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“Take Me to Your Leader, or else…

By on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 | No Comments

mantis-Chris Tatro, www.sendoutcards.com/site

I'll bite your head off.

Did you know that the name ‘mantis’ comes form the Greek ‘mantis’, meaning prophet or diviner? Did you know that the praying mantis is named for its humble folded claw position and not its ability to prey on creatures five times its size?

European mantis demonstrating its ability to hang sideways

Chris and I found this formidable looking insect on our screen door. No doubt it was looking for crickets or other juicy tidbits. There are times, though, when the chosen tidbits do seem rather ambitious. I don’t know if this particular 2-3 inch predator could wrestle down and bite the head off a lizard, mouse, snake, hornet, tarantula or hummingbird, but the bigger ones can.

Before you decide to keep a praying mantis as a pet, think on that and know this: In some states it’s illegal to make a pet of a praying mantis, unless the mantis is foreign, i.e. Chinese or European. Both were introduced into the Northeastern U.S. about 80 years ago in the hopes of controlling crop-eating insects.

Back to the law: How can you know when you’re committing the crime of imprisoning a native? The Chinese mantis is more brownish and has a green lateral stripe down the front wing, while the European sports a black ring on its leg like the one we found (see above). As usual, Wikipedia puts it more scientifically: The Euro mantis is easily distinguished by a black-ringed spot beneath the fore coxae.

Since there are at least 20 species native to the U.S., if you see one, best not try to domesticate it. When I was a kid, someone (might have been my mother) encouraged my little brother to keep a praying mantis trapped between the glass and the screen of his bedroom window—supposedly the perfect open air environment, i.e. cage, though some swear you can keep them without bars.

Occasionally, I watched my little brother fiddle with the odd looking creature, feed it live crickets, flies and spiders, hoping for some bonding. I think it was supposed to earn him a merit badge, too—you know, the kind that Boy Scouts get. If you’re hot to know more about scouting badges and insects, follow this link to Insect Life Merit Badge.

Speaking of which, the praying mantis is the only insect in the known world that can swivel its head from side to side in a 180 degree radius. If you want to see some very cool detailed shots of the mantis, click here. Did I say shots? What I meant was brilliant new photographic techniques pioneered by David Yager, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Maryland.

Yager photographs his mantids (praying mantises) dozens of times, “each shot focused a few ten-thousandths of an inch deeper than the last. A computer melds those views into a single image that is simultaneously focused throughout the insect.”

Why does Yager do this? So his students can explore the mantids’ inner ear. What’s so neat about an inner ear? Of the 2300 different species of mantids, most share the highly peculiar trait of having just one ear, located smack dab in the middle of the chest.

Moving on. The praying mantis is one of those insects that gives women a bad name: That’s because the female is known to bite the head off her mate, but only during copulation. This doesn’t deter the male in any way, so they say; in fact, it speeds up his ejaculation process. And how do we know that the sperm gets a healthy boost just as the male is decapitated? Because male researchers find this sexual cannibalism so fascinating that they have devoted many hours to watching it happen.

Sad to say, the watching might be what causes it, though. In confined laboratory conditions with bright lights in her face, the female is more likely to eat the male, possibly as a means of survival, possibly because the dude was not an adequate lover. Who knows? I choose to think she is killing the male out of the goodness of her heart, saving him from the degrading hopelessness of life long imprisonment.

Back to the mating process: Like many other females, the mantis secretes a pheromone to attract the male and let him know she’s ready. Sometimes he approaches from the front and other times he makes a flying leap from behind, depending on his preference. During one experiment, a mantis couple was observed copulating for six hours. Afterwards, her lover was allowed to fly away, its head unscathed, thereby proving my point that females let the good lovers live on. If you want to see a mating pair of Chinese mantises, follow the link. Don’t worry, I searched long and hard to find the happy ending; but I warn you, it was at the expense of a cricket.

Although the praying mantis is known for its cannibalistic mating process, there is good evidence that it only occurs 5-31% of the time. Dan Feldman, mantis voyeur extraordinaire, says this occurs most often because the female is hungry and a mate’s head provides an instant source of energy for her. Why didn’t I think of that!

But there are other explanations: As we all know, natural mating takes place without a camera and bright lights, so rather than leaning over the tank to study their every move, one group of researchers left the two love-mantises alone and videotaped what happened.

By their own accounts, they were amazed. Out of thirty private matings, there was not one instance of decapitation. Instead, the camera filmed an elaborate courtship display, with both sexes performing a ritual dance, stroking each other with their antennae before finally uniting in ecstasy. “It really was a lovely display”, one fellow reported, leading to his conclusion that sexual cannibalism occurs most often only if the female is hungry.

Still another researcher, thinks the head eating also benefits the male, since he serves as a kind of vitamin injection for his offspring who will now be strong in a world where survival of the species is everything. Plus, he gets to pass on his own genes. Whoopee! The fact of the matter is, sexual cannibalism isn’t unheard of in nature. The male redback and orbweb spiders fall prey to their lovers, not to mention the infamous black widow.

Despite its mating habits or maybe because of, the praying mantis has historically been quite the star of mythology and folklore. More recently, it starred in the Hollywood production of the sci-fi thriller, The Deadly Mantis (1957), a giant female that hatched after a volcanic eruption melted its Arctic ootheca (encasement). Hmmm, does anyone see a remake using global warming?

Back to the old folk tales: French people believed a praying mantis would point a lost child home and help wandering lovers. Lost Muslims looked for a mantis to point them towards Mecca. Some Africans tribes thought it could raise the dead. Americans thought mantis juices blinded men and killed horses. But the Chinese had it down: Nothing cured bedwetting better than roasted mantis eggs. I don’t know exactly what they did what those eggs, but knowing the Chinese, they ate them pickled or in a stir-fry.

Speaking of eggs, after mating, the female lays up to 400 in batches that are enclosed in a tough, spongy encasement called an ootheca. You can find oothecas attached to fence posts, twigs and stems, or buried in the ground. No matter what size the mantis is, the eggs are all the same size. Some vigilant females stand guard over their eggs until the nymphs (young) emerge, unless it takes all winter.

Generally speaking, though, the eggs hatch in 3 weeks to 6 months depending on the temperature and humidity. The young finally emerge from tiny holes in the casing, looking exactly like their parents, only smaller. Because the nymphs grow quickly, they molt (shed their skin) while maturing into adults—adults like the European mantis Chris and I found.

We’ve come full circle, folks. If you would like a greeting card to have and to hold, of the green praying mantis on a red Maple leaf, just ask. I have access to the Great Printer in Salt Lake City—you know, the one that works for Sendoutcards.

Happy tales,

Laura signing off

China Capitalizes on Capitalism

By on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 | No Comments

Hurricane My energy is positive movement, my energy is positive movement, my energy is positive movement.. (Another hypnotic moment, brought to you courtesy of AOML.)

Just when you thought it was safe to open my blog without hearing about the Beijing Air quality, think again…….

Remember how Chinese officials shut down their coal-fired plants prior to the Olympics in order to improve the air of Beijing? Guess, what, folks. This included Vitamin C factories, and now there is a shortage of precious C—which means higher prices for you and me.

Speaking of which, Chris and I received a notice from Highland Labs (makers of our private vitamin line) telling us that Vitamin C is almost nonexistent due to Chinese factory shutdown, and the price of C is sky rocketing. In plain language, Linus Pauling is rolling in his grave.

Here’s a little known fact: The Chinese cornered the market on Vitamin C production way back in 2005. How did they do that, you ask? By using ancient, capitalist strategy, or undercutting everyone else to put them out of business, then raising prices. After China dominated the manufacturing sector, it was as simple as fortune cookie.

Check out this historic tidbit, dated 20-Oct-2005: “China’s dominance of the vitamin C market was confirmed last week as DSM halted all production of the bulk vitamin in the US, making its Dalry plant in Scotland the only remaining major plant outside of Asia.”

Vitamin C prices have spiked. China controls 80 percent of the market.

Two years later July, 2007 the news (Christian Science Monitor) gets more grim: “A sharp rise in the international price of vitamin C is focusing fresh attention on the risks of the world’s growing dependence on China for essential food supplies and additives.”

Big market: A poster advertises one brand of Vitamin C. Prices for the key additive have risen sharply in 2007.

Tim Johnson/Newscom

“China, which exports more than 80 percent of the world’s ascorbic acid – also known as vitamin C and a key food preservative – appears to have cut production over the past several months, pushing prices up by more than 200 percent to a four-year high. ” Vitamin C Imports from China to US: Historic Prices (kilograms).”

Notice how far the prices dipped only to rise:

year 2000: $5.00

year 2001: $3.25

year 2003: $3.50 to $6.75

year 2005: $3.50

2007: (Jan-June):$3.40 to $11

Leo Hepner, a London-based management consultant to the food and pharmaceutical industry, says, “The Chinese have virtually captured the lot, unbeknown to most people. It puts us in a very difficult situation if, say, they stopped making it.”

Leo Hepner, the soothsayer, is what we should call him. Beause that’s exactly what the Chinese did—Stop making it: They halted factories during the Olympics, including the Paralympics which will run through mid September.

August 4, 2008 Desert News, Salt Lake City: “The only remaining producer of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) outside China is Netherlands-based DSM. Its plant in Scotland is running at capacity and still cannot meet world demand, said DSM’s Martijn Adorf.

“China’s near-monopoly opened the door to huge price increases,” Her Hepner added, “and sparked an ongoing antitrust lawsuit. Much like a pole vaulter, ascorbic acid prices shot up from $3.50 a kilogram last year to $22 today.”

Hepner, the London-based food and nutrition soothsayer, went on to remind us that the Chinese in recent years had dumped ascorbic acid on the world market, and sold it for much less than it had cost to produce, which, in turn drove out most of the competition. He blames Western producers for taking advantage of China’s bargain-basement prices.

Why didn’t Western producers of Vitamin C see this coming? Weren’t they taking enough Vitamin C for normal brain function?

I don’t know, folks, but they weren’t the only dull ones.

According to Hispanicbusiness.com, factories in Beijing produce 70 percent of the world’s umbrellas, 60 percent of all buttons, 72 percent of shoes worn in the United States and 80 percent of U.S. toys.

But, but, but, how will we keep warm? Stay dry? What happens when all our shoes wear out? Will Santa have enough toys for the good little girls and boys?

These are questions we should think about now, folks. Check your clothing labels, your electronics devices, your furniture your anything….we don’t need a soothsayer to see the handwriting on the Great Wall.

Come to think of it, why not let me be your soothsayer? There’s a window right now, folks. For more information about sendoutcards and other marketing opportunities, call Chris (530 925-2845).

Happy tales,

Laura signing off.

The Flight of the Hummingbird: Have Urges, Will Travel

By on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 | No Comments

Speaking of urges, I was getting my hair done the other day, and Beth, one of the hairdressers, was reading aloud from the 2008 Farmer’s Almanac: According to this time honored source of weather predictions, hummingbirds are to begin their long trek back to the old flapping ground today, August 26th.

This tidbit sparked some interesting chatter about hummingbirds flying South for the Winter: They look so fragile. How do the little things manage? How far do they go each day? Do they fly in little spurts? Big spurts? Where do they end up?

After consulting a gazillion sources, I found out that any answers to hummingbird migration are ‘iffy’ and really depend on who you want to believe. One thing for sure, hummers can be spotted in one of three Winter homes.

For most, it’s down in Central America (between Mexico and South America) where the insects are big, juicy and plentiful. Some, however, remain along the Gulf Coast, perhaps too old or too young to attempt that 457 mile flight over water. Still others, prefer the Outer Banks of North Carolina. (For interesting hummingbird migration speculation, facts and artwork, check out this link.) To tell the truth, folks, how the humming bird manages to make such a long, lonely journey without eating every five minutes is a mystery.

Dan True, meteorologist and hummingbird photographer, suggests that a hummer crossing the U.S. could travel “the circle winds created by a super high, as far as 1,200 – 2,400 miles” before the high gives out. According to True, they may be in a “state of constant migration, traveling farther and with more purpose” than once imagined. People have often seen hummingbirds “flying through the mountains at 200 feet and occasionally 300 feet above ground – taking advantage of the Great Basin winds”. This way, they might be able to migrate in a full coast-to-coast circle, hopping the tail winds and munching along the way. Sounds mind boggling, doesn’t it?

How do they know when to leave? …When the days get shorter, of course.

Do they fly in flocks? When is the last time you saw a flock of hummers? OK, so that’s not a fair question, since an entire flock could be zipping by at the speed of light. The answer is….drum roll…..Hummingbirds never do anything together. They are solitary creatures and feisty ones at that. Anyone who has ever put up a backyard feeder knows how unsharing the little buggers can be. I hate to say it, but it’s the males that are most preoccupied with guarding all the food.

Never too preoccupied to copulate, though. (I know, I know) I just said that they don’t do anything together; but that’s impossible, ’cause they do follow the prime directive to perpetuate their own species, and this requires the usual form of togetherness. The courtship dance of the male hummingbird is by no means usual, though. Spectacular would be more like it.

Driven by extreme urges, he becomes more of a dare-devil than ever. First launching himself skyward 60 feet or more, he immediately nose-dives at the speed of light (about 50 mph), only to pull up at the last nanosecond and relaunch. This persistent fellow makes a U pattern again and again, amidst much chitterings and loud flappings of his wings. (choose me, choose me, choose me…)

Speaking of wings, hummers are the only birds that can rotate their wings in a circle, thus enabling them to fly backwards, forwards, sideways, upsidedown straight up or straight down, not to mention hover in place. Check out this pretty YouTube Video set to an old song that will probably bring back memories of teenage togetherness from long ago. (Uh oh, we’re perched on the verge of a sendoutcards moment*.)

Speaking of togetherness, when the female feels like it, she selects a mate —perhaps the most energetic dude catches her eye, or the one defending a territory that looks to be uncommonly rich in oil, I mean flowers, but that’s only if she’s smart. In any case, as soon as the male deposits his seed within her little body, the courtship is over. So is the honeymoon, for that matter. Fatherhood is not his forte, either.

Undaunted, the female goes on to build her nest, lay white pea-sized eggs (ideally two), become a mother and raise a family. The typical male mates again with several other females, as if he enjoys the idea of a harem. Then amped on the afterglow of numerous copulations, the male hummer goes off to war, his sole purpose being to conquer and defend the best and richest territory. It is reported or suggested that he does allow females with whom he has mated to feed off his flowers, but I have seen males attack females. Maybe they were just the ones that denied him, though. That’s why I try never to deny them a full tank of sugar water.

Anyone who has hung around a hummingbird feeder knows that you can be dive-bombed by the defending male, even while attempting to refill the receptacle with treats. Speaking of sugar water, Hummingbirds only use the sweet stuff as fuel—-a drug, if you will, to get them hopped up enough to snag boocoodles of succulent incects. Thanks to the mother’s regurgitation of insects into waiting mouths, the hummer is a carnivore from the get-go. Although, sometimes the tables can turn.

If you want to watch a sick YouTube video of a praying mantis eating a newly hatched hummer, then be my guest. On second, thought, I’m removing the link. Instead, you can see a video of two little hummers hatch, get taken care of, grow up and leave the nest.

Happy tails, I mean tales, Laura signing off

p.s. *Why sendoutcards, you ask? Because you can create and design your own hummingbird cards that the Great Printer prints, stuffs, stamps and mails—that’s why.

Links to Updates on the Northern California Fires

By on Monday, August 25th, 2008 | No Comments

When it comes to clean air around Mount Shasta we’ve been very lucky. The smoke has been hanging somewhere else lately, and I’ve been too lazy to visit my Wundermap to find out exactly where.

Can you see how clean the lines are around the pine needles of last night’s sunset, though? I’m having the Great Printer of sendoutcards make a greeting card of this one. Sad to say, the colors were intensified by dirty air coming from the direction of Happy Camp. For the latest posted update on the Panther and N. Ukonom Fire , click here.

Or, check out this paragraph I lifted from the actual report: “Friday, (August 23rd) observed fire behavior on the Panther and North Ukonom Fires was moderate with isolated torching. All fire growth occurred in the wilderness. Firefighters began construction on a segment of line in the wilderness south of Ukonom Lake to check the eastward progression of the fire. Crews continued to make good progress repairing fireline elsewhere outside of the wilderness. Today, crews will continue the line construction in the wilderness. Other crews will repair, mop up and patrol fireline on the rest of the fire.”

I really like that word “torching”. There’s plenty of dead and dried-out trees ready to explode, so I can just imagine what they’re talking about. It’s kind of scary, though. But “Wilderness” is the key word, don’t you think? It provides some very telling info on how the fire is viewed by those in command.

Speaking of viewing, Chris and I flew over the burning zone on the way to Salt Lake because of our convoluted flight path. We couldn’t see any crews, though. We could see many tendrils of smoke from separate blazes, rising up out of the remote mountains on the west side of the plane.

I understand why the Forest Service sometimes follows the let-it-burn policy, but I wonder when all the Northern California Lightning Fires will burn themselves out—you know, run out of fuel jackpots. Here’s what the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has to say:

2008 Lightning Series Overview

On June 20, 2008, a thunderstorm system moved over California striking over two thousand lightning sparked fires. California has recieved ( i before e except after c, folks) assistance from state, local, federal and even national agencies to help combat these fires. More…

Estimation for containment of the Panther Fire, just south of Happy Camp, is August 28th. But like I said before, folks, containment only means someone draws a line around all the blazes, and everybody gets to work trying to make that a reality. Basically, it’s just where firefighters have chosen to make a stand. There are no guarantees.

For a full update on all the Northern California fires, click here. You can get exposed to some real fire-speak. Again, I like their descriptive terms: “creeping and smoldering within interior islands, fuel jackpots, potential for roll-out, smokejumpers…..”

Smokejumpers are exactly what comes to mind, though: Heroic types who jump from the sky into remote inaccessible ares that are smoking. For a more detailed description, follow the Wikipedia link. If you have a yearning to be one, click for their home page, but you might want to read this next line first: “Smokejumpers completed work in Division L (South of Ukonom Lake) and were extracted.

That word “extracted” kind of scares me. Just imagine being extracted from this:

Current Fire Information

When CAL FIRE responds to a major incident the Department will create a web site. Major emergency incidents could include large, extended-day fires, floods, earthquakes, hazardous material spills, etc. More…

Happy Tales,

Laura signing off

p.s. no p.s.

Why SendOutCards?

By on Friday, August 15th, 2008 | No Comments

One World, One Dream...SendOutCards! photo by Chris Tatro

Lately I feel like life is just a whirlwind. In other words, there’s barely enough time to breathe, much less keep in touch with the people I love. The fact is, though, I miss my family so much that talking about ‘em makes me teary-eyed.

You see, folks, I grew up as the oldest of five kids in Memphis, Tennessee, plus there were five first-cousins right across the street. We all rode our bikes to grade school together, went to Sunday Church together, even spent our vacations tent-camping together. Basically we were just one, humongous southern clan of ten kids, two mamas, two daddies and two refrigerators.

Sad to say, though, it’s been thirty-eight years and counting since I moved away from home. All my intentions to stay in touch never panned out. For one reason or another, they just never did—never did untill recently, that is. Are you still with me? ‘Cause this is where the SendOutCards part comes in.

SendOutCards is the most creative and exciting way to stay in touch with loved ones that I’ve ever found. I just wish it had come along sooner is all. Chris uses it more for his business, while I get to make all our relatives feel special and loved. ‘Cause the good thing is, Sendoutcards can do both—help you grow your business and keep you connected to the people that matter most in your life. I actually feel like my life is clicking in the right direction. In plain language, work and play are the same thing these days.

The SendOutCards memory bank is gigantic. It can keep track of as many names, addresses, birthdays, anniversaries as you want, thereby allowing you to send real ‘paper and ink’ greeting cards from your computer with just a click of the mouse. Are you following what I’m saying? ‘Cause I’m now talking about real cards, sealed in real handwritten envelopes, sporting your own handwriting and signature—delivered by the good ole U.S. Postal Service! (Let’s hear it for the mailman and mailwoman!)

But what I truly love about SendoutCards, is how easy it is to create a totally custom card with any picture I choose. And, oh yea, did I mention that I can do this at any time of the day or night?

OK, here goes: Just see yourself lounging on the undulating sands of a tropical Island paradise drinking the juice of fresh mangoes and coconut. What do you see around you? … the bluest blues…the greenest greens…the most scintillating colors of flora and fauna every created, all sparkling in the joy of sunlight. Everywhere you look there’s a picture postcard! So go ahead—point your camera and click.

And the fact is, folks, all you need to do is keep on clicking: one click uploads any picture from your computer, another puts it on the front of your greeting-card or postcard, the last little click flies it anywhere in the world. Happy to say, the ‘Great Printer’ in Salt Lake City will print your card, put a real stamp on the envelope, and mail it out for you … all for the price of one dollar and thirty-five cents or less, postage included.

No more driving to the store, no more hunting around for the perfect card, no more searching for your address book/rolodex. And, oh yea, did I mention there’s no need to buy stamps or envelopes?

The first time I heard Chris tell me about SendOutCArds, I couldn’t get a handle on what he was saying. Right away, he lost me. Everything sounded like too much fun to be true. But it is true, foks, and now I send a ton of my own beautiful, custom made cards.

Speaking of sending cards— when was the last time you sent somebody a surprise card—one that wasn’t expected? I probably don’t have to tell you this, but there’s something extra special about that out-of-the-blue card that just shows up in your mailbox. Maybe it triggers a memory from childhood when your favorite Aunt sent you a birthday card with a couple bucks inside. I don’t know exactly how memory works… But if you just stop a second, I’m sure you can remember how it feels to take in the day’s mail and spot a real envelope amidst that pile of junk. Right off the bat you feel the love that can only come from someone who cares about you.

Putting it simply, staying connected is what the SendOutCards Company is all about. Whether you choose to send one of the gazillion cards already in the Great Printer’s memory bank or create your own, the important thing is this: You are letting someone know that you care about them. This happens whether you use the system for business or personal use. Anyone who opens your card will remember you as someone who values him/her enough to send a personal greeting. In this day and age of trashed emails and general disconnect, you will stand out, gain respect and be remembered.

While this system can be used by anyone, many are also taking advantage of the SendOutCards business opportunity. Simply by sharing it with others, you can build yourself a highly profitable home business.

For more information on SendOutCards income opportunities, call Chris Tatro at 530-925-2845 or email him at info@opportunityreviewer.com

Plus, you can try the whole SendOutCards system for free!

Chris has set up some accounts for my readers, so just go to www.thecardprogram.com and click on the banner that says “Send a Free Card”.

Happy Tales,

Laura

p.s. Chris and I are visiting the SendOutCard “Great Printer” in Salt Lake City for the weekend. I’ve got some great pics, but they’ll have to wait ’cause we forgot the cable to download them into the computer.

One World, One Dream

By on Friday, August 8th, 2008 | No Comments

Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2008 shows the fireworks of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games held in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, in north Beijing, China. (Xinhua/Chen Kai)

Photo: Wu Hong/EPA

I’ve tried, Folks, but I can’t imagine how important the Olympics must be to Beijing and the rest of the Chinese people. I mean, how important is it for any proud, developing nation to present a clean and harmonious face to the World? The only thing comparable we have in Mount Shasta is our Fourth of July Walk/Run event, complete with parade and ‘fireworks’.

Oddly enough, we also had to contend with dirty air this year because of the Northern California Lightning Fires. The same questions loomed large as the ‘big’ day was drawing near: Should the organizers (Mountain Runners) cancel the yearly outdoor athletic event and lose out on all that revenue because of the pollution danger? Should the Veterans against the Iraq War be allowed to march in the annual Independence Day Parade down main street?

For me, the last question was a no-brainer. I’ve always thought our nation was founded on the basic principals of mindful dissent and free speech. And If those who served our country in battle can’t speak their minds, then aren’t we lost as a nation? The first question was more difficult, though, and I was mighty pleased not to be involved in the final decision ( to run or not to run?…). Almost miraculously, though, the air cleared enough for that fateful commemoration of a fateful day.

Speaking of fateful, 8/08/08 is one of the most auspicous days imaginable in Chinese culture, not because it kicks off the International Olympics, though. The number 8 (ba) logs in as one of the most revered in Chinese Numerology. When drawn, it finishes with an upward curve, symbolizing continuous progress. When spoken aloud, I’m told that 888 in Cantonese sounds like ‘business will easily prosper’ or ‘thrice prosperous’. Hence the reason that many Chinese businesses flocked to the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California, the area code in that vicinity being 818 or “prosperity guaranteed prosperity!”

All in all, It’s pretty easy to see why Chinese Olympic organizers chose this numeric combination for Opening Day. For them, it was just a ‘no-brainer’. As Westerners, however, we still might wonder why anyone would choose a time of the year famous for its horrible pollution and temperature inversions, especially since athletic events thrive on clean air. The answer is still the same, though: The Chinese believe in the power of three eights and they were willing to bet the bank on it.

Even mothers of newborn children got into the act. By Chinese estimates, 500 “Olympic babies” will be born in Beijing on Aug. 8, as many as two thirds by cesarean section. I have to wonder, folks, if that much good fortune extends to babies who are cut out with a knife. As I understand it, a sharp instrument in plain view changes the Feng Shui of auspicious moments. I’m no expert, but it seems like babies who come out on their own are more apt to get the thrice blessings.

Now here’s a silly thought: Turn the clock back nine months; can’t you just envision thousands of young, Chinese women, all with a mad driving desire to copulate. I bet thousands of lucky husbands were counting their many blessings too. It’s interesting to me, though, that so many women would knowingly use-up their one-time government sanctioned right to procreate, as China only approves of one child per family. For good or ill, taxes are levied on families who break the one-child rule, though there are ways around the law if one is resourceful enough.

Speaking of resourceful, a 32-year-old Chinese woman named Zhang Lingyun one-upped all the other new mothers by naming her newborn daughter “Olympic” in Chinese. Zhang Yuanping (the Haidian Maternal and Child Care Hospital president in Beijing) said ” ‘rationality must not give way to Olympic enthusiasm’, but no one had asked to undergo a caesarean section at 8:08 p.m. tonight, he added.

Chinese officials reported similar enthusiasm at the marriage registrars office. Many young couples wanted to stamp their union with the Olympic or 8/8/08 seal of approval. More than 1,500 new couples applied to be married on Friday, almost three times the daily August average. “To cope with the influx, the staff was able to reduce registration time from seven minutes to three.”

WOW! Seven minutes to three minutes! Those workers deserve a big round of applause for shaving so much time off an already concise registration procedure. I can’t imagine any of our government workers being able to do that in a crunch. Didn’t I tell you the Chinese were resourceful?

Laura signing off.

p.s. Click for Chris if you want information on sendoutcards or you’d like to make your own. So many images and so little time!

pre-show pic by Robert Deutsch, USA Today

Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here…….. (just kidding)

By on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 | No Comments

Once again we are having a challenging day here on the slopes of Mount Shasta. Check out this extraterrestrial’s eye view of the great state of California, compliments of an interactive map from Weather Underground. As you can see, we sure could use some rain to clean our dirty air. Down South, they need the rain to stop. What about the places in between, though?

Few have had it as bad lately as the folks in Paradise–Paradise California, that is. Wildfires, described July 11th as a “sleeping giant” by Yvette Streeter (the town spokeswoman), “threaten to turn the entire town into an inferno with no estimate for containment,” she said.

No estimate for containment…hmmm, sounds pretty bleak. That was Friday, though, and everybody knows what a difference a weekend can make. The July 14th update puts a better spin on the situation: People who still have homes are back; and just in case the horrendous smoke is effecting even one tiny residential brain, city managers have issued a formal directive on the Paradise web site in fiery-red bold caps: REMINDER: THERE IS NO RESIDENTIAL BURNING ALLOWED in the Town of Paradise until the end of fire season.

End of fire season? When’s that? — Whenever the rain starts, you silly goose. Usually some time in November, except California has been having a drought. (Remember the drought?) Rain would sure help right now–if there were enough moisture without lightening, that is. The fact is, a righteous three hour downpour would clean our air, and slake the thirst of all the sad flora not sucking off drip lines. Give me one, old fashioned gully-washer on the rocks, please. (Gully-washer, that’s what my Daddy from Mississippi still calls ‘em.)

In the steep terrain of the Sierras, mostly naked from past blazes, the rain is digging terrible new gullies, sending mud trenching down by the tons. Sad to say, extreme wetness has been pummeling Southern California and making giant, roving bands of debris-filled mudpies. A moving mass came within half a mile of the great Los Angeles Aqueduct–the main supplier of drinking water to the city. That doesn’t sound good. We in Nothern California have an attachment to all water in general. We don’t share our best resource only to watch it become unfit to water somebody’s lawn. When our water leaves here, it’s pristine– just ask Nestle, Crystal Geyser, Danone, Pepsi, etc… They know its worth.

Moving on to the wildlife aspect of disaster. I’ve noticed the birds aren’t waking me up lately. Where’s all the competition for morning airspace gone? it’s already creepy to look out the window and see an orange-colored sky, but this artificial quiet is just too much. If it weren’t for occasional bursts from the geese, there’d be no bird sounds at all. About twice a day, the nearby gaggle lets out a frantic, hoarse-sounding cacophony of honking, as they were frightened or confused and don’t know which way to fly…flee…fly…maybe not so silly after all.

Speaking of disoriented flying, three weeks ago, at the request of Governor Schwarzenegger, a California Coast Guard helicopter dove down into the hot smoky flames around Big Sur to rescue some of the last of the California Condors. There are only 75 left on the planet and 40 of them reside in the fire zone, or used to, that is. With skin color ranging from yellowish to a bright red, depending on a condor’s mood, these rare and endangered birds of 9-10 foot wing span only breed once every two years. Naturalists everywhere are extremely concerned for their safety.

“The fires are burning right in the core range of these birds, this is their home, this is where they know where to roost, to find food, and now their whole entire home has been turned upside down,” said Kelly Sorenson, from the Ventana Wildlife Society. “They just don’t fly at night and if a fire burns up to their location or if they’re engulfed in smoke in the middle of the night, they’d be disoriented, they wouldn’t know which way to fly,” said Sorenson.

Although the birds aren’t all accounted for, this story still has potential for a good ending. The fire has already swept through a wild area where one of the condor chicks was nesting and left its tree home intact: ”We have three mating condor pairs this year and three active nests that we are really concerned about. We don’t know if the chicks are dead or not,” said Cathy Keeran of the Ventana Wildlife Society. We did fly over the nest and we saw the area was burned but the redwood tree [containing the nest] was still standing,” Keeran added.

Let’s see, where was I before the endangered Condors? Famine, fire, pestilence, plague, flood…how about flood–the California kind that begets mudslides: Down in Southern California, the historical state-owned Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery was engulfed and many fish were asphyxiated; more specifically, “the brood stock of a strain of rainbow trout that had been nurtured since 1916. Manager Robert Wakefield surveyed the damage to his historic Eastern Sierra fish hatchery. He shook his head and said, ‘We are going to work hard to make it better, but this place will never be the same.’”

Enough bad news from the South. Back to the Mount Shasta area. We got a sprinkling of rain yesterday. Sad to say, it had the smell of putrid, wet cigars. Chris thought it was more like somebody spilled water in a giant ashtray. There was some lightning, too, but I haven’t heard of any more fires–at least not in California.

Let me recap: The air is dense and unbreathable, the birds aren’t singing, the sky is orange and we’re in the middle of a drought, but the fox still visits every night, plus there’s no flames coming our way. Check us out from Space. We’re somewhere underneath the white tendrils of smoke at the top. If you want to see our fox, email me and I’ll send you a picture (SendOutCards). Thankfully, that light in her eyes is still burning holes in the smoky nights.

Oregon Fence Lizards Fight Lyme Disease in Northern California

By on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 | No Comments

Guess what, folks. Fires aren’t the only things that aren’t impressed by state lines. I think I’ve got a common Oregon Fence Lizard living in my yard. I’m also pretty sure she’s female, because of the neutral coloring. Compared to males, females aren’t that fancy–no markings on the belly, no blue or green color on the upper surfaces, mostly camouflage greens and browns. Therefore, I’m deeming it female and calling it Liz, for short.

Liz is not shy like her more reclusive counterparts, such as alligator lizards. She very much enjoys hanging out in the early morning sun on a rock or a charred tree snag–one of the many reminders in these parts of destruction by fire. She darts straight for her destinations rather than undulates, again making me think she’s a fence lizard, since the alligator variety moves like a snake. If I could only see the birthing process, I’d know for sure what Liz is, ’cause fence lizards lay eggs while the alligator kind squirt their babies out alive–just like us.

Here’s a glorious tidbit: The common fence lizard performs a mighty service to humanity by controling the spread of Lyme disease. According to Robert Lane, professor of Insect Biology, “the lizard’s blood contains a substance – probably a heat sensitive protein – that kills the Lyme disease spirochete…” Hence, the reason that Lyme disease is more of a problem in states that aren’t blessed with the Western Fence Lizard.

In other words, folks, when infected ticks feed on fence-lizard blood, the evil Lyme bacterium is destroyed. Anybody got more respect for the common Western Fence Lizard? Not only do they purify the tick for life, Lane went on to say that these sweet little reptiles host more ticks than most rodents. I’m thinking, though, that Mr. Lane is not counting the big rodents, more commonly known as deer.

Some suggest that killing off deer until there are only 12 per square mile is the way to reduce Lyme Disease. I wonder if killing helps in the long run, though. Wouldn’t the ticks just catch a ride on a passing chipmunk or squirrel? Maybe there’ s just not enough natural predators– such as mountain lions and coyotes–to keep the deer population under control.

People around here killed too many wild carnivores, and it didn’t help anything except the deer and rodent population. Next thing you know, we were overrun with pesky mice varmints that took up residence in our vehicles, using engine wiring and tubing as their primary food source. Depending on the vehicle, this can set you back thousands. Sad to say, Chris and I know first-hand how mice like to put down their winter roots in warm vehicles. I guess it goes without saying that spending all that money to rewire our engine didn’t even fix the problem. The field mice were pleased that we had provided more sustenance for them. We finally got tired of setting rodent traps under our hood every night, so we (meaning Chris) made room for our car in the garage.

One almond grower by the name of Ged told me that he and his buddy sit back-to-back in their orchards for hours at a time (literally), shooting squirrels that would wolf down their whole crop of nuts, if allowed to procreate and run free. I don’t blame the farmers for protecting their nuts. I don’t even blame them for shooting the coyotes that killed the squirrels that eat the nuts. I just wish we humans would learn to look ahead.

Take our neighbors down the road, for example: They decided to raise cute, docile sheep right out in their lush meadow–without a shepherd or any barking dogs. When a mountain lion started eating one sheep every so often, they had California Fish and Game tree it and shoot it dead.

Now technically speaking, Mountain Lions are a “specially protected species” and can’t be harmed unless declared a “public threat“. I still can’t figure out why Fish and Game didn’t relocate the carnivore to a mountainous area with no pet sheep. Instead, they classified it as a public threat. I don’t know how it fit those specific guidelines–I only know it wasn’t one till somebody put tempting woolly treats in its path.

Now I’m off on a tangent and wondering how I got there.

No matter. I have a lovely picture of Liz (remember Liz), which I’m having made into a custom SendOutCard for Chris and myself as a simple reminder of how the commonest life form is often a great boon to humanity in disguise. How many ticks Liz has neutralized is anybody’s guess. The truth is, I feel much safer just knowing creatures like Liz are in this world. I hope she has many babies and lives in my yard a long long time.

Where There’s Smoke, there’s Mount Shasta, Beijing, and Cotinus Coggygria

By on Monday, July 7th, 2008 | 1 Comment

The 233rd Fourth of July is history, and the atmosphere around Mount Shasta is finally clearing from all the fires and fireworks. We always blow ours off over water (Lake Siskiyou), but some Northern California communities postponed their sky celebrations.

In spite of small-particle pollution and the dangers of strenuous outdoor activities, the city of Mount Shasta had its annual ‘run-walk’ on July 4th–proceeds going to beautify the downtown area. Billed as The Largest Small Town Walk in America, this event of roughly 5000 participants might be the biggest in the world. Happy to say, the air cleared just in time, but the mountain was just not quite its usual self, I’m afraid.

Better than the Olympic city of Beijing, though. Checkout the air quality for all the poor athletes who will be struggling to suck down oxygen. Does it look dismal or what! Some are refusing to participate, and who can blame them? The sulfur, lead, particulate matter and carbon dioxide levels wouldn’t kill them right away probably, but it might ruin their lungs for life.

Back to Mount Shasta. Most recently, the Mountain Runners (sponsors of the annual Run/Walk event) donated $20,000 worth of lights to hang from the trees in the ‘business district’ of our town, one idea being that the added illumination would make our little speck of 3500 folks visible from space. Hmmm…no offense, decision makers, but that doesn’t sound like the loftiest goal in the world. Besides, no amount of artificial lights could have made Northern California visible from space last week or this week. (I know, I know, I’m back to the smoke again.)

Allow me to wax poetic and redeem myself with a more pleasant smoky subject (no, not Smokey the Bear)–smoke as in bush or tree (cotinus coggygria):

How do I love thee, my smoketree, ‘Nordine’! Let me count the ways: Not only does this variety hold her purplish-red color in the hot sun, but she also gets coppery towards Fall. Not fussy about where she puts down her roots, a sun lover and very tolerant of hot dry gravelly soil, ‘Nordine’ is described as the hardiest, purple-leaved form by those in the know. They also say she can surely endure the temperatures of zone 5(-20 degrees F to -10 degrees F), and sometimes even zone 4.

All this description doesn’t come close to the reality of cotinus coggygria, so I have inculded a shot of her luxurious summer bloom. This time I am having the Great Printer make a card and send it to my father as a Get-Well SendOutCard. He’s feeling poorly, but on the mend.

Arnold Calls Out The National Guard – One For Every 5 Fires!

By on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 | 4 Comments

Why is it that everybody’s got a secret these days? Everybody from Deepak Chopra (“The Book of Secrets”) to your average, run-of-the-mill Internet Marketer is hauling around one or more secrets on his back. Maybe it all just stems from Childhood. When I was a kid, the quickest way to taunt your playmate and make yourself important was to chant in his face Na Na-na Na Na, I know somethin’ you don’t know…I know somethin’ you don’t know…..

Who would have imagined that we’d still be doing that as adults, though? Aren’t humans silly sometimes!

In keeping, therefore, with silliness and childhood tradition, I too have a secret. (Drumroll) All you have to do is email and ask me for a SendOutCard and I’ll write the secret inside. Next the Great Printer in Salt Lake City will make a card for you, put it in an envelope, then stamp and mail it to your address–all this for $1.33 out of my pocket. A mere pittance where secrets are concerned, don’t you think?

Moving on, though…it’s no secret that we’re still suffering in Northern Cal. Small-particle pollution is a serious concern for those not directly in the path of any incoming blazes. These teeny-tiny specks worm their way past all defenses, invade the blood stream and reek havoc on the immune system. Sad to say, our air is killing us–but we can’t complain.

Approximately 19,000 men and women are fighting more than 1,100 separate California wildfires. In addition to unexpected wind driven blazes, firefighters are beset by massive doses of toxic blood-stream particles, eye burning smoke, lung searing heat and poison oak(some of it airborne). They are running around in filthy clothes with at least 50 lbs of equipment strapped to their backs, getting very little sleep/rest and eating lousy meals. How much do they get paid, I wonder?

It must be an abysmal amount, because no one will say. (It’s a secret.) I have been combing the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, clicking on almost every link imaginable. I even found out how to get Smokey Bear to come to my child’s school, but money is definitely a taboo subject. For salary info, you must call your local Cal fire Office.

Happy to say, it is not a secret in British Columbia: The annual salary for forest firefighters ranges from $20,000 to $30.000 (that’s probably Canadian money), plus competition is fierce for the one thousand seasonal positions available on the front lines–or so I read.

I think the smoke is effecting my brain. Back to the ongoing California fires: What is the current statewide overview?

Is there any hope weather-wise? Not much is the answer, as dry thunderstorms and high winds are predicted. Please be wrong. Please. Please. After all, who is more wrong more times than the weather man/woman/person?

Good news! Now that our Governor has called in the National Guard, the firefighters are going to get a needed break. Oops, read the fine print, dummy. Only 200 Guardsmen are coming, but Arnie says it will be a “big shot in the arm”. Not in his gigantic arm, I’m afraid.

Help! Smokey the Bear! Help! Where are you Smokey Bear?

Here is the pic of Mount Shasta Chris and I took this morning. You can see all the smoke plus a lenticular cloud (which some refer to as a spaceship) trying to make its way in from the North, and there were only a few chemtrails that we could find. Why can’t those spaceships and military planes leave our skies alone?

Smokey, Smokey, where are you?

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