in the armor

Some thoughts about the brouhaha surrounding the most unfortunate choice of headline accompanying a story about Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks' recent loss to the New Orleans Hornets: 

Many things come to mind from this; I recall some years ago a man whom I respect and admire, retired General Colin Powell, once referred to Chinese people as "Chinamen" in a comment about the global economy and home shopping. And one of my favorite sitcoms ('Everybody Loves Raymond') used the word "Chinamen" and no one corrected the character Frank Barrone for saying it. In the former case, if Gen. Colin Powell says he didn't know it was an offensive word, then that's good enough for me since I believe he was genuine in his explanation. As for Frank Barrone, well, that certainly sounded enough like his character to say it, but I would have liked another member of the family to correct him with "Chinese soldiers" or something like that. I found it kind of offensive, but I don't think it was an intentional slight on the show's part. 

Now I don't know much about the ESPN editor who came up with the "Chink in the Armor" headline, but apparently he insists he wasn't aware of the racist implications of the word "Chink" and that word has been used freely in that particular phrase many times before as being synonymous with "Achilles heel" (which would have been a much better choice of words in this instance!). It is unfortunate that this editor lost his job if he was truly completely unaware of the gaffe; is he of a younger generation that has never seen the word used derogatorily before?

I've read some comments to this news story and I'm sure many people feel it's such a common phrase ("chink in the armor") that any racist connotations are completely imagined. However, even when it's been simply used to refer to a point of weakness, I've cringed a little. I hate to see or hear the word, no matter how it's used. 

As an example, which also is more than a little uncomfortable, here's another word that makes me bristle... in fact, I'll begin with its definition from a dictionary first: "grudgingly mean about spending or granting; BEGRUDGING" - the word is niggardly. I once saw it used on TV by a sports commentator and then later heard him having to explain and defend his use of the word. Used in context, sure, it may take several other words to say the same thing, but still, it sounds enough like a truly despicable word that it's perhaps best not used at all. Now imagine the word 'niggardly' used in a large headline right next to a picture of an African-American athlete. Maybe the word is being used correctly, but it would still be a slap in the face to see something as abhorrent as that.

From my own experience, I look back to my 21st birthday. Luckily my birthday fell either on a Friday or a Saturday that year and I had family come down to San Luis Obispo to help me celebrate. We were walking downtown as we went looking for places for me to try a few new drinks when we found ourselves walking towards a small group of other students, none of them 'racial minorities.' And one said so we could all hear him, "Looks like it's getting a little nippy out here." At the moment he said it, I didn't take offense because it was my birthday, but my brother-in-law at the time knew it was a pointed comment at our ethnicity. Looking back, yes, it was. I can even picture the guy, wearing his tractor hat. This all happened over 25 years ago, on my 21st birthday and I still remember it. 

This stuff hurts, folks. 

orchids

There was an article in today's newspaper about orchids. Yes, they are uniquely beautiful - it's easy to see why they have captivated humankind for thousands of years. Even now, orchid enthusiasts collect them, some even creating hybrids and letting them take over their homes! 

Still, I wonder if instead of focusing on aesthetics, what if people were to put their attention on other attributes? Oh, say... nectar production? If I had an environment that was conducive to growing orchids, I could see myself becoming obsessed with creating a tropical paradise with the intent of attracting as many hummingbirds as possible. And I imagine that would mean lots of the color red in the plants and flowers, and more importantly, copious amounts of nectar. 

Nectar from flower blossoms is a much more satisfying way to feed hummingbirds, considering how it just looks more natural, wouldn't you say? And I believe the opinion that flower-produced nectar contains enough trace amounts of minerals, or whatever, that makes it more nutritious than the sugar water that fills the typical hummingbird feeder.

So, my ideal garden would contain the plants that are most suitable to both my climate and attracting hummingbirds (food, shelter, perching and preening, etc.), and then perhaps a bonus of an orchid garden with a mix of the most simply beautiful varieties, plus the ones that produce the most nectar. Aside of course with me working to produce a native plant garden that best serves a thriving ecosystem with little demand for 'intensive care.'

the willows

Yesterday I had lunch with a couple of my siblings. We went to a local shopping center for some delicious Indian-Pakistani food. What caught my attention outside were the landscaping choices: plants that are suitable for the Mediterranean climate, many of which are California natives and several that I have in my garden too: Chaparral currant (flowering currant), Ceanothus 'Concha' (California lilac), Salvia spathacea (hummingbird sage), and perhaps some I have forgotten. There were also various other natives such as a Manzanita, which I hope flowers since mine haven't yet.

What was also impressive were the signs that were posted in each planting area that described the different plants, all of which were designated as UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars. I've been up to Davis, about an hour away, and visited their splendid arboretum, which was a peaceful and yet vibrant space to walk through. I'd heard of their list of All-Stars before, so I was pleasantly surprised to see them featured in one of the spaces of Concord's Willows Shopping Center. 

I don't know how long ago this space was planted, but the plants looked young so I will be curious as to how well they do as the seasons go by. Their demands will be much lower and I hope that they don't get overwatered or overfertilized. Too much of either would actually be detrimental to their health. They should also attract lots of insect and bird life, which will further enliven them. In my experience, the bees, birds, etc. keep to themselves and have never bothered me, so they shouldn't bother the shoppers. 

One note though to whomever it may concern: I noticed also the hummingbird feeder near one of the plantings. The nectar was dyed red... food coloring is not necessary and there may even be a slight chance of harming the little birds' systems. The red coloring on the feeder itself is enough to attract our little friends! 

I am so excited to see a shopping center go in the direction I have been a proponent of... or to use a popular catch phrase: "That's what I'm talking about!"

the mask

As far as I'm concerned, football season ended after the NFC Championship game. So now, on to baseball! Well, okay, I follow the Warriors too, but today's blog is about baseball.

I recently signed up to follow San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey's Twitter feed and also 'liked' him on Facebook. Naturally, people want to know how he is doing and if he will be in top shape after last year's season ending injury to his ankle. We all wish him the best, hope that he remains healthy, and that the offense scores LOTS of runs when he's in the lineup again. 

Aside from the horrific injury he suffered due to the collision at home plate, I recall that there was a lot of concern about his health even before then. You see, when Buster fields his position as catcher, he wears the more modern style mask that looks like a hockey goalie's mask. And last year he was taking multiple hits from foul tips and what-not that looked quite worrisome. There was talk of him taking games off from catching to minimize the possibility of him getting concussions as it was.

The Giants' broadcast last year showed how the old-fashioned masks absorb shock and thereby energy better by coming off the head of the catcher entirely after getting struck by hard foul tips. So even though the hockey style masks test that they absorb shock just as well, I personally think it's better to have it flying off rather than staying put. I'm curious to see what style mask Buster wears this coming season. I may have to ask Amy G. about it... 

Google grounds

Sounds like the name of a special coffee blend for Google, right? However, I am referring to their campuses.

As a company that has already shown a commitment to the environment in its core values, such as reducing their carbon imprint, offering shuttle services to take cars off of the road, constructing healthier buildings and so on, I would like to see Google take another big step further: institute green policies in its very landscaping.

When I first learned of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) several years ago, I thought it was a rather quaint little organization of nature-lovers that wanted to preserve this pretty little flower or that rare plant. However, it’s much more than that. Although it can be said that Mother Nature starts in the soil, people can more readily see the plants that grow out of it. And it’s the native plants that are most able to provide the food and livelihood: the leaves, nectar, pollen, flowers, berries, etc. for the critters around them: insects, birds, mammals, and so on. And this web of life continues on up the chain. These living organisms have been evolving together for thousands of years and the web of life is disrupted by introducing non-native species.

With each new commercial and residential development comes the energy intensive and non-native landscaping that has become ubiquitous: huge expanses of lawns and the rather limited palette of shrubs and flowers that require copious amounts of water and fertilizers, if not poisonous insecticides too. They’re certainly not soil-friendly. In the case of the corporate campus, I do see how grass can be such an aesthetic as well as functional part of the working day: a soft, cushy surface to walk on after too much time spent indoors, as well as a comfortable spot to sit on while reading or eating lunch. 

However, I’d like to see the use of manicured grass and lawns minimized. There’s little wildlife value to be gained from patches of grass, and the cost of lawn care is much more than monetary. Lawnmowers use either electricity or gasoline and therefore pollute the air. If mowers are utilized, then why not make a huge statement and authorize the use of only manual lawnmowers? It’s much more labor intensive and probably difficult to find a lawn maintenance company willing to do that, but a statement nonetheless. And then rake the clippings and put them in compost piles. Just as there are ‘greener’ practices when designing buildings such as using energy efficient glass and solar paneling, the very plants we choose and how we care for them have an enormous imprint and play a vital role in our environment.

If Google, for example, as an internationally known company were to lead the way in landscaping its grounds, it could play a huge role in saving the world. I’m serious. Much of the acreage on its campuses could be devoted to the native fauna and flora of their locations. They could be at the forefront of supporting native bee populations, or even gain some positive publicity for helping bring back a rare and declining butterfly population: is there a similar butterfly in the Mountain View area to the fabled Mission Blue? Are there native lupine flowers that would support such butterflies? What about stands of locally native manzanitas and lilacs? Mountain View is situated in the South Bay near the San Francisco Bay itself. There must be a lovely and vital palette of plants to choose from.

I’d like to imagine that corporate campuses all across the country would soon follow suit - the headquarters as well as all facilities of Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Adobe, etc. with Google leading the way. Business parks such as Bishop Ranch in San Ramon and Shadelands in Walnut Creek could also re-landscape their properties, thereby reducing water usage and bringing our native wildlife back. Reducing water usage – that would be a key objective; imagine how much water can be saved by reducing as much outdoor watering as possible! 

Google is so international, they could do the same in all their offices around the world. Because it’s certainly not just in the United States that local flora and fauna is important. I’ve read that the translucent and beautiful California poppy is now a pest plant in Australia, perhaps in retribution for what harm the eucalyptus has done in taking over so much of our landscape here. In all seriousness though, this is a case of how two wrongs don’t make it right.

If I could work with Google in landscaping their Mountain View campus, I’d contact the Santa Clara Chapter of the CNPS and find out their recommendations for how to best incorporate environmentally responsible plantings with employee-friendly outdoor areas. I’d want to find out which plant communities are represented in that part of Santa Clara County, and how to re-create them while making the spaces eminently vibrant and relaxing for people. There could even be more remote parts of the campus devoted to different ecosystems, such as ponds brimming with native aquatic life; or restoring wetlands that may have existed near the bay (if the Google grounds should include the shoreline).

In such a modern and high-tech environment as Google, wouldn’t it be wonderful to not only be socially responsible and current with ‘green’ technology, but also in fine-tune with the natural environment? Many of the latest studies show that people respond positively to exposure to vibrant and balanced outdoor spaces. I can envision employees stepping just outside the confines of their buildings and basking in the native life happening around them: bees buzzing, butterflies fluttering, birds chirping, frogs croaking, and drawing immediate inspiration from such vital energy in addition to the rich oxygen. There could be little enclaves dedicated to attracting hummingbirds by the dozens, some species year-round and others during their migrations. Not to say I’d be creating a South Bay jungle or forest, but it would certainly be more alive than the familiar manicured lawn and precisely trimmed landscape of the typical office complex.

From what I’ve read of Google, they are more open-minded than most companies: I found an article about the ‘Hiveplex’ whereby they had bee hives delivered to one of their campuses. How neat is that? The higher-ups quickly approved the idea, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability, and providing a touch of honey for its employees at the same time. I can envision Google going on to inspire many of its thousands of employees to rethink their own landscaping practices where they live, replacing resource demanding ornamental shrubs with ecology boosting natives. Think globally, act locally, right? 

playoffs - NFC Championship - Giants vs. 49ers

Well, that was disappointing...

Still, the 49ers brought thrills and excitement to its starving fan-base this season and the future is looking bright. When Jim Harbaugh was hired as head coach, he brought with him the right role model for his aspirations: Bill Walsh. And although it's not fair to bring up comparisons because both inherited different situations, Coach Harbaugh is still way ahead of schedule. On the brink of a Super Bowl berth in a lockout-shortened first season is more than awesome. "THANK YOU" Forty-Niners for a GREAT SEASON!!!

Coach Walsh signed on to a 2-14 team that needed to be molded from top to bottom, inside and out, with dubious draft prospects to look forward to and no championship trophies filling the shelves; Coach Harbaugh came to a much stronger roster with a win-loss record of 6-10 the previous season. So, I don't think he's had nearly the mess to clean up. But going as far as they did was not projected at all. He's instilled a wonderful team-first attitude, and is working with a master alchemist in Trent Baalke, the general manager for the team.

I'm looking forward to what magic they can conjure up for next season. They've put together a fantastic coaching staff, a league-leading defense, and a talented special teams unit. If they can only put together that third piece, a high-scoring, score-at-will offense, then there will be no stopping them! And why not? I don't understand why professional teams can only seem to put together part of the puzzle (okay, well, money). Baseball teams are either pitching-first or hitting-first teams. I can understand basketball teams limiting their focus since their squads can only have five players on the floor at one time. But for my Niners, I want it all. Naturally, the defense can always get even better, the special teams units can get stronger too, but I want to see more synchronicity within the offense. More time spent together with the playbook should account for most of that; improved personnel and execution should take care of the rest.

Now on to an exciting off-season of improvement!! Free agency. The college senior bowls and the all-star games. The scouting, the combine... the draft! Didn't I use the word 'alchemy' above? Maybe that's what I find so fascinating. It's like trying to turn straw into (red and) gold.

playoffs - NFC Divisional round - Saints vs. 49ers

excitement, anxiety, exhilaration...

Victory! And considering how awesome a team the Saints are, it's easy to imagine that the 49ers are capable of beating anybody now... what a great feeling!!!

I wrote a little about Alex Smith in a previous post, so I'll just write a little more today. He's still improving! He's consistently making precise passes and playing beyond what I had grown accustomed to seeing from him. It reflects what I've believed for a long time: we all respond differently to different teaching methods, or in this case, coaching methods. We're all human.

Some people do better being belittled and challenged (something I don't understand). For example, I've heard people say that when they're told they can't do something, they push harder to prove their skeptics wrong. Whereas it appears all Alex Smith needed was someone to build him up and believe in him: Coach Jim Harbaugh. Ahhh, that's more like it! Now, it's clear to see all the potential that was waiting to be tapped; Alex is coming through in the clutch. Clutch, I said, CLUTCH!!!

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Vernon Davis. It's all coming together, I say while rubbing my hands together. Excellent. All the pieces are coming together. He had the game we've all been waiting for, the kind of performance we've all known he is capable of. I've read recently that he's had a difficult time adapting to the new game plans and implementations by the new coaching regime, but that he's been gelling with it over the past month or so. Understanding it. And if that's truly the case, then we can look forward to similar production from here on out. How great would that be? What a difference sophisticated, smart game-planning makes. Imagine what things will be like if it actually carries over from season to season for years to come. For Alex, for Vernon, for the entire offense. Excellent. Bwaaahaaahaaa!!!

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Now for some commentary about crap. I've read that some fans at Candlestick assaulted some Saints fans at the game. A father and his two daughters. I didn't read the details, but even being just obnoxious towards them is crap. All the action should take place on the field of play, and even then, in a sportsmanlike manner. Given what happened to San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stowe at Dodger Stadium last year, it'd be nice knowing that civility would be the new rule of conduct, but I guess that's too much to ask of humanity. I understand a similar incident happened to Vancouver Canucks fans at a San Jose Sharks home game too. Simply for wearing their favorite team's jerseys to the rink. Show some class to fans of other teams folks. Rise above it. Geeez.