Philadelphia, Pennsylvania photographer waved at by polar bear

This little tomato, rescued from some bad times itself, has managed to hang in there as of this writing. Yep, in Seattle. Photo by MS(R)M

Hi again and yep, from the ramparts of the Bastion on the Puget Sound, it’s been another interesting week. I don’t know how many of you watched US President Barack Obama’s Tuesday evening address to the nation regarding America’s involvement in Afghanistan but we did here and obviously some of you did as well, judging by the email we’ve received.

You may as well know, this is not a fun subject for me either. I don’t like thinking about it and I enjoy writing about it even less. But several of you have asked how I feel about it and that’s part of the contract.

Historically, Afghanistan has never truly been conquered or contained. The last to attempt it were the Russians when they were still part of the Soviet Union. Just like the French in Vietnam, they were defeated and I’m afraid the outcome will be the same for America in Afghanistan as it was for the US in Vietnam.

As Mr. Obama spoke, the cameras panned across all those future military officers; young men and women in their prime, educated and trained to give their all in the finest of traditions. I could not help wondering how many of them would be alive in two years and, as well, how those kinds of sacrifices might possibly be better served much closer to where these kids grew up.

I am, in principle, opposed to the taking of a human life. As a combat veteran, I am personally horrified by war. As a caring person with young people in my life, two of whom served in Operation Desert Storm, the mounting casualties of both the war in Afghanistan and the one in Iraq make me still fear for my own. I’ve lost too many and I expect most of you can relate to that now then, eh?

I honestly don’t know what’s best in this situation. I only know that as long as military involvement continues to be an option, all efforts to solve the economic and social problems which yet plague the United States and the other flags on this masthead will necessarily be compromised. I would prefer no more of it.

Moving right along then, eh?

To the Fourth Flag, With Thanks For A Good Example
As a follow-up to our coverage of the worst storm in Britain in a quarter century, here’s to a slender young lady engineer of 26 from Oxfordshire who spent a week up there using her skills to help shore up bridges in the wake of the flooding and who slept in shelters, comforting the displaced. She remembers holding one 92 year old woman through the night and until her children were able to get through to her.

This was Fran’s first experience with something like this but it was not mine. So I know what this young lass who means so much to this household has been through. When she spoke of the generosity and simple kindness and compassion shown all around, I can relate to that. I was born under the second flag on this masthead and Canadians are no strangers to the British “stuff upper lip.”

Welcome home, Francesca. Finest kind, Sweetheart. Marseille is also proud.

Autumn Swine Flu Season Peaks in America
In a report recently released by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the New York Times, Overall doctors’ visits for flu declined for the fourth week in a row. Hospitalizations dropped for the third straight week, and, for the first time, there appeared to be a clear drop in weekly deaths. For the statistics and a longer range forecast, please go here.

CRITTER STUFF

Even Jules Verne Could Not Have Imagined This
This is another of those “not furry and not prowling around the moat of the Bastion on the Puget Sound but probably swimming deep down in said castle water skirt” news bytes. Having been scared out of swimming with orcas at an early age, the knowledge that deep in the ocean, far beyond the reach of sunlight and good sense, there are according to Edward Vanden Berghe, who manages Ocean Biogeographic Information System, and as reported by the Portland Oregonian’s Scott Learned
5,772 species living more than a half mile down there makes me very glad I was born without gills, fins, big lungs or enough curiosity to go down that deep and start counting stuff like that. Some of what they found down there was WEIRD. Check it out here.

MAYBE GOOD NEWS, MAYBE BAD, BUT I’M NOT SURPRISED

In the wake of this economic downturn, as of September in America and according to the Wall Street Journal, women held down 49.9% of this nation’s jobs. In this yet Industrial Age, it should not surprise any of us that heart problems have topped the list of the big ten that kill women in America, including cancer.

That’s not good news in my house. It strongly suggests one common denominator might have something to do with how we’re living and what we’re living for. Just a thought. The good news is that according to the Mayo Clinic, most of these are preventable. Yep, please go here.

FROM YOU GUYS FOR YOU GUYS

This is an opportunity to do something totally off the wall to a few kids in a place most of you have never heard of, much less been. You get a box of See’s chocolates out of the deal. This is from Peg, in Sacramento, California..

I have information to share that will bring joy to a lot of people locally and otherwise..... (See's Candy!) and hopefully, a new community pool at Carmichael Park.Kiwanis Club of Carmichael, CA is partnering with See's Candy to raise funds for the proposed Aquatic Center at Carmichael Park. H&R Block has donated space for us to set up the candy shop and people can avoid long lines at See's Candy stores and visit the Carmichael Kiwanis store instead!
From now thru Thursday December 24th at 4005 Manzanita Avenue (Courtesy H & R Block)
Bel Air Shopping Center (next to Starbucks) MAP
I've attached a flyer about the sale and here's the website for more information about the proposed Aquatic Center http://carmichaelpark.com/capps.htm
If you need more info, please contact me at my email address: Pegleghill@aol.com. I'll probably be at the shop, so come visit me and buy all your See's Candy Christmas presents.
If anyone is interested in purchasing candy from us, I would be happy to send it postage free. Needless to say I need information and money paid before I can do this.
Oh by the way, the prices of the candies whether bought at a regular Sees Candy Store or from us are the same.
Oh....here's the club's website: http://www.carmichaelkiwanis.com/
Thanks for your consideration and thanks Rusty for putting this on your blog. In the midst of recessions, economic downturns and more, I am pleased to be with a group who feels that children need and deserve to laugh and smile.

You’re welcome, Peg. Good luck with this and our check’s in the mail. Our warmest regards to the Delta.

This next one also comes from my former home in California and I’m proud to say it’s also from the finest personal essayist I’ve ever read. (Also see Northstar Recommends below) His name is Mike Browne, professionally known as Tomatoman Mike. His blog is The Tomatoman Times. He’s got two dynamite free computer maintenance software programs to recommend. I’ve been using them for years and endorse both without reservation.

For the past few years I've been using two free programs to remove the tracking cookies we accumulate every time we visit a site.

Both have proven safe and reliable. Try them. You'll be surprised at the amount of binary barnacles your pore little hard accumulates as it sails the cyber seas.

Sorry, but neither program eliminates alliterative purple patch prose. Like mine.

CCleaner - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

The home of Spybot-S&D!

Mike

UNDER THE CATEGORY YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP

If I told you that this photographer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania got waved at by a polar bear, how many of you would believe me? Come on. I want a show of hands here. (Drumming my fingers lightly on the microphone.) That’s what I thought. Well guess what, yahoos and yahoettes? This time, I’ve got proof. And photos. All you have to do is click here.

That’s it for this week. We’ve got some cool stuff down below you might want to check out. Stay the course, gang. We’re getting there and we’re going to make it. And thanks once again for the ear. And stuff.

Mick
aka Rusty

(And for those curious about both names, like the two countries I claim as home, I’ve got two names; the one I was born with and the one I was given after I was adopted. I’m going back to the first one, Micheal Sean-Patric McGuire)


NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS

FUN STUFF

How about a trip to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo to watch a couple of grizzly bears in their Northwest setting? Yep, click here and thanks to our friends at Puget Sound NBC affiliate KING 5.

If you’re into a real interesting and visual escape, we certainly recommend The Art In LA website. It’s a virtual art gallery created by a real gentle, occasionally obnoxious but totally good-hearted soul with standards as fine as those of any engineer I’ve ever met. It’s also a good place for healthy meditation. If you’re lucky, you might just run into the artist herself. Her name is Colleen and she’s a trip, trust me. Yep, she was born under the fourth flag on our masthead.

For those into words that resonate, there are fewer finer contemporary craftsman I know than a man named Mike Browne, professionally known as Tomatoman Mike and the publisher of The Tomato Man Times. He’s as Northern Californian as John Steinbeck, albeit with a dash of Sam Clemmons, Bret Harte and Robert W. Service in him. He’s a romp to read, trust me.

HEALTH

Ten foods that really do help prevent cancer.

If you’d like to know whether your eating habits are either adding years to your life or taking them off, take this RealAge quiz. It will not only score your real age against your health age but give you a program for improvement. I’ve been working this one for about a month now and yep, I feel a lot better.

Want to know how to live to be 100? Try this one.

Ever had trouble getting behind eating a lot of fruits and vegetables despite how good they are for you? Ever had trouble selling that one to your kids and grandkids? Ever been totally sold on the idea then gone to the market and been totally tasered by the price of good health in some places? If your answer is yes to any or all of the above, you really need to check this site out. Fruits and veggies: more matters.

ONLINE TOOLS FOR THE KIT

WorldStart.com - The best source of computer information, tips, education, entertainment, industry news, graphics and useful websites.

PC World – This is the best source we’ve found yet for totally free, useful, reliable and secure (no viruses) downloads ranging from games through utilities and with a nice selection of screen savers, etc. What I particularly appreciate about it is how easy the site is to navigate. They also have a daily letter featuring two “daily downloads.”

Free People Search – This is an American online White Pages that I found really simple, quick and user friendly. I looked for myself under the several versions of my name and it found them all. It’s also free and doesn’t involve anything to download.

Know Thy Elected Officials - Just type in your zip code and this site will supply you with the names and contact information for your legislators from the state level up. This is a two click site with a host of other relevant features.

MEDIA

Overview

For those interested in what’s going on in the world of magazines and newspapers in general, we highly recommend Woodenhorsepub.com. They publish a weekly online newsletter for media professionals and for readers simply interested in the future of the publications they enjoy and an advance on new ones they might. Their website is located here.

Entertainment

U Got Style is a monthly ezine dedicated to independent films. Fully illustrated, it features hard news, interviews, reviews and a wide variety of other information. It’s also fun to read.

Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean – Live from the smallest record store in North America. Canadian humor, entertainment and commentary at its maple leaf best. Popular on National Public Radio in the States.

BBC Knowledge Magazine – designed to give the American magazine National Geographic the proverbial run for its money,

News

BBC – Best source of international news.

The New York Times – Best source of American news.

The Vancouver Sun -- outstanding source for Canadian national, provincial, and world news.

Reuters – Best source of an international perspective on American headlines.

Sightline Daily (formerly Tidepool) – Best source of Pacific Northwest regional news. Delivered daily by email, it covers Alaska, British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. They also put out an excellent weekly environmental edition.

KING 5 News – Best source of video news of Seattle and the Greater Puget Sound.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

The Northstar General Store

Well, marching orders have come down from on high. We need to start selling stuff on this site. That does not, however, in any way, shape or form obligate you to buy any of the weird stuff that’s likely to appear on the shelves. We’re going to keep it real simple; Paypal for those who have it and regular mail/post and a personal check for those who don’t. We’re also soliciting others who have things they’d like to run here and signing them on for ten percent commission. One of the first things we’re putting out is a 2010 Sasha the Cat calendar. If you’re interested in sharing this experience with us and helping build it, by all means, email us here and we’ll talk.

TALENT FOR HIRE
Rusty Miller, Freelance Photojournalist – Whether it’s a one time press release, book or product review, difficult business correspondence, resume or classified ad composition you need, take a look at the services offered menu on my writer-for-hire homepage and we’ll get together on it.

Are you a travel editor looking for color shots of Seattle? Are you an art dealer looking for new work to carry on consignment? You might enjoy checking out a gallery of my work for sale