten in a few days, or thrown away, which would completely defeat the point.
I think I'm active enough, and sweat enough, to not worry too much about salt. When I cook I do consume less, and fast food is of course loaded with it. Although I am getting most of my food from the grocery store now, it is mostly boxed dinner type stuff, and that's just as high.
As for calorie count, I can't say for certain, and that's part of the problem. When I was eating from restaurants, I ordered from the menu, and ate it all on the spot. There was little question to the amount of calories I ate. Now I'd need to measure and weigh, and I'm just not. It's not to say I can't, but it's a habit I have not yet formed. I did just put a new battery in my food scale, and do want to find the motivation to start.
I will say my sugar intake seems to be down. I had been eating dessert every day, and now it's about every other. Mostly because the desert I find in grocery stores are not quite as tempting. The amount of dessert I buy out is probably my biggest failure in my plan to eat out less though.
Then there's the biggest problem with this plan. I have to choose when to stop. Cereal is cheap, and relatively healthy, but there's nothing stopping me from eating four bowls at a time. When eating out I bought one meal, and ate it. Now I have to tell myself when the meal needs to end. Even when cooking, it's just inefficient to make one serving at a time.
Dieting while preparing most of my own food is still pretty new to me, and I think I am making progress. I'll keep you all informed of what I find.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Celebrating Loretta's Life
where have you been all of my life?
We celebrated Loretta’s life with a Catholic funeral Mass on August 15 – a fitting date as Catholics celebrate Mary’s assumption to heaven on that date and Loretta’s heart had a special place for Mary.
The funeral was, in many ways, typical: the urn with her cremains was stationed at a Marian altar during the visitation; a guest book rested on a podium next to a table, which table contained a picture of Loretta, a 16x20 inch photo she had given to Ellie and me for our wedding anniversary several years prior, and a basket for condolence cards; there were easels set up with picture boards, documenting Loretta’s look and life over the years.
In several important ways, though, this was an untypical funeral. Many people came to pay tribute. They came not to commiserate about Loretta’s death but to celebrate her life by talking with other people similarly touched. To pay tribute to a woman of incredible faith who had struggled to live well with her cancer. Loretta had never felt sorry for herself, was never mad at God, and came closest to complaining when she said, “I have my good days and my bad days.” She continued to end conversations with, “Let’s continue to pray for one another.”
The readings, readers, and music were chosen by Loretta; while they said goodbye, they also celebrated life. The Basilica pastor presided at the Mass, and praised Loretta as both a woman of the Church ( of course she didn’t like every decision made by the male hierarchy ) and a woman of faith, pointing out how the latter made the former possible. At the end of Mass, my wife, Ellie, spoke words of remembrance celebrating both Loretta’s life and her Lithuanian heritage.
Approximately one hundred twenty five funeral attendees stayed for lunch. There were people from all over the area, all talking not about how they’d miss Loretta, but about how alive and alert she was and how encounters with her were life changing. We knew we’d miss her, but we celebrated her life.
While we celebrated, her cremains patiently awaited burial the following Saturday, another Catholic feast honoring Mary.
We celebrated Loretta’s life with a Catholic funeral Mass on August 15 – a fitting date as Catholics celebrate Mary’s assumption to heaven on that date and Loretta’s heart had a special place for Mary.
The funeral was, in many ways, typical: the urn with her cremains was stationed at a Marian altar during the visitation; a guest book rested on a podium next to a table, which table contained a picture of Loretta, a 16x20 inch photo she had given to Ellie and me for our wedding anniversary several years prior, and a basket for condolence cards; there were easels set up with picture boards, documenting Loretta’s look and life over the years.
In several important ways, though, this was an untypical funeral. Many people came to pay tribute. They came not to commiserate about Loretta’s death but to celebrate her life by talking with other people similarly touched. To pay tribute to a woman of incredible faith who had struggled to live well with her cancer. Loretta had never felt sorry for herself, was never mad at God, and came closest to complaining when she said, “I have my good days and my bad days.” She continued to end conversations with, “Let’s continue to pray for one another.”
The readings, readers, and music were chosen by Loretta; while they said goodbye, they also celebrated life. The Basilica pastor presided at the Mass, and praised Loretta as both a woman of the Church ( of course she didn’t like every decision made by the male hierarchy ) and a woman of faith, pointing out how the latter made the former possible. At the end of Mass, my wife, Ellie, spoke words of remembrance celebrating both Loretta’s life and her Lithuanian heritage.
LABAS. I thank you for coming and joining in this Celebration of Loretta's life. Loretta was a multi - faceted woman. However, the one facet of her, we all have in common, is knowing her as an incredible woman of Faith. She was deeply rooted in spiritually and lived her entire life under the umbrella of Scripture. She is indeed a Holy Woman and it has been an honor and a privilege to be her Friend.
Loretta lived to be 84 years of age. She was who she said she is ... A woman of faith, generosity, pride, dignity, moral standards and ethics.. I asked her once if she had any regrets in her life and with without pause she said ...NO regrets, What a model ...What a witness .... I believe she is in the Arms of God ... Her life of prayer and discernment has led her home. May we have the Grace to follow in her footprints.
Alleluia!
I have only known Loretta for about 10 years. Yet, it seems like we had known each other for a life time. When we met, she said ... Ellie, where have you been all of my life? I looked at her .. smiled and... said "Loretta, and where have you been all of my life? What a Gift ... What an incredible Gift.
It has been an honor and a privilege to walk this Journey with her. I have met and felt surrounded by love from many of you ... Loretta's family, friends and colleagues..I am truly humbled!
She will be sorely missed by many and yet she will live in our hearts forever. And I believe we will see each other again ...and so for now I say ....
To you, my dear Lithuanian friend, .. ACHOO .... Thank you, my friend ... ACHOO!
(Bow at her Urn)
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While we celebrated, her cremains patiently awaited burial the following Saturday, another Catholic feast honoring Mary.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Adventures in Growing Up
When I became an adult, I got a job at a restaurant. It paid very well if you consider the fact that I didn't have to buy food five days a week. It was a great way to start out as an adult, and strike out on my own. I never did continue to grow up.
I've been taking care of myself for almost fifteen years, and I've never really cooked for myself. Sure, I've cooked for hundreds of others, but never for myself. My last home didn't even have a kitchen, and it was never a down side.
Now it's 2015, I'm in my early 30's, and I cooked a thing. I borrowed a mini crock pot. I put two potatoes, a cup of chicken broth, some minced garlic, and two pork chops in it, and turned it on. Eight hours later I had dinner. In hind sight, I should have used more liquid, but it worked out just fine. It was delicious.
The reason for this development is a desire to grow as a person. Oh, and the money. I've come to the conclusion that cars are expensive, and I really have no excuse to not have plenty of money. I'm a single guy, with no large expenses, or drug habits.
As I write this from Mcdonald's, I do realize I have some work to do. Next time I plan to try some spices.
I've been taking care of myself for almost fifteen years, and I've never really cooked for myself. Sure, I've cooked for hundreds of others, but never for myself. My last home didn't even have a kitchen, and it was never a down side.
Now it's 2015, I'm in my early 30's, and I cooked a thing. I borrowed a mini crock pot. I put two potatoes, a cup of chicken broth, some minced garlic, and two pork chops in it, and turned it on. Eight hours later I had dinner. In hind sight, I should have used more liquid, but it worked out just fine. It was delicious.
The reason for this development is a desire to grow as a person. Oh, and the money. I've come to the conclusion that cars are expensive, and I really have no excuse to not have plenty of money. I'm a single guy, with no large expenses, or drug habits.
As I write this from Mcdonald's, I do realize I have some work to do. Next time I plan to try some spices.
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