Random Shorts

Things I think about. 

Another stupid thing I hear on the news here almost daily is on crime stoppers. They describe some recent crime and always seem to finish with this statement. "If you know anything contact the police." I know lots of stuff. I keep thinking I should call and tell them a few things. Maybe talk about global warming or election year politics. You would think if they wanted information about the crime they described that they would request you contract them if you know anything about that. Dealing with granddaughters has taught me if you don't ask a specific question you will not get the answer you are searching for. 

Donald Trump has been bragging about his high IQ. I have doubts. 

A grade school kid should be able to use their instead of there and waste instead of waist. Donald, maybe one of your kids should help you out. 

I'm generally not a huge fan of photoshopped images. I do however enjoy this one. It is very overdone but somehow just works for me. 

Okay, maybe I reveal some immaturity here but to me, that's funny. 

We saw this car at Home Depot the other day. Isn't there something special about a car made of steel with huge fins and a convertible top? 

I can't find any reason to argue with this advice.

I will not add to or detract from that thought. 

No argument from me on that assessment. 

I have that effect on folks. I think I'll go now. 

What? All Natural?

I Sometimes you listen to television commercials and wonder if they could say anything less meaningful to try to sell you their product. I was watching and kinda listening this morning when a food product claimed it contained "all natural" ingredients. There are plenty of all natural things that I would not eat. Recently there was a news story about some companies putting wood fiber in their Parmesan cheese. It went to the point that some of the samples contained no cheese. Interestingly enough they could still be referred to as "all natural" since wood fiber is all natural. I decided to look up what "all natural" meant and came across this article.

10 natural ingredients you have no idea you're eating: Fish bladders, bug secretions and more

It's hard to find a packaged food at the grocery store that doesn't have a million ingredients in it. And most of them seem to be unpronounceable. But what about the ingredients we do recognize on labels? The ones we think we know just because we see them every time we pick up our favorite package of bread or pudding.

It's common knowledge that rennet is used to make cheese. Gelatin is a main component in Jell-O, and something called shellac gives a lollipop its sheen. All of these are considered "natural ingredients," and they are. But do we really know where these ingredients come from? Here's a list of 10 common ingredients, and exactly what they're made of. 

1. Gelatin: Boiled cow or pig skin, ligaments, tendons and bones -- Gelatin, such as for jiggly, Cosby-promoted Jell-O, is a protein made with the skin, ligaments, tendons and bones of cows or pigs. It's used in certain ice creams, marshmallows, puddings and Jell-O as a thickening agent. If you're looking to not eat pig tendons in your pudding, try to find products that include agar agar instead; it's vegan and made from seaweed.

2. Isinglass: Dried fish bladders -- A pint of beer may be the best way to wash down a basket of fish and chips for a lot of reasons. But this probably isn't one of them. Isinglass is a type of gelatin made from the air bladders of fish, mostly sturgeons. It's used as a clarifying agent for beer and wine. Most of the bladders used during production are cleared from the beer before it's ready to be consumed, but remnants may make their way into the finished product. For this reason, some beers are not considered vegetarian products.

3. Rennet: Enzyme from cow stomach lining -- Rennet is an animal enzyme made from the stomach lining membrane of an unweaned cow. It's used to curdle milk, which makes cheese. There is also vegetable rennet used to make vegetarian-friendly cheeses.

4. Shellac: Insect secretions -- Shellac is made of a secretion by a female lac bug, commonly found in India and Southeast Asia. The substance is washed, heated, then flaked. The hard flakes are mixed with ethyl alcohol, liquefied and used to paint a sheen on lollipops and other hard candies. Nothing like a little bug secretion to get your sweet tooth going.

5. Goat colostrum: Pre-milk of pregnant goats -- Colostrum is a thick, yellow fluid mammals produce before producing mother's milk. Nothing described as a thick, yellow fluid has ever been appetizing, unless we're talking about a runny egg yolk. Goat colostrum is known for its especially strong system immune-boosting properties and is sometimes added to smoothies.

6. Stearic acid: Fat from pigs, cows, sheep, dogs and even cats -- Stearic acid is a fatty acid sometimes extracted from the fat of pigs, cows, sheep, dogs and cats. Chew on that bit of information a second. No really, chew on it. Stearic acid is a common softening agent in chewing gum.

7. Carmine: Crushed insects -- Red dye is used in everything from baked goods to drinks, and if it's the Carmine variety -- also called cochineal -- it's made of bugs. This type of dye is made from crushed cochineal beetles. Starbucks used the red dye in some of its drinks, but declared early last year that it would no longer use it.

8. L-cysteine: Amino acid from hair -- L-cysteine is an amino acid derived from human hair, duck feathers or hog hair. It's used as a dough conditioner to soften bread. If the thought of a piece of human or animal hair in your sandwich isn't making you hungry right now, you're not alone.

9. Argan oil: Oil from nuts that may have passed through the digestive tracts of goats -- This oil is made from nuts found on argan trees in Morrocco. But the nuts are notoriously hard to crack. However, something about going through a goat's digestive tract (you can guess what that means) makes the nut easier to crack. Nut pickers consider these particular argan nuts prized finds. Argan oil is a popular cosmetic ingredient, but it's also used as an oil for dipping and often on couscous or vegetables and salads. 

10. Castoreum: Beaver anal glands -- Castoreum, or castor, is made from crushed beaver anal glands. The ingredient is used in ice cream. How someone figured out they should put beaver butt in ice cream is something worth pondering. You may not even know you're eating it. Since beaver butt is technically natural, it can be listed as a "natural ingredient" without further specification.

So there you go, all natural nuts from a goats ass, beaver ass ice cream, crushed bug food coloring and isinglass which I have used to clear wine. Nothing like a bit of fish bladder added to your Cabernet. You cont hear wine critics say: "I taste raspberries, dark chocolate, a bit of oak tannins and s trace of fish bladder." 

So dear readers next time you read "all natural" on the label realize that it may not be what you think. Maybe artificial ingredients aren't that bad. 

It's Really BIG

Things are changing at the Port of Savannah due to the expansion of the locks in the Panama Canal. The biggest ship to ever dock at the port was the MOL Benefactor. 

How big is this ship? 

It is 1105 feet long and 158 feet wide. It has a capacity of 10,100 twenty foot shipping containers. It just paid the largest toll in history to transit the Panama Canal at fust over $850,000. The Savannah River and harbor are being dredged to allow ships of this size to utilize the harbor. The Benefactor had to stop in New Jersey first to offload containers at that port before coming to Savannah. The river and harbor here cannot handle the ship fully loaded. To understand the difference ships stopping in Savannah before this had capacity for about 4,500 twenty foot shipping containers. 

I'm Really Tired

I enjoy the give and take of a good debate based on facts. The problem is that very few seem to care about facts now. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. They are not entitled to their own facts. Too many want to find some source or authority who agrees with them and claim those statements are facts. The world is not black and white. It is not even shades of gray. It is a multi colored collage. We seem to have somehow lost our collective way. It seems always to be us vs. them. If one minority abuses the welfare system some want to blame them all. If one white guy kills 20 school children he's just a crazy exception. He couldn't possibly represent all white males or all gun owners. He had to be so crazy he couldn't even represent all crazy people. 

It seems to be one of the more common excuses for poor behavior. It's like little kids going: "Look what he did!" 

Another common non factual argument. 

I think the biggest problem has everything to do with social media and the Internet. Look at Facebook and the unbelievably cruel things people post in comments. Those look almost kind when compared to the comments made after articles on Yahoo. Pick out some stupid screen name and let the rude comments begin. No one knows who you are. People are willing to hide behind screen names and say things they would never say to your face. It hardens all the participants in the discussion. It is a sad commentary on our lack of civility and sense of community. 

So, be kind, use facts, change the conversation, be positive. Be prepared because they will hate you. Remember no matter what they say you are not the problem, you are the inconvient answer. 

Every Picture Tells a Story

Today's blog entry takes us back to Bonaventure Cemetery. As I was walking through I noticed this marker and wondered what had happened. 

Notice what I missed? I didn't take a picture of the name on the grave. A little Google research revealed the individual was Lt. John M. Purse. The battleship Illinois was caught in a storm and Lt. Purse was thrown against a hatch receiving internal injuries which proved fatal. Only one other sailor was killed. He was a sailor from the Minnesota who was swept overboard and drowned. 

What about the battleship Illinois that Lt. Purse served aboard? It was BB-7 a pre-dreadnought battleship not BB-65 the Iowa class battleship of World War 2. It was the lead ship of the Illinois class of three ships. They were the Illinois, Wisconsin and Alabama. The ships were built between 1896 and 1901. The improvements over the prior class included the first modern gun turrets for the main battery and rapid firing secondary guns. The life of these ships was rather short and by 1912 they were reduced to reserve fleet status and used as training ships. The Illinois was decomissioned in 1920. It was brought back to service in 1941 and renamed the Prairie State. Eventually being sold for scrap in 1956. 

So, there are thousands of graves in Bonaventure Cemetery. Thousands of stories. You never know which ones will touch you when you walk through. While we don't know much about Lt. John M. Purse we do know a bit about him, his service to our country and the ship he died aboard. 

Where Did They Go?

A couple of days ago a generational change happened in our family. While Darrell Earl Sutor was a distant cousin at the age of 95 he represented a generation that we shall dearly miss. He was part of a generation that grew up on the Kansas prairie. A cattleman at heart and soul. He was born in 1920. When the Sutor Brothers ranch was broken up and passed to the heirs he was 18. The United States entered World War Two when he was 21. He didn't serve in the military during the war. He tried to enlist twice and was turned away both times. It was not an issue of health or any other inability. He was told some men had to stay behind to raise the crops and livestock that would feed the troops. While others went to fight he had to stay and do his part at home. His part of the effort was as vital as the soldiers. 

I want to share two portions of his obituary. 

"Darrell Earl Sutor passed away on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at Redbud Village in Plainville, Kansas at the age of 95. He was born on August 1, 1920 just 3 ½ miles southwest of Zurich, Kansas, on Rooks County Section 5-10-19, to Earl and Eliza (Rogers) Sutor. That particular quarter of ground was owned by his grandmother Martha Sutor, and when Darrell was 5 years old the family moved ½ mile west of Zurich so he could start walking to school. Darrell was almost 7 when his sister Darline was born and in 1931, the family moved to Section 21-10-19 which was four miles south of Zurich. Both farmsteads were owned by the Sutor brothers." 

"It has been said the Cattleman’s Motto is: “If it’s not yours, don’t take it. If it’s not true, don’t say it. If it’s not right, don’t do it.” Darrell lived every day of his life, teaching us by example, how to work hard and be thankful for what we have, and how to love one another through everything we say and do. Not just because it’s right, but because it’s the only way a true cattleman should live."

I was struck by the Cattleman's Motto.

If it's not yours, don't take it. If it's not true, don't say it. If it's not right, don't do it.

Simple, clear, honest and sincere. Regular readers of this blog know I reduced the 10 commandments to the simple admonishment, "Don't be an asshole." Darrell and his generation did it much better. Isn't that the world we all want to live on. Three simple sentences to live by. His generation was trying to create a better world. What do we do now? Play Pokemon Go? They have to announce on the news telling people to look up from their phones while they are chasing something that isn't there. People are walking into light posts, in front of moving traffic and off of cliffs. Chasing something that isn't there. We are stupid. We are self centered and self absorbed. There are far too many of us who talk but don't live up to our words. Sign contracts they will not fulfill. Lie to gain advantage. A handshake and a verbal agreement meant everything to men like Darrell. Now, men agree to things in writing that they never intend to do. Promises they will never keep. 

They, Darrell and his generation, tried to show us how to live. We, or at least too many of us, were looking for an easier, looser way. Hard work, no way. Let's find a shortcut. It doesn't matter how you get money. Just how much you get. Doesn't matter who gets hurt as long as you are happy. 

So Darrell and his generation have passed from our lives. We will never see a generation like them again. We may never even fully appreciate what we have lost. We need more cattlemen. 

Bonaventure

BOur oldest son Jeremy is here for a visit. No visit to the Savannah area is complete without a visit to Bonaventure Cemetery. If you go the most visited grave is that of Gracie Watson. She was born in 1883 the daughter of W.J and France's Watson. The Watson family was originally from Massachusetts. They came to Savannah when W.J. Was hired to manage the Pulaski Hotel which was located at the corner of Bull and Bryan street. It was considered one of the finest hotels in the south. Gracie was quite the center of attention at the hotel. She would sing songs and dance in the lobby entertaining guests.  Gracie died of pneumonia in 1889 at the age of 6. Her father fell into deep depression. She was laid to rest in Bonaventure Cemetery and as a tribute her father hired John Walz to create a sculpture for her grave site.  Mr. Walz used a photograph as reference to create her monument. Eventually Gracie's parents left Savannah and returned to New England. When they died they were buried in New England so Gracie lies here alone, her family a thousand miles away. So, if you are ever in Savannah take a trip out to Bonaventure and Gracie will never be alone or forgotten. 

Thinking of You Mom

Well since you liked this one I found a few others to amuse you.

How about this? 

Here's another place I can't go. 

Lost my new job too. 

Sights at City Market

Sometimes you see things that make you go what the fuck. On Saturday in Savannah they were on opposite sides of the street. 

This guy had the most amazing beard. The whiskers you see over his right shoulder are the right side of his beard. I would hazard to guess there was the better part of a full can of hairspray in it. It unfortunately doesn't show well against the brick wall. 

This shot has a bit better background. I did go over and talk to him after taking the pictures to tell him I was impressed with his beard. 

The other side of the street was a restaurant and this was one of the servers.

I'm talking about throne in black. 

The picture below is an enlargement of the one above. 

What is not apparent in my picture is that the outfit being worn is a short skirt. This is a transgendered individual. A male who identifies as female. Those of you with bathroom issues need to look at her and ask yourself one question and answer it as best you can. What bathroom would you have her use? 

Jeremy did call to my attention that I spoke to the guy with the beard after taking his picture but did not do so with her. I agreed that my conduct was not appropriate and in the future I would be more aware of my actions and more respectful. As I have said in the past I will not take pictures with the intent of making fun of the individual. My intent with this one was to draw attention to the transgender issue and get folks thinking about the real world implications of some of the new laws.