Protesters, Cops and Pepper Spray.

This is from an email written to me regarding the pepperspraying of the protesters at UC Davis. This was sent after the author viewed multiple videos from the incident and not just the first brief clip that went viral.

"I'm glad I didn't watch this last night (a longer video showing events prior to the spraying). I wouldn't have been able to sleep. I really felt for the officers in this situation. These are the same guys whose job it is to keep these same kids safe. I think they did EVERTHING to NOT use the pepper spray and they may even have left if they could have. This wasn't Kent State.

We have to remember that hatred, injustice, tragedy of all kinds are always with us. It can be overwhelming when it affects us directly but in one sense it is never personal. Ignorance and violence are simply there. They surround us, like those hundreds of students surrounded those few officers, but it is a force behind it all that it out of control and all the individuals in various degrees of danger in this situation are caught up in the storm. We have to try not to take anything personally. It's the only way to have any peace of mind.

Here are some thoughts of Carl Jung's which I think relate to the reaction I am trying to have.

"Touching evil brings with it the grave peril of succumbing to it. We must, therefore, no longer succumb to anything at all, not even to good. A so-called good to which we succumb loses its ethical character. Not there there is anything bad in it on that score, but to have succumbed to it may breed trouble. Every form of addiction is bad, not matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism. We must beware of thinking of good and evil as absolute opposites. The criterion of ethical action can no longer consist in the simple view that good has the force of a categorical imperative, while so-called evil can resolutely be shunned. Recognition of the reality of evil necessarily relativizes the good, and the evil likewise, converting both halves of a paradoxical whole.

...As a rule, however, the individual is so unconscious that he altogether fails to see his own potentialities for decision. Instead he is constantly and anxiously looking around for external rules and regulations which can guide him in his perplexity. Aside from general human inadequacy, a good deal of the blame for this rests with education, which promulgates the old generalizations and says nothing about the secrets of private experience. Thus, every effort is made to teach idealistic beliefs or conduct which people know in their hearts they can never live up to, and such ideals are preached by officials who know that they themselves have never lived up to these high standards and never will. What is more , nobody ever questions the value of this kind of teaching.

Therefore the individual who wishes to have an answer to the problem of evil, as it is posed today, has need, first and foremost, of SELF-KNOWLEDGE, that is, the utmost possible knowledge of his own wholeness. He must know relentlessly how much good he can do, and what crimes he is capable of, and must beware of regarding the one as real and the other as illusion. Both are elements within his nature, and both are bound to come to light in him, should he wish-as he ought- to live without self-deception or self-delusion."

I have been looking for a particular quote stating that an individual's level of elevated or clear or ethical thought drops precipitously as soon as enters any group and continues to drop drastically as the size of the group increases. He knew what mass hysteria was having endured the horrors of his Nazi neighbors.

One of the hardest things for me in this situation my sense that the police officers at Davis were not necessarily there because they wanted to be. The students chose, for whatever reasons, misguided or otherwise, to go there. The officers do, through a choice to become police officers, take orders. Some of them may well have thought, "I don't want to do this but I'm going to have to go out there". This makes the officer's commitment, and yours, really hard. I don't like to think of you in situations like this but for the sake of others in the situation I would certainly like to have people with heart, like you, there.

Anyway I have been trying to work through my very upset state of mind by looking through Jung. There aren't clear answers. It's really bad that so many people only saw the short version of the video. After watching the longer version my heart was aching for the officers."

Thanks for taking a look.

Dana

Not your every-day burger.

I guess I spent too many hours watching the Food Network last week. I fired up the grill and this burger was the result. The chorizo made the burger very juicy and also very hot. Loved it.

The burger patty is hamburger and chorizo sausage. On the patty sits two slabs of hot pepper cheese, grilled portabella mushroom slices, Dijon mustard, vine-ripened tomato, coleslaw, alfalfa sprouts, leafy greens, a dill pickle plank, and pate, all on a Kaiser roll. Yummy.

Nothing New- Including the weather.

Winter may have finally broke. And I have finally been able to get back into the blog site after being hacked. Now all I have to do is think of something to write about. I did have some frog legs the other day at the Toasted Frog in Bismarck. They were quite tasty.

Business Practice for Streamlining Workload.

Business Practice for Streamlining Workload.

I was in my company vehicle on company business and had a near-miss incident. It was about 2000 hours  on a cold, windy evening. The roads had patches of compacted snow and ice, and in some areas there was 8-12 inches of snow.

I was approaching one of the icy patches and slowed to about 45 miles per hour.  My right foot began to feather the gas pedal as I hoped to coast through the slippery spot. Just as I hit the ice and snow, an oncoming vehicle did the same at the other end of the icy patch. The ice and snow patch was about 75 yards long.  As the other vehicle approached, the rear of my vehicle started to slide to the ditch on my side of the road.  Then my entire vehicle  started to slide to the ditch. I thought the ditch would be better than hitting the now identifiable white Dodge 4x4 pickup head-on.  My vehicle was sliding sideways as our vehicles passed each other.

I managed to stay out of the ditch and I did not hit the other vehicle. My vehicle made it out of the snow and I slowly brought it back onto the roadway. I think I swore out loud.  As I drove the next mile, I could feel the adrenalin dumping into my body.  All pumped up, and nothing to do but sit there in my car and continue driving.

After conducting business at a rural residence, I headed back to town on the same road I had just been driving on.  As I neared the hazardous area I saw an Isuzu Trooper in front of me, approaching the slick spot. The Isuzu started to slide in the same icy spot where I had nearly wrecked.  There was an oncoming vehicle.  The Isuzu crossed the centerline in front of the oncoming vehicle. I remember thinking to myself, watch carefully Dana, you are going to witness an accident and you will be taking the report.  Fortunately, the Isuzu slid back into the proper lane and the vehicles barely missed each other.

I radioed my dispatcher and asked to have the agency responsible for maintaining the road come out and blade the snow and lay down some sand. I was aware of the other agency’s recent policy change and didn’t think they would respond.  I was right. I was told that the plows would be coming out at 0430 the next morning. That’s wonderful.

A co-worker radioed dispatch and asked for the same assistance on a different road and got the same response.

I was upset about not getting any assistance. Well, I was beyond being upset.

At about 2330 or so, I was dispatched to a traffic accident. I immediately thought of my near-miss. Sure enough, I was being dispatched to an accident at the exact spot. I arrived and saw one vehicle sideways in the middle of the road and another on the east shoulder. They had hit head-on. Both drivers had been wearing their seatbelts and had only minor injuries. Airbags had been deployed. Now I was beyond angry. I felt the accident could have been avoided.

Here is where the title of this blog fits in. The agency responsible for maintaining the road and their new policy played a role in this event. I call their new business practice “Policy Implementation for the Reduction of Departmental Workload.”  Their new policy and practices keep them from maintaining the roads between certain hours. These hours end in mid-afternoon, or in case of an emergency situation, the hours are extended to early evening. Apparently this was not an emergency. I was nearly in an accident, I witnessed a near-miss, and after my shift ended, multiple vehicles went into the ditch at the same spot. My shift ended at 6 am and the plows had not plowed or sanded the road.

So, if you want to streamline your workload, create policies that:  a) limit your business hours, and  b) make other people do your job by passing the buck.

My recommendation for the problem would be to take care of the other agency's business and send them a bill for twice the cost.  It won't happen but other similar situations and billings are going on all the time.

I do understand there are issues related to scheduling and funding, but a public agency does not have the right to refuse service to anyone. I also believe the issue here is not with the equipment operators and employees, it is a management issue from the top.  I never heard of these business practices while I was getting my B.S in Management. It must be an on-the-job training kind of thing.

Drive safely.

Cody Beer- Raspberry Wheat



Another Cody Beer. This one was a raspberry flavored wheat. The photo does not do it justice. It was in a frosted glass but the "studio lights" were too hot and the frost turned to liquid and evaporated, which ended the shoot because I don't like warm beer. I liked the light hint of raspberry at the end. The one before this was a little bit better though. (Cody- What was your hydrometer reading?  My face is numb. That one must have been about 7%. ) Thanks for the beer and keep them coming!

Calling all arachnologists.

Its not February 2nd and this isn't a groundhog. Its January 28th and this is a spider. A spider outside and in the snow. The weather is sunny, windy and the temperature is about 37 degrees F. I stepped outside and looked down to shield my eyes from the sun shining off the three feet of snow on the ground, and saw this 8-legged critter. Its January. What is this guy going to find to eat? I haven't seen a robin in a few months, groundhogs are still hibernating, and this insect is out snowshoeing. Maybe spring will come early. Maybe we were looking in the wrong place for the signal of springs arrival.

On the horizon.

Just a note to myself or anyone who may have the notion to leave a comment about possible future topics. With any interest they could become regular topics in this blog.

1. Acutely Aware of the Obvious- For everyone who notices stuff.
2. Adventures in Gastronomy- For those of us who eat. (Great timing as I have just spent this week's grocery allowance on a diet program.)

These two topics should just about include everyone.

Another note: Comment settings have been changed as to allow easier access to posting your wonderful comments. (I hadn't gotten to that chapter in Google Blogger for Dummies yet.)

The Baguette

If you have ever eaten one of my Mom's homemade baguettes, you may appreciate this.   If you have ever owned a dog, you might appreciate this. If you have ever eaten one of my Mom's baguettes and you have ever owned a dog, you will truly understand.

My baguette was in the freezer. They handle the freeze well and even after thawing, slicing and toasting, are still a wonderful treat. My Mom made it and gave it to me after our Thanksgiving dinner. It was a treasure. If you have ever had one you understand. If not, a short description. The baguette is like a bread stick for Paul Bunyan. They are crisp and crunchy on the outside but not in a dry, powdery, cracker kind of way. The crispy, golden-brown crust protects the soft, tender, chewy, airy center. 

On this fateful day, I had thawed the remaining 2/3 of my baguette and anticipated eating it with real butter and a thick covering of peanut butter. Even as it thawed on the counter I could smell it and couldn't wait to bite into the crust. Maybe with a bit of honey or jelly to add some sweet to the savory (When the baguettes are hot from the oven or even popped out of the toaster, the butter and peanut butter melt into the large holes in the bread. Making it a perfect carrier for spreads and toppings.)  Ok, the baguette was thawed and ready for the toaster. time to prepare the spreads. You need to have your toppings ready for immediate application. You don't want your warmed baguette cooling down and losing moisture while you fiddle with sugarized honey or the lid on a jar of jelly that has naturally been glued in place. Everything must be ready.

The butter was at room temperature, good enough to spread on a baguette. The honey was fresh and fluid. The peanut butter was empty. Oh crap! No peanut butter!  That's ok, the baguette has not been toasted yet and I will just run to the store. That is how good this is. I would go out in the 10 degree weather and drive 6 miles round trip just for some peanut butter for my Mom's baguette. Shoes, jacket and stocking cap for bald head. On my way.

The store was uneventful. Or seemed so, I only had baguette on my mind.

I returned home and bolted to the kitchen, open peanut butter jar in hand. I quickly stepped to the counter where my baguette had been. What? Had been? Where was it? I asked Deb if she moved it or ate it. I didn't really think she ate 14 inches of a baguette, but I was in a state of panic. Then I saw them.

The dogs looking at me, yet not looking at me. All three of them. Heads down. Only able to look as high as my knees and with a sideways glance at that. Absolutely no eye contact. Guilt.

Waves of emotion swept over me. Disappointment. Deb thougth it was a little funny and wanted to tell my Mom. Hell no. I couldn't tell her. I couldn't risk her not trusting me with a loaf of bread and not giving me anymore baguettes. It would be a secret.

Two months later, I can look back and think the baguette/dog incident was funny. I called my Mom and told her and she thought it was funny too.

Shopping List

     I had to do it. I had to venture into the south Walmart. I dreaded the thought. I drove into the parking lot and my fears were valid. The lot was half full and there were just as many shopping carts in the lot as vehicles. Apparently the store is so severely understaffed, they don't have anyone for "cart patrol" . I knew I was in for a long shopping experience.
     I roamed the store and managed to find everything I had on my shopping list. Now to the checkout line. I knew it was going to be painful. Yep, I was right. All five checkout lines are full. At 5:29 pm, I picked the shortest line. I was wrong. It was the shortest line, but I was riding a turtle. My back was getting sore so I rested my elbows on the handle of the shopping cart. I lifted a foot up onto the bottom rack of the cart. My tin poked me in the hip and I felt the weight of polymer and steel on my hip. I started to daydream of what would happen if someone tried to rob the till in front of me. My stomach reminded me that I only had an English muffin for breakfast and that was 10 hours ago.
     Ok the line moved forward another three feet. I hate coming here. It puts the crab in my apple.
      My turn. The cashier must have detected a bit of hostility on my face as he asked  me if I had found everything I was looking for. I said "yes". He rambled on in a pleasant tone as I loaded my cart as quickly as I could. Finally I was free. Only 23 minutes of actually standing in line. 23 minutes. It was not even a record.
     I pushed my cart to my pickup in the -5 degree weather and loaded my items into the cab. I pushed the empty cart to the cart corral and gave it a shove. My cart rolled up to another cart. This other cart had two Walmart bags in it. Better take a look.
     I picked up the two bags that had been tied shut. I could make out cat food in one of the bags.  Hum, I have a cat. I looked at the other bag, frozen pizzas. I like pizza. But wait, there is something else, no way, it is... the gateway meat. Bacon. Yes, a pound of bacon, just waiting to be rendered into crispy, salty, smokey goodness. On any given shopping day, any combination of these three items could have been on my list.
     A few thoughts went through my mind but only one stuck. I picked up the two bags and started to walk back into the store I hate. I walked up to the greeter and his sidekick and told them that someone had left these bags in a cart in the parking lot. I offered them the bags. In return I received an open-eyed, slack-jawed stare. I said the bags were not mine and extended my arm out to them. The man took the bag, I turned around and I walked out.
     Bacon, pizza and cat food were not on my shopping list.

My last Cody Beer!!!!

Cody Beer!!!
This is a home brew concocted by a friend and fellow coworker. (Friends give you free beer, right?)  It deserved the full studio photography session, which was a rush job because I was thirsty. The beer did the job. I would have loved it with a ruben sandwich and a zesty dill pickle but it is almost time for me to go to bed. Thanks Cody, it was a priviledge drinking this one!  
Dana R. Middleton

First emailed test photo

Here is the hereford test bull.

Dana R. Middleton

Blogger

Day 2 and still playing with Blogger. I am trying to get some of my own pics onto the main page and I am not having any luck.

Thought for the day:  Choose words used in speech carefully. Write words with extreme caution.

Entering the blogosphere and Scotch eggs.

Welcome. My first blog entry and I realize I am suffering from writer's block.  Maybe I should have thought about that eariler. At least creating this blog kept me from spending money on camera equipment and going out to eat.

The Scotch eggs I had for breakfast are still hanging with me anyway. Breakfast in a ball. Perfectly portable pork and poultry protein packages. I had never heard of them until two days ago. Then I was bombarded with info about them. I saw them on a friend's Facebook page, saw them on the internet, discussed how to make them and then a coworker showed up and had two of them in his lunchbox. I went from having never heard of Scotch eggs to having two of these breakfast balls sitting within eating distance of me. All within a 20 minute time span.Where have they been hiding? Where have I been hiding? What other fabulous fare am I missing?

They looked so good, I had to make my own. The ground pork sausage from the grocery store in Linton was perfect.

When I read an item on a menu and ask myself  "What in the world is that?", I will remember these words from my mom and dad, "Don't miss the boat!", and I will order it.

Scotch egg