Have you ever dieted? Have you ever tried?

Age has brought on a decrease in my metabolism. Some of the medications I take have caused a further decrease.

These and other factors have contributed to undesired weight gain. I blame my success at quitting smoking for adding to my problem. I frequently think I might be justified in taking up the habit again – for health reasons. Maybe not.

Returning from Scotland last year, I discovered that I had lost 11 pounds in one week. It finally dawned on me that I had not eaten lunch during the trip. I had simply been too distracted to notice that I had missed those meals. Being less sedentary than is my usual routine may have also factored in.

I suggested to my wife that a few more trips over there would get me down to my fighting weight. She didn’t think that was the most cost-effective way to lose weight.

While not on a diet, I thought I was being careful with my calorie count. There is also those sessions at the Y five days a week. I guess I knew that my weight had increased but I was surprised at what the scales told me. On the one-year anniversary of my return from Scotland to such welcome news, I was informed that I had added 33 pounds.

It was necessary to get help. The tests showed that decrease in metabolism but no tumors, no diabetes, nothing medically serious. I went on a diet. The result after 11 days is 6 pounds in the right direction.

Actually, the diet is so far from the one which we southerners inherit, it will take a bit of time to segue fully. Who knew fried foods were not the basis for a healthy diet?

Anyway, going on the diet naturally led me to direct my curiosity to all things related to food, dieting, etc. The advice is all over the map. Carbs are good. Carbs are bad. Calories count. Forget the math. Who do you believe?

My approach was to look at what our body does with food. Tasting good doesn’t mean that Häagen-Dazs should be a staple of your diet. It quickly became apparent that the mechanisms of our bodies weren’t always straightforward.

Fish oil is good for your health. But, it interferes with some other nutrients and also some medications. Out it goes, at least for me. Then I run into an unexpected source of problems. Soy.

I had heard for decades that beans were among the healthiest food groups. Also, it was a truism that the darker the bean, the healthier it was, with one exception – the soy bean. It turns out that the last bit isn’t necessarily true.

The remainder of this post is an article by Kristin Wartman in Civil Eats. Added to what I have written, it makes for a long post, but it is worthy of your attention.

Thanks to Michael Pollan, many Americans are now aware that when a food boasts a health claim it usually means it’s actually not that healthy after all. But there’s one food that consistently flies below the radar despite its numerous health claims when found in processed and packaged foods: Soy. A long-time staple in the American health food repertoire, it is a prominent example of Pollan’s observation. And the research is mounting that soy foods are not only questionable in terms of their benefits, but in fact, may be hazardous to your health.

Most recently, the Cornucopia Institute conducted research on the processing of soy foods and found that the industry commonly uses hexane—a petroleum-based solvent and known neurotoxin—to process soy ingredients found in many “natural” food products.

Thanks to their research and consumer concern, the Cornucopia Institute announced last week that some companies have voluntarily changed their processing practices and eliminated hexane from their products. Unfortunately, there are still well over two dozen “all-natural” nutrition bars and veggie burgers that still use hexane to process soy.

But hexane processing is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems associated with eating soy—and many of the health problems are unknown to the general public.

In 1999, the FDA approved the health claim that soy is “heart healthy” and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. But this wasn’t without controversy. Two researchers for the FDA, Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan stated that they were opposed to the labeling of foods containing soy as heart healthy since there was “abundant evidence that some of the isoflavones found in soy…demonstrate toxicity in estrogen sensitive tissues and in the thyroid.”

The two researchers refer to numerous studies that show the estrogenic quality of soy isoflavones have harmful effects on many in the population. Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, or plant-based estrogen that mimics human estrogen. It functions similarly to other endocrine disruptors (which I wrote about here on Civil Eats) and binds to our estrogen receptors. Consuming soy elevates estrogen levels, which is correlated with increased risk for breast cancer (and other estrogen-sensitive cancers as well), as 80 percent of U.S. breast cancers are associated with estrogen supplementation. In one study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who already had breast tumors were given a soy drink for 14 days and their breast tumor growth increased significantly.

In another study the researchers for the FDA refer to, consumption of soy is linked to brain aging, shrinking, and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In this 35-year Hawaiian study of 8,900 Japanese men and 500 of their wives, tofu intake was the only factor that correlated with an increased occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers wrote, “This finding is consistent with the environmental causation suggested from the earlier analysis, and provides evidence that soy (tofu) phytoestrogens causes vascular dementia.”

Perhaps most alarming is the use of soy-based infant formulas. They pose such a risk that the health ministers of the United Kingdom and New Zealand have advised parents not to use soy formula. Studies have found that soy-fed infants have estrogen levels an average of seventeen thousand times higher than infants fed human or cow’s milk.

For men, estrogen-rich soy is also problematic. The Israeli Health Ministry warns men to exercise caution in regards to soy consumption as it has been shown to lower virility—since eating soy reduces testosterone and increases estrogen. In one study presented at the 2007 conference of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, researchers found that in subfertile men, those eating the most soy had forty-one million fewer sperm per milliliter than those who consumed none. The average amount consumed was equivalent to half a tofu patty. In the womb, excess estrogen causes abnormal sexual development and low sperm counts in boys and men.

As is clear from these studies, the phytoestrogens in soy are quite powerful. While other foods (flaxseed, garbanzo beans, and oats, for example) also contain some amount of phytoestrogens, soy contains the highest amount—and since it is often used in such large quantities as a replacement for meat or dairy, it’s more problematic than other foods. Proponents of soy often refer to the long history of its use in Asian cultures but they fail to mention just how much is typically eaten. In Japan the average amount of soy consumed on a daily basis is two tablespoons, in China it’s two teaspoons where it’s eaten as a condiment rather than a replacement for animal products.

In America however, since soy is in thousands of processed foods (usually in the form of soy protein isolate, soy isoflavones, textured vegetable protein, and soy oils) it accounts for a fifth of the calories in the American diet—not to mention the actual soy foods and drinks that some use as a replacement for meat or dairy. Soy isoflavones were actually denied status as “generally regarded as safe,” or GRAS, as a food additive by the FDA due to the many uncertainties surrounding them. A senior scientist for the FDA wrote, “Confidence that soy products are safe is clearly based more on belief than hard data.”

What’s more, unfermented soy (tofu, soymilk, soy cheese, ice cream, yogurt, soy protein shakes, soy protein isolate) contains high amounts of phytic acid which blocks mineral absorption—particularly calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc; and soy is an unusual protein that is difficult to digest. Soy is also a goitrogen, meaning it depresses thyroid function and interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones as well as the crucial mineral iodine.

Fermented soy (miso, natto, tempeh, and soy sauce), most commonly eaten in Asian cultures, is easier to digest and contains far less phytic acid. In addition to choosing fermented soy products over others, choosing organic soy products means avoiding the 91 percent of soybeans produced in this country that are genetically modified and highly contaminated with pesticides.

Why haven’t you heard many of these facts and figures when it comes to “heart healthy” soy? Soy production is a major player in the industrial food system. According to the USDA, in 2009 the total acreage of soybeans planted in the U.S. was 77.5 million acres, accounting for the largest source of protein feed and the second largest source of vegetable oil in the world. In 2008-09, the farm value of soybean production was $29.6 billion, the second highest among U.S. produced crops.

So let’s remember Pollan’s decree: “a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.” And in fact, this applies to nearly every health claim, even the ones that you might not suspect. It’s good to note, too, that when the food in question is one of the largest players in the industrial food system, you can bet we’re not getting the whole story.

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In a very busy schedule I devote some time and effort to a blog for which I receive no monetary remuneration. Why?

I have a degree of knowledge and experience in some of these areas. My intent is to share the resulting, hard won perceptions on matters I consider important. Others have different backgrounds and differing perceptions.

Admittedly, I derive a measure of satisfaction from providing viewpoints that readers might not otherwise consider. The blog has received as many as 577 visits on a single day. I value each and every reader.

Sadly, I have only two readers who are inclined to provide feedback on a regular, or irregular, basis. These two are highly prized. They are not prized because they always agree. I am a true iconoclast. If someone agreed with me on every matter, one of us would be unnecessary.

Therefore, a recent comment from one of the two disturbs me greatly. To reiterate, my discomfort is not the result of a disagreement. It comes from a misapprehension of my intent.

I feel compelled to respond in a longer format than would be appropriate in the comment area. I wrote what for me was a short blog on areas of disappointment I have with the President. Cheryl’s response was succinct: “Who are you and what did you do with Crawford?” I devoted the next four posts to elaborating on those areas.

Cheryl then sent me the following comment:

I don’t know, but it seems like everyone wants to play arm chair President. My goodness, the country is a mess. He cannot do everything at once. He cannot wave a magic wand and fix everything in one clean sweep. It’s not like the president has authority to just change everything he desires. I am really tired of everything he does getting picked apart by everyone. I am astounded (yeah, I know I shouldn’t be) by how unfaithful people are to others. I voted for President Obama and I, for one, am standing behind him. He has already done much good. Why does everyone think it’s their obligation to trumpet how they believe he handles every matter?

I don’t know how to send this privately, so I’ll just have to send it this way and you can ‘moderate it.’ I am deleting this site from my favorites because I am tired of all the negativity about our president. I really bet there are a couple of things he’s doing well. Thank God we don’t have McCain and that silly traveling ex-governor in the White House. “Bomb bomb bomb Iran?” “I can see Russia from my house so I know how to protect America.” Yeah, that would be much better, huh? Well, keep all the trashing of Obama and we’ll get another 8 years of what we just had.

First, anyone is welcome to send me a private email at crawford@crawfordharris.com.

Cheryl,

As you say, the country is a mess and he cannot do everything at once. I could not agree more and I don’t believe in magic. Many people do expect the President to accomplish matters that are actually the responsibility of the Congress or others. As one who has held public elective office and holds a degree in Political Science, I am not in that group.

All presidents are the focus of the citizenry, and rightly so. That focus is for hopes, dreams and ideals. They are also the focus of criticism. Given that presidents are human, some of that criticism will be warranted. Some will not be justified. Obama has been the target of far more than a fair share of the later. But criticism can be constructive and instructive. I hope that all of mine so qualifies.

I too voted for Obama. But, I voted for what he represented more than for him as an individual. The presidency is not an individual. He is the embodiment of the executive obligations of our system. From my training and experience I see the role of the citizen to require participation in a public dialogue. It isn’t just our right. It is our obligation. That dialogue is, or should be, the energy that drives our system. It makes it possible to improve upon what the Founding Fathers gave us.

We have made improvements: abolition, women’s rights, civil rights and others. But, as you said, the country is a mess and requires considerably more improvement. I would not consider myself a responsible citizen were I to just accept matters as they are.

I don’t see myself as being unfaithful. If a friend had a booger hanging from his nose, I would consider it an act of friendship to tell him. Sure, Obama does many things well. He is an improvement of several magnitudes over his immediate predecessor and several less immediate ones.

Having been a journalist, I have heard the frequent complaint of the dearth of ‘good’ news. News is, almost by definition ‘bad’ news. We shouldn’t stand around waiting to read a news item that a dog didn’t bite a man.

I too get tired of all of the criticism, mine included. It is personally debilitating and enervating. When I began this blog I listed nine topic areas plus the catchall of Whatever. I desperately want to comment on many other subjects but the economy, healthcare and war have dominated the national dialogue.

I have, on too rare occasions, commented on the deaths of two friends, my college English professor, my trip to Scotland, etc. Believe it or not, I have other interests on which I would like to pontificate. I feel acutely that I am becoming Poor Johnny One Note. I would welcome questions from readers on the other listed topics and suggestions for posts that they might enjoy.

I hope that my criticism is more than simple complaining. I intend it to be instructive. I want to provide information and background and a different, considered perspective for readers who must devote their energies to responsibilities and interests that don’t leave them the time and opportunities I have had on the discrete subjects of my posts.

I hope, not that you find my takes always correct. Rather, I hope that they may provide the impetus for the reader to explore their own position in a different, hopefully broader, context.

I do have one special point of appreciation for President Obama. I will be eternally grateful to him for saving the country from McCain and his biggest mistake.

If you need to cut down on your dosage of negativity, I’ll understand but I hope you only reduce it, not eliminate it.

I appreciate the chance to speak to your concerns and hope I assuaged them to some extent.

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I saw thousands of sheep on my recent trip to the Highlands of Scotland. Most were just grazing on the hillsides. A few were being herded, by border collies, men or both.

If I had more time I would have stopped and asked them if they really wanted to be herded to the slaughterhouse. They, of course, didn’t get to pick their leaders.

I had thought we were different. I thought we picked our leader November last. Apparently I was mistaken.

President Obama is an accomplished academic. He is an accomplished speaker. He has many attributes but he is not a leader. He may see himself as such, or he may not but he is not.

He knew how to select an outstanding team of campaigners. He does not know how to select a team of governing advisers. He relied on the conventional wisdom in picking a staff and cabinet. Conventional wisdom is what is responsible for our current predicament on a broad range of issues.

He selected Rahm Emanuel to lead his political efforts. Rahm is a right-of-center DINO. He might be acceptable if he were given specific direction, rather than being given his head. Given the latitude to operate as he sees fit, it is becoming more and more apparent that he has taken this administration to a point barely distinguishable from the previous one.

During this administration’s tenure there have been over 500 visits to the White House by the powers-that-be of the health industry. His staff is rife with people from that industry. So, we have not gotten the promised healthcare reform. And, we will not get it. The bills being considered by the Congress are best described as health insurance reform; reform that significantly enriches that industry.

The health industry, aside from perhaps 59% of the physicians, have no interest in your health, only your money. Where is the reform? Where is the relief from increased costs in the most expensive system ever devised? Where is the longer life expectancy, the lower infant mortality, the next miracle drug when Viagra’s patent expires?

Even more than the case with healthcare the President has cast his lot with the thieves who created our economic difficultlies. He has given free rein to those who have impoverished us while feathering their own nests. Who leads his economic team? Larry Summers, the fired President of Harvard who ignored warnings and cost that university’s endowment $1.8 billion. And that was not even the reason for which he was fired.

How about killing our kids? Sending 30,000 more targets to Afghanistan will not provide a “win.” The costs of Iraq and Afghanistan would have more than paid for real healthcare reform. Money spent on unnecessary wars enrich the military-industrial complex and impoverish the nation.

Out of about five million votes in the recent Afghani election 1.3 million had to be thrown out. It would not be unreasonable to think that even more votes were of questionable provenance. To protect, defend and depend upon such a discredited group of warlords and drug dealers seems less than advisable. The people of that benighted conglomeration of fiefdoms see us as invaders and occupiers. Will they respond by spreading palm leaves in the path of an additional 30,000 foreign invaders, bedecking the 30,000 additional occupiers with leis?

Has any active military field commander ever wanted fewer troops? Has any military commander ever admitted they could not win? Has any military commander ever declared that there was nothing to win? No, but let’s abdicate leadership and let the professionals convince us they can destroy the Viet Cong Taliban if only they had another twelve million men, 403 more years and no interference from our elected leaders.

I just saw the headline: Karl Rove On Obama Plan: ‘Stand Up And Applaud.’ At least some people are pleased with Obama’s leadership.

The polls say that the economy is the number one issue for the country. With more than 15 million unemployed, it is no surprise that jobs constitute the primary concern of most people. So, what have these titans of Wall Street designed for us? Well, there was the stimulus package. So far, $100 billion of that $787 billion has been spent. Oh, they also handed out $90 billion in tax refunds. Leaderless incompetence – the Daily Double.

I was one of those that had hope. I voted for change. Silly me.

When we, as a country, are headed in the wrong direction, we don’t magically come to some unanimous conclusion as to which way to turn to avoid disaster. We have to depend on a leader to show us the way. But what happens when the leader quits (are there any Sarah fans out there to explain this to us)? What happens when the ones who led us (sold us) down the road are richly rewarded for their avarice and hubris and kept in those same positions? Would you believe that they failed to experience a teachable moment? Would you believe they continued down the path that had proven so rewarding to them?

People put themselves forward for the presidency for various reasons. Some do it simply out of ambition. Others have some agenda to promote. Some because they thought daddy was entitled to a second term. No one wants to be president because they think it is easy. Few who seek the office are really qualified. The position requires several attributes. The primary one should be leadership, particularly in troubled times.

Maybe leaders are born, not made. I hope that is not necessarily the case. But, ironically, hope is all we have.

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On my trip to Scotland, a mistake by the GPS gave me a few minutes of pure ecstasy.

This incident came to me totally out of the blue. Well, actually it was pitch dark. There is no way I could have anticipated it. It instantly changed my mood.

I was frustrated. I was upset. I was angry at a piece of electronic gear. I was blaming some faceless techie for daydreaming when he should have been concentrating on his job. It was costing me an hour and a half in arriving for a much needed appointment with the first part of the next bed and breakfast.

I had taken the ferry back from the Isle of Harris to Uig, on the Isle of Skye. I was on my way to Fort William. It was already getting dark. I entered the address of the next B&B into the GPS.

Here I was, burning into my memory the vistas I had experienced that day and relishing my good fortune in people I had met.

I was trying to make good time on narrow, rural roads in a darkness that is impossible to find anywhere near my home. Constantly checking the GPS, I was estimating my arrival time in Fort William and debating with myself as to when I should call the establishment with an estimate of my arrival time. I was also hoping for a bar or two of signal strength indicated on the cell phone.

This portion of the trip was disappointing for another reason. I knew that I was again in an area of magnificent vistas but the dark of night denied me another look. All I could do was concentrate on the drive and try to find things to worry about.

After a while I had the feeling that I wasn’t going the way I had come. What precipitated this feeling, given the darkness and my lack of familiarity with the area, is impossible to divine. Rationally, I should have lain pretty much my entire trust in the GPS.

The Isle of Skye is connected to the main body of Scotland by a bridge. That is the way I had arrived on the island. That is the way I assumed I would return. That is the way I expected the GPS to route me. The lateness, the darkness, the narrow, rural roads didn’t prepare me for the unexpected.

Feeling my way along a solitary road, barely more than a paved goat path, the almost human voice of the GPS had had no need of speaking to me for several minutes. Then it came alive. “In 100 yards, take the ferry.”

There are several certitudes up in that region. One is that ferries in remote areas are not always sitting there waiting for the odd American that shouldn’t be there anyway. Another is that programmers need to get out more. Ferries should rarely be considered the fastest route when bridges are available.

The real biggy is that ferries don’t operate at night.

Now that nagging feeling was confirmed. I was miles off course. I had to turn around and try to find the bridge while the GPS was insisting I take the ferry. It was necessary to drive back for some distance and, consulting my maps, enter a different destination on the other side of the bridge to get the GPS to allow me to use said bridge.

Retracing my way, on one of the stops to assess the situation, recalculate times and try to fool the GPS, I needed to step out of the car. I needed to stretch my legs, breathe some fresh air and take a break from the stress that I hadn’t noticed had been growing.

Then it happened. I looked up. The sight was overwhelming. There, just a few feet beyond my reach was The Milky Way.

Sure, you don’t believe me. The Milky Way is billions and billions of miles away, not just out of reach. I’m telling you. The night was so dark, so clear that my encounter was intimate. I can guarantee you that I felt almost a part of that scene.

I began college as a math major. I later went to physics, anthropology, history, political science, international relations and economics. But my first stop on abandoning math was astronomy. I had owned a nice telescope since late grammar school and had always been fascinated by the subject.

All these years my interests in astronomy were focused on reading about the latest discoveries and the capacities of the Hubble Space Telescope. They were interesting but they didn’t lead me to actually get to a place where I could just experience the light-unadulterated sky. My loss.

When staring at the sight, I realized I had spent so much time assaulted by city lights that it may have been 45 years or more since I had actually seen the spectacle. Perhaps the time I had been deprived of the sight caused it to make a greater impression but, although I had marveled at it in the long ago, I don’t recall it ever making so dramatic an appearance.

Although it happened in Scotland, a place that was already providing an emotional high, I think the sight could easily stand on its own.

I apologize for lacking the skill with language to convey the beauty, the full impact of what I experienced that night. Some may call it a religious experience but, whatever, it was a tremendous one. After recounting it to my wife, she commented that I seemed to be describing a sexual experience. Whichever, wherever you can leave the lights of civilization behind, see it. Experience it. I commend it to everyone.

In more than one sense, it was heaven.

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I‘m back from Scotland. The country was heaven. The arrangements left much to be desired.

On the Thursday prior to departing on my trip I spoke on the phone with one of the ladies at the agency. I was told that they would be mailing me a cell phone, a GPS and a booklet listing 340 Bed & Breakfasts that would take my vouchers. As I was leaving early the next day, I said that wouldn’t work. She said they would get those items to me, presumably when I arrived in the country.

Well, they mailed them to my home. They arrived on that Saturday.

Needless to say, they were not waiting for me at the Glasgow airport. They had pre-arranged the B&B for the first night in the general area I had requested. The vouchers for the remaining nights were in a package at that B&B. There was also a nice letter, thanking me for using their agency’s services and wishing me an enjoyable trip.

The vouchers and letter identified a cooperating travel agency in Edinburgh. I was lost for over 5 hours in that city, trying to find the agency. I stopped several times at gas (petrol) stations for directions. Everyone was extremely friendly but it was a combination misdirection on their part, misunderstanding on my part and, perhaps, a bit of something lost in translation.

At some point during one of these stops I left my cane. I have been using it for about ten years. It belonged to my father before that. Just a simple wooden cane; it had some sentimental value. Interestingly, when relating that, I was asked where I left it. How should I know? I was lost when I left it.

When I finally located the agency, they were most friendly. They called the agency in New York for me. I was advised that they would refund the money for the cell phone and I would have to purchase one myself. I did, but the cost was £39 instead of the $39 for the one that was sitting uselessly at my home.

While the nominal exchange rate was $1.59 to the Pound when I departed, the practical rate varied from $1.78 to $1.81. One counter at the airport even wanted to add a £3.5 service charge. I could have used Jesus to throw out the moneychangers.

It turns out that the rental car had a navigation system built in. However, it was broken. I was told to go to the rental agency and get a new one. I did, but that is a story in itself.

They had moved the rental car offices. Four different signs, including a “You are here” map, five different directions from five different people and two miles of walking without my cane was all it took to find the car rental office. They provided a portable GPS.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the car they provided. It was a Vauxhall Insignia with the aforementioned navigation system and an automatic transmission. When driving on the other side of the road and maneuvering through the roundabouts (traffic circles), one doesn’t need the additional hassle of shifting gears. An automatic is a blessing.

Once I had hit the road I realized that my steed was larger than maybe 95% of the cars on the road. A smaller, more maneuverable car would have reduced stress and made parking much easier.

I was wondering if it would not be an improvement to enact a law requiring street lanes to be wider than the automobiles. Also, some drivers and all tour buses have a special dispensation. Those oncoming buses, in particular, are entitled to at least 20% of your lane; and they fully exercise their rights.

Just one last tidbit on the hell aspects before I sign off on this portion of my little travelogue. Upon my return home I checked out the phone and GPS the agency had mailed there. The GPS was loaded with the maps of Ireland. It would have been totally useless had I received it in time.

Sorry for the downer as the intro. Despite everything, Scotland was more than worth it. Some impressions of heaven on the next post.

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I am going on a little trip. This coming Saturday I will be off on the first leg – to North Carolina. I depart from New York on Sunday.

It has been some time since I last visited Scotland; 1971, in fact. I lucked out and left the States the day after Nixon allowed the Dollar to float. No one had any idea how much it was worth relative to any other currency. It was a time ripe for ripoffs.

I exchanged some pocket money at Kennedy Airport prior to departure – a ripoff. Luckily, the Royal Bank of Scotland had a branch in the airport at Prestwick. It turned out to be about the best rate available anywhere. Later, we learned that the biggest gougers were the American hotels in London.

With both Crawford and Harris being Scottish names, it should be no surprise that my genealogy points in that direction. Other family names include Fraser (from around Loch Ness), McJunkin (Scot-Irish) and Morgan (Welsh, but also Gaelic).

The most success in tracing our genealogy has come with the Frasers. In that part of our family was a U.S. Representative, his father, a Governor and Senator. Further back, Simon Fraser, chief adjutant to William Wallace, he of Braveheart fame was found to be in our family.

I will be visiting Sterling, site of the famous Wallace victory of Sterling Bridge. Braveheart was a wonderful movie but atrocious history. Its Battle of Sterling Bridge was filmed in Ireland, with no bridges anywhere in the vicinity. I will also visit Culloden Battlefield, site of a horrific defeat for the forces of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. It was the last battle fought on British soil.

It is also where we got the phrase ‘beyond the pale.’ Pale means white or light-colored. It came to be used as referring to a paling fence. Then such a fence became a pale, meaning a safe enclosed area. Being ‘beyond the pale’ was to be in a bad situation. There was a pale at Culloden.

Our Harris family is a sept, or sub-clan, under the Clan McLeod. There is an Isle of Harris. You may have heard of Harris Tweed, sometimes called iron cloth. The name is protected by the British Crown.

The lead picture is of the rear of the Castle Dunvegan, home of the head of the clan. It has been the home of that family for over 800 years. That makes it the residence continuously occupied for the longest period of any in the world. Immediately above is a picture of its entrance.

While the interiors for the recent movie, Maid of Honor, were filmed at Dunvegan, the exteriors were of a nearby castle, Eilean Donan. It is the most photographed castle in Scotland.

Much of the staff of the Castle Dunvegan was used as extras in the movie.

I will be taking a netbook, a laptop, a video camera and a still camera. If I have a few down moments, I may try to post a few pictures and a minimal travelogue. Don’t count on it though. I hope to spend my time enjoying what likely will be my last visit there.

My hope is that it won’t be the last. While there I will be contacting literary agents and booking agents. It would be great if I am able to put together a book tour. That might pay for a return and a 2-3 month tour of Europe. Wouldn’t that be nice?

My wife refuses to fly. But, she says, she is concerned that I might enjoy myself so much that I would decide to remain over there. No, it wouldn’t be for the universal healthcare. After all, I am on Medicare.

More likely it would be due to the beauty of the country, the sense of history, and the chance to get away from the birthers, the deathers and the teabaggers.

Don’t begin celebrating prematurely. I’ll be back.

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