One day a year

I'd like to take a good amount of time to reflect on this, the celebration of my birth, but as usual, I have places to be pretty soon.  So here's the short version.

It's mostly been a whirlwind with almost twenty Ultimate tournaments, a trip to Brazil, more work than ever, coaching, tutoring, making sake, playing with Millie, and everything else that has made up the 33rd year of my life.

I realize that in my dashing about, I've been negligent with my human connections, and I'm grateful for the friends who still will go out for a drink with me even though they haven't seen me for months, my family who still acknowledges me when I don't return emails, Sam who makes me dinner so many times when I'm against a deadline, and Millie who is still excited to see me every time I come home.

Is it too much?  Probably, but I'm looking forward to another crazy year, perhaps with more travels, perhaps with fewer obligations, or perhaps not.  Whatever comes, let it come!

organics

Every February, the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) holds their Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, and every year I've been envious of friends who go and learn amazing things about organics, agriculture, sustainability, and so on. Lucky for me, this year I was able to go to the conference because the People's Food Co-op is a major sponsor.

This conference is the largest organic farming conference in the country, and it was amazing to see 3,000 large-scale and small-scale farmers, people interested in organic food and farming, and supporters of organics all gathering together to learn cool stuff. I learned quite a bit about policy and the government's role in organic certification, sustainable poultry farming, growing mushrooms, the ability of animals to seek out the minerals their body needs, growing hops, and much more.

Here are a few things I found randomly interesting.

- The USDA is supposed to regulate the labeling of organic fish, but it does not yet have a mechanism for doing so. If you see a fish labeled organic, it is most likely not.
- We Care Organics sells sewer sludge labeled as "bio-solid compost" in Home Depot, Lowe's, and other DIY centers. It is definitely not organic.
- Culture (for example, what your mother teaches you) plays an equally large role in what and how grazing animals and humans eat. It's not just genetic that an animal prefers a certain food.
- Hops will die rather than grow counterclockwise around twine. Always wind them clockwise.
- A vine has tendrils it uses to climb, while a bine has microscopic hooks. Hop plants are bines.
- You can grow edible mushrooms on a roll of toilet paper.

queen on the sidewalk

Well, I had been doing a good job of keeping up with this blog after NaBloPoMo stopped, but then I got extra hours at work, it became Christmas present-making season, there was lots of snow, and I rediscovered some books I love. So, the blog was neglected for a bit.

But today I have a little story. I was walking down the street toward the YMCA when three fourth or fifth grade boys cross the street and begin walking on the sidewalk about a block ahead of me. I catch up to them, and one turns to me and says, "Hello." I say, "Hello." He then says casually, "You know where that music is coming from?" I quickly realize he has a phone or an mp3 player or something down his shirt and it is blasting Queen. I smile, say, "It's a mystery, isn't it?" and continue on. Ten seconds later, all three boys are belting out, "We are the Champions, my friends."

Now, this isn't all that exciting. It just made me think. When I was in fourth grade, I'm pretty sure I never talked to people on the street I didn't know. I'm fairly certain I wouldn't look any of them in the eye. "Don't Talk To Strangers" was ingrained in my little brain. But these boys initiated the conversation, chatted casually, and tried to pull a fast one on me. Kids these days...

good source of sugar headache

Whenever I travel to Indiana, my mom sends me home with lots of food (thanks, Mom!). This time, I got a super-sized box of Lucky Charms.

When I was a kid, Lucky Charms was the cereal that we were allowed to buy only rarely. On those occasions when I was fortunate to have it for breakfast, I would meticulously eat all of the non-marshmallow pieces first, leaving the sugary goodness for last. There weren't that many marshmallows, so it was a delight to gather them all together in one last bite.

It's not like that these days, though. I poured out a bowl of Lucky Charms today and I could barely find the non-sugary pieces through the hearts, stars, hourglasses, rainbows, horseshoes, moons, and clovers. The number two ingredient in Lucky Charms after whole grain oats is marshmallows. I took a bite and cringed as dry marshmallow became stuck in all the crevices in my teeth. I wanted to take the marshmallows out so I could enjoy the cereal.

Have I changed so much that I no longer enjoy the sugary cereal of my youth, or has the cereal industry just gone overboard with this one?

on an open fire

It's crazy how the brain works.

We all know the Christmas song glorifying the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire," right? When I saw chestnuts for sale today at the grocery store, I thought, "I have never had roasted chestnuts! I should but some and roast them in my fireplace!" And I did.

As I sat cracking my chestnuts, I realized that somehow I had forgotten two winters in Japan during which time chestnuts were a frequent snack. How did I not remember this? I'm going to surmise on some neurology here, but I think my memories concerning chestnuts were connected not to the word "chestnut," but it's Japanese counterpart, "kuri." Since I first ate chestnuts in Japan, I associated them with the new word I learned to describe them - "kuri." When I think of "chestnuts," my mind finds no related experience.

But perhaps, I have it all wrong. My chestnuts today did not turn out like kuri. Maybe they aren't the same thing at all.

sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and stereotypes

So, there are these commercials on television sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association saying high fructose corn syrup is not bad for you. They have an accompanying website, Sweet Surprise, which provides charts and tables comparing calories, uses, naturalness, etc of high fructose corn syrup to other food sweeteners. It concludes that high fructose corn syrup is all natural, has the same amount of calories as sugar, and has not been proven to cause obesity any more than sugar.

For me, the jury's still out. Studies are still inconclusive about whether the chemical makeup of high fructose corn syrup (55% fructose 45%glucose) versus sugar/sucrose (50% fructose 50% glucose) has any significant effect on our bodies' abilities to process these sweeteners. In examining production methods, both sweeteners require extensive energy-consuming processing and refining, and both are treated with natural chemical compounds to purify them and get them to the state used for food production.

If the above information cannot convince me (or you) of which, if either, of the two main sweeteners are worse for your physical condition, let's consider the following study which thinks it has found one to be better for your mental state. Researchers from Amsterdam University and the University of Florida have concluded that glucose "helps supply the brain with the fuel needed to suppress outspoken opinions." Sugar, of all the natural and artificial sweeteners, has the highest level of glucose. Therefore, according to this study, eating more sugar can repress the "expression of prejudice and the use of stereotypes."

Homemade cookies could be the answer to world peace.

reading

I still have a conference paper to edit, but lately I find myself more and more drawn back into procrastination by pleasure reading. My two current authors are:

1. Mary Roach
I read Stiff a few years ago. It was the hilarious documentation about what happens to bodies after people die. Last year she wrote Spook about the afterlife, but I'm skipping that right now to read Bonk, which is about how science views sex. I'm only past the "Foreplay" but it looks to be a very enjoyable read. I love it when nonfiction is written in an accessible and humorous manner.

2. Jeff Lindsay
I was hooked by the Showtime tv show Dexter, so I went to the source of the story, the books. Last week I read Darkly Dreaming Dexter (and yes, there's just as much alliteration in the book as in the title). I just checked out Dearly Devoted Dexter and Dexter in the Dark, the last two of the trilogy, and I can't wait to start in on them. I'm trying to keep my comparisons to the show minimal, but I can't help it. I'm fairly certain that had I read the books first, I would be completely loyal to them, but the show was so well done that I'm finding myself compromising the differences between the two.

i want a job to fall in my lap

I'm trying to get a job. It's not going so well.

To teach, it seems that I need a PhD.

To be a secretary, I need to document every single hour of time I have ever spent copying, answering phones, and scheduling appointments. I'm beginning to think that those hours sorting files in my mom's office when I was 10 would be an asset on my resume.

To work at any sort of service industry job, I need to work nights and weekends. Ha.

It doesn't help when I run into someone whose job is to run through a very famous museum gallery as a living art exhibit. He gets paid $20/hour plus benefits.

Where is my awesome job?

losing some weight

It's the beginning of the summer and a few days before a major Ultimate tournament, so I did something drastic. And now I can't sleep at night for fear I can never get back what I gave away. Rationally, that is silly, but I am not rational.

on being unhelpful

One of Sam's co-workers is going to Japan in June for a conference. I was asked to give her some good suggestions for what to see and do while there. So I sat down today to make a list of the best places to eat, the best temples to visit, and the best areas to wander around soaking in modern Japan. By the time I was finished, I'd written a book.

Unfortunately, it probably wasn't a very helpful book. The problem with personal recommendations are that tend to be too oriented to the giver of information, rather than the receiver. Try as I might, I could not stop thinking about the great restaurants that I wanted to eat at again, the temples where no other tourists go, and the cheap shopping for students like me. But normally, when someone goes to a country for the first time, these are not the things they are looking for. They want the glamor, the recognizable landmarks to show pictures of to their friends, and the most "authentic" version of the stereotype they have in their mind.

For example, if I were to go to Kyoto tomorrow, I would not visit Kinkakuji, Sanjusangendo, Heian Shrine, or Arashiyama. Why? Because everyone and their mother's brothers are there. Constantly. And seriously, a postcard of the place is gonna give you a better idea of what it looks like, because you won't be able to get a decent shot without six grade school girls flashing the peace sign in the way.

Instead, I'd go wandering down some streets I don't know, pass some old houses, smell the dinners cooking, and perhaps happen upon some little temples and shrines along the way. But I can't really suggest that to people new to Japan. Most obviously, because they'd get incredibly lost.

Oh well. Despite my discrimination toward the tourist traps, I hope I was helpful to Sam's friend, and I hope to helpful again to someone else heading to Japan. I'm just glad I never have to actually write a book about it.

use it up!

Deb and I went to the School of Fine Arts Senior Projects show last night because I had a friend exhibiting her textiles made with human hair. There's nothing like Chinese poetry embroidered on moldy quilts with human hair. It was pretty interesting.

Of the other projects, this one caught my attention. It was a website, video, and free buttons which urged the public not to "reduce, reuse, recycle," but to hurry up and use up all of the natural resources so we can get on with finding other options.

The goal, of course, was not only to make us think of our energy usage, but also how we promote dealing with the issue. What works and what doesn't to motivate people? I took a button, which I fully intend to put on my backpack. Because if you think it's a stupid idea to "use it up," you had better come up with another solution people will actually respond to.

jumping off of cliffs sounds exhilarating

On Saturday evening, I decided that my life has been too boring. I have not experienced

mountain biking
rock climbing
skydiving
base jumping
kayaking

or any of the other incredible outdoors activities featured in the Banff Mountain Film Festival (World Tour version). The people in these films were absolutely amazing. I envied their sense of adventure, the way they pushed their bodies to the limit, and their attitudes toward life. I wanted upper body strength like the rock climbers, coordination like the mountain skiiers, balance like the off-trail unicyclers, and mental fortitude like base jumpers.

The movies were so engaging that my body was reacting to the situations of the athletes on the screen. My palms started sweating as the one rock climber tried over and over again reach that one handhold on the arch. My legs tensed as the mountain biker balanced precariously on slender trees. My heart jumped as the the woman leapt from the top of a very high cliff and sped through the air. Just thinking about it all now gets me excited.

Will I ever manage to do these activities? I hope so, but I doubt it. They cost too much money. But you can be certain I will do my best to live through these athletes and their wonderful adventures again at next year's show.

reasons to run the boston

I ran the Boston Marathon a four years ago as a bandit, someone without an official entry. I finished in just under 5 hours. My friend Anna is running this year for the fourth time. She is amazing!

These clips are what it's like, according to addidas. And they're pretty darn close.



I want to run too!

can i get a yes or no, please?

I do not usually write about politics or controversial subjects on this website because I never feel like I know enough to have an informed opinion. Occasionally, I will direct my readers' attention to an NPR story or a newspaper article that I feel does a good job of expertly saying what I would like to. Today again I will tread softly on an ongoing issue, that of China and Tibet.

The Free Tibet movement has been around for quite some time, but it has really come to the forefront these past couple of weeks as the beginning of the Beijing Olympics draws near. Tibet continues to claim it has the right to be independent and free of human rights violations by the Chinese, and the Chinese continue to claim that Tibet has always been under Chinese control and the Tibetans are promoting violent riots which hurt both Tibetans and Chinese.

I will not overtly pass judgment here, but I would direct you to an NPR piece this morning in which Steve Inskeep interviews the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. Note that Mr. Inskeep asks Mr. Zhou the same question four times, and each time the question is ignored. Does Mr. Zhou, and by association the Chinese government, think that the Tibetans have any legitimate reasons for being upset? It seems that we will never know.

downward spiral

Countdowns to insanity:

16 days until a thesis draft due
31 days until the end of classes
32 days until the Louisville Mini Marathon
37 days until the end of the school year
38 days until I move to Springfield, IL
39 days until the first ulty tourney of the season (St. Louis Classic)
41 days until final grades have to be turned in
42 days before I get a break

edification

For some reason, I have been using this word "edification" quite a bit recently. It pops out of my mouth at surprising, but not entirely inappropriate times. And now I shall use it again. This time, however, shall not be for my edification, but yours.

The situation between Tibet and China is a complicated one, and I do not wish to even try to discuss it. Many with more and less knowledge than I have said enough. I will, however, point you to an article I came across which addresses some well-known "Tibetan" things and Western misperceptions of them. I learned things from it, and I hope you will too.

getting down to business

It's spring break, and I'm visiting Sam in Springfield. One of the many things on our list to do is find an apartment or house to rent for when I move here in the summer. In addition to searching through the newspaper, we drove around the good neighborhoods for a couple of hours, looking for "For Rent" signs. They were few and far between. If we were looking to buy a place, though, it would be a lot easier. Everything is "For Sale."

After the frustration of wandering around, we went to a friend's friend's house for a party. And what do they have in their backyard? A carriage house with a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment on top. They've already offered it to a relative, but if he doesn't take it, it's ours. Sometimes, it's just a lot easier to get lucky.

namdaemun national treasure

BBC In Pictures has a photo up today of the burned down Namdaemun Gate in Seoul. It was the number one national treasure, and some old guy set in on fire this week because he was angry at the government over a land dispute. Apparently, he had tried to attack various other national treasures, such as the old palace, but failed because of security. Unfortunately for the Korean people, this time he succeeded.

When I was in Seoul, I went to see this gate, and it was pretty impressive - most things that are 600 years old are. I envy countries whose history goes back so far and who have managed to keep it somewhat preserved. Sadly, the Namdaemun Gate will probably never again look like it did when I saw it that night in March two years ago.

a mighty vessel

People always make fun of box wine. It's cheap, it's indistinct, and it's often to be found at undergraduate parties. But lately the quality of such wine has increased dramatically, leaving me to wonder, what will take the place of boxed wine in the world of cheap alcohol?

Tonight, I might have found the answer. Jug wine.

There's something primordial about buying a 4 liter jug of red wine, like it's straight out of some medieval friar's cellar. Of course, my jug is glass, not ceramic, but nonetheless, it takes strength and courage to pour from such a vessel. Unfortunately, the excitement ends at the pouring. One sip leaves me wondering what I am going to do with 4 liters of crappy wine.

Maybe I'll invite some undergrads over.

a documentary i'd like to see

I think I read a review of this film, and the answer was "yes."

But I do wonder why.