Pet Food Recall should be Wake up Call!

All pet owners are aware of the recent pet food recall. The information seems to indicate that the deaths are caused by some sort of substance that got into the meal at the Chinese factory. Whatever the substance it, there's a good chance it's banned in the U.S.A.!

Here's the paradox that drives me batty: how come American consumers can buy products from oversees (especially China) that don't meet USA health & safety standards. Sure, there are bogus rules on the books, mostly about "choking hazards", but what about how the products are MADE, or what is in the factory, where does the fuel come from and what about emissions......?
Do most American consumers even realize that their kids toys from China get sprayed with pesticides, paint is sometimes lead based, and most Third World factories certainly have sanitation standards that would make the average American parent faint! (And let's not even begin the child labor topic....)

Do consumers ever add 1 + 1 and realize that one of the reasons factories move oversees is because they no longer have to follow USA health & environmental guidelines?? Sure, that's mush cheaper for the consumer--but at what overall cost???
So let's hope the recent pet food scare will help open some eyes--the same regulations are needed here and oversees ! Learn that paying more is ok--it could save lives!

Is There Blood on Your Wal-Mart Shorts?

What blood? How did it get there?
Well of course I am using the term figuratively as folks refer to "blood" meaning someone died for that product.
It's easy to conceptualize a violent diamond trade or drug lords killing one another to get their products to market. But what about those little Easter baskets that say "Made in China" or your kids cheap spring shorts from Wal-Mart??
Child labor is really just the tip of the iceberg. Dig even deeper and look- where does the coal and oil come from that runs the machines for those factories?? Where does their electricity come from?
Any layperson can pick up a recent Time magazine and read how the Chines coal mines are some of the most dangerous in the world. Hundreds if not thousands die to get that coal. Then there is the Chinese oil that comes from violent Darfur--or the unregulated factories that pour toxins into the Chinese water system.....
So how much blood is really shed for Americans to have the cheapest garments possible???
A quote that I recently saw says it best: "The American 'everything is disposable' mentality unfortunately extends to the Third World as well."

Old Fashioned Simplicity

I moved to Alaska to chase the rapidly receding Wilderness. By accident I also stumbled upon another thing I forgot I was looking for: simpler times.

As a child I was a HUGE fan of the Laura Ingalls books (never liked the show--ruined all my imagined images). What I loved about these stories was the way happiness could be found only by listening to Pa's fiddle or making maple candy in the snow. The Christmas story of the children being ecstatic to receive only pennies, oyster crackers & ribbon candy is burnt into my memory. It resonates with my understanding of where our sense of joy comes from and it's not our modern lifestyles and material goods that make us happy.

Luckily Alaska has a "frontier" spirit. Sometimes it can mean really backwards thinking, but usually it's a good thing. This kind of old fashioned friendliness and helpfulness just can't be experienced elsewhere. Whenever a car breaks down at the side of the road folks rush to it as if it were a sport to help out! My husband and I could only laugh, when we ran out of gas and were offered rides by three different people - in a matter of 10 minutes!

Then there's the appreciation of simplicity. Not that Anchorage doesn't have it's own big city problems, but if you drive 30 minutes away from there you can still leave the car unlocked. Or folks will talk to you about berry picking, making jam or canning salmon. I love the fact that our grocery store has a huge section of canning supplies and jelly jars and this is taken very seriously!! Fishing isn't done for sport as much as it is to fill the freezer.

If only I could keep those cell phones at bay, but they have followed me here as well........

The Worst Thing About Alaska

I love living in Alaska, but my biggest issue of contention is the so called "Department of Fish and Game". They do many good things for our fish and monitor hunting, however they continue to pursue a policy of wildlife management through death.

The current lunacy is the so called "predator control" program also known as "wolf kill". In order to ensure that Joe six-pack has a moose to kill, they spend state money to chase and kill wolves from airplanes. The logic being that wolves eat moose, thus they are our competitors for meat. I mean what is this - the 1800's?? Even crazier--they now want to do it by offering a bounty and may perhaps use helicopters.

There are only 7,000-11,000 wolves in Alaska, and considering this state is gigantic, that's really not that many. Most wildlife viewers have never seen a wolf in Alaska!!! That's what makes me angry, that my right to have ample opportunity to see a live wolf is destroyed. (Not to mention that wolves are against being killed as well.)

It's hard to imagine that Alaskans have actually voted (twice!) to end this craziness. But the Alaska governor & Game board supersede the democratic consesus of the people. What a shame!

What's the Point of a Hectic Lifestyle?

After moving away from the East Coast, I quickly forgot that not everyone in this country has the time to vegetate in front of the TV or suffers from chronically bored syndrome. Yes, that's right--there is also the opposite end of the spectrum: the frazzled, hectic lifestyle people.

In my opinion the busy lifestyle families are quite perplexing. I completely understand that there are folks who are seriously struggling to pay the mortgage or keep their cars running-and those folks are working their tails off. But my issue is with the "hectic by choice" people.

A "hectic lifestyle by choice" person is one who has the illusion that their family will only be happy if they have a home that is at least 2000+ square feet, with 2 flat screen TV's, shiny new cars and all the latest fashions with gadgets in tow. Thus they refuse to take any vacations and work their tails off, outsource the kids, and run around with stress levels that keep the cardiologists in business.
Hasn't anyone heard of the happiness index? We as humans are practically pre-programed to hit a happiness set point. That means happiness goes up and it goes down, but you can't push the threshold any higher than the set point. In other words, there is no scientific evidence that killing yourself for your career will ever make you or your family happy. (actually I have read that Tibetan monks are able to raise their happiness set point, but of course that doesn't come from joining the rat race)

What's most bizarre is the bitching and moaning people with plenty of money (by that I mean roof over head, car and food on table) keep engaging in by saying "they can't make ends meet". Yikes--those ends are all an illusion. Who the heck really needs a McMansion?? So you can burn up utilities and feel isolated from each other?? Or what about keeping up on fashion-- The whole fashion industry is a farce, brainwashing insecure people to spend money. People say they want to look good--well then decide what "look good" means and stop changing it every year!! Does it make any sense whatsoever to spend money on fashion, if all you do is want to burn your old photos once you realize you looked like a freak 10 years ago??

Of course none of it makes sense to me. So this rat is out of the race.

The Way Alaskans Love Their Animals

As I am originally from the East Coast, my move to Alaska brought about many surprises. One of these surprises was the cynical attitude towards anything "warm & fuzzy" including animal rights. For example, PETA is considered an organization run by sissy pants bed wetters. The only time I have even seen PETA on a bumper sticker in Alaska is in the context: PETA "people eating tasty animals".... Or how about a Christmas card with a picture of a little girl holding a hunting rifle crouched by a dead reindeer. The caption reads: "only seven more to go- Merry Christmas!"

Yes, this shocked the pants right off my sensible yet snooty East Coast self. It appeared a bit cruel. It seemed especially odd because one can easily see that Alaskans love animals. I have yet to meet a non-pet owner here. Jacked up pick-up trucks come to screeching halts if a dog even thinks of crossing an Alaskan road. So what gives?

I think I have figured it out: Alaskans like their animals wild and treat them that way. What passes as "humane" elsewhere just seems silly in Alaska. Pets don't wear rain coats here, sit around getting fat, or wear bows. So many folks back East want their dogs tame, goofy and content with a squeeze toy. But Alaskans celebrate the wolf in their dog. They want dogs that hunt like mad and run like the wind. Even reindeer aren't primarily considered Santa's helpers, but accepted as sausage material or great entertainment when they run loose & wild during reindeer races.

This difference in opinion probably explains why people outside of Alaska and Alaskans are constantly butting heads when it comes to animal issues. Even I have come around to the Alaskan way of thinking. I'm quite proud when my dog can kill a mouse and understand her roaming behavior better when I consider her a wolf.

I completely support treating animals well, but what's the fun if they all become gentle Disney caricatures ?

Dog Blog

I'm watching my sleepy sled dog Tinga, as she lies on her warm bed. She comes from the local pound, rescued from imminent death. Although one would think the Alaskan dog pounds are full of over bred huskies, they're not. The most common abandoned pooch here is some type of lab mix, usually the black ones. Believe it or not they only have room to stay at the pound for a week, then the unmentionable happens. It is a gruesome truth that they transport hundreds of dogs to the dump each year after they are euthanized.
I bring up this sad fact to put some perspective on the first Iditarod dog dying today. A husky from a sweet woman's kennel perished without warning (while resting). She immediately dropped out of the race to grieve. This particular musher is a fanatic about her dog's care and has a website dedicated to each dog's progress. I feel so badly for her, and know she must be beating herself up over it. Nevertheless, this dog lived a good life full of love, running and fun.

We might still make our beloved Tinga into a sled dog after all. She does love to run--but what to do about those sensitive paws? The cold does bother her toes. She's mastered the art of "three legged pooping" so one of her sensitive paws doesn't have to touch the cold snow. Booties would fix that....