mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Thelma and Louise Ride Again
May 24, 2016
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Thelma and Louise presented a new way to look at feminism. The film became an iconic historical snapshot of the time in history. The actresses, who are still singularly beautiful and charismatic, predict that had they survived they would be surfers. I love this idea of the two as champion surfers who own a surf club and bar in Mexico. Now that all the Thelma and Louise references have been about the doom of desperation I think it is funny to picture them as ex pat entrepreneurs. I wonder what an updated version would be. It would be phones rather than Polaroids, but they would still have a T-bird.
The subject of domestic abuse and violence against women was taboo, barely mentioned in the mainstream, when this film was first released. The influence of the movie was a catalyst for more public awareness of this dark reality in America. The movie was popular at the time, but over time it has become a cult favorite. The Hollywood landscape is still a challenge for women. The pay equity discussion is still happening in every walk of life. We have changed our ability to be informed, but I am not sure we have enlightened ourselves. The statistics on domestic violence are always stilted because it is not all reported. That is one of the complexities of the issue. Using data from the reported cases we know that 3 women a day (on average) are murdered by domestic violence and a woman in America is beaten every 9 seconds. This situation needs our attention:
domestic violence fact
Cool Meeting Between Obama and Bourdain
May 23, 2016
Anthony Bourdain/Twitter You know how people are always asking who you’d pick for your ideal dinner party, dead or alive? Well, I would choose to have a $6 dinner with President Obama and Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam. Alas, only a food and travel rock star like Anthony Bourdain has the pull to get Obama to…
The Tweet is Mightier Than the SWAT
May 23, 2016
TPD SWATTER Salisbury
I want to convince the commander of my local police station to learn more about the progressive use of social media. Controversy and conflict spread like wildfire on all platforms today. This is a reflection of our relationships in real life. It is easy to get into a political argument but not so easy to locate community spirit. We drastically need dialog and understanding to build better neighborhoods. The tension between police and citizens must be treated. Lack of trust must be brought to light and replaced with understanding. We need better communication, and I believe it can be achieved with judicious use of social media. I believe twitter has the power to prevent crime if used with imagination and good strategy, just as it has influenced some to fight for ISIS. The only way to stop an evil force with a twitter account is with a loving force with a twitter account.
In the photo above a young detective is joking around with SWAT Officer Salisbury, who was working showing off the SWAT stuff at the station the other day. I had just asked him what he detected about Officer Salisbury. He was telling me he that his colleague is very speedy. Their camaraderie is evident and the good nature of the joking between them was fun to see. These young men are charming and professional, but I certainly hope I will not require their services. It is fine to hang out in the parking lot, but I don’t want them to come to my house in the middle of the night.
It was all fun and games until I said, “I know you saw the PBS special last week about SWAT.” They didn’t really say much, but they indicated that this PBS reference had bummed them out. I don’t blame them because it is another blow to the already ragged respect for police across the country. News coverage brings scary evidence that violence is escalating in certain cities. Tucson is one of them. These young cops face ever-growing danger with no hope of a pay raise in sight. For them, as well as for all of us, we need to find ways to communicate to prevent crime of all kinds, particularly crimes against cops. We will find ourselves unable to recruit people who are willing to take the job if we don’t kick in and help them reduce crime and violence.
I believe social media has the potential to transform crime prevention because
- A picture is worth a thousand words
- A penny saved is a penny earned
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
- A stitch in time saves nine
- The tweet is mightier than the SWAT
What do you think, gentle reader, is the answer to the social disorder we are experiencing today?
SWATTER Stoner
Bomb Dog Blues
May 20, 2016
— 2 Comments
ready to rock
Officer McCusker
JR, bomb dog
the bomb squad
JR, bomb dog
the bomb squad
JR, bomb dog
I met Officer Rob McCusker ,who trains dogs to detect explosives at TPD, last November when he was training a new puppy. I featured Officer Cookie in a post because she was so sweet and friendly to meet as a youngster. When I saw Officer Rob yesterday I asked about Cookie. She has moved to Anchorage Alaska to work for a private security firm. It turned out that Cookie was doing well with her training until the time came to go outside. It became apparent that she just did not have the right stuff to be a bomb squad professional. I could tell listening to him tell the story that this had been a very heart wrenching experience for Officer Rob because their bond was very tight. They put in many months of training. Finally the breeder where she was born was consulted, and they decided together that there were no more training moves to be made to improve her skills. She had to retire from her law enforcement career.
The great news is that she nabbed a job in Alaska in which she never needs to go outside. She lives in a nice home up there and still has a place in the professional sniffing dogs universe. Since she is a dog she may not really think of us any more, but we remember her fondly and thank her for her service. The other fabulous piece of news is that JR, the bomb detecting dog who had retired at the McCusker family home at the age of 10, is back to work. Nobody could be more delighted than JR. He is extremely affectionate, and glad to be back at his job. He does not mind one tiny bit filling in while a new recruit is trained in the thousands of scents they must learn to detect explosives. It is old hat to him, and he is the life of the party. He is impressive in every way. He gets a bath about every 10 days to make sure his own scent does not interfere with his missions. He must be the cleanest black lab in the world. He is shiny, healthy and happy. It was a pleasure to meet him at thank a cop day, out of retirement having a wonderful time. JR is the bomb.
Adopt a Cop at the Tucson Police Foundation
May 19, 2016
— 1 Comment
Today in Tucson police stations are hosting open house and demonstration events to bring attention to the work of the Police Foundation. I attended the morning’s demonstration in the parking lot of the midtown station. They had set up the SWAT team equipment and the bomb squad demo, complete with the bomb robot. I arrived early to find only one other citizen on hand to “thank a cop”. He was hanging out in the SWAT truck chatting up Officer Stoner, one of the officers on that team. We both had learned about the event on Nextdoor. I am not sure that the cops felt particularly appreciated by the presence of two senior citizens. Later I saw a large delivery of chicken from a local restaurant and realized there would be other forms of thanking going on today. Businesses drop off water, snacks and treats to supply the stations…including, but not limited to, donuts. Good to see that happening…it will last longer and be much more useful than the attention of a couple of old people.
I don’t think that most people in Tucson know that each cop has to buy his or her own bullet proof vest for duty. These expensive items are not supplied by the city because this is just one of the things the city says it can’t afford. Tucson makes a regular practice of underfunding the basic services departments in good times or bad. The root of this silly philosophy evades me. Scrimping on budgets must sometimes be a reality, but how can the city think it is okay to send these people out to risk their lives and not even provide them with adequate armor? Even the Roman army had good armor. There in the parking lot I saw all kinds of heavy equipment of the super expensive kind. Why are we out buying that stuff before we buy protective vests for all the cops on duty using that stuff? I object! Officer safety should come first. This policy makes it look like we don’t care about that. I don’t believe very many tax payers know this is the case. Nobody asked us if we thought this was acceptable. I would certainly have said “NO!!!! Vests first, please”..but I was not consulted.
Captain Kevin Hall explains the origin of the Police Foundation and the scope of this Adopt-a-Cop campaign to buy vests for all our officers. This fund is open all year, making purchases as vests wear out and are needed in the department. I see a lot of cheap talk about loving and/or respecting first responders, blah blah blah. Here is a great way to put money where your platitudes are. We need to show them some love by arming them properly for the job they do for us.
TPD SWAT
Midtown TPD
Bomb Squad
Midtown TPD
Midtown TPD
the bomb robot
JR the bomb dog
motorcycle cops
Police Mendacity
May 17, 2016
— 4 Comments
Police
I have watched with interest the specials PBS aired last week about police and gun violence in America. The problems are even worse for law enforcement professionals than I thought they were. The panel discussion of police chiefs and victims of SWAT team violence revealed a shocking systemic practice of lying to the public to protect officers who make deadly mistakes on duty. A lively discussion on-line took place at the hashtag #PBSPeaceOfficer.
Both sides are heavily polarized on the issue, as we might expect. The police chiefs stressed that the problem needs to be addressed to the mayors and councils to find solutions. The cops themselves are following orders and protocol and strategies set by those in command. Hiring, training, and supervision are needed by the agencies to correct the current problems. In most cases they lack the funding to buy enough essential training and adequate supervisory personnel to equip and supervise recruits. The officers lack the skills they need to both protect themselves and the public. This seems to be the case across the country. While the citizens arm up and carry guns everywhere the cities refuse to provide enough funding to operate functional law enforcement agencies. This is an obvious recipe for more violence.
When the government declared war on drugs and terror, they began to distribute military surplus to police departments to fight these “wars”. Included in this discussion is the tendency to use this military equipment to occupy neighborhoods rather than protect them. The police chiefs were quick to point out that much of the surplus they receive is office equipment and other non lethal much-needed supplies. The police professionals also agreed they needed the military weapons because their own communities failed to arm the force adequately. There is now a new policy against militarized police forces, but they already have plenty of gear to continue the heavily occupation of America. The NRA has a strong lobby in support of arming the entire population. This is escalating an already terrible problem. We need disarmament negotiations between the cops and the citizens, apparently.
I have seen the TPD employ the SWAT team in my neighborhood. They came in the middle of the night to bust some dope dealers who had been operating boldly in the open for years, right on the street. I could have busted them myself any day during the previous couple of years, either making drive by deliveries from the front yard, or by busting the group of youngsters on tiny bikes that fanned out to deliver drugs throughout the hood before dawn daily. Some of the bike delivery guys were able to stay in the apartment and have a yard sale after the SWAT bust which I found to be amazing. I know for sure that one of my neighbors reported this obvious ongoing dealing but was told by a group of cops who had answered a call at his house that they were not interested. About 6 months after Russ told them about the dealing they showed up with flash bombs. This was evidence to me that they enjoy this use of force too much to be safe with all that fire power.
More of a concern to me than the use of force is the use of mendacity. They use statistics to tell us about themselves, yet they compile these statistics. If they are willfully blind to their own errors the law enforcement agency becomes a dangerous street gang. If they are encouraged by municipal authorities to hide mistakes rather than learn from them they become the villain rather than the hero in our society. This trend is very dangerous to our public health.
Peach Preservation
May 16, 2016
— 2 Comments
We grow a variety of small cling peaches called Early May. The tree was loaded this year with a big crop. They are so small and easily bruised that I decided not to take surplus to the food bank community farmers’ market. They would be ruined just by handling them. I found some friends to share the bounty, and today I will work on the ripe ones in order to preserve the harvest. We have almost finished our latest batch of mango chutney, and peach chutney is a natural substitute. I will not even peel my fruit, and will slip the seeds out after I cook them down in a combination of spices, sugar and vinegar. This will make preparation very simple.
Early May peach crop
I also plan to slow cook a batch of peach butter in the crock pot. I will treat the peaches in a similar fashion, just washing them before cooking. I also will amend this version by adding a vanilla bean to the mix and substituting honey for the sugar. When both the chutney and the vanilla peach butter are wafting into the air in my kitchen my house will be a really heavenly place to be. I like to pop them in my mouth and eat them straight up, but there are too many for us to handle that way. These are fun ways to keep the flavor going for months. Have you preserved peaches, gentle reader? I may dry a few, but that takes more effort since you need to cut them off of the seed.
Navigating Health Care
May 15, 2016
— 2 Comments
rose is a rose
In order to navigate the tricky changing tides of health insurance coverage today we need experts. Since I switched to Medicare this year I went shopping last year for referrals for a good agent. I found Karyn Damschen of Retirement Navigators who helped direct me to the plan that works best for me. I am extremely pleased with my coverage and my care at iora primary care. Karyn is such a star Medicare expert that I carry her cards with me to pass out when I meet anyone who needs a health care insurance agent. Who, in my opinion, needs a health insurance agent? Absolutely everyone who has a choice in the matter. If coverage by your employer is set, you probably would not benefit from a consultation with an agent. All others need to be advised by those professionals who spend their time keeping current with regulations and changes in the market. The market becomes more complex all the time. The result for consumers is an unsettlingly confusing set of offers from which to choose. After the coverage is in place we cross our fingers and hope anything that happens to us will be covered by our policy. To make the best of this frequently changing situation I feel really great that I have Karyn representing my best interests and keeping me informed about all my options.
Recently I received the news that my primary care physician is leaving the brand new practice. First my personal paraclete (health coach) from iora called to explain the change and transition. The next day I got a call from the fabulous Karyn at Retirement Navigators who was busy calling all her clients who were effected by this situation. She was ready and willing to change providers within the limits of my Medicare policy, or do anything I might want, in light of the new circumstances. This was evidence to me that the front line of my health care system, my agent and my paraclete, are the best. They spend all the time needed to match my needs with the best available medical care. They have specialties and expertise in the insurance system that the doctor does not, and should not, be bothered to learn. Although I liked my first doctor, I love the new system iroa is pioneering here in Tucson. The team approach has worked very well for me so far, and I expect that it will continue to evolve with a different doctor. I am pleased with the choice I made to use iroa. I have no wish to change because I like it now and think it will only improve with time.
Do you have a health insurance agent, gentle reader? It is worth the time to find one to represent you. They can read the map and keep you on the road to the best health care available to meet your needs.
rose is a rose
Phantom Limbs in the Family Tree
May 12, 2016
— 3 Comments
my ethnicity map
My research into family history started after both my parents had died. They each left some written material about their families, but neither parent had been particularly interested in genealogy. My father said he was Scots-Irish, which is in part true. Both parents had ancestors who immigrated to America from the British Isles in the 1600s. The DNA survey on ancestry shows that my DNA is 85% from Great Britain. When the survey was much younger and fewer participants had contributed my ethnicity was estimated at 99% from the British Isles. My “trace region” is the Caucasus area of Asia. The Asian genes may be a fluke, as explained in the accompanying material.
my tree
I am sure about the first three generations I have listed, but my maternal grandmother was an orphan adopted in Mississippi in a county where the courthouse burned to the ground. We have no way to find records of her natural parents. She moved to Texas with her adoptive family. Some of the branches are easy to research and verify. Others have me at dead ends. My most irksome dead end is my third great-grandfather, Thomas Peterson, born in Indiana in 1825. I keep looking for answers about his parentage but have not found any records of his birth. More official historical records are digitally added all the time, so I could still find something new that would break the case for me. It bugs me that I can trace his nephew’s line back in time, but not Thomas’.
Along the way I have discovered my own mistakes, and have also had problems pointed out to me by other ancestry enthusiasts. It is always a drag to find errors because it means you need to remove the phantom family and start again at the point you can verify the data. I have lost a few big limbs this way. I had become fond of many of the members of my unverified people. It is funny to give them up with such great emotion, since they were not really my ancestors, but I can tell you that this feels awful. I still think about them in history too. Sometimes I am angry that I made such mistakes in my research, but usually I am glad I met them (historically) and held them in my memory. When my first cousin gave me the news that I had the wrong John Taylor as my 3rd great-grandfather I was very upset. I had to admit that she had a point. This involved chopping down a limb that I had built back to the middle ages in England, with many illustrious stories along the way. Alas, they were all built on specious data. Now I am back to Jonathan Aaron Taylor, who fought in the Revolutionary War and was discharged in South Carolina..not born there. I suppose I am happy to have him even though he is not who I thought he was.
Jonathan Aaron Taylor (1760 – 1820)
3rd great-grandfather
John Samuel Taylor (1798 – 1873)
son of Jonathan Aaron Taylor
William Ellison Taylor (1839 – 1918)
son of John Samuel Taylor
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of William Ellison Taylor
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Have you ever attempted an ancestry study? It is really easy now that Ancestry.com is there to guide you. Just be careful as you roam around in that data. Not all of it can be verified, especially the family trees. Don’t copy another person’s data until you examine it carefully for errors. The ancestors have much to teach us..and one of the lessons is VERIFY your facts before you swallow them whole. Save yourself the heartache of saying good-bye to bogus relatives.
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