If you can, after hitting play, click the “HQ” button to make this short video show up better. In lieu of a traditional letter or email, I decided to give Windows Live Movie Maker a go. Of course, thirty seconds is too short to capture all that has happened over the past year, but I hope you enjoy the highlights. Merry Christmas, and blessings in the new year!
When I took up residence on the third floor of the Big Haus at the beginning of October, I moved in just down the hall from Ian Tracy. Some readers may recognize Ian as the guitar player in the band Groovehaus. Others know him as the guy who used to have friends. I think of Ian as my neighbor, and just before Thanksgiving, Ian became my “noisy neighbor.”
I consider listening to Christmas music a chore: something to cross off my list as I prepare for the holidays. I am adamantly opposed to it being played before Thanksgiving, but as Ian began practicing for a Christmas concert, I had no choice. I am sure his brother Dylan could tell me that growing up with Ian was like growing up with Heather – while they were still beginners, you had to suffer through their practices. Heather, of course, has become an accomplished violin player, and listening to Ian play Rhonda is now more impressive than oppressive. Unless they are playing Christmas music.
I suppose the reason I went to his concert at all was because he asked me to record it. Like a good neighbor, timmyjimi was there, joining a modest crowd of family and friends at Moscow’s Nuart Theatre to hear Ian play through his Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover songs one last time. My reward for the effort was discovering that the Misfit Toys – as they call themselves – were actually a lot of fun to watch. Things the band has going for them (besides Ian) are having recently signed Santa as their bassist and an awesome drummer who is all of fourteen years old. In case you missed it or just feel like melting your face off, you can watch the entire concert over on Vimeo. Merry Christmas.
When Heather and I went to see Larger Than Life last week, they showed a trailer for a movie which I immediately recognized. That is because, while exploring Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains last May, I stumbled upon the set. It comes out the week after New Years, and I just might have to go see it.
Noah and I went to see Avatar last night, in which extremely entertaining effects compensate for an uninspiring story. Josh Gibbs, high-school classmate, pop-culture guru, and top-notch writer, just posted a review worth reading over at the Cedar Room. “Spoiler alert” hardly applies, as the storyline of the two and a half hour movie fails to develop its own three and a half minute trailer (but is even more fun to watch).
Well, sorta. Though I am still not on anybody’s payroll, my goal of finding work by Christmas has not been entirely unsuccessful. I have turned in a couple of résumés and applications at various businesses, but the job market here is reminding me of where I was a year ago. My efforts have also been selective based on a desire to find employment that will not only pay the bills, but also help me in figuring out my long-term plans.
When I purchased a Sanyo Xacti digital pocket camcorder before traveling to Norway in 2007, little did I know the hobby that it would become. By my second season at Kvitfjell, I was actually getting paid for the videos I was shooting on the slopes, and I loved the work. Nick Lungu, a friend of mine who runs a German Shepherd business, saw those videos and called me up asking if I could do some work for him. We plan to make a commercial for his website, and in the meantime, he needs videos profiling the dogs he trains. We filmed the first one last Thursday, and I just set up a YouTube channel that will feature future videos like this one:
I took first place and a cash prize at a blind wine tasting earlier this month, where the rules of the game were reds only at no more than twenty dollars per bottle. By the end of the evening, each taster submitted one vote for their favorite wine, and the winning choice was my Camas Prairie Winery Cabernet Sauvignon.
The evening’s hostess, Alli Guyer, was quick to attribute my success to beginner’s luck. Indeed, several of the party-goers were more experienced wine-tasters than I, though I should mention I was one of the few “young singles” privileged to be invited to a tasting where most of the wines were submitted by married couples. So, it was to everyone’s great surprise when I was announced the winner.
My secret? Buy green, and buy local. The Camas Cabernet (15.1%) is made from grapes grown in Washington, produced and bottled in Moscow at a solar-powered facility, and apparently tastes better than at least eleven other carefully selected domestic and imported wines.
For just under the twenty dollar limit, I purchased my wine straight from Camas Winery after sampling the Cabernet in their tasting room. I later discovered that the same bottle sells for $16.50 at the Moscow Food Co-op down the street, but the winery offers a full selection of it’s own wines and Moscow’s widest variety of specialty beers. To learn more, the Camas homepage features several interesting videos about their business and the area’s growing number of vineyards, wineries, and microbreweries.
It is an apt title for the news coming out of Scandinavia this week. On Monday, after much ado, the UN Climate Change Conference finally got under way in Copenhagen as an early blizzard prepared to sweep through most of the United States in what has already been dubbed the “December to remember.” The subsequent cold wave that dropped local temperatures below zero got a lot of people asking “What global warming?” Of course, the politically correct terminology has learned to sidestep paradoxical weather patterns by further obscuring the alleged crisis under the alias of “climate change.” With reports that earth’s temperature has stabilized and last month’s controversial revelations from East Anglia University, the United Nations conference comes at a time of heightened scrutiny and skepticism.
For some time, my parents have been encouraging me to watch Ben Stein’s Expelled. So, last night, I sat down with them to see it. While the movie hoists the banner of Intelligent Design, its thesis that true scientific progress can only be accomplished through the unfiltered analysis of data applies equally across all fields of study, including climate change. Once a hypothesis is taken for granted, adopted by politicians, and promoted in the media – once a movement is created – proposing an alternate interpretation of the facts becomes risky business with serious consequences that have nothing to do with science. Even the Speaker of Denmark’s own Parliament, Thor Pedersen, recently remarked on the danger of mistaking theory for truth.
For my part, and for what it’s worth, despite a personal interest in climate studies, I don’t think that climate change – or lack thereof – should be what motivates public policy. Without denying the observable trends (for example, see the “NSIDC” link in the blog sidebar), there are simply too many unknowns to conclusively interpret existing data on such a broad scope. Greenhouse gases may or may not be significantly contributing to those trends, but whether they are or not shouldn’t keep us from rethinking the degree to which we are comfortable with polluting the planet. The number of detrimental effects that have already been proven should be enough to point us in that direction without having to push an agenda that is based on doubtful theories about how much humans are effecting climate change.
I speak in degrees because pollution is inevitable. The ramifications of a citizen, corporation, or country attempting to reduce its so-called “carbon footprint” reach quickly down from global ecosystems into respective societies and economies. Restrictions on emissions should not, therefore, be mandated from the top down – as the UN appears to be proposing – but grown predominantly from the bottom up, as exemplified by the Pickens Plan. This approach engages the general public, considers the needs of individual communities at local, provincial, and national levels, and solves a broader scope of problems than can be accomplished by a narrow focus on the inscrutable phenomenon of climate change. Though perhaps for reasons different than his own, I think President Bush was right for not committing us to the Kyoto Protocol, but rather making room for voluntary participation by local governments.
In other news, we head north from Copenhagen to Oslo, where President Obama arrived on Thursday to accept his controversial Nobel Peace Prize. Many – including the president himself – were surprised by the announcement that came in October. While living in Norway, however, I witnessed first-hand the admiration Norwegians had for the senator while he was still on the campaign trail. The induction of his new administration followed several years in which Norway had felt increasingly ignored by the United States. As inappropriate as the setting may be, given Norway’s relatively few means of international influence, the prize appears to be Oslo’s invitation to Obama for renewed relations. So far, he is off to a wobbly start: while several of my Facebook friends were clearly excited just to welcome the president, headlines told a different story of many who were hoping for a bit more gratitude. Honestly, it’s hard not to take a little offense myself.
On the same day Obama arrived in Oslo, reports started coming in from the city of Tromsø that a strange blue light had appeared in the sky. Norwegians who live that far north would certainly recognize the northern lights when they saw them. But what was this? Was it a meteor, a UFO, a celestial omen signifying the arrival of Obama as the new savior? It turns out, Russia had it’s own plan to welcome the Peace Prize laureate: by test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missle. The photos and videos (bottom) on this page capture the frighteningly beautiful display Norwegians woke up to just before the dark hour of eight o’ clock.
When it comes to sports, being a die-hard Vandal is hardly a rewarding experience. Fair-weather fans like myself are rarely given the opportunity to show our spirit, but this football season has been one of them. The University of Idaho finished their best regular season in a decade with seven wins and five losses. Over Thanksgiving, I was in attendance at the Kibbie Dome to watch our team suffer a narrow defeat in their final game against Utah State. Although we edged ahead in the second half against the Aggies, a Vandal team that had regularly proved itself capable of magnificent comebacks was unable to hold the lead. It was a disappointing conclusion – especially for the seniors – to an unbelievable season that included a five-game winning streak. However, even as they hung their heads and left the field for the locker room, a glimmer of hope remained that there would yet be a chance for the Vandals to end the year right. Eleven years ago, we won the Humanitarian Bowl. Over the weekend, we received an invitation to repeat our success against Bowling Green (also 7-5) in Boise at the end of this month. If the last twelve games showed us anything, an explosive start is one thing we shouldn’t expect from the Vandals. But with their trademark endurance and the effective coaching of Robb Akey, they might just be able to put a ribbon on a tremendous season.
(Btw, anybody who watched Monday Night Football from Lambeau Field this week saw the Packers defeat the Baltimore Ravens for their fourth straight win. You may have also spotted my cousin, Eric, perched somewhere in row forty. Last season, he and I got fourth row seats at their home game against the Texans. Apparently, a Norwegian is bad luck: the Packers lost 24-21.)
Around here, athletics are tolerated, at best. If one must be preferred, football is the sport of choice. Heaven forbid that one enjoys what the rest of the world calls “football.” I consider myself a moderate soccer enthusiast, which means I get to dodge verbal abuse whenever I brave the subject at the Big Haus dinner table. Prejudices be darned, I was eager to hear the results of last week’s draw for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The USA, it turns out, drew favorably enough to make second-round play a distinct possiblity.
(Btw, a bid has been launched to bring the World Cup back to the United States. The effort is already a quarter of a million strong, and if you sign up, I promise not to call you names.)
Ideally, I would have written this last week (before Black Friday). Assuming, however, the reader still finds him or herself with a Christmas shopping list to fill, I thought I would come with a few suggestions. If you are like me, you may have initially dismissed the “Buy Local” posters that have popped up around town as a marketing ploy. That much it certainly is, but after a bit of research, I discovered there is more behind the concept.
Moscow and Pullman have experienced first-hand the controversy that can arise when big-box stores like Wal-Mart begin to court the market. One of the chief contentions is that chain-stores threaten the survival of local businesses by offering a wider variety of products at lower prices. If that were the extent of the argument, as a capitalist, I would have no reason to prefer independent over corporate enterprise.
In reality, there are many reasons for doing so. According to the Buy Local Moscow website, “research shows that locally-owned independent businesses form the core of a sustainable community.” This means that a far higher percentage of the money spent at local retailers stays in Moscow. They have no corporate headquarters or stockholders demanding a piece of the pie, but – in turn – are more likely to reinvest their profit in other local products and services:
“Remember that locally-owned businesses also buy local. They hire architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction. Local accountants, insurance brokers, computer consultants, attorneys, advertising agencies help run the business. In addition, locally-owned retailers and distributors also carry a higher percentage of locally-produced goods than chains, meaning more jobs for local producers.”
Along with the economic benefits, buying local also supports Moscow’s health and character. By this, I mean that local business owners will naturally be more inclined to support, serve, and sponsor local charities, boards, and events. While there are exceptions on either side, where we choose to spend our money affects our collective quality of life beyond the products we bring home.
Rather than a proposal to boycott Wal-Mart, this is simply intended as an FYI by which I am educating myself in the process. The interested reader is encouraged to learn more on the website of Buy Local Moscow, which will be hosting Winter Fest next Thursday to showcase local businesses. Along with raffles, free samples, and entertainment, they will hold a drawing for five grand prizes worth $300 each. A prize card stamped at fourteen local businesses is required to enter the drawing, and I plan to do my own legwork this afternoon.
While I am out and about, I also plan to stop by the inaugural Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse. Today from 4-9pm, an array of local non-profits will be gathered in Moscow’s Friendship Square to raise awareness and offer a unique approach to Christmas shopping: by giving to local charities in the name of family and friends in lieu of traditional presents. To highlight the evening, the “Light Up the Night” parade will begin through downtown at seven o’ clock.
On a related note, Molly has put together the following Christmas Giving Guide through Activate. It is a short list of local businesses and global charities that fit into this context:
Brused Books (Pullman) – Fair trade section of crafts from Ten Thousand Villages
Pritchard Art Gallery (Moscow) – Jewelry and art made my local artisans
Moscow Food Co-op – Area’s largest selection of fair trade coffee and chocolates
World Vision – Donate to humanitarian aid and long-term community projects
Strongheart Fellowship – Jewelry that supports children affected by the war in Liberia
Charity: Water – Building wells in impoverished communities
NightLight – Jewelry that provides jobs for former sex workers in Thailand
Nest – Cooperative that empowers women through small business opportunities
Finally, check out the Free2Work website, a watch list that rates major corporations’ involvement in forced and child labor.
That said, for anyone arriving at the end of these ramblings who might (by some small chance) be shopping for yours truly over the coming weeks, I have created a wishlist over at Amazon.com, which is also giving away free daily downloads of holiday music through Christmas. Of course, many of the items on that list would be perfect candidates for local purchases.
Merry Christmas, and happy shopping!
Filed under: Cuisine, Economics, Health, Literature, Moscow, Movies, Politics, Religion
Last week, I had the rare pleasure of watching movies at both of Moscow’s vintage cinemas. Thursday, I attended a showing of the subtly titled Food Inc. at the Kenworthy, followed by a Saturday viewing of Collision at the Nuart. Both were worthwhile excuses for a night on the town.
Food Inc.
For years, I have found myself following close after the “green” bandwagon. When jumping on, I have kept near the edge, neither educating myself in depth nor being drawn into its stereotypical fanaticism. I believe in a moderate approach to stewardship, especially when it is cheap and easy, hence my recent recycling kick. Mere conscience plays its role, but there is no shortage of examples (“global warming” aside) where irresponsibility in such matters has come full circle with harmful consequences. Food Inc. aims to identify those consequences as they relate to our industrial food chain.
To accept the premise of this movie, one must be willing to ask where food comes from – a question that would have gotten strange looks only a few generations ago. Today, the question has become equally absurd: “Food comes from the store, silly!” Unprecedented variety in what we eat has become commonplace to the point we expect – as if by right – that the markets of the world be at our fingertips upon entering the magical doors of a grocery outlet.
In addition to where our food comes from, one must wonder how it gets to us. By this, I don’t mean the transportation required (though that is worth considering). I mean the ethics, the politics, and the economics. If one assumes the honest and infallible oversight of a higher power (a.k.a. the FDA) when ordering from a drive-thru, then there is no reason to doubt that the chicken nuggets I am being handed arrived by any path other than one that was fair to the chickens, their farmers, and me. If I suspect this may not be the case, Food Inc. suggests I might be right.
For example, genetic and dietetic alterations of poultry in the last thirty years have allowed farmers to grow their birds to twice the normal size in half the natural time. That’s great for business, but is it animal cruelty if its legs can’t support its own weight? A chicken house under contract by one of the few major meat companies in the U.S. contains tens of thousands of chickens that can’t walk.
Before I give you the wrong impression, the movie spends little time on animal treatment and is not out to make the viewer a vegetarian. Instead, most of the focus is where it rightly should be: on the farmer, the factory worker, and the consumer. According to producer and director Robert Kenner, big business and big government have created a well-oiled agricultural machine that persecutes honest farmers, exploits immigrant laborers, puts factory workers at unnecessary risk, and takes advantage of consumers.
The movie touches on these topics and others – notably the associated health problems – without going into much detail on any one subject. Counter-industry experts like Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan are featured to boost the movie’s credentials, while most of the organizations villainized by the documentary refused to provide an interview. The result is a largely one-sided, yet reasonably believable unveiling of what I am buying into at the checkout counter. Conclusions are implied, but rather than telling me where to spend my money, the questions raised leave the real research up to me.
Food Inc. alleges that the low price on much of our food is false advertising – that we are being lied to. As a capitalist, when shown the dark side of an industry, I am hesitant to blame the “system.” Without excusing the dishonesty and corruption that undoubtedly exist, I believe the bigger problem is ignorant consumers – myself included – who never bother to ask the questions of where our food (or any product) comes from and how. Like democracy, the beauty of a free market is also its vulnerability: the consumer decides. A dollar spent is a vote cast, and who we elect to supply our food affects everything from animal treatment to personal well-being.
This topic is particularly relevant with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the way. Of course, we have much to be thankful for, including the sheer volume of food available to us and the technology that makes it possible. But it is also important to recognize the choices we unavoidably make when shopping for the holidays and throughout the year, to be grateful for a market that makes those choices possible, and to express that gratitude by exercising our spending power wisely, whether that is through selecting low-priced items to fit within a limited budget or investing a little extra on trustworthy products.
I recommend Food Inc. to anyone curious about what they eat. The DVD was released on November third. Watch the trailer and read more about the movie by clicking here.
Collision
Speaking of thanksgiving, pastor Douglas Wilson considers it key when debating the existence of God, as he does with atheist Christopher Hitchens in the much anticipated documentary Collision: Is Christianity Good for the World. In the companion book, which publishes the initial internet exchange between Hitchens and Wilson, the latter writes:
“The issue of thanksgiving is really central to the whole debate about the existence of God. On the one hand, if there is no God, there is no need to thank anyone. We are here as the result of a long chain of impersonal processes, grinding their way down to our brief moment in time. If there is a God, then every breath, every moment, every sight and sound, is sheer, unadulterated gift.”
Not only does Hitchens disagree with Wilson that the Christian God exists – he maintains that there is no such thing as the supernatural, that all deities are unnecessary and distracting inventions (to say the least), and that mankind would be much better off without them. Hitchens invokes William F. Buckley in writing:
“I myself believe that the duel between [religion] and atheism is the most important in the world. I further believe that the struggle between [liberty] and [totalitarianism] is the same struggle reproduced on another level… I should not conceal the fact that I am not so much an atheist as an anti-theist. I am, in other words, not one of those unbelievers who wishes they had faith, or that they could believe. I am, rather, someone who is delighted that there is absolutely no persuasive evidence for the existence of any of mankind’s many thousands of past and present deities.”
The debate that follows has less to do with the particulars of Christianity as it does with the basis of our reason and morality. Wilson argues that the divinely revealed character of a creator provides the absolute, unchanging foundation upon which we are able to make rational and ethical judgments. He then proceeds to press his opponent for a defense of innate solidarity as a binding moral authority. Hitchens responds with a humble yet well-crafted appeal to the human ego that turns the table on Christianity by denouncing its pivotal doctrine of vicarious atonement as not only incredible, but immoral; yet he is “content to regard [virtue] as indefinable.”
The book is a quick read and provides a basic outline of the discussion contained in the movie. The documentary couches the debate within the compelling stories of its central characters, resulting in an experience I can best describe as entertaining. Being already familiar with Wilson’s style and exceptional speaking ability, and having taken up the hobby of videography, I admit I was not so concerned with the argument itself as I was interested in seeing it conveyed through this new medium. Executive producers Aaron Rench and N.D. Wilson – both from Moscow – teamed up with Hollywood director Darren Doane to pull of a captivating (and impartial) approach to what would otherwise have been two heads talking from behind their respective podiums.
I recommend Collision as a new take on an old debate. The DVD was released on October twenty-seventh. Read more and watch trailers, outtakes, and interviews by clicking here.
