From Left Field

A Plan for New Weblogs

I have plans to create two new weblogs. I've installed WordPress software and am working on understanding what it does and how it does it. I suspect that I'll have something going by the end of the year. I'd like to have a weblog about books and one that gets at the myriad of topics that I am exploring in philosophy. I intend to keep this one going as well, although I've really distanced myself from the political arena. The Indians are still a love of mine, so I might get back to posting entries about them. I'm growing increasingly concerned about the fate of the earth, so the section on nature might take on a global warming slant.

Not really sure about any of this. All I know is that I'd like to have an online venue for recording my path into and around philosophy as well as a way of talking about books that I've read.

My Rainy Day

I woke up grump today. Just downright grumpy. Like a person who needs a cup of coffee in order to function at all. Several forces had collided to cause such a sour mood and I was trapped.

So, I got myself a cup of coffee.

And I finally got around to printing letters to oil companies telling them to not drill in the ANWR. A little grassroots activism always makes me feel better.

And then I treated myself to a comfort food, artery-clogging breakfast of a breakfast sausage-cream cheese bagel. Now that I've met or exceeded my calorie and fat intake allowance for the day, I look forward to a long, slow hunger building process which will inevitably give me a killer headache and make me feel like crap. The coffee, of course, will exacerbate the situation as will the barometric pressure of a dense, rainy day. But at the time the sausage was frying in the skillet and while I was consuming the meal, I felt so richly deserving that it was nearly inconceivable that I could live without that exact food.

I just let Lucy in from a squirrel-hunting adventure. Since we're currently experiencing a steady downpour, I spent a couple of minutes massaging the water from her black, shiny fur. She just loves it. While doing this, one of my all time favorite bands came on Radio Paradise. Seriously, if anyone wants to give me a wonderful gift, all I ask for is Vol I (and III if you're feeling particularly generous). There must be lots of copies kicking around online or at your favorite used-music store. I could search for this on my own, but I don't like buying things for myself.

I just realized that I haven't mentioned the greatest streaming music find I've ever made online: Radio Paradise. You can listen without being a member or you can create an account which allows you to vote and comment on songs played. It's commercial-free user-supported radio that is stunning in its variety. I listen to a stream in RealPlayer. RealPlayer acts like TiVo, allowing you to pause the live feed, go back and listen to what came before all the while caching what is currently playing. It's a handy way to replay songs and if necessary, skip songs. But I've found that I enjoy the playlists so much that I hardly ever feel the need to skip a song. I just give it a low rating and look forward to the next one. Right now, I just keep listening to the aforementioned band's End of the Line. Which is apt since for now, I'm out of news.

A Golden Resource for Public Radio Listeners

My mom just called me and told me to tune into the Diane Rehm Show because she is doing a show on cooking with spices and the health benefits of doing so. Since the show isn't broadcast locally, I googled for it. In doing so I found a terrific resource. PublicRadioFan.com is a site that lists radio stations with web feeds and the NPR/PRI shows that air live. So, right now, I'm listening to the Diane Rehm show from a station out of Pullman, Washington.

Our Dog Lucy

We adopted a dog on Nov. 30th. We named her Lucy. She's wonderful and I'll post more about her in later entries as I take more photos and recount her adventures.

An Intriguing New Computer Game

Would someone else cough up $159.99 to buy this so I can try it??

Highlights of the Day

Lots of good reading out there. Here's my "short" list of the day, in no particular order.

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New Book on How Corporations are Brainwashing Children, Organic Consumers Assoc.

Inflammatory title aside, the book looks interesting, if only to reinforce what we already know in a common sense sort of way. When I worked for the advocacy "group" Center for the Study of Commercialism, we had a large file labeled "Kids". It was, in fact, the file that Ralph Nader requested in a phone call with yours truly. Advertising to kids just makes good business sense in our capitalist society. Get them early and you get them for life.

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Tribe drops black eye on Bombers by Justice B. Hill, mlb.com

I had to include this here as well as in my last entry. This game deserves mentioning twice. But lest we rest on any celebratory laurels, these two teams get to play each other again tonight and the result is anyone's guess. Will the Yankees enact revenge? Will the game be an extra innings pitching duel? Will the Indians find another way to win? The fact that they do it all again tonight is just one reason why baseball is such a wonderful sport.

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President Admits War On Terror Cannot Be Won, Julian Borger, The Guardian UK

Is there a chink in the armor? Did the press catch Bush in an unguarded private moment? I would like to believe that despite his rigid exterior and steadfastly consistent behavior, the man is fraught with inner turmoil.

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Christopher Lydon Interviews...Richard Ben Cramer

This guy has talked with some very interesting people. His interview with Richard Ben Cramer looks excellent. If you haven't the time, at least read the accompanying text to the interview.

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Sierra Club Votes: Election 2004 Issues and Information

The fact sheets (in PDF form) that the Sierra Club has put together about the two major candidates are a quick read and should provide good talking points if you are at all inclined to write a letter to the editor, talk to RINOs (you did read the Moore article, right?) or just to convince you once and for all that Bush is ironically named.

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We’re Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore: How did the Party of Lincoln and Liberty transmogrify into the Party of Newt Gingrich’s Evil Spawn and their Etch-A-Sketch President, a Dull and Rigid Man, whose Philosophy is a Jumble of badly sutured Body Parts trying to Walk? by Garrison Keillor

Even if you don't listen to A Prairie Home Companion, you must still appreciate a man who can write a long-winded, 18th century title in this day and age of increasing belief that brevity=good. I've been a fan of the show (and Keillor) for years now. I was a regular listener of the program in the late '90s when I lived in Columbus. I have since fallen out of the habit, although lately Paul has shown moderate interest in trying to tune in on a regular basis, so I might just find myself enjoying more News from Lake Wobegon (by far my favorite segment of the show). The aforementioned article is a must-read.

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Crowning Prince George by Nicholas D. Kristoff, New York Times

I've recently signed up again for the daily mailing of NY Times Op/Eds. The reason: Maureen Dowd. I watched her on Charlie Rose and fell into a fit of hero-worship. Unfortunately, the Times have a evil policy of read-it-within-24-hours-or-pay, so it is not possible to read any of her stuff unless you have access to say Lexis-Nexus (thank God for my lingering university account). And since she's currently on vacation from the Times (she's out promoting her new book Bushworld), there are no new columns to read. But this one by Kristoff will do as a very good replacement.

Salsalicious Black Bean Soup

I made the following recipe last weekend to the delight of both me and Paul. Thought I'd share. Enjoy.

Ingredients
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder

Garnish
sour cream
2 green onions, sliced thin

Directions
1. In a food processor or blender, combine beans, broth, salsa, cumin and chili powder. Blend until fairly smooth.
2. Heat the bean mixture in a medium saucepan over medium heat until heated through, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream and green onions.

Variations

Lazy? Good.

The Virtue of Idleness (Guardian UK, 7 August '04)

"From the Bible on, moralists and nags have promoted the benefits of hard work and early rising. They are mistaken, argues Tom Hodgkinson. For breathing space to create and time to reflect, indolence is essential. He offers a guide to easy living, pleasurable illness, and effortless sex"

Blogdex Entry Du Jour

A list of company name etymologies is making its way through the weblogworld. Check it out for yourself. Very interesting.

A Newly Discovered Source for News

Granted, Wachovia is an evil, evil company, but one of their subsidiaries (Macroworld) offers a nice service. Check out their list of news providers. To select news by topic, use their navbar on the left.

I really appreciate being able to access the AP Worldstream. Because my account with IU is still active, I can search all their databases online (including the ever useful Lexis-Nexis), but they don't provide a browsing capability. Using it presents a Socratic "don't know what I don't know" sort of situation. Usually, if I find an article I have to pay for (like outdated NY Times articles), I'll head to Lexis-Nexis and do a search. But I really do like this Macroworld site. Keep refreshing the page to see the most current stories that have been published.

Explanation

I do realize that the subtitle of this weblog contains more than the subject of nature. Why, then, have all my posts for months focused solely on birds and the occasional beast?

Well, I haven't been reporting anything from the world of politics because I've become so angry at so many things that I've taken a break from staying up with it all. Everywhere I turn I am faced with another issue that boils my blood. I have felt ready to explode and that's just not good for the old blood pressure. Relief might finally be on its way, however. Since I recently heard from the local democrats about volunteering, I might have found an outlet in which to actually do something about things instead of just becoming overwhelmed with absurdities and frustrations. Next Saturday, I'm scheduled to work at the Farmers' Market doing voter registration. It's a small step, but you know what they say about every journey.

As far as baseball, and more specifically the Indians, are concerned, they have been a constant source of oscillating frustration and hope. The bullpen thus far has been beyond abysmal. I easily tire of watching them lose the lead in games in the 7th, 8th, or 9th innings. The bullpen has accounted for an amazing 16 blown games, and even if they would have held the lead in just half, the AL Central would be a very different race. On the other hand, the Tribe offense has performed beyond expectation, the defense has improved since last year, and the starting pitching has so much potential that it's hard to believe that those players are wearing Cleveland uniforms. But none of this excuses me from not writing about it. I guess that I've just not worked on finding my voice. I need to do better.

Apologies

I've been out of town most of this month, so haven't had time to post anything. I was in Akron and Marblehead last week. This past weekend I was in St. Louis. Yesterday, Paul and I made a roundtrip journey to Columbus, OH for his grandmother's funeral. But Ben The Super Dog is coming over on Friday for a little over a week, so I should have more time to update this weblog.

I'm A Tennis Player Again!

The tennis ball machine is working out wonderfully. I've used it every day since last Monday except for Sunday when I manage to get in enough exercise planting seedlings. My body is sore, but it's an exquisite feeling. Oddly enough, my forehand is currently my better shot from the baseline. Can it be that I've switched sides? I've never had much confidence in my forehand. It's an odd feeling being out on the court and actually wanting to hit from my right side. My forehand volley is also stronger than my backhand, but this is not a change--too bad since I could really use a stronger backhand volley!!

Design Note

For the curious who are checking in on this weblog periodically, I would like to remind you that I am actively working on its design. Since I'm pretty much learning CSS as I go, I'm buillding it from scratch. Therefore, if you think that it has some very ugly color combos, please know that I agree with you.