are those beets or a joke about beets?

Neither. It's beet ice cream w/ caramelized walnuts. It's good. And good for you.

“HarperCollins remains thrilled to count Jessica Seinfeld on its roster of talented authors, and continues to stand unequivocally behind her work.” So said Steve Ross, the publisher of Collins, the imprint of Harper Collins that published Seinfeld's cookbook “Deceptively Delicious.”

That's a funny name for a book especially if you're being sued for plagiarism by the author of another, very similar book, but I guess she thought no one would get the joke.

We note though, in Mr. Ross's defense, that Harper's also counts Laura and Jenna Bush, who may have sold a few books but can't write for shit, as part of its stable of talented authors.

mccain's ineligibility

Turns out that not only did spending 5 years in a N. Vietnamese prison not qualify McGruff the Crime Dog to be President, he's not qualified under the U.S. Constitution because he's not as he needs to be, "natural-born citizen." We call this a lose lose lose situation.

McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936 to U.S. citizens. The law that allowed children of American parents born in the canal zone to be U.S. citizens was written passed one year after McCain's birth and citizenship retroactively. Sure it's a technicality, but the Constitution says "natural born."

Republicans, who like laws, except when they don't, have chosen once again to ignore the Constitution and it's Amendments, in this case the 14th. I'm not saying the law makes any sense but aren't these the same folks who are always trotting out the law and waving it around at folks.

mr340: the warrior ant press women's solo division

Things to do with your economic stimulus check from El Presidento Bush. Contribute to a campaign to have Bush and Dick "the Dick" Cheney impeached; probably a little late in the term for that to stick even after we find out that Cheney's office worked to alter EPA documents to minimize the human impacts of global climate disruption, "Data isn't fact" for this administration, even if it's the data from 99.8 percent of the scientists who study the issue.

Or you could donate the money to a not-for-profit (may I be so bold so as to suggest the fine folks at Habitat ReStore?) Sustainability times 3.

Or you could underwrite the women's solo division of the 2008 MR340 river race, the longest canoe/kayak/surfski race in the world. The Chief Financial Officer of WAP, who's been silly enough to do the race since it's inception, endorsed his check to the fine folks at RiverMiles (the race organizers) and is now a corporate big-wig and sponsor of the MR 340 Warrior Ant Press Women's Solo Division. We built that huge office building for a reason! To house the Warrior Ants.

The women's solo division is shaping up to be a battle between the defending champion and favorite, Texan, Erin "One Woman, Focused and Driven" Magee, and the upstart phenom, Katie Pfefferkorn. Last year they finished one-two and some are speculating this could be the year of the youngster. But Magee will not go easily. Erin has finished first in 10 straight Texas Water Safari's (affectionately called "the toughest canoe race in the world"). Nine of those first place finishes were solo, one was tandem. Erin also set the MR340 women's solo record of 55 hours 33 minutes in her first MR340, blasting 42 hours off the 2006 record.

But in 2007, Pfefferkorn, in only her second year of competitive kayaking, and at half the age of Magee, finished a strong second shaving 40 hours off her 2006 and finishing a mere 3 1/2 behind the stalwart Magee. Pfefferkorn has traded up to a full-on racing canoe this year and it might be the difference. Will power and determination could be the deciding factor between them.

Participants in The Warrior Ant Press MR340 Women's Solo Division.
Karen Exon, Topeka, KS #3333
Jamie Freeman, Cape Girardeau, MO #4044
Carol Heddinghaus, Rolla, MO #3907
Hillary Kelly, Leavenworth, KS, #8814
Erin Magee, Martindale, TX #4971
JoJo Newbold, St. Louis, MO #5656
Katie Pfefferkorn, Ottumwa, IA, #1459

1st Place. $500
2nd Place. $100
3rd Place. $50

Images. Upper. Dawn Keller before the start of 2006 MR340.
Bottom. Byran Hopkins and Katie Pfefferkorn @ Kaw Point, start of 2006 MR340.
Elsewhere:
erin magee on race fit 2 paddle
ny times on the texas water safari
pfefferkorn in the columbia missourian
profiles of three 2008 racers in se missourian
profiles of six 2007 racers in se missourian

artists go green, con-ed to follow

Here's some interesting work that came to the attention of Warrior Ant Press that deal with global climate disruption (it's more than just change).Eve Mosher's work, HighWaterLine, a Brooklyn-based artist who walked around Long Island with a chalk line machine (just like the ones used to lay down the foul lines at a baseball game) marking the water line from increased flooding that would result from large-scale sea-level changes and climate disruption. At one point, Ms. Mosher, was ordered to stop, because she was scaring the locals, driving down property values, and raising insurance rates for areas that would be expected to be frequently inundated. We'd rather keep our head in the sand, errr, peat bog.

Another favorite is the Lemon Everlasting Backyard Battery by Susan Cockrell and Ted Purves, who harvested excess lemons from backyard trees and made preserves and marmalade in the community of San Jose, California. When life gives you lemon, make lemonade; when art gives you lemons, build a community.

On to the Netherlands, a country that could benefit from a slowing down of carbon emissions, with this question, "Could art change the climate?" With this question seventeen international artists were sent into the Waterloopbos, an almost exotic forest in the Netherlands and asked to build artworks that addressed Global Climate Change. The environmental setting is in the ruins of a former, open air laboratory where hydraulic engineers worked for several decades to find solutions for hydrodynamic problems all over the world. The Laboratory has now been taken over by the forest (Waterloopbos), and is managed by the Nature Monument Association. Amongst overgrown sluices, harbours and river courses, the artists worked on location on a new view on the typically Dutch battle against the water.

One positive effect of global climate disruption is that the Blue Man Group is expected to be inundated forever.






Elsewhere:
pedro marzorati
kunstbroedplaats
Or in a special issue of NYFA Current, sponsored (and we aren't making this up) by Con Edison—New York City. new york foundation for the arts

bush to medvedev

You one smart, sexy Russian. Eyes like Vladamir, soul like Putin. Don't let this be our last meeting together.

missouri river 340 canoe & kayak race

Release July 7, 2006

What: MR340 river race: the longest non-stop canoe/kayak race in world.
Where: Missouri River from Kansas City to St.Charles.
Start: 8 AM, Tuesday July 15th, 2008, Kaw Point Access, Kansas City, KS.
Awards ceremony: Friday, July 18th, 7:00 pm, Lewis & Clark Boathouse, St. Charles, MO.
Race officially ends: noon, Saturday, July 19th
Contact Person(s):
Scott Mansker, 913-244-4666 (scott@rivermiles.com)
Russ Payzant, 913-548-5101 (russ@rivermiles.com)
Karin Thomas, 913-220-3271 (karin@rivermiles.com)

As floodwaters recede on Midwest rivers, canoeists and kayakers from all over the United States, Canada, Belize, and Japan are readying to test the Missouri River in the longest non-stop canoe/kayak race in the world. The race takes place every year on the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Charles in the full-force heat and humidity of a Missouri summer. Given the recent high river levels, race organizer Scott Mansker expects records to be set that may hold up for many years to come. If records are to fall, racers will have to paddle cross-state in 2 days or less. That’s non-stop with no sleep, avoiding debris jams, barges, fatigue, heat exhaustion, and relentless pursuit from competitors.

Jim Low, who has written about the event since its beginnings, calls the MR340 an “authentic adventure” in a time when very few experiences can qualify as such. Drew Lemberger, who guides on the Missouri River, agrees, “The MR340 was the most challenging experience of my life, and I’ve had a few.” For last year’s race, Drew built a tandem kayak, convinced his boss to paddle for 3 ½ straight days, and still managed to keep his day job. The paint is still curing on Drew’s recently built racing kayak which he’ll paddle solo in this year’s race.

A number of Missouri-based racers have their eyes on being the first to arrive in St. Charles, but to date, no home-grown soloists have managed to stand atop the podium come race end. In order to win, they’ll have to leave in their wake adventure sport legend David Kelly as well as 24-hour record holder for flat-water paddling and ultra-marathon machine Carter Johnson - the men’s solo-record holder in the 260-mile Texas Water Safari, 420-mile Yukon River Quest, and 300-mile Water Tribe Everglades Challenge. Katie Pfefferkorn, an upstart phenom with enough mettle to challenge for the women’s solo division title last in just her second year of racing, may have the moxy this year to overcome the focused and determined Erin Magee. Magee, the 2007 MR340 winner, has 10 consecutive (9 times as a soloist) first-place Texas Water Safari finishes.

Racers will compete this year in 6 categories. Men’s and Women’s Solo; Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Tandem, and Team Unlimited (4-6 racers). The Missouri River 340 is a canoe/kayak race across the state of Missouri, July 15-19. Contestants will paddle 340 miles, from Kansas City to St. Charles, virtually non-stop and must complete the race within 100 hours.

For more information about the Missouri River 340 contact Scott Mansker, 913-244-4666 or on the web at www.rivermiles.com.

River Miles, protecting our river resources through participation.

year of the spaniard?

The Spaniards seem to be everywhere these days, at least in the sports arena. Last week they pulled off a victory in the EuroCup final, an event that looms very large the world over - except in America (kinda like low-mileage automobiles). Then Alejandro Valverde pulled off a pretty impressive surge at the end of the Stage One of Le Tour crushing some of the best sprinters in the world in the process. He was wearing yellow today in Paris, a color he may be able to hang to for a while, but it's 3 weeks before the return trip down the Champs-Elyse. Unfortunately the best Spanish rider, Alberto Contador, the defending champ is having to sit this one out because Amory Sports Organization, the organization which hosts Le Tour is making the Astana Team and coach Johan Bruyneel (former coach to Lance the A.) pay for years of speculation about his ethics and the fact that Astana(before Bruyneel) was as dirty as the Russian mob. And finally today, Rafael Nadal rid himself of the Swiss grass jinx and prevailed in the longest final match in Wimbledon history. Those Brits are nothing if not patient. Nadal has now done it on clay and grass in the same year.

So don your red beret and Rioja or Navarra wine. Sante!