10 Years Ago Today: More Like Superman
Dr. Aria Sabit with patient spring 2010
One month ago on this day, our dog got hit by a car and dragged 100′; link to the GoFundMe here. On this date one month ago, I was laid off from my college teaching job due to low enrollment.
But these shocks are nothing like the one that happened ten years ago today, when, in a bicycle accident discussed here, or with more details here, my husband broke his C2 aka the Hangman’s break where 95% of the people die, and the 5% who live are quadriplegics (think Christopher Reeves) except for 3% of that 5% who have fused necks with a significant loss of mobility.
However, instead of being like the human Christopher Reeves, he’s more like the superhero– he’s more like Superman. He is completely recovered with complete mobility.
Night skiing g at Big Bear December 2019
While he can’t fly through the air like Superman can, he flies on his snowboard 30 or so days a year and on his mountain bike as often as possible.
Who doesn’t have mobility?
His doctor. Read more…
Ron’s Rankings, Oscar Nominations 2019
Oscar statues photo courtesy of the Academy Awards
With THE 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS 2020 edition coming up this Sunday February 9 at the Dolby Theatre at honoring movies released in 2019, everyone is talking about their favorite films– including my friend and film aficionado Ron Wells.
“Soooo many great actors in so many films this year,” says Ron in his introduction to his rankings. “I love films and going to theaters and seeing artists do what they do best. Always a joy for me. This year for me was really about documentaries. I would watch all of those listed a second or third time. The movies were good too, but I don’t know that anything blew me away. Still, a nice mix of films over the past year.”
Here are Ron’s Rankings (and a few rants!) for 2019 with a few trailers followed by key nominations and a few thoughts from me and a few of my friends:
LOVE sculpture with “Embrace” in the background; dawn Burning Man 2014. photo by Gwendolyn Alley
“What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK: Darkness cannot drive out darkness
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that,” said Dr. King in his 1963 book, Strength to Love. (https://apnews.com/…/King%27s-words-still-inspire-nearly-50…).
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
#WomensMarch for Justice: Jan. 18, 2020
Four years ago, a racist, sexist, ignorant, inflammatory, selfish and self-centered man was elected president of the United States.
Millions of women and their allies took to the streets across the country for the first Women’s March and other protests.
Some of us haven’t stopped protesting because while he has been impeached by the US House of Representatives, the Senate has to vote to remove him. Read more…
Greta, George, Jared, and the Ends of the World As We Know Them
Last September Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot came together in a video about climate change, warning us that the world is going to collapse unless we do something.
Someone who knows quite a bit about the topic of collapse also is UCLA Professor of Geography Jared Diamond, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Guns, Germs, and Steel and a book on Collapse. which served as a foundation for an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in LA about 15 years ago when the book came out. Read more…
Birthday Time 2020
January 11 is my birthday; I’m Gen X.
It’s also the birthday of WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg, a Millenial who turned 36.
And of Larry Harvey,Burning Man founder (RIP), a Boomer fond of absinthe by Absinthia.
How did 2019 go by so fast? is it really 2020 — time of vision past and future?
I’d like to celebrate all three of us — Larry, Matt and ME, the future and the past plus any other Capricorns along for the ride…keep reading…
and I’d like to ask for your support. Because this was not a typical birthday.
On Wednesday, my dog Cisco was hit by a car Read more…
Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays 2019! Read more…
MUIR: Make Sure a Few Paths in Life Are DIRT
AND THAT YOU SEE SOME GREEN!
Instead of rose colored glasses, recent research suggests you wear green ones.
According to NPR this morning, people who have more GREEN in their life feel less pain.
Learn “Researchers Explore A Drug-Free Idea To Relieve Chronic Pain: Green Light” here. Read more…
Elves Target Single Use Plastic
Join Elves worldwide in targeting the single use plastic problem
Did you know just last week scientists revealed there could be a million times more plastic in the ocean than previously thought? And that scientists have found higher concentrations of microplastics in Arctic sea ice than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Just like other parts of the world, Arctic birds and other critters fill their bellies with tiny particles of plastic. It’s not that they’re stupid — they’re just hungry and they think it’s food. Read more about it here.
That’s why we elves are joining Greenpeace in descending on Target’s headquarters. All this plastic pollution has to end, so I’ve traveled south to help Greenpeace put supermarkets’ and retailers’ feet to the fire when it comes to single-use plastic – starting with Target because Target cares about its public image – so every act of mischief adds up, my friends.
Target executives paid attention when Greenpeace activists delivered over 220,000 petition signatures against plastic last month. And I’ll bet the retail giant doesn’t want a bunch of wild holiday elves on the evening news.
If we keep it up, Target executives will smarten up and commit to phasing out single-use plastics at their stores. That starts a cascading wave of pressure on other big stores and brands to switch to reusable and packaging-free goods and gifts.
All we want for the holidays is a plastic free future — which means I’m no longer happy being Santa’s little helper, watching plastic packaging ruin the holiday season.
Now, I’m going to be Santa’s little protestor!
Santa, this mischief doesn’t happen without a movement behind it. That’s why I’m asking you and others to give now to power the Greenpeace movement, protect the North Pole, and help out all of Earth’s beautiful creatures.
I know it’s a busy time of the season so thank you Santa for understanding that I have to run now and get my protest on. Stay tuned for photos!
Love,
Your Greenpeace Elf
PS I’m cc’ing Greenpeace. I think there’s a lot more elves out there who might want to join up at Target stores across the country for a little protest action! Much more worthwhile for the world and our spirits than a spirited Santacon!
Or maybe do both? Why not make a Target store a Santacon stop and tell people about the perils of single use plastic?
NOTE: This article is modeled after an email from Greenpeace which has set its most ambitious December fundraising campaign ever to raise $1,031,000 by December 31st so they can scale up all their work like this project for people and the planet.
Greenpeace is NOT affiliated with Santacon and is NOT calling at this time for Santacons to go to Target or for Elves to go to their local stores. But that doesn’t mean we Elves can’t do what we want!!
Three Fall Conversations: A New Poem
Three Fall Conversations
by Gwendolyn Alley Read more…
art predator 