Hi again from the Bastion on the Puget Sound. Well, I just read ~ in one of the most respected magazines in North America and certainly one of my favorites ~ an essay entitled The Least We Can Do.It both excoriated and praised both “the Greatest Generation” and the one it produced, “Baby Boomers.” In four pages, it smacked of every retrospective I’ve ever seen or read and almost every stereotype. Ironically, it ended with a call to action that assumed that either or both generations were responsible for what’s happening now.
With all due respect to my Muscovite mother, that’s guilt tripping and I’m sorry, Masha, that doesn’t work this time. The reality is every generation does the best “it” could, made some inordinate sacrifices, committed some tragic and horrific mistakes and then tried, as best they could, to correct for course. Historically, they are hardly unique and it’s been going on now that way for some while.
This article irritated me because it assumed differences and divisions I don’t see and, for the most part, don’t experience where I live. It’s like the assumptions they’re making and the conundrums they’re posing (and to which I’m apparently expected to respond) and I’m going, “On what planet is this going on and why are you wasting my time with this, again?”
But what really got me? This article ended by saying that if we (the two generations involved) really regretted the mistakes we made, there are several ways, in the few years we have left, by which we could make amends.
Excuse me? Maybe that’s how it works where you live but on the shores of the Salish Sea, it’s just about people of all ages, races, genders and gender preferences, etc. pulling together all the time and as a matter of lifestyle. If you want a slice of that, visit one of our local food banks and see University of Washington students working along side retired people and the spectrum in-between.
Since we’re also ~ albeit sometimes reluctantly, Americans as well, my sense is whether it’s race, religion, political party, etc. as long as we’re going to continue to look for someone to blame ~ rather than, as a nation ~ to accept remediation responsibility, I’m sorry, but at least on this side of the Mississippi, we’re going to have to do better than a generation gap.
IN OTHER NEWS
Last week, we linked you up to a story about a million cars in Canada’s British Columbia province being electric by 2030. In the States, San Francisco is well on its way to making private, single-occupant transportation a last resort. If the tide flows south on this one, even those might hum softly. To my neighbours in Lake Merced and on Geary Street, and to the rest of the Golden Gate, nice going folks. Finest kind. Yep, for the details, go here.
We applaud American television station NBC and their Today Show for a week-long program, “Education Nation,” focused on the crisis in education in the United States. Monday morning, Matt Lauer interviewed President Obama for half an hour in the White House Green Room and unfortunately, blaming the Republicans for the abysmal state academia is in today occupied way too much of that half hour. Partisan politics (again, sigh) notwithstanding, the people of America are galvanizing behind the need to lift their education standards out of the Grand Canyon into which they appear to have sunk. Education Nation offers a fine, comprehensive and well produced overview of how this is happening from Alabama to Wyoming, so yep, for more, go here.
In its ongoing war against terrorism, the American national law enforcement establishment is seeking the same powers to “wiretap” the Internet as they now do telephone and broadband communications. The Obama administration intends to present a comprehensive bill to Congress next year which will require Internet providers who do not have the ability to intercept user communications to acquire it and to be prepared to share the technology if so required by court order. Yep, for more on this one, go here.
Despite our resident cougars’ spin on farmers (see Cougars Corners below), ours here on the shores of the Salish Sea, have been a mainstay of the community since the first plow broke ground. Now, they’re working with local schools to see that some of what they produce winds up in the stomach of our children at lunch. Yep, for the proactive among you, this is a chance to see what they’re doing and how that might fit where you live. So yep, go here for this one.
For those who enjoy a little mudslinging in their politics, it should come as real good news that the Democrats have apparently launched a campaign to discredit the opposition by digging into the pasts of said opponents for sins of the past as it were. This is being ballyhooed as something new in the history of the party and it isn’t. What bothers me is that it’s also the hallmark of a party in disarray, just like an individual who, losing an argument, resorts to name calling and other tactics which have absolutely nothing to do with the discussion at hand. I’m not recommending you go here, but if you want the details, here’s where to find them.
SURVIVING HARD TIMES
Last week, we linked you up to a story about a million cars in Canada’s British Columbia province being electric by 2030. In the States, San Francisco is well on its way to making private, single-occupant transportation a last resort. If the tide flows south on this one, even those might hum softly. To my neighbours in Lake Merced and on Geary Street, and to the rest of the Golden Gate, nice going folks. Finest kind. Yep, for the details, go here.
We applaud American television station NBC and their Today Show for a week-long program, “Education Nation,” focused on the crisis in education in the United States. Monday morning, Matt Lauer interviewed President Obama for half an hour in the White House Green Room and unfortunately, blaming the Republicans for the abysmal state academia is in today occupied way too much of that half hour. Partisan politics (again, sigh) notwithstanding, the people of America are galvanizing behind the need to lift their education standards out of the Grand Canyon into which they appear to have sunk. Education Nation offers a fine, comprehensive and well produced overview of how this is happening from Alabama to Wyoming, so yep, for more, go here.
In its ongoing war against terrorism, the American national law enforcement establishment is seeking the same powers to “wiretap” the Internet as they now do telephone and broadband communications. The Obama administration intends to present a comprehensive bill to Congress next year which will require Internet providers who do not have the ability to intercept user communications to acquire it and to be prepared to share the technology if so required by court order. Yep, for more on this one, go here.
Despite our resident cougars’ spin on farmers (see Cougars Corners below), ours here on the shores of the Salish Sea, have been a mainstay of the community since the first plow broke ground. Now, they’re working with local schools to see that some of what they produce winds up in the stomach of our children at lunch. Yep, for the proactive among you, this is a chance to see what they’re doing and how that might fit where you live. So yep, go here for this one.
For those who enjoy a little mudslinging in their politics, it should come as real good news that the Democrats have apparently launched a campaign to discredit the opposition by digging into the pasts of said opponents for sins of the past as it were. This is being ballyhooed as something new in the history of the party and it isn’t. What bothers me is that it’s also the hallmark of a party in disarray, just like an individual who, losing an argument, resorts to name calling and other tactics which have absolutely nothing to do with the discussion at hand. I’m not recommending you go here, but if you want the details, here’s where to find them.
SURVIVING HARD TIMES
Sometimes, surviving hard times is knowing what not to do and as more and more of us join the Internet to look for work, promote a home business or otherwise engage, this warning about what kinds of websites to avoid certainly seems timely. So yep, for more, go here.
HEALTH NEWS
Okay, even as nutritious conscious as I’ve become, this hit me weird. How many of you have heard of or about kefir, chia and/or purslane? Come on, let’s see a show of hands. One…two…three…wait, you’re putting your hand down, sort’ve. Okay two and a half. And that’s what I thought. According to You Docs Daily, these three foods that most of us have never heard of before are among the most nutritious a human being could eat and they’ve all apparently been around since ancient times. I don’t intend to try any of these personally but I’d be delighted to hear from a more adventurous soul in these regards, especially if you can describe how it tastes in terms of something I might possibly have eaten if I’d grown up in Minneapolis. Here’s the link to what these are and here’s my email address for any comments.
Alzheimer’s is one of the most frightening conditions a human can face and as the largest generation in American history reaches the age of susceptibility, the fact that a drug already being used to treat cancer has also been found to prevent the formation of the plaque which covers the brain cells of those afflicted with what is also known as “dementia” should come as good news. Yep, for more on this, go here.
Alzheimer’s is one of the most frightening conditions a human can face and as the largest generation in American history reaches the age of susceptibility, the fact that a drug already being used to treat cancer has also been found to prevent the formation of the plaque which covers the brain cells of those afflicted with what is also known as “dementia” should come as good news. Yep, for more on this, go here.
ON THE CANCER FRONT
Ovarian cancer is particularly insidious because it shows few if any early symptoms. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to diagnose until it has reached the advanced stage. Therefore, a cancer-prevention lifestyle is all the more important. Tomatoes have proven a definite anti-carcinogen and there are two more foods that will really help. For more on this one and to learn about the risk factors and symptoms of ovarian cancer, please go here.
RESOURCES AND RELATED LINKS:
Cancer Research Journal
National Cancer Institute (American)
Fighting Breast Cancer: Breast Cancer Survivor Stories
Science Daily: Health & Medicine News
American Cancer Statistics 2009
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2009
SEATTLE SCENES
SEATTLE FACTS AND FIGURES
Seattle Rainfall in Comparison To Other US Cities
Seattle Geography & Climate
For more information about Seattle
For live cameras on Seattle, the Puget Sound and Washington State
CRITTER STUFF
We’re delighted to report that the American Fish & Wildlife Department has initiated a study of species particularly vulnerable to global warming. In conjunction with the US Geological Survey, the Department will also be measuring climate change at eight new stations. According to a US FWD spokesperson, from this, it is expected that a preservation blueprint will be evolved, one benefiting both the land and the species who live on it. Nice going, folks. This is a good example of how I like my tax dollars working.
In their never-ending war to discover how other creatures can serve us, wasps are now being trained to sniff out explosives and toxic chemicals. They’re also being trained to hunt down criminals and ward off intruders. Preliminary trials have proven them just as effective as the dogs that do the brunt of this work. And, of course, they’re a lot cheaper to feed. I imagine the media will eventually leap on this and that within five years or so, we’ll have a television series about Walter, a mild, unassuming, modest yellow jacket who answered the call of his country and became a national hero. Go Walt.
In their never-ending war to discover how other creatures can serve us, wasps are now being trained to sniff out explosives and toxic chemicals. They’re also being trained to hunt down criminals and ward off intruders. Preliminary trials have proven them just as effective as the dogs that do the brunt of this work. And, of course, they’re a lot cheaper to feed. I imagine the media will eventually leap on this and that within five years or so, we’ll have a television series about Walter, a mild, unassuming, modest yellow jacket who answered the call of his country and became a national hero. Go Walt.
Recommended Related Links:
Go Northwest: Northwest Wildlife Websites
BBC’s wildlife finder
National Geographic Daily News - Animals
Retrieverman’s Weblog: Engaging articles on domestic & wildlife in the American South
YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP
I have a t-shirt which has survived the second beaching of the Ark and which proudly declares “Real Men Do So Wear Pink”. My passion for the color is local legend so I was a little nonplussed when one of you in the United Kingdom send me this story about an English lady who died her cat’s fur pink. The feline turned up missing for awhile and when discovered ignited the furor of animal lovers throughout the Isles. This is one of those “All Creatures Great & Small” stories so yep, for more, go here.
Well, that’s it for this week. If you’re in a shopping mood and into some interesting choices? We’ve got a “reader stocked” General Store that you might want to check out. We’ve stocked a bit of everything from camping gear and cookware, specialty food items, books, music, films and fun/interesting/weird things that just somehow found their way onto the shelves at night when we were asleep.
The Northstar Journal is funded by contributions from readers like yourself. If you enjoyed this edition and would like to contribute to the next, please click the donate button below. Rusty
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