for leslie

Indeed extreme, maybe, maidens in macrame, restaurant talk depressants, in vitro embalming, bozos on benzos get on my last nerve. That's what separates the men from the men, she said. I tint my windows on the inside--see me not seeing you?

If the only path floods, let's say, or the farthest drive at the oldest cemetery is impassable, can you still take me there? Ahead, rows of pansies in purple velvet and midnight blue are all I can remember. Those and the pines stretching ten year old arms after sleep without dreams. Sound as Sandman.

I see you in his feet now.

Tuesday bruised Wednesday and Thursday took off. Who is there to blame? Between refrains we hit refresh--nothing is missing but everything is gone. Unwinding. What about the cast iron pan. I burned the eggs again: cholesterolism, catholicism, absenteeism, criticism: if they knew would they tell.

Coat the bananas with chocolate and nuts, save shredded carrots for the hamster.

In white sandals, matching cuffed shorts with embroidered flowers, she scans the playground, every inch open--braids wound in hope--eyes blink: Saturday. I see so much yellow. Nothing hurts here.

Remind me what he said just before the sky broke.

I speak listen.
I fly walk.
I move still.

But you already knew.


--from Monkey Joes, GA.

More on Women

So we got this young hamster girl from the pet store to breed with Marshmallow, who is the best fricking, longest living, cutest hamster in Georgia (exhibit A to your right) if not the continental U.S. He is friendly, kind, doesn't bite, potties in ONE spot only, and basically lives a sweet and quiet life with good genes and teeth.

Can you ask for much more than that in a specimen of any species? I think not.

That is why we decided--or I should say George decided--that Marshmallow's lineage must be preserved in a new generation. So he and jenna bought Cupcake and brought her home. She is very sweet. When we put them together in one cage, they got along famously.

REALLY famously.

Wooohooo type famously.

So imagine our surprise two days ago when we found Marshmallow cowering on his back in a corner with Cupcake swiping away at him.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME YOU NEEDY BASTARD!" she screamed.

"OH CUPCAKE--WHAT? WHAT DID I DO?"

He continued to offer her his underbelly as if to say: I know you could kill me, and I love you for it, but if it's all the same to you, I wish you wouldn't.

Clearly she's hormonal.

Another couple of incidents like this followed until we got the picture: Time to separate them--the blessed event must be getting close.

What I'm saying is, if you listen, women will tell you what they want.

And even if you DON'T listen, women will show you what they want.

And if you don't listen and don't take heed, then they will swipe at you and you will be laying face up begging for them to just not hurt you and maybe to get a cage of their own if that would be at all possible.

Then when they move next door, you go back into your plastic dome house and lay around, just like you used to before they ever showed up.

And that's kind of how it works.

Hamsters are a window on the world.

---

Redemption Song

I don't like having shit said about me that isn't true. I don't like having been cast with the current broad brush of being some sort of complainer in a world that is all good and positive. I've been here for something like six years with every emotion and type of post you can think of, from really really happy to really really not.

For a while, the nonesense about me and anyone I decide to link to who might be writing something intersting, even if critical, will likely continue. I will trudge on nonetheless, full well knowing that any time I question any thing, that brush stroke is waiting. Whatever. My friends and readers did not contribute to buying me a new laptop (so close--this week or next!!!) so that I would shut up.

That disclaimer having been penned, I give you this, which I find interesting. Period.

In Yesterday's News...

BUSINESS NEWS Call for action against 'dop system'Wed, 13 Jun 2007

A pressure group has threatened to bring a class action against government and the
wine industry over the issue of alcohol abuse among farmworkers.

The Black Association of the Wine and Spirits Industry (Bawsi) called on Wednesday for the establishment of an industry fund to change people's attitude to drinking, and to set up an institution to treat alcoholics.

It said the government and the industry were responsible for creating thousands of alcoholics through the notorious "dop system".

Bawsi President Nosey Pieterse said failure to set up the fund would leave the body with no option but to lodge the class action.

---

From April 12, 2007:

South Africa's wine country fights alcoholism scourge: Healthcare workers struggle to change binge-drinking culture in a region that has the world's highest recorded levels of fetal alcohol syndrome.

The habit of binge drinking is now ingrained in South African culture at all social levels, researchers say. In the Northern Cape town of De Aar, the rate of FAS babies is 122 per 1,000 live births, according to recent research by the Medical Research Council in Cape Town. By contrast, FAS levels in the US are between 0.1 per 1,000 and 0.67 per 1,000.

--

We have experienced the upside of wine – seeing the world, going to great restaurants – but we have to publicly acknowledge that there is a downside to our product," says François Naude, managing director of Beyerskloof Vineyards in Stellenbosch.

"Underaged children have killed themselves driving after drinking Beyerskloof Pinotage. Husbands have beaten their wives after drinking Beyerskloof Pinotage. And women have hurt their unborn children by drinking Beyerskloof Pinotage," says Mr. Naude. "We felt some social responsibility in regard to our industry to do something about this. We don't need to sweep this under the rug."

--

Beyerskloof Vineyards, the premier winery using indigenous pinotage grapes, is the first vineyard in South Africa to put labels on their bottles – a common practice elsewhere – warning pregnant women of the dangers of drinking. The founder, Beyers Truter, has also established a foundation, the Fetal Alcoholism and Interrelated Treatment Help Fund (FAITH) to raise funds for research, for information campaigns, and for smaller charities that help communities affected by FAS.

---

In light of recent conversation and curiosity, I looked up stormhoek and FAITH to see if they contribute to this charity and how much. I didn't find anything. Maybe they have their own charity? Maybe bloggers could donate some of their drinking money to help? Maybe Silicon Valley could set upt its own fund? Maybe someone can enlighten me on what this HIGHLY blogger supported company is doing to help in the aftermath--and what many say is still the current practice on small farms--of the dop system.

On the site itself I saw a post about fair trade and its challenges, but I didn't see anything about what is being done specifically around the practice and legacy of the dop system and the incredible problem of alcoholism in South Africa.

OH and: That does not mean nothing is being done by the wine companies. I am not insinuating that nothing is being done. It means that I'm asking. In my own way. What is being done? I don't have to ask with a pretty please. I don't need your permission to ask. And I don't have to be polite. That is not a rule here. Go read Tim if you want rules.

Comments open. Oh, and South African bloggerspondent Golby, what do you know?

thanks.

[[update: another article on the south african wine country dop situation here.

"The child will typically have an IQ of 75, stunted growth, facial deformities and be prone to hyperactivity. The simplest schoolwork may be beyond the child." ... AND REGARDING DOP: "It paternalised the relationship between the farmer and his labour because they became dependent on him for booze." Even today, Prof Viljoen estimates the dop system occurs on between three and five per cent of Cape vineyards.]]

[[update 2: In chat, someone popped in to say they think the numbers of the telegraph article are high--and wondered how accurate the fetal alcohol syndrome stats are--especially from a teacher. Is there solid data on the fetal alcohol syndrome rates in South Africa? How is the tie in of the legacy of the dop system measured? I'm only asking questions. Answers are appreciated.]]

--

dear hamster abby

the circle of life

Topic: Gerbils
& Hamsters
Expert: JedediahDate: 12/19/2004Subject: What is happening?Question-------------------------Followup To Question -------------------------Followup To Question - what is my hamster doing? he is climbing on top of the female's back and biting her fur. Sometimes i see him doing something to her butt. please help me. i really want to know. thank you very much.Answer - Dear Zoe,thank you for your question.Your hamsters are mating. Please get a second cage and seperate them as soon as possible. Hamsters are solitary animals and shouldn't be kept together anyway. Plus there are too many homeless hamsters out there already and they shouldn't be bred accidentally.In case it's too late and the female is already pregnant, you must give her plenty of nesting material for her nest and provide her with animal protein in form of mealworms or at least curd. You won't see whether she's pregnant or not, but since Syrian (golden) hamsters are pregnant only 16-10 days and dwarf hamsters 19-22 days, you will know it pretty soon.They can have 1-10 babies. Make sure you find good homes for them and start searching when the babies are still small, it's not that easy. You might want to get an old tank to house the mother and her babies in because the babies can slip through the cage bars. The babies can and must be seperated from their mother when they are a month old and you should seperate male and female babies because they can breed when they are about 32-42 days old.I hope I was of some help to youJenniferbut she has already mated with another hamster i think. i don't really know if she is pregnant. the hamster she has already mated with has already died.help........Answer - Not every mating attempt results in a pregnancy. She can be pregnant, but you will have no way of knowing for sure until the time of the pregnancy is over. Of course you can see a vet who is knowledgeable about hamsters with her, who should be able to tell you, but apart from that, he won't do anything.I really recommend seperating the hamsters and not putting them together again, not even for a short time. I hope I was of some helpJenniferi think she is pregnant. her tummy is getting bigger.

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