End of Summer Thoughts

First, an environmental story. Apparently the government of China does help produce cheap stuff. And we all need more stuff. But you think that perhaps they might have learned from the Cuyahoga River burning, and disasters like that. The fact that cancer is way up is one thing. The other is that they know they are selling contaminated rice. Makes you fell good inside. yeah.

And, if it isn't global warming, what could it be? Even if it a short-term cyclical climactic change, we is going to have issues. The question then becomes, what do we do? If the coral reefs die, there goes the basis for the marine life cycles. And many people rely on that for food. That is the one thing I don't get. Who cares if it global warming or a cycle? One can be forestalled with stewardship. Both need major changes in our food chain. What we do now is unsustainable.

And I saw my first roller derby game live last night. One of my ex-apprentices does that in her spare time. The score was Denver 319 to Sacred City (Sacramento) 12. OW! The women of Denver were ready and able. Better coached and in way better shape. It was very much fun to watch. Athletes having at it.

The description was something like this in the program--
"there are basically 5 chicks skating at a time. There are four blockers and one designated jammer. The pack starts skating at the whistle, A second whistle is blown twenty seconds later and the jammers start. They have to get throught the blockers and lap the pack. Once they lap the pack, they score points by passing members of the opposing team."

Damn, it was fun to watch. The Denver team is used to either the Coliseum of the Fillmore, where they perform to groups of betweee 2500-5000 fans. Here in Sacto, there were maybe 350. My ex-protege is a 6 foot woman who is just a tad buff. Used mostly as blocker, but twice as a ajammer where she uses her strength more than her speed. But a bit of a ham. As she laps the hapless opponent she goes into crouches, doing one skate variations, skating backwards and doing hand signs like Beavis and Butthead while rocking out. and if blockers got in her way, instead of evading them, she often hip checked them. The crowd loved it. It was effective enough she had to do the action shots for about 20 people with digital cameras after the show. What a hoot. and to think she is the one who helped me clean digesters and stuff.

BTW, the only beer served was PBR. That and vodka shots. More tats in the audience then I have seen in a while!

and as summer comes to an end


rojo