What Do I Know?

They're Back!

Yesterday the cows came home. Back to the pasture just beyond my garden, that is. Every year they come out around March with their new babies, then disappear in November, to the pasture near the barn, though the babies take a further journey.

I counted ten babies this year, one I've already named Freckles. They are so adorable, and when they're so little they can run really fast, like dogs. I love to watch them frolic in the pasture.

I took these photos just now, when I looked out the window and noticed they'd all gathered at the back fence, the mothers wondering if I'd come out and chat with them. But when the dog barked, they turned and ran.

I will have to have a talk with that dog.

Friday Horse Blogging

Gaydore poses for another photo.

On the way to Cornwall, we took a detour from the main road through Devon. As I rounded a roundabout, I saw this horse and a wagon. In front of the wagon sat a peddler, or a traveller. I stopped at the layby, and went back and asked if I could take a photo of the horse. "Why not, everyone else does," was the reply.

Eager to make conversation, I asked about the horse, whose name is Gaydore. He's an Irish Cob, "better for walking" the peddler said, than a Welsh Cob, which, as I learned during my lambing trip to Wales last year, are too feisty to pull wagons. I was too embarrassed to ask to take the man's photo, but he had a small barbecue nearby, from which issued fragrant smoke, and a big box of PG Tips perched next to him. He wore a battered hat, and had a scruffy length of beard hanging from his chin.

I swear I am not making this up.

So What's Your Week Like?

I spent the day in London having my head examined (for this research trial I mentioned here). Three MRI scans, a blood test, a battery of psychological and mental and physical acuity tests—I'm exhausted.

And probably in need of therapy, but that's another story. (I thought it was perfectly normal to have "save the world" as a life goal, but apparently that's considered a delusion of grandeur. I also continually set myself up for failure by having unattainable goals. I am trying to think of some wee goals.)

In other news, I'm leaving for Cornwall in the morning. A friend and I planned a last minute trip. We've each visited Cornwall with our families, but missed seeing the Eden Project and Tingagel due to our loved ones' lack of enthusiasm.

That's what happens when you marry a philistine, I told her. You breed half-philistine children, who have no interest in biomes and castle ruins.

All of this is just to say, this week is pretty much shot as far as blogging. I return on Thursday, and have class on Friday, for which I have a paper due eventually.

Reminder to self: Must have smaller goals.

Lucky Ducks

Checking out the water level, and the waterfowl

The other day we visited the pond at the Common, and found it overflowing with water. Quite a difference from last summer. I'm noticing overflowing streams and waterways everywhere, which is to be expected after the rainy winter we've had. We frequently return to the same locations on our hikes, and yesterday I noticed much more water at Chenies than I saw in the fall.

The ducks and other waterfowl seemed pretty happy with their big pond. The dog had to be kept on a lead, since there was a boy and his dad feeding the ducks. "Those sure are lucky ducks," she's thinking.

Political Discord, Such A Lovely Thing

Things to ponder on a Sunday morning:

Kevin Drum summarizes the DOJ "Purgegate" scandal.

The LA Times says the Justice Department "was tugged to the right".

Robert Kuttner, writing in the Boston Globe, calls for impeachment of the AG.

Meanwhile, Bush wants the Dems to stop "wasting taxpayers' time" and move beyond political discord.

In other words, he liked it better when Congress was his whipping boy agreed with him.

Call me confrontational, but I'm just not ready to move beyond political discord. I sort of like the constitution the way it is.

More Dog News

Oh darn! I was so looking forward to going to his concert.

/sarcasm

Could it have had something to do with this? or this? or this or this, which all seem to involve weapons, drugs and airports? No, I suspect it might be this.

(Can you tell I'm on a mission this week to stamp out double negatives?)

Food News for Dogs and Cats

I've been reading the terrible news from America on the pet food recall, my own relief that I don't feed my dog one of the affected brands tempered by the knowledge so many are facing heartache now because their own beloved pet has become sick or died from the food.

If you have a dog or cat affected by Menu Foods' products, Gina and the gang at Pet Connection have a database where they're compiling data on the incidence of animals sick or deceased. So far, over 1,000 dogs and cats have been reported to have died.

As you've probably heard, the contaminated foods contained rat poison, on wheat imported from China. The company, Menu Foods, has continued to manufacture food at the two plants believed to be the location of the contamination. Their press releases seem to be more concerned with their own economic impact than with the terrible fate of so many cats and dogs.

As Gina says, How loyal are you, Consumers?

I for one can say Iams will never pass my dog's lips, especially not after I learned about the cruel practices used in a laboratory they contracted with. While Iams have since stopped using the Sinclair Research Center, other pet food manufacturers have continued to use them. (Sinclair Research Center recently agreed to a $33,000 penalty for animal welfare violations.) Such cruel practices are not needed to assure your pets high quality and safe pet food. (Interestingly, the recalled pet foods caused kidney failures in the pets they were tested on, yet the company sent them out anyway.) Newman's Own and Wysong are two brands that don't test on animals, and contain high quality ingredients you yourself might eat.

And if you care enough about your pet to buy her fashionable pajamas, a party collar, a canopy bed, designer pet bowls, or a jeweled leash, why not spend a little more for her food?

Friday Cow Blogging

Cows in the mud, near Bradenham.

On our hike this week, we were warned in places to keep dogs on leashes, since ewes were "in lamb". But we saw no ewes, nor lambs. The dog was sad, as she is especially fond of sheep droppings. I was sad, too, as I am especially fond of lambs.

These cows will have to do.

Fake Raids and Fake Aid

Via Kevin Drum, I see that the American military has resorted to faking raids in order to inspect the work done with American dollars in Baghdad. Otherwise, the recipients wouldn't want their enterprise associated with the U.S.—they'd become prime targets of the insurgency. Sounds ingenious, no?

What struck me was this bit:

The U.S. is spending tens of millions of dollars to reopen state-run factories that have been shut down since the 2003 invasion and to create new businesses. Military civil-affairs teams throughout the country are helping the Iraqi companies draft business plans and modernize their equipment.

There is, for instance, a school where almost $1 million was spent on renovating classrooms. Another man requested, and received, $300,000 to start up a textile factory.

Meanwhile, people in Louisiana and Mississippi—victims of Katrina's shock and awe campaign—are living in trailers, their businesses shut down, while our federal government spends billions in Iraq.

Don't get me wrong: I don't begrudge the Iraqis their slice of our pie. That's the least we can do. But can't we help our own find permanent homes, and rebuild their businesses so that they have a thriving community again?

The insurgency, after all, begins at home.

Anon, I Am Wroth Out of Wit

I am way behind in reading for my class on Arthurian Literature ("litra-chuh"), though I have made the startling discovery that Malory and Chretien must have been used as medieval sleep aids. Every time I try to read one, I fall asleep. It's like magic! Or more of Merlin's enchantment.

I've also discovered that medieval literature is awfully fond of double negatives, which somehow transcend the positive and return to negativity. This, naturally, makes for some confusion for the modern reader.

I wonder if I can get enough out of that for a passing good paper?

Just A Guy and His Mac

You know that faux-Apple ad that was created anonymously to compare the Clinton campaign with the conformity of “1984”? It turns out I know the person responsible for it. Philip de Vellis is a real ‘root’ of the grassroots. I met him while working on the Dean campaign. He organized California volunteers to come to New Mexico to canvass for us. He and I used to talk Macs—he's a real enthusiast; I should have seen his fingerprints on that ad. He went on to work for the Democratic party in Ohio during the Kerry campaign, and eventually joined an internet technology consulting firm, as did many former volunteers for the Dean campaign.

He says this is the first of "citizen" ads, and I have to agree. The paid consulting firms haven't done such a hot job with political advertisements, especially for our side. If it takes citizens like Phil with his Mac to make inventive adverts, more power to them. Although, as I said last night, I'd prefer all paid media advertisements to be banned under new campaign finance laws.

What really surprises me is the publicity the unveiling of his identity received. It was on the front pages of both CNN's and MSNBC's websites. I guess Phil takes the heat off Anna Nicole Smith.

If you haven't seen the ad, you can view it here. I think it's pretty good. Although, Phil—why no smart quotes?! Option + shift + right bracket.

Barack Obama Chats with Expats

Tonight I participated in a conference call with Senator Barack Obama, along with callers from more than two dozen countries. His campaign put together a call for expats. Not to be cynical, but we are generally a high economic demographic, a prime target for fundraisers. (I speak as a former fundraiser. Pardon the cynicism.)

Of course, expats have similar concerns to Americans living at home. We all have loved ones back in the States, some of whom are facing health crises or who will soon be without health care. We listen to the latest news from Baghdad. Your issues are our issues, believe me.

Anyway, here are a few highlights from the call, as I hurriedly scribbled them:

Senator Obama said that if elected, he'd, number one: Go to the UN and say we're "open for business." Two, join up with the next Kyoto, that is, the next worldwide climate agreement that is currently being hammered out. Three, shut down Gitmo. (That last is especially important: I've mentioned before how, for a while, Gitmo was the lead story every day on every radio news broadcast here. What a shameful image for Americans.)

He was asked a question (from a London-based questioner) about HIV AIDS. He said he'd 1. increase funding for ??? (I didn't catch the phrase—anybody know what he's on about?) 2. Step up education and prevention programs and 3, recognize that AIDS is both a disease and a symptom—of poverty and lack of education and options, particularly for women. (He was praised by a former AIDS worker who posed the question for his decision to have an AIDS test during his trip to Kenya. I agree; it was a bold move and probably effective in convincing many to be tested.)

He also said he'd rethink foreign aid, both its magnitude and direction. "We have to move our approach to foreign aid to the center of our national security plan."

And that was basically it. One questioner wasted a valuable question with a fawning "how's the campaign going" question. Those are the kinds of people who shouldn't be allowed near an unmuted speaker phone.

I'd have asked about health care, and how he intends to supply it to the 45 million Americans who don't have it. I'd also have asked how soon after his inauguration he'd rescind the executive order on stem cell research, and allow federal funds to be used to fund vital research.

I'd also like to know what sort of campaign finance reform he supports. I'd like to see a $200 limit on contributions, and even more severe limits on spending: no television or radio advertising period.

But these conference calls are probably a good use of campaign money. We used them a lot in the Dean campaign. It's a good way to reach voters, exactly where they live.

In other campaign news, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the vegan candidate, was here in London yesterday. I was invited to a reception to meet him at the House of Commons, and would have loved to go, but I had organized a trip to Hampton Court for my club previously. I couldn't very well not go. Darn. I'd have loved to swap recipes.

That's all, from here on the front lines of the 2008 campaign—you'd think, anyway.

Wednesday Food Blogging: Red Onion and Kale Risotto with Roasted Root Vegetables

Those wedges in the back? Delicious turnips.

More and more, it seems my meals are centered on what's in my vegetable box. That's not a bad thing, but you must be flexible. I needed to use up some red onions and kale, and as I mentioned the other day, my cupboards are overflowing with risotto rice.

Thus was Red Onion and Kale Risotto born.

That's one of the things I love about risotto. You can take a basic recipe—olive oil, risotto rice, stock, and wine—and toss whatever you've got in your veg bin into the mix. You feel like a goddess when you present your family with a bowl of steaming, aromatic risotto.

And when you cleverly disguise turnips with a sweet ginger glaze to serve alongside, you are surely a magician.

I happen to like turnips, even when they taste like turnips, but these roasted niblets rose above the turnip genre. Try them this way if you've turned up your nose at turnips in the past.

Next, on to the the kolhrabi and fennel.

Too Bad the Title "Snow Job" Is Such a Cliché

Guess who wrote:

"But precedent is gone, and Mr. Clinton wants to protect conversations about a chubby intern from Hollywood. In so doing, he becomes the first president since Richard Nixon to use executive privilege in a criminal inquiry.

If you guessed Tony Snow, the White House press secretary who is currently trying to excuse the current Oval Office occupant's claim of executive privilege regarding whether or not certain officials can testify under oath to Congress, then you'd be right.

It's a different situation, he argues, and he's absolutely right. One involves a White House intern possibly having sex with the president, the other involves the president screwing the country firing U.S. attorneys who tried to prosecute Republicans/failed to prosecute Democrats.
(via)

PS That "chubby intern" quote makes me want to hit the man with something, like maybe a chubby political adviser.

Define "Honorable"

Did George Bush call Karl Rove, et al, "honorable public servants" in his address yesterday?

The same Karl Rove who didn't hesitate to let journalists know that Valerie Plame Wilson worked for the CIA, despite her covert status?

There must be two Karl Roves working in the White House. Or else the definition of "honourable" has changed, along with the spelling.

Look Ma, No Meat!

So, today is Meatout, when millions of people all over the world (except Germany, where they're ten days late) forgo meat all day long.

Of course, every day is Meatout for me, so my day has pretty much been the same. I did bring my lunch to Hampton Court today, a peanut butter sandwich, and I bought a package of parsnip crisps to go with it. For breakfast I had my usual whole grain cereal and soy milk. For dinner, we'll have whichever of the veggies from my veg box begs the loudest to be eaten. Last night we had some lovely purple sprouting broccoli.

It's half-snowing outside, so maybe some soup.

Post your own meatless meals below in comments, or on your blog.

UPDATE: We ended up with baked potatoes, which begged really loud to be eaten, although they were pleading with their newly-sprouted eyes. (Unlike some people, I don't refrain from eating anything with facial features.) And some lovely purple sprouting broccoli, and a salad with the alfalfa sprouts from my box sprinkled liberally on top.

Pretty boring, for me. But I'm in a funky mood.

No Photographic Record Exists

Insert photo here.

Do you ever get the feeling, the night before, that you're going to forget your camera the next day while you're on a big adventure? And then the next day, you forget your camera, as if preordained?

Well, that just happened to me, otherwise I'd show you photos of my outing today, to Hampton Court Palace. Mostly built by Cardinal Wolsey, then stolen by Henry VIII, it's a fabulous Tudor-Georgian palace, far more palace-like than dowdy Buckingham. But I forgot my camera, so I can't show you all that.

I actually very carefully put my camera in its bag, then put it in the car, and when I got out of the car to get on the coach, I left it in the car. Along with my camera phone.

Preordained, I tell you.

Countdown to Meatout: Dinner

Instead of linking to recipes, I'll share some resources.

I just discovered Vegetarian Times has a searchable recipe index. You can type in an ingredient (more than one) or a title, or a category, i.e. Thanksgiving. I've got the last few year's of magazines—yes, filed in order—but figuring out which issue had the recipe I enjoyed two years ago is impossible. Now if only all my cookbooks were indexed online!

Vegcooking.com is also a fantastic resource. Right now they're offering a free Streamliner from Johnny Rockets. If there's one in your vicinity, you know what to do.

VegWeb is another fun site. Recipes are posted by users, and commenters rate and comment on the recipes. Now there are photos, too, submitted by commenters who've tried the dishes.

The Vegetarian Society, based in the U.K., has a cooking school, Cordon Vert. They've got a great recipe collection online.

There are thousands of vegetarian cookbooks out there, many available at your local library, at used book stores, and in the remainder racks of bookstores. I've collected over a hundred over the years, and I love to sit and read them. I like the ones with pictures.

Healthy Eating is a great mail order site with vegetarian products you may not be able to find at your local supermarket. They also have lots of reasonably priced cookbooks, many I bet you've never heard of before.

Another tip I'll share: I often take non-veg recipes and convert them. There are lots of great veg substitutes available, both in the U.K. and in North America. I've had great luck adapting recipes, plus, it satisfies my creative urges.

Don't forget to go to the Meatout site, where you'll find lots more. If you live in France (or speak French) check out Meatout France. (Lovely French cows!) Or Meatout Germany.

So, what's for dinner?

Confronting Huntington's Disease in the NY Times

There's an article today in the New York Times about a young woman who chose to be tested for Huntington's Disease. She tested positive, which means, unlike with genetic tests for other "bad" genes, which merely show a predisposition for a certain disease, she will definitely have Huntington's. HD affects patients with a triple whammy: physically, emotionally, and cognitively, and on top of that, dead certainty.

Many of the patients shown in the videos that accompanied the article are in the same shape as my mom, who was diagnosed in 1999. The young woman, Katherine Moser, is an occupational therapist who happens to work in a care facility that has an HD unit. Most patients aren't so lucky to be in a unit with carers who understand the disease. Most of my mother's nurses and aides have had no idea what sort of disease she has, much less what the best ways of dealing with it are.

The article says that most at-risk adults choose not to be tested, which I find interesting. In my experience, most people do chose to have the test, especially those considering having children. I know I couldn't imagine living not knowing if this would be the year my symptoms began. Fortunately, knowing I'm negative, I don't have to wonder every time I stutter, or trip, or misspell a word, if it's a symptom.

One day I'll write more about HD, and the horror I felt when I realized, at the age of 37, that I was at risk, and that if I had the disease, my children had a 50/50 chance of having the disease as well. Right now all those feelings are in a deep, dark, cavern somewhere in my subconscious. They come out when I hear about someone like Katherine.

In those early months and years as I first confronted HD, I talked to a lot of people in the Huntington's online community, first with questions of my own, then later in the role of "counselor" myself. (One day I'm going to get a bumper sticker that says "Ask me about my survivor's guilt!")

But this is a good time to mention that next week I'm going to a hospital here, where I'll participate in the Predict HD trial. This is a broad study designed to recognize the onset of Huntington's, and thus shorten treatment trials. They need people who've tested negative to serve as controls, and when I realized I could participate I was relieved to be able to do something, anything, to help scientists understand this disease for which there is currently no cure and no effective treatment.

There are a lot of people like Katherine living with a time bomb in their genetic code, and they need a cure very, very soon.

A Birthday!

Guess who's six today?