NaBloPoMo

Balloon Boy and other self-inflicted “emergencies”

October 16, 2009 by kathi

I was not going to bother to write about Balloon Boy because everyone else already has.

But there is something that truly bothers me about this, and all fabricated (yes, I said fabricated, as in made-up crap) and self-inflicted “emergencies.” Why should we-the-taxpayers have to bear any of the sometimes considerable costs of deploying law enforcement, search and rescue, and emergency medical teams on this type of wild goose chase?

I understand that the cavalry has to be called out, and that these incidents have to be treated as actual emergencies until proven otherwise. I believe that once they are proven to be garbage, that the instigators need to pay for the services they abused. Not us.

Also. What happens if a rescuer is injured or killed in the process of “rescuing” one of these faker jagoffs? Obviously, as the spouse of someone employed in emergency services, my mind goes straight to that awful possibility. My husband, and everyone who signs on for that type of career, whether paid or volunteer, is well aware of the risks. But if a rescuer and their family has to pay the ultimate price on behalf of a faker jagoff, how can anything ever make up for that?

(NaBloPoMo | October ’09: 16 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 238 of 274)

What do you mean, Stop and Down?

October 15, 2009 by kathi

You might remember that we started out training for rally obedience with Freya doing the AKC novice exercises. We switched over to UKC in late spring since there were going to be UKC trials during the summer and fall. When Axel’s conformation handler offered to do his Rally Novice title as well, I started running Axel through the practice courses I’d set up for Freya.

Before Freya’s trial, I posted about the exercises in UKC Rally Obedience 1 that are not used in AKC Rally Novice. Because I am so smart and organized, I neglected to check on the AKC Rally Novice exercises that Axel hasn’t learned or practiced from Freya’s UKC courses. Much to my horror, there are five of them. FIVE.

Okay, breathe. Breathe!

Halt, 1-2 and 3 Steps Forward: This one shouldn’t be a problem since we’ve done it in general heeling practice since beginner classes.

Call Front, 1-2 and 3 Steps Backward: This one we will need to work on for the first time. Yikes!

Stop and Down: Dog downs as I stop? So it’s not a down, it’s not quite a moving down… again, yikes!

Halt, Fast Forward from Sit: Should not be a problem since Axel likes to move fast. Unless of course he moves too fast!

Left About Turn: As in a Schutzhund-style about turn. Since I constantly labor under the delusion that one day I will go back to training in Schutzhund, all my dogs have learned this early on. Whew!

Okay, maybe this isn’t the major crisis I thought it was after all! Now if it would just stop raining…

(NaBloPoMo | October ’09: 15 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 237 of 274)

Training in our spare time

October 14, 2009 by kathi

As Axel’s departure date gets closer and the days get shorter, I don’t always have the chance to set up our practice rally courses in the yard, especially when the weather does not cooperate. So I am just trying to fit in little bits of practice wherever I can throughout our normal day.

Here’s the back sidewalk between the house and the garage:

Not very long as the entire lot from street to alley is only 125 feet long, but a few trips back and forth after each potty break time will allow us to practice heeling at all paces, 1-2-3 steps forward and backwards, all three types of about turns, and 360° turns.

The kitchen is small even after chasing the cat into the living room or dining room:

Small as it is, there is still ample room to practice all varieties and combinations of sits, downs, and finishes. Since the dogs are fed in the kitchen, it is a location where they are even more motivated than usual to do what I ask them to.

It all adds up, right?

(NaBloPoMo | October ’09: 14 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 236 of 274)

The Sun-Times, the typographers union, and me

October 13, 2009 by kathi

I am one of four owners of a small prepress production company. I started out in graphic arts and prepress production as a typographer shortly after I dropped out of journalism school in the late ’70s. I’ve always lived in a city with at least two daily newspapers. Even my high school newspaper was a daily during my years there (one of only five in the country then, and I’m not sure when it became a weekly). So obviously, the news that an impending buyout/rescue of the Sun-Times Media Group is being stalled by six members of the Chicago Typographical Union Local #16 is of great interest to me.

I was never a member of the typographers union. When I joined that sector of the workforce, hot metal type was well on its way out. My only exposure to hot type and hand-set type was in school. All of my work experience was with computerized cold type. There was a fair amount of resentment about the change itself, some of which was also directed towards those who were not around during the days of hot metal. People like me, who were young, female, or worse, both.

I am not really anti-union. My family members have been part of the construction trades union, teachers union, and firefighters union, and I can think of a lot more positives than negatives that came out of their union memberships. I respect what the typographers union did to gain better working conditions for its members in its early years, the longevity of the union, and its strength through most of its lifetime. It was just not a good fit for me in 1979.

Honestly I was surprised to see that there were as many as six union typographers still employed at the Sun-Times. I had assumed that all production had long since passed into the hands of editorial, advertising, and graphic design departments armed with their trusty Macs. I am amazed to recall that the union was once powerful enough, and it was, to demand lifetime job guarantees for its members. While I do understand some of the hateful comments being directed at the holdouts, I also have to ask: isn’t a union supposed to protect its members and help them keep what they fought for? And maybe this shouldn’t make a difference, but the annual salaries of $45,000 they are fighting to keep is regular-people money. Not financial institution bailout money, not automaker bailout money, but regular-people money measured in thousands not billions. Maybe less than you… or I… make.

(NaBloPoMo | October ’09: 13 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 235 of 274)

Ghosts of cookbooks past

October 12, 2009 by kathi

I recently received two new cookbooks as a gift from their co-author. I had to stop and think how long it had been since I’d bought or requested a new cookbook. More about those two books in an upcoming post; there are some very tasty-sounding recipes that I am definitely going to try.

You know that I often go back to my ’70s vintage Hongwanji cookbooks for tastes from my growing-up years in Hawaii. I am not much of a cook, and the thought of cooking anything from The Art of French Cooking, let alone working through the whole book, would fill me with fear. But I was talking with someone about that whole Julie and Julia thing, and mentioned the French cookbooks that not only didn’t scare me off, but that I’ve actually used again and again over the years. The stained pages, handwritten notes and covers starting to tear a little all attest to that.

Those would be Pierre Franey’s The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet and New York Times More 60 Minute Gourmet. Check out the oh-so-’70s typography and layout on the original paperback cover! I guess we are much more impatient these days, and we must now have our “30-Minute Meals.” But an hour for dinner prep seemed pretty reasonable back then. The recipes are quite heavy on cream and butter by 21st century standards, but you can either substitute or remember that no one lives forever, and who wants to live without real butter anyway. The recipes are easy enough for just about anyone to make, and mostly within those 60 minutes as well. And they are so tasty.

I think it’s time to drag those out again. I am getting hungry just thinking of the steak with peppercorns from one of these books!

(NaBloPoMo | October ’09: 12 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 234 of 274)