If you haven’t already heard, one of the first and most important things Michelle Obama has done as first lady is to plant an organic garden on the white house grounds. This is the first white house garden since the Roosevelt’s! So what is the big deal and who cares if it’s organic? Well apparently big agriculture and the surrounding industries such as fertilizer and pesticide companies care. There was quite a big tug of war over this seemingly innocent garden before it was even started. Read more about that here. No matter what your political stance is, I think healthy organic food is something that everyone can appreciate and support. I for one am happy that Michelle-O stood her ground and went forward with the garden despite the resistance from the agriculture industry. Now Mrs. Obama will write a book about her gardening experience. This is sure to be a good read and will hopefully open up some people’s eyes about gardening, agriculture, and the food industry as a whole.

Thinking about the influence of this White House garden and book got me thinking about the current culinary state of our union. Certainly things have improved recently with raised awareness from the Food Network and movements towards organic and local foods. But overall the food and drink we consume every day in this country is pretty much an afterthought. Americans take for granted that they can eat anything they want, anytime they want, and just assume that since this is America it will all be good. In most other countries food is carefully selected, then enjoyed and appreciated as it should be. In other countries (many more than you think) people are just thankful to have any food that is available to eat for survival.

In Portland locally grown organic fruit and veggies are more common than not. Portland is the new foodie capital of the U.S. Our great farming climate and the locavore culture that supports Pacific Northwest farmers has a lot to do with that. If you don’t believe me just watch the Food Network and see how often Portland is featured. Better yet come out here yourself for a food/wine/beer tour of unbelievably good food and drink for reasonable prices.

Unfortunately some other areas of the country are slow to catch on to this grass roots trend that is also beneficial to the environment. However in my recent travels I’ve been surprised to see that many places I would not have expected are beginning to slowly embrace the benefits of farmers markets and locally produced food and goods. I suspect that in the coming years food and water will be the subject of wars as the human population continues to explode on this planet. More species and habitats will be wiped out while natural resources, food, and fresh water become scarcer. In the meantime the best that we can do on a local level for ourselves and future generations is to take an interest in local organic foods from farmers markets or start growing our own food, even if it’s in pots on the back porch.

Organic natural food is good for your health, and good for the environment. Food is after all a basic ingredient of our survival. So why should we endure eating poor tasting produce that is genetically modified, full of pesticides, and grown in bulk halfway around the country, or even the world? Instead you could pick tomatoes and other produce right from your back yard all summer long, or visit local farmers markets to get much better product than you can find at the local grocery store. If you do grow your own don’t limit yourself to veggies. Herbs, fruits, beans, grains along with many other things can easily be grown in a home garden, and other beneficial products like local honey can be bought at farmers markets.

As spring approaches we are getting ready to plant our own garden, which hasn’t been without some resistance from the ridiculous HOA in our neighborhood; but that is another looong story. Even in Portland there are some people who just don’t get how important local and home grown garden food is. Many people forget, or just don’t know that human’s mastery of agriculture is the seed that advanced civilization grew from. Sadly something as basic as agriculture can even get so big that it no longer becomes efficient, effective, or safe. Next time before you take a bite out of that Big Mac or TV Dinner, take a minute to ponder where that food’s ingredients actually came from, and what they went through before getting to your plate. If you really knew it might just make you lose your appetite.

Today’s fresh, local, and organic food and gardening movements, including Michelle-O’s white house garden, are reclaiming what the faceless greedy corporations have taken out of our food. Those things being taste, nutrition, and the knowledge of where your food actually comes from. With spring just around the corner do you have plans for your own vegetable garden this growing season? If not you might consider giving it a try. Just remember some plants can be genetically modified or have other issues, so do your research and try sticking to organic or heirloom varieties. Good luck and happy gardening!

Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, and Mint from our garden last summer

Some of you might remember the 3 part Holiday Trimmings series I did last year at this time about cutting the holiday fat from your waistline. In that series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) I mentioned that one of my new year’s goals was to benchpress 300 pounds. Since it is now 2011 I wanted to post an update on the progress of that goal from last year.

For most of 2010, except when I was traveling, I worked out an average of 3 times a week. Sometimes it would be less, sometimes more, but overall I was fairly consistent. My weekly routine would look something like this.

1.       Upper body workout of back and biceps.
2.       A complete lower body workout including legpress and squats.
3.       Another upper body workout of chest, shoulders, and triceps.
4.       I would work my abs every time I was in the gym, usually about 200 reps per workout of various stomach exercises.
5.       In addition I usually run for about 10 minutes with Mulder after each workout, and walk with him for about 30 minutes every day.

The result of all this showed in January. I was able to get someone to spot me in the gym and I benched 255 on the free-weight bar two times. I also benched 90 pound dumbbells 4 times in the same workout. I didn’t quite reach my goal but it was a good accomplishment from the beginning of the year when I struggled to put up 205. As for my legs, I’m back to working out with 600 pounds on the freeweight legpress and squatting in the 200-300 range.

I’ve found that this year despite all my efforts it’s taken me a long time to get back up to strength compared to even just 3-4 years ago when after just a few months I could bench 250+ with no problem. I’m still not as strong as I’ve been in the past, but with just 45 more pounds to go on the benchpress to reach 300 I should surpass my old mark of 295 by the end of the year.

I believe that my age (nearing 40) has a lot to do with my declining strength. Also my joints are flaky due to the years of lifting. Some days I get strange pains in my shoulders or knees and just can’t lift anything beyond my warm up weight without risking injury. Because of these aches I’ve considered giving up on my goal and changing my workout routine to a more lightweight aerobic style. I would certainly get ripped that way instead of bulking up, which Charlotte would like better. She very much prefers me to stay lean and trim so I can fit into these modern tight fitting emo type clothes she keeps trying to get me to wear. I admit I feel strong now, but after a tough workout it’s hard to get going for the next day or two because it really takes a toll on your body and time to rebuild your muscles. Like Hank Williams JR says “the hangovers hurt more than they used to”, or in this case the workout recoveries.

After some contemplation and reconsideration I’ve decided that I will go ahead and try for the 300 pound benchpress, barring any major injury. If I don’t make it, then no big deal, working out is certainly not a bad thing and I can only get stronger. If I do make it then I will be one strong 40 year old dude.

Speaking of fit, it’s important to note that I have gained about 10 pounds in the last year and weigh around 185, which is the most I’ve ever weighed. I’ve gained both muscle and fat, but that is not unusual since I eat a lot more when I’m on a heavy workout routine. I expect my weight to peak out about 190 and then drop 10-15 pounds once I decrease the heavy weightlifting. Once my goal is obtained I will likely start lifting lighter weights with higher reps, and compliment those workouts with karate or some other form of exercise that will improve my flexibility and cardiovascular.

In conclusion I just want to mention that I’m not writing about this to just talk about myself and how good my workout routine is. I want to document that hard work and dedication in the gym can pay off no matter what your goal is, and hopefully inspire others to make their own fitness goals. Some people want to lose 300 pounds; I want to bench 300 pounds. Both goals take similar determination and require abiding by the same principles; eat right and exercise. It’s not always exciting or glamorous, but the results speak for themselves. If you have a physical fitness goal or want to ask me anything about working out etc, feel free to comment or send me an email. Good luck and happy treadmilling.

Mulder and I walking in the snow

This is part 3 of 3 in the Sunshine Series. Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here.

Some people say sunscreen actually does more harm than good as stated in this article. If you read the article you will see two arguments against sunscreen. First is that it blocks your body from getting sun rays which help you produce Vitamin D, a deficiency that can bring about cancer and other conditions. As mentioned in the previous blog in this series that little detail can easily be fixed by taking a Vitamin D supplement. The second concern is that your skin will absorb toxic chemicals that are in the sunscreen. Most people think of their skin as a sort of armor, however this is not necessarily the case, so this point is valid. Your skin can absorb a surprising amount of toxins from topical solutions, sprays, and even bathwater. I’ll admit that cosmetics and skin science is not my area of expertise, so to shed some light on the subject I’m reposting an old blog that Charlotte wrote at JavaFoto about sunscreen.

In an effort to improve my health while also enjoying the outdoors, I started walking during my lunch hour with a friend from work Sokbun. During our walk today, she asked me what sunscreen brand I used. Well, I use Boots Botanics on and off but mostly off since it is a bit greasy. I usually mix it with the regular moisturizer that I love and it sort of works. It has been so nice and sunny lately so I think it is time to get back into a regular sunscreen routine. She mentioned “California Baby” was recommended by Skin Deep. This website was created by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to promote awareness of cosmetic safety. I searched the site and found it to be a good resource for both safety and effectiveness. Well, time to get a search party going…

First candidate: ALBA BOTANICA SUN: MINERAL SUNSCREEN – FRAGRANCE FREE SPF 18 available at Amazon.com

Review: Great rating by EWG except for the lower SPF. I was hoping the lower SPF would make it lighter but it is still thick. Much lighter than the SPF30 but still hard to apply evenly It seems that this would be typical for non-chemical sunscreen.

Epionce Active Shield Lotion SPF 30+

Review: This one is lighter and spreads evenly but has a greasy feel to it. An hour later, it still felt greasy. I also noticed that the fine lines on my face became more prominent. EWG did not have any ratings for this brand. I got the sample from VanderVeer Center and the “set” of skincare products costs $195 for a six-month supply. I guess it could be worth it if the products work wonders for your skin. It didn’t on mine. I did like their regular moisturizer. It was light and made my skin soft.

I decided that I might be better off to go with a “middle of the road” product so I went for the classic Cetaphil.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF15

Review: A little bit thicker but very similar to Epionce without the greasy feel It did feel greasy at first but after a few minutes it settled down. Also, I had to make sure my skin was not dry, otherwise, the sunscreen would cake up a little bit in the flaky areas. This is the one I like best so far. I will stick to this for now until a better one comes along. EWG rated it as safe except for the last ingredient Triethanolamine. They also did not like the low SPF but for everyday use, I am not too concerned. For extended outdoor exposure, I would reach for the Alba sunscreen.

When it comes to sun protection the stakes can be high whether you do or you don’t use it. I’d recommend reading up at the Environmental Working Groups Sunscreen Guide, and about Skin Cancer at the American Cancer Society, and then make a decision for yourself. Probably the best sun protection is to just cover up, but even clothing can let damaging UV rays in. According to this site dark clothing provides better sun protection than lighter clothing, but since they absorb more sunlight dark clothes tend to be hotter. That is why people in the tropics often wear lighter clothing. A way around the clothing dilemma is to buy clothing that has UV protection built into the fabric. These can be found at sporting goods stores like REI.

There are a few other areas of concern with sun protection that many people neglect or forget about. Snow and water can reflect sunlight upwards causing you to burn in unexpected places, and faster than normal. You will burn faster at high altitudes where there is less atmosphere to block the rays. When you are submerged in water your skin will still burn. You can get burned on cloudy or cold days. Your eyes can get sunburned causing serious damage, so its always best to wear shades that have UV protection and wrap around or block UV rays from the side. Last but not least your skin will burn faster when its dry; from a dry climate, dehydration, swimming, or any other activity that robs your skin of its natural moisture. If you do get burned try some of these remedies to ease the pain.

I feel that when it comes to sunscreen the pros outweigh the cons. I use sunscreen regularly, but also try to cover up with long sleeves and pants when possible, along with a complementary sun hat and UV protective sun glasses. My face is particularly sensitive to sunscreen and will break out horribly if I use anything that contains oil, which will clog my pores. I’ve found the brand that works best for my face is Eucerin Sensitive Skin Sun protection, I usually get 30 SPF. Although it ranks as middle of the road health-wise according to the EWG  Sunscreen Guide, it’s still better than most of the usual suspects. It’s also oil and fragrance free which is gentle on my skin. I will typically dilute it with a little water before putting it on my face so that it spreads more evenly and lighter. Since Eucerin is a bit expensive I usually use something else for my arms and legs when necessary. That will typically be whatever Charlotte recommends for me, or happens to have on the shelf at the time. From her “Skin Deep” blog post I’m guessing that her selections are probably better than anything I’d pick out.

I remember seeing billboards with the Coppertone girl in Florida when I was growing up, but despite that advertising campaign the message to wear sun protection didn’t sink in until I was an adult. It is really up to the parents and authority figures to get educated on skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer. Then make an informed decision on how to protect themselves, and their children whose skin is much more vulnerable and sensitive than adults. Don’t take my word for it though. If you think I’m making a bunch of fuss about nothing then just ask the Aussies who have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Crikey!

Although not very stylish, this sunhat is much better looking than Melanoma spots. Speaking of spots, pay no attention to the ugly clear cutting tracks in the picture, it’s all part of the logging industries plan to destroy the planet.

This is part 2 of 3 in the Sunshine Series. Part 1 is here.

There is a reason that John Denver said “Sunshine on my shoulders, makes me happy”! That reason is that he was getting a lot of sunshine in Colorado, and it was in fact making him happy. If any of you remember him then you know he usually had a pretty good tan going so it is doubtful that he was wearing any sunscreen, which might not have made him happy.

After doing some research I’ve found that sunlight does not contain Vitamin D, but rather your body creates it in response to direct sunlight. Too much Vitamin D won’t hurt you, but too much sun exposure will. By taking Vitamin D supplements your body can build it up so that you are able to go through periods of time without it. It is not uncommon to see vitamins or supplements with RDA % amounts in the hundreds or thousands range for Vitamin D and some others. This study goes into further detail on how much is really needed, and how much is too much.

It does appear that sunscreen can block the rays your body needs to produce the Vitamin D making reaction. Also interesting is that it seems people with darker pigmented skin have less capability of producing Vitamin D from natural sunlight. This leads some researchers to speculate that might be a cause for higher rates of certain types of cancer in African Americans. With all of these concerns some doctors are now advocating some sunshine without sun protection, and even indoor tanning.

I’ve lived in and experienced firsthand three different types of sun worshipping cultures in the U.S. so I find the tanning salon trend very alarming. I grew up in Florida where people rarely wear sun protection. When I was a teenager my tan was so dark that you might think I was Seminole Indian. Today I’m very fair skinned, and when I visit Florida my relatives always ask me why I look so pale. I still have huge sunspots on my shoulders and crow’s feet around my eyes as reminders of my past growing up in the Sunshine State.

Me skimboarding when I was 15, my sister in the foreground was also overly tan.

When I moved to Texas I was appalled at all the people walking around with orange unnatural looking tans that made them look as if they just jumped out of a microwave oven. The source of these unsightly tans was tanning booths or spray can tans, both of which are undoubtedly unhealthy. It was not uncommon to see orange stains on people shirts around the sleeves and neckline from the fake spray on tans that make you look like Hulk Hogan. To get an idea of the tanning disaster I’m talking about take a look at these celebrity tan disasters. Although there are plenty of places to get sunshine in Texas very few people venture outdoors in the searing heat, and outdoor activities simply aren’t popular in the Lone Star Shopping Mall State. This is where the all too convenient tanning beds come in. People in Texas are very concerned with material things I observed, and looks are one of those material things. Ironically Texans eat so much that they are considered of the most overweight states in the union, go figure?

After Texas I moved to Colorado where I quickly adopted the Rocky Mountain active outdoor lifestyle in order to enjoy the 300 days of sunshine per year. After an incident of skiing without sunscreen I came home looking like the Human Torch. Thereafter I always wore a sunhat and sunscreen whenever I went outdoors. However, many of my fellow Coloradoans did not. I knew many people who were very fit and healthy looking, but otherwise looked 20 years older due to over-wrinkled leathery skin. This was mostly a result from sun exposure at higher altitude, and to some degree the arid weather. If you feel wearing sunscreen is an inconvenience then consider wearing a sun hat to protect your face where the skin is most sensitive and susceptible to wrinkles. Case in point, I actually know a guy in Colorado that had to have a melonomia spot surgically removed from his face, and he was still in his 20’s.

So the point I’m trying to make with my abbreviated autobiography is that with a deteriorating Ozone Layer skin cancer has become a much bigger problem than it ever was in the past. Despite the fact that getting fresh sunshine without sun protection will help your body produce Vitamin D, I would not recommend it. Instead Mulder and I both recommend getting out in the sun with protection, and enjoy the psychological benefits that sunshine gives you. There is no need to fry yourself under UV rays to get your Vitamin D when you can just take sunshine in a pill. If any of you decide to try popping a pill to kick the winter blues be sure to come back and leave a comment to let me know how it works out for you. As for what kind of sunscreen to use, Charlotte will enlighten us on that topic in part III of the Sunshine Series.

This is part 1 of 3 in the Sunshine Series.

Mulder Sunbathing on the deck

A couple of weeks ago I was watching the news and the anchorman said “today will probably be the last sunny day of the year”. Talk about a downer! Since then we’ve actually had a few sunny days, but otherwise it has been rainy as predicted, and more on the way. The gray curtain of the Pacific Northwest winter is about to descend up us and it won’t leave until around Spring Break. To make matters worse we are pretty far north so the days are much shorter here than in the south. That means that soon after you “Fall Back” for daylight losing time it can get dark before 5:00 PM. If you work 9-5 in an office you may not see sunlight for much of the winter. According to this BusinessWeek article Portland ranks Number 1 as America’s unhappiest city. Ouch!

For those who don’t live in this part of the country you might have misconceptions about the notorious winter weather out here. It doesn’t rain all year long, and it doesn’t rain all the time in the winter either. However it is almost always cloudy and overcast from November-February. It’s not just partly cloudy overcast either. I’m talking about a dark gray 100% cloud cover that looms overhead emitting drizzle, fog, freezing fog, humidity, and the constant threat of rain, which does happen quite often. To top it off the humidity makes the temperature feel colder than it really is. The temps usually hover in the 40’s during the day, and 30’s at night, rarely deviating from that cycle. To make matters worse many people in the seasonably cloudy northwest get SAD (seasonable affective disorder) during the long winter months with minimal sunshine. Many locals will tell you its all hype and the cloudy weather doesn’t bother them. Others are more frank about it and just accept the fact that it’s a seasonable thing. While I enjoy the indoor hibernation of being “rained in” for a while I can tell you it gets old very fast. By the time January rolls around it can be a downright drag.

Before you start feeling SAD let me share with you some good news about how to cope with the winter blues. It’s very simple really, so simple that you might kick yourself for not thinking of it sooner. Take a vitamin D supplement. Sounds ridiculous I know, but it actually works. This was suggested to me by another Coloradoan who moved out here and felt SAD in the winter. After leaving a place that has about 300 days of sunshine per year and moving to a place that has about 300 cloudy days a year it can be a difficult adjustment. I might add that in my case I had been working swing shift inside of a factory building that had no windows at all. Additionally I am slightly lactose intolerant so I drink very little milk, which is a good source of Vitamin D for most people. Something had to change.

I’m not usually one to promote taking pills to fix problems, especially pharmaceuticals; however when talking about natural holistic supplements I do feel there are many advantages to be had. In a time when most people’s diets consist of processed foods you miss out on a ton of vitamins and minerals that our ancestors got naturally from real food. Additionally people’s lifestyles have changed over the last several hundred years with the advent of the indoor factory job starting during the industrial revolution, and today with cubicle jobs. Simply put people don’t get out enough, and don’t eat enough natural foods, which amounts to an unnatural lifestyle.

With this in mind I bought a bottle of Vitamin D pills for about ten dollars, per my fellow Coloradoans suggestion. These pills each contained 1000 IU of Vitamin D3, or 250% of your RDA (recommended daily allowance). According to this article and others I’ve read, the RDA of Vitamin D is outdated and should be much higher than the current standard. Apparently this outdated standard is the amount needed to prevent rickets. That is a malnutrition condition that my Grandma used to warn my sister and I that we’d get if we didn’t eat all of our food. If only I had the Internet and Google back when I was a kid I would have informed Granny that nobody in Florida has a Vitamin D deficiency.

When winter settled in last year I started taking the Vitamin D daily. The first day I took the sunshine pill I felt like Superman at work. It was just one of those days that I felt absolutely terrific like I was on vacation at the beach. I wondered if it could all be in my mind, maybe the power of suggestion. Over the next few weeks the effect was less significant, however if I stopped taking it for a week or so, and then took it again I would definitely notice a difference. Very rarely do you get a noticeable feeling from taking a vitamin or supplement like you do from a drug like caffeine. In this case however, I have concluded that the Vitamin D does have the effect of making you feel as if you spent a day in the sun, but without the sunburn.

If you’re still not convinced then let me tell you about our doggie Mulder who is a regular sunbather. Every chance he gets, but especially in the wintertime, he will find the only available patch of sunlight in the house or yard and just go sprawl out there. Sometimes it’s just a small corner in the backyard where the sun is shining, or a spot in the hallway where the sun is beaming down from the skylight. He is always excited to go on a walk, but especially if it has been raining recently and the sun makes an appearance. That is when he will really campaign for a “W” (walk). Some of his political strategies to speed up the W are staring out the front door window pane and then looking back at me with longing puppy dog eyes. If I get up out of my office seat he will get excited and start walking around in circles and snorting as if to say “oh we’re going now”? I have a hard time saying no to his enthusiasm so he usually gets his way. I wonder, does he naturally know about the benefits of catching some rays, while I’m just now figuring out?

You talking about me?

There are other ways to beat the winter blues too. Many folks around here try taking a vacation to someplace sunny during the winter months. We haven’t had this opportunity yet, but I do think a trip to Hawaii in January sounds delightful. I also like to go skiing or snowboarding where you can feel surprisingly warm being all bundled up, and get lots of sunshine reflecting off the snow. Of course it is absolutely necessary to wear sunscreen on the mountain or you will be fried to a crisp, but this brings up another concern. Does sunscreen block Vitamin D like it blocks UV rays? I’ll explore this concept in the upcoming part 2 of the Sunny Series.

Last month the Environmental Protection Agency released its action plan to clean up the Columbia River. Let me tell you, it’s long overdue! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Columbia, it’s the largest river in the Western United States, and the 4th largest in the country. The last section of the river flows just north of Portland along the border of Washington and Oregon before finally emptying into the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon. Although Portland is about 80 miles inland from the ocean, the river is large enough to accommodate enormous container ships. It’s a startling site to see when you are hiking along a peaceful river trail on Sauvies Island or elsewhere, and then peak through the trees to see a gargantuan container ship floating by.

The Columbia River

Lewis and Clark followed this mighty river over 200 years ago for much of their cross country journey to the Pacific Ocean. I’m sure they would be disappointed to see what it has become today. Although the river is still beautiful in some areas it is full of dams and lined with paper, logging, and other industrial mills that sport huge smoke stacks which appear to be giving the finger to Mother Nature. The first major dam is the Bonneville Dam, which does to its credit produce a lot of clean hydro energy for our region, but still you have to wonder what other effects it has on the river and its ecosystem. To add to these unnatural eye sores is the Hanford site in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, Richland) area of Southwestern Washington State.

Bonneville Dam

Hanford, which was part of the Manhattan Project during the cold war years, is a huge nuclear site 1/3 the size of Rhode Island. It’s also located right along 50 miles of the banks of the formerly natural Columbia River. Like many nuclear wastelands in this country there is buried radioactive material that is now leaking into the water table. I found a very detailed article from the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations outlining the problems this site has caused for salmon. I’m worried about the salmon too, but what really got my attention was this paragraph:

The site now contains 177 underground storage tanks in a huge “tank farm,” holding millions of gallons of high-level radioactive waste in a soup of highly corrosive chemicals and potentially explosive. At least 67 of these underground tanks have leaked at least one million gallons of highly radioactive waste into the groundwater. More tanks begin leaking each year as they continue to corrode. More than 200 square miles of Hanford’s groundwater aquifer have now been contaminated. Further contamination comes from 2,300 tons of corroded spent nuclear fuel rods held in two water-filled basins less than 500 yards from the Columbia River. The place is one huge Superfund toxic waste site, which the law requires the federal government to clean up.

Holy contamination full of radiation Batman! This stuff could be in our drinking water!!! If you want to know more about how to get clean drinking water see my post on “Got Water”. As for the salmon and other local fish populations, it’s a no-brainer that they are being affected too. If you don’t live locally and think no big deal, it’s NIMBY (not in my backyard), well you might want to think again. Pacific Salmon which is served nationwide could be sourced anywhere from California to Alaska. The Columbia River and polluted Puget Sound near Seattle are big producers of these fish. Fortunately Salmon spend much of their lives out at sea, but you still might want to check for an orange/yellow glow before taking a bite.

In additional to these contamination problems, you have fertilizer and pesticide runoff from all the regional farms near the Columbia and other rivers and creeks that empty into it. If that isn’t enough to cause you concern, let me tell you about the frequent sewage spills that affect our local rivers during the rainy season. This is untreated sewage that spills into the rivers, not that treated sewage is any less gross, but at least it’s sanitary. However treated sewage doesn’t mean everything bad is necessarily removed, just what is required by law. There have been growing concerns that many of the pharmaceuticals our society and others are becoming addicted to are finding their way back in the water supply through the toilet. Think about it – something in-something out, it’s the law of nature. As an example, this article mentions how Prozac was found in the drinking water supply in England. It further outlines how the problem is much worse in third world countries that do not filter or sanitize their waste at all. If you are thinking NIMBY again, just remember it all ends up in the ocean at some point, and we all share that. By the way if you’ve ever wondered what happens to toilet waste once its flushed down then check out this interesting toilet reading material.

Unfortunately I’ve had my fair share of experience with most of the above. When I was growing up in Florida we would sometimes see processed sewage flowing into the inlet and out to sea. Let me tell you nothing ruins a day at the beach quicker than that! While living in Colorado I became very familiar with the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons production facility just 10 miles north of Denver. It was at one time considered the most toxic 25 square miles on the planet. Protesters forced the government to clean it up in the 80′s, so they basically hauled all the toxic leaking nuclear waste down to New Mexico where there were no protesters. The question for Oregonians and Washingtonians is what are we going to do about our pollution problem in the Columbia River. The EPA is taking the first step, but I’m sure they can use all the support they can get. You can write your elected officials, but realistically most of us will never go through with that most likely useless effort. So my answer is to just start talking about it, or blog about it. Public awareness and concern is the way to create buzz and change. In the meantime I’ve written the first couple verses of a song called the “Columbia River Blues”. Maybe someone much more talented and artistic than me would like to finish and record it.

Paddling down the Columbia River,
Navigating the waterways of waste,
Oh no, no, no
I don’t have medical insurance
So I’m hoping the toxic water don’t splash up in my face
Oh no, no, no

The EPA says lets clean this river up,
No more mercury, jet fuel, fertilizer, pesticide, or nuclear contamination,
Oh, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Put your hands together and clap now
The Columbia is a going back to nature
Yeah, yeah, yeah,

A view of the Bonneville Dam from the summit of Hamilton Mountain

Greetings GreenCropCircles (GCC) readers! I wanted to let everyone know I’m currently in the process of streamlining the site, so if you see any extraterrestrial changes don’t worry; it’s all part of the planned alien invasion. Some changes are a nifty new background and a few pages linked at the top of the banner now. Feel free to comment if you like or dislike the colors or anything else. I will probably keep experimenting with new colors and banners until the site looks right. I’ve also been tinkering around with the Feedburner settings and SEO (search engine optimization). I apologize to any Feedburner subscribers who might have received emails of old blog reposts or pages. If you do get any more of those unnecessary notices just disregard them. Figuring out all of the technical details of running a blog is a work in progress, but something I enjoy and look forward to.

On another note Charlotte has launched a food blog called PurpleYamHill. It’s a very professional looking blog and I think it has good potential for a wide audience and outstanding content. It’s gotten off to a slow start, but with the rainy season on the way I think our kitchen will see more activity in the near future, which means more food blogging. I also enjoy cooking and eating healthy so I’ll contribute some posts there when the inspiration strikes, which happened last week when I wrote about “The BMT sandwich”.

As for the content on this site my goal is to try to post at least once a month. I’d like to post 2-4 blogs per month in the future but I’ll have to see how it goes. I really enjoy writing these posts and have a long list of subjects I want to write about. Unfortunately these are not easy posts to create since a lot of research is typically involved. The research does allow me to learn more facts about the topics in my posts, and then pass that information along to the readers. Of course my opinions will be in the mix too, but as intelligent readers I would expect all of you to come up with your own opinions and conclusions to anything I or anyone else says.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have taken the time to read our blogs, contributed content, helped spawn ideas for us to write about, left comments, or provided feedback in any other way. It all helps to keep Charlotte and I inspired bloggers. I have a few posts that I’m currently working on so check back for those updates soon. In the meantime I’ll leave you with a hypnotizing picture of our favorite doggie Mulder.

Look into my eyes, you're getting very sleepy. Now on the count of 3 I want you to go get me a cheddar cheese treat!

I’ve always enjoyed fishing even though I’ve never been very good at it. Some of my earliest memories are from fishing trips I used to take with my Dad while growing up in Florida. I guess it’s just one of those activities that really appeals to kids. Most likely just being outdoors and in nature has a lot to do with it, as this study shows. Unfortunately many of the other 6,867,644,353 people on earth like to fish too, which is bad for the fish. There are only so many fish to go around.

Approximately 80% of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of the coast. For many of those people seafood is the primary staple of their diet, either by choice or necessity. Growing up in Florida seafood was a common part of my diet too. Lately as I’ve become more environmentally aware I’ve tried to cut down on my fish and seafood consumption. When I do eat seafood, which might be about once a month, I often lean towards more sustainable choices like wild salmon or trout, which are also high in Omega 3’s. Additionally these fish on average do not live as long as some larger fish, so that means they have less time to accumulate toxins in their bodies like mercury which is passed on to you when you eat them. It is actually possible to get mercury poisoning from eating too much fish. Some of the unhealthiest fish you can eat are the large predator fish that are at the top of the food chain like swordfish, shark, and tuna.

Besides being high in mercury many large game fish are being pushed to the edge of extinction. One such example is the heavily over-fished Chilean Sea Bass. Whole Foods Market has recently implemented a seafood ratings system which will mark seafood with a green, yellow, or red label. Over the next few years they, along with our other favorite grocery store Trader Joes, intend to completely phase out all red labeled seafood from their shelves. Other stores are following through with similar actions, but all too often it takes pressure from environmental groups or more knowledgeable purchasing decisions from consumers to prompt these changes.

Most wild salmon and trout are sustainable and healthy fish that are typically regulated and monitored by the department of fish and wildlife. Many states mandate catch and release style fishing in sensitive areas, while enforcing catch limits everywhere else. State managed fish hatcheries help keep the populations in line with the demand by anglers. These fish hatcheries are not to be confused with fish farms which raise fish in a controlled environment solely for the purpose of producing commercial food. While that might sound like a sustainable practice, it is not. The farmed fish are in an unnatural environment, which means they are more susceptible to disease and toxins. Usually the meat on these farm raised salmon is so pale and dull that red food color is used to make the end product look more attractive. Furthermore these unhealthy fish pass on disease, lice, and other problems to wild salmon which threaten their populations. Here is a very interesting youtube video describing the problem in detail.

Even though wild salmon in moderation can be healthy for people, the same is not true for your canine companions. I was surprised to find a notification in my Oregon Fishing Regulations book warning about salmon poisoning to dogs from Cascade salmon and trout. Even if you don’t live around here the salmon you buy at the store could very likely be from the Pacific Northwest, so if you have a dog this is something you should be aware of. Apparently Cascade salmon and trout can carry a parasite that when ingested by a dog is almost always fatal within days if left untreated. Thoroughly cooked fish is ok, but why risk it at all? There are places I’ve been fishing around here where people will just clean the fish on the river bank and leave the guts sitting there to rot. If you have a dog with you they will be sure to investigate this mess by sniffing and licking it, which can lead to big trouble for Fido.

Another problem in marine life is invasive species. Just as we have invasive species with animal and plant life, the same is true for marine life. Two examples I can think of on land in Oregon are the Bark Beetles that destroy forests by eating trees, and English Ivy that smothers trees and kills them. In the water one of the many invasive species Oregon has are Pike Minnows, which affect salmon and steelhead populations by eating their small offspring. To counter this problem a pikeminnow reward program is in place that pays anglers to catch these pesky fish. Each fish is worth from four to eight dollars, and a few fish are tagged with special 500 dollar tags so you can go green while fishing for green.

Throughout history mankind has driven many species of animals into extinction from overhunting, loss of natural habitat, and other unnatural means. Many people have the wrong impression that the oceans are a vast unending natural resource. With nearly 7 billion people in the world, the fish dimension is disappearing fast. Marvin Gaye sang about the problem in 1971 with Mercy Mercy Me, The Ecology, “Oh, things ain’t what they used to be, no, no, Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas, Fish full of mercury…”. Just as he knew about it then, we know about it now. So you have to ask yourself, what can you do to help fix the problem, or at least do to keep from adding to the problem? For some inspiration here is one of the many video tributes to Marin Gaye’s sad song.

As you all know, and some of you may have already forgotten, the biggest marine oil spill in world history gushed freely in the Gulf of Mexico over the summer of 2010 for 87 days. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Well Explosion and following leak was both deadly and devastating, killing 11 initially in the explosion and 2 more in the cleanup effort. Countless species of birds, mammals, and fish died in this disaster; more than we’ll ever know. The economic, psychological, emotional, and environmental damage to the Gulf Region was arguably as bad, or worse, than it was from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since nobody really knows the extent of the damage the oil will do long term, or how much oil is really still hidden in the depths of the ocean a mile or more deep, the end result of this catastrophe has yet to be determined.

I watched the entire sequence of events unfold on TV just like most people in the world who don’t live close enough to experience it firsthand. In a day and age where we are so desensitized from the bombardment of news and media sources it’s hard to really think of this as more than a news headline, unless you are affected by it personally. Sure everyone was mad about it, but what could anyone besides BP really do to fix it- nothing. So everyone went into bystander mode including the government. Watching, waiting, worrying, wondering, when will it end. Nobody wanted to get too attached to the issue emotionally because nobody could do anything to solve the problem except BP. Only BP had the equipment to fix the problem. Possibly other oil companies could have helped, but it was too convenient for them to watch their competitor drown in oil, along with the Gulf Region.

Now the bleeding has stopped, and the only people that will be affected by this long term are the residents that live on the Gulf Coast, or people brave enough to eat the government certified safe Gulf Seafood. Nearly as fast as the oil spill stopped, the news stories stopped flowing too. There were three other oil spills this summer (one in Michigan, one on land in Louisiana, and another one off the shores of Louisiana), but they barely registered a blip in the news, or were covered up quickly. It’s amazing how easily people can forget about an event so horrific, and move on talking about the next big story. Personally I’m disgusted by the whole thing, so when I had a chance to visit Florida this summer in late July and early August I knew that I had to tour the region to get my own impression, and then write something about it.

By the time I got to Florida the BP Oil Well was finally capped and testing was in place to finalize the seal on the cap. The current headline was all about if the cap would hold, what tropical storms were heading to the region, and what fishing areas had been reopened. My first stop was Siesta Key Beach south of Tampa. The oil spill never really reached this far south, at least not visibly. The water was brilliantly green and the sand white as can be. The beach was packed, and everything seemed to be business as usual.

The second best beach in the country-according to Travel Channel

A week later in early August I started my tour of the Florida Panhandle area that was affected by the oil spill. First stop was St George Island State park near Apalachicola FL. On the drive down there from Tallahassee I saw a few BP gas stations with tarps covering the BP signs. Apparently some BP stations have already started changing business names because nobody will buy gas from them. At the beach the water was the normal green color, but had streaks of brown in it. People were fishing and swimming as if nothing had happened.

The BP name ain't what it used to be.

Surf Fishing in the Gulf at St. George Beach

You might be a redneck, if you pitch a tent at the beach

A few days later I left for Texas and decided to make a driving tour of the Gulf Coast on the way. The first stop was in Panama City which was very deserted for this time of year. The panhandle beaches (also known as The Redneck Riviera) typically have their high season in the summer, unlike the rest of Florida. I walked out onto the Panama City Pier to see if I could figure out why the water had even more brown streaks in it than St George Island. The park ranger said that the water turned brown every summer when the algae bloomed during hot weather; it was indeed HOT. However I’ve never heard of this or seen it myself in the 16 years that I lived in Florida, or on the many visits I’ve had since. Although I did grow up on the southeast coast I have visited the Gulf Coast and the panhandle on numerous occasions.

To quote Diamond Dave- Panama, Uh Oh Oh Oh Ohhh

Does that look like normal algae to you?

More fishing off Panama Pier

Driving west my next stop was just east of Destin at Miramar Beach where signs were posted warning people that the beaches in this area had been affected by the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. I found tar on the beach and trash barrels labeled oil (which ironically look like oil barrels) to put this in. Surprisingly people were still swimming and fishing as if nothing had ever happened. The water was even browner than Panama City. On the radio I heard a commercial sponsored by BP. The content was as you would expect, the usual propaganda about how BP cares and is working hard to clean the waters etc, and then I heard this- although you may find dead fish washed up on the beaches this is a normal result of the algae bloom that happens every year along the Gulf coast. Really???

Oil affected beach- hey let's go swimming!

Who cares if there's oil in the water, lets party like its 2009!

On the lookout for oil and dead wildlife

The next stop was Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola Florida. Just a few weeks ago the Florida Governor Charlie Christ was seen on the news walking along this beach area surveying the puddles of oil spilled all over the famous white sand beaches Pensacola is known for. Driving along I saw several cleanup sites full of generically marked buses that looked like modified tour buses used to transport the oil cleanup crew to and from the beaches. There were police cars blocking access to the normally public areas, and crime scene looking tape blocking access to the parking and beach areas where workers were. Everything was very secretive and BP seemed to be in full cover-up mode. I had the feeling that if I crossed the line to the cleanup area I might be shot on site. It was that kind of operation, and this was happening in several areas starting around Destin and heading west. I left the coast and hit I-10 for my next stop Biloxi Mississippi, which still had temps in 90’s and near 100% humidity when I arrived near midnight. When I stepped out of the car my glasses fogged up and I nearly fainted from the heat. Blah!

Green flag or not, I wouldn't swim in that!

Tar/oil on the beach

No public access, anymore..

I’ve driven through Mississippi many times but to date my only memorable experience here was witnessing a fight at a local gas station somewhere around Jackson. A Charlie Daniels song Uneasy Rider comes to mind. This time I drove across the Gulf Coast on US90 which is similar to Florida’s coastal A1A. I stopped at several beaches from Biloxi to Gulfport and beyond. The water seemed to be a constant brown sewer color with a similar smell to go with it. There were several drainage pipes or culverts pouring straight into the gulf along various beaches, which were adding who knows what to the already oil infested waters. Dead fish were washed up all over the beach. Big industry factories were looming in the distance along the coast spewing out pollution of their own. Although the beaches were pretty much empty there were still a few hardy souls fishing and swimming in this water, which looked like it could be straight from an overflowed toilet. I struggled to keep my lunch down, and decided that I had seen enough.

Biloxi- Is that oil sheen in the water from the boats or the spill?

Dead fish and unknown substance on the beach in Gulfport

The lovely waters of Gulfport

Although I only saw the aftermath of this disaster it did put some things in perspective for me.

1. I realized it doesn’t matter how bad the environment is. Some people just don’t care, don’t pay attention, and won’t change their normal routine and habits to make a difference. Not even if that difference is for their own good.

2. My Mom reminded me that when my sister and I were kids we would always get tar on our feet at the beaches and have to use baby oil to get it off. As far as I know tar only comes from oil, although some oil leaks are naturally occurring. In any case there doesn’t seem to be much tar on the east coast of Florida anymore so its likely oil spills weren’t regulated or reported as much back in the old days.

3. The fishing industry is alive and well on the Gulf Coast. The recently closed fishing waters are quickly being reopened in order to get life and economics back to normal for Gulf Coast residents. Even as new studies are finding oil and dispersant residue in local seafood like crab larvae all along the gulf coast, locals are eating it anyway to show support for the fishing industry. If the government says its ok, then it must be, right? Not really.

4. The total oil spill was estimated to be 4.9 million barrels or 205 million gallons of oil; spelled out that’s 205,000,000 gallons! So basically if 2 out of every 3 people in the United States were to pour a gallon of oil into the gulf that would about equal the spill.

5. About a month after the oil well is capped it’s difficult to find any news on this catastrophe. The effects will be felt for years to come, but it seems everyone is so eager to move on and forget. The big money of BP in combination with the government cover-up machine has pretty much brushed this under the rug. Most people who don’t live in the Gulf Region have already forgotten about the Great Oil Kill and are now focused on what Mississippi’s favorite son Brett Favre will do this season.

6. BP has signs posted all over the Gulf region asking people to report oil and dead wildlife if you see it. I wonder if the dead wildlife is really counted or quietly discarded? We will never know for sure how many casualties this disaster claimed, nor how many future generations of wildlife will be affected by the new dead zones created in the Gulf from the oil and dispersant.

7. The number of dead birds, fish, and mammals that were washed up on the Gulf Shores was listed in the thousands, because that is all we could see washed up on the shores. This is conveniently inaccurate for BP and the public conscience. The reality is the oil spill affected an area much larger than the Gulf Coastline you saw on the news. Let’s just say hypothetically the spill affected an area the size of the state of Louisiana, which is probably not far off. Now if you counted the causalities only along the state’s shoreline, that would be a gross underestimate considering you covered a couple hundred miles (not even square miles), when the entire state is made up of roughly 58,000 square miles. Now imagine that the state is made up of water that is up to a mile deep in some areas, so you had to cover not only the area but the entire volume of its depth. It’s unfathomable!

8. Money seems to fix everything, for now. BP has deep pockets. Case in point- former BP CEO Tony Hayward gets an 18 million dollar golden parachute so he can “get his life back”. BP probably makes more profit annually than some small countries. With all that money they have millions to spend on propaganda, cover-up, and cleanup. 50 million alone went to advertisements saying we’re sorry, we care, and we’ll fix the problem. 50 million that could have gone to new energy technology research so we can get off oil.

9. If BP really cared about the environment they wouldn’t have sprayed 2 million gallons of toxic dispersants into the gulf after the EPA ordered them not to. In an effort to make the oil disappear they did it anyway. Unfortunately the dispersant doesn’t really make the oil disappear; it just spreads it out, along with the toxic dispersant. But as far as BP is concerned what you can’t see won’t hurt you, or at least it won’t hurt their image.

10. BP will likely divide itself up into smaller companies like other major companies with a bad reputation have. In the meantime if you want to boycott BP these brands also use BP oil- ARCO, AM/PM, Aral, and Castrol oil. I’m sure there are many others but it’s hard to find that information on the internet, just like it’s hard to find any current news about the oil spill. It all seemed to mysteriously vanish just like the oil.

11. Irony is cruel. This disaster did happen off the shores of the country that historically has been the number one consumer of oil products- U.S.A. Recently that top spot has been overtaken by the Chinese who have a population about 4 times the size of the U.S. What happens as China continues to grow and other populous countries on the rise such as India follow? We may be able to develop our own alternative fuels to become energy independent, like Brazil did decades ago after the 70’s oil crisis, but how long will it take for these new up and coming nations to follow that lead. If they are as slow as us it will take decades.

Now that the oil can’t be seen on the water surface or beaches where is it? Suddenly a great convenient theory about oil eating bacteria appears and all is well. If this is true don’t the bacteria defecate like every other living thing on earth, and wouldn’t that waste still contain the oil in some form? Where is the oil, and what form has it taken? Has it dispersed so much that it’s just mixed up with the water in trace levels so that whatever effects it may have down the road can never be traced back to the oil spill? There are lots of questions and proposed answers to all of this, but trying to find the truth in it all is like trying to mix oil and water. Meanwhile the residents of the Gulf Coast will be left behind and forgotten, once again.

A picture is worth a thousand words

This post is a little off topic from what I usually write about, and more controversial than my usual subjects. It’s likely that most people will feel very strongly about this subject one way or the other. The subject being Pit Bull Terrier dogs, specifically if any special restrictions or regulations should be placed on those dogs as a breed, or their owners.

Wow, easy there Pit Bull owners and supporters! Before you growl and snap into a rage of angry comments, hear me out. It’s well documented that Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes are the number one offender when it comes to attacks on humans and other dogs, so there is really no point in arguing about that. At least a few times a year I hear a local story on the news or elsewhere of an attack from a Pit Bull. Here is a local article from last month of an incident very close where we live. If that didn’t sound convincing enough for you, then here is another high profile incident that took place across town a couple of years ago. The second article demonstrates just how ferocious Pit Bulls can be, and how they are perfectly capable of killing a grown adult- which fortunately didn’t happen in this case.

These are just two stories out of dozens I found online for our metro area in the last couple of years, although it’s not just a local problem. Every place I’ve lived there have been local news stories about Pit Bull attacks seemingly every few months. I’m sure many more go unreported. To get an idea of the scope of this problem take a look at this random website (one of many) I found, which lists hundreds of Pit Bull attacks and killings over a period of a couple of years. The shocking thing is that many of these attacks resulted in a human death!

My personal experience with Pit Bulls is mixed. I’ve known people with Pit Bulls that were very well trained, behaved, and likely had good genetics. I like them enough that I considered adopting one when we were looking for a dog. However I quickly ruled it out because they are too dangerous, and I don’t think you can ever fully trust them. I wasn’t worried so much about myself as I was my wife or anyone who might visit our home. Just because a dog behaves well around its owner doesn’t mean that it will act the same way when a neighborhood kid pulls on its tail.

Since we have adopted our dog Mulder (a Chesapeake Bay Retriever Mix) we’ve been frequent visitors to the dog park where I’ve gotten to know different dog breeds and their behaviors quite well, including Pit Bulls. The dog park is a great way to socialize your dog to other dogs and people while letting them stretch their legs and get good exercise they might not be able to do otherwise in a small yard. Unfortunately we’ve had to limit our dog park visits to times when it’s not busy such as early afternoon weekdays. The reason is that when it’s crowded there are almost always incidents, either with aggressive dogs or small children running around unattended. I can never understand how parents can let toddlers run around and play in a park that is full of dogs weighing up to 200 pounds and running at speeds up to 30mph. It’s just asking for trouble. The other problem is with aggressive dogs, most often Pit Bull Terriers.

Two teenage puppies greeting one another

In a recent incident at the dog park Mulder and I pulled into the parking lot only to witness a dog fight in progress which involved a Pit Bull and a Boston Terrier, along with several other dogs and people crowding around. It wasn’t really a fight but more like the Pit Bull attacking the much smaller Boston Terrier who didn’t stand a chance. The Pit was darting and lunging aggressively towards the Boston and then pinning him into submission on his back while growling at him with his mouth at the dogs throat. The owner would grab the Pit Bull and within 30 seconds release him only to witness the same thing happen again. A Great Dane, another Pit, and about 10 other dogs were all circling around as the intensity level grew. One guy started picking up all the small dogs and throwing them over the fence to get them out of danger as this was unfolding.

I had seen enough so I left Mulder in the car then walked over there and asked who owned the Pit Bull. A lady announced “he is mine and he is usually very good in here”. I bluntly told her that she needed to get her dog out of park because he’s too aggressive. I don’t think she was very happy about my request, but everyone else was either in shock or too scared to speak up. Her idea of disciplining the Pit Bull was to hold him, and then release him again to see what happens. This was only encouraging the behavior and training the dog to think it is ok to be aggressive and attack. In this case both the dog and owner were at fault since the dog was aggressive by nature, and the owner didn’t know how to handle it. She did leave without further incident and took her lady friend who had the other Pit Bull and a Great Dane with her. The terrified Boston Terrier owner was in shock and left immediately.

How a big dog should greet a little dog

I can tell you at least 10 other stories of Pit Bull incidents and near maulings I’ve personally seen at the dog park, and I know for a fact that some dogs have been killed at the park by other aggressive dogs. To be fair it’s not always Pit Bulls. Any dog is capable of biting, even ankle biters. Just ask Mulder who got a nasty bite on the nose from the 10 pound dog down the street. I’ve seen violent aggression at the park from Rotweillers, Great Danes, one German Shepherd, and even a Husky. Except for the Rotti those were rare aggressive dogs that weren’t typical of their breed, from all the ones I’ve seen in the park and elsewhere. Although any dog can be aggressive or bite Pit Bulls have the worst reputation and statistics. This article and others I’ve read indicates that nearly half of all fatal dog attacks are from Pit Bulls, with Rottweilers coming in second.

The argument from Pit Bull supporters (including some you might see on TV) is that any dog can be trained, and it’s always the owners fault, not the dogs. They say there are no bad dogs, just bad people. In some cases I agree with this depending on the dog and behavioral issue. However in all cases I agree with science that points to breeding and genetics as defining behaviors of certain dog breeds. Retrievers are bred to retrieve, Hounds are bred to track, Greyhounds are bred to race, and Pit Bulls are bred to fight, attack, and kill. No matter how hard you try, those genetic traits can’t always be controlled by training and discipline. Try training a Greyhound not to run, or a Hound Dog not to howl, it just doesn’t work.

Some of the aggressive traits have been bred out of Pit Bulls by responsible breeders. Unfortunately you have as just as many or more irresponsible backyard breeders who keep breeding killer traits into Pits in order to produce killing machines, either for fighting or as guard dogs. Some of these unfortunate dogs end up with a dismal life getting chained to a tree or isolated in a backyard simply there to bark at intruders. The females will typically only be used to breed and eventually end up in the pound, along with older dogs or retired fighters that survived. Pit puppies will either be taken in by breeders, or end up at the local pound where families looking to adopt a cute little puppy will pick them up. Search any humane society web site where Pit Bulls are legal and you will find they make up a large percentage of the dogs up for adoption. While most people that adopt them have only good intentions, they usually have no idea of the breeding history of their newly adopted Pit puppy, and what it might be capable of down the road.

So what is the solution to the problem that most people don’t care about until it affects them?

1. I believe that only certified breeders should be allowed to breed Pit Bulls in an effort to remove some of the nasty traits from the dog breed. Any Pit Bull that is not owned by a licensed breeder should be neutered to prevent more Pit pound puppies.

4. Additionally I’d like to see an aggressive dog breed training class required for Pit owners, and required obedience classes for the dogs. This will deter a lot of irresponsible people from getting Pit Bulls, and ensure that the people that really do want a Pit are educated about the dog’s behaviors. Additionally the dogs themselves will be less likely to attack after some obedience training.

I don’t like to single out a specific breed because there are a lot of good Pit Bull dogs, but there are plenty of bad ones too, and the bad ones can be killers. An attack from a Pit Bull is not going to have the same outcome as an attack from a Golden Retriever. Once a Pit Bull goes into attack mode it won’t quit, which is why police officers so often have to shoot them in order to stop an attack. You may or may not know what your Pit Bull is capable of until it’s too late; every dog can have a bad day just like a person. These restrictions will be for the good of the public, along with the Pit Bull owners and dogs themselves.

If you still don’t agree with me then consider the alternative, which I do not support, but only report. Many cities and even countries have banned Pit Bulls in response to the outcry over so many maulings. My old hometown of Denver is one of the places that have implemented a ban on Pit Bulls after a 3 year old boy was killed by one. The city has taken an extreme approach by having animal control confiscate all Pit Bulls and Pit mixes from their owners to have them euthanized. I do not support this Hitler-like movement in any way shape or form. To have your family pet taken away is an awful thing to have happen.

On the other hand if you choose to adopt a dog that could potentially kill, then you are taking a big risk for your family. It’s when you bring that risk with you to the dog park or let it loose in the neighborhood that I have a problem, because then it becomes everyone else’s risk too. If you are going to own a Pit Bull you have to own the responsibility that it could kill, and take the appropriate measures to make sure you and your dog don’t end up on the 6 o’clock news.

As I said before I like Pit Bulls and think the ones that are well bred and behaved are really cool dogs. However, in my opinion it’s just too much of a risk to trust them in the home; especially when there are so many other great family dogs out there waiting to be adopted. Furthermore it’s irresponsible for Pit Bull owners to go around promoting them as perfect family dogs who love kids and other pets, just because they haven’t had any problems with theirs. When your neighbor picks up a Pit Bull at the pound per someone’s recommendation, and that dog’s genetics are true to what the dog was originally bred to do, then it could be your kids and pets at risk.