It's All Osprey's Fault!

Osprey recommended this film, and it is, as she claimed, very well made. It is a chilling film, however, so beware.

OK Go - White Knuckles - Official Video

Framed and Ready to Show ...

These gouache paintings are what I call my vegetable mandalas. I sent for framing materials from American Frame and put them together today. I will be hanging them at the Houston Iyengar Yoga Studio, where Constance has a small space that is used to display individual artists' work.

Remember Cellophane?

This very tasty tea is from Mighty Leaf. I looked at the packets when I pulled them out of the box and was dismayed to see, as I have observed before, that the teabag was individually wrapped. However, I read the box and it said that the teabag itself was biodegradable (YAY!), and that the clear packet was made of cellophane.

Plastic is wonderful for certain applications where breakage is a concern, as in shampoo bottles, but in packaging it has become the bane of our existence. Overpackaging is endemic, because of concerns over theft, and it takes a reciprocal saw to get into some packages these days. Seems absurd, but it is probably part of the "have fewer employees in the store" sort of cost savings. Fewer employees means more packaging, and we pay for all packaging when we buy the items.

In my view, it would make more sense to have less packaging (picture the old hardware store with the friendly dude who knew just where the 5/8" wood screws were in their bin, lying around loose, not packaged so you have to buy 4 of them at a time). If there were more employees there would be less theft, and if there were less packaging, the product would cost less for the consumer. I believe these things appear to be changing, albeit ever so slowly.

Secondary rant: Constant growth, a pillar of capitalism, is impossible in a finite world. It is a stupid and shortsighted philosophy. Where there is expansion, there must be contraction. We need to contract, folks. The earth cannot support an ever-growing population forever.

It's Broken!

Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

On my feeds are items from TED.com. This guy has a website, listed at the end of the talk.

My First Christmas

On the front it says: With love & kisses to Ellen, Grandma & Grandpa Murray
On the back:
Hang up the Baby's stocking
Be sure and don't forget--
For the little dimpling darling
Hasn't seen Christmas yet.
December 25 1946.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

OK This is news to me, and very weird news indeed. Apparently because the energy of earthquakes is tracked and timed, scientists are now postulating that the earth's core is a huge crystal, not a simple lump of iron. Read this article for more information: Journey to the Center of the Earth. Or read this article in Wired Magazine.

Female Homunculus from WW1

The well outfitted soldier in World War 1 appears to have had a pack, a hat, a rifle. He also seems to have had a small woman attached to his belt buckle.

There is Good All Around Us

Y'Artichoke!

The Three Stooges used to do a routine at a fancy dinner table. They are served artichokes, and one says, "what IS this thing?" the second one says, "yartichoke"; the first one replies, "So should you!" It makes more sense if you say it aloud.

This one is another plant mandala. I like the way it spirals out from the middle.

Happy Dreaming!