Hi again from the ramparts of the Bastion on the Puget Sound. Well, if you’re in the mood these days to follow a grand adventure which has nothing to do with the Pope or politics, I invite you to join us in following the voyage of the Plastiki, a seagoing catamaran whose hulls are made from 12,500 one use-plastic water bottles.
She and her predominantly English crew got underway last week from San Francisco, bound for the Sydney Australia, via the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This is an area twice the size of Texas and about five times as large as the United Kingdom, where nothing thrives nearly so well as the human garbage the ocean currents bring here. The mission of the Plastiki then, is twofold.
The first is to bring attention to what “the American Dream” and other material/pollution-heavy lifestyles are doing to the planet. The second is to suggest one recycling alternative to discarding plastic bottles. Yep, building boats like this one.
And make no mistake. The Plastiki is not some tree-hugging, do-it-yourself-at-home, fall-apart-when it’s-over vessel. It was designed by some of the best marine engineers a lot of money can buy and it is equipped with the latest in navigation, communications and other cyber technology.
Like, Sir Richard Branson, another English billionaire with a dream and the money to back it, David de Rothschild, banking heir and environmentalist, is using some of his wealth for a good cause. No, he’s not taking us into outer space but instead, trying to make sure our species does not turn 70 percent of the earth’s surface into a refuse repository.
For more on this one and to follow the voyage of the Plastiki:
Other Total Fascinating Links To This One Include:
National Geographic
National Geographic Adventure blog
Great Pacific Garbage Dump
This next one has to come as good news to millions of women and the men who care about them. According to Associated Press medical writer Maria Cheng, in a story datelined Barcelona, Spain:
“Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said Thursday, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease.” Yep, for more on this one
We applaud the State of Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office for bringing charges against nine high school students in Northampton whose online and offline tormenting authorities contend led to the suicide of 15-year-old freshman Phoebe Prince, whose family had recently immigrated to America from Ireland.
This should never have been allowed to happen and that apparently it went on with the full knowledge of South Hadley High School officials and the student body, and despite the beseeching of Phoebe’s parents to do something about it, strongly suggests than an entire community may well share the guilt for this child’s death. For more on what you can do to prevent stalking or end it.
Our heart goes out, as well, to a very soggy American East Coast and to Rhode Island in particular. There’s a lot of speculation going on about what’s causing it but if history is any indication, in the end, the Republicans will blame it on the Democrats; the Democrats will blame it on God; and God will start looking around for another human dumb enough and patient enough to build a boat big enough to put a bunch of mated animals in again. Keep your eyes open folks. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.
CROSSING OVER
“Stand and Deliver” educator Jaime Escalante died Tuesday at his son’s home in Roseville, California of cancer. A passionate, determined and charismatic individual, Escalante was an early believer in the real meaning of “no child left behind.” He walked his talk in East LA and if America ever really wants to end a war quick, all it needs to do is parachute a couple battalions of inner city kids into the conflict. Jaime proved these kids could also learn calculus which he taught with flair, creativity and an uncompromising demand for what he himself gave. Jamie didn’t do anything half way and he didn’t settle for anything less than the best from his student and those he considered his professional peers. Jamie was 79. For more on this remarkable human being
We bid a sad farewell to American television and film actor Robert Culp. Perhaps best remembered for his role along side Bill Cosby in the espionage series I Spy, he was a well-established actor in westerns and later broke into the big screen in such memorable roles as John F. Kennedy’s best friend in PT 109John F. Kennedy’s best friend in “PT 109,” Wild Bill Hickock in “The Raiders,” Jane Fonda’s fiancé in “Sunday in New York” and the president of the United States in “The Pelican Brief” (1993).
Mr. Culp, who was born in Oakland, California, died last Wednesday, outside his Los Angeles home, of an apparent heart attack. He was 79. For an outstanding tribute to him,
GOOD NEWS
For anyone is enthusiastic about bicycles and electric bicycles in particular, Sightline Dailies series “The Parable of the Electric Bike is a must read. Alan Turning is a whimsical, ingenuous personal experience writer with integrity and one who clearly does his homework. His first installment is entitled “Juice Hawgs.” Yep, check it out here.
I am also pleased to report that the Olympic National Forest tied with my second favorite, the Umpqua National Forest, for second place, right behind Oregon’s Willamette National Forest as the second-best carbon bank of all 120 of America’s national forests. These are the results of a study undertaken by the Wilderness Society, the results of which were released last Thursday, March 25, 2010. To see how the forest in your state placed
Other Links
Olympic National Forest Homepage
Umpqua National Forest Homepage
Willamette National Forest Homepage
Find a Forest By State
Wilderness Society
Even though ecotourism is really catching on, this one is a stretch. But apparently there really are people who will fly thousands of miles to take a look at a systems of sewers, drains, etc. that dramatically reduce water pollution. Portland, Oregon put their sewer system on the map and local business benefit by providing accommodations, meals and other forms of more conventional recreation. Portland’s a city of rivers and boating, water-skiing, even sport fishing and SCUBA diving are back in popularity. Yep, to see how they did it
Portland is doing something else very cool. It’s taking a new look at the concept of urban renewal and starting to turn its poorer neighborhoods into Resource Access Centers which will provide services for the homeless and provide a shelter for 90 men. They are part of the City’s ten-year plan to end homelessness. To see the first one and learn how they’re doing it:
Considering two of my favourite movies are Batteries Not Included and Bicentennial Man, I was delighted to read about this annual contest held at Seattle’s Key Arena in which 64 teams (2,000 kids) of high school robotics students from throughout the United States competed for trophies and other honors. Sponsored by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), the program is devoted to nurturing and encouraging kids with an interest and talent in the subject. We reviewed First’s homepage and also picked up a distinct Boy/Girl Scouts of America flavor to this one. So yep, for more on this one.
SURVIVING HARD TIMES
There are millions of people all over the world who don’t have a lot to spend on food. This is an outstanding article on how to make a little go a long way.
We reported earlier about a new “cult” of people who are taking things they enjoy doing and are good at and making a living. The tenth in this series of eleven is about home schooling. It’s a new and energetic look at alternatives to failing public institutions and out-pricing private ones and it involves using the Internet.
I’m personally behind that one totally. Thanks to the interactive aspects of the Net, if I want to learn French, I don’t need to count on some American who learned it from other Americans who may or may not have ever actually been to either Quebec or Normandy. I can learn Canadian French or French French from the source.
Seems to me that when you think about the resources that are out there, it’s a viable alternative and while it’s not meant to replace public or private education facilities, it could possibly lighten the load on them and make them more accessible to those for whom cyber education does not seem to work.
Also, think about the part time income that could generate from people who are experts at or on something but have never fit the government’s definition of a ‘teacher”. In some ways, it’s also the free university system come to the Net. I, for one, would love to teach a class on investigative reporting. I know ~ and I’m sure you do too ~ people who know things that we all need to know. I’m thinking Northstar Education Cooperative, for some reason. To see where the inspiration for that particular vision came from:
HEALTH NEWS
Despite the fact that we’re not real fond of the carrot and the stick approach to behavior modification, we also realize that there are those who need it right out in front of them and when it comes to a North American epidemic of obesity, one of the things “tucked” into America’s new National Health Program that really works for me is a requirement for any restaurant with an occupancy of over 20 to list the calorie count of each item on their menu.
It’s certainly not the only solution to this problem but from a Hippocratic standpoint, I don’t think it’s going to first do any harm and. Second, I can’t believe it’s also not going to help. There are some pretty artistic ways to present that stuff and I, for one, know some artists and writers who could use the work. Yep, for more on this one
CRITTER STUFF
And finally, this one out of Port Ludlow, a small town about 90 minutes, including ferry ride, northwest of Seattle, out on the very heavily forested Olympic Peninsula and the Puget Sound. It’s a kind of Andy of Mayberry type place where people don’t lock their doors and occasionally, on a warm day, leave their doors open. This is not to suggest that Port Ludlowians are particularly trusting nearly so much as they have a good working relationship with their neighbors.
That’s why it’s not at all hard to believe this story about one of them leaving his door open while he went off to run some errands, and coming back to find a 35 lb. bobcat in his house.
Both the homeowner and the cat were cool. Fish & Wildlife came out, tranquilized the forest neighbor, then released it about six miles away, which is the equivalent of escorting them to the city limits.
If a Port Ludlowian can handle a bobcat like that, it’s not hard for me to understand why they can leave their doors unlocked. And even open on a warm day in March. For more and a video on this one
YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
Okay, even given a rich English guy and a boat made out of plastic water jugs going to Sydney, Australia on an eco mission and also being a Pacific Northwesterner who consumes about two lbs. a week of the fish in question, this one is a stretch. It’s about a Native American tribe in California going to New Zealand to bring the Chinook salmon back.
I’m thinking, “okay, like ‘really outside the box’ this time” but then I’m occasionally reminded that most everything that human beings have “discovered” has been around a lot longer than we have. And we’re not the only species still evolving.
So for a window on another South Sea adventure, with a mission
That’s it for this week. Before you leave, you might want to check out Northstar Recommends. We’ve added (and will continue to do so) cool things we find. And if you’re in a shopping mood, we invite peruse our amazon.com ads and our reader-generated Northstar General Store.
This has sort of become a standard tag-out but if it’s any consolation, I type it each time. Stay the course, gang. We’re getting there and we’re going to make it. And thanks once again for the ear. And stuff.
Rusty
NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS
RESOURCES
Maker Culture: Taking Things Into Our Own Hands - For 12 weeks in the fall of 2009, 45 online journalism students at Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario worked together to document the evolving Maker Culture community.
Maker Culture? That's coders, fabricators, foodies, artists, educators, activists, citizen and even scientists grabbing the Do-It-Yourself ethic with both hands and changing our world in the process.
These are people who aren't just making things, they're making a point of sharing what they've learned, what they've made, and why. Often, for free.
Makers are responding directly, locally to globalization, commercialization, copyright and central command and control.
This is the introduction to a fascinating series on how to become more self-reliant, live a lot more economically and enjoy the company of others doing the same. If you’re looking for ideas, inspiration and resources to get through hard times or just to simplify you life, we highly recommend this one.
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.
Stalking Resource Center division of the National Center for Victims of Crime – Internet harassment, stalking and abuse in general is now against the law. If you’re being victimized or if you know of someone who is, this is an excellent resource.
FUN STUFF
If you share my passion for American History, you’re going to love AmericanWest.com This is historical society stuff that is also extremely interesting to read. So yep, just in case you didn’t get it the first time, check it out here.
Images of Houston at night are available at the Earth Observatory, along with an incredible array of other outer space images. This is one of NASA’s more engaging websites and it’s here, as well, that you can subscribe to their online newsletter. Whether you’re an aerospace/astronomy buff or simply enjoy stargazing, this is an excellent site.
Ever been told you look like someone famous? Ever not been told that but would like to have been? Find a photo of yourself, go to this site, MyHeritage.com, upload it and get a gallery of celebrities you resemble, to one degree or another. Yep, it’s a total waste of time and an unabashed indulgence of ego. Probably two reasons why I totally loved it, even though a couple of my own pix didn’t turn up any results. It’s fun to play with so enjoy.
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.
HEALTH
Ten foods that really do help prevent cancer.
Grub you libido will love.
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.
Ever get so stressed you feel like you’re really jammed up against it? Take a deep breath and check out you’re surroundings is the advice of Dr. Roberta Lee in her book The Superstress Solution. We have and what I’ve generally found is that the outside reflects the inside. If I’m real busy, jackets get tossed over chairs, used coffee cups appear magically on window ledges and desk top clutter takes on a total biosphere all its own. Perhaps not surprising, dealing with the outside can really help you relax. And although we don’t recommend you try this at home, if you wait long enough, it can be also be real good exercise. This is a mental health must so check it out here. We’re reading Dr. Lee’s book now and we bought it here.
Want to know how to live to be 100? Try this one.
Take this test to see how your memory compares with the average.
Click here for fun games to improve your memory.
There’s a new book out now which could make a dramatic difference in the way toward the way women experience the passing of years. Despite major industries involved ~ cosmetic, fitness, elective surgery, to name three ~ the idea that women become less attractive as they grow older has also very likely contributed to more anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, etc. than any other single factor in a woman’s life except cancer and childbearing.
We also suspect that it has probably cost men just as much, if not more, than it has cost women, even in a nation historically known for its tolerance of a double standard. The book is entitled Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change. Read about it here and if you decide you’d like to purchase it online, you can buy it here. I especially recommend this to men. It’s time our gender took more responsibility for this.
FOR YOUR SHOPPING CONVENIENCE
And for a truly unique shopping experience, drop by and browse THE NORTHSTAR GENERAL STORE.
She and her predominantly English crew got underway last week from San Francisco, bound for the Sydney Australia, via the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This is an area twice the size of Texas and about five times as large as the United Kingdom, where nothing thrives nearly so well as the human garbage the ocean currents bring here. The mission of the Plastiki then, is twofold.
The first is to bring attention to what “the American Dream” and other material/pollution-heavy lifestyles are doing to the planet. The second is to suggest one recycling alternative to discarding plastic bottles. Yep, building boats like this one.
And make no mistake. The Plastiki is not some tree-hugging, do-it-yourself-at-home, fall-apart-when it’s-over vessel. It was designed by some of the best marine engineers a lot of money can buy and it is equipped with the latest in navigation, communications and other cyber technology.
Like, Sir Richard Branson, another English billionaire with a dream and the money to back it, David de Rothschild, banking heir and environmentalist, is using some of his wealth for a good cause. No, he’s not taking us into outer space but instead, trying to make sure our species does not turn 70 percent of the earth’s surface into a refuse repository.
For more on this one and to follow the voyage of the Plastiki:
Other Total Fascinating Links To This One Include:
National Geographic
National Geographic Adventure blog
Great Pacific Garbage Dump
This next one has to come as good news to millions of women and the men who care about them. According to Associated Press medical writer Maria Cheng, in a story datelined Barcelona, Spain:
“Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said Thursday, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease.” Yep, for more on this one
We applaud the State of Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office for bringing charges against nine high school students in Northampton whose online and offline tormenting authorities contend led to the suicide of 15-year-old freshman Phoebe Prince, whose family had recently immigrated to America from Ireland.
This should never have been allowed to happen and that apparently it went on with the full knowledge of South Hadley High School officials and the student body, and despite the beseeching of Phoebe’s parents to do something about it, strongly suggests than an entire community may well share the guilt for this child’s death. For more on what you can do to prevent stalking or end it.
Our heart goes out, as well, to a very soggy American East Coast and to Rhode Island in particular. There’s a lot of speculation going on about what’s causing it but if history is any indication, in the end, the Republicans will blame it on the Democrats; the Democrats will blame it on God; and God will start looking around for another human dumb enough and patient enough to build a boat big enough to put a bunch of mated animals in again. Keep your eyes open folks. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.
CROSSING OVER
“Stand and Deliver” educator Jaime Escalante died Tuesday at his son’s home in Roseville, California of cancer. A passionate, determined and charismatic individual, Escalante was an early believer in the real meaning of “no child left behind.” He walked his talk in East LA and if America ever really wants to end a war quick, all it needs to do is parachute a couple battalions of inner city kids into the conflict. Jaime proved these kids could also learn calculus which he taught with flair, creativity and an uncompromising demand for what he himself gave. Jamie didn’t do anything half way and he didn’t settle for anything less than the best from his student and those he considered his professional peers. Jamie was 79. For more on this remarkable human being
We bid a sad farewell to American television and film actor Robert Culp. Perhaps best remembered for his role along side Bill Cosby in the espionage series I Spy, he was a well-established actor in westerns and later broke into the big screen in such memorable roles as John F. Kennedy’s best friend in PT 109John F. Kennedy’s best friend in “PT 109,” Wild Bill Hickock in “The Raiders,” Jane Fonda’s fiancé in “Sunday in New York” and the president of the United States in “The Pelican Brief” (1993).
Mr. Culp, who was born in Oakland, California, died last Wednesday, outside his Los Angeles home, of an apparent heart attack. He was 79. For an outstanding tribute to him,
GOOD NEWS
For anyone is enthusiastic about bicycles and electric bicycles in particular, Sightline Dailies series “The Parable of the Electric Bike is a must read. Alan Turning is a whimsical, ingenuous personal experience writer with integrity and one who clearly does his homework. His first installment is entitled “Juice Hawgs.” Yep, check it out here.
I am also pleased to report that the Olympic National Forest tied with my second favorite, the Umpqua National Forest, for second place, right behind Oregon’s Willamette National Forest as the second-best carbon bank of all 120 of America’s national forests. These are the results of a study undertaken by the Wilderness Society, the results of which were released last Thursday, March 25, 2010. To see how the forest in your state placed
Other Links
Olympic National Forest Homepage
Umpqua National Forest Homepage
Willamette National Forest Homepage
Find a Forest By State
Wilderness Society
Even though ecotourism is really catching on, this one is a stretch. But apparently there really are people who will fly thousands of miles to take a look at a systems of sewers, drains, etc. that dramatically reduce water pollution. Portland, Oregon put their sewer system on the map and local business benefit by providing accommodations, meals and other forms of more conventional recreation. Portland’s a city of rivers and boating, water-skiing, even sport fishing and SCUBA diving are back in popularity. Yep, to see how they did it
Portland is doing something else very cool. It’s taking a new look at the concept of urban renewal and starting to turn its poorer neighborhoods into Resource Access Centers which will provide services for the homeless and provide a shelter for 90 men. They are part of the City’s ten-year plan to end homelessness. To see the first one and learn how they’re doing it:
Considering two of my favourite movies are Batteries Not Included and Bicentennial Man, I was delighted to read about this annual contest held at Seattle’s Key Arena in which 64 teams (2,000 kids) of high school robotics students from throughout the United States competed for trophies and other honors. Sponsored by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), the program is devoted to nurturing and encouraging kids with an interest and talent in the subject. We reviewed First’s homepage and also picked up a distinct Boy/Girl Scouts of America flavor to this one. So yep, for more on this one.
SURVIVING HARD TIMES
There are millions of people all over the world who don’t have a lot to spend on food. This is an outstanding article on how to make a little go a long way.
We reported earlier about a new “cult” of people who are taking things they enjoy doing and are good at and making a living. The tenth in this series of eleven is about home schooling. It’s a new and energetic look at alternatives to failing public institutions and out-pricing private ones and it involves using the Internet.
I’m personally behind that one totally. Thanks to the interactive aspects of the Net, if I want to learn French, I don’t need to count on some American who learned it from other Americans who may or may not have ever actually been to either Quebec or Normandy. I can learn Canadian French or French French from the source.
Seems to me that when you think about the resources that are out there, it’s a viable alternative and while it’s not meant to replace public or private education facilities, it could possibly lighten the load on them and make them more accessible to those for whom cyber education does not seem to work.
Also, think about the part time income that could generate from people who are experts at or on something but have never fit the government’s definition of a ‘teacher”. In some ways, it’s also the free university system come to the Net. I, for one, would love to teach a class on investigative reporting. I know ~ and I’m sure you do too ~ people who know things that we all need to know. I’m thinking Northstar Education Cooperative, for some reason. To see where the inspiration for that particular vision came from:
HEALTH NEWS
Despite the fact that we’re not real fond of the carrot and the stick approach to behavior modification, we also realize that there are those who need it right out in front of them and when it comes to a North American epidemic of obesity, one of the things “tucked” into America’s new National Health Program that really works for me is a requirement for any restaurant with an occupancy of over 20 to list the calorie count of each item on their menu.
It’s certainly not the only solution to this problem but from a Hippocratic standpoint, I don’t think it’s going to first do any harm and. Second, I can’t believe it’s also not going to help. There are some pretty artistic ways to present that stuff and I, for one, know some artists and writers who could use the work. Yep, for more on this one
CRITTER STUFF
And finally, this one out of Port Ludlow, a small town about 90 minutes, including ferry ride, northwest of Seattle, out on the very heavily forested Olympic Peninsula and the Puget Sound. It’s a kind of Andy of Mayberry type place where people don’t lock their doors and occasionally, on a warm day, leave their doors open. This is not to suggest that Port Ludlowians are particularly trusting nearly so much as they have a good working relationship with their neighbors.
That’s why it’s not at all hard to believe this story about one of them leaving his door open while he went off to run some errands, and coming back to find a 35 lb. bobcat in his house.
Both the homeowner and the cat were cool. Fish & Wildlife came out, tranquilized the forest neighbor, then released it about six miles away, which is the equivalent of escorting them to the city limits.
If a Port Ludlowian can handle a bobcat like that, it’s not hard for me to understand why they can leave their doors unlocked. And even open on a warm day in March. For more and a video on this one
YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
Okay, even given a rich English guy and a boat made out of plastic water jugs going to Sydney, Australia on an eco mission and also being a Pacific Northwesterner who consumes about two lbs. a week of the fish in question, this one is a stretch. It’s about a Native American tribe in California going to New Zealand to bring the Chinook salmon back.
I’m thinking, “okay, like ‘really outside the box’ this time” but then I’m occasionally reminded that most everything that human beings have “discovered” has been around a lot longer than we have. And we’re not the only species still evolving.
So for a window on another South Sea adventure, with a mission
That’s it for this week. Before you leave, you might want to check out Northstar Recommends. We’ve added (and will continue to do so) cool things we find. And if you’re in a shopping mood, we invite peruse our amazon.com ads and our reader-generated Northstar General Store.
This has sort of become a standard tag-out but if it’s any consolation, I type it each time. Stay the course, gang. We’re getting there and we’re going to make it. And thanks once again for the ear. And stuff.
Rusty
NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS
RESOURCES
Maker Culture: Taking Things Into Our Own Hands - For 12 weeks in the fall of 2009, 45 online journalism students at Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario worked together to document the evolving Maker Culture community.
Maker Culture? That's coders, fabricators, foodies, artists, educators, activists, citizen and even scientists grabbing the Do-It-Yourself ethic with both hands and changing our world in the process.
These are people who aren't just making things, they're making a point of sharing what they've learned, what they've made, and why. Often, for free.
Makers are responding directly, locally to globalization, commercialization, copyright and central command and control.
This is the introduction to a fascinating series on how to become more self-reliant, live a lot more economically and enjoy the company of others doing the same. If you’re looking for ideas, inspiration and resources to get through hard times or just to simplify you life, we highly recommend this one.
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.
Stalking Resource Center division of the National Center for Victims of Crime – Internet harassment, stalking and abuse in general is now against the law. If you’re being victimized or if you know of someone who is, this is an excellent resource.
FUN STUFF
If you share my passion for American History, you’re going to love AmericanWest.com This is historical society stuff that is also extremely interesting to read. So yep, just in case you didn’t get it the first time, check it out here.
Images of Houston at night are available at the Earth Observatory, along with an incredible array of other outer space images. This is one of NASA’s more engaging websites and it’s here, as well, that you can subscribe to their online newsletter. Whether you’re an aerospace/astronomy buff or simply enjoy stargazing, this is an excellent site.
Ever been told you look like someone famous? Ever not been told that but would like to have been? Find a photo of yourself, go to this site, MyHeritage.com, upload it and get a gallery of celebrities you resemble, to one degree or another. Yep, it’s a total waste of time and an unabashed indulgence of ego. Probably two reasons why I totally loved it, even though a couple of my own pix didn’t turn up any results. It’s fun to play with so enjoy.
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.
HEALTH
Ten foods that really do help prevent cancer.
Grub you libido will love.
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.
Ever get so stressed you feel like you’re really jammed up against it? Take a deep breath and check out you’re surroundings is the advice of Dr. Roberta Lee in her book The Superstress Solution. We have and what I’ve generally found is that the outside reflects the inside. If I’m real busy, jackets get tossed over chairs, used coffee cups appear magically on window ledges and desk top clutter takes on a total biosphere all its own. Perhaps not surprising, dealing with the outside can really help you relax. And although we don’t recommend you try this at home, if you wait long enough, it can be also be real good exercise. This is a mental health must so check it out here. We’re reading Dr. Lee’s book now and we bought it here.
Want to know how to live to be 100? Try this one.
Take this test to see how your memory compares with the average.
Click here for fun games to improve your memory.
There’s a new book out now which could make a dramatic difference in the way toward the way women experience the passing of years. Despite major industries involved ~ cosmetic, fitness, elective surgery, to name three ~ the idea that women become less attractive as they grow older has also very likely contributed to more anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, etc. than any other single factor in a woman’s life except cancer and childbearing.
We also suspect that it has probably cost men just as much, if not more, than it has cost women, even in a nation historically known for its tolerance of a double standard. The book is entitled Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change. Read about it here and if you decide you’d like to purchase it online, you can buy it here. I especially recommend this to men. It’s time our gender took more responsibility for this.
FOR YOUR SHOPPING CONVENIENCE
And for a truly unique shopping experience, drop by and browse THE NORTHSTAR GENERAL STORE.
MEDIA
Press Releases, Product Reviews, Promotional Copy, Digital Photography, Online Research and Investigation, Ghost Writing, Special Projects. Seattle-based and wired into the International Community. For more information, email to minstrel312@aol.com or go here -> Rusty Miller, Freelance Photojournalist.
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.
GOOD “READS”
Books
If you’d like to read something which combines the best elements of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a neo-eco Mickey Spillane detective thriller, you’ll love this one.
“In the brave new world of the Internet, FedEx and an international taste for the exotic, wildlife poachers steal everything from elk horns to geoducks, the world's largest clam. In the waters of Puget Sound in Washington state, state wildlife agents stalk these thieves on land and at sea. In "Shell Games: Rogues, Smugglers, and the Hunt for Nature's Bounty," Seattle Times environmental reporter Craig Welch joins these detectives on the trail of one of the region's most notorious geoduck thieves.”
Welch, a Seattle Times environmental reporter is a compelling writer and this excerpt from the book would be worth the experience even if we were not also fascinated by the subject. If, after reading this extract, you’d like to buy the book, you’ll find it for sale here.
News
BBC – Best source of international news.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (multi-media), the Toronto Globe & Mail and the Vancouver Sun -- outstanding sources for Canadian national, provincial, and world news.
KING 5 News – Best source of video news of Seattle and the Greater Puget Sound.
New York Times – Best source of American news.
Reuters – Best source of an international perspective on American headlines.
Seattle Times – Best source for news of the city and the Puget Sound. Its reportage is unbiased but their columns and other opinion pieces do reflect the predominant values of the Pacific Northwest.
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.
Entertainment
BBC Knowledge Magazine – designed to give the American magazine National Geographic the proverbial run for its money,
TomatoMan Times -- For those who love good writing, there are fewer finer contemporary craftsmen out there now than professionally known as Tomatoman Mike. He’s as Northern Californian as John Steinbeck is, albeit with a dash of Sam Clemmons, Bret Harte and Robert W. Service in him. He’s a romp to read, trust me.
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.
See you next week, eh?
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