The Utility of Cats

By now you all know that I love to read the New York Times and find the small gems buried in its pages.

Earlier this summer John Tierney reported on the findings of researchers, led by Stephen J. O’Brien of the National Cancer Institute, an expert on cat genetics.

The researchers (through diligent study, I'm sure), came to conclusions such as: “Cats do not perform directed tasks.”

Thank goodness Mr Tierney has both a sense of humor and a bully pulpit. As of earlier this week, 321 comments had been posted - mostly in defense of cats.

Further, the defense was pretty much - "Who cares if they are useful (which, the overwhelming majority of commenters agrees they are)? We like them. That in itself has utility."

Rex & Fritz - helping Phil pack for a road trip.

Fritz, Rex & Junior keeping the bed warm, just in case we decide to forego a workout and snuggle with them for a few extra minutes.

Rex - what a handsome kitty!

Fritz, posing cooperatively for a change.

Rex - helping Phil with his "work-life balance."

TierneyLab recently posted a Part 2 in the discussion (generating another 220 comments!).

"If I were a cat’s PR agent, I would say my client transcended utility and change the subject. Ailurophiles (cat lovers) should probably concede the scientists are right in doubting the general usefulness of cats. If scientists are to be challenged on the nature of cats, firmer ground might be the question of whether cats can read human minds.

People have an ability, called “theory of mind” by psychologists, to infer what is going on in the minds of other people. Psychologists doubt whether any other species possess this ability, at least to the same degree.

But a cat of my acquaintance seems to be very adept at reading minds, at least those belonging to people. When he needs to be let back into the house, he jumps up onto the ledge outside the kitchen window, waiting for people to notice him and open the door. If ignored, he will grab the mesh of the storm window in his claws and rattle it impatiently to gain attention, having clearly read people’s disinclination to get up and open the door for him yet again."

I don't know if Fritz, Rex and Junior can read our minds, and I guess I don't care.

They are boon companions, chasers of moths, warmers of laps and I can always count on them to raise my spirits - even at 3 am - because the yowling is closely followed by purrs.

If Phil didn't have kitties to squeeze l'm not sure he'd get through the day.

Useful? Indeed.

Dinner and a Movie

[Bike geeks (like me) can talk about bikes and biking and bike races and other cyclists and gear and equipment and . . . you get the picture. It can be endless and BORING for anyone who doesn’t share the passion.

I get that.

My plan is to broaden my focus a bit in the coming months. I will post a recipe and a movie review every weekend. Let me know what you think!]

Dinner
This isn’t typically “dinner,” but it could be. I love to eat breakfast for dinner. My mom used to let us have pancakes and scrambled eggs when my Dad wasn’t home for dinner – it seemed like we were getting away with something. Anyway, this is my sister Barb’s recipe. She usually makes it for holiday brunches and I love it!! Serve it with some fresh fruit and low fat yogurt.

HASH BROWN QUICHE

INGREDIENTS
3 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
seasoning salt to taste
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small can green chiles, drained
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Press hash browns onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.

In a small bowl, combine ham, onion and shredded cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and a little seasoning salt. When crust is ready, spread ham mixture on the bottom, and then cover with egg mixture.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is puffed and golden brown.

Movie
A Crude Awakening (2006) (85 min. run-time)

Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack's nonfiction treatise Crude Awakening joins Maxed Out, An Inconvenient Truth, and other recent documentaries devoted to unearthing and exploring forces that are untying the connective threads of contemporary society.

The subject at hand is crude oil - specifically, the depletion of petroleum from the Earth, in an era when consumption threatens to exceed supply. The overtone of the film is speculative but admonitory; Gelpke and McCormack suggest that if western society fails to reinvent itself altogether (via such innovations as hydrogen-powered autos, and a decreased reliance on politically unsound Middle Eastern nations), economic cataclysm is not just likely it is inevitable. To underscore this point, the filmmakers contrast obscenely naïve shorts from the 1950s that promise depthless oil supplies, with contemporary warnings from geologists who suggest that the bottom of the well is close at hand.

McCormack and Gelpke interview subjects such as former OPEC secretary general Fadhil Chalabi and Bush advisor Roger E. Ebel.

Phil and I watched it June 26 while doing interval workouts. First let me say that because Phil is a petroleum engineer, we are pretty educated on this issue. The movie takes a somewhat simplistic approach to the problem, but it still presents a great deal of thought-provoking information.

The bottom line is that hydrocarbons are a non-renewable resource. Production is not keeping up with demand. The entire Western lifestyle is predicated on cheap hydrocarbons to drive industry and agriculture. What are we going to do when cheap hydrocarbons are no longer available?

In an effort to provide a “fair and balanced” picture of what is known as the Peak Oil issue, I’m providing a link to an opinion piece that ran in the New York Times recently.

I disagree with the analysis, but I’ll throw it out here so you can form your own independent opinions.

I give the movie 3 stars out of 5. A superficial treatment of a critical issue – but at least it introduces the core concepts. The audience can do additional research if so inclined.

The Talk

Phil and I haven’t yet had “the Talk.”

The “are we doing the Leadville 100 again in 2010” talk.

As you may recall, previously we made a deal that we wouldn’t try to ride Leadville (and more importantly devote ourselves to the necessary training) every year. We were on an every other year schedule: 2005, 2007, 2009, etc.

Phil’s broken ribs and resultant scratch from the 2009 edition of the race puts us in a quandary.

The Lottery
Entry into the Leadville 100 is dependent on a lottery. You send in your money and your entry form, and 6 weeks later you find out whether you are one of the chosen few. Lance Armstrong’s participation in the event, and the ensuing publicity, has made those entry slots hard to come by.

However . . . the lottery isn’t exactly a straight-up-blind-pull-the-number-out-of-a-hat deal.

First, riders who have completed 5 or more Leadville races seem to get priority placement. The race directors seem to understand those folks are going for the 1,000 mile buckle (which is bigger than your head). [If you finish 10 Leadville races you get the 1,000 mile buckle. Our friend Chris got his this year – it is a huge accomplishment and a coveted trophy in the mountain biking community.]

Second, people who volunteer at the Leadville events get priority, too. [The race directors are darn smart. They have this event with more people who want to do it than slots available. It is an event that requires lots of people to support it. Bingo. You want in? Volunteer. It creates a built-in feeder pool of volunteers.]

Third, if you had an entry slot in the race – say in 2009 – but were unable to race due to a legitimate reason – like several broken ribs – you may be given priority in the following year. This priority may not, however, extend for 2 years.

So . . . if we decide to race in 2010 we are 99% sure we’ll get selected in the “lottery.”

If we take 2010 off, and try again 2011, our chances of getting in the race are about 50 – 50. We would certainly volunteer at the 2010 edition of the race (it is a lot of work, but it is fun and energizing, too), but volunteering only gives some priority – it isn’t a guarantee of entry.

We’ll have The Talk after Labor Day. Any bets on what we’ll decide?