I Love Frogs

Don't ask me why, but I love frogs. (I love lizards too.) Is this fellow not the cutest thing? He just makes me smile. Look at those cool fingertips. Look at those crazy eyes. Look at his beautiful colors. Look how the width of his mouth equals the width of his head.

I'm in love.

So when I came across this cartoon it just hit the spot. Poor Kermy.

Well... at least he won't end up on someone's plate. :-)

Health Insurance

Having defended lobsters in my previous post it's time to worry about the humans!

So... is it fair for those of us who have health insurance to say... I have my insurance. You worry about yours.

Am I my brother's keeper?

That may not be an easy question to answer. Most of us would certainly help up a stranger that fell on the sidewalk, but would we be willing to pay more in taxes or health insurance premiums so a stranger could have health coverage as well? Many right-wing radio pundits say you're on your own and that the government is under no obligation to help.

Hm. We are all connected by our economy, and healthcare is part of that economy. Maybe my neighbor bought a gas-guzzler and I didn't, or greedily bought a house way over their capacity to pay, but many of my neighbors didn't make imprudent decisions. In this economy bad things are happening to good people and the number of the unemployed without health insurance is rising. The uninsured and underinsured come from every social strata; they are you and me and came to be in this predicament through no fault of theirs. Currently I feel safe in my employer-provided group plan, but my neighbor's plight may become my own.

This being the case, if we don't care about the worries of our neighbors for their sake, we need to care about them for our sake. I am encouraged that President Obama plans to finally DO something about this and trust that he will. Already he has reauthorized the CHIP bill (extending health coverage to 4 million uninsured children) in what he said was a first step in his broad plan to provide healthcare to all Americans. I'm glad Obama is my keeper.

Hopefully it won't come to this!

Lobsters

I read an article in New Scientist (11-8-07) in which an animal behaviorist, Robert Elwood at Queens University in Belfast, did studies which led him to conclude that lobsters, as well as other crustaceans, can indeed feel pain. This means that when they are dropped alive into boiling water they do suffer. Dr. Elwood reasons that the pain response is present even in "lowly" creatures as a protective mechanism to help them survive. The most common color for lobsters is a greenish-brown. When lobsters are dropped into boiling water a red protein (astaxanthin) stops functioning and rises to the surface; this is why the lobster on your dinner plate is red.

Last fall my sister and husband went on a trip to the Northeast and it was at this time that I was reading about this issue. Because they were eating lots and lots of lobster and other seafood which they really love, and because I love them more than all the lobsters on the planet, I chose not to write about it at that time. But now they are in New Zealand and Australia and so far I haven't seen any travel posts about eating lobsters, so I'm gonna go for it.

The issue, of course, is suffering. In my family we often talk about the ethics of eating and food choices. For me it always boils down (pun intended) to the suffering an animal goes through before it ends up on someone's plate. To sum up my motto: I prefer to eat a delicious, nutritious meal without an animal having to die for it. There are other people who don't have the luxury to make that choice, but I do. Anyone who has ever boiled a lobster alive can attest to the fact that when dropped into scalding water, lobsters whip their bodies wildly and scrape the sides of the pot in a desperate attempt to escape their situation. How can someone watch that and then be able to eat it?

Despite the above image of mean 'ole lobsters about to boil a baby alive, lobsters are "remarkable, sophisticated creatures" says marine biologist Jelle Atema. Lobsters carry their young for nine months and can live to be over 100 years old. They have long childhoods, use signals to explore their surroundings, and form social relationships. Most scientists agree that a lobster's nervous system is quite sophisticated. They may look like they're from outer space but they're not that different from us. And since there is no humane way to kill these sensitive and amazing animals I would recommend the pasta primavera instead.

Augello's Coffeehouse and Deli

We went to a nice coffee shop and deli last night in downtown Rock Hill. In an effort to rejuvenate the old downtown the city leaders have done a lot to encourage new small businesses to move into the renovated old buildings. The downtown area is really becoming quite nice again with some beautiful new buildings as well as the renovated old ones.

This is the view from the Black Street parking lot.

Upon entering there are some nice tables on the upper level, but most everything is down these stairs.

In addition to deli sandwiches they have yummy looking pastries...

... and other options to the fresh brewed coffees.

A happy Saeed waiting for his coffee and sandwich.

The layout is very unusual. Through the doors straight ahead-right you can get into the rest of the building where there are other offices and businesses. If you go through the doors to the left you can go outside and sit on the patio...

... but the patio was a bit too cold last night. At this angle you can see the buildings on Main Street, so really, this shop can be accessed directly from both streets: Main St. from the bottom level, and Black St. from the upper level.

We found a nice little spot to drink our coffee and read (Saeed, a money magazine; me, Harry Potter book 6: The Half-Blood Prince) after eating our sandwiches. One of the reasons we moved from our table is that Augello's brings in local musical talent on Friday and Saturday nights. The music last night was a drumming group, so we could still hear it very well from this other area.

I nabbed this pic from their website to show that there was good reason to read in a room removed from this area, which is where we were eating! The drumming was really very good and was nice background music.

Next time you come for a visit we'll have to go here for a nice cup of coffee and a sandwich, Rock Hill style.

The Other Four Videos

Weekend Visit

We've had another nice weekend with the grandson. It's been three weeks since we last saw him and as always, he has added new abilities and characteristics. I'd say what he made patently obvious this time is his undying love for his silly grandpa. Make sure to watch the videos of him being fed while he glories in his grandpa's attention.

Cyrus is here!

Eating lunch is a ho-hum affair until...

... Grandpa gets involved.

Cyrus plays during 95% of his waking hours.

His shirt may say "Cool Dude" but his music says "Virtuoso".

Cool Dude helped his mom pick out some music...

... and then turned pages for her.

Although Cyrus has his piano skills down pat he's got to work on his height.
(sorry Gabriel - I cut off your head)

I have four more videos uploading. Check back!

BMI

At work we're transitioning over to electronic medical records. One of the new features is going to be an automatic BMI calculator (BMI=body mass index.) It made me remember the days we had to calculate it the hard way, sans computer. If you're interested, here's an easy gizmo to calculate your BMI and a chart to visualize where you fall. With the increasingly warm spring-like weather it may be easier to inch that number down a bit!

In case it's difficult to read, purple is good, teal is bad!

Ribbon Neck Boy

This is how Calvin looks today... but he didn't always wear his collar so proudly. For some reason when he was young the collar terrorized him. The psychologist in the family suggested putting something much smaller around his neck and then eventually working up to the collar. For nearly a year he walked around our house with a ribbon (the kind you put on presents) around his neck before he would allow the collar. It looked pretty silly.

How handsome.

Reaching for the camera...

...what in the...?

Of course... the strap was dangling.

Shirin can't call him Ribbon Neck Boy any more.

A Dog's Ten Commandments

I don't remember where I first saw this version of the ten commandments but it touched my heart enough to save it. It's very sweet and many of the commandments could also apply to pets other than dogs. I wish all pet owners could read this and take it to heart.

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me―it’s crucial to my well-being.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’ve been out in the sun too long or my heart may be getting old.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You, too, will grow old.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, “I can’t bear to watch it” or “Let it happen in my absence.” Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.

―Author unknown

The Kitchen Monster

Cyrus loves to cruise around the kitchen, pull everything down off the baker's rack, and just generally hang out with the family. The kitchen never looks very tidy when he's done with it but that's OK. It's nice to have him underfoot, as if I were home with the kitties.

The Kitchen Monster

Carefully rearranging the cat food.

About to get into the bottles.
(don't be tricked by that innocent face)

Cyrus loves to visit his mommy,
who's studying at the kitchen table.

"Drat! Grandma said I had to do the dishes."

Cyrus carefully puts the bowl in the bottom rack.

And then after appearing to impale himself
with a chopstick...

...he lets Grandma take the weapon away and
put it in the dishwasher.

One way to overcome your deficiency in height is to ...

...just crawl all the way in.

Shirin and I both noticed the way he was standing
and thought it was so funny.

Cyrus seemed to want his Grandpa's cap.

I think it's just a tad too big.

Notice the Persian lion on the cap - this symbol is on the old Persian flag, the flag before the revolution.

Whew!

I think the kitchen monster prefers to hold his grandpa's cap than to wear it.

Cyrus lets us know it's time to buy some cabinet latches:


Sniffy Joe comes to visit his grandma:

Where Does The Weekend Go?

Sorry, I'm still too busy to go through the photos from last weekend :-( We're trying to clean out Tita's room, sort through into give away and keep piles, rearrange the stuff in Shirin's bedroom to make room for Cyrus' new crib, and I'm moving clothes from this closet to that closet... you know.

So here it is after 9 pm and I still have to scoop litter and get ready for a 5:00 am alarm clock assault. Where does the weekend go?