Join Me For Linner or Dunch

I was having my nails done the other day, and the TV in the nail salon was tuned to some silly talk show I had never seen before.  The panel was talking about linner (meal served between lunch and dinner)or dunch (another word for linner, meaning, meal served between lunch and dinner), typically around 3-5pm.  What a great marketing tool by the restaurants.  Three o'clock is a dead time in a restaurant.  Lunch service is over, and there's a little quiet time before the dinner rush.  Not anymore.

Many are saying that linner may become the new brunch.  It really appeals to me.  I'm up early, having an early breakfast, usually an early lunch. and between 3-4pm I'm ready for dinner.  It's probably much better to eat a large meal in the late afternoon, anyway.  Working people, especially those with young families, could have a big meal right after the work day, then go home and enjoy the family.  It sounds like a great idea to me.  The only problem I see is that it might interfere with Happy Hour, a mainstay in American dining, that typically runs from 4-6pm.

So now we have the following dining choices:  Continental breakfast for those that just want coffee and toast in the early morning, breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner or dunch, happy hour, early bird dinner, regular dinner and late night dinner.  So many choices.  What will you choose?  Breakfast, lunch and dinner, or breakfast, lunch and linner?

How Hard Do College Professors Work?

I was recently in our clubhouse, waiting for a movie to start, and overheard a conversation that several people were involved in.  One of the men, a very opinionated one, felt that college professors were overpaid.  After all, he said, "They have TA's to teach their classes and they only work a few hours a week."  I had to go home and see if this was true, and of course, it's not.

College professors put in long hours, especially if they are seeking tenure and work in a research oriented top tier university.  If they are teaching, say, accounting, to freshmen and sophomores  and that's all they're doing, well, they probably don't work more than a 30 hour week.  Other professors, in any field, that are working towards tenure, could put in more than 50 hours a week.  Why?  First, all professors have office hours, and must be present during those hours.  TA's are not a substitute for a full professor.  The professor must plan lectures, and in a changing field, may have to plan all the time.  TA's will teach sections, but the professor does the lecturing.  The professor is also responsible for writing.  He or she must publish papers in the field of study on a regular basis.  Professors are also involved in committee meetings and community service.  They need to attend conferences, and they need to be involved in research.  Yes, they may have TA's to grade papers, which sometimes takes many hours, but they need to supervise grad and PHD students, which could take a lot of time.

Depending on the institution, college professors are not highly paid.  They are, however, doing what they love, helping students, contributing to research in their field, and getting respect for their work.  I feel like telling the loud mouth who was spouting off about the "free ride" that college professors have, to get his facts before he makes such statements.  Professors are helping to create the next generation of great Americans who will contribute to our society in a positive way.

Deliman: A Nostalgic Look At The Past

If you live in the San Diego area like I do, you're always looking for a good Jewish deli, and longing for your favorite deli from your hometown.  When I was growing up in L.A., it was either Junior's (our local Westwood deli, now gone), or Nate n' Al's in Beverly Hills.  Both offered mature women waitresses who would schmooze with you, and probably knew you by name.  They made the deli experience something you wanted to enjoy again and again.  The food, of course, was fantastic.  Great rye bread, delicious sliced meats like pastrami, salami and corned beef, well done pickles, and all kinds of fish salads to die for, were the mainstays of the Jewish deli.

The Jewish deli has its roots in New York.  In the 1840's, German Jews who settled on the lower east side of New York, opened delis.  Later, around the 1880's, Russian, Latvian and Polish Jews arrived, and introduced their own brand of the deli.  In the movie Deliman, the early years of of New York Delis was beautifully portrayed, using black and white pictures from that time.  By 1931, there were thousands of delis in America, but currently there are only 150 Jewish delis in operation.  Part of this is because of the high cost of meat, the primary food source of delis.  In the early part of the 20th century, Hebrew National would give credit to many entrepreneurs, to help them get their deli started.  At one time there was a deli on every corner of the lower east side.

One thing I noticed in the movie Deliman, was that all the owners (now second or third generation families) were passionate about what they did.  They loved the food, the customers, and their employees.  They treated everyone like family.  Every major city still has  a deli, and in New York, more delis have survived than anywhere else.  Stage Deli, Carnegie, Wolfies, Rialto, Katz's and Lindy's are just some of the many delis that made New York THE place for deli food.

The movie Deliman gave the viewer  a look at the history of the American deli, and made me hungry for a good deli in San Diego.  Anyone want to open a restaurant?

Have You Tried Goat Yoga?

When I first heard about goat yoga, I scratched my head and wondered, "What will they think of next?"  When I saw the video, I thought it looked very cool.  After all, I love yoga, and I love goats.  That's a perfect combination.  I do not yet know anyone who has actually taken a class.  I gave my daughter-in-law, Deborah a gift certificate for a class for her birthday, but I haven't yet heard how she liked it.  I don't think you can go to the class expecting an intense yoga experience.  I think it's more about the goats.  They climb on you, nuzzle you, and stretch out with you at the end of the class.

The goat yoga craze is sweeping the nation.  At any place with a small farm, you might find goat yoga today.  In fact, there was a team on the new Amazing Race that taught goat yoga.  I think the owners have found it's a good way to market their farm products, either milk, lotion, or soap.  Whatever the reason for its' popularity, it's something new that people want to try, at least once.  We're all looking for new experiences.  Attending a goat yoga class is definitely something unique.

Want To Go Glamping?

You may not have heard of glamping before now, but it's all the rage in travel.  Think of nature meeting modern luxury.  Experience the untamed wild and completely unique parts of the world without sacrificing creature comforts.  In fact, some of these glamping locations are so luxurious you won't believe it.  Glamping vacations can run from $150 per night to $2000 per night for acomodations.  For those of you who have experienced luxury tent hotels in Africa, glamping is similar, but often more luxurious.

Glamping may take place in a luxurious designed Airstream trailer, or a tent, or a tree house, cabin, or lean to.  The key to all of these is luxury.  Most locations are outside the city.  You may find glamping sites set up throughout the world:  Montana, Sonoma, Los Angeles, Big Sur, Florida, Texas, and on just about any continent on the planet.  Next time you or your children or grandchildren are looking for a unique experience, have them look into a glamping vacation.  You'll be surprised at how elaborate a tent can be! 

Are All Olympic Competitors Athletes?

I was listening to a sports talk station in the car the other day (Ron's choice of station, not mine)  and was shocked to hear that the program moderator did not  consider Shaun White an athlete.  He called him an acrobat, and he would include ice skaters in the same category. I went to the dictionary to look up the definition of "athlete."   An athlete, according to Webster, is "a person trained in exercise, sports or games requiring physical strength, agility or stamina."  How could Shaun White not be considered an athlete?  From the call in listeners, they seemed split on whether snowboarding tricks or ice skating tricks were athletic!  My personal opinion is that the jumps and spins done by snowboarders and skaters are more athletic than  just about any other sport.  They take tremendous strength, timing, stamina and agility.  Many call in listeners were comparing the agility sports to basketball, and LeBron James.  Yes, LeBron is an incredible athlete, strong, great stamina and great agility.  He probably would have been good at any sport he chose.  I think Shaun White might also have been great at whatever sport he had chosen.

The radio moderator kept saying that Federer was one of the greatest athletes because he was good at tennis and soccer.  Had Shaun White chosen soccer or golf or tennis, he probably would have excelled at any of those, too.  Becoming a great athlete is much more than natural ability.  It is determination, hard work and a strong work ethic.  No one makes it to the Olympics without these traits.

Actually, if you think about it, it's much more likely that after 6 months of training that Shaun White would be better at tennis than Federer would be at flips and twists on the skateboard after the same amount of training.  The jumpers and spinners in all sports show so much body control it's hard to see how anyone could not call them athletes  Enjoy the rest of the Olympics.

 

Try Panca For Great Peruvian Food

In a strip mall on Coast Highway in Oceanside, right next to a laundromat, is a real restaurant find.  It's Panca, a moderately priced Peruvian restaurant you will want to return to, again and again.

I took my lunch bunch group there for a real lunch time feast, for the grand total of $14 per person.  We had appetizers, two main courses, a sandwich and two desserts. The first thing you need to know about Peruvian food is that it is not spicy.  It is flavorful, but not spicy.  I have included pictures of most of our dishes in this blog, so you can get an idea of the size of the portions.  Everything is big.  Panca is well known for their rotisserie chicken, but we did not order that.  Instead, we had the following: We began with scallops wonton, a crispy wonton topped with a scallop, sauce, lettuce and mango.  Next, we ordered two traditional entree, lomo saltado, thin sliced beef cooked with soy, vegetables, and tossed with french fries and aji de gallina, chicken pieces in a creamy sauce made from parmesean and cream, served with peppers and poured over potatoes.  I love this dish.  We also ordered a chicharron sandwich, slow cooked pork, salsa, sweet potato slices and creamy mayo on a cibatta roll.  For dessert we had alfajar, a traditional Peruvian dessert.  It is two shortbread cookies filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Last but not least, we ordered chocolate mousse.

Peruvian food seems to be IN right now.  We have Q'ero in Encinitas and Casa de Q'ero in Cardiff.  We also have Sammy Ladeki's new restaurant in Liberty Station, and soon another Sammy Ladeki Peruvian restaurant in Carlsbad.  Sammy's has closed there, and will reopen as a Peruvian restaurant.

Panca is casual, small, no reservations, and little ambience.  However, the food is delicious, and there's so much variety.  When you're along the coast in Oceanside, try Panca.  For those of you who remember where the original Beach Break Cafe was, that's where you will find Panca.

Starting Chemotherapy

Ron's latest health challenge is bladder cancer.  In early January he had the tumor (or as much as they could see) removed.  Last week he started 8 weeks of radiation and 7 weeks of chemo to get rid of the tiny particles not visible to the naked eye.

The anticipation and anxiety of what to expect is in Ron's case worse than the actual treatment.  Everyone has advice and stories to tell you.  The truth of the matter is, every case is different.  Not only is the chemo drug and dosage different for everyone, but everyone's reaction is different.  Ron's nurse, Judy, went through the litany of things to expect from chemo.  Fever, fatigue and nausea were just some of the possible side effects.  Luckily, so far none of these have occurred.

Radiation takes place every morning, 5 days a week, for the next 8 weeks.  Luckily the treatment center is nearby, so we're usually home from that by 9:15 and have the rest of the day to live a normal life.  We've been told that the effects of radiation are cumulative, and that fatigue and other side effects will set in as Ron gets further into treatment.  For now, with both radiation and chemo,  we are taking it one day at a time.  It's the best way to live and the best way to fight disease.  Ron is a fighter.  With his positive attitude and support of friends and family, he'll get through this. 

The Benefits Of Turmeric

Who knew that a spice used in curry, could help reduce inflammation, fight cancer, and impact neurodegenerative diseases?  I didn't until Vivian told me she was taking turmeric to reduce inflammation.  The day after she told me that, another friend of mine told me she sprinkled turmeric on her food or added it to smoothies every day to fight arthritis, which had crippled her and made her unable to play the harp.  With the help of turmeric, she is again playing the harp!

My dog park friend Alan, an ob/gyn for 40+ years in Northern California, has now retired, and has taken his interest in medicine in a different direction.  He reads and researches supplements and herbs, and is my "go to" resource on natural or alternative approaches to solving our medical conditions.  The active component of the spice turmeric is curcumin.  It has a long history in Chinese and Indian medicine.  Modern science has discovered that this ancient compound can drastically impact neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.  Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis can also be reduced with the use of turmeric.

1,000 mg of turmeric per day is the recommended dosage.  That's two pills per day, or 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric added to your food.  I just started taking the pills 8 weeks ago.  I have not taken any pain reliever in weeks, and I can honestly say I am pain free.

There is a simple blood test that doctors can order, along with your regular blood panel, but usually  don't.  It's called CRP, which stands for C-reactive protein.  It measures the amount of inflammation in your body.  We know inflammation is bad, so why not find out your CRP?  I just called my doctor and told him to order this test along with my regular blood work.  He said, "Ok."

As with any supplement or herbal product, talk to your doctor before taking it.  It is not to be taken by people on blood thinners, for example.  I'm excited about the possibility of getting some relief from my aches and pains, bad shoulder, and overall osteoarthritis, from turmeric.  I'll keep you posted.

Since I originally wrote this article, I have gotten the results of my CRP.  I found out that my doctor DID order this as part of my blood panel last year.  At that time, it was 6.3.  Now it is.3.  Even the 6.3 was below normal, but now I'm really low.  I can only attribute it to the tumeric, as nothing else has changed.

If You Think Education is Costly, Try Ignorance

The cost of education is skyrocketing, and most college bound students will incur substantial debt.  Is it worth it?  YES,YES,YES!  Other than good health, there is nothing more important for a person than education, both for the individual and the country as a whole.  Statistics show this to be the case, and I'll just give a few examples.

Countries do well because of one of two reasons.  One, the country has great natural wealth, like Saudi Arabia, that allows the country to prosper.  Two, the country does not have great natural resources, but educates its people, to create a prosperous economy.  Japan, Taiwan, and now China (which is developing a good education system) are examples of this.  The United States is lucky to have both natural resources and an educated population.  But our education system is slipping, our workforce is not the best educated anymore, and some people think that's ok.  Some don't want government to pay, or help pay, for education.  Oh, they want people to be educated, but they don't want it to come at their expense.

We all benefit from an educated population.  6% of college graduates live in poverty, while, 22% of people who only finished high school, live in poverty.  This means that many more uneducated people are going to require public services.  Also, non college grads earn 62% of what college grads earn.  Over their lifetime, the non college grad will more likely need government assistance.

Finally, knowledge is power.  An educated society can make educated decisions.  In the long run, education pays off big time for everyone.  We have to invest in our children from the time they are toddlers, and make America's education system great again.  Some people don't want to invest in education because they either don't have children or their children are grown and they won't benefit from investing in education.  That is foolish thinking.  We all benefit from education our children.  Society benefits.  New York has made a bold step in offering free college tuition to residents.  (I don't know the details).  Hopefully, other states will follow suit.  If the federal government doesn't act, progressive states will have to take the lead.  Come on, California!

Ingvar Kamprad, Billionaire and Innovator

Ingvar Kamprad, Ikea's founder, died recently at 91 years of age.  He was an entrepreneur almost from the time he could walk and talk.  At age 5 he was selling tchotkies to the neighbors, then selling pencils and seeds from his bicycle in his home town.  He founded Ikea at age 18!  His net worth of $58.7 billion made him the world's eighth richest person.  He revolutionized the furniture industry by introducing flat packing, where furniture was packed in flat boxes and put together at home by the customer.

Kamprad was a frugal billionaire.  He was know for driving an old Volvo, recycling tea bags, and taking home little packets of salt and pepper from restaurant.  He always traveled economy class.  Ikea's corporate culture mirrored Kamprad's frugality.  Executives at Ikea traveled economy class and stayed in budget hotels.  His executives followed Kamprad's principle that "wasting resources is a mortal sin."

He worked, although not at Ikea, up until the very end, staying true to his motto that most things remain to be done.

Attica: What's Going On Behind Prison Walls?

It took Heather Ann Thompson 13 years to uncover the real story of what had been going on at Attica Correctional.  Her book, Blood in the Water, offered the first comprehensive account of the Attica Prison uprising in 1971.  The protest, in which 1,300 prisoners took over the facility, was a cultural and political touchstone of the 1970's, but much of the story was covered up.  Attica is a public institution, but records are not easily accessible.  State official try hard to protect the institution, by not allowing the public to know what's going.  Thanks to investigative reporters like Heather, the truth is being revealed.

It turns out that a physician, Michael W. Brandriss, was looking for subjects for his study on leprosy.  He was able to obtain volunteers from Attica, by offering them a little extra money to spend at the commissary, and they signed up for the study, not knowing exactly what the test was for and how it could affect them.  Should they have been subjects for Dr. Brandriss' study?  No jury had sentenced them to being a guinea pig in any experiment relating to a disease as painful and disfiguring as leprosy.

What about the hundreds of corrections officers and civilian employees working at the prison who were exposed to the virus?  Prolonged close contact to people infected with the virus could cause one to get the virus.

This is not the first time prisons have conducted secret medical experiments on inmates, or the last.  Prisons, all 6,215 penal institutions, should open their records, so that the many horrors that have taken place, and continue to take place in prisons, will be exposed.  Sadly, it's unlikely that that will occur.  We will have to rely on good investigative reporters like Heather to expose the ugly truth.

The Belching Beaver In Vista: A Great Place To Hang Out

The Belching Beaver in Vista opened about a year ago, and I finally paid them a visit.  My friend Murmy ate there the other night, and loved it.  Ron and I enjoyed it too.  It's nice to have a local brewery/restaurant that feels comfortable, friendly and a place one wants to return to again and again.

I confess I'm not a beer drinking, so all I can do is appreciate the stainless steel vats filled with liquid amber.  The smell is intoxicating upon entrance, and from what I could tell, everyone loved the beer.  They have many tasting items on the menu:  3-5 tastes of various beers.  We took a quick walk around the interior and exterior of the building before settling into a comfortable booth for a delicious dinner.

The outdoor patio reminded me of someone's backyard or a park.  Beautiful comfortable chairs arranged around fire pits, large tables for groups, and high top tables were all there.  There were also lots of people just standing around, drinking and socializing.  I noticed an area for a band, so perhaps they have, or will have, music on the weekends.

We had The Belching Beaver's play on a ....salad.  Butter lettuce, almonds, tomatoes, fresh blue cheese, in a delicious balsamic dressing, made this salad a winner.  Ron ordered the burger and fries.  The burger was good, the fries were great.  I had an individual meatloaf, stuffed with spinach and cheese, topped with barbeque sauce.  Smashed potatoes and grilled zucchini completed the $15 meal.  It was all too much for us to finish, so we took much of it home.  Other items on the menu included a poke bowl, grilled salmon dinner, short rib sandwich, slider sandwiches, several salads, and beef ribs.  Atmosphere  is the best part of the restaurant, the back patio being very special.  The interior is nicely furnished, and tables are spread far enough apart that you don't think you're having dinner with your neighbor.

The Belching Beaver is clearly a positive addition to Vista.  It's right across from The Yellow Deli and a block away from The Flying Pig.  It seems Vista is attracting more upscale restaurants, gastropubs and breweries.