mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Wearing the Bulletproof Vest
July 10, 2016
— 1 Comment
Oakmont police force 1947
When I was growing up in a small suburb of Pittsburgh my town had a small police department. Oakmont was so small that neighborhood policing was natural, as well as the only option. Everyone knew everyone’s business and everyone’s children. The photo above of the 1947 Oakmont force with the mayor was only a few years before I took up residence in the town. This was taken, no doubt, on Memorial Day after the parade at the cemetery. This is probably all the motorcycle cops, with the mayor in the middle. None of the people in this picture could have imagined how much the role of the police would change in society.
motorcycle cops today
I had a frank discussion recently with Officer Marquis, who is a motorcycle cop at TPD. I asked him what it is like to wear the vest. His answers surprised me because he brought up an issue I had never considered. He told me how hot it makes him. OMG, you are out in Tucson in the summer wearing leather boots, and now you need to add a ceramic vest to protect your vital organs!!! How cruel and unusual can your job be? I was just thinking about the way the weight compresses the spine, but he made me see another way the vest has unintended consequences. The K9s are not allowed to wear their vests for too long because it will overheat and damage their organs and possibly their brains. Meanwhile, we are roasting our human cops. Officer Marquis wears a lighter style vest with ceramic inserts that he adds when he wears it. I think this eliminates a few ounces of the total burden..but then there is the physical mastery of the bike, which is heavy in itself. Tough job.
We talked about his bike and other interesting stuff. He seemed pretty happy about his job, despite the roasting factor. I asked him if he feels like a target (this was months before the world truly went barbaric). He said yes. On his motorcycle he is obviously less protected than the car cops. He was not complaining and I am absolutely sure he would not have brought the subject up had I not done so. I went on to ask a couple more cops that day if they felt like targets. The other two said no, but I wonder what they might answer now, after the the violent events of last week. All cops have to feel like victims now, because it is a very reasonable assessment of the situation that prevails.
The lady cop vests look particularly uncomfortable. I am not sure how they are fitted, but this lady told me hers was as long as possible (makes sense). She said she does not feel like a target. I was apparently the only person from the fashion police who had ever asked her about it. It does not flatter the female figure, to say the least. Even Jessica Rabbit would look like the Marshmallow guy from Ghostbusters in the lady cop vest. This lady cop wears hers well and does not mind wearing it, but one can only imagine how attractive she is in real life.
lady in vest
I have become obsessed with this vest question. It is symbolic as well as physical. It does compress their spine and add weight for their skeleton to carry, as well as keep them safe. It heats them up and makes it hard to cool down. The looney in Dallas wore one himself. In Tucson the cops have to pay for their own because city taxes are not set aside for that. I am shocked that the city can get away with that. In private industry I don’t think you can demand that workers risk their lives and BYO safety equipment. Can you think of an example of that, gentle reader?
I doubt that people here know that there is a charitable organization here with a purpose of providing the vests to the individual cops. Adopt-a-Cop is the program provide this necessary safety equipment to the force, since as taxpayers we are not even doing THAT. We need to step up to solve our civil unrest problems on all sides. This seems like a basic step to take, Tucson. Let’s buy them vests. Then let’s get some new politicians who will put the vests in the city’s budget.
When Does The Ship Come In?
July 9, 2016
— 3 Comments
Pacific
When I was a freshman a the University of Texas at Austin in 1968 I was an idealist. I was a folk singer, hum dinger. I protested the war in Viet Nam and civil rights atrocities. We thought that an egalitarian, high minded society was just around the corner. We thought the empire of fascist evil would end as soon as Barry Goldwater died. We knew less about world affairs then, but we knew that war was not only the only true sin amount nations, but also unconstitutional in the way it was being waged with no declaration. Since 1968 the United States has been at war with at least one part of the world all the time. Peace has not been achieved, and civil rights have been all but forgotten. Now we have the for profit prison system to mass incarcerate people of color, and laws designed specifically to feed that system. Our war on drugs has produced an epidemic of cheap heroin and an addiction crisis.
I was too young to march on Washington in 1963. I was busy living as an ex-pat petroleum princess in Venezuela. I spent a lot of time listening to Radio Havana because it was the only station that we got with a strong signal on the radio. I usually turned it off when Fidel went off on his speeches, but I liked the music from Cuba. Back in those days Venezuela had a natural contempt for Cuba and Fidel, and dependence on oil companies for their entire economy. This worked very well for the preteen petroleum princess, but not so well for the impoverished worker class. Like the historical Buddha I was exposed to suffering I never could have imagined in the world. The really interesting part was that my parents had no problem with the semi slavery and obscene show of wealth we enjoyed. I didn’t either until I thought about it. Now my own country has almost the same level of income disparity I observed in 1963 in Venezuela. The hippies have not yet accomplished our mission. I wonder if in the chaos and violence of this time, so similar to 1968, we might finally see the ship come in. The whole wide world is certainly watching.
Pacific
Mind the Gap #NoJustice
July 8, 2016
— 5 Comments
There are gaps of understanding between the citizens and the police. This has always been the case. Today we face an ever growing divide that makes everyone in the United States vulnerable to senseless violence and hate crimes of all kinds.
We have a new police chief in Tucson who has come to teach us neighborhood policing. When he held up a hashtag sign in his former town of Richmond, California, he was criticized widely across the nation for betraying cops. The Police Union in Tucson soundly rejected his bid to become chief over this sign. Thank goodness they lost the battle and Chief Magnus has started the very serious task of bringing our cops together in unity not only with each other but, for the first time, with the community. He has reorganized the department, focusing on more stable local assignments so the cops learn more about the same area all the time. He has eliminated some of the “specialties”, as recommended by the DOJ’s 21st Century Guidelines for Policing, in order to make each cop more full service and user friendly. He knew he was moving to a much bigger city, but I don’t think he could have imagined how much we needed him down here in Tucson. This will be a very big job for him, but I am glad he has started it.
Chris Magnus
Welcome to Tucson, Chief Chris,”357″,Magnus. You are just what the doctor ordered.
Slipping Standards of American Justice
July 7, 2016
— 4 Comments
The daily reports of violence make life in America scary and real. I see the trend that has been targeting young black males, but I am a little old lady, as WASP as WASP can be. I do not trust the police as far as I can throw them. They make my neighborhood very unsafe by refusing to respond when crime is reported. I don’t fear brutality, but everyone where I live has suffered years of police mendacity that has destroyed any trust there might have been in our local law enforcement agencies. The new sliding scale introduced for the unprecedented Hillary e mail case is all about intent. Now it is more important to decide if the entity meant do violate laws rather than to know if laws were broken. That is how there can be a homicide with no person who committed it. The crazy trend to reach a verdict without any trial or jury, by letting the FBI decide, or by letting cops murder people without even arresting them has gone way too far. We are not safe in our homes or on the streets of our cities. The system is not rigged, per se, it is just entirely corrupt. It is not a matter of good cop/bad cop. It is a dysfunctional system that is not attached to justice, but to a separate reality in which there is no law but their opinion. My Puritan ancestors would plotz to know what has become of their nation.
What would the ancestors do?
- Create a public school system for the purpose of teaching civics
- Reward those who tattle on any infraction of the law
- Publicly shame those who break the law
- Keep a very close watch on the constable to avoid corruption
- Make every man woman and child defend the nation through service
- Punish everyone who deviated from their religious beliefs (that was where they lost it and went off the rails)
We can never go back to colonial America to find out how we lost our ethical boundaries and our civil rights. Murders by cop are live streamed to the world today. I have not watched this last one because I saw the one from Baton Rouge yesterday, and I can’t take in another one. The victim’s mother has decided not to watch it for her own mental health. We need to find a way to stop the bloodbath. I am calling on all my relations to give me insight into this crisis.
white senior issues
The Road to Truth is Paved by Politicians
May 10, 2016
— 4 Comments
vehicle
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not sharing.”
The Buddha
The truth for a grade school student is not the same as the truth for a senior citizen. Perspective is the reason we believe one thing or another at any given time. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. This means that we have more knowledge of the bigger picture as we mature and travel along the road to truth. We should be acquiring sophistication and compassion for other living things as we become more visionary on this path. Observation of the world political situation leads us to believe that we are failing at that mission. We have wandered off the route into unmapped territory. Dark ignorance and evil intent appear to be taking ground in the battle against harmony and peace.
In all fairy tales and mythology the hero learns from tragic mistakes. At the end of the story the moral is clear and the lesson is imprinted in the mind of the audience. Once committed the hero has no choice. Like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, the hero is taught mastery through trust in divine guidance in freaky circumstances. He fights the symbolic battles he finds obstructing his way. The hero is fated to go all the way. That is what distinguishes his character from others. He finishes the difficult job, then shares the wisdom he has found within his quest. He saves the day and teaches an important social and political object lesson to the people.
Action without attachment was the lesson Krishna taught Arjuna during the heat of battle. It is impossible to know the moral of a story until it ends, so it is imperative that the hero finish his job. As I experience the presidential politics of 2016 I certainly hope there is a blue guy driving the chariot who will lead us into a surprise ending. These are certainly freaky circumstances with strong catalytic tendencies. How do you think this story will end, gentle reader? Fill in the blank.
Insight
New Rule: 250 Steps An Hour
May 5, 2016
calories in
During my month as a poet I lost count of calories. They (the calories) did not forget about me. The extras have lodged themselves around my waist, as my jeans alerted me this week. I need to get back on track, and Fitbit has improved my ability to do so. This morning Fitbit informed me that since our relationship began I have walked 1,997 miles, which means now I am over 2000 miles charted, graphed and tracked for my information.
While I have been wearing the device my needs have changed over time, and my involvement with recording data has varied from close attention to nothing. I used to record my water drinking and all my food, as well as my water exercise when the Fitbit was not on my wrist. My enthusiasm for this lagged and my need to get sounder sleep became the most urgent need I had. During our time of doggie hospice last year I had to get up many times during the night, and I was very upset about the end of our dog’s life. My sleep, usually my finest talent, had gone to hell. The sleep recording feature of my device became a real help as I tried different methods of improving my sleep. I figured out that honey before bed and during the night when I let the dog out seriously helped the ability to rest soundly.
Now I am back to being a star sleeper, but need to get back on track with a healthy weight loss program. New aspects of the feedback are helping me do that very effectively. In order to decrease the evils inflicted upon us by the sedentary life the new rule is to move at least 250 steps each hour. My daily goal is 10,000 steps, so obviously I need to move more than 250 steps some hours. The reminder to log those 250 steps gets me up from my desk or the evening news and gets me to move. It only takes about 2 minutes to take 250 steps. I find that once I have started to move I end up moving for at least 1000 steps before returning to my seat. At the end of the day there is a very helpful chart with active versus sedentary time spent. At 11:30 am I show 37% active and 63% stationary. I also can see a comparison between todays active total and my 30 day average. In the past when I finished my daily goal I felt free to let sloth take over the agenda for the rest of my day. Now I feel the need to get my 250 steps every hour and move that ratio of active/stationary in favor the more movement.
There is news on the calorie front as well. The dashboard now calculates not only the calories burned but also calories left to be burned. If food is logged there is also a comparison of calories consumed vs those burned. This is why I need to begin to record my diet again. I find it very helpful to see how many calories I still need to use to come out even for the day. Right now, although I have finished 10,605 steps, my calories are not yet half used…1,098 burned, 1380 still remain to be spent. New research shows that short intense blasts of exercise achieve much more than had previously been believed. I have new thoughts on this matter. I am going to concentrate on making sure I get in 250 steps during my waking hours, with an emphasis on sprinting. I think what is best for my body is a hard aerobic sprint every hour, and I now have the tools to remind me and reward me for this behavior. I am highly motivated by charts. Lucky me. I plan to sync my data as well as my attention to Fitbit for the greatest benefit. Do you use a tracking device, gentle reader? What do you like best about it?
Dashboard 2016-05-05 at 11.55.55 AM
Willful Blindness and Inertia
May 4, 2016
sundial
As individuals and as groups we all have blind spots. We accept beliefs without knowing all the facts simply because it is impossible to know all the facts. Especially in institutional settings we excuse resistance to change as part of keeping to tradition. If we look back in history we will notice that over time what was at one time considered to be true is now regarded as folly. Tradition is one thing and resistance to reality is quite another matter. Institutions protect dysfunctional operations not out of pride, but out of lack of awareness. The set it and forget it attitude runs strong in institutions and government agencies. It takes some tragic outcome to bring about change in some cases. It is impossible to observe one’s own actions if one is willfully blind. Thus, the blindness begets more blindness, becoming contagious.
What would Sir Isaac Newton think about the conditions that prevail?
- The body at rest is our culture, willfully ignoring our real situation
- The forces at work driving our society to move are all profit motivated
- Every profit has an equal and opposite loss to the environment/humans
No matter who wins the scary American presidential election now taking place, the financial and environmental imbalance will be rampant around the world. Balance can only be restored through awareness and planning. Without a plan we will careen ever closer to entropy. The solution is pre-political. Our awareness needs to cover all the people places and things with which we have contact. This energy drain, or misappropriated energy, is needed for the good of the entire planet in order to restore some kind of equilibrium. Plug the leaks in your own boat today. We are taking on water and listing to port.
door in the darkness
How to Showcase Your Ignorance
April 19, 2016
— 1 Comment
Ignorance
Set your own priorities with no regard for reality or truth
Walk backwards into situations, the blind back of your head leading
Make sure you ignore the voices pleading, the garden in need of weeding
Blame poorly informed decisions and disruptive behaviors on the youth
Take no responsibility for the results of your actions, causes or effects
Turn your face in both directions speaking platitudes while thinking even worse
Ethical boundaries destroyed and forgotten by superstitious unconscious curse
Thoughts drift in the back door of imaginary enemies and fraudulent respects
NaPoWriMo2016
Join the poetry fiesta all month in April at #NaPoWriMo . Submit your own poems and read the work of other poets.
Instant
April 8, 2016
— 1 Comment
blurry flowers
woman with vessel
Wake and take in the surroundings, sift them through a fine sieve
Look for the truth as it encompasses the conversation and the will
Harmony and dissonance find places in the choir, singing praise and doubt
Words without meaning come pouring out of mouths fed with rhetoric
No thinking behind the listless existence slumping along the time line
History will remember how complicated and yet how vapid we have been
Preening our personal images and treasuries for self sustenance
We fail to notice that everything is connected to everything, us included
Tragic environmental horrors are being concocted to torture the future
While we wait for somebody else to be present and stay present in this instant
NaPoWriMo2016
The poetry party is rolling across the internet in April. Join the fun by submitting a poem, attending a local event, or just reading something new. Find out how to participate at #NaPoWriMo. You may find out that you are a poet!!!
Little Old Ladies, Laughing, and Lunch
March 28, 2016
— 5 Comments
not real dogs
About two years ago some friends and I were gathered at my house to taste homemade bitters. Bitters making is kind of complicated, yet once you make a batch it becomes easier. Even though we only tested very small spoonfuls in fizzy water, the base for bitters is alcohol and some of us are pretty light weight when it comes to consumption of spirits. We started to joke around and laugh a bit more than usual as the tasting progressed. Our police chief at the time had been invited to the White House for lunch. I joked that there was no way he would have the nerve to come to lunch with us in our neighborhood. A few weeks after the bitters party Tucson Police Department joined our local Nextdoor private social media thread. The chief introduced himself to the city on Nextdoor. I could not resist the temptation to send him a direct message inviting him to come to lunch at my house and take a look at the evidence I had been trying to show TPD for years. It was no surprise that he did not respond. We knew he did not have the guts to come out here in person to face us or look at the evidence we wanted him to see.
We have a problem with response time here in our city. Most are concerned with the lack of response to 911 calls, but here we we just trying to get a response after years of working to get some rule of law in our area. We had been reporting the same crimes by the same people for years, but could not get any help stopping the crimes or the 24 traffic caused by the criminal operations. We petitioned the mayor because he is a lawyer. We thought he would recognize the need for law enforcement to stop traffic from crimes where we live. He never answered after a couple of different petitions were sent to his attention, two years in a row. It was disappointing to say the least. I was called by a detective who blew off the reports of crimes. The following year when we petitioned the mayor a Lieutenant on the force called to say inviting the public to drive through and donate to a charity scam is perfectly legal in a residential condo village, but I might be able to get some help from the IRS. I did file a report with the IRS, and followed up with more information when there was more activity, but I guess the case has not been pursued.
Finally after years of reporting this problem to the city in all different departments TPD dispatched a cop in person to assess the situation. Later a mental health team was dispatched last week to assess my wellness level for wanting and expecting rule of law in midtown Tucson. I passed the crazy test as a frustrated tax paying citizen who had been reporting the same crimes for years with no response from our city government. I hope they will be as interested in finding justice as they have been in obstructing it for years. Our neighborhood has been damaged by the constant flow of traffic.
