Daddy, Papa and Me

Guy has a property in a housing development in Provo. This development has a clubhouse and swimming pool. Like Provo, this development is overwhelmingly Mormon. So, it just seemed natural to close the clubhouse and swimming pool on Sunday. Except several residents who pay dues and taxes were Muslim, secular and Jewish (or just not particularly observant Mormons). Since weekends were the only time they could really enjoy the pool they were helping pay for, they asked that it remain open on Sunday (I assume they suggested a weekday closure when it was not used). The answer from the neighborhood association was "NO." It was the sabbath and they were going to be intransient. The non-Sunday-Sabbath-observing residents sued. The association lost and the pool and clubhouse were open on Sundays (and from my observations last year, well used on that day!)

Fast foward. Utah had a severe outbreak of "crypto" last year and put into place a strict super chlorine treatment requirement on all public pools. This treatment has to be done weekly and leaves the pool unswimmable for about ... well.. 24 hours.

So what day do you think the above housing development decided to do the treatment?

Yep, you are right if you guessed _Sunday_. They actually do the treatment late Saturday night and the pool is... imagine... unusable on Sunday.

As the Church Lady would say...

"How Conveeeeeeenient"

I'd be generous and suggest that it's just the elephant inadvertently crushing the mouse.. but with the previous lawsuit, I'm pretty sure it had something do to with a majority seeing an opening to impose their practice on the minority.

Ok, it's just a swimming pool and a Sunday, but multiply that a few thousand times (many times inadvertently and unknowingly and with good intentions, sometimes purposely and not-so-good intentions) and I can get the picture of how it might be to live in a community that has one dominant group.

I would hope that Mormons, having been a persecuted minority (and sometimes still), would be a bit more sensitive to those in the minority around them, but from my observations of human nature... many minorities... racial, ethnic, linguistic, sexual-orientation, gender, religious... can quickly lose the lessons of that minority status the moment they become the majority.

Sad, but true.

We were to find the oldest building in San Francisco, Hogwarts heard it was called ""The Mission." Emma was supposed to find out who built it, where they came from and some of the names of the people. Of course recording this in her journal and draw a picture of the place they came from and the route they took to settle San Francisco.

Then she was supposed to go not much further to a district also called "The Mission" and she'd find a mural there painted in the style of these first settlers. The mural had lots of women painted on it and she was supposed to find out some of the names of these women, especially one that was a famous artist who painted flowers and landscapes. She'd need to know more about this woman for the next step in Utah.

Then she was supposed to go to a specific eating establishment nearby in this same district. This particular establishment is run by witches and wizards and they were expecting her. She was supposed to read a secret passphrase to the witch who served us ("A cat and a rat sat on a hot pepper"). She was to read this on her own because it was powerful and the witch would only listen to her. Once she did this, the witch would give her a pouch with a very powerful ingredient for the potion.

Well, we went to this "Mission" and Emma found it it was built by Spanish-Mexican missionaries including Junipero Serra. He was a missionary who taught about a religion called "Catholic." They came from Mexico.. the place we just visited! Some of the names of these settlers were 'De Anza', but most interestingly... BERRYESSA, some of our own family ancestors!

We then went and found the mural. We found many names and pictures on this mural including those of Queen Leliokalani, Ella Fizgerald, Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, Mother Theresa and Rigoberta Menchu. We are going to find out some about these women later.

We also found the artist. Her name was Georgia O'Keefe!

Then we went to the restaurant. It served... Mexican food! Emma ordered a burrito from the waitress and then read her passphrase.

The witch-waitress then said:
"Ah, you are the Hogwarts student we have been waiting for!"
and then handed her a cloth pouch embroidered with flowers saying
"these are very powerful dried peppers called habanero peppers, from Mexico. They will make a powerful addition to the potion"

Then Emma noticed this behind us, she suspected this was a stash of very powerful potions and ingredients.

She did wonder why the photographs on the wall weren't moving. We figured it was because muggles were in there too.

Quite the adventure! We have to get it all down in the journal this week!!!

We are looking forward to what adventures we will have in Utah this next week!*

So we await the next letter...

(I'm betting it will have something to do with sea creatures, religion and the migrations of people and will be connected somehow to stuff we learned in Mexico and SF... ;)

Previous installments of Hogwart's Summer School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Hogwarts I: the first letter

The next letter that came thanked Emma for accepting (she wasn't sure how they knew.. but they did) and left her with a Hogwarts journal to write in and a quill.

Yet another letter came a few days later, right before our trip to Mexico (5 days in Puerto Vallarta). Her first tasks and lessons in Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures.

For Care of Magical Creatures, she was to find some creatures called "dolphins" and find out all she could about them such as did they talk? what did they feel like? etc. She was asked to draw a picture of these magical creatures and label all the parts herself.

So, after arriving in Puerto Vallarta, we serendipitously found out a place we could observe, learn about and swim with these creatures. Emma was reluctant to go at first, feeling the creatures might not be good magical creatures, but Hogwarts needed her to learn about them so she relented and we went.

She was fascinated (as were Papa and Daddy). We learned that these creatures do indeed talk and they talked to us in their strange squeaky, whistling language. We learned about the different parts of these creatures such as blow holes, the two slits used to give milk to the babies, their fins (which have fingers in them!) and much more. We also learned that they feel very smooth (like suede to Papa) and had the great privilege to swim with one. Emma asked several questions (like do they lay eggs or have babies).

They next day Emma dictated all the things she learned about these magical creatures to Papa who put it into the journal. The number of things she remembered were astounding, more than Papa that is indeed true. Then she drew a picture of them and labeled all the parts herself like the "fin, tal, hed, tumy, blowhol, slit" etc. (she uses a phonetic 'inventive' spelling).

There was a lesson on Muggle Studies. They asked her to learn at least 5 words from the language of these muggles from Mexico, draw a picture of Mexico, learn about some of the foods that these muggles like and whatever else she could find out.

Before we left Mexico she put down several words like "gracias" in her journal and wrote down lots of foods that Mexican muggles eat like "buritos, hot pepers, kaysadeyas, beens" etc. She drew a pretty good picture of Mexico and labeled where we were. She wrote a few other things down like in Mexico they speak Spanish and it is warm and humid there.

She was also to gather two shells, one from a snail and one from a clam, for the potion (and they needed to know how those two creatures are different).

I believe she completed her task!

So we await the next letter.

For our individual home, it's replacing our aging car with a smaller car that gets better mileage, more car pooling to school, more walking and bus/rail use, replacing our oven with a more efficient one (when it finally gives up the ghost, which it's about to), making a few more lifestyle changes (washing clothes in cold water actually works for most), and when we find it economically feasible (not there yet, but it's getting close) add solar panels to our house.

For the nation?

Well, I've seen a lot of stuff going around through email and on the net and from McCain's mouth that we need to open up offshore sites and Alaska to more drilling.

There is sooo much wrong with that solution, let me count a couple ways.

1. The scientific fact is that we are in an unprecedented level of global warming and climate change and that most of it has been precipitated by human activity. So, this solution would only keep us addicted to oil and is no solution to that particular problem, just continues the problem.

2. So, lets say you are one of those conservatives who still deny point 1. Let's look at that solution conservatively... benefits vs. costs. Even the government assessment of the situation says:

*The impact on oil production and price before 2030 (22 years from now) is nonexistent. It won't help production or prices for two decades.

*Total oil production in the US after 2030 could be approximately 3% higher (7% higher for lower 48) than projected for 2030 with offshore oil. But since US produced oil is projected to only account for about 25% of the total US oil supply in 2030 (80% being imported, right now it's 38%US/62%imported), that's an increase of only about 0.7% or so of the total supply. The affect on prices in 2030 would be, in the words of the study, insigificant... "Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant. "

So, it's not going to increase production or lower prices for a couple decades and when our children are adults it will increase production ever so slightly but maybe lower prices by a penny or two (when gas will probably cost... oh... 20 a gallon or more).

Not much of a benefit, at all.

And the costs to the environment, tourism and fisheries in both the short and long term are high.

This conservative cost-benefit analysis doesn't wash.

And yet the Republicans are pushing it, the same "solution" (drill more! drill more!) that they've pushed for years and that has put us in this climate change conundrum and hasn't helped keep prices down or lower our dependence on oil (foreign or otherwise).

It's like oil is our drug and the Republicans are the pushers.

Yet, others have been begging for solutions for decades now (that if we implemented then, we'd be in a much better position today), that have gone largely ignored:

1. Mass Transit (rails, buses, etc) which is highly efficient in comparison to cars.

2. Conservation. Just use less, that will decrease demand and lower prices (US uses 25% of the world's oil, if we cut our demand drastically.. that will have an effect on prices)

3. Alternative Energies: Wind, Solar, Biofuels, Nuclear. They all have their downsides (cost, environment, etc), but with prudent consideration on a case by case basis and multi-pronged local approach, they could put a huge dent into our demand for and dependence on oil, perhaps someday nearly eliminating it, and the upside is great.

How we implement these is a more political question. Do we just let the market takes it's course (higher costs of oil will definitely spur investment in and use of alternative energy sources and higher conservation)? The libertarian part of me thinks this is part of the solution. Do we institute some government carrots and sticks to help the market along (gas tax, cap and trade, investment in research, monies for mass transit instead of highways)? The liberal part of me thinks this could be part of the solution.

What the solution isn't is doing the same thing (drill more! drill more!) that has got us into this mess in the first place.

Isn't doing the same thing over and over again even though it fails the definition of insanity?

We were at a hotel (not ours, but a long story for a post later this week) and the hotel clerk was taking information down for some stats. She asked Guy if he was married (Guy, Emma and I were all standing there). Guy said yes. She asked Guy where his wife was. Guy said, "I don't have a wife, I'm married to him" pointing to me. She said, "Oh, so you are single?" "No, I"m married to him". She didn't quite get it and the conversation started resembling an Abbott and Costello bit.

She then turned to me and asked "Are you married." So the comedy routine started over again. Yes. Where's your wife. I'm married to him. So you're single? Sigh.

I am not sure, don't remember, what she finally marked down. It doesn't matter. After years of feeling powerless, I finally felt like I wasn't any longer. The onus was on her to understand, not on us to find words to explain and prove we should be treated equal.

In her defense, she was sweet and trying hard to understand and at no time did we feel upset (it was kind of funny). Nor was this anything important like explaining to a customs official, but it did give us a feeling what what it's like using three simple words "We are married" to explain our relationship instead of dozens of words.

Then there was the experience later at another hotel with a closeted 40-something year old man from SW Louisiana who was so happy to see our family there.

But that post is for tomorrow (and the posts of Emma's experience and...)

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to
present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail

18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.

19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in
pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in
France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are
meat.

Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither
from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write, but fingers
don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One
goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you
have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do
you call it? Is it an odd, or an end?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats
vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? In what language do people recite
at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a
wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house
can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the
creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.

That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights
are out, they are invisible.

P.S. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?