Pumpkin Custard Pie

The other day I was reading a newsletter in which someone said they’ve never found a good recipe for allergen-free pumpkin pie.

“WHAT?!!” I said. I’ve used the same recipe for a long time, adapted from Jennifer Raymond’s The Peaceful Palate. It is billed as a “heart-healthy version of a traditional favorite.”

Raymond’s original recipe uses a cup of Grape Nuts and 1/4 cup of undiluted apple juice concentrate to make a fat-free crust. While Perky’s Nutty Flax cereal might be a good gluten-free substitute, there are a few good allergen-free pie crust recipes out there. Some use ground almonds, some use a blend of gluten-free flours.

The Food Allergy Survival Guide, http://www.foodallergysurvivalguide.com/, has some good crust recipes. Just make sure you’re using a blend of gluten-free flours as using one flour alone might make a shoe sole you can slap people with rather than a crust. Gluten Free Mama, http://www.glutenfreemama.com/, has a coconut blend flour that works great for baking.

Anyway, choose your crust. Then use:

1 1/2 c. of rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)

4 T. cornstarch

1 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin

1/2 c. sugar (I use a little stevia instead. That way my neighbors don’t see me doing a Dance Dance Revolution on the roof to polka metal with a road cone on my head.)

1/2 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/8 t. ground cloves

…or just be like me and dump in a liberal dose of cinnamon and the wondrous Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend from Spice Hunter. Cinnamon lowers your blood sugar, by the way.

If you’re going the Perky’s Nutty Flax route, bake your mashed-together crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees and cool it before filling it. Otherwise, follow the directions for your chosen crust.

Continuing on (Julia Child voice)… while the oven’s preheating to 375 degrees, whisk together the milk and cornstarch and then blend everything else in. Pour this into the pie shell and bake for 45 minutes until firm. Cool it before you cut it.

I often double this recipe, especially when company’s coming. It makes a very tasty pumpkin custard pie even though it’s unleaded (in food allergy speak). It’s healthier than the leaded version and is very easy to make.

Don’t know how to bake? You can still accomplish this. You’re stirring basic ingredients and pouring it into a shell. Pie shell, that is, you hear? If anyone sends me an email about conches or user interfaces… If you need an allergen-free whipped cream, chill a can of coconut milk ahead of time and then whip the part that solidified.

There’s no need to miss out on pumpkin pie on the holidays. You can be allergic to a lot of foods and still enjoy this recipe. Recipes like this are the reason I tell people that food allergies aren’t so much about cutting things out as they are about substituting things. I’ve found that I like a lot of the “substitutions” better, and many are better for you.

Alley Christine! or whatever The Chairman says at the beginning of Iron Chef– allez cuisine? On Hawaii Five-0, the same actor plays slippery bad guy Wo Fat, which is something you won’t be if you cook like this.

Enjoy!

*************************************************************************************

One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other. -Chinese Proverb

(Editor’s note: who puts pumpkins in the water and why? Maybe next fall we’ll try bobbing for pumpkins. Although that might be more like headbutting pumpkins. At least we’ll cut the stems off so we they don’t poke us in the eye.)

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

Constitution 101

Hillsdale College is offering an online course to teach people about the Constitution:

Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the U.S. Constitution – Hillsdale College.

Here is information from their website. Please note that the class started this week, but the lectures are archived, so you can catch up. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our country and the principles it’s founded on. Every American should have this knowledge.

“Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution” is a 10-week online course presented by Hillsdale College.

Featuring an expanded format from the “Introduction to the Constitution” lecture series with Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry Arnn, Constitution 101 follows closely the one-semester course required of all Hillsdale College undergraduate students.

In this course, you can:

• watch lectures from the same Hillsdale faculty who teach on campus;
• study the same readings taught in the College course;
• submit questions for weekly Q&A sessions with the faculty;
• access a course study guide;
• test your knowledge through weekly quizzes; and
• upon completion of the course, receive a certificate from Hillsdale College.

You must register in order to participate in Constitution 101. Even if you have already signed up for a previous Hillsdale webcast or seminar, we ask that you complete the simple registration process for Constitution 101. There is no cost to register for this course, but we ask that you consider a donation to support our efforts to educate millions of Americans about our nation’s Founding documents and principles.

He’s Just Not That Into You

Eight years ago Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccilo published an obscenity-riddled divining rod to help women sniff out the losers in their lives. He’s Just Not That Into You is an easy read penned by a writer and a consultant for HBO’s Sex and the City. I can’t stand the show, by the way. It was an garishly self-centered jaunt through the lives of materialistic, hedonistic urbanities that legitimized whoring around.

The book, however, was groundbreaking in the sense that it provided straight talk by a straight male about relationships. Most of the relationships discussed are sexual in nature, so this book is not for those who refuse to acknowledge that such issues exist in the church as well as the outside world. Unfortunately Christian books and the church often just tell people how to live and don’t provide support when singles live outside the lines. They do little to bring them back into the fold or recognize the issues that motivate singles to compromise their values.

If you accept that the book is written for a secular audience and can get past the sad fact that sex is treated so cheaply in the modern world, you can still find serious nuggets of truth. I’ve rarely if ever heard such straight talk from the pulpit and am curious why the church doesn’t do more to call out the vampires discussed here. It seems that some churches are more interested in warm, fuzzy things than calling out evils that harm its members. Many allow abusers, users, and stalkers to keep preying on others in spite of the risks to their victims. They place the chance that these dangerous souls might be saved above their victims’ lives.

If you are new to this blog, I speak of vampires often. Vampires are needy people with holes in their souls who attach to others in order to use them as a fuel source. Christian women are frequent targets as vampires are attracted to light, energy, and the fruit of the Spirit. Vampires crave what they don’t have. These dark souls instinctively discover a good woman’s values and prey upon her Christianity to latch on, claiming to be a “believer” like her. Satan himself appears as an angel of light; so do these Decepticons, who talk the talk but lack the walk.

Greg Behrendt’s honesty is refreshing and teaches women to spot the guys that talk but don’t walk. He calls out all manner of excuses in the male population. One of the first pages in the book is titled “You Are All Dating The Same Guy” and it will jolt a lot of female readers into realizing that they’re with that guy:

Hey. I know that guy you’re dating. Yeah, I do. He’s that guy that’s so tired from work, so stressed about the project he’s working on. He’s just  been through an awful breakup and it’s really hitting him hard. His parents’ divorce has scarred him and he has trust issues. Right now he has to focus on his career. He can’t get involved with anyone until he knows what his life is about. He just got a new apartment and the move is a _____. As soon as it all calms down he’ll leave his wife, girlfriend, crappy job. ____, he’s so complicated.

He’s a man made up entirely of your excuses. And the minute you stop making excuses for him, he will completely disappear from your life.

Shazam! Anyone dating that guy today? He’s the guy who’s still emotionally entangled with his ex-wife and talks more about how screwed up she is than how cool you are. He’s the guy who’s rarely present but makes you feel like a million bucks for two hours when he does show up at his leisure. He’s the guy full of empty promises, who says he’ll change careers, leave his wife, break up with his girlfriend, relocate, go back to school, get his drinking under control… just as soon as (fill in the blank).

This guy keeps you hanging on in hopes he will magically morph into someone better. Once things resolve, he’ll be a great boyfriend/husband/partner/dad. You feel SORRY for him, because he’s had so many bad things happen in his life that surely one man can’t bear all of that, and especially not alone. You know you HAVE to be there for him, imperfect as he is, or his world will fall apart. Hold on here– noble as your intentions are, who made you God?

Isn’t recovery a combination of personal choice and commitment combined with the wonder-working power of the blood? Do you really think your love can fix this when he doesn’t love you back the same way and makes no real progress conquering his demons? This guy doesn’t want to be whole; he wants his freedom. By allowing chaos in his life he always has an excuse not to settle down or move forward. He can keep his options open and keep relationships going on all four burners. By being with a good woman he feels better about himself and the relationship atrocities he commits.

These guys are often emotionally unavailable. They compartmentalize their lives and can go have unprotected sex with Lucy Loosey or Lewd Larry one night and then take Pam Purity out the next to “absolve” their sins, talking about how they’ll wait for the right woman. They can create the illusion of intimacy and caring, but the second you suggest that they improve anything or commit to you, they are abusive, screaming thugs. They are happy as long as you do what they want, when they want you to do it. Their time is more valuable than yours and they will ALWAYS justify why several other women are leaving lascivious comments on their Facebook page, calling in the middle of the night, or seen at their residence while you’re out with their kids.

We live in a world that exults in self-gratification. Celebrities and the media blare lifestyles that indulge in multiple partners and bisexuality because– it’s about YOU! Life is about whatever tickles your fancy at any particular moment, and how archaic and prudish to think there might actually be eternal consequences to your actions. Just raise a glass above your head, shake your booty, yell, “whoo!”, kiss the nearest partygoer, and life is grand. Right? Buy into that lie, and you’re just about guaranteeing a long and disappointing ride on the relationship rollercoaster that will never end in true love.

True love isn’t the one-sided, draining exercise in excuses that Behrendt addresses. It doesn’t start by treating your target like a convenience store that should be open for you 24/7 in case you want a Slurpee. As the book points out, if a guy doesn’t call you, forgets your date, disappears, is married, has reasons he can’t commit, is too busy, is overwhelmed, is consumed with a prior relationship, yells at you, puts you down, won’t call you his girlfriend in public, has to leave quickly, just wants to be friends, is mysterious about his personal life, and on it goes– he’s just not that into you. He’s into himself, or someone else, or several someone elses.

Here’s an important point to remember when you realize you’re with “HJNTIY” guy– it doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. You might have knocked yourself out trying to show love and affection to “oh, I just don’t know what I want, I’m so confused” dude. You might have contributed your time, finances, beauty, humor, home, and so on to him, but if he won’t reciprocate, he’s not the guy who should be given those things.

He wants life his way, he wants flexibility, he wants someone else. Maybe he’s found someone as dysfunctional as he is and they can throw kitchen appliances at each other for the next ten years. What you, ladies, need to realize, is that you’re better than this. You need to be with someone who will also contribute their time, finances, beauty, humor, and home as appropriate, who values you as much as you value them. Where are these guys? In today’s world, that’s a good question. Because a lot of my friends feel like all the good ones have been taken and sane single guys don’t seem to frequent church. Well, God knows who you need, and this is His design, so keep praying.

The biggest take away from this book is that if a man wants to be with you, he will move heaven and earth to make it happen. This does not mean he stalks you, begs for mercy, guilts you, or coerces you. This means that his walk will match his talk. You won’t have to prove to him that you’re worth it; his actions will show you that you are. While there has to be a mutual give and take in marriage, in courtship the man should generally take the lead and show you that he’s serious about giving a relationship a try. He’ll see your beauty inside and outside, and he won’t nitpick at your imperfections. His life will be together enough that he’s ready for a grown-up role as a provider and protector.

While mulling this book over, a laundry list of behaviors went through my head that signal “he’s just not that into you.” Many of them have been mentioned, but the most important point I can make is that if he IS that into you, he WILL make a move and he will SHOW that he is sincere about wanting to be with you. He will use ACTIONS, not words. He will not keep parts of his life secret or keep you off balance. He will not hurt you or use you or keep you guessing or waiting. He is not serious about you if he has a wife or a girlfriend.

A real man is one who reflects the image of his heavenly Father and therefore demonstrates both truth and grace in his daily life. He’s not perfect, but if both of you are moving towards God, then you are moving closer to each other in the process. This was once explained to me as a triangle, with God at the top, the man on one side, and the woman on the other. With the presence of God in your life, you do not expect your partner to fill God-shaped holes in your heart. You have a stronger sense of who you are and your purpose in life. The closer you are to Him, the more prepared you will be for true love with another flawed human being. God is love, after all.

So don’t sell yourself short. Like this crusty but alarmingly insightful book says, don’t settle for good enough or be with someone to avoid being with no one. You’re better than that. If you believe that God is the author of love, the incarnation of love, then you know that those who believe in Him should be having the best relationships, the most intimate closeness, and in the right context, the best sex. He designed this mystery; those who strive to be more like Him will reap the deepest rewards from it.

And ladies, don’t forget who you are– you’re a daughter of the King. Given who your Father is, you deserve no less than the best. Do background checks no matter how nice he seems, get to know his people, don’t be afraid to tactfully ask questions. If you discover ugliness and lies, find a safe way to get out and do it. Don’t leave the door open behind you.

As Helen Keller said, when one door closes, another opens, but sometimes we look so long at the closed door we don’t see the one which has been opened for us. A man’s closed heart is a closed door. Take Greg Behrendt’s advice, cut loose, and find a real man. The best way to do this is to keep moving closer towards your Father, who knows exactly what you need and will open the right doors in His time.

*************************************************************************************

God doesn’t want you to have a mediocre job that you hate getting up and going to every day. He doesn’t want you to have an average marriage. He doesn’t want you to have just a little bit of peace in your life. No! God desires for you to feel fulfilled and overjoyed in your life. He wants you to experience His highest and best! –Charles Stanley

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

VoteMatch Quiz

The nonpartisan website OnTheIssues (http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm) has a quiz that will help match your values with the presidential candidate who most closely represents them:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/Quiz2010.asp?quiz=Pres2012

The quiz makes the distinction between social and economic issues and by clicking on corresponding links you can find out what a particular candidate believes.

What a useful tool for undecided voters as well as people of all parties who want to clarify their stance on an issue. It may not be scientific, but it’s insightful. Pass it on and vote your conscience!

*************************************************************************************

We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate. -Thomas Jefferson

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

Media Manipulation

Here is a great article on the tactics the media can use to manipulate our minds by Dr. Samuel Lopez de Victoria. Yes, they certainly do employ psychology to make money and play up particular viewpoints:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/02/06/media-manipulation-of-the-masses-how-the-media-psychologically-manipulates/.

Murders That Demand Justice

Although a friend emailed me at 1:49 P.M. today to let me know about the Powell murders, I was busy and just heard about these deaths on the 7:00 news.

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2012/02/05/2-killed-in-graham-area-house-fire/

This is sick. Just sick. Two beautiful little boys who had already lost their mom died today in a fiery explosion in Graham, Washington– which authorities say was started by their father.

I’ll review the basic facts of the case in a moment, but want to note that the first question that came to mind. Why did the Pierce County judge that denied Josh Powell custody of his children four days ago and ordered a psychosexual evaluation give him supervised visits at his home? From the little I know so far, it seems that the parameters set by the court allowed this particular kind of horror to happen.

In late 2009, Susan Cox Powell disappeared. She was reported missing, and when her husband, Josh Powell, was asked to account for his whereabouts, he offered a very suspicious alibi. He claimed to have taken their two tiny sons into a remote, snowy area on a camping trip– in freezing temperatures at midnight. Braden and Charlie were two and four years old. Susan had already talked to family members about leaving the marriage.

Not long after, Josh Powell moved himself and their sons into his father’s Puyallup home. It wouldn’t be until much later, September 2011, that Steven Powell, a Department of Corrections employee, was arrested on child porn charges and videotaping Susan Powell without her consent. Around that time, Steven made claims that Susan had sexual contact with him, and my suspicion of both father and son deepened. A friend of Steven’s told the police that Steven was clearly obsessed with Susan. The police in Utah considered Josh uncooperative.

Just before Steven’s arrest, Utah authorities had searched for Susan’s remains in the Nevada desert and searched the home that Josh and Steven Powell shared. But it wasn’t until after Steven’s arrest that Susan’s parents gained temporary custody of Charlie and Braden. I remember feeling incredulous that their father had been a person of interest all along, but they had been allowed to remain with him for almost two years. It seemed crazy that the boys hadn’t been removed for their own safety much, much earlier.

Since Charlie and Braden have been with Susan’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, I thought they would be somewhat protected physically. I didn’t realize that Josh Powell could have three hour-long supervised visits at his home. Common sense would dictate that visitation with a person of interest in a suspicious disappearance would happen in a neutral location where the children were less likely to be harmed or taken. While an unbalanced person could always show up with a weapon anyway, a neutral location could lessen territorial feelings.

Even though father’s rights groups will argue with me on this one, I question if, given how close Utah authorities have claimed to be to finding answers in Susan’s disappearance, Josh Powell should have been allowed visitation at all. He was in the hot seat, involved in a heated custody battle with his in-laws, and his kids might have known something incriminating.

This leads me to the larger issue of abusers and possible murderers having custody of or access to their children in spite of open investigations. Kids are left in harm’s way all the time, courts reluctant to remove them from the suspect parent until an alleged crime can be proven. Children are witnesses that an abuser or murderer has regular access to. Other types of witnesses are often protected.

The sickening murders of Charlie and Braden Powell are exactly why you don’t even give the suspect parent a chance to exert their control issues and harm the children. It is also why psychological evaluations– and domestic violence evaluations– should be done BEFORE child custody issues are ever addressed. Custody and visitation should not be awarded before we have a better understanding of the parent’s potential to hurt the kids.

Far too often, courts think of domestic violence and/or criminal issues as separate from child custody issues, and they are not separate. Not at all. Someone who is suspected of harming their spouse is capable of hurting the children as well, especially when they have lost some degree of control over the children. One of my catch phrases is “they may not want you, but they still want control over you.” Power and control are at the root of abuse, rape, and murder, and so far it’s sounding like Josh Powell would not let anyone else have control of his kids if he couldn’t.

An aspect of this case that is really eating at me right now is how Josh Powell portrayed himself as the victim, especially after Susan’s parents took the kids. He told people how his in-laws were turning the kids against him, as if he’d done nothing detrimental to the children already.

Powell had set up his own website about Susan’s disappearance and it seems to be more about him than her: http://susanpowell.org/Home. One of the statements on this site that sticks out claims that Susan can’t come back until the adverse conditions created by her family resolve:

At this point, Susan Powell’s family believes very strongly that the ongoing rhetoric of the Cox “Friends and Family” is having a tragic effect on Susan’s emotional well-being as well as Josh’s. Susan knows that she cannot return without having people of the same mentality as the Cox “Friends and Family” turn on her. As difficult as it has been for Josh to cope with this, we believe that in Susan’s emotional state she will not be able to face it.   

If Powell is found to be responsible for his wife’s murder, his behavior and statements fit the type of personality who would do such a thing. I call this the O.J. Complex– nothing is their fault, they’re the victim, everyone else is making life hard for them and telling lies.

After Susan’s disappearance, Josh would make the strangest comments about her and her possible murder. According to the Deseret News, a family friend had been worried about him doing something drastic ever since he took the boys to Washington. As this case unfolds, we will probably hear more people come forward and present information that should have been red flags to the court system.

People have already made the comment that Powell “just snapped.” People don’t just snap. We can almost always look back and see how the suspect was dissatisfied with things in their life that led them to commit such an atrocity. There is usually a series of events that could have functioned as predictors of violent behavior. I’ve discussed this bread crumb trail in a previous post, http://wildninja.wordpress.com/?s=red+flags+before+a+killing+spree. Was the bread crumb trail considered before Powell was allowed to see Braden and Charlie at his home?

It seems very dangerous for the court to have allowed visitation on Powell’s home turf. Yes, a CPS worker was sent along to supervise. But in this case he locked her out of the house, and while she was dialing for help as she smelled gas, the house exploded. I’m just astounded that today is February 5th and Powell was just denied custody on February 1st, yet the boys were allowed to be at his house. Did it occur to anyone that him losing control of his kids, also possible murder witnesses, could be a trigger?

When you’re dealing with this type, that’s like rubbing salt in the wound. It’s giving them a brief taste of what they just lost, reminding them of what, in their minds, has been taken from them while the children are at their mercy. Obviously this was a premeditated crime, and it sounds like it was set up as a powerful statement to the world that, “if I can’t have the boys, no one can.” This is not someone who was concerned with his sons first and foremost. This is an act of immense selfishness and the kids were just pawns in his game.

Sometimes people ask me why we have so many crimes of this magnitude in Washington State and one reason is that our courts can be soft on violent people. Josh Powell had not been convicted of anything, but he was the subject of an ongoing investigation that is likely to end with the discovery of a victim. He exhibited a pattern of behavior that should have clued authorities into the fact that he could do something like this. I’m not saying they could have predicted it, but I understand why the Coxes fought tooth and nail to retain custody of their grandsons. There were a lot of warning signs and that O.J.-like narcissism– they saw it.

I would understand more if a father distraught over losing custody of his children killed himself. But Powell appeared so desperate to retain control that he was willing to blow his own children up so no one else could have them. I can’t see it as an act of irrational desperation. It’s premeditated murder. Just before the house exploded, Powell had emailed his attorney and said, “I’m sorry, goodbye.” Other emails are coming to light as well.

The friends and family of both Susan Cox Powell and Josh Powell need our prayers. Perhaps this situation can be used to save other lives– that it will lead to reform in our court system so that custody will not be awarded without proper psychological and domestic violence evaluations being done first. We should consider that a threat to one parent is also a threat to the children.

I know that some consider these evaluations to be a violation of our constitutional rights and I’ve heard people say that “Josh Powell wasn’t a suspect in the abuse of his children.” Their mother was missing and he was a person of interest– shouldn’t that be enough? What greater danger is there to a child than a parent being suspected of taking a family member’s life? Even if you don’t believe in using such evaluations in most cases, wouldn’t this be the ideal type of case to use them in, an exception?

Isn’t this a situation in which you want a family violence expert trained in that area to assess the parent, not a regular CPS worker or psychologist? Please note that working in social services or psychology does not mean that you have a working understanding of or specialized training in family violence. Additionally, I would note that sometimes the most sinister criminals among us are those who can get away with their crimes and never be charged with them.

As I look at the smoldering shell of what used to be a house on the news, I think about what Charlie and Braden were thinking when their dad jerked them inside and set that fire. Authorities are not expressing any doubt that the fire was deliberately set. They’re calling it murder. One law enforcement officer made the comment that the interior of the house looked staged, as if to portray Josh Powell as a caring husband and father.

I hope that in light of this event law enforcement officers will renew their efforts to find Susan and provide her family with closure. I’d sure like to know more about why Josh or Steven Powell hasn’t been charged in connection with Susan’s disappearance already, but let’s hope they can make it happen now. Josh Powell is at minimum responsible for the murder of his sons, and while some may argue that intense public scrutiny drove him to do it, if he loved his sons more than himself he wouldn’t have killed them.

To the two brave boys who endured so much pain in their brief time on earth, I am so sorry that you were hurt and your lives were taken from you. My heart aches for your family and the many people who love you. I know that you are with your heavenly Father now and will never feel pain again. Your family surely knows that you are safe in His arms and I hope they also take comfort in the fact that justice will come for your mother soon. A tragedy of this magnitude demands nothing less than swift resolution of her case.

*************************************************************************************

Update, 2/6/12: KCPQ is reporting that Charlie and Braden Powell died of axe or hatchet chops to the neck and carbon monoxide poisoning, http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-fiery-explosion-believed-to-have-killed-josh-powell-and-his-2-young-sons-20120205,0,7485907.story. Powell evidently grabbed them and pulled them inside before the social worker could get to the door. Given that she said that just seconds passed before the house exploded, he must have attacked the boys as soon as the door closed.

More evidence has surfaced that the murders were premeditated, including that Josh Powell had prepared over the weekend by donating some of the boys’ toys to charity. He’d also sent emails to people instructing them on what to do after he was dead. Two five-gallon cans of gasoline were found in the house. Chuck Cox has said that Powell thought of the boys as property and that the boys didn’t want to go visit him on Sunday.

*************************************************************************************

The Susan Cox Powell Foundation Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Susan-Cox-Powell-Foundation/235316293180751#!/pages/The-Susan-Cox-Powell-Foundation/235316293180751?sk=wall&filter=1. The foundation website is at http://susancoxpowellfoundation.org/Home.aspx.

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

Proclaim Freedom

If you are concerned about human rights and religious freedom, please sign this petition! Freedom-loving bloggers, feel free to reblog!

Barnabas Aid, an organization that works to stop Christian persecution, has began the Proclaim Freedom campaign that gives concerned people the chance to step up and do something about this injustice. Their website says:

Barnabas Aid’s Proclaim Freedom campaign will run to the end of 2012 and will seek to raise the profile of the persecuted Church around the world. It will have two specific aims:

To press governments to be active in promoting human rights in other countries for all minorities, but especially religious freedom for the roughly 200 million Christians living under the shadow of persecution, discrimination and disadvantage

To press governments to work to ensure that other countries bring to justice citizens who either incite anti-Christian hatred or engage in anti-Christian violence

You can learn more at https://barnabasaid.org/US/Act/Campaign/Proclaim-Freedom/What-is-Proclaim-Freedom/.

To sign the petition or download a .pdf so that you can collect signatures, please go to https://barnabasaid.org/US/Act/Campaign/Proclaim-Freedom/Sign-the-petition/.

I’ve discussed my thoughts on the horrors Christians are experiencing in a previous post, http://wildninja.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/swallowed-up-by-the-night/. Reading the news feed on Barnabas Aid’s website this week, I learned of more torture, murder, dismemberment, acid attacks, destruction of property, the outlawing of churches, and the poverty facing the oppressed. This frenzied hatred towards Christians is growing– and most of the world remains silent.

We’re busy people, but it just takes a moment to let your voice be heard. Pass it on– and thank you for standing up for freedom!

*************************************************************************************

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But… the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
-Martin Luther King Jr.

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

Storm Drains

From http://clark.wsu.edu/volunteer/ws/

Last week I was tooling along in my motorcar listening to a well-known Seattle area talk show host. He began to discuss legislation that frowns upon fundraising car washes and sets requirements in place for how to conduct them in an ecologically friendly manner.

I anticipated that he would not like this being mandated at the state level especially because of the potential costs to taxpayers. But then he said something to the effect of, “it doesn’t matter what you put down the storm drains anyway; it all goes to a treatment plant.”

D’oh! I just about drove off the road. Actually, I pulled over in a parking lot and called the radio station. I was concerned about the number of people who might join in an amen chorus without knowing that storm drains actually empty straight into streams, rivers, lakes, and even Puget Sound.

While I probably sounded like a chipmunk on a sugar high auctioning off used nutcrackers, I explained to the host that it is sewers that go to a treatment plant, not storm drains. He countered by saying that some Seattle storm drains are tied in with the sewer. But as far as I know, that’s not the case with most places, and I later learned that only about a third of the lines within the city limits of Seattle are combined like that.

This is something I didn’t know for a long time either, so I don’t blame anyone for not being aware of these facts. This is why you see those salmon stencils on metal grates in parking lots– you don’t want gas, or garbage, or soap going into those because the water’s not treated and runs straight to wildlife habitats. Think about all the sand that was put down on the roads in our recent snow event. That’s why you see government agencies cleaning it up afterwards, so it doesn’t gunk up the pipes and empty out into Lake Washington.

Ultimately, I told the host, maybe it’s time to rethink the traditional fundraising car wash. They can be done at places that recycle the water and there’s even socks you can put down into the storm drains to catch substances that don’t belong in the natural environment. A coworker who heard my hyper chipmunk spiel told me that some schools now sell coupons to car washes rather than conduct these events themselves. An important point I should have mentioned that might have resonated with the host is how much it can cost taxpayers to keep the storm drains and pipes functional. Even routine maintenance has a significant cost.

The more I learn about our infrastructure, the more I’m amazed at how much I took it for granted in years past. I just didn’t know. Now I do, and it’s not radical environmentalism to care about what goes into our local waterways, it’s common sense. You don’t have to believe the gospel of global warming to make reasonable efforts to take care of the place future people, and flora and fauna, will inhabit. After all, the Manufacturer tasked us with being stewards of the earth. That doesn’t mean forcing a lifestyle, philosophy, or political ideology onto others. It’s just a basic rule like “pick up your room, son, so your forgotten bologna sandwich doesn’t sprout five kinds of deadly exotic fungi.”

As a fiscal conservative, I have doubts that the state is the best level of government to mandate this from and that such a bill is the best use of taxpayer money. Clearly we’re in a budget crunch and there are higher priorities. But perhaps this legislation has started a needed dialogue about common sense actions we can take to keep pollution out of the water. Our orcas, for example, have in the past shown to be so full of toxins that they’re each a floating Superfund site. That really makes you wonder what’s in local seafood, although I can’t speak to that.

While I’m on my soapbox, I should mention that keeping the storm drains clear is one reason some government agencies prohibit people from sweeping their yard debris into the street. In storm events, a lot of leaves and tree matter drop, and some people push that out into the street. The problem is that not only can that muck up and slow down the street sweepers, but it can clog up or cover storm drains and cause flooding. Since I’ve learned about this I’ve started checking my local storm drain frequently. I’m amazed at how quickly it can get covered up by tree gunk (and lazy people’s McDonald’s bags).

So you don’t need a certificate verifying that you’ve declared war on plastic bags or have to change political parties to care about the environment. You don’t have to agree with everything that’s been labeled “green” or “environmental” or be a Puritan whose car tires are made from remanufactured vintage cork sandals from Borneo. It’s just helpful to the whole ecosystem when you are cognizant about the end results of the actions you take.

What you do here… ends up there, wherever there is. Around here “there” is the same water you’re choking on when you wipe out waterskiing near the 520 bridge. I’m still learning this. Sometimes the intricacies of recycling plastics are mind-blowing and sometimes I disapprove of taxpayer dollars being spent on green projects when basic government functions are underfunded. Do what you can, though, because every small act contributes to a greater good.

We all gotta live here… our offspring don’t have anywhere else to live until Newt colonizes the moon… and even then I’m sure a few slackers who can’t manage to keep their own McNugget boxes inside the rocketship will inevitably wind up on the first flight.

We can all do something individually regardless of how much we think we should be doing collectively. We don’t have to agree on heated political matters to make a difference and to avoid the creation of mutated asexual carp with five eyes, rock star pipes, and superior intelligence. If they get too smart, they’re going to start throwing their McPlankton wrappers onto the shore.

*************************************************************************************

While I represent myself only on this blog, the City of Seattle has some great information on caring for our waters at http://www.seattle.gov/util/services/drainage_&_sewer/keep_water_safe_&_clean/restoreourwaters/volunteer/stencilastormdrain/.

Here is an excerpt from that page:

Where storm drains go

Some people believe that storms drain carry the waste to a sewage treatment for cleanup. Not true! Some drains go directly into the nearest stream or lake or Puget Sound, and so do the hazardous chemicals, pesticides, paints, antifreeze and used motor oil people pour down storm drains every year.

The Seattle Aquarium estimates that more than 2 million gallons of used motor oil ends up in Puget Sound each year. That’s enough to fill a medium-sized tanker! But even small amount of oil can smother fish eggs and developing shellfish in our lakes and streams. Just 1 pint of oil causes a slick the size of 2 football fields.

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

State of the Union

Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal nailed the general feeling of “huh?” I had about the State of the Union speech tonight: a speech about everything is generally a speech about nothing. It was like a huge, fluffy pastry that, once bitten into, was found to be hollow on the inside. I’m still hungry. No, I’m not kidding. I’d just eaten dinner and literally went back into the kitchen for something more. What do you call that, psychosomatic hunger?

Our last two presidents have been terrible public speakers. They both insert pauses into the strangest places and for that reason I’ve found both Bush and Obama hard to listen to. On top of the interesting speaking style, I find that Obama’s eyes don’t seem to believe in what he’s saying. I noticed this at times with Bush too, but there’s a disconnect between the content of Obama’s address and his eyes, expressions, and gestures. If he were a preacher I’d think that he didn’t believe the gospel he was preaching.

Tonight’s State of the Union address wandered all over the map and seemed to be trying to please everyone in a desperate bid to stay in office. At times its ideas sounded very conservative, but then the means to achieve those ideas were very liberal. It was also very parental, with Obama scolding Congress as if he were a dad who needed to make a public show out of keeping his quarreling little kids in line. I appreciate the mention of needing to work together, but if I were a representative or senator sitting there, I would have felt disrespected because of the manner in which this was communicated.

There was a definite feel of narcissism to it as well. I know this may offend some people, but reality was that a lot of “I” and “me” statements popped up throughout the speech. I got the feeling that Obama feels the executive branch of the federal government reigns supreme over the two others. He made it very clear that he wants more power to get things done the way he sees fit and that’s very dangerous. Our government is supposed to be a system of checks and balances. The legislative and judicial branches need to do their jobs as well and don’t need to be ceding power to POTUS.

A lot of the concepts presented tonight would just mean more spending. People of all political parties realize that our country’s debt is out of control and more spending will just make things worse. The government simply can not be the answer for everything. I believe very strongly that a lot of tasks the federal government handles would be better managed at state or local levels. Power, and money, should return as closely to the people as possible. The idea of growing the federal government in any way galls me– it defies logic given what we the people are going through individually and collectively.

At the risk of sounding like Spock, I found the State of the Union address highly illogical, even incoherent at times. It was so disjointed in spots it verged on sounding like Charlie Brown’s parents: wa wah wah wah waah… It also evoked one of my favorite Harry Truman quotes, if you can’t convince them, confuse them. Staring into the TV, I felt like I was supposed to be falling for a weak Jedi mind trick that wasn’t going to work. Yet there was applause. If I were there, I could only applaud if that point of the speech were logical and sounded sincere.

I really thought that, given the stakes of the upcoming election, this speech would have been more substantive and better organized. Instead, it was a feel good exercise in which if we all work together, polarize the evil ultra rich, and think of the middle and lower class as one, we can work together to get things done with a crusty loaf of bread and a glass float from an antique fishing net. Something like that, and for the love of things that are stitched together and wrought from the iron of hard labor and intricate Burmese polyester because people in Rio like us, get it to my desk fast!

I don’t think that I’ve had a deep respect for a president since Reagan. I feel that they just keep getting more smarmy and sneaky (I’m not a Newt fan for this reason). My general sense of the last two is that we’re just supposed to believe whatever they say, and I have a lot of questions about a lot of what we’ve been told. My gut feeling about where our current ship’s captain is taking us is not good. It never has been. His perspective is more global than national. I won’t write off whatever good he’s done, yet I’ve never felt that he knows what he’s doing. When I hear old school Democrats say this too, it really freaks me out.

As someone who usually zeroes in on a person’s nonverbal communication, I feel genuinely weirded out about what I saw tonight. I expected more. The Republican response, although I did not agree with everything in it, was excellent. It flowed. I understood the concepts presented. Mitch Daniels looked like he believed it when he said that we can’t afford to bury ourselves in debt anymore and that we have a narrow window of time to get out of this mess. It was refreshing after the stumbling meander through Pan’s Labyrinth.

Maybe the lukewarm applause during many parts of the speech said it all. Of course you want to encourage the parts you believe in, but even when supporters of a given topic were standing, it just didn’t sound completely enthusiastic. Perhaps many people present felt like me: huh? More importantly than that, I have to wonder if America is as much of a priority as Obama claims it is given the time and importance he gives to other countries.

Overall, I was kept off balance because the speech seemed disorganized, I heard hypocrisy, I heard contradiction, and it sounded like a man wanting more and more power to try and be all things to all people. My advice to the “Amurcan” public, as Bush used to say, is to vote for the candidate most likely to help you hold onto your power and hold onto your money. The government doesn’t have any money; it’s our money and we’re supposed to be in charge.

The best people to decide what we need? Us. Not an inconsistent, spend-happy executive branch on steroids. The very suggestion that we give it more to protect us or save us is un-American. As a direct descendant of American patriots and a long line of veterans, I reject any idea that destroys what my people have worked so hard to create. We don’t need to be rescued. We need to be set free. I am tired of struggling to support those who don’t contribute and not being able to help the poor in my own family because of it.

Five years ago I penned this thought and it’s time to share it. It explains one reason why I’m a fiscal conservative. I’ve found that my experiences in bad relationships have strengthened my belief in a smaller federal government:

To me, being (this type of) liberal is like being in an abusive relationship. They are deciding what’s best for you. You’re financially dependent on them. You are letting them have control of your life and hoping you get something back out of it. They are deciding what’s best for your money. It’s not their money. It never was. Only by beating back the government, and allowing them to have as little control as possible, are we free from this abuse.

*************************************************************************************

Fans of the Chemical Brothers will understand when I say to take the lyrics for “Galvanize” and substitute the word “polarize.” That could be a theme song for this administration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac2EjcaFM2I

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.

Surprise! (not)

From KOMO News (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Barefoot-Bandit-emails-ridicule-law-enforcement–137990673.html):

SEATTLE (AP) — “Barefoot Bandit” Colton Harris-Moore ridiculed police and prosecutors in emails and phone calls from prison recently, undercutting his claims that he’s sorry for his two-year crime spree, the U.S. attorney’s office said in court documents filed Tuesday.

In these emails, KOMO says, Harris-Moore allegedly called police, prosecutors, and reporters swine, vermin, and fools in direct contradiction to his previous “apology.” He bragged about his crime spree and obviously believes, in true narcissistic form, that he is above other people:

“The things I have done as far as flying and airplanes goes, is amazing,” he wrote in one email last August. “Nobody on this planet have done what I have, except for the Wright brothers.”

KOMO also cites a statement he made in his email just after his sentencing:

“When all the acting and spreading of high propaganda on the part of the state was over and my lawyers argued the true facts, the judge gave me a much-appreciated recognition and validation, calling my story a ‘triumph of the human spirit,’” he wrote. “She wasn’t having none of the weak argument the prosecution tried to peddle, and ended up handing down a sentence that was the lowest possible within the range…”

The Herald sheds more light on his mindset (http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120124/NEWS01/701249835#No-remorse):

“It’s all political,” Harris-Moore wrote a couple a weeks later, according to another intercepted email. “I’m thankful for the judge saying what she did, but at the same time her words were greater than her actions — she had the ability as invested in her by the people to create change, and the opportunity to stand up with compassion, but didn’t reach that potential.”

Harris-Moore predicted that he’ll serve half the time imposed.

“I will emerge unscathed, with my plans back on track,” he allegedly wrote. “Just a matter of time no doubt.”

I’ve been blogging about this case for nearly two years now. I’m very familiar with Harris-Moore’s attorney’s playbook and this case was literally hitting too close to home for awhile. All along I’ve doubted that Harris-Moore would have sincere remorse and have discussed the possibilities that he is a narcissist, has antisocial personality disorder, or is a sociopath. It takes an expert to diagnose those and I discussed my reasoning in a blog post last month after his sentencing: http://wildninja.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/seven-years/.

Harris-Moore’s attorneys are predictably saying that these are just snapshots of hundreds and hundreds of pages of emails. They also claim that he has not disrespected his victims in these communications. That lessens the contradictions he’s making how? I’m not sure that serial criminals like him think about their victims much anyway. He has acted “favorably” towards his victims only when it’s in his best interest, like surrendering some profits from his crime spree to go towards restitution.

I don’t want to be rude, but part of me feels like saying, “skeptics, do you believe me now?” I know some people truly want to believe that he’ll be rehabilitated and mature into a productive member of society. We can hope. Given his patterns of behavior, including how they escalated until he was caught, asking if he is capable of that is a valid question. But the circumstances he’s experienced in life thus far, including his rotten childhood, are the very circumstances that can help mold some of the worst criminals among us, especially the self-absorbed ones who feel that they are the victims.

One point I make again and again and again on this blog is that low to no conscience types prey on our sympathy. They, sometimes even instinctively, know how to manipulate people’s emotions through so-called apologies and promises to change. But they’re not sorry. They’re using others to escape consequences and free themselves up to offend again. As uncomfortable as it is to say this, I hope that the last judge who sentenced him realizes that she’s been used. Maybe even his attorneys feel that way.

You can be a child abuse victim and you can be a rapist. You can be a sexual assault survivor and be a serial killer. Realizing what Colton Harris-Moore may really be does not negate what he went through as a child. Clearly he is grandiose, self-absorbed, and feeding off of the attention I hoped so fervently people would not give him. I’m not sure that I ever remember a case in which so many people were so quick to excuse his behavior based on his past, or a case in which people thought he was awesome because he hadn’t caused serious bodily injury to anyone even though he could have killed many people in multiple incidents.

Wake up, people. This guy may not feel real remorse and may not emerge from prison reformed. We have to allow for that possibility and not assume that because he had a bad childhood he’ll turn out okay. He may have also been brain damaged, in utero or via child abuse. The psychological red flags that have popped up throughout his life cause me to believe that he will just hone his skills and network in prison.

Even so, it’s in society’s best interest to keep him locked up as long as possible, which is why his two sentences should run consecutively, not concurrently. Anyone who starts fires, steal cars, boats, and planes, tries to harm law enforcement, breaks into houses– and on the list goes– is a public safety issue. Some guys like him become addicted to the rush. Some only feel alive when they are doing exactly what they shouldn’t be.

I am very glad that the comments Harris-Moore made are being included in the sentencing recommendation because he’s showing his true colors. I’m not surprised. What really concerns me is that this guy has a Manson-like magnetism– supporters have swooned over him as if he’s Robin Hood when he hasn’t tried to benefit anyone but himself. I’ve found this very disturbing.

What if he tries to mobilize his supporters to commit crimes? What if he emerges from prison appearing to be reformed and takes advantage of the well-meaning people who will be waiting there to help him get back on his feet? This personality type, the type seeping through between the lines in his emails, holds power over others because:

1. Despite their criminal acts, people only see them as a victim because of their childhood. He’s not a victim and a dangerous criminal to them, he’s just a victim.

2. They attract the kinds of attorneys who will help them appear remorseful when they might not even be capable of true remorse. Key terms here are spin doctor, smokescreen, shifting the blame, and PR.

3. People rejoice in the ways they hurt others, increasing the likelihood that others will be hurt and empathy and/or restitution for crime victims will be diminished. In other words, the disease spreads.

When you can’t see someone devious for who they really are, you’re liable to get used and get hurt. I hope that more people acknowledge how highly Harris-Moore appears to think of himself. Following this story, there has been red flag after red flag after red flag that tell me something’s truly wrong with this guy that might not be able to be fixed. Sadly, he’ll probably be a model prisoner and be out of prison in short order.

Ultimately, I’m not concerned with trying to rehabilitate this guy. The system should be punishing this guy in meaningful ways. Keeping him out of society is in everyone’s best interest including his own. I want people to understand, given his childhood, antisocial behavior, and flippant arrogance, that this is exactly how some monsters are made.

The characteristics of his life that have brought him so much sympathy are likely the same circumstances that might have twisted him into someone so entrenched in himself that he might never come back out. I really wish the prosecution would have had a qualified forensic psychologist evaluate him, especially because the defense hired their own such expert who made some odd conclusions. Harris-Moore’s life, including the adoration of his fans, has been the perfect environment in which a sociopath can develop and yet not be recognized as such by the masses.

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.