Rack 'em Up

Sarah Palin calls for her supporters to "reload." Rush Limbaugh tells his listeners to get rid of the "bastards" and "take out" the liberals. Fox "News" belittles liberals, comparing them to everything from Socialists to Fascists, making them targets for people who take their words literally. Tea Party groupies attend rallies armed with guns in holsters and others strapped to their backs. Yesterday, Heidi somebody, a blonde radio talk show host in Vegas, said there were 20,000 Tea Partiers in Harry Reid's Nevada hometown last weekend with "40,000 guns" among them. Yikes, 40,000 loaded guns in such a small area.

Of course, this Heidi person exaggerated the numbers because pictures of the event show far fewer than the number of people she boasted about. Still, thousands of guns being paraded about by people looking to eliminate liberals make for a rather frightening prospect for those who admit to being liberal, aka progressive. I'm not really scared. I don't do much to bring on the wrath of anyone. However, I do find it interesting that far right conservatives think they're the only ones with guns. We're armed, too. We just don't parade around with our guns, showing everything we have. And, unlike Palin, we don't put people in our crosshairs.

A friend, who's proud to say he's a bleeding-heart liberal, gave me a gun to protect myself and my loved ones. He has numerous guns and he knows how to use all of them. Almost all of my liberal friends have guns. With right-wing militias increasing in numbers throughout the country (are there left-wing militias?), it's best to be prepared, don't you think? Time to get that piece of steel out of its hiding place, polish it, oil it and get 'er loaded.

In Memoriam

On this day in 1827, one hundred and eighty-three years ago, Ludwig van Beethoven passed from mortal life into immortal memory. Years of illness had taken their toll on his body and spirit. With his profound reserves of strength, however, Beethoven composed masterpiece upon masterpiece in the final decade of his life: the last five piano sonatas, the Diabelli Variations, the Ninth Symphony, the Missa Solemnis, the late piano Bagatelles, and the final string quartets.

Friends and family gathered round the bed in his rooms at the Schwarzspanierhaus for the deathwatch. Surgery was performed on Beethoven's swollen abdomen; more than 25 pounds of fluid were drained by tapping, or puncturing, the belly. The abdominal pain worsened and Beethoven stopped eating entirely. The emaciated tone-poet signed his final will on March 23 and took his last sacrament on the following day, lapsing into unconsciousness soon thereafter. Death at long last released Beethoven from the unendurable pain.

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Vienna for the funeral procession to the Wahring cemetery. The composers Hummel, Czerny, and Schubert served as pallbearers or torchbearers. The poet Grillparzer wrote a poignant funeral oration, which was delivered at the burial by the actor Anschutz.

Easy Cooking: Bean-Couscous Salad

It's spring, time to roll out simple recipes to make and take to potlucks and barbecues. I've made a version of this salad for many years, using different couscous mixes and veggies for a great vegetarian dish that can double as a main course because of the beans. You can, of course, cook up dried beans instead of using the canned. But I find the latter to be perfectly fine for this recipe and much less work, thus fitting the category of easy cooking.

Be sure to add chunks of fresh tomatoes when they're in season. Other additions or substitutions might be asparagus, avocado, artichoke hearts, green bell peppers, celery, and carrots. Basic couscous can be used, but the seasoning packet included in the various mixes adds good flavor.

Note: My recipes entitled Easy Cooking include more specific directions for those who are new to cooking. Not to say the recipes aren't for experienced cooks. I use them all the time and I consider myself to be an experienced cook.

1 package toasted pine nut couscous (Near East is a good brand)

1 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons butter (or margarine if you're vegan)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or what you have on hand, except balsamic which darkens couscous)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 bunch green onions, chopped (most of tops, too)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 can (16 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (16 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste (go low at first and add as you need)

Bring water, margarine and seasoning packet from couscous to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, and sugar. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn, and beans. Toss mixture to coat beans and rest well.

Using a fork, fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate salad until ready to serve.

Serves about 8.

A Shaggy Dog Tale

I went to the Social Services office this morning to sign up my dog for welfare.

The woman at the desk said, "Dogs aren't eligible to draw welfare." My eyes widened.

I replied, "My dog is unemployed, lazy, can't speak English, and has no clue who his dad is. He expects me to feed him, provide him with housing and medical care, and to feel somewhat guilty that he was born a dog."

She looked through her policies and procedures manual, trying to track down requirements for qualification. After about ten minutes of reading, she put down the manual and looked up at me.

My dog gets his first check on Friday.

Dying With Deliberation

We can't choose when we're born. However, with luck, we can choose when we die. Of course, accidents and short-term illnesses void any chance of deciding our day of death. But long-term illnesses can be ended when we want in three of the United States and certain other places, including Zurich, Switzerland. I live in Oregon, one of the three states with a law that allows assisted suicide, a definite plus for living here, I think.

A recent Frontline report on PBS showed an American man who elected to escape his life of suffering by going to Zurich to participate in Dignitas, an assisted suicide program. He chose the day he wanted to die. His wife helped him to make arrangements because he was suffering from ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease. He couldn't use his hands, he could barely speak and he was paralyzed.

Frontline showed the doctor who signed the prescription for the lethal cocktail and two men from Dignitas, one who would help to administer the drugs and one who made sure all went as promised by the organization. It was amazing to watch all of this unfold, everything from how attentive his wife was to the man's wishes, to how gentle the man who gave the drugs was, to how peaceful the surroundings were (although a bit seedy in a Zurich apartment house).

At the agreed-to time, the man was given a drug that would allow his stomach to receive the fatal drugs. Without that drug, he would simply throw up the stuff he needed to end his life. That drug and the next one were nasty, he said, and he asked for apple juice. He took the juice and drugs through a straw because his disease prevented him drinking from a glass. It took several attempts for him to get down all of the special cocktail, with sips of apple juice in between.

Finally, it was done. He asked for his choice of music to be played -- Beethoven's 9th Symphony. He had been told the drugs would put him to sleep within four or five minutes. It didn't take that long. After only a minute or two, his eyes started closing. Next his head fell toward his chest somewhat. But it was several minutes longer before the man who had given the drugs examined him for a pulse and said he was gone.

Swiss law dictates that a film be made of the entire episode to demonstrate that the man chose to end his life, that he turned off the switch to the machine that provided air to his lungs, that he said he wanted to die. The police were called immediately after and an investigation started, as prescribed by law. How deep such an investigation is can't be known, but it's my guess that a file is opened and closed quickly.

The main advantage the man had in going to Switzerland over being assisted in suicide in the U.S. is that here (at least in Oregon) such a person must be within six months of dying and there are fewer and fewer physicians who will sign off on such an effort. We have our wonderful pets "put to sleep" (don't you love that euphemism?) because we don't want to see them suffer. Yet we continue to see our loved ones, our family, ourselves, suffer without wanting the same. How much religion plays in such thinking is unknown, at least to me, but I would guess it figures in quite heavily. I can only hope that will change -- eventually.

One more reason to end it all by way of assisted suicide is to put a stop to paying horrendous fees for hospital stays, tests, and medications. End-of-life tactics can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not the millions, all for nothing, just a few more days, weeks or months of physical and/or mental suffering. Cremation is starting to push aside the traditional casket, in-ground burials. It's time for assisted suicide to replace the traditional procedures we have now, which is expensive and still terminal.

Easy Baking: Irish Soda Bread

This easy-to-make bread, named for the baking soda you mix with the flour and buttermilk to make the bread rise, is good any time of year, but it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day because it's considered to be the bread of Ireland. I make it almost every year for my Irish husband. Occasionally, I will buy smoked salmon and Irish cheeses to serve along with it. However, most of the time we eat it with sweet butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It will stay fresh for up to two days.

No special equipment is needed, not even a bread pan. The soda bread bakes up crusty on the outside, moist on the inside. As always, use the freshest ingredients.

4 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and have ready a lightly floured baking sheet.

Place the flour in a large bowl with the baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix together with a fork. Pour in the buttermilk and raisins. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until everything comes together. Knead the ball on a floured board for a few seconds and then put the dough on the baking sheet.

Cut a deep cross on the top, all the way down the sides. This lets the bread rise evenly. Bake at 425 degrees about 45 minutes or until it's nicely browned and it sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom. Place the baked bread on a rack to cool or slice immediately.

Major Faults in Earthquake Reporting

I don't know whether any of you had the misfortune to see Geraldo Rivera's evening show on Fox News the day of the Chilean quake. He has to be the single worst professional journalist on all of television: he is inappropriately chummy in interviews, often calling guests "bud" or "pal"; he is grossly uninformed on virtually all scientific matters; he is prone to using phrases and figures of speech that titillate and give a completely mistaken impression; and he habitually brings poor guests aboard--quite often those who have absolutely no knowledge of or background in the story's subject (in this case, earthquake and tsunami science). He leers and smirks, feigns crocodile tears, licks his chops, and caps everything off with an appalling punchline. He is insufferable. I hate to say it, but he seems right at home on the Fox network.

Rivera's show on the Chilean quake and tsunami was filled with the most unimaginable and irresponsible pseudo-science and quackery. The rest of it was a baffling series of non sequiturs. Herewith a sampling:

• What happened in Hawaii was a tsunami "false alarm."
• A quake of magnitude 9.5 will sooner or later occur in Southern California.
• Sediment seen off the coast of Hawaii the day of the quake was transported from the coast of Chile.
• No tsunami occurred that day in Hawaii. It "passed them by."
• The tsunami in Sumatra and Thailand in 2004 was only 8 feet high, but "pushed several miles inland."

I think this garbage requires the scientific community to publicly correct Rivera and Fox news. This bumbler does too much harm.

I'll tell you who was impressive--scientifically--that evening. His name is David Shuster and he's on MSNBC. In his questions to guests and his comments to the viewer, Shuster displayed a solid layman's understanding of earthquake and tsunami science, light years ahead of any of his colleagues at MSNBC, Fox, or CNN. Even his more casual verbiage throughout the broadcast revealed an awareness of important scientific distinctions (such as that between Richter and moment magnitude).

I betcha he's read Susan Hough's book Earthshaking Science.

Musings

My stress levels hit the roof this past weekend when I did our yearly taxes. While our returns are rather simple compared to many, they're ridiculous enough to make me very angry. For example, in figuring how much of our Social Security is taxable, I must do a full-page worksheet that is perhaps the most disgusting form yet for the IRS. You take one half of one line, add it to another line, then multiply that by .85 percent, then take the smaller of that line or the other one and add to a line at the top of the page, etc. For your own amusement, check it out on the irs.gov web site. Further, I think all income tax rules and regulations have been written for some particular person or entity. There can be no other reason for such nonsense. A flat 10 percent tax for every person and corporation would solve this and perhaps many of our financial problems. And it would greatly reduce one government department. By the way, do any of us think that either political party will ever reduce government? Federal employees vote too, you know.

Americans constantly decry human rights violations in China. There are, of course, such problems there. At the same time, a recent story shows that the Chinese actually might think more about endangered animal species than American environmentalists do. A man in China shot and ate the last Indochinese tiger in a certain part of the country, if not the entire country. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and those who helped him cut up and eat the animal were sentenced to 3 or 4 years. Do you think that would have happened here? Never. He and they would have been put on probation at the most with no real punishment for eliminating one of nature's beautiful animals. Yes, I'm an animal lover, but I'm also a person who believes in delivering proper punishment to those who break laws meant to protect citizens. Eliminating one species of animal breaks the delicate chain that will ultimately affect everyone left on the planet.

I'm enjoying the Winter Olympics. True, I liked the every-four-years event better when I thought the participants were mostly amateurs, not the millionaires who compete these days. Still, I was on the edge of my seat at the end of the 30 km cross country, men's figure skating, and men's speed skating. No interest at all in the hockey, halfpipe, skeleton, or super G. And please tell me why anyone with a DVR or even an old VCR would sit through the Olympics with all the ads and not record the shows to watch the next day? In fact, I can't imagine why anyone would watch any ads with the equipment available to cut them out.

Recently, a story in our local paper featured a woman who said she had to hit up area food closets to supplement the $640 per month she received in food stamps to feed herself and three small children. If that woman knew how to cook, she wouldn't need the food closets. The food stamp amount is more than enough to feed her family. It's my guess that she buys prepared foods, cold cereals (wonder if her kids have ever eaten oatmeal), boxed entrees, expensive meats, and so forth. She could cook beans and rice and make everything from burritos to huevos rancheros. She could slow-cook inexpensive meats in a crockpot with fresh vegetables and serve it all over whole-wheat noodles or brown rice for several meals. She could make pots of soups and stews. Cooking is a lost art and it's such a shame, not only because people don't eat as well as they once did but because financially it can be a disaster. We all pay for the laziness of others.

Crime and Punishment

I pass the local high school often. Today, I saw a sign hanging on the chain-link fence: Minor drinking, major problems.

It didn't cost much--maybe $15. It was one of those vinyl banners reinforced with stitching. The printing can be done anywhere.

But it's of no value whatsoever. Who but a prattling social-engineer lefty would think it effective? Who believes most "public service announcements" on TV or radio are effective? There is only one way to stop teens from drinking and driving: the sure threat of swift and severe punishment. And even that only lowers the likelihood; it's no guarantee. But it's the only hope society has of decreasing the number of drunken teen drivers. People who are hell bent on engaging in some irresponsible activity are not going to see a banner hanging somewhere or watch a PSA and suddenly see the light. But they might--they just might--curb their inclinations if they know of a certainty that they will be punished severely if caught.

So instead of hanging banners and playing touchy-feely with beer-filled 17-year-olds, let's start sending them to jail for a year AND revoking their driving licenses for ten years. Let's see what preventive effect that has on the skyrocketing numbers of drunken driving "accidents" (and let's stop calling them accidents and start calling them crimes).

Of course, severe punishments have an even greater value than crime prevention. Such punishments also remove the reliably violent idiots from our midst so that the rest of us have a slightly better chance of enjoying long, happy lives.

These are draconian times; they require draconian punishment for violent crimes.

Tiger in the Lions' Den

Why is everyone in such a hooha over Tiger Woods? He's front-page news everywhere because he apologized. Does everyone really care about his marital shenanigans? The press feeds our own prurience and turns millions of us into crazed voyeurs and exhibitionists. We have no actual stake in the relationship between Tiger and his wife.

Cover his performance on the golf course. That's of genuine, legitimate interest. But this other business is only of wide value if he's running for political office. Otherwise, who cares about his character? As far as we know, he's not a felon. He's just a jerk. It's time for the whoring news outlets to cover something with actual news value.