70 Year Old Musical Is So Relevant Today

Our Friday discussion group at Ocean Hills does much more than just discuss social and cultural issues.  We learn about music, art and science, too.  One of our residents, Don Kent, did a presentation on the musical South Pacific, the back story, interviews with James Mitchner, and clips from the movie and theatrical production.  He did an outstanding job as he always does, and I came away with new appreciation for the musical.

South Pacific was based on the short stories written by James Mitchner, from his several years on the island during World War 11.  He took copious notes on the people, the culture and place itself, and left the island with a manuscript which would become South Pacific.  Several years later, Rodgers and Hammerstein decided the stories would become a musical, and the musical, South Pacific, was born.  It opened in 1950, and was an immediate hit.

You probably, like me, think of South Pacific, as a love story.  Well it is that, but it is much more.  It's a story about racial prejudice and  cultural differences too.  One song in particular, brings out the racial prejudice of that time and is still relevant today.  "You've got to be Carefully Taught"  is a song that tells us that prejudice is taught from the time you are a young child, things repeated year after year (it's got to be drummed in your dear little ear), so that you can hate all the people your relatives hate.

There are so many wonderful songs in this musical!  Today, if a musical has you humming one tune when you leave the theatre you're happy.  We saw the original opening scene from the movie with Mitzi Gaynor, and it is stunning.  If you have a chance to see the film again, you will be happy you did.

One of my favorite parts of Don's presentation was his playing of a 60 Minutes episode from many years ago with Diane Sawyer interviewing James Mitchner.  Interestingly, the money backers of the original musical wanted to cut the part showing racial prejudice (You've Got To Be Carefully Taught), but Hammerstein refused.  The result was a show that not only had a love story, but showed racial bias in a real way.  I hope you get a chance to see the movie again.

5 Weeks Post Op

I haven't felt like blogging for weeks now,but now I am back and ready to write a little.  My recovery from total knee replacement has been more difficult than I imagined.  My first knee surgery was a partial, which is so much easier.  When I went to see Dr. Bugbee a few days ago he said, "Now you know why I do a partial whenever possible."  Total replacement is so much more invasive, thus recovery is slower.

My biggest issue has been sleep.  I sleep for maybe two hours, then wake with pain or stiffness, and never get back in a deep sleep the rest of the night.  I had to get off the Norco, as it was making me feel fuzzy in the head and tired all the time.  I no longer have that extreme fatigue, but I am just plain tired from lack of sleep.  I have tried to control pain with Aleve and Tylenol, but it's just not doing the job.  I now have a 15 day prescription of Celebrex, an anti-inflammatory, that I 'm hoping will help.

The doctor says I'm healing well, the knee looks good, so why do I still feel so bad?  I need more time, he says, so I will try to be patient.  Everyone's different, and I just have to accept that my body is taking more time to heal than others.  The fact that I have additional stressors in my life probably contributes to slow healing, but I can't do much about that.  I'm just hoping that I will feel stronger soon.  We want to go out to dinner, and I'm not quite up to that yet.  For now, I will stay close to home, go out and do one thing each day (haircut today), nap, and try to get stronger.  As the old saying goes, "This too shall pass."

What Happened On Mt. Everest?

Greed.  In an effort to help the struggling Himalayan country of Nepal, the Nepali government has issued 381 permits for climbing to the peak of Mt. Everest this year.  The cost of each permit is $11,000.  This is far more permits than ever before, and the result has been deadly.  Many climbers were killed in the most recent accent, many others very, very sick.

People who set out to climb Mt. Everest have a variety of reasons for doing so.  It's not on my bucket list, but most do it for the challenge, personal achievement, a chance to be awed.  Unfortunately what many climbers got on this fateful day in May was traffic jams.  Imagine going all the way to the top of the world to encounter Disneyland type lines to get to the top.  Many had to stay additional time at base camp because of the crowds.  This is not what these climbers, who trained for months, expecting the experience of a lifetime, wanted.  There must be regulations on the number of permits issued to prevent this from happening in the future.  After all, there are only a few  good days to make the accent to the top, and 381 permits could never all reach the top safely in the few days available.  Nepal must try to keep climbing  safe (it's not), but at least relatively safe, by limiting the number of permits it issues.  It's easy to get greedy, but at the cost of so many lives, is it worth it?

What Do Dates On Grocery Items Mean?

Our country wastes close to 30% of food purchased, for a variety of reasons.  One reason is consumers buying too much food, that ends up going bad.  Another reason is the dates printed on food items that tell consumers things like, best used by, expires on, and other terms that end up making consumers think the food is no longer edible.  Most of those terms do not mean what people think they mean, so here is a little info on how to determine freshness in food.  Don't throw food out until you know what that date means.  In some cases, it's there for the manufacturer, to rotate shelf food.

Key Terms and Phrases to Know

Open Date uses a calendar date on a food product. The Open Date is not a safety date, instead, this label tells how long to display the product for sale at the store.

Best if Used By (or Before) date is recommended for best flavor or quality. This is not a date to purchase by, nor is it an indication that the product is unsafe after this date.

Use By date is the date recommended to use the product by in order to have the best quality. This date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product. Even after the Use By date, a food should remain safe and wholesome if it has been properly stored and handled. The Use By date is required on infant formula because, over time, formula can separate and clog the bottle’s nipple. Do not use infant formulas or similar medicinal food products such as oral nutritional supplements or meal replacements after its Use By date.

Closed or coded dates are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.

Packaged on, Manufactured on or Prepared on. Packaging dates are closely related to best before dates and are intended to give consumers an idea of how long a product will maintain it’s quality. These dates are used on food products with a shelf life of 90 days or less.

Sell by or Freeze by dates are other voluntary markings used in Canada specifically, and can help the consumer make decisions about purchasing and storing food.

Canned foods are safe indefinitely except when they are exposed to freezing temperature or temperatures above 90° (32.2°C). A general rule is if the cans are not rusted, dented or swollen, they are safe for consumption; however, the following canned items are best used by the dates outlined below.

• Canned tomatoes –  use within 12-18 months of purchase
• Canned fruit –  use within 12-18 months of purchase
• Canned vegetables – use within 2-5 years of purchase
• Canned meat and fish – use within 2-5 years of purchase

Eggs

Purchase eggs before the Sell By or Expiration (EXP) date on the carton and use within 3-4 weeks of purchase. Refrigerate them in the original carton and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door.

Robyn Barefoot, a registered dietitian and expert in reducing food waste, shared these guidelines for meat, fish and poultry:

Meats

Fresh meats such as beef, pork and lamb should be used within 2-4 days and kept refrigerated at 4 °C (40 °F). If it is brought home and placed directly in the freezer, it should be frozen at – 18 °C (0 °F) for up to 8-12 months. Ground meat and fresh seafood are an exception – due to their smaller surface area and increased exposure to oxygen, ground meats and fish such as scallops and shrimp should be kept in the fridge only 1-2 days before consumption and can last in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Fish

Lean and fatty fish (cod, flounder, salmon) should be used within 3-4 days when refrigerated. If freezing fish, lean white fish can be frozen up to 6 months but fatty fish such as salmon and trout only 2 months.

 Poultry

Use poultry within 2-3 days of purchase or freeze for 2-3 months.

Hopefully these guidelines will help you waste less food.  Prisons, for example, buy almost nothing but food with expired dates.  The food is still safe to eat, but possibly not at its peak.  Buy less, and use what you  have before buying more.  If your freezer looks like mine, it has little bags of bread, meat, chicken and leftovers that have been around for months.  I should use it up before buying more, but that's hard to do.  Anyway, I hope these hints will help you waste less food and lower your food bill.

Arts Alive and Lucha Libre:The Perfect Combo

One of my favorite annual events in San Diego is Arts Alive at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park.  It takes place in April every year, and only last a few days.  The participating florists select a painting from the museum to interpret in a floral arrangement.  This year was as spectacular as ever, with roses found in most arrangements.  Katie and I spent Sunday morning at the museum, saw every arrangement, and enjoyed it thoroughly.  All that walking around the museum made us hungry, so by accident, because we couldn't find a parking place near our first choice for lunch, we ended up at Lucha Libre in Mission Hills.

Luche Libre means free fighting, and refers to the type of Mexican profession wrestling that the Rojano Brothers, who founded the restaurant, grew up enjoying.  They thought the name fit the theme of the restaurant, which was to bring vibrant and exciting food to San Diego.  They wanted to offer a unique twist on typical Mexican food.  First, they offer about 7 different sauces, for dipping in tortilla chips or putting on tacos and burritos.  Chipotle, fruit, mayo based sauce, and several typical salsas in varying degrees of hotness.  Perhaps the most interesting taco and quesedilla were the mole ones.  Chicken or beef with cilantro and mole.  Katie enjoyed that one.  The fish taco was great, as was more typical beef and chicken, filled with ingredients like cheese, avocado and salsa.  From the TJ menu, one might like the hot dog wrapped in bacon, topped with katsup, mayo and fajitas.  All the food is delicious.

Luche Libre has several locations in San Diego.  Try it for a twist on typical Mexican food.  What a fun day with Katie, who invited me to join her at Balboa Park.  I enjoyed lunch at a restaurant new to me, and enjoyed the beauty of gorgeous floral arrangements at Arts Alive.

Wartime History Of Santa Anita

Santa Anita Racetrack is have its problems now, with 23 horse having died either during or a race of during training, this race meet.  That's a lot, and it puts a damper on racing.  Santa Anita has a dark wartime history as well, as it was the nation's largest assembly center for Japanese Americans on their way to internment camps.  There's a plaque near the entrance to the racetrack, the sole reminder of this shameful time.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President FDR ordered the evacuation of Japanese Americans to internment camps.  While these relocation camps were being built, evacuees were ordered to stay for a few months at assembly centers.  Santa Anita was one such place.

Beginning in March 1942, about 19,000 Japanese Americans from California lived at Santa Anita, in  hastily constructed barracks or in converted horse stalls.  The entire grounds were used, and it was divided into seven sections, with temporary classrooms, post office, makeshift churches and kitchens.  The racetrack was surrounded by barbed wire.  At night, searchlights swept the streets.  Residents of the "prison" were banned from possessing any literature printed in Japanese.

Many Japanese Americans found work, some in their chosen professions, as doctors, teachers and cooks.  Despite the repressive environment, internees formed theatre groups, knitting classes, a choir and a string quarted.  They had 70 softball teams and several Boy Scout troops.  They started a newspaper, which was published bi weekly.

Hopefully Santa Anita will figure out why so many horses are being injured, and soon.  Then Santa Anita can return to "The great race place,"  that it once was.

The Oreo Cookie

The Oreo cookie was first introduced to the public in 1912, by the National Biscuit Company.  At the time, they sold for 30cents a pound, and came in a round tin with a glass top.  Is anyone old enough to remember that packaging?  Today, the Oreo is an American icon.

While recovering from knee surgery, I was home watching hours of TV.  One Sunday morning on KPBS, I ran across an art show, where the artist being interviewed used the Oreo cookie as her canvas.  She produced some of the most amazing images on top of the cookie, a few of which I have included here.  I thought this was such a unique idea, but when I researched the Oreo as a canvas for art, I found it was commonly used.  Some artists put an image on top of the outside of the cookie, others open the cookie and use the white, creamy filling to draw their design.  It's fascinating what people will think of, and when you think you've seen it all, people find something new.  Apparently Oreos are also used in art projects with small children, so don't be surprised if your grandchildren come home with an art project made from Oreos.

Although there have been many copy cat cookies, the Oreo stands head and shoulders above them all.

Is Congestion Pricing The Way To Go?

It's next to impossible to drive in downtown Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York or Seattle during rush hour.  Most people plan their business and shopping around the "off" hours, if possible.  Well, there really are no off hours anymore, as the number of cars increase.  What's a city to do?  Maybe congestion pricing is the way to go.

Several large cities, including London, Singapore and Stockholm have tried it and apparently like it.  What it means is that your car will be charged an additional fee for driving in the busy zones during rush hour.  London requires permits to travel in the inner city, and it has really relieved the congestion.  New York City has just adopted a plan to charge an additional fee for driving in the congested zone.  Will this work?

No doubt it will relieve some traffic, but probably not as much as proponents would like or expect.  Right now the average speed in an urban downtown area is 15mph, down from 18 mph just three years ago.  In LA and New York, the speed is more like 11 mph.  Unacceptable.  But, is putting a tax on cars in downtown fair and equitable?  Probably not.  The rich can afford to pay the tax, and will willingly do so to reduce gridlock.  The poor, who have had to move out of downtown because of high costs, have moved to the suburbs where rents are cheaper, but will have to pay an additional tax to drive downtown.

We have had toll roads for decades, and they have improved traffic flow on highways tremendously.  The fees paid go to improving roads and bridges.  I'm not sure congestion pricing is equitable for all, but it is necessary.  Mass transportation, like subways and trains are not relieving traffic enough.  A tax on those who use the roads seems reasonable.  If it's successful in New York, other American cities are sure to follow.

Banana Peel Fertilizer

Here's an easy, free way to nourish your plants, any plants.  Make your own banana peel fertilizer.  Here's how it's done.

1.  Cut the peel from an eaten banana into about 12 pieces.

2.  Place cut banana peel in a jar, and cover completely with water.

3.  Let jar sit for three days.

4.  Mix ingredients well, then using  a sieve,  pour liquid into another jar, and discard the banana peel.

5.  Voila!  Your fertilizer is ready to use on any plant, indoor or outdoor.  You will be very happy with the results.

Intensive Parenting Keeps Mom and Dad Busy

Every decade brings on a new trend in parenting.  Since the 1990's, intensive parenting has been what its all about.  What is intensive parenting?  In a nutshell, it's parenting by constantly teaching and monitoring.  It's child centered, expert guided, emotionally absorbing, labor intensive and financially expensive.  It means more time doing hands on child care.  For example, in days gone by, the child would watch TV on his own.  Now, the parent watches TV with the child, for maximum learning.

Using "Parent" as a verb became popular in the 1970's, with the explosion of parenting books.  In the 1980's "helicopter parents" became popularized, and is still used today.  Originally the term was intended to keep children safe from physical harm.  It's meaning has changed somewhat over the years.  Helicopter parenting and intensive parenting are similar.

In the 1970's, many parents saw love and discipline as their primary parenting job.  Their job was not to entertain the child.  Children played their own games, made their own entertainment, had creative freedom in play that doesn't exist much anymore.  Most of a child's free time is programmed:  soccer, baseball, dance, art, computer class, etc.  Things sure have changed.

Today, parents spend more time doing activities with their children.  Parents spend more time reading to children, giving them lessons and helping with homework.  Intensive parenting began as an upper middle class approach to parenting, but is now done by parents across the soci-economic spectrum, whether they can afford it or not.  Is this a better approach to parenting than what was done in the past?  Only time will tell. 

What Is Aquaponics?

How Aquaponics changes the game

• Waist-high aquaponic gardening eliminates weeds, back strain, and small animal access to your garden.
• Aquaponics relies on the recycling of nutrient-rich water continuously. In aquaponics there is no toxic run-off from either hydroponics or aquaculture.
• Aquaponics uses only 1/10th of the water of soil-based gardening, and even less water than hydroponics or recirculating aquaculture.
• No harmful petro chemicals, pesticides or herbicides can be used. It’s a natural eco system!
• Gardening chores are cut down dramatically or eliminated. The aquaponics grower is able to focus on the enjoyable tasks of feeding the fish and tending to and harvesting the plants.
• Aquaponic systems can be put anywhere, use them outside, in a greenhouse, in your basement, or in your living room! By using grow-lighting, and space can become a productive garden.
• Aquaponic systems are scaleable! They can fit most sizes and budgets, from small countertop herb systems, to backyard gardens, to full scale farms, aquaponics can do it all!
• And the best part – You get to harvest both plants and fish from your garden.  Truly raise your entire meal in your backyard

Instead of using dirt or toxic chemical solutions to grow plants, aquaponics uses highly nutritious fish effluent that contains all the required nutrients for optimum plant growth. Instead of discharging water, aquaponics uses the plants, naturally occurring bacteria, and the media in which they grow in to clean and purify the water, after which it is returned to the fish tank. This water can be reused indefinitely and will only need to be topped-off when it is lost through transpiration from the plants and evaporation. There are a few primary methods of aquaponic growing widely in use today:

Deep water culture (DWC) or raft based growing uses a foam raft that is floating in a channel filled with fish effluent water that has been filtered to remove solid wastes. Plants are placed in holes in the raft and the roots dangle freely in the water. This method is most appropriate for growing salad greens and other fast growing, relatively low-nutrient plants. It is also most commonly used in larger commercial-scale systems.

Raft-based Aquaponics

                            Media-based aquaponics
Media growing involves growing plants in inert planting media such as expanded clay pellets or shale.  The media provides both the biological filtration (conversion of ammonia to nitrates) and mechanical filtration (removal of solid wastes) in the same system. Media based systems are great for home and hobby scale systems so you can grow a wide variety of crops. In particular, large fruiting plants do really well in addition to leafy greens, herbs and other varieties.  Examples of media-based systems are the Harmony (pictured), the AquaUrban 60 gallon system, and the AquaBundance system

                                                                                                                                                            The Harmony System (media beds)

                                       Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
NFT systems work by flowing nutrient-rich water through a narrow trough, such as a PVC pipe.  Plants are placed in holes drilled in this pipe, and the roots dangle freely in this stream of water.  This method of growing works very well for plants that need little support, such as strawberries (pictured) and other herbs.  NFT is also a great way to utilize unused space because they can be hung from ceilings above other growing areas.

Vertical Aquaponics

One of the greatest aspects of aquaponics is its ability to grow an incredible amount of food in a very small area.  No method does this better than vertical aquaponics.  Plants are stacked on top of each other in tower systems such as the AquaVertica. Water flows in through the top of the tower, and flows through a wicking material that the plants roots absorb water and nutrients from.  The water then falls into a trough or directly into the fish tank.  This form of agriculture makes the most of each square foot of space, and works very well with leafy greens, strawberries, and other crops that do not require support to grow.

The AquaVertica System



This information is taken from the website the aquaponicsourse.com which explains in simple language how aquaponics works and how it saves water and space in farming.  It's different than hydroponics, as it incorporates fish and waste from fish and microbes into the cycle.  This type of farming can be done in a very small space, and may be fun to try.  There are dozens of utubes that will show you how to do it.

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John Shafer, Expert Winemaker

John Shafer, corporate executive turned farmer, died recently at age 94.  He was born in Glenco, Illinois, and spent the first 20 years of his career as a textbook publisher in Chicago.  Looking for adventure, when he heard of the grape rush in Napa Valley, he bought a large plot of  land in 1973 for $260,000.  He packed up his family and moved west.

John knew little about farming or grapes.  An engineering degree from Cornell did not prepare him for farming.  His first thought was to be an absentee farmer, a gentleman farmer, but that did not work out.  He was intimately involved in every aspect of Shafer Vineyards.  The first wine released under the Shafer label was praised by Wine Spectator.  John had not hired enough workers to pick the grapes when he first went into business, and he thought his wine would be ruined because it remained on the vine to long.  The opposite happened.  He produced a slightly sweet wine that was praised by all.  This wine was the forerunner to Shafer Vineyards' Hillside Select wine.  ($295 per bottle).

In the 1990's he turned over the day to day operations to his son Doug, who has maintained the quality of Shafer Vineyards, and is recognized as one of the best Napa wines, year in and year out.  John turned his time and effort to philanthropy.  He was actively involved in Auction Napa Valley, Clinic Ole, and Napa Valley Vitners Community Health Center.  All these organizations we health and wellness organizations for the men and women involved in the production of wine.

Several years ago, John and Doug hired Elias Fernandez, a Mexican immigrant, as their winemaker, and again, the tradition of excellence has continued.  I admire John's ability to follow his dreams.  He picked up and left a successful corporate job that he didn't like, and took a chance.  What happened was, he created one of the finest quality vineyards in Napa Valley.

How Important Is The College You Attend To Future Success?

Cheating is nothing new.  It's been going on forever.  Today, the schemes are more sophisticated, the money involved, greater as well.  I was in college 55 years ago, and cheating was taking place then.  At that time, students who wanted high  SAT scores would pay a smart person to take the exam.  There were no photo ID's, so all you needed was to find a smart guy or gal and pay him/her to take the test.  You could also find people who would write papers and take written exams for you, a good way to improve GPA.  Things are more sophisticated today.

Today, a shady college counselor will show you the way.  In the process they will make thousands of dollars helping clients who otherwise wouldn't get in.  They will write  essays, fake work and community experience, lie about sports the clients play.  The current scandal involving celebrities and high profile business people does all that and more.  One situation even proclaimed that the student was a pole vaulter, with photo shopped pictures of the student performing vaults.

What are parents who involve their children in such deceit, teaching their kids?  Are they teaching them that regardless of the quality of their grades, their position of wealth and fame will get them into their school of choice?  Are they teaching them that success is not necessarily based on hard work, honesty and good character, but rather who you know?  Yes, they are.

What kind of students will they be when they get into Stanford or Yale, without actually qualifying?  What about the students that worked their tail off, gave up parties and fun, to study, just to be overlooked because their parents didn't have the money to pay someone off?

I always wanted my kids to go to college at a school where they would feel comfortable, could compete and be successful.  Every child is not cut out for Harvard.  Lots of successful students come out of lesser known schools.  The college you graduate from is important in landing your first job.  After that, companies look at your performance on the job.  A top school can only get you so far.  Then you have to make it in the real world.

I always taught my children that honesty, hard work, and good character were most important in life. I fear that parents who cheat for their children are going to create adults that feel that because of power and money they are entitled.  What a shame.  These parents are missing what's really important.