anniemiz

Mmm Mmm Monday? Suet

This is getting tricky: I'm trying to type this with Miles anchoring down my right arm.  It's late and I haven't seen him all day, he immediately plopped himself on me when I came home and I just don't have the heart to dislodge him.

This recipe is from Fern, my MIL.  Kevin, Friend to All Critters, got himself a suet holder recently and made up a batch of suet cakes.  Changes from the original recipe in italics.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. suet or lard (Kevin used up a few fat jars he'd put aside just for this occasion; they totalled roughly 3 lb. of fat so he ended up tripling the recipe; the amounts here all refer to a single recipe)
• 1 c. crunchy peanut butter (we didn't have crunchy so he used smooth)
• 1 c. bird seed
• 2 c. yellow corn meal
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. regular or quick cook oats
• currents, raisins or blueberries nuts (Kevin added black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds)

Instructions

1. Melt suet or lard in slow cooker, microwave or saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
2. Add peanut butter and stir until completely mixed. (Kevin heated the fat and peanut butter together.)
3. Add bird seed, corn meal and other grains. Stir well.
4. This is where you can get creative by adding any fruits, berries, nuts, crushed crackers or bread cubes. You may vary the amount of corn meal, wheat flour and oats depending on what you have available.  Mixture should be thick but spreadable. Add in mix-ins and stir well.
5. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment.  Spread mixture evenly into pan.  Place into refrigerator or freezer to cool.  (Kevin used an aluminum pan which he threw away afterwards.)
6. When completely cool and hard, cut into blocks 4" square or whatever size fits your suet cage.  Let suet mixture stand at room temperature for a while if you are having trouble cutting it.
7. Wrap individually and freeze in zip-loc bags until ready to use.
8. Hang outside while frozen.

Apparently, I'm chopped liver.  Miles just heard Kevin moving around downstairs and he's left me.  I can't say I mind bc he had just started a serious grooming session, the kind where he really winds up in order to clean his bib...he leans his head way back, his mouth open as he extends his tongue and then tucks his chin in to lick his bib clean.  This is all well and good, but his breath stinks and every time he leaned his head back it wafted upward.  Oofah.

Back to more pleasant topics: suet.

Here's the suet, all frozen in the pan and Kevin's cutting it into blocks. 

Close up of the suet cake.  The seeds kinda floated to the top.

Chef Kevin with his creation:

He hung one out as soon as it was frozen, but there were no takers.  I think Kevin was kinda bummed that no one was eating his suet.  He does like to feed the birds and is basically a backyard birder.  It seems like it took the birds a week or so to discover it.  Now they go through a few cakes/week.  We still have some in the freezer, but those will go quickly.  He surely won't be able to keep up with demand -- fat jars fill up only so quickly -- but I think he likes having them to put out for the birds.  I like to watch them enjoy it, too.  Why is feeding critters so satisfying?  I jokingly suggested that I could ask my co-workers and others to give us their fat jars...he seemed to find the idea not entirely ridiculous.  I could post a WANTED: FAT JARS ad on craigslist.  Ha!  How gross would that be?  And, ewww, how gross would the replies be?
 
  
 
  

Howdy, Neighbor!

This little guy is the cutest neighbor evar!!1!  I've been trying to get a picture of him for some time now, but I never have my camera handy, but yesterday the stars aligned and I got these pictures.

 

This groundhog has been hanging around for a while now, munching his way through various yards' vegetation.  That's the neighbor's shed in the picture above.  Doesn't it look like Mr. Groundhog is heading home after a long day of eating?

At this point, I think he heard me as I was taking pictures of him from my back porch.  He started to go under the shed...he often goes under there...but then he hung out front a little longer.

Here he's all, 'Just hanging out in mah front yard, enjoying the crisp autumn day.'

He eventually moseyed on past the shed...

...and around the corner...

...no doubt to work that part of his back four.  I guess he's getting ready for winter.  You should see him when he hurries...galump, galump!  So cute.  I wonder if his fur is very soft...maybe it's rough or coarse.  For some reason, I think of him as a male, although I suppose it could be a female.  I've already designated as female a neighbor's pretty cat who also hangs out in our backyards.  She's probably a female bco coloring usually occurs in female cats.  So I'll make this critter Mr. Groundhog.
 

oink

Cute Overload has found the swine flu's Patient Zero!

Patient Zero

by Meg on April 30, 2009

A-HA!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Flapper Duck!

Today is Mr. Flapper Duck's 5th birthday.  Mr. Flapper Duck is...you guessed it...a duck.  Somehow I stumbled upon his blog and let me tell you I have learned soooo much about ducks!  First and foremost, they are a lot of work.  I had no idea that ducks reach full size in just 5 weeks and that they can live 10-20 years!

So head on over to his blog, read about Flapper and his fellow ducks, his peeps, his new aviary and, if that's not enough duck for you, there's Flapper-Cam!

Here's a portrait of the duck as a young duck (all pix are from Flapper's website):

And here's the handsome fellow today:

 

Listen, I don't know much about ducks, but I know for An Indisputable Fact that Flapper is one good looking duck (and what beautiful pictures Tiffany [his person] takes).  Happy birthday, big guy!  Quack on!

Dinner and a Dog

 Our friend Carol treated us to a delicious Third Saturday Dinner meal and I'm here to tell you all about it.  I'm late posting about this, so Carol may need to correct me on the details.  First up was a chilled avocado soup from this NYTimes recipe.

The just-cooked shrimp was a tasty garnish.  It was also visually appealing the way the little shrimp gave off big steam from being nestled in the chilled soup.  The soup is very rich and very thick; that big ol' bowl would be more than enough for a meal.

Next up was a delicious chicken and shrimp paella which I think is also a Mark Bittman recipe.

 

It was my favorite part of the dinner, I must admit.  The dish is especially attractive bc it's a one-dish dish: everything cooks in that one dish.  Awesome! 

Dessert was a seasonal appropriate (this was during the summer, mind you) strawberry cream pie.

 

And now for the dog part of Dinner and a Dog.  Carol was dog-sitting the friendly and lovable Chip.

 

Chip is a complete and total mushball.  He will cuddle with anyone.  Anyone.  If Stalin were around, he'd cuddle with Stalin.  Here Chip poses with the eminently wonderful Tara, daughter of Stephanie, who stopped by during dinner.

 

Besides a dee-lish dinner, there was lively banter, good conversation and a repectable amount of wine consumption.

It's Carol's turn again soon.  That means it was our turn, but what the heck did we make?  That's not a good sign, that I can't remember it!

Friday Cat Skunk Blogging: Frankie Comes to Town

Today, we bring  you a Very Special Episode of Friday Cat Blogging.  Kevin has an affinity for the neighborhood critters, such as skunks, possums, birds, chipmunks, the occasional fox, groundhogs, etc.   He likes to see them happy and healthy.   To that end, he occasionally puts out eats for some of them.  He put up a new bird feeder earlier this summer.  It provides daily eats to numerous of our feathered friends while simultaneously providing entertainment to our cats.

He's not that crazy about squirrels bc, I suspect, they can be such ungrateful little gluttons, eating anything and everything in sight.

A new favorite is 'Frank', who looks to be a perfect example of Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk.  Here he's eating some peanuts Kevin put out for him.

He doesn't always put food out for him bc he doesn't want Frank to become dependent.  A better view of his stripage:

Frank is the successor to Odie, a beautiful skunk who used to frequent our backyard.  Unfortunately, we have not seen Odie in several months.  The University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web page about the striped skunk tells us that:

Up to 90% of skunks die in their first winter. In the wild skunks may live to be 2 to 3 years old. In captivity they have been known to survive for up to 15 years.

It's possible that Odie is no longer with us since we saw him (or at least we think it was him) last year and this year.  Our friend Carol down a few blocks tells us that her neighbor tells her that they saw a fluffy white skunk recently.  Odie does look a little different from Frank and most skunks we've seen in these parts in that Odie appeared a lot fluffier and a lot whiter.  Perhaps Odie has moved closer to town?  Perhaps the sighting was of a a relative of Odie's?

The first link in this post is from the NJ Audubon Society and tells us that the striped skunk is the only skunk in NJ.  Here's a picture of a striped skunk from the UMich site:

That's a little closer to what Odie looks like: more white, fluffier fur.  This post on the blog, Nature In My Yard, has a lovely picture of a striped skunk who looks very much like Odie in that his stripes were so wide they almost merged.

Check out the spotted skunk:

Spirogale putorius (Eastern spotted skunk):

Spirogale gracilis (Western spotted skunk):

Now those are some fine looking skunks.

This concludes our Very Special Broadcast of Friday Cat Blogging.  Normal broadcasts will resume next Friday.

Kittens and puppies and bikers and bears, oh my!

From the About page on their website, Rescue Ink:

You may find us hanging out together at a hot rod show, tattoo parlors, or even hitting up the blacktop together on our bikes for a little road trip, but the main thing that brings us together is our love of animals. We met because we were all doing the same thing on our spare time: rescuing and finding homes for abandoned and abused animals. None of us did it for money; we did it because we cannot stand by while anyone mistreats an animal!

We formed Rescue Ink™ because the problem of animal abuse and neglect has grown beyond the resources of the existing animal welfare agencies. We love the work done by some of the local shelters, but they cannot possibly keep pace with the volume of problems that need to be addressed.

That's where Rescue Ink™ comes in. We will stop at nothing within the bounds of the law to protect animals at risk. We will intercede without hesitation when we are informed of a situation that needs to be addressed, and we will address it. If we need to convince people to do the right thing ... we can be very convincing, we'll even buy animals if that's what it takes to get them away from abusers.

Rescue Ink™ is all about zero tolerance when it comes to animal abuse and neglect. Our ranks are growing every day, as Americans from coast to coast are reaching out to join in our efforts. If you know something we should know, give us a call... NOW!

Kittens!

Puppies!

Bikers!  I love this picture; it's like out of a movie.

Bears!  Oh my!

The bear is $17.99 at the group's Stuff page.  Of course, there's the requisite thong for $10.99.

Via Cute Overload.

Plan B

Well, Dear Readers, I've decided to go with Plan B.  No, not that Plan B.  Plan A was to get a philosophy PhD and then get a job teaching philosophy (that's the highly abridged version, btw).  I've been working at Plan A for some time now, yet have decided to switch to Plan B.  Plan B is to work with animals, most likely as a veterinary technician, and preferably in a veterinary hospital, veterinary specialist, a shelter or in a research lab (i.e., a lab working on vet drugs, not a lab testing human drugs on animals).

A number of factors went into this decision; I'll just do a brain dump here.

• Time: It will take a long time to get the PhD.  I'm working on a MA part-time now; that will take a couple of years.  The PhD takes 5 years, at a minimum.  We're looking at at least 8 years before I can look for a job.  Edited to add: If we take into consideration the speed at which I've been progressing, we're looking at >8 years.
• Financial: My MA is self-funded.  One course = $2,500.  I have to take 8 or 10 courses for the MA.  At 8 courses, that's $20,000.  (The PhD programs are generally funded; it's unwise to pay for a PhD yourself, unless you have $100,000 to spare; job prospects and pay are not so good as to warrant taking on $100,000 in loans).
• Job market: As mentioned above, there are quite a few more candidates than there are jobs.
• Qualification: Because the job market is so tight, I could expect that most and best jobs go to graduates of the top institutions.  Most people use The Philosophical Gourmet Report's ranking of PhD departments.  (There are certainly disagreements about The Report.)  So I'd want to be a graduate of a top institution.  A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to get into 3 institutions on the Report's list of the approximately 50 top departments.  Unfortunately, all the offers were unfunded.  I don't expect that I will do any better in the future; i.e., I think that's the closest I will get to securing a funded PhD position. 
• Chance: I've often read/heard people talk about the role of chance in philosophy PhD graduate admissions and job hiring.  E.g., I've heard the former described as a 'crapshoot', a 'roll of the dice', etc.  I have no idea how much chance has played a role in my experience, if at all, but I'll put it out there as something the possibility of which I would need to accept if I were to continue.
• Personality: I'm not sure I'm a good fit for academic philosophy.  I sense an atmosphere of competitiveness; I think I'm ill-suited to such an environment.  I'm quite content competing with myself; I have no interest in competing with others.  Years ago, in my corporate life, one Big Shot Exec asked Another Big Shot Exec (they had very different styles) if they thought the firm benefits more from competition between employees or cooperation between employees.  Another Big Shot Exec was quite certain that competition was more beneficial (and that was reflected in his style), while One Big Shot Exec was quite certain it was cooperation (and that was reflected in her style).  I agree with the latter and, fortunately, I was working for her at the time.  I'd much rather work with someone else as opposed to compete against them.  There has been some discussion about the field's atmosphere, so let me be explicit about:
• My comments reflect my experiences and perceptions only.
• My comments do not describe the entire field, departments, sub-departments, etc.  To be sure, there are great collaborations in the field.  And I have met many wonderful people; some have been exceedingly helpful and generous with their time and advice; others are perpetually interesting; some are flat out just great people; and many are all kinds of good things put together.
• So, while I am delighted to note the very positive experiences I have had these last few years, I must also admit that I do not feel as comfortable as I would like to feel, especially if I'm going to be doing this for the rest of my life.
• Bottom line re: these caveats: It's not you, it's me.
• Fun: The fun parts, for me, are reading and thinking about stuff (which is basically done alone) and talking with other people. I do not imagine myself enjoying certain other responsibilities of the academic philosopher.  It's a rare person who enjoys every aspect of their job, however, I think that working at the less enjoyable aspects within an environment to which I am not well-suited is a recipe for significant and recurring unhappiness.  I don't need/want that. I think I may be better suited to the life of an armchair philosopher, rather than an academic philosopher.

As to why go into veterinary work:

• Time: It will take approximately 2 years to complete 70 credits (see here for one program's curriculum).  There are a lot of courses, but most are <2 credits.  Also, some programs are online (see the linked curriculum).  NJ has two vet tech programs.  One is at Camden Community College.  That would be really far to drive on a regular basis and, sorry Camden people, but Camden is, shall we say, less friendly than optimal, so I wouldn't go there for personal safety reasons.  The other one is at Bergen Community College.  That's also a bit of a haul to drive on a to and through a very congested area on a regular basis.  True, I used to drive to classes before a couple of times a week, but I imagine that drive was much simpler than the drive to Bergen.  Now, IIUC, the program there is some kind of joint program with other county colleges, including the county I live in.  They probably offer some of the requisite courses there and that's about a half hour drive away.  Thing is, the Bergen program has probational accreditation and that makes me a little nervous.  I'm totally open to going to school online.  The program at Purdue looks interesting.  Now, they do say that online students typically take longer to complete the program bc they're working full-time and/or have family obligations (probably why they chose to do it online in the first place), but I don't think those factors are as significant for me as it is for others.  And I'll guess that I have any humanities requirements well covered. 
• Financial: Well, I thought it would be less expensive than a philosophy MA, but 70 credits at $255 each = $17,850.  Hmmph.  I certainly expect to be able to work more while following the online program so that should help financially.
• Job Market: Excellent, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.  Earnings aren't great, but a) they're more than I'd make as an unemployed philosopher (although some have found other ways of making a living); b) I live in one of the highest paying areas of the country so I'll earn toward the higher end; and c) if I specialize (which I expect I'll want to do, maybe oncology), I'll earn more.
• Qualification: I really don't expect to have much problem completing the program.  I hope I don't end up having to remove both feet from my mouth.
• Personality: I think I'm a good fit for the veterinary field.  I'm very comfortable with animals; I like animals and animal people; it strikes me as more of a team effort (note, however, that, as someone pointed out to me, 'There's no team without ME') and I'm very good in cooperative efforts.  I've also had the opportunity to be a consumer of advanced and unusual veterinary services, what with the various illnesses of our cats, and I think it's fascinating.
• Fun: I expect that I will enjoy veterinary work more than I would enjoy the life of an academic philosopher.  When I imagine myself doing the different types of work, I imagine more enjoyment and reward (which, for me, produces enjoyment) from veterinary work.  In fact, I find myself smiling at many prospects.  Of course, I could be way off; I hope I'm not.
• Edited to add: Physicality: I like doing stuff with my hands, as readers may have noticed from posts about cooking, knitting, doing stuff around the house, gardening, etc.

Now, this isn't a done deal bc I do need to do some more research on the veterinary side of things.  I've done some preliminary research, but I want to make sure I have a complete picture of things before I go hurtling down that path.  I do have some misgivings about making this switch, but that's a whole 'nuther post.  Right now, I have to have lunch, do some other stuff and head off to work.

Holy Baby Bats, Batman!

Via Cute Overload, the story:

The orphaned baby fruit bats are being raised at a rescue centre after a plague of poisonous ticks swept through their colony.

...

Normally adults carry their baby on their back but as those which have been infected slowly die, the youngsters, with no mother to feed them, also perish.

"We walk around the bat colony in the Bush every day and you can hear the young bats crying for their mothers," said Jenny Maclean, who runs the rescue centre on the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland.

*****

Huh.  I can't seem to get back to the left margin.  The excerpts above are pretty much the whole story, but the important thing is the pictures!  Check out the little feller in the middle: he's all 'I got my blankie and my binky...things are looking up.'  And that lady looks pretty darn happy.

Hmmm, what is it like to be a baby bat?

Fun with Falcons

My bro sent me this link to Pitt's Falconcam.  The cam has been turned off until next year bc the chicks have left the nest, but click here for a slideshow of highlights from this season. Neat.