An American president lays it on the line, Leonard Cohen wins a Lifetime Achievement Award and Tai Shan goes to China to make other Pandas

Tai Shan

Hi again from the ramparts of the Bastion on the Puget Sound. Well, last Wednesday evening, like millions of other people on the planet, I watched America’s chief executive pretty much lay it on the line.

President Obama, in his State of the Union Address, echoed much of what he said in his inaugural speech. Among other things, he reiterated that it is not up to a president or any other single elected individual or government body to arbitrarily make policy; but rather that “policy” should emanate from and reflect the wishes of the people.

He also said that while he would do his best to make those changes necessary, being human and new to the job, he not only expected to make mistakes but to be told that by the constituency (“us guys,” gang) and given our support in correcting for course.

In his assessment of the financial crises we’re in, he pointed out ~ and accurately so ~ that after eight years of a Republican White House – his administration did not cause what we’re facing now. His administration inherited it.

I’m real surprised, considering something incredibly stupid I heard in a chatroom I visit to sample public opinion about “America always going to hell when the ‘Dems’ are in office,” that Barack Obama did not remind people that prior to the Great Depression ~ and mind you, this was before the two-term limit on presidents was passed ~ the Republicans occupied the White House for three terms/12 years and that it was a Democrat the people chose to get them out of it.

America’s chief executive, has, however, consistently stated that he does not consider this a partisan endeavor and so far, for the most part, he’s held to the high road in these regards.

Admittedly, he’s rocking the Good Old Boy Club on Capitol Hill with his Mr. Smith Goes to Washington approach to working together. Apparently he’s not endearing himself to some other folks either. In another chatroom, I ‘heard’ someone say “We’ve got a coon in the White House.” No, I am NOT making this up so don’t even go there.

I’m recalled of another man who felt the same way America’s chief executive does and did pretty much the same thing, albeit not as a politician. Because of my profound love of that individual, I was solidly opposed to Barack Obama becoming president during these tense and trying times.

I did not want to see happen to the senator from Illinois what I saw happen to a man I admire and respect right up there with Moses, Mohammed, Jesus, Eamon DeValera and Gandhi and who was gunned down in Memphis a month after I turned 19 by some hate-filled idiot with a rifle and a lot of other ignorant, bigoted and gutless precedent backing the play.

I’m a white man so maybe I’m not supposed to feel this way but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. meant a lot to me and I’m not sure I could remain a rational and peaceful human being if Barack Obama went out the same way. I pray Almighty God I’m not the only white guy who feels that way.

Moving right along, then, February is Black History Month in America and to learn more about the contributions these Americans have made to the nation and to the world, please go here and here.

I’m sorry to say, I didn’t watch the Grammy Awards. I understand it took on some aspects of a high-wire act. What I noted and am proud to share is that Canadian singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen won a Lifetime Achievement Award. For more on this remarkable individual, please go here.

We bid a sad farewell to American author J. D. Salinger, perhaps best known for his novel Catcher In the Rye. The reclusive writer died last Wednesday at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire, at the age of 91. For more on this literary icon, please go here.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Well, we note with some alarm and a little consternation, this rash of automotive industry recalls. It’s like an international ooops with potentially grave consequences for millions of people around the world. So I’ve been looking at some alternatives and one that seems to be taking hold from Beijing to Boston to Brussels to Mumbai is the electric bicycle. Check this New York Times story out and for a list of electric bike manufacturers and more information, please go here.

We’re going to keep following what’s going on in Haiti and here’s one of the reasons why. It’s headlined: Near Quake’s Epicenter, a City Ready for Business and to my mind, it’s as heroic and inspirational a story as I’ve heard in some while. For those who have any doubts about these people’s resiliency, pride and determination to not only recover but build a better world for themselves, I’ll submit this one for consideration. Please go here.

Definitely under the category Why I Do Not Arbitrarily Dislike the Affluent, Just Because I’m Not One of Them, this particular vignette is about one of those millionaires who lives across the lake from me and has been the subject of some controversy. He’s giving $10-billion to coming up with vaccines that could keep a lot of children from dying.

To the cynical, it might be a marketing move. To me, it’s an act of compassion by a human being doing what he can, with what he has, to make a difference. In that regards, he’s no different than you and I and even though I sincerely doubt that I’ll ever be invited to his home, anyone who cares about kids is welcome in mine. Yep, for this one, please go here.

I also found a profound element of kismet in Fit Pregnancy Magazine’s deciding that Portland, Oregon is the best city in the American Northwest to have a baby. For the criteria involved and how other cities in this region ranked, please go here.

SURVIVING HARD TIMES

We reported earlier about a new “cult” of people who are taking things they enjoy doing and are good at and making a living. This is a series and the link to this one carries them all. We’re going to be running this reminder until that series is finished. Yep, go here.

How are we faring, really, in all of this? Americans are, at the very least, the sum of the seven flags under this masthead and some else. Right along with the rest of us, they’re learning. Yep, check it out.

CRITTER STUFF

This first one weirds me out on a couple three levels. During the driest January since records have been kept here in Seattle, California experienced extreme flooding and now, down in San Diego, they’ve got a invasion of giant squid on their beaches.

It would be a lot more dramatic if it was like this totally and possibly apocalyptic event but San Diego’s already been through trials by fire and flood and there’s nothing in any religious texts I’ve ever read that suggests a plague of squids. These creatures also paid a previous visit like this in July of last year.

I figure that since they’ve so far not come ashore, this isn’t going to be a real hard adjustment for the humans involved. Scientists have no idea why the squids are behaving like this and apparently the squids are not volunteering any information.. Yep, check it out here and our thanks to the Palm Beach Post for this one.

In living testimony that the contention that a dog is “man’s” best friend and sometimes vice versa is not limited to stories in Alaska, America, Flanders or Greece, there’s one canine who owes its rescue from a Baltic ice floe 15 miles off Poland to the crew of a Polish oceanographic research vessel. If they make a movie about this one, I’m having a party behind it so yep, check it out here.

It’s with a heavy heart that America says good-bye to one of the most adorable creatures born under the Stars and Bars in some while. His name is Tai Shan and under an agreement with the Red Chinese government, now that he’s old enough, this panda bear will be going back to the home of his ancestors to, well, like make other panda bears and stuff. Nice going, Tai Shan. You rock, kid. Yep, go here.

YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP. Okay, sigh. What if I told you guys that one way of healing a human brain was to introduce cells from the tail of a mouse? Okay, when you’re done rolling on the floor about this one, go here and check it out, ye of little flipping faith. This one was like ultimate weird of the week for me.

FROM YOU GUYS FOR YOU GUYS

In response to our wishing a very special lady, a Happy 70th Birthday:

thank you for the lovely birthday wishes, my friend. I did have a great day and yep, 70 is simply a number and life is wonderful. On another note, my companion and I struggle with how much this 'red-headed comedian' was given in severance pay. I hope the amount is not a struggle for him to live within. All we can think of is how many people could be helped with just a fraction of what he 'earned'. Some of this stuff makes no sense to me. Thanks again, Rusty, Peggy, Sacramento, California

Peg, you're more than welcome and some of it totally blows me away too. But then I've never held that human beings were the smartest creatures ever created, except perhaps in the eyes of their own reflection.

In response to our article on International Holocaust Remembrance Day:

I know it's true Rusty and it makes me shiver..............plus thinking about where we are today and the course we are on...........! Thanks for sharing. Sandy, USA

You’re more than welcome, Lass. And Sandy, what’s going on in the world sometimes scares both the shamrock and the Star of David out of me. But then our species has been embarked upon this apparent path to self-extinction for some while now and while we may lack the talent for peace, we seem to be equally inept at TOTALLY blowing it. May we continue to be as maladroit in these latter regards.

A general response from America’s Southland:

From the red clay, humidity and easy living of South Alabama....Greetings. I agree completely with your statements vis a vis the holocaust.. Those who deny this seminal event in Jewish history and in the history of mankind (will any feminists be reading this?) in general remind me of an ostrich with its head in the sandor an old alabama 'possum who's playing dead. Regarding Haiti: I feel the natural compassion for other suffering human beings, however on the subject of relief funds I'm afraid my opinon of this is on a tangential course compared to many. Enough money has been funnelled into Haiti over the past 20 years to pave the entire country and erect earthquake resistant structures. I do realize that most of these funds wound up lining the pockets of Papa Doc Duvalier and Baby Doc Duvalier. Let's not forget the sterling leader, Jean Baptiste Aristide. I'm sure he skimmed his share. I don't feel responsible for this but I don't begrudge humanitarian shipments of food and medical supplies. Mr. Obama has already pledged one hundred million taxpayers dollars to Haiti...I would not be surprised if the USS Carl Vinson wound up just shooting bales of money off its catapults into the countryside. This wouldn't be any less willy nilly than aid packages given the Haitians in the past. Regarding Conan.......I agree. This is the silliest man in television today and unworthy of any consideration whatsoever. I realize that I'm in the minority but Jerry Seinfeld has NEVER uttered anything that I found even remotely funny........as is the case with Conan. I enjoy comics like Robert Klein and George Carlin who inject a little intellectual acumen into their presentations. Live long and prosper.

p.s. I don't know how I overlooked the bit about the WASPS of WW2. Being an aviator I especially appreciate their efforts which freed male pilots to go overseas and fight the air battles. Don't let any feminists see this statement. I'm not prepared to defend my male chauvinist pig pronoucements. As an aside to this, it's interesting that Russian women flew combat missions in WW2 or "The Great Patriotic War" to them. Several of them became aces and German pilots were mortified to find that a woman had shot them down. Many of them flew the best soviet fighter, the YAK 7 from the Yakovlev bureau. Some of them flew the obsolete Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes and harrassed the German troops at night. The Germans called them "nachthexen" or night witches It's also interesting that another obsolete biplane, the British Fairey Swordfish was instrumental in sinking the German battleship Bismarck. Speedy Neutrino, Alabama, USA

Dixie, what amazes me most about your feedback ~ aside from the fact that I agree with most of it ~ is that I know you also got it all said in one breath. Apparently they’re not only continuing to grow them intelligent below the Mason Dixon Line, but with a healthy set of lungs. Speedy, we are honored by your society.

FROM ANOTHER VERY SPECIAL LADY:

thank you for the newsletter. i loved the pic of a yellow lab. i love conan too next to letterman. leno is not a fave. hugs, fay, USA

Fay, if the big guys like those comedians, or some rock stars we both could name but are not here, had as faithful a supporter of their art and enterprises as you have been of The Northstar Journal, a lot more of them would still be with us because they would have remembered who we do things like this for in the first place. Thank you.

ANOTHER RESPONSE FROM THE STATES:

Fascinating articles! Thanks. CIP, Pennsylvania, USA

You’re more than welcome, Counselor.

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.

Rusty

NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS

FUN STUFF

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.

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 Seattle 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.

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.

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.


ONLINE TOOLS FOR THE KIT

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.

REVIEWS

If you like your news proactive and edgy, we strongly recommend this daily ezine out of Western Canada. It might also go a bit toward the re-education of those who consider their neighbor to the north long on good manners but short on guts and good sense. Canadians pick their battles and this is one good window into how they do it. For more on this one, please go here.

FOR YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING CONVENIENCE

We invite you to do all your amazon.com through by tapping the photo of Susan or the ad. The Northstar Journal receives a 15% commission on whatever you purchase through this link.

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”

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 craftsman out there now than professionally known as Tomatoman Mike. 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.

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.

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.

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.


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

Seattle dries out after heavy rains, Haitian relief escalates and Happy Birthday, Michelle

The Seattle Chamber of Commerce is probably not going to like us very much, but honesty compels. This is what it looks like in this town sometimes. This was taken in the University District of Seattle over the weekend. 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. January’s been an exceptionally wet month, with most of the western part of Washington on flood and landslide alert. But it’s nothing compared to what Haiti and other parts of North America and the UK have gone through. We’re cognizant of that and reflecting on it some as we dry out.

Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to all those impacted by the Haiti Quake. We are very proud that two former American presidents for forming a non-partisan organization to fund the long haul restoration of that devastated island nation. We also applaud President Barack Obama and his staff for, what in our personal experience at the trenches end of this kind of thing, has been a prompt, measured and well orchestrated response to this natural disaster.

Given that my own True North was among the first to respond, that gratitude extends to Canada and some beyond the five flags this modest weekly ezine reaches.

The entire international community is united in this one and I’m encouraged. It seems that more and more of us agree with English cleric and essayist John Donne, who, in Meditations 17, contended that no man is an island.

Thank you, one and all and that having been said and some closer to home…

We are also flying the Northstar flag at half mast this week as Washington State mourns the loss of one of its own to the earthquake in Haiti. The body of 22-year-old Molly Hightower was found in the wreckage of the orphanage where she worked as a volunteer. Molly was a credit to her country, her region, her community and her family. If you’d like to be inspired by a good example, please go here.

And yes, the Michelle in the headline is Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, daughter of blue collar stock in Chicago who took her bachelors in sociology from Princeton and her law degree from Harvard and was a corporate lawyer assigned to mentor a new attorney when she met her husband.

So we’d like to take this opportunity to wish America’s First Lady a happy birthday. She turned 46 this past Sunday, January 17. For more on this remarkable individual, please go here.

SURVIVING HARD TIMES

There’s a certain irony in this one. At press time, we’re still watching the results of the senatorial race in Massachusetts. Their Democratic candidate and our governor, Christine Gregoire, have something in common besides gender and political affiliation. Chris was Washington State’s attorney general before she became our state’s chief executive. She’s promised to create 40,000 jobs at a time when there are a third of a million of us on unemployment. To find out why I think she’s going to be able to pull this off, please go here.

MORE GOOD NEWS

We meant to run this one last week but Haiti took center stage. Seven women from the International Community celebrated the new decade by skiing to the South Pole. This one’s in the finest tradition of Shackleton and Amudsen both and coming from a gene pool of strong women, I just rocked with this one and I have a feeling some of you will too. This is REAL adventure. So yep, please go here.

CRITTER STUFF

Well, thank you very much to a very distant cousin in Australia for this one. Not being inclined to dance with wolves or swim with anything bigger than I am, I remain terminally baffled by this one. I am, however reminded (constantly, sigh) that this would be a pretty boring little magazine if we had to rely on me for content. So yep, this one is about the thrill of going to Fiji and getting in the water with sharks. Have fun being a Devonian lunch and tell ‘em Charlie sent ya. Sharks. Brrrrrrrrrr.

Back on dry land and closer to home that Fiji, a species which was once nearly hunted into extinction in the Cascade Mountains of the American Pacific Northwest, and with which I’ve had some personal experience, is not only surviving but expanding its range. Yep, the howl of the wolf is being heard once again in the Deep Reaches.

If you’ve ever gone back three days into these or any other peaks and heard the primordial symphony these majestic creatures create, you’ll understand why some of us welcome them back as neighbors. For more on this one, please go here.

FROM YOU GUYS FOR YOU GUYS

FROM WINTER THE DOLPHIN AND OUR FRIENDS AT THE CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM

We are all aware of the tragedy that is currently occurring in Haiti. CMA is doing our part by helping the Hilton Clearwater Beach collect donations for the relief effort. Hilton Clearwater Beach has received a donation of a 40’ container from A-Saf-T-Box and it is up to us to help fill it. Hilton will be accepting donations and Clean the World will pick up the container as it gets full to have it shipped.

The Haitian community is in need of canned food, clothing, packaged bottled cases of water, sheets, towels, blankets, hygiene products (shaving cream, razors, soap, lotions, deodorant, tooth brushes & tooth paste), and any pre-packaged, pre-made foods and products that don’t require cooking. This is one of several large hygiene product collections that Clean the World is currently mobilizing and organizing in addition to their normal processing and collection. Additionally, Royal Caribbean has graciously offered space on cruise ships this weekend and next weekend to deliver hygiene products into the northern region of Haiti, where Clean the World has direct distribution on the ground.

Cap Haitien Health Network and Evangelical Church of Haiti (ECH) will assist in providing transportation from the northern region into the impact zone as soon as the items arrive. As a CMA supporter, we know you want to make a difference and this is a wonderful opportunity to directly assist in the relief efforts. To make a donation, simply bring your items directly to the bell station at Hilton Clearwater Beach between 9am and 5pm each day this week. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Mike Morris at mike.morris@hilton.com or 727-461-3222 ext. 195.

For more information about Clean the World, visit http://www.cleantheworld.org. For information about Hilton Clearwater Beach visit http://www.clearwaterbeachresort.com.

Thank you for your support~

Click here to learn more about Clearwater Marine Aquarium or become a member of the CMA family

FROM BELOW THE MASON DIXON IN RESPONSE TO OUR ITEM ABOUT ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON GOATS EATING RECYCLED CHRISTMAS TREES

Here in the South, Christmas trees are frequently tied together along with a concrete block and put in lakes and ponds to build structure where bass and crappies can be found soon after the immersion. Many of them don't go to waste or wind up in a landfill. I abhor the cutting of trees and believe that Christmas trees should only be purchased at a Christmas tree farm. As a youth and even as a young father I went on the Christmas tree cutting expedition but as I've aged my views, as is often the case, have changed. The older I get, the more amazed I am at how much I DON'T know

Well, this one’s not exactly in the category of YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP. It’s more insidious. It’s like WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! . There’s an eight-year-old New Jersey Cub Scout whose mother swears that young man cannot get on commercial transportation without a lot of extra hassle simply because he’s on the Transportation Security Administration’s Watch List.

And he’s only on that list because he shares the same name as someone (we can only assume, at this point) who “deserves” to be on it. Unflipping real that some acreage in Detroit almost became scorched earth because of someone who should have been on it was not caught and this evolving Boy Scout gets a bad time from the country he’s in training to serve. I guess this belongs under yet a third category. GIME ME A BREAK.

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.

Rusty



NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS (and also looks for same from you guys)


FUN STUFF

Interactive

Take this test to see how your memory compares with the average. Click here for fun games to improve your memory.

Virtual Experiences

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.

REVIEWS

Music CDs

Over the holidays, I had a chance to experience Susan Boyle’s “I Dream A Dream” CD. And if ever there was a good time for this one, it is surely now, when it seems as though the whole world could use some hope, some inspiration and an example of how a complicated soul simply expressed can make a difference. I was a professional dance and show combo leader with time in grade at 18 and I know what it takes to move an audience.

It’s a lot more than just being able to sing well. To sing for working class people, who don’t really believe anybody who hasn’t been where they have, it takes being able to get inside the song and become that song.

Check out the selections on her CD. They include: Wild Horses; I Dreamed A Dream; Cry Me A River; How Great Thou Art; You’ll See; Daydream Believer; Up To The Mountain; Amazing Grace; Who I Was Born To Be; Proud; The End of the World; and Silent Night.

Susan does that with each and every one of them. Getting into the song and becoming the song. Like most folks, I suspect, I wanted to hear I Dream A Dream first. That was the same stellar experience the first time I watched her totally wow a panel of British judges and then do it all over again in the Colonies as it were.

As I listened, though, to the other songs, I totally forgot about Susan, the one who did that one. Like she did, I became the soul of those for whom these songs are written and for whom she sings them. It wasn’t hard because I am one of those.

And as haunted as hard times make all of us, including me, she took me to a place where people experience it about as deep as it cuts and yet survive to grow and find a better life. She made me feel a little less lonely and a lot more connected.

I was brought up to believe that whatever a person did in this life, they should never forget who they are as a person. Ms. Boyle has done that both by personal example and in her art. I expect me and mine will be in her debt for some while.

Thank you, Susan, Lass. We are honoured by your society.

To purchase this online, we invite you to go here.

Good Reads

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.

FOR YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING CONVENIENCE

We invite you to do all your amazon.com through by tapping the photo of Susan or the ad. The Northstar Journal receives a 15% commission on whatever you purchase through this link.

SURVIVING HARD TIMES

I made chowder, you made pickles. Let’s trade
I so love it when my “home and native land” proves yet again that they have something to teach the International Community about surviving hard times. You’ll love this one, gang. With thanks to the Toronto Globe & Mail.

And lest we think this is limited to country folk, consider this one, headlined, Bootstrapping taken to new extremes in tech industry

Or how about a seasonable application regarding Christmas trees? (This will be a real stretch for those of you in Toronto, New York, Dublin, London and Paris) Ever imagine having one delivered to your home by bicycle? Real close to the category of You Guys Think I Make This Stuff Up so by all means, go here ye yahoos of little faith

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.”

CCleaner - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com
The home of Spybot-S&D! “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.”
Mike Browne, Sacramento, CA

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.

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

In Tribute to Miep Gies, Thoughts of Warmer Times, And Our Heart Goes Out to Haiti

Thoughts of warmer days. These were taken on Lake Washington on July 29, 2009, when the official temperature reached 103, making it the hottest day on record. For more hot/warm weather windows, please go here. For more photos like this, please visit my online gallery. Photos by MS(R)M

Hi again and yep, from the ramparts of the Bastion on the Puget Sound, it’s been another interesting week.

We join the rest of the world in mourning the passing, at age 100, of Miep Gies, the brave woman from the Netherlands who helped Anne Frank and her family hide from the Germans during World War II and, after the Gestapo finally discovered them, made sure Ms Frank’s diaries were returned to the only one of them to survive the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Anne’s father Otto. Anne died there at age 15 of typhus. For a moving tribute to a quiet, humble and incredibly brave human being, please go here. For more on Miep’s life and times, please go here.

And our heart certainly goes out to those hundreds of thousands in Haiti victimized by the worst earthquake in 200 years. For more on this one, please go here. And to learn how you can help, please check this link.

SURVIVING HARD TIMES

Workers at Portland, Oregon’s Daimler Truck plant received good news when it was announced that the struggling operation was awarded $40-million in federal funds to develop more fuel efficient technologies. Daimler was one of nine companies to receive such an award. For more on this one and a list of the others involved, please go here.

And under the category of breaking stereotype, Detroit takes best read in this category. As Susan Salny of the New York Times reports:

“With $6,000 and some Hollywood-style spunk, four friends opened this city’s only independent foreign movie house three months ago in an abandoned school auditorium on an unlighted stretch of the Cass Corridor near downtown.”

Yep, this is one of those, if they can do it there, maybe we can do it here stories so for more on this, please go here.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Congratulations to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for winning the Sightline Institute’s Cascadia’s Greenest City award. I’m also pleased that Seattle came in second and Portland, for whose major daily newspaper I once worked, third.

For those of you unfamiliar with Cascadia, it basically extends south from the Alaska Peninsula to San Francisco and east across British Columbia to western Alberta, then south through parts of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Northern California.

In my experience, there’s nothing quite so empowering and inspiring as a good example. So to find out what criteria the Institute used and how each city ranked by category, please go here.

A small Washington state community has found a unique way to recycle Christmas trees by letting the goats at a local animal rescue eat them. I love it and yep, only in Washington and remember where you read it first. Yep, go here.

Maybe not so good news but if anyone still doubts global warming, they might want to take a hike up Mt. Rainier. According to Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton:

“The fallout from Mount Rainier's shrinking glaciers is beginning to roll downhill, and nowhere is the impact more striking than on the volcano's west side.”

I can see Mt. Rainer from the ramparts of the Bastion on the Puget Sound and I was on the Canadian border when her sister, Mt. St. Helens, erupted. A lot of us count on those glaciers to keep Lady Rainer cool, calm and unriled. Understandably, then, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one. You can too, by going here.

CRITTER STUFF

We’ve got three totally beautiful stories to share with you this week and the first is about this absolutely darling dolphin who had the misfortune, as a baby, to get her tail caught in a crab pot rope. Despite every effort possible, Winter lost her fluke and it was decided she’d be safer in the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, where she could also be rehabilitated. She became an instant hit, of course, and attracted the attention of a small company which has been making prosthetic flukes for her. This is one of the most moving and inspirational I’ve read in a long time. For an interview with Winter’s trainer, Abby Stone, on The Bonnie Hunt Show, please go here. To see where Winter lives, yep, please go here.

Closer to home, our local orca pot increased its number by one on New Years Day. A twelve-year-old killer whale had a calf, which was spotted as J Pod moved south of Vancouver Island and into the Puget Sound. Yep, he/she’s a cutie and for a pix of mother and child and more on this one, please go here. Our thanks to Dave and Marilee from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and to the Victoria Times Colonist for this one.

I loved this one because I love it when animals keep humans guessing. And according to Tom Stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle Outdoors Writer. Some are.

“The question on everyone's mind lately has been: Where have San Francisco's famous sea lions gone? The answer might lie about 500 miles north of the Golden Gate, where an estimated 2,000 sea lions have recently arrived off the central Oregon coast.”

I’ve been to Florence this time of year and it’s a real nice break from the pandemonium of urban society. San Francisco’s been going through a lot of changes lately and they’ve never been known for doing anything on the hush and nod.

My guess most of these new arrivals to Sea Lion Caves were probably light sleepers who just needed to catch up on their zzzzzs. As large as they are, those are probably ZZZZZZZZZZZZs. I expect they’ll be up there some while. San Francisco doesn’t show any signs of keeping it down past ten p.m. Yep, for more on this one, please go here.


FROM YOU GUYS FOR YOU GUYS

ty mick. i liked hearing about the coyote. my dad had a coyote for a pet when he was a teenager and evidentally both adapted well until my grandfather sold the coyote. i have always thought that was mean spirited of him. warmest regards, fay

Fay, as always, a pleasure, lass. We kind of tripped out on it too.

Well, when I first heard about this one, I didn’t believe it so I don’t expect you guys to either. Yep, into the YOU GUYS THINK I MAKE THIS STUFF UP category for this one. To make a point recently, some passengers on Seattle’s newly initiated light rail line boarded the train in downtown’s Westlake Center and then took their pants off. On the scene were television crews, astounded passengers and more pundits than vultures on the Great Serengeti after a lion feast.

The Chamber of Commerce is not going to like this but Seattleites have a reputation for doing things sans clothing. Nudity is legal in all our public parks (I’ve never seen anybody in their birthday suit in the 20 years I’ve lived here but then I don’t go looking for stuff like that with gun or camera.)

I guess my objection to it is primarily aesthetic. I’ve staged special events and if I was going to get a bunch of semi-nude people together to draw attention to a cause or complaint, I’d hire models of both sexes and all gender persuasions. If we’re going to appeal to the libido here, for crying out loud, let’s get them ogling good before they turn away in mock outrage and impersonate the fine, upstanding and straitlaced citizens that give a town a good reputation.

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.

Rusty


NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS


FUN STUFF

Virtual Experiences

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.

REVIEWS

Music CDs

Over the holidays, I had a chance to experience Susan Boyle’s “I Dream A Dream” CD. And if ever there was a good time for this one, it is surely now, when it seems as though the whole world could use some hope, some inspiration and an example of how a complicated soul simply expressed can make a difference. I was a professional dance and show combo leader with time in grade at 18 and I know what it takes to move an audience.

It’s a lot more than just being able to sing well. To sing for working class people, who don’t really believe anybody who hasn’t been where they have, it takes being able to get inside the song and become that song.

Check out the selections on her CD. They include: Wild Horses; I Dreamed A Dream; Cry Me A River; How Great Thou Art; You’ll See; Daydream Believer; Up To The Mountain; Amazing Grace; Who I Was Born To Be; Proud; The End of the World; and Silent Night.

Susan does that with each and every one of them. Getting into the song and becoming the song. Like most folks, I suspect, I wanted to hear I Dream A Dream first. That was the same stellar experience the first time I watched her totally wow a panel of British judges and then do it all over again in the Colonies as it were.

As I listened, though, to the other songs, I totally forgot about Susan, the one who did that one. Like she did, I became the soul of those for whom these songs are written and for whom she sings them. It wasn’t hard because I am one of those.

And as haunted as hard times make all of us, including me, she took me to a place where people experience it about as deep as it cuts and yet survive to grow and find a better life. She made me feel a little less lonely and a lot more connected.

I was brought up to believe that whatever a person did in this life, they should never forget who they are as a person. Ms. Boyle has done that both by personal example and in her art. I expect me and mine will be in her debt for some while.

Thank you, Susan, Lass. We are honoured by your society.

To purchase this online, we invite you to go here.

Good Reads

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.

FOR YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING CONVENIENCE

We invite you to do all your amazon.com through by tapping the photo of Susan or the ad. The Northstar Journal receives a 15% commission on whatever you purchase through this link.

SURVIVING HARD TIMES

I made chowder, you made pickles. Let’s trade
I so love it when my “home and native land” proves yet again that they have something to teach the International Community about surviving hard times. You’ll love this one, gang. With thanks to the Toronto Globe & Mail.

And lest we think this is limited to country folk, consider this one, headlined, Bootstrapping taken to new extremes in tech industry

Or how about a seasonable application regarding Christmas trees? (This will be a real stretch for those of you in Toronto, New York, Dublin, London and Paris) Ever imagine having one delivered to your home by bicycle? Real close to the category of You Guys Think I Make This Stuff Up so by all means, go here ye yahoos of little faith

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.”

CCleaner - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com
The home of Spybot-S&D! “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.”
Mike Browne, Sacramento, CA

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.

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