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mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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Authority Issues in America

November 26, 2014 — 1 Comment

America has major authority issues. If we look at law enforcement as a human body with a single anatomy we see ailing, weak systems.  Eric Holder is the lame duck head of the brain of the body.  He will leave office without prosecuting bankers who drove the country over the financial edge with gambling and mendacity.  The next US Attorney General will serve for a couple of years and then we presume another will be appointed by the next president.  The brain function at a national level seems fuzzy if not corrupt.  Balance is impaired as a result.  The core strength seems very weak and lacking integrity.  The voice is breaking as it speaks.  We do not trust people in authority to tell the truth or follow a code of ethics.  We rely on the institutions of law enforcement and justice, but do not believe they are functional.  This is a highly unsustainable situation. I live in the state of Arizona, famous for making our own immigration laws.  We are also famous for Joe Arpaio, the Maricopa County Sheriff who loves to defy the Feds.  The Tucson sector of the US border, named for my home city, is responsible for a high volume of traffic in smuggling of drugs and people.  This has been true traditionally for many reasons.  The geography here favors the smuggler, and Mexico does not lack tunnel engineers or builders.  Cartel power trumps Mexican law enforcement to the point that it is dangerous to expose or oppose the profitable business of smuggling on the other side.  It would be crazy to believe that there is not some corruption in the US that smoothes the way for contraband to flow through Arizona.  This is a very complex economy that  existed long before the border wall or the concept known as “Homeland Security”. Economic security in Arizona had long depended on a whole lot of unreported income and undocumented workers to stay afloat.  To reverse this trend is a very difficult task. How can we restore trust and build integrity within our law enforcement institutions now?  I do not accept the idea that crime and injustice must continue to blight the nation.  I believe all of us, in and out of authority positions, have been complacent and apathetic.  If we view the crisis in law enforcement as a Missouri thing, with no impact on our daily lives, we will perpetuate our current problems.  I am not optimistic about change, but feel strongly that we must attempt it.  Do you trust the police where you live, gentle reader?  Do you feel protected by the courts?  Does America feel like the land of the free and the home of the brave to you?

City Connect, Enhancing Communication Between Law Enforcement and Citizens

November 25, 2014 — 2 Comments

City Connect

City Connect

I just learned about an app called City Connect that creates two way communication between citizens and cities.  Our neighbors have been using Nextdoor, an app which connects neighbors for private secure communication.  Our police department in Tucson joined Nextdoor in September, and has been using it to update the public on crime and safety issues.  Nextdoor keeps private the neighbors’ interaction unless it is in response to an officer’s post.  This system is excellent for building community and better communication between neighbors.  It allows the police to give us vital information if an emergency should occur, and update us about crime trends and how to avoid being victims of those trends.

Nextdoor discussions range from yard sales to lost turkeys.  I think our greatest achievement to date was the safe return of Lurkey the Turkey who escaped from his own yard, was spotted running up the street, captured, and lived to tell the story.  Lurkey would have been a goner in this hood full of coyotes if neighborhood spirit had not saved his feathered tail to gobble another day.  We have more members all the time, and the ability to communicate does enhance our safety and quality of life.  I look forward to the growth and strengthening of Nextdoor in Tucson. We have just begun to use this fun and powerful digital tool.

We learned through an officer’s post on Nextdoor that City Connect offers a full menu of information about the TPD, everything you ever wanted to know. The one stop shop for information about the police and what they are doing includes:

  • The twitter feed is active with traffic and crime data as well as department news
  • The Facebook page has frequent updates and requests for information on specific incidents.
  • They have a Youtube channel in the menu with some instructional videos and some surveillance threads.
  • The best and most revolutionary, in my opinion, is the  highly simplified format to either submit a tip, which you can track by password, or report a problem by e mail.  Many crimes or suspicious activities go unreported because it is not convenient and people don’t want to interact with cops.  This app allows photo evidence submission and your choice of contact methods, right on the phone.  It is clear that city law enforcement in my city and across the nation can use some positive innovation and transparent communication.
  • The crime reports map shows details on reported crimes in your area as well as sex offenders living nearby.  Using the GPS you can see the exact distance from your home and the kind of offense.  We are big this week on assaults, but also have some reported theft.  This very nifty interactive map allows you to create a digital alert in real time or report information you my have pertaining to a specific reported incident (or sex offender). This feature makes it super easy to track what is happening close to your home, and possibly contribute to solving active cases.

Your city has to be a participant and have loaded up their profiles, etc. for you to be able to use this system.  I am very pleased that our police department has taken this step to make communication smoother and easier. I think it will grow in popularity because it aggregates information in one place, and makes participation quick and painless. The same company has created another app called Citizens Connect, to enhance communication about civic matters.  That sounds good too.  Do any of the gentle readers have experience with either one of these apps?  I think they are brilliant.

Citizens Connect

Citizens Connect

Giving Thanks for Less

November 18, 2014 — 5 Comments

chiles from the garden

chiles from the garden

Tucson winter

Tucson winter

 

I am pleased that our household is free to interpret holidays in our own way, which might include not at all. When I was younger I had many family gatherings at my house with heavy responsibility and expense. I am thankful that I am free of that kind obligation now. Good or bad, the traditions that my parents embraced are not my own. Bob and I live in a city with wonderful dining and entertainment options. We like the idea of supporting those local business owners who provide happy hours, dinners, and delicious lunches. We normally buy some gift cards this time of year when the restaurants offer discounts. It is a fun way for us to make plans to do something special together and save a few bucks at the same time. This year the restaurant we chose is excluding the use of the gift card on holidays and special occasions. At first I was miffed because we had planned to go on Thanksgiving. Upon consideration we realized we don’t even like to celebrate on the real day because it is always crowded with all the servers stressed. We will just go the night before or the day after the real holiday for our party and have the restaurant to ourselves.

This philosophy is catching on quickly here.  Rather than bring out lots of decorations for the house I am doing a full deep cleaning and clearing of our home.  We have very little space now because we have crammed things into every corner and cabinet.  We love art, but can’t find a place to display what we already own.  It makes no sense for us  to acquire more. The most impressive and useful gift I can think of for our home is a serious removal of clutter and junk from top to bottom.  We need a big haul to the Goodwill much more than any shopping trip for new items.  We are not cutting corners on anything we like, want, or need.  We just don’t want or need a busy expensive winter season.  I am ready for the holidays because I don’t build any false obligations or social pressure.

Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus

Here at our house we celebrate by:

  • sharing happy hour at home with friends
  • making our own holiday hootch to toast the season
  • avoiding driving
  • filling our home with music and scent
  • gifting small homemade items to a few people

I am thankful for my stress free life.  Less is the best for me.  Is there anything you could easily eliminate to make this time of year less stressful?

Tucson sunset

Tucson sunset

Officer Evo, My Dream Cop

November 2, 2014 — 4 Comments

Yesterday I met Canine Officer Evo of the Tucson Police Department. He and his human trainer were at the Cops and Rodders Car Show.  This free annual event is sponsored by the Tucson Police Foundation.  My partner Bob always brings his antique VW bug to be in the show and I always attend.  This year was graced with perfect weather and some really artful vehicles of every kind.  My favorite collection this year was old firetruck and cop car toys that a regular exhibitor brought just do try something different.  It was also especially lucky because the restored firetruck that normally sits in the lobby at station one permanently happened to to out for some kind of repair, so the retired firefighter who works on this beauty drove it over to the park to be in the show.  I love all the firetrucks. They are spectacular works of mechanical art.  I was thrilled to have a chance to meet and ask questions of the retired firefighter who has done the body work on these antiques and is rightfully proud of his work.

The police are set up to meet the public and answer questions all day.  They are divided into specialties according to training and equipment they use.  The SWAT team is very popular because the robots interact with kids and pass a bottle of hand sanitizer, etc.  They dress up in jumpsuits and stand next to their big vehicle.  The helicopter lands and the crew hangs out all day.   People love looking inside the cockpit and meeting the cops on our local beat, since they are usually flying over us shining big obtrusive lights around our hood.  There is a booth with their heavy military artillery, a place with TPD recruiting information.  At the end of the display I spotted a woman wearing a walking patrol uniform.  I asked where she gets to do that, and the answer was downtown and 4th Avenue, a more urban part of town.  The same officers do bike and walking patrols.  We had a few in midtown and really wanted more on duty here, but they were canceled.  Now we have no boots on the ground in midtown, which we regret because air support can only accomplish so much without a coalition on the ground to hold the territory.  We have the helicopter on a very regular basis, but are not comforted by our relationship with it.  It does not make any sense to us to cancel bike cops because the budget is too tight, and use the helicopter instead.  There is such a thing as efficiency.  I was feeling annoyed, as I often am, at the priorities (or total lack thereof)  of government spending when I saw him, everything I have ever wanted in a police officer.

Evo rules

Evo rules

The canine unit has only 10 dogs.  Not all of them are social, and therefore would not be brought out to meet and greet the pubic. Evo, however, is a total party animal.  I had no idea they were loving, or that they even were allowed to party with the public.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I came down to his level to say hi to him and was given big fat kisses all over my face.  He just would not stop with the kissing while he showed me his tummy.  We played for a minute and I fell deeply in love with him while his other fans waited to meet him.  From little kids to adults, he charmed the humans as no other cop there had the power to do.  His trainer opened the back of his car so his fans could see how he rides and answered the millions of questions we had.  A very loud and aggressive lemonade vendor came by shouting out his wares.  He meant no harm, but his shouting voice was out of place.  Officer Evo did not bark to react like a pet dog might, but you should have seen him come to attention.  His ears went shooting up and he left his PR job completely to focus on the risk the lemonade guy might pose.  At that moment he displayed situational awareness the humans just can’t achieve.  He had been there winning hearts and minds since 7:30 am when I met him about 2 in the afternoon.  He showed infinite patience and stamina.  Of course he is much younger than the human cops.  He is only 4.

I learned a lot yesterday even though I just went to see the vehicles.  I came away with the following impressions:

  • Bike cops would fit into the budget if we just get rid of a bunch of their cars and make them ride bikes in the hood
  • We need well trained expensive bomb squads and assault rifles and helicopters, but not for primary care law enforcement
  • If we put cameras on cops, sent them out on bikes, and deputized them to do code enforcement, they could do double duty working eliminate the slummy conditions that make the crime so endemic in the first place.
  • If we hired more dogs and fewer humans we could get a lot more bang (or bark) for our tax buck.

I would like to see more paws and boots on the ground in midtown.  Can I get an Amen?? If you don’t live in Tucson, gentle reader, then this may not seem to apply to you.  Your city may also do inappropriate law enforcement stuff rather than more effective stuff just because they can.  If they don’t, you are fortunate.

Conserving Tucson

October 27, 2014 — 2 Comments

home tour

home tour

composting toilet

composting toilet

hand washing

hand washing

okra

okra

chicken run

chicken run

We attended the open house and garden tour offered by Watershed Management Group in Tucson this weekend.  We are interested in finding ways to improve our soil and conserve rain water since we live in a time of drought in the desert.  We have come a long way toward awareness that we need to make use of the storm water that causes erosion and lots of damage to our paved streets.  There is still a lot of work to be done, but the interest is growing and the available resources are expanding.  Home owners who contribute labor to projects at the homes of others can earn credit toward completing their own projects though the Green Living coop program at Watershed Management.  Volunteer opportunities abound, and the coop gives homeowners a more thrifty alternative to hiring a contractor.

The homeowners were gracious showing us gardens, chickens and systems they have installed to capture grey water and rain water.  The outdoor bathroom with solar shower and composting toilet was comfortable and had no objectionable smell at all.  The agriculture thrives with the help of extra rain water.  The plants show obvious signs of good health.  Our favorite home display was the aquaponic garden.  This system uses a few fish to provide the food needed to grow plants in water.  The cascading system is very low in water use since it is all recycled and pumped through the fish tank and back to the garden all the time. We would love to have a system like this, and will go back to visit the aquaponic system to investigate getting our own.  The homeowner also had some ingenious use of rainwater for orchard trees and a wood fired hot tub with a charcoal filter system.

aquaponics

aquaponics

IMG_1469

aquaponic kale

aquaponic kale

wood fired hot tub

wood fired hot tub

 

The most developed and well funded display we visited was the Nature Conservancy headquarters.  They have taken out the asphalt, installed giant cisterns under the parking lot and in metal tanks.  The parking structures are solar electric panels that provide most of the electricity for the facility.  The mission of the Conservancy is wonderfully fulfilled by the educational aspects of the campus.  The public can visit and learn about water harvesting and conservation any time, but during the harvest tour we were accompanied by a docent who was very well informed and helpful.  This well respected institution takes the lead in teaching and practicing ecological sanity.  The building itself was built from recycled materials.  The non native plants were removed in favor of native landscaping.  We are lucky to have this shining example of conservation in our city.

cistern Nature Conservancy

cistern Nature Conservancy

solar electric

solar electric

cistern

cistern

Nature Conservancy

Nature Conservancy

Nature Conservancy

Nature Conservancy

Nature Conservancy

Nature Conservancy

 

Food for Ascension, Tucson

October 21, 2014 — 4 Comments

On 7th Street near 4th Avenue in Tucson stands a Moorish style building complex that has housed a dance/movement/or yoga studio as long as I can remember. Today the space is serving as a gallery, coffee shop, and farm to table restaurant as well as providing space for movement classes and other events. Today I tried Food for Ascension for the first time and I am very happy I did. This place has several qualities that set it apart from other restaurants in the area. The fact that all the food comes from no more than 150 miles away is notable. The pure plant based recipes sometimes include eggs, but substitutions can be made for vegans and the gluten free people. The menu is short but several daily specials as well as a good selection of small plates provide more than enough variety. I could not choose, so I ordered two entrees knowing I would bring some home with me. Servings were generous. My server suggested the half order of biscuits and gravy because she could tell I was going to have plenty of food.  She was right about that.

biscuits and gravy

biscuits and gravy

She brought a bottle of water, which I always appreciate, and I enjoyed the wonderful view while a waited for my root and seed burger.  At this intersection it is possible to see a least a little of three different mountain ranges that surround out city.  Being upstairs to dine is truly a pleasure, especially when the weather is perfect like it was for lunch today.  The domes and the downtown skyline view, along with 4th Avenue bustle make ascension to the upper deck a super treat.  Perched above the noise of the street with plants and servers who make you feel very well attended is like finding a secret hide away in downtown.  I plan to go often to try everything on the menu.

root and seed burger

root and seed burger

I can report that the innovation and care is obvious in the food preparation.  Both burger and biscuits arrived hot and beautifully presented.  I made my way through about half of each of them, and was super satisfied as well as stuffed.  The root and seed burger had great texture, unlike the mushy veggie burger that can sometimes happen. This flavorful version had a nice char and crust on the outside which is a big plus.  The fresh greens on the plate had a lemon vinaigrette dressing that made it work as a salad, but also was tasty when applied to the sandwich as extra stuffing.  The oyster mushroom gravy on the sage biscuits was delightful. The sage flavor is strong in the biscuit, but it is complimented perfectly by the rich gravy.  It is highly evocative of Thanksgiving, with no turkey involved.  I loved both the dishes, and may have trouble choosing between them the next time I order.   I packed the rest..well, the gravy was kind of gone…to take home for Bob to taste.  I am excited to return with him next time because I know he will like it, and they do have some very rich desserts on the menu that will make him happy.  I was way too full to try any of that today.  I have found a new favorite spot, and am a little surprised it took me so long.  Food for Ascension has been open for about a year.  If you have a chance to try the food, as well as the fabulous ascension, I recommend it.  Take the upgrade, Tucson!

Fall Food Fiesta, Pecans

September 30, 2014 — 2 Comments

Pecans grow abundantly in Arizona, with large commercial groves to be found both north and south of the city of Tucson.  Green Valley Pecan Company is the largest pecan farm in the world.  I love the organic pecans from our neighbors just 20 minutes south of Tucson.  They sponsor the Sahuarita Pecan Festival to celebrate the harvest and get festive with the local population.  This year the festival will take place Nov. 8, 2014 from 9 am to 5 pm at the farm.  Parking is free until 8:30 am, and $5 per car after that time.  I adore food festivals.  I am a bigger fan of nuts than I am of wine, so this local festival is particularly appealing to me.  I am not waiting to start eating my organic Green Valley pecans.  I have already polished off half of the first bag I purchased eating them straight up. That is honestly my favorite way to have them.  I do cook with them, and when I was in Austin this summer I heard about a pecan syrup being used in bourbon cocktails that intrigued me.  My friend made a wonderful concoction of bitters by using a whole pecan in the shell as one of the local ingredients she was testing.  The flavor of the nut came out nicely in the final product, the shell lending some bitter notes.  My mother used to shell loads of pecans each year and give them to me as a holiday gift.  It was the best thing she gave me, and she kept doing it until she was very old.  She would spend a month or so shelling pecans in the fall for her holiday gifting.  She was from Texas, so I imagine this came from her childhood.  She made a decent pecan pie, but my mother, Ruby, specialized in pralines.  She made no other kind of candy, and it only happened once a year (for the holiday gifts).  She put pecans in her fruitcakes too, but then she ruined them with fruitcake (I was never a fan of this extremely labor intensive preparation).

Here are some savory examples of pecans for fall festivities:

Most of the classic pecan recipes are for sweets:

If you have made the ice cream you can them have a:

What is your favorite way to enjoy pecans, Gentle Reader?

Whistle Blowing 101

September 22, 2014 — 4 Comments

IRS

IRS

The first and the only rule in whistle blowing is: Never stop!!!! The second rule that I have learned is: Contact the Department of the Treasury.   I have had to blow the same whistle about the same crimes being committed by the same people in the same place for over a  decade. Finally, I think I have reached an organization interested in enforcing the law. The United States Department of the Treasury has seen it all, and knows from experience how corrupt government can be. The Royal Canadian Mounties may always get their man, but the IRS always gets their (our) money. I have been frustrated that none of our public officials or law enforcement agencies is interested in stopping obvious crime, but I now have a more realistic view of what to expect from the people I pay to enforce the law. It is naive to think that intense corruption that obstructs justice and fails the public trust does not exist at every level of our government.

I have lived next door to a charity scam operated by our HOA board for more than 10 years. My first request for help was to the local city Council member, Karin Uhlich. She never responded to dozens of requests over more than 5 years. Her assistant, who lives around the corner from me and is a “neighborhood outreach” employee has never been able to respond to the many requests I made for her to look at the evidence. I contacted John McCain two or three times with no response. I called and e mailed Ron Barber to try to get some help for the crime situation in our neighborhood. His office had the nerve to ask me how I liked the customer service from his office when I contacted it. I said I gave them an F since they never responded at all. They never responded to that either.  The Tucson Police Department has willfully denied these crimes by creating a fake neighborhood watch comprised of only the criminals involved in the HOA board.  They then go ahead and ask for a grant from the Feds to willfully ignore federal crimes and call that neighborhood policing. Dozens of requests to the TPD have been willfully ignored until last spring when Lt Frank Hand begrudgingly admitted that charity scamming is criminal and gave me the correct form to contact the IRS to claim a reward and stop the crimes.  I had made attempts to tell the IRS many times, but Lt. Frank gave me the secret key to success…they only respond to the correct form.  I filed the form and within about 3 months I had a response.  This was heavenly after so many years.  If I had it to do again I would physically camp at the IRS until I had a chance to submit evidence.  I completely understand why Edward Snowden chose to tattle outside the country.  Doing so to the agency invested in the corruption can only end in heartache.

The neighbors here petitioned the mayor of Tucson, who is a lawyer and should be able to discern crime from charity, for two years before officer Frank called me.  The cops are not lawyers, so we think the mayor has responsibility to end obstruction of justice rather than participate in it.  The sad news is that our government is not open to hearing evidence that will show how unethical it is.  It will go to great lengths to deny reality if that reality includes crimes committed in broad daylight by our public officials.  It is a shared deluded consciousness that endangers our society.  Who knew you could be made so happy by a letter from the Internal Revenue Service???

No Kid Hungry Dine Out

September 12, 2014 — 7 Comments

No Kid Hungry

No Kid Hungry

This week you can dine lavishly so that others may simply dine. We have a problem feeding hungry children in the United States. This should be an embarrassment to the wealthy.  If you feel that you can help this worthy cause by just taking your restaurant business to a participating local partner this week, please do. Just enter the zip code where you live and you will discover which places are involved in your area.  When you mention the program your partner restaurant will make a donation to No Kid Hungry based on the amount you spend.   In our area the participating businesses are mostly bagels, Denny’s, and pizza.  One of the pizza places making donations is near our home and we have never eaten their famous coal fired pizza.

Grimaldi’s Coal Fired Brick Oven will be whipping out some weekend party food for our house.  They are a chain, but a relatively small one.  Here is a glimpse of the Grimaldi’s in Denver:

I look forward to trying the crispy crust, but even more I will keep them in mind because they are supporting this very worthy cause.  I like to spend my money where my mouth is…in this case many mouths will benefit.  Join me this week to help end childhood hunger, while I deal with our adult hunger in a creative and tasty way.

Penca, Downtown Tucson

September 8, 2014 — 1 Comment

Our Sunday brunch today was exciting new and different. We went downtown to Penca, a restaurant we have been wanting to try.  We both loved our experience and want to return very soon and often.  The cuisine is labeled Mexico City style, but it is also a very fine example of fresh combinations and very artful mixology.  Our favorite Mexican restaurant in Tucson burned to the ground a few months ago, so we have been hunting for a new one.  Penca wins for many different reasons.  The decor is post industrial modern with as much of the old building in tact as possible for style.  The design successfully tells you that the place has a unique flavor and point of view.  It is refreshing after so many meals in the corny Mexican restaurant decor with pictures of parrots and Javier Solis. (not that I want to get rid of that forever).  The open kitchen also sends the smells of the kitchen wafting through the space in just the right way to make you hungry.

The restaurant is housed in a building that was once owned by the Graham Truck Company.  The brick openings  still visible on the walls are large enough for vehicles to pass.  The  designer did a great job of keeping the industrial feel with plenty of metal features.  I particularly love the swiveling doors that can create privacy in an area in the back for parties or events.  The mural on the wall is the street view of the building in the past.  They warm up the room and the acoustics by using wood for tables, walls and the bar.  It feels spacious because the ceilings are high.  The exposed duct work becomes a design element and sets a modern tone.

We arrived before the crowd arrived and therefore had very personal service.  The chef dropped by our table to chat, which was fun and informative.  He let me know that the dish I had ordered, the corn cakes with chalula butter and jalapeño syrup with a side of 2 eggs and some black beans, was his favorite on the menu.  He also told me to get a side of Chalula to add to the flavor.  This was the perfect suggestion for me because although the butter had some heat, and the syrup also, the complete sweet and heat balance was brought out by using that extra hot sauce.  I loved the whole thing. Bob had to help me finish after he enjoyed his own pork hash breakfast.

One reason we favor this as our new Mexican restaurant is the creativity at the bar.  When I was first told about the place my friend mentioned the tepache, a pineapple drink with a slight fermentation that is made in house and used in some of the cocktails. I ordered a bourbon and tepache, the preparation of which you can see here below.  The flavors were really intricate, including the bitters sprayed on the top, making it both pretty and giving a distinct bitter note to the first few sips.  They also make their own shrubs, and a pineapple shrub (they refer to it as pineapple vinegar) was used in my drink as well.  Bob reported that the Bloody Mary he had with his has was spicy and went perfectly with his food.  This is a pleasant departure from the usual margaritas and mojitos.  We are planning to go back again soon early on Sunday to repeat this super dining delight.  I want to try the tacos, and Bob wants to have the corncake special.  Compared with places we dine with similar gourmet offerings, the pricing at Penca is generous.  We were pleasantly surprised at the bill and I had to take my beans home because we both were so full.  If you enjoy delicious food and inventive bar service, try Penca.