Renewable Energy

EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I heard that some wind farms use fossil fuels to power their generators when the wind won’t. Doesn’t that defeat their whole renewable energy purpose? Why not let the wind power it or not? Also, I’ve heard that the low-frequency sounds generated by these turbines can harm people and animals. Is this true? — Ryan Lewis, Plainwell, MI

Indeed, one of the major drawbacks to wind power is the fact that, even in windy locations, the wind doesn’t always blow. So the ability of turbines to generate power is intermittent at best. Many turbines can generate power only about 30 percent of the time, thanks to the inconsistency of their feedstock.

In order to overcome this Achilles’ heel of intermittent production, some wind companies have developed back-up systems that can spin turbines even when the wind isn’t blowing, thus optimizing and keeping consistent the power output. For example, Colorado-based Hybrid Turbines Inc. is selling wind farms systems that marry a natural gas-based generator to a wind turbine. “Even if natural gas is used, the electricity produced…is twice as environmentally clean as burning coal,” reports the company. Better yet, if a user can power them with plant-derived biofuels, they can remain 100 percent renewable energy-based.

While some wind energy companies may want to invest in such technologies to wring the most production out of their big investments, utilities aren’t likely to suffer much from the intermittent output if they don’t. Even the utilities that are most bullish on wind power still generate most of their electricity from other more traditional sources at the present time. So, when wind energy output decreases, utilities simply draw more power from other sources—such as solar arrays, hydroelectric dams, nuclear reactors and coal-fired power plants—to maintain consistent electrical service. As such, reports the American Wind Energy Association, utilities act as “system operators” drawing power from where it’s available and dispatching it to where it is needed in tune with rising and falling power needs.

But just because generating wind power all day long isn’t imperative doesn’t mean that suppliers aren’t doing all they can to maximize output. To wit, turbine manufacturers are beginning to incorporate so-called Active Flow Control (AFC) technology, which delays the occurrence of partial or complete stalls when the wind dies down, and also enables start-up and power generation at lower wind speeds than conventional turbines. The non-profit Union of Concerned Scientists lauds AFC for these capabilities, which in turn can help system operators create a more reliable electric grid less dependent on fossil fuels.

As to whether or not noise from wind farms can harm people and wildlife, the jury is still out. New York-based pediatrician Nina Pierpont argues in her book, Wind Turbine Syndrome, that turbines may produce sounds that can affect the mood of people nearby or cause physiological problems like insomnia, vertigo, headaches and nausea. On the flip side, Renewable UK, a British wind energy trade group, says that the noise measured 1,000 feet away from a wind farm is less than that of normal road traffic. Here in the U.S., a Texas jury denied a 2006 noise pollution suit against FPL Energy after FPL showed that noise readings from its wind farm maxed out at 44 decibels, roughly the same generated by a 10 mile-per-hour wind.

CONTACTS: Hybrid Turbines, Inc., www.hybridturbines.com; American Wind Energy Association, www.awea.org; Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org; Nina Pierpont’s Wind Turbine Syndrome, www.windturbinesyndrome.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: My neighbor told me to pour bleach down my drains every week to keep them clear. Is this safe to do? — Trish Osterling, via e-mail

Bleach is a useful cleaner and disinfectant, but pouring it down the drain will not do anything to help keep the drains clear. In addition, you could cause a dangerous chemical reaction if it comes into contact with other household products you might be using.

Common household bleach, also known as chlorine bleach, is a liquid compound of sodium hypochlorite, which is a combination of sodium chloride (a salt) with water and chlorine. It’s often used to whiten laundry or to disinfect kitchen surfaces. Bleach is also an ingredient in other household cleaners, like those used for bath and toilet cleaning. (A different sort of bleach, known as oxygen bleach, is used for laundry stain removal and does not have the same disinfecting/cleaning properties as chlorine bleach.)

According to the Household Products Database at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), chlorine bleach is corrosive to the eyes; injures skin and mucous membranes on contact; and is harmful if swallowed. Bleach is “a lung and eye irritant,” warns the Washington Toxics Coalition (WTC), a Seattle non-profit that advocates for green friendly household products. Even used alone, fumes from chlorine bleach can irritate the lungs, so it should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems, says the group. It is also “reactive” with ammonia and acids, forming more harmful fumes.

“One of the most common home accidents is the mixing of products containing chlorine bleach with those containing ammonia,” says WTC. The combination creates chloramine gas, which is highly irritating to the lungs. Since many cleaning products contain ammonia, the inadvertent mixing must be avoided. Mixing bleach and acids results in the release of chlorine gas, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, exposure to which can cause coughing and breathing problems, burning eyes and, at high levels, vomiting, pneumonia and even death. Products containing acids include vinegar, some glass and window cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners and rust removers. An “incompatibility chart” listing many chemicals that will react with bleach is available at the Chlorine Institute’s cl2.com website.

Bleach alone is not necessarily hard on the environment. When use as directed, it will break down mostly into salt water in wastewater treatment or septic systems, says WTC. A dilution of bleach in water is effective as a disinfectant, and can be scrubbed onto non-porous food-contact surfaces like plastic cutting boards or refrigerator shelves and left to air dry. The Clorox Company recommends a solution of one tablespoon bleach per gallon of water for sanitizing.

So, what are the better ways to keep drains clear? Home drains in the kitchen and bath generally get clogged by grease, food waste and hair, none of which will be effectively dispersed by bleach. WTC recommends carefully pouring a kettleful of boiling water down the drain to free up a slow drain, or using mechanical methods such as a plumber’s snake, plunger or hose-end bladder to clean a clogged drain.

CONTACTS: DHHS Household Products Database, http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov ; Washington Toxics Coalition, www.washingtontoxics.org; New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, www.state.nj.us/health; Chlorine Institute, www.cl2.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Grocery Store Manners

By Lynn Ashby                                                 12 July 2010

THE COUNTER – You may have heard of Ettorre’s Observation: The other line always moves faster. Before me is living proof of that. The shopper who is checking out seems to have a problem – it could be the English language, U.S. currency, sobriety or mental instability. And, of course, I’m in a rush.

So let’s consider grocery store etiquette, especially for husbands; remember, no man is an aisle. When I am sent to the store, it is usually for one item – a bottle of ketchup, a can of corn, a radish – so I always use the line marked: “Express for 6 Items or Less.” And I have learned over the years always to take along something to read, because the express line is never express. My least favorite situation is when the person checking out is told the total cost of her purchases, and at that point she starts digging in her purse for her checkbook. Then her pen. Then her driver’s license for ID. Did she not think she’d have to pay anything?

She mumbles, “I know it’s in here somewhere. No, that’s my autograph book – you never know when you’ll meet a famous bass fisherman. Lucky horseshoe, MACE, lunch. This is my refund from Cirque de Soleil. Bunch of weird Canucks, they were. Oh, here’s my harmonica. I’ve been looking everywhere for that.” Men can be just as bad, but wallets are easier to explore than a 10-gallon shopping purse. I feel like screaming, “LADY, WOULD YOU MOVE IT!” But being the mild-mannered reporter that I am, I just stand there smoking my cigar and blowing my nose.

Sometimes the person in front is a serial killer and uses 12 aliases, or a bass fisherman and the clerk wants her autograph or, even worse, the shopper collects coupons. Never get behind a coupon collector. Incidentally, it’s pronounced Q-pon, not COO-pon. The Q-pon person says to the clerk, “I get 10 cents off this can of coffee, but if I buy three cans, I get 20. I get an extra banana with this box top. I know it’s expired, but so are your bananas.” There should be a special line for coupon collectors.

Men, another rule is to keep the receipt because whatever you buy is always wrong. Upon my return home, my wife says, “I told you to get a 16-ounce bag of smoked Algerian cumquats in fig juice with a twist of lime.”

“That’s what it is,” I whine. “Says so right there on the label. Smoked Algerian cumquats in fig juice with a twist of lime.”

“This is a 12-ounce bag. Take it back.”

Not to sound too negative – I just hate negative people, don’t you? They put me in such a bad mood that I gripe and moan for hours — sometimes when I wander up to the check-out line with my rat poison, a nice person, apparently cooking for the First Marine Division, will say, “You don’t have much. Go ahead.” Or better yet, “Let me pay for that.”

This next situation may have happened to you: I had an unusually long list of items to buy, so I dutifully got in the regular line for “One Crop Or More.” The next line over was the express line, which was empty. So the express clerk said to me, “Would you like to come to this line?” I pushed my groaning load to the express line and the clerk started going through my heap of groceries, mop, broom, flyswatter (any grocery store today has half of the aisles dedicated to non-edible items. How much space do drugs take up in a drug store? One shelf.)

Then this guy comes up behind me with one lemon. He looks at the sign: “Express for 6 Items or Less” then looks at my three carts and gives me a look that clearly says, “BUDDY, WOULD YOU MOVE IT!”

Today I was in the produce section looking for some fresh hallucinogenic mushrooms when I was almost run over by a woman who comes ripping along, pushing her basket while talking on her cell phone. She was paying no attention to anything but her conversation and nearly converted me to a cleanup on aisle 4. I should have known she was trouble when I noted her shopping cart had training wheels.

This is the kind of person who drives the wrong way in the store’s parking lot – while talking on her cell phone, of course. Anyone can see that all the cars are parked heading in one direction. There are big, white arrows painted on the asphalt showing the correct direction. That way, cars backing out only have to look one direction because no one is coming from the other…Bang!

Do you find it annoying that some grocery stores have loud speakers which will blaringly announce that their pickled pigs feet are tasty? Or, “Please buy our mouth-watering crab meat from Biloxi. Comes in both 20 weight and 30 weight.” Kmart used to blare ads all the time, annoying customers with, “Attention Kmart shoppers.” Kmart went bankrupt. As for the stores’ clerks, they fall into two types: surly or way-too-happy. Surly is easy to spot, while way-too-happy has obviously just come from the store’s weekly Employee Spirit Meeting. Clerks have their own horror stories about customers, mostly those wearing ski masks.

My check-out line is still stopped. A customer is digging through her purse. “Here’s a picture of Bubba. He’s six now. I know my checkbook is in here somewhere.” So I’ll just pop over to the next line which seems to be moving right along. In that line, a woman is opening her purse, no doubt to pull out the exact amount of cash. “I know it’s in here somewhere. Lucky horseshoe, MACE, lunch.” This brings us to Ettorre’s Observation Corollary: Don’t try to change lines. The other line — the one you were in originally — will then move faster.

Ashby shoplifts at ashby2@comcast.net

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By Lynn Ashby                                                 12 July 2010

THE COUNTER – You may have heard of Ettorre’s Observation: The other line always moves faster. Before me is living proof of that. The shopper who is checking out seems to have a problem – it could be the English language, U.S. currency, sobriety or mental instability. And, of course, I’m in a rush.

So let’s consider grocery store etiquette, especially for husbands; remember, no man is an aisle. When I am sent to the store, it is usually for one item – a bottle of ketchup, a can of corn, a radish – so I always use the line marked: “Express for 6 Items or Less.” And I have learned over the years always to take along something to read, because the express line is never express. My least favorite situation is when the person checking out is told the total cost of her purchases, and at that point she starts digging in her purse for her checkbook. Then her pen. Then her driver’s license for ID. Did she not think she’d have to pay anything?

She mumbles, “I know it’s in here somewhere. No, that’s my autograph book – you never know when you’ll meet a famous bass fisherman. Lucky horseshoe, MACE, lunch. This is my refund from Cirque de Soleil. Bunch of weird Canucks, they were. Oh, here’s my harmonica. I’ve been looking everywhere for that.” Men can be just as bad, but wallets are easier to explore than a 10-gallon shopping purse. I feel like screaming, “LADY, WOULD YOU MOVE IT!” But being the mild-mannered reporter that I am, I just stand there smoking my cigar and blowing my nose.

Sometimes the person in front is a serial killer and uses 12 aliases, or a bass fisherman and the clerk wants her autograph or, even worse, the shopper collects coupons. Never get behind a coupon collector. Incidentally, it’s pronounced Q-pon, not COO-pon. The Q-pon person says to the clerk, “I get 10 cents off this can of coffee, but if I buy three cans, I get 20. I get an extra banana with this box top. I know it’s expired, but so are your bananas.” There should be a special line for coupon collectors.

Men, another rule is to keep the receipt because whatever you buy is always wrong. Upon my return home, my wife says, “I told you to get a 16-ounce bag of smoked Algerian cumquats in fig juice with a twist of lime.”

“That’s what it is,” I whine. “Says so right there on the label. Smoked Algerian cumquats in fig juice with a twist of lime.”

“This is a 12-ounce bag. Take it back.”

Not to sound too negative – I just hate negative people, don’t you? They put me in such a bad mood that I gripe and moan for hours — sometimes when I wander up to the check-out line with my rat poison, a nice person, apparently cooking for the First Marine Division, will say, “You don’t have much. Go ahead.” Or better yet, “Let me pay for that.”

This next situation may have happened to you: I had an unusually long list of items to buy, so I dutifully got in the regular line for “One Crop Or More.” The next line over was the express line, which was empty. So the express clerk said to me, “Would you like to come to this line?” I pushed my groaning load to the express line and the clerk started going through my heap of groceries, mop, broom, flyswatter (any grocery store today has half of the aisles dedicated to non-edible items. How much space do drugs take up in a drug store? One shelf.)

Then this guy comes up behind me with one lemon. He looks at the sign: “Express for 6 Items or Less” then looks at my three carts and gives me a look that clearly says, “BUDDY, WOULD YOU MOVE IT!”

Today I was in the produce section looking for some fresh hallucinogenic mushrooms when I was almost run over by a woman who comes ripping along, pushing her basket while talking on her cell phone. She was paying no attention to anything but her conversation and nearly converted me to a cleanup on aisle 4. I should have known she was trouble when I noted her shopping cart had training wheels.

This is the kind of person who drives the wrong way in the store’s parking lot – while talking on her cell phone, of course. Anyone can see that all the cars are parked heading in one direction. There are big, white arrows painted on the asphalt showing the correct direction. That way, cars backing out only have to look one direction because no one is coming from the other…Bang!

Do you find it annoying that some grocery stores have loud speakers which will blaringly announce that their pickled pigs feet are tasty? Or, “Please buy our mouth-watering crab meat from Biloxi. Comes in both 20 weight and 30 weight.” Kmart used to blare ads all the time, annoying customers with, “Attention Kmart shoppers.” Kmart went bankrupt. As for the stores’ clerks, they fall into two types: surly or way-too-happy. Surly is easy to spot, while way-too-happy has obviously just come from the store’s weekly Employee Spirit Meeting. Clerks have their own horror stories about customers, mostly those wearing ski masks.

My check-out line is still stopped. A customer is digging through her purse. “Here’s a picture of Bubba. He’s six now. I know my checkbook is in here somewhere.” So I’ll just pop over to the next line which seems to be moving right along. In that line, a woman is opening her purse, no doubt to pull out the exact amount of cash. “I know it’s in here somewhere. Lucky horseshoe, MACE, lunch.” This brings us to Ettorre’s Observation Corollary: Don’t try to change lines. The other line — the one you were in originally — will then move faster.

Ashby shoplifts at ashby2@comcast.net

Neighborhood Spies

By Lynn Ashby 19 July 2010

THE FRONT YARD – Here comes my neighbor, Billy George Kudzu, who likes to talk about international affairs. “Billy George, did you see those news stories about the Russian spies living in suburban neighborhoods? Had jobs, kids, AA membership, and all the time they were trying to infiltrate our most sensitive operations? They give a whole new meaning to the term, ‘illegal aliens.’”
He scowls. “Cannot believe press. Capitalist corporations draining the blood from proletariat, da?”
“The capitalist press says they all worked for the KGB.”
“Show how inaccurate they are and proofs my punt. It’s SVR Hasn’t been KGB since before glorious liberation war in Afghanistan.”
“They’ve been undercover for seven years.”
“Twelve.”
You seem to know a lot about them,” I say.
“Just hold blank letters from cousin over candle, and listen to radio in basement. But I come over maybe say goodbye. Perhaps me, Nelda Jane and our kids, Muffy and Chip, have to leave suddenly. Very suddenly. Company may send back to home office.”
“Where’s that?”
“Alabama.”
“Oh, that explains the accent.”
Late at work the next day, after everyone else had gone, I noticed our secretary, K-56, in the supply room making copies of some papers. K-56 (which I always thought was an odd name) was startled by my entrance, but said she was copying her dog’s kennel papers. When I noted they were was entitled, “Boeing Contract for F-25 Super Secret Belch Fire Missile,” she patiently explained that pedigreed show dogs have strange names like last year’s winner for that breed, Sniper Scope for Marine Platoon.
The next week I ran into another neighbor, Twitchy Plotter, at a local Tea Party lynching. “We’ve got to be vigilant,” he whispered. “They could be anyone.”
“Who are they?”
“Rooski spies. Soviet agents, KGB moles. There is a guy who goes through our neighborhood almost every day. He knows everybody’s name, where they live, what they read.”
“He’s called a ‘postman.’”
“I say it’s the Kremlin at work. Word is they have taken over the White House by posing as Kenyans. And why did the mainstream media suppress news of the new Arizona immigration law?”
“Then how did you know about it?”
“I read it on the front page of The New York Times.”
“Twitchy, you’re not paranoid, are you?”
“No, I’m Presbyterian. Did you know that global warming is a hoax, just like the moon landings and the EPA? I’m not sure there really is a Gulf oil spill. It’s the Soviet Union that worries me. All that propaganda about it breaking up. How do we know that Stalin is dead and Joe Biden is alive? Fox News is looking into it.”
A few days later in the grocery store I bumped into a neighbor, Boris Khrushchev, who claims to be a Russian spy but I happen to know he’s a sous-chef de cuisine down at the Dairy Queen. Still, he always wears a trench coat, a gray Fedora and a false beard, so he may know how spies slip into our society. “Hi, Boris.”
He glanced around. “Have we met?”
“Of course. Over the last seven years – or maybe 12. You live down the block in the house with an unlisted address, a big radio tower and surrounded by concertina wire.”
“The cake has no frosting.”
“Here to buy a cake, are you?”
“Jenny has two noses.”
Only when I gave Boris the secret handshake we learned in Indian Guides did I say, “It doesn’t make any sense that the Russian intelligence agency would send people to hide in out-of-the-way places.” Boris said the best places for secret agents to hide were in backwater, obscure dumps where the CIA would never look. “Gad,” I gasped, “that means they could be right here in Running Rats Acres.”
“They could be right here in Running Rats Acres,” said the man at my front door late that night. He had knocked quietly and had thrust out a badge. “I’m Agent Orange. CIA Counter-Terrorism Department and Organ Donor Scams. But I’m not really here. We’re checking into reports that there are Russian undercover operatives in the neighborhood. They have infiltrated the Ladies Who Lunch Club, the VFW – that’s Veterinarians From Wisconsin — and are attempting to learn Victoria’s Secret.”
“How did you get suspicious?”
“Our first tip came when the cipher-breakers in our top-secret Ode-Cay Oom-Ray intercepted a pamphlet advertising for baby sitting and lawn cutting by neighborhood teenagers. That’s a well-known cover for espionage activities.”
“What should I look for?” I asked. Agent Orange explained that certain tell-tale clues were Smirnoff drinkers, fans of the Cincinnati Reds and anyone who shops at Lenin ‘n Things. “Also, they know we’re getting close and may need to destroy documents. Tell us if, here in the heat of a Texas summer, you see smoke coming out of any chimney.”
“You mean the spies of Texas are upon us?”
“Of course. This is the Lone Czar State.”
That night I noticed smoke coming out of Twitchy Plotter’s chimney.

Ashby spies at ashby2@comcast.net

Eat, Pray, Love

OAKLAND, Calif., July 7, 2010 — Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir, the film “Eat Pray Love ” tells the story of a modern woman who seemingly has everything, yet leaves it all to search for what she really wants in life. Her journey of self-discovery takes her around the world, where she regains the true pleasure of eating in Italy, unearths the power of prayer in India, and finally achieves unexpected inner peace and balance of true love in Bali. From the ambitious streets of New York City to her unique experiences in Rome, India and Bali, viewers will be immersed in a personal celebration of travel in a way that is sure to encourage many to embark on their own adventures.

Lonely Planet is excited to be involved as promotional partner for the film, helping build excitement around the destinations and motivating travelers to discover the world – and themselves – through travel.

With a special Lonely Planet page created for the film at www.lonelyplanet.com/eatpraylove, you’ll find inspiration, recommendations and products to take your own Eat Pray Love journey.

Italy – Eat
‘Tutti a tavola!’ (‘Everyone to the table!’) is one command every Italian heeds without question. Italian food is best when it’s made in Italy so get started with the country’s national obsession: eating.

India – Pray
For those seeking spiritual sustenance, India has oodles of sacrosanct sites and stirring philosophical epics. And if taking a vow of silence at an ashram isn’t your style – there are still experiences and places that will fill your soul.

Bali – Love
Ask travelers what Bali means to them and you’ll get as many answers as there are flowers on a frangipani tree. Rich in visual beauty and blanketed with exquisite little offerings left all over the island that materialize as if by magic, we promise you will leave with a sense of well-being and a happy heart.

In addition enter to win the journey of a lifetime in the STA Travel “Eat Pray Love” Sweepstakes! The grand prize 21-day trip for one (Just like in the book and film.) to Italy, India and Indonesia –including airfare, tours, accommodations, and a collection of Lonely Planet guides – is the perfect way to discover your own passions.

Eat Pray Love opens nationwide in US theaters on August 13. Go to www.letyourselfgo.com to watch the official trailer and find out more about the film.

ABOUT THE BOOKS:
Discover Italy
ISBN 9781741799989
$24.99

India
ISBN 9781741791518
$29.99

Bali Encounter
ISBN 9781741797176
$13.99

ABOUT LONELY PLANET
Established in 1973, Lonely Planet is one of the world’s leading travel media companies. With operations in Melbourne, London and Oakland, CA, the company employs over 400 staff worldwide. Lonely Planet travel information is available across all media platforms, including travel guides, TV programming, wireless products and an award-winning website. In October 2007, BBC Worldwide acquired a 75% share in Lonely Planet. BBC Worldwide is the primary commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). For more information, visit www.lonelyplanet.com.

Vacation

By Lynn Ashby                                                            5 July 2010

Workers unions in Spain are steamed about changes in their rules and are going to strike for the first time in a decade. Nothing will stop them as they slam down their tools, lunch pails and capes to storm out of their factories, rail yards and bull rings. No holding them back as tempers flare and they shout (in Spanish we must suppose): “Workers unite! You have nothing to lose but your siestas!”

However, the workers’ anger won’t reach the boiling point until September. Why? Because striking before then would ruin their August vacations. This is somewhat akin to “the spontaneous rally will begin at noon sharp.” Or the Teabag Party proclaiming that it’s strictly a populist grassroots uprising. We know this because Dick Armey issued the press release from the party’s Washington office.

In any event, the Spanish workers have their priorities right. They, and all Europeans, feel it is their God-given right to take off that month. Barbara Tuchman writes in “The Guns of August” that when World War I broke out the French Army had a major problem, and, no, it wasn’t just the German Army. The problem was that, despite the impending war clouds, most of the French officer corps was on vacation. After all, it was August. Once I visited Paris in August and there were practically no lines at the Eiffel Tower or any other site. But about half the stores and cafes were closed, my hotel was a morgue. I didn’t spot a single French soldier, but I did see a lot of American tourists.

By law, full-time workers in France are guaranteed at least five weeks vacation, plus holidays. But French workers are still in a snit after the government increased their work week from 35 hours to 40. Austrian workers have 26 vacation days, Denmark and Sweden have 25. All other European workers have at least 20 vacation days, plus lots and lots of holidays. In addition, the European Court of Justice has ruled that all workers are entitled to up to four weeks of holiday pay for each year they are on sick leave. Huh? Each year they’re home sick? The Pope takes off every summer. He goes to the Papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo. And us? On average, U.S. workers have less than nine vacation days annually. Some 28 million Americans don’t get any paid vacation or paid holidays.

We may feel sorry for ourselves with so few holidays and vacation time, but stats can be deceiving. During August, see if you can ring up a business person or lawyer or doctor. The secretary will say, “She’s in a meeting.” As for government agencies, each one has a designated Friday afternoon phone answerer to explain that the entire staff is in a meeting. Look for them to finish just after Labor Day. Also, notice how the stock markets slow down. Wall Street brokers leave after Friday lunch to join their families in the Hamptons.

We must hope President Obama and his family take off for part of August like his predecessors – but not the entire month at the ranch. Congress is on vacation. The U.S. Supreme Court is gone and won’t be back until the first Monday in October. The Supremes tossed their clerks all the really controversial decisions to draft and announce. By the time the sweating demonstrators arrive to protest outside the Supreme Court Building the justices are fly fishing in Idaho. Washingtonians, including diplomats and lobbyists, have fled, turning the city over to the tourists who don’t realize in summer our nation’s capital is like Port Arthur without the natural beauty.

With no news to cover, the media split. One sure-fire way to note the disappearing press is to watch the TV networks’ news shows. Throughout August we will hear, “Brian is on assignment tonight.” Williams’ “assignment” is at his lake house interviewing the sunset. The Sunday morning talking heads on TV are substitutes questioning politicians who are back home – or fly fishing in Idaho.

Not even mad dogs and Englishmen go out in our August sun, so, just like the Europeans who live in far balmier locales, this is our favorite time to leave, too. It’s also when those creepy society writers sigh, “All the swells are in Aspen or in the south of France.” OK, summer better than others, but why it always “the south of France.”? Do you say, “I’m going to meet a drug lord in the south of Texas.”? “I summer in Pilot Knob. It’s in the south of Travis County.” Texans who are not swells don’t summer anywhere. They are going through the help wanted pages or Craigslist.

There is a new wrinkle in Americans’ vacation habits. We are starting to take winter vacations, too – a week off to go skiing on the snow or sunning on the sand. I hear you can get really good deals on Gulf coast beaches this year. But we are being hit with a one-two punch: the economy is on the ropes and gas prices are through the roof, giving us a new term which Spell Check hasn’t even recognized: staycation. It means, obviously, staying at home and doing things around town you haven’t done. Just as most New Yorkers have never been to the top of the Empire State Building, a lot of southeast Texans have never been to the Johnson Space Center, San Jacinto or spent a Saturday evening in Baytown’s restaurant row.

How many Wichita Fallians have ever seen their falls? El Pasoites can just nip across the bridge to Juarez – but first notify next-of-kin. Fort Worthians can go to Dallas and ride the escalators. Map out a week’s worth of exciting, stimulating and, for the kids, educational, day trips. “Monday – Visit pawn shop, founders cemetery and library drive-through book drop-off. Tell kids they never had such fun.” By Friday write: “Visit the kids in ICU. Explain there was one too many ‘Are we having fun yet?’ whines.”

Ashby summers at ashby2@comcast.net

Fresh Ways to Enjoy Cancun

Cancun and the Treasures of the Carribean

WEEKENDER: The Westin La Cantera

The Westin La Cantera is a Hill Country must see.

Beauty Must Do’s for I Do

Bridal Beauty

“The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural.” -Calvin Klein

It is important to look flawless for your big day. Creating a blank canvas (priming) before you apply any make-up will help your face stay picture perfect throughout the day and night. Have a practice make-up application run a couple days before your wedding.  Try these suggestions below for your Bridal Brilliance!

Bronze Smokey-eyes

Smokey eyes are not only for a night on the town, but can be worn for weddings too.  For a more natural look try Gold and Bronze shadows; this will keep your make-up looking fresh and trendy without the drama of being over- done.

You will need to start with an eye primer like MAC Prep+Prime Eye ($16.50 www.maccosmetics.com)

Instead of just the traditional eye shadow powders try mixing in cream or gel liners as shadows such as MAC Fuidline in Rich Ground ($15 www.maccosmetics.com) This will give you amazing staying power for those warm summer months. If you still want to stick with the powder shadows try Cargo Essential Palette in Bronze ($32 www.cargocosmetics.com)

Fabulous Face

Start with a Primer like Giorgio Armani Fluid Master Primer($56 www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com) to insure your make-up stays on all night while smoothing away fine lines and imperfections.

Whether you are the bride or in the wedding party you need a foundation that resist smudging and will not melt through the heat and humidity like Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Make-up SPF 10 ($33.50 www.esteelauder.com)

Chose a blush that is light and gives you just a little bit of color like Stila Cheek Color Pan in Delicate ($18www.stilacosmetics.com)

Create that over-all face glow, radiance finish with MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in by Candlelight ($28www.maccosmetics.com)

Luscious Lips

Does your lipstick wander off? Try an amazing invisible anti-feathering lip liner like Benefit d’finer d’liner ($20 www.benefitcosmetics.com)

Afterwards try a neutral shade of lipstick like Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour in Mademoiselle ($30www.chanel.com)

Dot some gloss like Chanel Glossimer in Bikini Peach ($27www.chanel.com) in the center of your lips and you are perfect and flawless for your big day!

by Carla Menendez
Photos courtesy of product manufacturers