The Stanford Inn by the Sea - Eco-Lodge & Retreat Center

Gypsy is doing great! Here he is with Today Show's Travel Editor, Peter Greenberg.

Peter came to Mendocino County to broadcast his weekly Worldwide Radio Show. Several years ago his producers asked us to send video tape of of guests with their dogs as well as a selection of our pet amenities for a segment on traveling with pets on the Today Show. As one of the first independent inns to accept pets in California we were known as a leader in pet hospitality. Peter featured the Stanford Inn on a Saturday, very early in the morning. (Neither Gypsy or I are early risers!)

Peter Greenberg has an encyclopedic mind and is insightful and obviously compassionate. He travels more than 400,000 miles each year, serves as a volunteer fireman in New York and has homes on both coasts.

During his visit he interviewed Katy Tahja, Mendocino historian, author, lover of sea palm, and expert on Mendocino writers. Katy is usually at Gallery Books helping shoppers find books and organizing the store's inventory. Kate Hee, owner of Fort Bragg's Outdoor Store discussed Mendocino County's amazing variety of recreational experiences from exploring wineries to mushroom foraging, ocean kayaking to whitewater rafting, whale watching to mountain biking through redwood forests. Hal Wagenet spoke about the Mendocino County lifestyle - particularly as evinced by those with long histories in the County. The residents of his hometown, Willlits, have organized to fund and build the Country's first 'green hospital," which was named after the Frank R. Howard, the son of the owner of Seabisquit. Charles Howard provided funds for a hospital that might have saved his son who died following an automobile accident.

A short update: Gypsy is gaining weight, too much weight.

We have been feeding Gypsy his normal diet of kibble, PLUS 1- 2 rolls of nori (vegan sushi roll) - about 8 pieces per roll, PLUS the occasional sea palm strudel - about a ¼ serving. Gypsy seemed to be able to take this additional volume without gaining weight. We discussed this - "is he using the additional calories for healing?"
"Is he still sick?"
"Are we walking him too much? He still isn't bounding up the stairs."

While we thought about it, Gypsy slowly filled out and now he is definitely heavy as is Murphy who at only four years needs more exercise. Today, the sea palm and nori diet remain and we have cut back the kibble for both Gypsy and Murphy.

More than 10 weeks have passed since Gypsy was sent home for us to say goodbye. Every day he reminds us that life is precious, wonderful and ultimately mysterious.

In 2005, Molly Wood, a senior editor at cnet.com, issued a column The cell phone industry: Big Tobacco 2.0?, in which she wondered if the popular and addictive cell phone is not unlike cigarettes. The cell industry then and now actively argues that scientific evidence does not demonstrate a relationship between cell phone use and disease, specifically cancer (http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-5741203-1.html).

This year, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki an epidemiologist and physician at Tel Aviv University, published Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Benign and Malignant Parotid Gland Tumors--A Nationwide Case-Control Study, (American Journal of Epidemiology., 15 February 2008; 167: 457 - 467; http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/167/4/457.) The study demonstrates that cell phone users had a 50% greater risk of parotid cancer than those who did not use cell phones. This limited and controlled study is provocative and frankly, troublesome.

Five years ago, I was locked in a battle over the installation of cell antennas at the Stanford Inn. A small contingent of residents truly believed that cell antennas produced dangerous radiation. Before we had agreed to have antennas installed here, we read just about every major study (or abstract of such a study) regarding the dangers of radiation. We learned that base stations were relatively safe due to restricted access to the antennas, while the antennas in handsets were definitely problematic. Five year later, Dr. Sadetzki's study is particularly important: the antennas in our cell phones are not just problematic but dangerous, especially with heavy use. In addition since the phones continually connect with local cells, the phone in your pocket is dangerous as well.

You can find additional information regarding this study in Heavy Cell Phone Use Linked To Cancer, Study Suggests at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144349.htm

There are other studies, less well constructed that suggest that gliomas can be caused by cell phone or remote phone use. (Reported by Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS48429+23-May-2008+BW20080523.)

We are very concerned about cell phone use and believe that there's enough evidence that handsets are potentially dangerous to use Bluetooth, wired earphones and the speaker phone to help prevent long term damage from the use of the technology. Incredibly, if, the information in Reuters, 23 May, 2008, is correct, the use of home remote phones is also dangerous. Even these ubiquitous telephones should be put aside in favor of corded telephone sets.

We work among landlines and have phone extensions throughout the Inn, however, cell phones are the primary phones of both our kids and our guests while they are here. Guests of the Stanford Inn will find land line based phones with voice mail in all our accommodations.

Simply, if you are concerned about your health, cell phones should be used minimally - and when used, only with Bluetooth, wired headsets, or as speaker phones. Don't give up your land line.

"It's a matter of opinion!"

"No it's not opinion! It is a matter of life and death. Death is a fact: it's real. Suffering's real!"

"Well, it's a matter of opinion!"

Three women were in the lobby, two of them proud of their work in sustainable water use.

I said, "There's no greater sustainable action that one person can take than being vegan."

I had no idea what any of them eat. In fact, I knew who they were visiting - a vegan friend of our son.

I had no desire to discuss veganism - I assumed that they were literally living sustainably - for that was their passion.

But the tall one said, "There have to be options!" I didn't know what she was talking about.

"Options?"

"Yeah, options: A middle way!"

"But there's no sustainable middle way," I replied. "And what about the animals?"

"Everybody has a right to their own opinion," another one said, and began walking out of the building.

"Death is not an opinion. Suffering is not an opinion! Death is death! How is that an opinion?!!"

She walked out muttering, "Everyone can have an opinion," unwilling to discuss the issue of her opinion regarding the death of another being.

What I wanted to tell her is that everyone is entitled to opine about what ever they want. But do they have the right to take the life of another being - directly or indirectly? Do they have the right to cause suffering? How do they condemn others for polluting water when they eat meat? Check it out: the greatest source of water polution is the meat industry - the huge pig farms, feed lots, and chicken ranches.

I wanted her to know that it was her choice, not her opinion. I wanted her to know that choice was there, acknowledged or not. And I wanted her to take responsibility for her choice - just simply saying, "I choose to eat animals." It is not an opinion and it is not something that just happens to her. We have to eat and we can choose. This is all about the nature of our existence, of her existence. Choice is an essential aspect of what we are: We are "choosers" and we must acknowledge choice.

Recognizing that we make choices and that each of us is responsible for the choices we make is so difficult for some of us. But it is so necessary - and it's liberating. To look at your own life and grab it making decisions and rejoicing in your ability to choose - this is the nature being human! To hide from our existential nature is also within our nature, but somehow, somewhere we know deeply that we are flawed . And it is liberating to move toward wholeness.

Finally, recognizing that we choose and acknowledging our responsibility for choice is a movement of meditation. It is mindfulness.