The power of blogging, in my eyes

The Guardian has an article up today with excerpts from several bloggers in Asia. Blogging about their experiences, those of friends and family. Very powerful stuff.

To me, this shows the power of this medium - as a way to make sure your story is heard, as a community of supporters. To let the world know what's really going on, to vent incredibly powerful emotions. As a reader - to hear it in the voice of people living it.

Best to all and Happy New Year!

Prayers of all sorts, heartfelt wishes

I don't know if I can contribute to an aid campaign. I might try. I know, however, that I can offer up prayers that those in Asia can heal. That families can be reunited and get information on those lost to us. That survivors will find shelter, food, clean water, and medicine. That the generation of children now decimated and many without parents can recover, thrive, and remember. That clearer warning systems will be developed, that people will know to run when they see the water rush out to sea. That bitter and bickering nations can unite to support those in need. That resources used to kill and conquer can be turned to healing and rebuilding.

Mother Earth does strange things at times. Sometimes you try to look for a message in it. Sometimes there really just isn't one.

For the love of a pet

There's been a bunch of hullabaloo about the $50,000 cloned cat and whether or not a cat could really be worth that much to anyone.
Molson sure is to me.
Makes me scared of his mortality. At 7, he's aging, but hopefully he has a ways to go yet.

Then last night we watched Hidalgo. Every time they focused on that horse's face and eye, I thought of Molson. Afterwards, I went and gave him several big hugs. He's the greatest buddy ever.

Well, it's Christmas Eve. Sonny and I are at the parents' all ready. Dan will come tomorrow. In case I don't get on tomorrow - Merry Christmas everyone!
Enjoy family, warmth, full bellies, friends, and peace this holiday....

Expression

I haven't gone through this myself yet, but I do have friends whose daughter would not enter a restaurant when small when she found out Santa was in there. Stories abound of the fear of the jolly fellow and this site has created a place to gather pics of the event. I love the ones where the kids are attempting to run away, and also the ones where the eyes get big and the body is stiff with fear. Our society can be so brutal!



The other site I wanted to share today is the site of Simon Faithfull, a British artist travelling to Antarctica with the British Polar Survey. He has a blog where he posts diary entries, current location, and a picture a day. These pics are actually drawings he has done on his Palm. Very interesting - modern technology allowing him to share regularly what he sees, but in a form, that for me at least, harks back to olden day depictions - stark, simple. Compelling.

Ah, the French

Here in the US of A, home to the fast-food phenomenons of McD's, BK, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc, we protest the idea of fast-food by making movies like Super Size Me and running other such experiments - demonstrating fast-food's evil by consuming a ton of it and showing how messed up you can get.

I think the French method is more entertaining, and you can try some other good eats in the process!

Aiming the hose across the water, they catapulted fresh octopi -- a local delicacy, known here as the "pouffre" -- towards the town's first McDonalds, which had been set to open on Saturday.

Man, that restaurant must be stinky!

Amidst the holiday prep ...

Sonny's dog, Owen, is recovering from an attack by some evil dog a guy decided to walk without a leash. A night in the hospital, some stitches, and an Elizabethan collar. Hopefully he's feeling better. I'll be sending positive vibes...

Holiday baking is so not stressful this year. I'm doing a million and one things and have more yet to do. My cards are pretty late, but that's not so unusual. Wish I was further along on gift wrapping or, as usual, just plain unpacking. But I'm taking/ making the time to make this and than for some food gifts. And it feels right. Maybe because I'm in MY/ OUR house. It'd be even better if there weren't boxes hogging the center of the kitchen, but I can deal.

Small victories

I found the cables to our printer! This may seem very minor, but you need to know the number of boxes coming from the old study that remain unmoved in our living room. I finally got a start on printing our holiday cards. Phew!

Catching up

It's been a week and a half since my last post...I'm suffering from withdrawal! It's been tough of late because work is insanely busy (getting strategies in place for next year) and what time I have on the web has been mostly spent shopping. Add to that the fact that we're still offline at home and you get a bit of blog silence.

Here are a few quick bits and pieces before I have to run to my next meeting.

It's a Wonderful Life - bunny style - is now up at Angry Alien - with bonus scenes! Happy Holidays!

Sunday night I put the lights on the tree (we put ornaments on tonight). I had candles lit throughout the downstairs, carols on the stereo, and it was nice and easy to get the lights on (starting at the bottom is easier than starting at the top, I found). Lit them up, shut off the lights, and called J to see. I nearly cried, I was so happy! Our lights on our tree in our house! Way way super cool.
The tree is set up in the center of the music room. Surrounded by windows and far from the fireplace. You can still sit on the papasan and just absorb the season. I'm psyched.

Last night, our realtor stopped by with a housewarming gift. Very nice of her. But we had so much trouble with her throughout the process and we were trying to cook and all, so we shuffled her right back out the door in less than 5 minutes. Felt a bit guilty afterwards. But I just don't think she's earned a welcome, really.

Last week, there was an incident on our street where a lady got shoved down, hit her head on the sidewalk, and her bag was taken. People poured from their houses. Not the best way to meet the neighbors, but it was very encouraging to see the response to a neighbor in need. At least 3 guys ran after the person and about 3 carfuls of people also gave chase. Beyond that, the police and local security forces also came out strong. I was just glad to see that people came out in their sweats and pjs and stood there until everything was resolved, going over what had happened, what they could do. Maybe when it's warm enough to be outside again we can get to know them better.

Theophilus plays Christmas eve, but I'm not sure where - check their site for details.
Sonny's art has been doing well. There was even an article on him in Providence Monthly's October issue - they don't post all of their articles on the site, unfortunately - but if you can find a hardcopy it's a cool article.

That's it for now. Need hot chocolate before I can go much further....

yummy

Besides all the joys of Thanksgiving dinner (sorry, no pics to post on any front yet - we haven't figured out how to get the phone jacks on the floor hosting the computer to work yet - will post a wonderful menage soon, hopefully) - I've discovered a few new yummy snacks...

Clotted Cream Fudge. Yeah, I know, sounds gross, huh? At least to me it did. It's like a caramel. Our cousin, after a bit of globetrotting, settled in England, keeping busy by authentically restoring really cool old houses.... Anyway, he sent some from Perry's Cider Mill as an "early" Xmas present to Mom & Dad. Good thing they share! It just melts in your mouth.

Rice Krispies Popcorn Crunch. Another of J's impulse buys. Quite amusing, but be prepared for lots of white flaky crumbs....

Movies I want to see:
A Very Long Engagement - Audrey Tautou and Jean-Pierre Jeunet - an excellent team - and Dominique Pinon is always awesome in Jeunet's flicks
Lemony Snicket - I know it's more for kids, but it looks really cool
Mirrormask - premieres at Sundance in January - I hope it does well so I can catch it at our local arthouse....
And of course, the many many many I am behind on....

Happy Thanksgiving!

We're gathering at Mom & Dad's - Sonny, Danny & his wife & a friend, J and I - for our family feast. Happy Thanksgiving all! Happy Turkey Dreams!

Simple things

This house thing is just so frickin' cool! It's silly, but... as I leave work and think "Do I have my keys?" I get excited - they're MY keys to MY house! Every little aspect is MINE - OURS (though J has tried to call dibs, I've told him that's against the rules)!! Even the lawn, which someone was kind enough to rake for us - thanks whoever you are!
This is just so cool. :)Heeeeeeeeeeee

Maybe this weekend we'll find all the computer pieces and I can post those pics I've been promising.

Back in the swing

Well, it looks like the retribution only lasted part of Monday. Things are now back on track. Still a bit of finishing up at the old place. Lots to do in the new to get boxes and furniture where they need to be, do the necessary cleaning before full unpacking, think about painting, appliance, rug, lamp shopping, etc....

I spent last night shifting boxes from the nearest possible setting place inside the door to roughly where they belong, after bringing the second-to-last carload from the old. I love the feeling of settling in! J isn't feeling really well, but when he feels better we'll get into the zone... :) Once we get a bit more settled, we can start having some visitors - those who want to scope out the place or meet Molson before the housewarming (which will likely be after the holidays).

Read all of The Blue Sword on the flight back. Good fantasy story. Nothing really deep to discuss, but good read for escaping or whiling away long hours on a plane.

Return and ... retribution?

Wow. I definitely will return to Alaska. Hopefully with J. Definitely in summer. An incredible trip.

I haven't had the best time since back, though. It's got to be some sort of sign, but whether a sign that I shouldn't have gone or one that I should have stayed I haven't figured out yet.

When I left we were filled with excitement and wonder at our new home and what it meant. Everything was whole and happy and glorious. When I returned, that seemed gone - and short tempers and irritations prevailed. I'm sincerely praying it comes back tonight. It was not pleasant,especially after the feelings I had left behind.

Then, I woke up with a stomach ache and migraine. Ate a little, took some pills, slept a bit more to kick it. Finally ready to get back to the grindstone after a crazy last week and my car doesn't start. Once the guy jumps it, I decide to take it to a shop - to a Nissan dealership in case it's a warranty related issue (the car is only 2.5 years old) - and they basically tell me they'll look at it but doubt they'll even find anything wrong. Didn't get to work until 1.

Maybe I should have stayed there. Maybe I shouldn't have gone. Can I rewind time?

Pictures soon, still no operating PC at home.
PS I just posted what I wrote while on the trip, since I couldn't get to blogger, scroll down for posts back to 11/11 (my first post is just below Sonny's latest, sad note)

Took a longer walk about more of downtown today and again want to come when the weather is warmer. What a neat place!

I checked out the Oomingmak Musk Ox/ Qivut knitters co-op. They make yarn from the soft fur on the underbelly of the Musk Ox and knit it into the softest, warmest hats and scarves I’ve ever felt. Unfortunately, the craftsmanship involved in every stage from raising the Musk Ox to knitting the products results in a very high priced hat. Another time, perhaps.

I’m in Alaska for the annual conference of the American Indian Science & Engineer Society (AISES). Not in either of those vocations and not of Native heritage, I felt a bit out of the loop at times. I am here as an officer of the Native employee network in my company – someone highly interested in the culture and cause. It has struck me here that storytelling and prayer unite and conquer.
Storytelling can make your experiences real for others – no matter how different their lifestyle may be. It brings the mix of experiences we have down to the common human traits that we all understand. It is the power of words to teach a lesson without the audience feeling like they’re being taught. This even was also very spiritual.
Spirituality plays a key role in Native culture. Each major event or gathering began and ended with prayer here. Even though each group might have their own beliefs, even though prayers were often in Native tongues that only a select few understood, everyone participated and felt the reverence the practice leant to the entire proceeding. It sealed the import of the event and the depth of the sense of family.

One of the Elders today told us to “choose your spirituality”. It doesn’t matter what particular belief you choose, he said, but choose it, “do not let others choose it for you”. That was big for me. I don’t necessarily believe in or understand his Nez Perce faith system, but I respect it all the more for valuing my right to decide how and what I feel is true and right to believe in.

First full day

Anchorage is a city of mixes. Cottages mixed with high rises in the downtown. The ocean mixed with mountains. Wildlife mixed with people. Four hours different from home. In an extended network area for Verizon that compels you to use a credit card for cell calls. It feels like another world, a foreign land. And yet, its spirit harks to that of our founding fathers, of the pioneers and of the Native peoples. The blend is fascinating. I’ll need to come back at some point when the streets don’t ice over of an evening. When the sun rises before 11am. When I can maybe spot some whales in the Inlet or the Sound.

Oh, and the Alaskan king crab is mouth-wateringly awesome!

Heart of Darkness

An in-depth look at how man copes in a world of no boundaries. At man’s failures. At the power of personality to overcome the atrocity of deeds, Heart of Darkness misses many opportunities to bring these points home – if those are, indeed the intended points. Most of the book deals with the journey to find Kurtz – the subject of the study above. But that journey is non-eventful. Conrad could spend less time discussing how to maneuver around river snags and more fleshing out this personality that is so key, but of which the reader sees very little first-hand.
I find it disturbing that, despite all the evil Kurtz seemed to have done (the man had heads on spikes outside his house for Pete’s sake), and his realization of it at the end of his life, Marlow still feels compelled to be loyal, compelled to call him friend, compelled to think of Kurtz as a great being. Is this due to Kurtz’s power of voice? Did his words (which comprised so much of his identity) contain such power that one forgot his evil deeds – that one could dismiss them as unimportant in the overall scheme of things? This ability, its roots, its power, its ultimate impact, this is what I’d like to see explored more. Where I think the meat of the novel really lies. And it feels like Conrad chose instead to brush over it.
I’m still disappointed with this purported classic. But it does strike a curious chord to explore if voice can truly have such pull. Maybe I need to do what Conrad did not.

richard kalter

hi, everybody should go to the maryland institute college of art web site (www.mica.edu) and read about my friend richard kalter. there are two really nice things written about him there. richard passed away this week at the age of 79. he was one of the nicest, smartest people ive ever met.

Flying out

1:25pm Rochester time
In the air to Alaska (posted later, of course)

Moving is HARD! Especially with all of the books, furniture, and dust we seem to have! The timing got so messed up with the move that I’ve had to leave J to finish everything himself, with some help from Mom and Dad – for which we are extremely grateful.

I’m hoping that the PC will be up and running in the new house when I return, so I can post some pics both of the house and of Alaska.

It should be a good trip. I just wish I didn’t have a migraine and a sore head from a whack last Sunday that I seem to be really good at bumping on other things.
Can’t type any more. Words are making me ill. I will likely finish quite a few books if I can get over this motion/migraine-related wooziness. It’s going to be a long flight.

We have a house!

Yeah!
After all of that nonsense, we are the proud owners of a new home. We love it - it feels so ... right! The first night there, I was walking around barefoot in the dark, moving boxes - it's like it was meant to be OUR house!
Ahhhhhhh....
Can't wait until the hauling is done and it's just unpacking and cleaning and settling. I ache in so many places, I'm hobbling around today like someone three times my age.

Pictures soon, I just need to find my USB cable/dock....

Should we summon the hero archaeologist? Hmm - primatologist??

A temple in India is under pressure. Perhaps some evil has awoken. Perhaps someone has angered the monkey god, Hanuman. Some 300 children have been attacked outside this remote temple in the last few weeks. Attacked by "blood-sucking" monkeys gone berserk. At least 2,000 monkeys roam near the temple, but only recently have they begun to turn on the children. The poor children. Imagine, running home from school and a monkey drops out of the trees onto your back - knocking you over and takes a bite! Yikes!

This sounds like a case for today's Indiana Jones. Or maybe there's an Indiana Jones of the animal world? Oooh, oooh! I vote for Mireya Mayor! She looks way cool:

I am a thrill seeker with a cause ...to learn as much as I can about our fragile planet and do what I can to protect it. - Mireya Mayor

Alright. J always thought I had it so together about what I wanted to be when I grow up. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. But I'm finding that last week I wanted to be an archaeologist on the hobbit find and this week I want to be a primatologist solving the vampire monkey problems.