April

April is National Poetry Month. I love poetry. I remember Mom writing poems on big sheets of butcher paper and hanging them around the house. I'm hoping to post a new poem every day this month.




An orange ruled the world. By Benjamin Rosenbaum

It was an unexpected thing, the temporary abdication of Heavenly Providence, entrusting the whole matter to a simple orange.

The orange, in a grove in Florida, humbly accepted the honor. The other oranges, the birds, and the men in their tractors wept with joy; the tractors' motors rumbled hymns of praise.

Airplane pilots passing over would circle the grove and tell their passengers, "Below us is the grove where the orange who rules the world grows on a simple branch." And the passengers would be silent with awe.

The governor of Florida declared every day a holiday. On summer afternoons the Dalai Lama would come to the grove and sit with the orange, and talk about life.





When the time came for the orange to be picked, none of the migrant workers would do it: they went on strike. The foremen wept. The other oranges swore they would turn sour. But the orange who ruled the world said, "No, my friends; it is time."

Finally a man from Chicago, with a heart as windy and cold as Lake Michigan in wintertime, was brought in. He put down his briefcase, climbed up on a ladder, and picked the orange. The birds were silent and the clouds had gone away. The orange thanked the man from Chicago.

They say that when the orange went through the national produce processing and distribution system, certain machines turned to gold, truck drivers had epiphanies, aging rural store managers called their estranged lesbian daughters on Wall Street and all was forgiven.

I bought the orange who ruled the world for 39 cents at Safeway three days ago, and for three days he sat in my fruit basket and was my teacher. Today, he told me, "it is time," and I ate him.

Now we are on our own again.

Why the Public is Ignorant

My local paper has a about a quarter of a million subscribers and has received 7 Pulizer Prizes in its 100+ year history. It is the major newspaper for at least 4 surrounding states from Alaska to Northern California. Yesterday's front page? On a day when major bombings occured in Iraq, when national and international election campaigns are ongoing, when the economy is tumbling into crisis? The front page, above the fold headline was about a 17 year old girl who was trying to break the World Record for the Mile Crawl. That's right, she was pictured wrapped in bubble wrap and duct tape, and crawling around a track.



How can we expect the citizenry to be informed about issues when the paper that they read over breakfast refuses to provide important stories? Yes, there is good information out there. Blogs and online newspapers are recognizing the need for quality journalism and are filling the gaps left by the "old media". Unfortunately, finding reliable sources of news and staying updated takes time and effort and besides, why should the newspapers be so willing to turn over their duties as public servants? Our nation was based on the idea that the people have the ability to understand important issues but that understanding requires a media that is willing to provide the facts.

Change or Die

Why is it so hard to change? The Buddha tells us that change is inevitable, that everything is always changing. We are always changing whether we like it or not, so why do we resist change for the better? Why do we allow entropy (laziness) to change us instead of changing ourselves?

Dr. Raphael Levey, founder of the Global Medical Forum, an annual summit of leaders in the health care, told a recent audience, "A relatively small percentage of the population consumes the vast majority of the health-care budget for diseases that are very well known and by and large behavioral." That is, they're sick because of how they choose to live their lives, not because of environmental or genetic factors beyond their control. Levey didn't bother to name them, but you don't need an MD to guess what he was talking about: too much smoking, drinking, eating, and stress, and not enough exercise

Dr. Edward Miller, the dean of the medical school and CEO of the hospital at Johns Hopkins University was more explicit He turned the discussion to patients whose heart disease is so severe that they undergo bypass surgery, a traumatic and expensive procedure that can cost more than $100,000 if complications arise. About 600,000 people have bypasses every year in the United States, and 1.3 million heart patients have angioplasties -- all at a total cost of around $30 billion. The procedures temporarily relieve chest pains but rarely prevent heart attacks or prolong lives. Around half of the time, the bypass grafts clog up in a few years; the angioplasties, in a few months. The causes of this so-called restenosis are complex. It's sometimes a reaction to the trauma of the surgery itself. But many patients could avoid the return of pain and the need to repeat the surgery -- not to mention arrest the course of their disease before it kills them -- by switching to healthier lifestyles. Yet very few do. "If you look at people after coronary-artery bypass grafting two years later, 90% of them have not changed their lifestyle," Miller said. "And that's been studied over and over and over again. And so we're missing some link in there. Even though they know they have a very bad disease and they know they should change their lifestyle, for whatever reason, they can't."



For the last two weeks, I've been shadowing a nutrition counselor. She sees patients who have been referred by their doc and most of her patients are overweight often with diabetes, heart disease and other related conditions. She is giving them advice for change that is cheap, simple, and has no negative side effects. She wants her patients to cut down on sugary treats and high fat foods; eat more fruits and vegetables; and get a little exercise. I'm shocked by the number of patients who refuse to use skim milk in their 20 oz Mocha Latte, or who can't give up their third dessert in the evening. These same patients are the ones who will insist that their doctor give them every last test, medication or procedure up until their last breath, but they won't put in a little effort to loose 10 pounds.

On a similar note, I was listening to a podcaster who I really enjoy (but don't always agree with) and he was discussing an article in his local paper. This article was written by a grad student who was studying climate change. This student's theory was that if we didn't cut our carbon emmisions by 96% in the next 20 years, climate change would become inevitable. Ninety six percent! The podcaster claimed that we couldn't change by that much if we were threatened with a nuclear bomb. He's probably right, but why not? Could you cut your emmisions by 96% if it was a choice between change or die? Could I?

Juneau

I'm in the state capital for a month, doing a rotation at the local emergency room. It's good to be back in Southeast Alaska, with the rain and the eagles, the evergreens and the water. I am living in a converted garage. It's warm and cozy, but has only intermittent internet. ER is interesting and busy, days go by quickly. I think I'll leave this rotation with some insight on the use/misuse of the ER. For instance- first thing yesterday we saw a very sick baby having seizures with a high fever. This was followed by a string of people looking for Vicodin for their backs, and a couple schizophrenic patients waiting for admission to the mental health unit. The docs I work with are very knowledgeable and patient, but I'll be interested to hear their thoughts on working in the department and access to care for people.

One more week in Anchorage. It's bitter cold (-8F) and beautiful with crisp, clear days and just enough snow to make everything bright in the early afternoon sun. I am fortunate to work close enough to where I live that I can walk my commute. It's about 40 minutes each way (longer if there's lots of fresh snow). I walk through a park, around a lake. I see beaver and moose on my way in at times. A long walk twice a day is a great way to center my mind, to relax and focus.

My Nan died yesterday after 5 days in a coma. She, like many others of her generation, was a fighter. She fought to keep her home and family running. When the last of six children were finally out of the house and settled, she battled with Granddad's Alzheimer's disease. After he passed on, she has struggled for the last decade with cancer. Up until the end, she did not know how to let go, how to stop fighting. I hope that she finally knew peace and that, if there is an afterlife, she is with my mom, and her family and loved ones. I will always remember her in the kitchen (how trite), flour up to her elbows, kneading bread; or lying on the couch, covered with dogs and cats, reading a book; her love of the winter and learning to ski at a time in life when most women were settling down. A strong woman and a good one, I hope that I take after her.




Before She Died

by Karen Chase

When I look at the sky now, I look at it for you.
As if with enough attention, I could take it in for you.

With all the leaves gone almost from
the trees, I did not walk briskly through the field.

Late today with my dog Wool, I lay down in the upper field,
he panting and aged, me looking at the blue. Leaning

on him, I wondered how finite these lustered days seem
to you, A stand of hemlock across the lake catches

my eye. It will take a long time to know how it is
for you. Like a dog's lifetime -- long -- multiplied by sevens.

Veteran's Day

In Flander's Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flander's Fields.

I've never liked the last stanza of this poem, so I'm going to leave it off, although it seems to hang akwardly without a conclusion. I don't believe that we owe more war to the dead. I don't believe that the young men and women coming home maimed in body and soul from war today are holding high the torch that burned at Ypres in 1915. That torch should not be tended.

Wage peace with your breath.

Breath in firemen and rubble
Breath out whole buildings and flocks of
redwing blackbirds.



Breath in terror.
Breath out sleeping children and
freshly mown fields.



Breath in confusion and breath out
maple trees.





Breath in the fallen and breath out
lifelong friendships intact.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries.
Imagine grief as
The outbreath of beauty or the gesture of
a fish.



I celebrated veteran's day with a hike in the mountains. The snow was fresh and not deep. The sky was overcast but from the ridgeline you could see for miles over crystal limbs of heavy-hanging branches. I spent three hours with an aquaintance who I've known for years but never really spoken to. I came home to a mug of hot tea and the Brandenburg concertos. A good day.

What I Eat and Why I Eat It

"In relation to [animals], all people are Nazis; for the animals, it is an eternal Treblinka"- Isaac Bashevis Singer




I've been a strict vegetarian for so long now that I rarely talk about it any more. Most folks who know me at all probably don't think about it unless I'm coming over for dinner and they have to decide what to cook. However, just because I don't
talk about it and I'm not in people's face all the time doesn't mean it isn't important to me. In fact, precicely because it comes up for me three times every day (at least) it remains a huge issue for me. I thought I'd take some time to lay out what I see as the most important parts of this decision. I'll write a some thoughts, but I'll include lots of links (if I can figure out how to paste links on here) that have tons of good information. The links I'm posting are just the tip of the internet iceberg. There are tons of great recipe sites, sites on animal rights and farm animal rescue, and lots and lots of sites on environment and health as they relate to vegetarianism.


First, to straighten out some facts which probably don't mean much to the general public. I rarely call myself a vegan because my animal-free lifestyle is limited to my diet. I do not eat milk, eggs, fish, chicken or whatever people call "vegetarian" when in fact they just don't like beef. However, I wear leather shoes and wool sweaters, which true vegans do not. I do this only after examining the alternatives (clothes made from oil-based products) and deciding that animal products are the lesser evil in the big picture. I wish there was a better choice, but until then I just try to minimize my purchases.


Second, and I want to say this right out, being a vegetarian is not that hard. There are an incredible number of excellent quality meat, egg, and dairy subsitutes out there. Making the change is easy. People always say "Man, I really respect you, but I could never do that". This is part of the problem- I'm not some kind of vegetarian monk in it for the benefits of self-deprivation. Anybody can do this. Health care orginazations agree that it is healthy for all ages and activity levels, including pregnant and nursing women or children. There are soy ice creams out there that are better than regular ice cream.





OK, I originally became a vegetarian because of animal rights. I worked in college on a small farm and personally slaughtered chickens and turkeys (although even at the time I was a vegetarian). We also raised pigs, lambs and a few cows for slaughter. Our animals were raised sustainably and kindly and their meat went to the college cafeteria. Still, the idea of raising an animal for the purpose of killing it seemed wrong to me. In reality, most animals are raised in horrific conditions. Don't fool yourself that buying organic, range free eggs makes it better. Those labels literally mean nothing. Animals are sentient beings and they feel pain when their beaks are cut off or when they are made to stand all day on concrete floors or when they are ravaged by their neighbors in crowded conditions. These atrocities happen in "humane" farmyards just as they do in factory farms.
Check out Gary Francione's website. He's a law professor at Rutgers who specializes in animal rights. His big issue is the idea of "animal welfare"- the mistaken idea that it's better to eat free range/range free meat and eggs.
Also Compassion Over Killing, which has informational ads suitable for all ages
The Meatrix an award-winning series of short films a la the Matrix
Finally, Earthlings, which is the most powerful animal rights film I've ever seen. Check out the link, and then buy the DVD.


The second reason I am a vegetarian is environmental. The agriculture indusry has a major impact on water and land use as well as pollution especially in the form of runoff into groundwater and streams. Fishing, a major industry where I live, is raping the oceans. By switching from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet, you'll make more impact on the environment that if you swapped your Hummer for a Prius.
Six Arguments for a Greener Diet has bite sized information including fun things like calculating the environmental impact from your weekly diet and a mini-tour of a farm
Less cute, and more dense is the UN report on the environmental impact of livestock. You can download the whole report there
Another dense report from the UN is on fisheries and can be found here



The third and final reason I don't eat meat is for health reasons. As a health care professional, I see the results of our typical American diet every day in diagnoses of obesity, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, gall bladder disease, osteoporosis... A vegetarian diet can't cure every disease, but I feel strongly that every person would benefit from a vegetarian diet. Often people try going veg and quit because they felt tired or weak. These people never hesitate to share this experience whenever I mention that I am a vegetarian. I stand by my earlier statement that it's easy to be a vegetarian, but you do have to put a little thought into it, especially when you're beginning. You can't just cut animal products out of your diet and replace them with potato chips and apple juice.
About dot com has a decent introduction to this subject, with some good links including the vegetarian food pyramid put out by the USDA


One quick final note on nutrition. Protein is the big buzz word these days, especially thanks to Dr Atkins (don't get me started on the Atkin's diet). The second most common response I get after people express their misplaced admiration is to ask where I get my protein. In fact, the US RDA for an average man is 52g and 44g for a woman (international recomendations are 37g for a man and 29g for a woman. I wonder why Americans need more protein than Italians). Anyway, that amount of protein is easily obtained- I get 12-15g just by eating cereal with soy milk for breakfast. A PB&J on whole wheat bread for lunch bumps you up over 20. Plant based protein is high quality and digestable and adequate even for elite atheletes. On the other hand, excess protein is directly related to osteoporosis, liver disfunction, immune problems and kidney disease.



If you're interested in any or all of these issues, consider switching to a vegetarian diet. If you're nervous about how to start, the best way is to choose one day a week or one meal a day and make the change. This is much more productive than switching to organic, range free products. Just making your lunch vegetarian can be a huge impact on the enviroment, as the PB&J campaign advocates.

"When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others. Why should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give. It is inconsistent. I can never accept inconsistency or injustice. Even if it comes from God. If there would come a voice from God saying, "I'm against vegetarianism!" I would say, "Well, I am for it!" This is how strongly I feel in this regard."- Singer again