Well, I care about this issue, so I won't leave it alone when something useful like this comes out. I particularly love the statement in here, that there's no point in trying to leap a chasm in two steps. You've got to have the will and the strength to make the big change that will benefit everyone.

Well, you learn something new every day, they say. Last Friday was my day to learn that groundhogs come in colours other than brown. Yep. Found a black one, near the Rideau Canal. Here it is:

- St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 13:4

I created this panorama planet from a photo of the Tower of London taken by my parents last year on their trip to England. Turns out it's easy to create photoplanets from your own pics! You could try this site (it's what I used!). Hope you enjoy it.

Here is an article from today's edition of a Canadian national newspaper, discussing a recent large-scale study of how Canadians feel about their system. When I compare this with how many Americans talk about health care, I find the differences quite striking.

Canadians Happy with Primary Health Care, Study Says
A large-scale survey finds that most Canadians have high praise for their family doctor

I have written about this before (click on Canada in my tags), but it bears repeating, since I hear that Americans are now being treated to TV ads wherein a supposed Canadian urges them not to let the government "get between" them and their doctors. For  heaven's sake, Americans ought to be angry at whoever is spreading these lies.

I live in Ontario and am more than happy to answer any kinds of questions anyone may have about healthcare. Just write me and ask! I reiterate that I myself have been gravely ill during my life, and have been treated and cured by a system that never burdened me with the ruinous (to an individual) costs of such treatment. Instead, those costs were borne by Canadians as a whole, who can easily afford as a group what would be life-destroying to a single person.

The government does not get between me and my excellent doctor. When I go to the hospital, I am never asked about money. Instead, I hand over a health card that proves I am entitled to Canadian healthcare, and the remaining discussions are entirely about what's wrong with me and how I may best be treated.

What the government does for me is collect taxes from all Canadians, including me, a portion of which goes to pay for all of our collective medical needs. Doctors have only one organization to send their bills to. Certain things aren't included, notably dental and optical expenses, but many Canadians get some coverage for those through their employers. I'm not looking forward to my next dental appointment, since I know some stuff is going wrong in there -- but I can't imagine what it would feel like to dread my next appointment with the doctor because I might not be able to afford to pay for it.

Decades ago, the citizens of Canada ordered their provincial governments to collect taxes and to pay for healthcare for all Canadians. My own experiences suggest that we have a great system here, even when you consider that wait times in emergency can be longish. The government doesn't interfere -- it serves our best interests, as it was told to do, and it does so in a way that is much cheaper than what the same services cost in the United States, because the government is not allowed to make a fortune from our medical needs. Simple!

Private profit-taking interests are trying and trying to chip away at our system here in Canada and to discredit it so that Americans will not take any steps to end the great money-making venture that is private provision of healthcare in the United States. Don't listen to them. Ask me and other Canadians for the truth instead! Our way is much cheaper and more humane. I am proud to feel that my taxes help other Canadians to get good healthcare. If you are an American, imagine the peace of mind!

Don't let private profit-takers get between you and your doctor!

Here is our lovely and much furrier kitty after four months of hangin' with us in his new home. As you can see, Henry is a very fuzzy and contented-looking creature compared to the day we got him home. He is sweet-tempered and patient . . . not shy around new people or even the odd canine guest . . . and adores as much attention as we care to lavish on him. He is so soft and silky that everyone just wants to bury their hands in his fur, which exactly accords with his nefarious schemes! His favourite activities include eating, stretching out on laps, and rolling in catnip while disemboweling imaginary enemies, paws waving hilariously in the air.

I am sorry to say that his feet seem pretty messed up from the previous owner's veterinarian's complete declawing. Declawing seems unfortunate at best -- but why declaw the back paws too? I never imagined that anyone would ever do that. He doesn't like his paws touched at all, they seem very sensitive.

My only regret with wee Henry is that I wasn't around for his kitten stage a decade ago. With that white ruff and four white paws, he must have been devastatingly cute!

Henry, a nine-year-old tabby patch longhair, joined us today from the humane society. Here he is resting up from his long day of being
discussed, shaved, shampooed, purchased, inoculated, tested, examined
and transported. He looks plain brown here, but he has a nice white bib
and white paws, and his tabby fur, when it grows back, will have a warm
orange undertone to it.

Henry was given up for adoption sometime in January because his elderly
owner had to go to a nursing home. He had a sister, Missy, who was
adopted separately by some heartless person, and he'd been languishing
in a little melamine cage for about six weeks by the time we came upon
him yesterday. Nor has that been the only trial he's endured in his
life. He is completely declawed - even the back claws, for heaven's
sake! - and he weighs over 18 lbs. He is actually difficult to pick up
and carry.

Dave's never owned a cat, but I've been looking forward to having a pet
again, so we decided that this was our opportunity to be good
Samaritans. Henry is a patient, uncomplaining creature who will make a
great first cat for Dave, since he will not be climbing the blinds or
clawing the furniture. We'll help him to lose some weight and get a bit
more exercise. I hope he will find it easy to forget the rough ride
he's had in 2009 so far.

Do you wish you could take a gastronomic tour of France? Imagine all the dining fun to be had in places with wonderful names that you can almost taste as you read them: Champagne, Dijon, Provence . . .

I lived in Provence for a year during which I spoke (and shopped, and cooked) in French. Since then, I’ve made happy use of the Web to learn more about the country, its history, literature and cuisine.

Even if I can’t travel there right now, I can still enjoy some French food, and so can you. In case you’re in the mood to try a French recipe, here is an easy one that I’ve researched and tested myself. It’s a modern recipe from the Savoy region. Tartiflette is a deluxe, cheesy version of scalloped potatoes, a casual, filling dish for winter months. By no means a diet food, but a treat for a cold day, maybe after some skiing!

Before I start, let me mention that right away we run up against an unusual ingredient, a cheese called “reblochon.” Most of us won’t be able to track down this historic Savoy cheese because it is made with raw milk. We can substitute camembert or brie (the runnier the better) and still get a fine result. The other ingredients are all quite common.

Read the whole recipe before you start. Did I just say that out loud? *laugh* And if you want to see a photo, there's a link to one below the recipe. I am not that handy with my camera yet!

TARTIFLETTE (serves 4; prep 20 mins; cooking 90 mins)

Ingredients:

6 rashers smoked bacon, chopped (~200 g)
2 onions, minced
2 lbs. potatoes (1 kg)
butter (to grease the casserole dish)
1 cup dry white wine (250 ml)

Savoy is a mountainous region famous for its white wines. Apremont is a type often mentioned in the recipes. In our case, an inexpensive but drinkable bottle will do – ask at the store for a dry French white that will go well with your chosen soft-rind cheese. (Never cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink! There is no such thing as “cooking wine!” Gah!)

1 cup crème fraiche or similar (250 ml)
fresh-ground pepper
salt
sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)

If you can’t find fresh thyme, bear in mind that where a tablespoon of a fresh herb appears in a recipe, it will take just a teaspoon of dried herb to replace its flavour. That’s a 3:1 ratio. But in this recipe, use your own judgment and taste to decide how much to put in.

1 small camembert or brie cheese

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 400F.
2.    Fry the onions and bacon together over medium-high heat. The more you brown these, the more intense will be their flavour in the final dish, so it's your choice.
3.    Peel and wash the potatoes and slice them thinly. Put them into a buttered casserole dish with the chopped bacon and onion. Mix well.

Use a mandoline on the potatoes if you have one. If not, try to get them all the same thickness so that they will cook evenly.

4.    Pour in the wine and cream, add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle a few sprigs of thyme over all.
5.    Put it in the oven and let it cook for 75 minutes. If it starts to get too brown or crispy on the top, put some aluminum foil over it for the remainder of the cooking time.
6.    While the dish is cooking, unwrap the cheese and slice it thinly (rind and all).
7.    After 75 minutes, take the casserole out and arrange the cheese slices over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Some recipes call for you to cut the cheese wheel into large wedges or even cross-sections and to distribute them, rind up, across the top of the casserole before baking. Then the cheese melts down into the potatoes while it all bakes together. I also read that smoked salmon can replace the bacon, but I haven’t tried that.

What to serve with this? Some slices of ham or roast pork would not go amiss. I’d suggest a crunchy salad with a vinaigrette dressing. And to drink, why not the rest of that bottle of white wine? Afterwards, a bowl of fruit or some other light dessert would help balance such a caloric dish.

Note: I looked at many recipes in both English and French before settling on my version. Try these if you’d like to take a look at some of the many variations!

TendanceCuisine (French)
Epicurious: Tartiflette
Recette de la tartiflette
Dailymotion: La tartiflette du Jules
A photo of tartiflette

In summary: an easy winter treat from Savoy ski country. Delicious!

CG

I want to do more food blogging, but a bit under the weather today, and then I saw this meme...

This is so fun, but I ask you, what kind of music could possibly be on this album? I vote "post-modern idiosyncratic noise."

1 - Click here. The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band, man.

2 - Click here. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your fantasy album.

3 - Click here. The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post and tag the friends you want to afflict - er, invite to make an album of their own.

I'd enjoy seeing some other efforts. I love an excuse to open Photoshop, amateur though I am. (And as for what kind of musician I am.... LOL!)

Later edit: Tyche did it! Xanustarx rocked it! Queenoscots did it twice! LetMeGoToo's album is . . . scary! Gneiss_Guy can even describe the music on his album.