Is 2018 The Year Of Women?

2017 was a breakout year for women.  After playing second fiddle to men in corporate America, government and Hollywood, women are speaking out and changes are being made.  We all thought that 2017 would be the year that the first woman would be elected, but that was not to be.  Republicans took the White House, and immediately tried to defund Planned Parenthood, undermine women's legal and reproductive rights, and slash essential health benefits.

Women in Congress refused to be silenced.  Elizabeth Warren, Maxine Waters, and Kamela Harris were just some of the women who spoke up.  Men tried to silence them, cutting off their talking time, but the world noticed what was happening.  The year began with a huge march in Washington, and others in dozens of cities around the country, to support men and women of all races and creeds and sexual preference.  Since that march, groups such as Indivisible have popped up all over and are fighting to make a difference.

Perhaps the most important event of 2017 was the uncovering of the dozens of congressional members, Hollywood stars and mogels and television personalities who have engaged in sexual harassment.  Bill O'Reilly, Matt Lauer, Harvey Weinstein and  Al Franken are just a few that come to mind.  Others, such as Donald Trump, have be accused by dozens of women, but have denied any such behavior.  All of this has led to the #Me Too movement.  Women are realizing that it is time for them to speak up, not be afraid.  Men are realizing that women are to be taken seriously, and must change the disgraceful behavior that society has allowed to go on for too long.  It's hard to imagine, but for years, our taxpayer money, has been used by congress to pay off women to keep them quiet, who had been sexually abused.  That is a disgrace!

Time Magazine named the Silence Breakers person of the year.  All those women who came forward, some after keeping silent for decades like the accusers of Roy Moore, to tell their story, were finally recognized.  Now women are stepping forward to run for office.  Women feel empowered.

I say this is the year of women because come November,  hopefully you will see new faces in state and local government, as well as national government.  Over 2,500 women have signed up to run for  office throughout this nation.  Many will be elected.  No longer will congress be a place for old white men to keep the status quo and protect their power.  Look at the picture of the House of Representatives now, and then look at it after the next election.  You will see a more diverse picture, more of a true picture of our nation:  black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, women, men, gay, lesbian and transgender, will all likely have a place at the table.  How refreshing it will be to have a diverse group of politicians who truly reflect our country.  I can't wait to see this happen.

Check Out The Goods At The Goods

Finally, an artisan donut shop in Carlsbad.  The Goods, on State Street in old Carlsbad, sells nothing but donuts.  It's the brainchild of the Barille family, whose success with Cafe Topes in Carlsbad, gave them the impetus to expand.  Cafe Topes is breakfast, brunch and lunch, and is known, among other things, for their cinnamon rolls.  Well, their cinnamon rolls are available at The Goods as well, but you better get there early or they'll all be gone.

The bakery bakes in small batches throughout the day, so what you buy is always super fresh.  I popped in around 12:30pm one afternoon, and much of what I wanted was already sold out.  They make big, donuts, a little bigger than standard ones, but they also make mini donuts, about the size of the Hostess donuts you can buy in a bag.  I wanted the minis, as I thought it would be fun to try several flavors.  I got a chocolate ganache (raised), salty carmel (raised), nutella filled with sugar on top, and s'mores, a donut filled with marshmellow creme and topped with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate.  The Goods also makes several vegan and gluten free donuts that looked good, but I can't vouch for their taste.

Prices are high.  Most big donuts are $3.00-$3.50, but they are delicious.  I love to support independent businesses, and this family run shop is one I will try again.  Good food, freshly made all day, and pleasant, helpful service.  You must try The Goods when you're in old Carlsbad, and look for them to stay open for business on weekend evenings. 

Wasabi: Good Sushi Near Home

It's so important to find some good restaurants near home.  I've been looking for three years, since I moved to Ocean Hills.  There are a few restaurants I like, but nothing that I really love.  As far as sushi, one of my favorite meals, I had not found anything I liked until today.  I stopped in at a small shopping center on Melrose, and ate at Wasabi, a sushi and Japanese restaurant just minutes from my home.  Finally, a place I will go back to!

Prices are great.  For $12.95 I had the following combo:  miso soup, garden salad, 1 specialty roll (I had a spider roll) and one traditional roll(I had a rainbow roll).  I was stuffed after all that.  Everything was fresh and delicious.  Wasabi has all the typical sushi items, including many specialty rolls of their own.  They also have rice bowls and lots of tempura dishes.  That means that I can even take Ron there for dinner.  Ron doesn't eat sushi, so unless the restaurant has a good selection of tempura, he's not interested.

I'm sorry I won't be going back to my old favorite in Carlsbad, Kushi (Avenida Encinitas and Poinsettia), but Wasabi is so close and so good.  It's great to find good places in the neighborhood.  I'm just sorry it took so long.

Coffee Tasting At Philz

Fran and I walk in Encinitas most Saturday mornings.  When Philz Coffee opened, we had to try it.  It was always busy, and my son's name is Phil.  Two good reasons to try it.  We were glad we did.  There's a great vibe when you enter Philz, and the coffee is pretty darn good.  We thought it would be a great place to introduce our Newcomers to, so we arranged a coffee tasting, with Austin, one of their friendly barristas.  What fun.

18 Newcomers joined the fun for a morning of great tasting coffee, sweets snacks to accompany each coffee, and a little education on how Philz came to be.  Phil Jaber, the founder of Philz, began over 25 years ago, sampling coffee and  creating blends (he has created over 30 coffee blends), and finally opened Philz in San Francisco several years ago.  It's "the" place for coffee in San Francisco, and now Encinitas.  Every coffee is named, and every coffee is a blend of numerous beans, that only a very few know.  We tasted 6 coffees.  (decaf is also available).  My favorite blend was Jacob's Wonderbar, a darker blend, named for his son Jacob.  It has a hint of dark chocolate, smoke and nuts.  It pairs well with chocolate chip cookies.  Another interesting and unusual blend is called Philharmonic.  It has hints of cardamom, maple and earth, and each cup has a piece of fresh mint.  Unique and delicious.

Beans are all roasted at their plant in Oakland, and the blends are produced there.  This is  secretive.  Few people know the exact recipe for each blend.  The hot coffee is excellent, but Philz also makes some good cold drinks.  Want a little snack to go with your coffee?  Try one of their excellent open face sandwiches, like smashed avocado toast, or bread topped with hummus and spices.  We sampled a delicious vegan muffin, which I would highly recommend for vegans and carnivores alike.

To top it off, all drinks at Philz are pour overs.  This means they are made just for you, not brewed in  a pot that could be sitting for hours.  Your coffee will be fresh, your food will be too, and it will be served by one of their friendly barristas, like Austin, who will explain anything you want to know about your coffee, and serve it with a smile.

Yes or No To A Ban On Straws

It was during the 1960's when fast food exploded onto the restaurant scene, that straws became so popular.  Every Coke bought came with a plastic lid and a plastic  straw.  Now that over 500 million plastic straws are dumped in the ocean every year, those concerned with the future of our oceans and our planet, are taking a hard look at the use of straws.

Many progressive cities like San Diego, Santa Monica and Berkeley, have proposed banning plastic straws.  These straws are dumped into the ocean, creating an ecological mess.  Fish and birds ingest them and get stuck in them.  They are no biodegradable, so they build up and build up as the years pass.  Legislation has been proposed to get rid of plastic straws.  In their place we could use paper or bamboo straws, or  people could bring their own straw with them (a reusable one), just as one brings their own reusable bags to the supermarket.  This all sounds so inconvenient, but that's what people thought about reusable shopping bags 20 years ago too.  We would all get used to it.

Many people are against this.  The restaurants don't want to ban plastic straws because bamboo straws would be more expensive and raise the price of the product.  One proposal is to only offer straws to people who ask for them.  This is similar to what was done during the drought.  Water was not served at restaurants unless asked for.  I'm sure we can find some compromise to make those who absolutely must have their throwaway plastic straw and those that want to ban plastic straws completely.  We've got to think of our environment and the future of our oceans.  The statistic I read said that soon there will be more straws in the ocean than  fish.  It seems like banning plastic straws is a small price for us to pay to improve the quality of our environment.

Great Breakfast at The Landings

My dog park group was looking for a nice spot for breakfast recently, and Charlene suggested The Landings at Palomar Airport.  What a great find.  So sorry it took me so long to discover.  Parking was easy, food was great, and surroundings were so much fun.  We sat on the patio, all shaded with big umbrellas, talked and watched the planes take off for about 1 1/2 hours.  What fun.  If there are a lot of planes taking off it might be too noisy, but sitting inside is just fine.  The nice thing for us dog park people is, we can bring our pets with us to breakfast.

Palomar Airport is relatively quiet.  The only plane that took off while were were there was the new airline (Elite, I think it is), flying to Las Vegas.  This would be a fun place to bring young grandchildren.  They love watching planes take off and land.

Our food was not what I was expecting from an airport restaurant.  Usually, prices are high and food is poor.  At The Landings, prices are low and food is delicious.  I ordered a breakfast sandwich ($8) on an English muffin, with 2 eggs, cheese and 2 strips of bacon.  Others had bacon and eggs, pancakes, hash, and a build your own omelette.  Hash browns were good and crispy, just the way I like them.  The most expensive item on the menu was $11.

Next time you're looking for a nice breakfast in Carlsbad, reasonable prices and really good food, try The Landings.  You will be pleasantly surprised.

How To Deal With Our Aging Population

Due to fertility declines and rising life expectancy, there is an irreversible global trend that has far-reaching economic and socio-political consequences.  Aging populations pose a challenge to the fiscal and macroeconomic stability of many societies.  Increased government spending on pension, healthcare and social benefits are the reason.  What is the solution?

There are many ideas being tossed around, but there is no real plan in place to slow down this global trend.  It is well known that work is a pivotal element of one's well being.  Recognizing this could be an essential part of the solution.  Encouraging and rewarding paid and unpaid work among the elderly could be a major part of the solution to the aging-related fiscal and social challenges.  A gradual retirement scheme allowing older individuals to lower their working hours yet remain in the workforce is one idea.  Furnishing options for and rewarding volunteering, care and artistic activities among the elderly is another good idea.

By the year 2050, the following countries will have between 23% and 40% of their population over 65:  Japan, 40%, Germany 30%, France 23%, UK 26%, Canada 31%, Poland31%, Us 20%, Russia 25%, China 26%.  This means that our work force is aging, and we may not have enough young workers to replace those that retire.  Fertility rates have declined, so fewer people are entering the work force.   This is not an American problem, it's a global problem.

We have to find a productive way to use retired people, and we have to allow people to work longer, if they can.  Think tanks like the Brookings Institute are studying ways to stop this trend, but have not yet come up with any real answers.

When the 65 year old retirement age was enacted, life expectancy was around 75.  Today, many retirees are living into their 90's.  They are costing our healthcare, social security and other social benefits more than we can afford.  With an aging population, we, and the rest of the world, need to look at ways continue to make elderly people productive members of society.  I will write again about the aging population, with thoughts about keeping seniors engaged in society, happy and healthy.

The Lost Children of Tuam

During the 20th century in Ireland, women who became pregnant out of wedlock were locked away in homes, designed to hide their sin from the world.  In Tuam, Ireland, a home for unwed mothers and their babies, was run by the Bon Secours Catholic nuns, from 1925-1971.  The conditions in Tuam, and many other similar homes, were deplorable, and the treatment of mothers and babies was unforgiveable.

Long after the home in Tuam was closed, local residents and historians began to question what actually took place within the walls of Tuam.  It turns out that after delivering their babies, mothers were forced to leave, never knowing the fate of their children.  Many children lived there in deplorable conditions until they either died or were adopted, some being  adopted in the U.S.  During the almost 50 years of its existence, not one nun or priest came forward to report this disgrace.  In all, 796 skeletons were discovered in a dumpster like bin, babies from just a few weeks old to a few years old, many emaciated.

It wasn't until Catherine Corless, an interested resident of Tuam, became interested in what had actually taken place behind the walls of Tuam, that the truth finally came out.  The church knew, the nuns obviously knew, and local officials of Tuam knew, yet no one did anything.  Hundreds of babies who didn't need to die did die, and thousands of unwed mothers who wanted to raise their babies were not allowed.  Since it's closing, the home run by the Bon Secours has been paved over and housing now stands where hundreds of babies were dumped.  There are some children who were residents of the home who are still looking for siblings.  A memorial has been erected near the former home, which at least gives recognition to what happened there, and acnowledges that the 796 unknown babies and children lived and died there.  They are not forgotten.

What Is Patriotism?

There has been much recent talk about patriotism.  Are football players that "take a knee" or link arms, being unpatriotic?  Some say yes, including our president.  I say no.  If you listen to those that are protesting, they are not disrespecting America.  They are protesting the inequality in the way people who are not white, are treated.  Their protest has nothing to do with love of country.

To me, patriotism is a feeling inside you. You can be extremely patriotic without waving the flag, just as you can spiritual without going to church or temple.  Several years ago, an article written by Lawrence W. Reed, caught my eye.  He described just how I feel, so rather than try to tell you what he said, I will quote him.  Here's what Reed said.

"patriotism is not love of country, if by “country” you mean scenery—amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesty, and the like. Almost every country has pretty collections of rocks, water, and stuff that people grow and eat. If that’s what patriotism is all about, then Americans have precious little for which we can claim any special or unique love. And surely, patriotism cannot mean giving one’s life for a river or a mountain range.
Patriotism is not blind trust in anything our leaders tell us or do. That just replaces some lofty concepts with mindless goose-stepping.
Patriotism is not simply showing up to vote. You need to know a lot more about what motivates a voter before you judge his patriotism. He might be casting a ballot because he just wants something at someone else’s expense. Maybe he doesn’t much care where the politician he’s hiring gets it. Remember Dr. Johnson’s wisdom: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
Waving the flag can be an outward sign of patriotism, but let’s not cheapen the term by ever suggesting that it’s anything more than a sign. And while it’s always fitting to mourn those who lost their lives simply because they resided on American soil, that too does not define patriotism.
People in every country and in all times have expressed feelings of something we flippantly call “patriotism,” but that just begs the question. What is this thing, anyway? Can it be so cheap and meaningless that a few gestures and feelings make you patriotic?
Not in my book.
I subscribe to a patriotism rooted in ideas that in turn gave birth to a country, but it’s the ideas that I think of when I’m feeling patriotic. I’m a patriotic American because I revere the ideas that motivated the Founders and compelled them, in many instances, to put their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor on the line.
What ideas? Read the Declaration of Independence again. Or, if you’re like most Americans these days, read it for the very first time. It’s all there. All men are created equal. They are endowed not by government but by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. Premier among those rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Government must be limited to protecting the peace and preserving our liberties, and doing so through the consent of the governed. It’s the right of a free people to rid themselves of a government that becomes destructive of those ends, as our Founders did in a supreme act of courage and defiance more than two hundred years ago.
Call it freedom. Call it liberty. Call it whatever you want, but it’s the bedrock on which this nation was founded and from which we stray at our peril. It’s what has defined us as Americans. It’s what almost everyone who has ever lived on this planet has yearned for. It makes life worth living, which means it’s worth fighting and dying for."

Lunch at Campfire

I have so many nice things to say about Campfire, a new restaurant in Carlsbad on State Street, right near all the action of old Carlsbad.  The restaurant has an open kitchen, large seating inside, and lots of seating outside, on rustic wooden tables.  A little teepee in the back provides an area for children who have difficulty sitting, to explore.  The wait staff is exceptional.  From the person who greeted us when we arrived, the outstanding waitress, service was outstanding.  I wish I could remember the name of our waitress.  She explained all the dishes in detail, and even told us not to order too much, as the main courses were big.

We ended up having a Campfire bowl for lunch, which we split.  The bottom was well seasoned forbidden (black) rice, topped with roasted winter veggies, and some pickled onions and other pickled vegetables.  It was topped with avocado and a poached egg.  So delicious.  The luncheon menu is small.  A French dip sandwich, kale salad with apricots and cheese were also on the menu.  Ron would call it a foo foo menu.  That means there was no burger or hearty "man" dishes, but it was just what my mom and I liked.  For dessert, we had a savory poached pear served with a nice sauce, candied walnuts, and blue cheese ice cream.  I highly recommend this dessert.  The meal was topped off with French press coffee, with the coffee coming from the roaster across the street.

Look at the menu and decide if this is for you.  I certainly enjoyed lunch, and the dinner menu is more extensive, and has something for everyone.  You don't exactly feel like you're at a campfire, but that's ok.  The food is great, service wonderful, with just a little too much noise.  Well, you can't have everything.

Doing The Right Thing

I stopped into Dick's Sporting Goods today, a place I don't normally shop.  I needed some golf tees.  Dick's was on my mind because of the bold step they took a few days ago.  I applaud them for putting principle over the bottom line, and taking a risk.  Publishing the following post took guts, and thankfully other companies like Walmart, have  followed suit.  I hope they will be rewarded for their courage in doing the right thing.  I'm a Dick's Sporting Goods shopper for life after this post was published.