From Pillagers and Plunderers to Progressive Thinkers - Denmark

My partner and I are regular viewers of Rick Steve’s Europe travel show. We tune in every Saturday to see what interesting place we’ll be whooshed off to. Last week we went to Denmark – Copenhagen and Aero. Being an American that has never been to Europe, I admit that I’ve been caught in the web of American stereotypical views of European countries. Denmark, being Scandinavian, was erroneously viewed as being an icy wasteland. The irony of this is that I lived for more than eight years in Alaska – which is also portrayed in the American mindset as a frigid place year round. Then, there was Denmark, shown in summer splendor, courtesy of Rick Steves. It wasn’t merely the physical beauty of this country that caught my attention; it was their attitude toward life, each other, and the environment that hit me full force. Bicycles for public use are in abundance in Copenhagen – simply deposit your coin and off you go. When you’re done, put your bike back in a rack, attach the lock, insert the lock key, and your deposit pops out. I soon learned on this 30-minute tour that Denmark has been a leader in creating pedestrian thoroughfares, something that’s now seen all over Europe and is progressive in it’s use of alternative energy resources – particularly wind.

This little country with its independent heart became intriguing. I cruised the web and learned that they’re a world leader in human rights. Gay rights, for instance, were being discussed in the early 1900s. Laws put on the books protecting gay rights came much later, however, they still became one of the first countries to protect their gay citizens.

This quiet, yet determined country, is a place I would love to visit. I respect people who uphold their ethical beliefs without bullying others; I appreciate it when countries do this as well. American leaders would do well in learning from Denmark’s example.

If you’d like to share thoughts and information about Denmark, please comment. I’d love to learn more about this country.

Pedigreed Pets and Their Mongrel Masters

Absurd or interesting ideas occasionally cross my mind while I sip my daily cup of herbal tea, a motley mixture of dried vegetation for headache prevention, digestive stimulation, relaxation, and yes, taste. Today I found myself examining serene images and the environmental awareness of people from Denmark. My inner thoughts, as usual, quickly changed subjects to that of my pedigree – my ancestral beginnings. I am the result of genetic donations contributed from Danish, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, and Swiss individuals. Those are the groups that I am aware of. Who knows what else has been stirred in since my ancestors arrived to the American woodpile. I, like other Americans, and people from all over the world, am a result of cultural contact, migrations, pillage and plunder. I am a mongrel, a human mutt. The irony that some individuals, misguided as they are, look askance at dogs of mixed pedigree does not escape me. They wave their AKC credentials and titles for all to see as trainers follow closely behind with pure-blood Barbie-dog in tow. My dog, like me, is a unique individual. We have no titles, no trainers and groomers at our beck and call. We are mongrels; the miraculous result of genetic combination.

Thor

The Blogosphere and the Spam Invasion

Spam - the internet version of junk mail - sounds as disgusting as it's canned-meat namesake. And, like it's snail-mail counterpart, I toss, or in this case, delete without a glance. I abhor these invasive attempts to invade my privacy in order to "tempt" me with stuff I don't want. If I wanted it, I'd seek it out, "let my fingers do the walking" through the yellow pages, but no, there it is tucked suggestively within and around legitimate mail...beckoning...please...please...please open me and take me seriously! With a snarl, I cleave the unwanted portions of my mail and feed the File 13 monster...it never goes hungry at my house. And, now, the blogosphere along with my E-mail account, have been victimized by these same sorry fools, intent on inconveniencing everyone else's life in cyberspace. Does Planet Shortbread actually discuss stuffed toys? No. So, why did I receive three E-mails mentioning this subject? Spam.

I, like other Bloggers, use the E-mail link so that readers can voice their comments - complimentary or not - to me and other readers. I enjoy discussing - note that's discussing which involves the act of listening and respecting opinions of others - and debating topics.

This has been Dawn Frost, Eeyore, and Cat-in-the-Hat protesting from the soap box of Planet Shortbread Blog.

Insecurity and Prosthetic Dog Testicles

My eyebrow raised a bit as I read the title, "And the Ig Nobel Prize goes to...." This article in the local newspaper was too enticing to pass up. I read the sub-title, "The inventor of, er, fake doggie testicles." Okay, the apparent humor in this got me; I plowed on. Gregg Miller of Boston developed artificial testicles for neutered dogs. He began this interesting task ten years ago when he decided to re-endow a rottweiler named Max. To perform the re-endowment process, Miller created silicone implants which vary in size, shape, weight, and degree of firmness. How does one know which size, shape, weight, and degree of firmness they should order for their nutless dog? Do you grab and squeeze, albeit gently one would hope, the real thing hanging between the legs of intact dogs? Should you test the balls of dogs belonging to the same breed? What is the criteria for testicle testing? The article simply doesn't say. However, we are informed that this product is touted to "retain his natural look" and "self esteem." Would this be the dog's esteem or his insecure owner?

Miller, apparently, has a thriving business with his testicle implants. I wonder how fast he'd pass Bill Gates in the yearly net income department if he marketed these small, medium, large, round, oblong, egg-like, light, semi-heavy, lead weight, soft, semi-firm, rock-hard gems to insecure human males.

Don't Put All Your Eggs Into A Single Basket

A simple saying isn't it? Don't put all your eggs into a single basket. A saying, that if you think about it, makes sense. To state it simply, if you drop your single basket, all of your eggs will break; therefore, you will have none. It must be a lost peasant's tale, or at the very least, something that no one can interpret or understand.

You'd think that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita would teach the American people to contemplate this simple saying. That is, why put all your energy resources into a single "basket"? A blow to our "energy" basket will result in rapidly increasing fuel costs, and possibly, shortages in the near, as opposed to the distant, future. We've dropped our "basket" and now we're scrambling to find the unbroken eggs.

I wonder how many people living on the cusp of poverty or fixed incomes will be devestated this upcoming winter. Our lack of action to information regarding our dwindling energy resources and global warming could become very costly....a cost measured in lives. Instead of giving oil companies incentives to seek out more oil, and the keys to further destroy the environment, why not give them incentives to develop alternative fuel sources? They, afterall, are businesses striving to stay in business. Put their intellectual energies to good use.

Meanwhile, the politicians on Capital Hill are singing:

A tisket, a tasket
our oil-laden basket
was blown away
one August day
and many line the casket.