Skunk

Skunk , originally uploaded by floridapfe.

Very cute! But I wouldn't want to live with 'em.

source:life

Google has published the photo archive of LIFE magazine. Very cool!

Reading politics

Following the great Canadian tradition of taking more interest in the US election than our own (really, it's because for entertainment value, the US election rates much higher), I've been browsing through the political blogs this weekend. 

Wow, there are some very vocal wingnuts out there. And some of them are actually elected! The whole Democrat = liberal = hard left = communist / socialist / terrorist (extremely suspect math) meme being promoted by the Republicans is astonishing. And they are saying this on national TV. In public. At least in Canada, most of our political nutcases are politely ignored.  How much coverage did the Natural Law party get during the last election?

I also caught the BBC Hardtalk interview with [insert American Values white male twit]. Amusingly enough, he actually continued to assert that the majority of Americans agreed with him ... and at the same time that he didn't believe the polls that showed Obama was ahead in the election, since polls were inherently flawed. 

But logic has never been a strong point of the religious right. Witness Sarah Palin! Of course, Governor Palin never spoke gibberish! She goes to church! It's called 'speaking in tongues'!  Katie Couric just failed to appreciate the depth of Sarah's inspiration from God, instructing Alaska on how to deal with Putin's head looming over their aerospace.

Personally, if I saw Putin's head (or anyone else's head) looming over the coast, I'd assume I was hallucinating, not that I was an instant expert in foreign affairs. But then, I'm Canadian.

Hunger

It's Blog Action day, and the topic is Poverty. I live in Victoria, BC, and one of the best, and most long-standing, local charities is the Mustard Seed. The Mustard Seed food bank helps 5000 people every month. Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in, and yet we still have people in great need.

Please help those in need in your community, as well as in the world. 

depression

I didn't even feel the urge to capitalize this title. I need a place to journal — excise, maybe — the black beast.

I have, am afflicted with, depression. Or, as my doctor put it, my neuro-chemical biological soup has problems. 

This is my third major depressive episode. 

Current medical advice states that after two clinical depressions that require medication, the patient will need continual monitoring for recurrent depression, and recommends an ongoing prescription of anti-depressants.

Intellectually, I know that I am making the right moves. I have a doctor. I am on medication. I have been open in the work place about my situation (how euphemistic is that?).

But, every indication is that there is a strong genetic component. And I have this, by any evaluation. No, not DNA testing, but I wouldn't bet against it. [Note to self: has the pre-disposition to SAD etc been identified in DNA testing yet?] Granted, the state of medicine 20, 30 and 40 years ago didn't help very many people with depression. So, my situation is not equivalent with my grandmother's. Or my father's. 

Sometimes, the intellect doesn't help. And that is a difficult thing to admit, for me.

NCIS tonight!

Wow, what a great feel good episode!  I loved this take on Gibbs' past, it fit so perfectly with his character. 

The cast really makes NCIS work for me, with Abby and Tony dying of curiousity until they come up with a reason to join the team in Stillwater. 

The best shot? Gibbs driving the car, with a wide grin! 

Reinvigorating the blog

I need a place to vent, to write things out, so this is now elected.  It still seems weird to journal in public -- sort of like public sex. Let's give it a shot. Talking therapy works, as I was told today.

I want magic windows for my dream house

I've been watching and reading a lot of ecology/organic friendly technology reviews. One of the best has to be the window that never needs washing. It's based on the lotus leaf, which has an irregular surface that repels water. Treehugger did a review of a paint using the same technology.

But if you combined the lotus leaf surface with a solar panel? That would be really the best of all worlds. The solar cells could even power your Christmas lights, if you used LEDs.

BBC World ran an episode called Bionic Buildings, exploring new applications of biomimicry in architecture. One of the ideas was auto-controlled blinds on glass buildings, to control passive solar gain. Why not have the blinds powered by the solar powered gathered from the window?

So, a magic window: no washing, no closing the blinds, a solar panel, a stained glass design if you like, an option for LED Christmas lights, and.... what about one-way glass at night? Or would that be asking too much?

Widow's weeds

39.1Woman
Originally uploaded by Lantern House.

I love these old photographs as both an insight into history, my own family, and for literature. "Widow's weeds" and rustling skirts are often phrases you read, but after looking at this photograph you understand it. Can you imagine washing and pressing those yards and yards of skirt by hand?

Notice, too, the photographer's studio setup, with a backdrop, chair, and table. This is one of the less elaborate backdrops I've seen. There are lots more on Flickr now, as I've spent most of the morning uploading.

The Hummingbird Project (Brazil)

I just came across this project via the Flickr Blog.

Flickr: carf: "CARF Brazil was established by Gregory J. Smith in São Paulo, in 1993. Gregory had already established The Children At Risk Foundation – CARF Norway in 1992, determined to benefit the street children of Brazil by defending their rights and offering them a dignified and definitive solution so that they could live and grow within a family-oriented context and healthy social environment."

....

The stated aim of the Hummingbird Street Migration Prevention Programme, to work for social inclusion without discrimination and its recognised competence in carrying out projects, is the distinguishing feature of our work on social intervention. Through the serious commitment and dedication with which we carry out our work, and the good results we have had in cooperative projects with other agencies, the partnerships and dialogues with CARF as an external agent for cooperative ventures has grown and strengthened, however limited funding creates certain restraints for our further expansion.

The photographs on Flickr are very moving, and the Hummingbird Project seems well worth supporting.