I did the oak woodlands hike in El Chorro Regional Park today. It's 2.2 miles if you don't take the extra path to Eagle Rock, which I didn't. I always pay in my knees, my hip, but I don't feel too bad right now. We'll see how the night goes.

I was determined to get back into hiking and now I am doing it.

Yesterday I did the Portola Point hike, a bit over two miles. I wasn't sure how I'd manage it.

A view of the hike:

From Portola Point hike

It took me about an hour and 25 minutes, longer than it has in the past. I stopped frequently to catch my breath. Initially I felt some pain in my legs and knees but it wasn't terrible so I kept on. I came to a time when my legs felt almost normal, a bit stiff but no real pain. Toward the end I felt some twinges but again, not that awful. I felt stiff and when I went to a movie later I had to work my right leg a bit after, to release the pain, get on with it.

Last night I took a couple of acetaminophen tablets to help me sleep and I slept well. No cramps, no shearing pains. Encouraging.

Curses. I stayed within tier one for gas but went into tier 2 for electricity last month. I wonder what I was using electricity for. More than usual.

Yesterday I drove to Santa Monica. I am going, with Elaine and Ed, to WorldFest today, and we are staying together in a nice suite in a small inexpensive motel near the beach. Our rooms are up there:

From Santa Monica

Up the stairs to the left are blue gates. Through those gates, a little outdoor corridor with plants and four rooms, including ours.

I took a couple of walks while waiting for Ed and Elaine to arrive. One thing I noticed on the first walk, down Main Street, was this painting:

From Santa Monica

From Santa Monica

I admit I'm a sucker for the Tromp L'Oeil stuff.

Later I went in a different direction, down to the beach. The bike path was not overly crowded. It isn't yet the season and it was a weekday. I did see a variety, though:

From Santa Monica

From Santa Monica

From Santa Monica

From Santa Monica

From Santa Monica

From Santa Monica

We had food last night from Real Food Daily, picked up. There are many vegan restaurants here. Today it's off to WorldFest. Where there will be many stands of vegan food. And tonight, more adventuring in Santa Monica. I love this city. I could live here - if I could.

Reprinted from the pages of WorstPills.org:

 

Swine Flu: Important Advice from WorstPills.org

 

As of the end of April 2009, swine flu (H1N1) had sickened almost 100 people in the United States. While it’s normal to be anxious about the spread of this disease, taking medications to prevent or treat the disease without having a full understanding of the medications’ side effects could have a serious impact on your health. The most effective ways to avoid any infectious illness are safer and cheaper than any medication. To avoid disease, the CDC recommends:

 

* Washing your hands or using hand sanitizer frequently
* Avoiding sick people and surfaces that they have touched, sneezed or coughed on
* Not touching your nose, mouth or eyes

What drug treatments are available to treat swine flu?

 

You may be tempted to take zanamivir (RELENZA) or oseltamivir (TAMIFLU) as a cautionary measure to prevent swine flu. However, these medications are not very effective against typical flu strains. A 2006 Cochrane review concluded that for prevention of influenza, “compared to placebo, [these drugs] have no [significant] effect against influenza-like illnesses.”

 

Further, not everyone should consider using these drugs to prevent swine flu.

The CDC is recommending that only two specific groups of people take the antiviral medications RELENZA or TAMIFLU to prevent infection with the swine flu:

1. Household close contacts who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g., persons with certain chronic medical conditions, persons 65 or older, children younger than 5 years old, and pregnant women) of a confirmed or probable case
2. Health care workers or public health workers who were not using appropriate personal protective equipment during close contact with an ill confirmed, probable, or suspect case of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection during the case’s infectious period.

The CDC also says that a limited number of other groups may consider using these drugs to prevent infection:

1. Household close contacts who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g., persons with certain chronic medical conditions, persons 65 years or older, children younger than 5 years old, and pregnant women) of a suspected case.
2. Children attending school or daycare who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (children with certain chronic medical conditions) and who had close contact (face-to-face) with a confirmed, probable, or suspected case.
3. Health care workers who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g., persons with certain chronic medical conditions, persons 65 or older, and pregnant women) who are working in an area of the healthcare facility that contains patients with confirmed swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) cases, or who is caring for patients with any acute febrile respiratory illness.
4. Travelers to Mexico who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g., persons with certain chronic medical conditions, persons 65 or older, children younger than 5 years old and pregnant women).
5. First responders who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g., persons with certain chronic medical conditions, persons 65 or older, children younger than 5 years old, and pregnant women) and who are working in areas with confirmed cases of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

It is not known whether these drugs would be more or less effective against swine flu. Although these drugs have been proven in laboratory tests to have an effect on swine flu, the drugs have, of course, never been proven in clinical trials in humans for this particular strain.

Patients should also be aware that RELENZA can cause asthma.

Stayed within the first tier of both gas and electric again last month. Yay!

I am going out of town for about a week tomorrow. I figured it would be a good time to get my xm radio working again. For several weeks it has been receiving no signal, which is a mechanical issue, not an xm issue. It's the radio, in other words. So I called the auto sound place and made an appointment for this morning at nine, to take a look at the antenna.

( And thus begins a tale )

Once again I have stayed within the baseline usage for both gas and electricity. I'm proud.

I have known many beaters in my life. The first car I called my own, sort of, was a Ford Falcon station wagon bequeathed to me by my sister Mary when she went into the Peace Corps. I honestly don't remember what I did with that car - I may have given it back to her when she returned. I do remember that I never liked it, that it did not do anything particularly well, and I do remember a frightening incident:

I was moving. I dumped many boxes and bags of things into the back of the station wagon and I added in my cats. I did not have cat carriers (did they even exist then? this was some time around 1967). When I was on a Los Angeles freeway, headed for my new place, I discovered that I had neglected to close the back door, the hatchback. I was frightened for my cats, afraid that they had fallen out onto the freeway.

I got off as soon as I could and discovered that they were all alive and well and inside the car. It was a great relief.

After the Falcon I owned a 1958 black Volkswagen beetle. I banged that baby up every which way and it still drove. But I didn't do regular maintenance on it. And when the oil light stopped working I did not get it fixed. And so when the oil ran out and the engine threw a rod...( This has gotten longer than I expected... )

Back in the old house, where I had stacked things horizontally as well as vertically - imagine a bookcase in front of another bookcase, for example, but not as simple as that, more like a ledge with magazines on it in front of a cupboard, for example, and there might even be a third level, something in front of the magazine ledge - if I wanted to do something, to clean something, rearrange, add, whatever, I had to back up several times.

For example, I might look at a wall and have a vision of a new bookcase on that wall. But to add the bookcase I would first have to move the plants, lamps, pile of magazines, strange little table, and a dozen other things that were in front of the wall. I would have to decide where to put these things. When I thought of a good place for each thing that meant I had to find a place for whatever it would be displacing. In the end, it meant I would have to rearrange the entire house to put in that one bookcase. Usually I just gave the idea up.

I have a similar thing happening now. My house isn't in as bad shape as the old one, of course, and it is not as cluttered. I have, however, let my office become something of a landing zone for whatever needs to be got out of the way. And my new cat addition, Peanut, hides in there. Peanut is afraid of the other two cats. With some good reason because they tend to attack him frequently. It's also part of his nature. He is the scaredest cat I have ever met.

As is often the case, the impetus to do something, to change something, comes from left field. In this case it has to do with arthritis. Here is how it lays out:

1. The arthritis in my knees (which has also spread to my hands, by the way) prevents me from doing several things I love to do. My goal is to reduce the pain so I can do more.
2. My weight aggravates the pain. It's funny that this seems obvious and that's what I thought when I saw yet another health study proclaiming that people who are heavier have a harder time with knee arthritis. It is obvious yet some people are going to be able to move freely even with extra weight. This because they are strong in the right places. Extra strength in certain muscles can compensate for joint weakness. I am working on those muscles now. But obviously, for me, losing some of that weight will make the whole enterprise easier.
3. I recently got a copy of McDougall's Maximum Weight Loss book. I have used McDougall in the past. His recommendation for everyone is to eat a whole-foods vegan diet, and he has reversed many diseases with this diet. Because Elaine and Ed awoke my past interest in McDougall I thought what the hell I'll get this book, and I did.
4. I lost the book. It is somewhere in my office, I am sure, because I would have dumped it there while cleaning some place else. But Peanut is hiding in there too and lately he has not used the litter box in the hall, but has instead used some parts of the office for his poops.
5. So for me to get my knees in better shape I have to clean poop from the office. Which, ironically, is on the floor and it's hard for me to clean things when I have to bend my knees. I'll work it out.

So there you have it. But of course it's a bit more complicated really. Because of Peanut's fears I have decided to get a baby gate for the office door and to put in a litter box and food dishes so he can hang there all day. The other cats can find and see him but can't touch him, if I do this. My hope is that eventually they will get enough used to each other that I can remove the gate and he can become a regular part of the family.

Peanut, the fat cat with the funny ears.

Last night I watched some of Flight of the Conchords, second season of the HBO series. I had seen advertising but had never watched the show before. I first watched some introductory stuff on ondemand, then took in an episode.

In general I don't find it all that funny. I think it's a kind of low-key humor, like the British The Office, that I don't exactly guffaw at. It's perhaps too close to true, not enough exaggeration? I am not sure.

But there was one little comment that stuck with me.

One of the pair - the Conchords is a duo from New Zealand (and I admit the jokes that keep confusing where they are from are pretty good) - mentioned in the intro piece that he is essentially a lazy person, and that "people like me oughtn't to be made to work so hard".

I like that. I relate to it, and I like that he took it away from himself, said that others should not make him work so hard.

I was deeply disturbed by the undercover video, shot by the HSUS and aired on Nightline the other night, about primates used in research. The film is horrifying to anyone who has any kind of compassion for other animals, and I'd think particularly because these animals are so similar to humans.

The research is not necessary, yet it is funded by the U.S. Government. No other developed nation funds this type research or allows it to take place. Even that home of the bullfight, Spain, protects its great apes. WHat is wrong with this country that we can't or won't do the same??

I am so upset. Please support the Great Ape Protection Act in congress.

----

See the video here:

Nightline video

I am bright but not brilliant. I am bright enough to be unwilling to join many social groups, simply because conversation is often pedestrian. This is particularly true with online social networks.

I also know several genius-level people, and most of them exhibit some bitterness and a tendency to prefer their own company most of the time. The bitterness comes, at least in part, from not being appreciated for what they are, from the tendency of others in this culture to determine a person's worth by their financial success or by the number of letters after their names. Many of the brilliant people I know hated college, did not pursue advanced degrees - because it was easier to gain the knowledge they needed on their own. And then they found themselves on the outskirts - not accepted because they didn't have the credentials.

Recently I have joined a local social network online. It is for people who live on the central coast of California. I joined because someone invited me and I thought what the hell I'll check it out. I haven't contributed much to any of the "communities" but I have observed that the people in this group resemble most of the people I meet in social groups elsewhere - they are, in a word, "social". The communities engage in a lot of small talk. People want to get together, chat about common interests, blah blah blah.

There is one person who stands out, though. He clearly has a mind well beyond the rest of us. He keeps trying to start conversations about science, art, and more, and the way he poses the questions or makes the comments leaves me wondering how do I join in. I mainly watch, read, think. Most of the responses to his comments are friendly yet uncomprehending. One area where he has some competition is in a puzzle group - a brain game community, if you can believe it. There are maybe three or four others who are quite able to play the games as he is. So that must be satisfying.

I have sometimes been in this position, of trying to start a conversation about "real" stuff and getting fluff in return. I don't have a mind like his but I can relate nevertheless. Frankly, a part of me wants companionship at my "level" but a part of me prefers to stay aloof.

As noted in the article below, some drugs appear to have an effect on mental functioning. These drugs include several anti-depressants and painkillers. The article is from Worth Pills, Best Pills, a nonprofit with no ties to any drug companies and that is recommended by John Abramson, M.D., author of Overdosed America (a meticulously referenced book on how the drug companies mislead citizens). A subscription (paid) to the site is required to read all of the articles, which is one reason I am sharing this one here (I have had a subscription for a couple of years now).

The article stresses that results are preliminary. Seems to me, though, that the prudent action is to get off these drugs if you are on them.

------

Drug-Induced Cognitive Impairment: Part One

Worst Pills Best Pills Newsletter article March, 2009


As you age, some degree of difficulty recalling memories is considered normal.

However, more pronounced memory loss could indicate a serious problem, such as dementia (which includes Alzheimer’s disease). That’s why the occurrence of memory loss or other forms of cognitive impairment — such as difficulty with attention, language or other brain function — can be so alarming.( the rest of the article )

Once again I met my goal of keeping my gas and electric bills within tier no. 1. Yay me! It's too bad I can't have any effect on the trash bill. I usually put only one can of trash into the dumpster per month, yet I am paying over $20 for that. Seems wrong somehow, but I can't see any way to fix it. I expect part of the bill is for recycling, of course - although I think that we should not be paying for that - and I do recycle more than I dump. Maybe I should check with the management and find out what's what on that score.

I am delighted to read that HSUS has invited Best Friends Society and others to a discussion on the subject of vicious dogs. This is one of the last hold-outs in shelter policy throughout the country. Here is the article from Best Friends:

Policy summit


February 23, 2009 : 8:44 PM ET
The Humane Society of the United States on February 23 issued an interim policy recommending all dogs be evaluated as individuals, and is calling a meeting of leading animal welfare organizations concerning dogs victimized by dog fighting.

Wayne Pacelle, chief executive officer and president of the Humane Society of the United States, suggested the meeting of major stakeholders in Las Vegas to work through the associated issues. This meeting is in response to concerns expressed by Best Friends Animal Society in December 2008 regarding HSUS policies related to animals confiscated in dog-fighting busts.

Pacelle said the meeting, scheduled for April, will include the participation of national stakeholder organizations that deal with pit bulls. The meeting was in the planning stages before Superior Court Judge Ed Wilson Jr. ruled that 145 pit bulls, including approximately 70 puppies, confiscated from Wildside Kennels in Wilkes County, North Carolina, would be euthanized without evaluation to determine suitability for placement.

The new interim policy announced by the HSUS, pending the outcome of the meeting, recommends that local law enforcement and animal control evaluate such dogs as individuals rather than as a category before any decision is made regarding their future.

“We expect government, corporations, and individuals to constantly re-evaluate how they deal with animal issues,” Pacelle said. “Likewise, we regularly review our own policies and procedures here at HSUS, and we think it is important to talk with professional colleagues in the movement to examine issues related to the disposition of fighting dogs.

“I am pleased to discuss these issues with personnel from Best Friends and other organizations interested in the welfare of pit bulls.”

Julie Castle, director of Community Programs and Services for Best Friends said, “There had been more than enough airing of feelings and outrage that the dogs were not evaluated prior to being summarily euthanized. It was time to hit the reset button on this in order to move things forward in a constructive way. Mr. Pacelle was open and receptive to what we had to say and we are looking forward to our meetings in April.”

Best Friends, through its campaign, “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dogs,” is looking forward working cooperatively with HSUS, according to Castle.

The campaign is aimed in part at educating the public and the media about pit bulls in order to help save the breed’s reputation. “Our goal is to bring positive change to lives and image of pit bulls,” she said.

Written by Best Friends staff
Photo of Meryl, a Vicktory dog, by Gary Kalpakoff

As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.

I watch Top Chef every week. I cheer for my picks and boo for the ones I dislike. One thing is clear, though: these folks can actually cook.

I also watch Kitchen Nightmares from time to time, as well as the British version, Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares.

And I have watched a couple of episodes of Hell's Kitchen.

Can I express my disappointment strongly enough? When Ramsey takes on restaurant owners and chefs in Kitchen Nightmares he has a clear purpose and it is always clear that he really wants to help. I forgive his lapses into profanity because it's his nature to speak that way. But in Hell's Kitchen the profanity, the bursts of temper, are the show. That, along with the idiots in the kitchen, who seem to be chosen at random.

Let's just review a couple of aspects of this show. First, it pits the boys against the girls, which is silly to begin with. It makes it a team competition rather than an individual chef competition, and the nature of the competitors puts it with Jerry Springer rather than with Padma.

Then, the members of the losing team get to choose two candidates for elimination. What the hell is that? Ramsey then chooses one of the two to go. It does not matter if a member of the winning team actually performs at a lower level than anyone on the losing team - which seems to happen a lot.

The last episode I watched featured the girls' team having to cut up half a cow. And having to dine on the more unusual parts. The contestants were constantly getting up to vomit. And these are supposed to be chefs, supposed to know their foods. They don't even demonstrate rudimentary knowledge of this animal that they gladly cut up and eat every day. Not only do they not deserve to be on any chef show but they shouldn't be eating meat.

The contestants are constantly dissing each other, on the same team even. It really smells of Jerry here, because the dissing rarely has anything to do with actual cooking. It's more a personality contest. And it reeks low-class.

Gordon Ramsey may get paid a lot for this show but he should be deeply ashamed of himself. I want to like him and I have, in the past, but this show is eroding my feelings. In the past I have had to get past his obvious prejudice against vegetarianism, which is bad enough but which he shares with a world of top chefs. Those other chefs, though, aren't stooping so low as Hell's Kitchen.

My daughter Elaine posted an article on children going vegetarian on her blog yesterday. She reprinted a question to an advice columnist about a six-year-old wanting to go vegetarian. The advice columnist didn't have any problem with the diet in terms of health but cautioned the parent that her or his child was being influenced by others - and that the main influence had to be the parents'!

I know many christian parents feel their children need to be protected from the influence of others, too.

I have never felt that way myself. I never felt that I should be the main arbiter in all things. Yes, it was important to me that my children understand right and wrong, that essentially they have consciences, that they care about others. Otherwise I wanted them to learn to think for themselves more than anything else. I have strong feelings and beliefs about some things and I am sure those beliefs came across in our everyday lives. We often hear that it is better to "model" your belief than just to talk about it. Saying "don't smoke" and then drawing on a cigarette isn't a good way to teach children.

I know I am considered wimpy because of my willingness to let my children explore. I don't know to this day if it was the right path to follow. I suspect I could have been a better guide. But I don't think I was wrong to allow my children to hear others' voices. I could have provided a better, more cushioned space for them in their explorations - I don't think I did that - but fundamentally I do not believe in shielding children from the beliefs of others.