wild blue yonder

Raccoon Tag

2012-01-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know, I know. Racoons are dangerous wild animals. But...

We have this funky old hot tub out back. It's underneath a big olive tree and most years, starting around November, we have an enormous crop of olives that no one ever harvests.

Except for the racoons. They love 'em. For the last few years we've had a whole family of racoons living around our place. I remember the first time I saw them, a big mama and four little babies, trundling around the side of our house. So freaking cute.

That was three years ago and we are now on our third generation. For some reason there always seems to be a little guy who is more curious and fearless. Though to be honest, none of them are all that cautious of us.

Sometimes when we sit out in the hot tub, the whole family will come out and climb up in the olive tree. This one branch in particular hangs out nearly over the tub. They'll lay on the branch, with an arm or two dangling down, and watch us bathing. I think the water fascinates them.

I'll tell you, the first few times this happened it scared the hell out of us. Or for the first few months. But we got kind of used to it, and actually began to enjoy the company. Sometimes the young ones will play and scamper and wrestle with one another, chittering and squeaking and growling. They have an amazing vocabulary.

So one night, about a month ago, I was out there by myself and the little one came right up to the tub and was sniffing around, right below me. He knew I was there, but was being especially brave.

Then two of his siblings began wrestling in earnest, rolling around on the ground about ten feet away. The little one's attention was completely diverted by this spectacle and he turned to watch them, forgetting all about me. I don't know what got into me, but I decided to reach down and touch the little raccoon on his back! I moved my hand very slowly and hesitated, then ever so gently touched him.

Man! He must have jumped two feet in the air and landed facing me, backing away with his hair bristling and his bandit eyes wide. I felt bad for scaring the hell out of the poor little critter, but a few days later it seemed to have forgotten and was back on the tree branch hanging out.

I guess I kind of forgot too. But last night I was once again out there all by myself. The moon hadn't risen and it was very dark. No sign of the racoons. I was just laying there in the hot water, lost in thought, when I felt that little hand patting the back of my head.

It was my turn to leap two feet out of the water and I let out quite a holler! By the time I turned around it was watching me from the shadows (probably laughing). I guess now I'm "it".

Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline: an analysis by Louise Stonington

2011-12-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

What you need to know about the Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline, by Louise Stonington

First, there is a matter of belief involved here, a belief that American ingenuity, industry, and entrepreneurship can lead the world to a better life.
Global investment in renewable power and fuels increased 32% between 2009 and 2010 according to Renewable Energy World. Solar and wind energy industries are now competitive and able to provide electricity at the same cost as electricity from conventional electric plants in many regions, according to Bloomberg New Energy Reports. The price of solar modules has dropped almost 60% since 2008.
http://bnef.com/PressReleases/view/155
Oil will only get more expensive. The light sweet crude that was easy to pump out and cheap to refine is gone. Instead we are digging up sandy soil and boiling it with water and separating out the oil from mountains of sludge. With a very low energy return on investment, making tar sands and shale oil more expensive, this should not be the basis of American energy.
All solar, wind and geothermal need is to scale up, and they will be so much less expensive that the tar sands and shale oil will not be able to compete. Look at the speed with which cell phones and computers have developed. Clean energy will do the same. Efficiency technology and processes can reduce US energy needs by a third, simplifying the transition.
A Brookings study in July 2011 shows that “the clean economy employs more workers than the fossil fuel industry.” The clean economy added half a million jobs between 2003 and 2010.” More of those jobs are in manufacturing, 25% versus 10% of jobs in the economy as a whole. http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2011/0713_clean_economy.aspx
In its last project, Keystone only employed 15% locally. The State Department estimates that 6000 temporary jobs may be created, so the local jobs offered may be as low as 900. Investment in turbine and solar PV factories would employ many more people in long term jobs.
China is buying up oil reserves around the world, and also importing coal. The more the US subsidizes and permits oil and coal development, the more value we give to China. If instead, we develop American manufactured solar, wind, geothermal, battery and other alternative technology, we will reduce the value of their fuel holdings and sell them competitive export products that they can use to meet their energy needs without burning oil or coal.
As long as we continue to pay over $300 billion a year for foreign oil, that money is not working for America. That is why the pipeline should be opposed.
As for the environmentalists, the evidence is very strong that carbon emissions from burning coal oil and gas was a factor in the continuing increase in record breaking extreme weather event, $60 billion damages in the US this year from tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, droughts and fires. In addition, acid from carbon dioxide in the oceans is threatening the seafood industry.
http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
A Center for Naval Analyses report, describes America's reliance on imported oil as a “significant national security threat.” Let’s have American business step up to the plate and win this one.
Climate Capitalism by Hunter Lovins
Making Healthy Places by Andrew Dannenberg
Sustainable Industries, the Business Source for Leaders of the New Economy

2011-11-24T18:29:00.001-08:00

I recently watched Thrive: What On Earth Will It Take? and found it very interesting and thought provoking (although in parts it was a bit fear-based--exploring the possible conspiracy by the financial elites to control the world). There's a LOT of cool stuff in this thing. Check it out! This link is for the entire 2 hour film on YouTube (I hope it stays up for a while).
This film has everything from zero point (free) energy, UFOs and crop circles to how the financial system is rigged, the corruption of the educational system and lots of ways we can work to build a better future.

Sedona

2011-11-13T12:24:00.001-08:00

Green and Red, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

I recently spent ten days in Arizona and had a chance to visit Sedona, which is widely hyped as a magical place with energy vortexes and such. It really is incredible. I don't know about the vortex thing, but wow.
I managed to avoid the massive commercial tourist overlay and had three all day hikes. This picture is from my first day out at Cathedral Rocks.
There are so many hiking trails and wonderful spots to visit there. You could literally spend weeks and not do half of them. Another thing that really struck me was the scale of the mountains. They seem so small compared to other magical places I've visited.You see something like Cathedral Rocks from a distance and (at least in my head) it seems so majestic that it must be massive, right? Like the Swiss Alps or something. But no, you can hike right up there in about 45 minutes.
I was in Arizona teaching EFT workshops on two different weekends down in Phoenix. Sedona was my break in between. I've got lots of yummy photos over on my Flickr site.

Scientists cure cancer but no one takes notice!

2011-05-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

Canadian researchers find a simple cure for cancer, but major pharmaceutical companies are not interested.
The method employs dichloroacetate, which is currently used to treat metabolic disorders. So, there is no concern of side effects or about their long term effects.

This drug doesn’t require a patent, so anyone can employ it widely and cheaply compared to the costly cancer drugs produced by major pharmaceutical companies.

This seems worth knowing about! Here's a link to the whole article.

Living the Dream

2011-05-03T12:56:00.001-07:00

Living the Dream, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This last weekend we took a holiday down in Santa Cruz, visiting our dear friend Jay. He scored us free tickets to the Beach Boardwalk and we had a time.
I discovered I'm not much good at rides anymore. The rollercoaster hurt my neck and the whirly ones made my stomach unhappy! Oh well.
It was much more fun visiting Jay and cruising the wonderful Pacific Garden Mall downtown.

Half Dome and Yosemite Valley

2011-04-05T21:17:00.001-07:00

Half Dome and Yosemite Valley, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Flying back from teaching an EFT workshop in Minneapolis, I happened to look out the window as we were crossing the Sierra Nevada and down below I saw Yosemite Valley! There was Half Dome! It's such a tiny little place in the vastness of the Sierras. I felt so incredibly lucky to have seen this!

There are some more photos from the air over on my Flickr page.

2012 - A Message of Hope

2011-03-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is really worth watching full screen, if you can (just double click the image). It's about 25 minutes of inspiration. There are a few bits of rather questionable archeology in this--don't know why they put that in actually. And there are quite a few typos! Our family enjoyed spotting them together, even whilst soaking up the positive vibes. Enjoy!

The Wayseer Manifesto

2011-03-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Watch This!

We Don't Need Nuclear Power!!!

2011-03-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to see this!

Light Up The Christmas Tree

2010-12-27T13:33:00.001-08:00

I just found this great logic game that involves lighting up a Christmas tree. Check it out!

watch this...

2010-12-20T12:15:00.001-08:00

Your secret from Jean-Sebastien Monzani on Vimeo.

Krista's Open Studio :: Deva Luna

2010-12-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend is Krista's open studio. She's got it so nice in there, I decided to take a little video. I hope people come by tomorrow to enjoy it.

Old Black Water - BP

2010-12-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Psychological Disorders - Disney Style!

2010-11-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

Heroin Chic has a nice collection of gifs illustrating common mental ailments, along with the seven deadly sins and particular drugs. Enjoy.

The Empathic Civilization

2010-11-18T13:16:00.001-08:00

Plastic Back to Oil?

2010-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

el radio fantastique

2010-11-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Krista and I saw this band for a Halloween show down in Pt. Reyes Station at the Green Barn. It was epic!

A Trip to Mongolia

2010-10-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Saad on Vimeo.

Changing Education Paradigms

2010-10-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Avatar AMV -- "Get in Line"

2010-09-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

MOBA - The Museum of Bad Art

2010-09-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Louise Sacco at Gel 2010 (Museum Of Bad Art - MOBA) from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Cob Bench Project

2010-08-15T12:02:00.001-07:00

Finished For Now, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Yesterday I led a cob bench workshop for my friends Meredith and Steve. Inspired by the City Repair movement up in Portland, they wanted to offer a nice place for people in the neighborhood to sit and congregate.
Our bench is build right on the sidewalk and I think it will become a neighborhood landmark. This is a neighborhood where people are replacing lawns with food gardens, and redwood fences for bamboo. Lots of nice, conscious folks around here, so maybe this will be the start of another round of community building.

I had posted to our homeschooling newsletter for this free workshop, and was hoping for some strong teens. Instead I got five girls: three eight year olds, one six and one five! At first I was a bit discouraged, expecting them to last less than an hour, get bored or too tired, and drag away their parents.
Not a bit of it. These kids worked SO HARD, and they worked well, actually contributing a lot. I loved working with these families. It was just about the most fun I've ever had cobbing.

I'm very happy with the design and proportions and the whole feel of the bench. We were lucky to have two sets of excellent clay soil (you can see the bottom layer of black clay peeking out the bottom). In a few weeks we'll plaster the bench and it will be even prettier!

Even more photos on my Flickr site.

All Done (do we have to go?)

2010-08-15T11:51:00.003-07:00

All Done (do we have to go?), originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

These two sisters, Lucie and Alice stayed until the bench was done, a full hour after we were supposed to end. They were having a blast and felt totally invested in the outcome. Their mom finally had to drag them away, with promises they could come back and sit on the bench when it was dry.

Building Up The Bench

2010-08-15T11:48:00.001-07:00

Building Up The Bench, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Youngest Cobber

2010-08-15T11:46:00.001-07:00

Youngest Cobber, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Even a five year old can really contribute!

First Batch of Cob

2010-08-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

First Batch of Cob, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Photo by Jamie Davis-Meyer. I demonstrated how to mix a batch and then had all the kids try it out. These eight year old girls were just heavy enough to stomp their own batches of cob!

The Foundation

2010-08-15T11:43:00.001-07:00

Front View, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

All ready to go. The black things on the sides are post holders, driven deep into the subsoil. These will hold timber bamboo posts for the awning.
This was far and away the worst batch of urbanite I've ever worked with. Very few pieces had flat sides, so we ended up having to slope the edges up. Basically a pile of rubble.
We built it up fairly high so we wouldn't have to make as much cob for the seat.

Recurring Nightmare

2010-08-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

So last night I broke another tooth! I was eating a bowl of cereal for a late night snack. Cereal! With milk. I even let it get just a bit soggy. But there was a hard little nugget of corn in the corn flakes and I bit down on it at just the right angle to snap off the front of one of my teeth.

It was terrifying! A HUGE filling dropped out and then the front of the tooth popped out. I was expecting a big wave of pain but it never really came.
This was a tooth just back of my left canine. It totally shows when I smile.

I was lucky enough to get a dental apt this morning, but they sent me home without fixing anything. There's just a slight chance that the good doctor can restore my tooth, more or less, with composite material. Sort of a long term temporary solution. The more traditional route is to do a root canal, build it back up and put on a crown. Having that done in Chiang Mai would cost about $750. Having it done in Santa Rosa about $2600.
I can get to Chiang Mai for $1100. That would save me around $750 and I know the work would be done very well. But I'm not eager to spend two days on a plane, and it seems like I was just over there anyway.

My other option, tooth wise, is to just get it pulled. Just like the last tooth that broke back in June. That's about $750, including the 'bone graft'. The dentist would then make me some sort of "appliance" that looks like a retainer with teeth stuck in it. That would take care of my other missing tooth too, until such time as I win the lottery and can afford implants.
So I'm hoping she can just sculpt me a new tooth, but otherwise, I'm going to look like a freaking hillbilly for a while. Yee haw.

The Oregon Country Fair 2010

2010-07-20T12:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This year was our 17th year at the fantastic Oregon Country Fair. The fair is always the second weekend in July about half an hour west of Eugene. I've written a few words below with each photo about the fair and our experiences this year. For lots more photos please visit my Flickr set.

Deva Luna circa 2010

2010-07-20T12:48:00.001-07:00

Deva Luna circa 2010, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This year may have been our most beautiful display so far, anchored by the gorgeous painting of the Red Catfish with Animale in the background. Aside from Krista's dramatic painting Siren's Lament, which came out around the time of the BP oil spill, things were much the same as last year.
We were selling paintings and triptychs, prints and cards, stickers and magnets and sarongs and Krista's new book The Painted Tongue Flowers. To see more of Krista's work, check out her website Deva Luna.com
We had a wonderful crew this year, with Krista's folks and my niece Kaytea, Karen and Bruce and Zoe.
The weather was a little too hot, but after last years torrential rains and cold, we were all feeling grateful.

Water Fountain

2010-07-20T12:38:00.001-07:00

Water Fountain, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

We sell Krista's art at the fair. But there is art everywhere, offered free for the love of it. Every year there are more displays. Occasionally something is retired or goes away, but over all the fair just keeps getting better. This copper leaf drinking fountain caught my eye one morning.

Behind the Scenes

2010-07-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

Behind the Scenes, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This is a view of our backyard, looking down from the loft. There's also space underneath the loft where we have our kitchen area and tables for eating.
We share an open back yard with our neighbors Mitch and Michelle, potters from Sisters, Oregon and their whole crew. Over these last 16 years or so everyone has come to feel like family, and this is one of the nicest things about doing the fair: family.

Phoenix Rising

2010-07-20T11:57:00.001-07:00

Phoenix Rising, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Phoenix Rising sells cookies during the fair, but for breakfast they serve up scrambled eggs, pancakes and home fried potatoes. You load up your own plate and it's our old standby in the morning.
But Krista and her folks often walk out to the meadow where the tamale booth makes Eggs Benedict. There's very good coffee to be had at Dana's Cheesecake.
Even if you ate ten meals a day, I don't think you could sample every restaurant booth at the fair. And most of them are good. Some of them are incredible.
On Saturday I had a salad with grilled tempeh from the Sweet Leaf. That was my favorite meal this year. I was off on my own and I took my plate over to a table and ate with eight other folks, enjoying a spontaneous light hearted conversation with strangers.
Here are some of my faves: The Calzone booth, The Whole Enchilada, Get Fried Rice (we had an incredible bowl of soup there late Saturday night), The Quesedilla booth, Spanekopeta with Greek Salad, the tamale booth, the Peruvian food booth, Rising Moon Ravioli, and Che Ray's. There's also Nearly Normal's falafels, the Ring of Fire Thai and Indonesian food, Roll On Eggrolls, the pad thai booth, and Tempura just down the path. I'm sure this isn't even half of the food booths either.
It's always just a little sad for me at the end of the fair, realizing I'd missed out on one of my old favorites. You just can't do it all.

Bear Feet

2010-07-20T11:42:00.001-07:00

Bear Feet, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

I think it was eight years ago, something like that, when the jug bands began showing up at the fair. The first one I remember was The Kitchen Synchopaters up from New Orleans. The Inkwell Rhythm Makers were there early on and put on incredible Saturday Night shows down the path from us for several years.
After a few years there were more and more of them. We called it the invasion of the jug bands, and most all of them are pretty good. To me they seem like kissing cousins of the jugglers and vaudeville acts. Lots of old timey showmanship and unexpected virtuosity right there on the path.
Krista and I watched this band, Bear Feet, for a few songs. They don't have a washtub bass but the girls were very cute!

Kaytea on Saturday Night

2010-07-20T11:33:00.001-07:00

Kaytea on Saturday Night, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Saturday night is a really big deal at the fair. Many folks end up at Main Stage watching the Midnight Show, which features abbreviated acts from most of the stage performers. A torchlit marching band leads the way down the path and opens the show each year, but we rarely go.
There are actually hundreds of scenes available with lots of live music and spectacle, and most years we do our part to add a little color to the path.
India likes to set up her wool dolls and sticker in the kid's booth and I put out white xmas lights and candle lanterns to help her sell. We have our gorgeous fiber optic butterfly mounted high up on the booth and this year we had beautiful red flower lights all along the inside top of the booth.
I also brought back the "ball of mystery" shown in this photo. I don't remember the actual name for this thing, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but you touch the glass ball and a purple beam of plasma arcs up to touch your finger. It's really really cool. Especially when you're out in the woods at night and tripping on any sort of psychedelic.
In the early days we were one of the few booths with electricity and so the ball was a huge hippy magnate. We'd enjoy watching the folks trip out on it, touching it with many different body parts and ooohing and ahhhing.
But after some years of this my friend Danny said "you know, that thing is the least trippy thing here at the fair". He was right, so I retired it for a while. It was great to have it back though.
We also had music this year. Karen brought her boyfriend Bruce Klein, a truly awesome guitar player and his playing attracted a number of awesome strolling musicians. There was some incredibly sweet music happening in front of our booth for most of Saturday night.
How awesome to just sit still in front of the booth (we were all very tired) and have the show come to us for a while. It was lovely.

Godzilla

2010-07-20T11:05:00.001-07:00

Godzilla, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Every morning, early, the trucks come around with their crews to collect the recycling, compost and garbage. Of all the wonderful trucks, Godzilla is king.
It seems that every year there is a new Godzilla doll mounted on the hood. And each doll has a costume and the costumes are amazingly detailed. One year one of the dolls shot out steam and made that trademark Godzilla screech.
This year there was a Little Bo Peep Godzilla clutching a felted wool sheep. For close ups of the individual dolls, check my Flickr site.

Our Target Market :: Fairies and Elves

2010-07-20T11:01:00.001-07:00

Our Target Audience, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Way back when we first began making our living as crafts people, we sold beautiful ribbon rose jewelry. We still have boxes of the stuff in our shed, not to mention the ribbon, findings and such. It was lovely and elegant and all, but most of our customers were conservative middle aged women. I mean no offense to conservative middle aged women, but it was a huge relief once we started selling Krista's art work.
Suddenly we were attracting a diverse crowd, men and women, all ages. It was heaven. I'll never forget our very first show, the UC Davis Whole Earth Festival, which is always Mothers Day weekend. A handsome black man, around 30 or so, saw Krista's Mother Power image and exclaimed "That's BAD ASS!. I'm getting that for my mom!".
Naturally it feels great when were selling stuff and making money, but the interactions we have with groovy and appreciative folks are very very nurturing.

Three Hill Tribe Skirts

2010-07-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

Three Hilltribe Skirts, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

These sweet women from southern Thailand wanted to get a photo with me. We had all gotten Hill Tribe skirts up in Chiang Mai. I wore this outfit all day Saturday and I must say, I was sacrificing comfort for style. It was a hot day and that shirt I'm wearing is really a jacket. My Akha crown is also rather heavy and hot.
I guess once a year I can bear it.

Extremely Cute Guy

2010-07-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

Extremely Cute Guy, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Here's one for the ladies. There are so many beautiful people at the fair. I would have to say that most people become more beautiful just by being there, in the nurturing, rejuvenating atmosphere of uninhibited self expression.

On the Long Tom River

2010-07-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

On the Long Tom River, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

The Long Tom River wends its way through the fair, and on hot hot days it's hard not to imagine ploshing in the water. I actually remember way back in the early 80's, when I was first attending the fair, seeing some tripped out folks in the water.
Alas, it is rumored to be very polluted from agricultural runoff. Maybe 20 years from now it will be clean again and a sandy beach and water play will be an established part of the OCF.

Vaudeville at the Fair

2010-07-20T10:38:00.001-07:00

Charlie Brown and Rhys, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Yet another thing I LOVE about the fair is the amazing abundance of jugglers and vaudeville performers (not to mention jug bands). These guys do amazing tricks, but even better, they are incredibly funny.
This year I only saw two shows: UMO and Charlie Brown. They were both high points.
As much as I love Northern California, we seem to have a shortage of these kind of folks. Maybe it just costs to much to live down here.

Pilot Project for Reuseable Plates

2010-07-19T21:42:00.001-07:00

Pilot Project for Reuseable Plates, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

A few years back the fair began requiring all food booths to use stainless steel silverware, which is collected at the recycling kiosks and washed and returned to service. I can't even imagine how much plastic this has kept out of the landfill.
Rising Moon Ravioli has been a leader in this movement, providing real ceramic plates (with a one dollar deposit). They wash them right there. This cuts down on the massive number of single use paper plates tossed away or composted.
This year four more food booths joined the effort in a pilot project and cheap stainless steel plates were introduced. If all went well the entire fair might go this way.
This is the sort of thing I just LOVE about the fair. I was very excited to see the shiny silver plates and collection drums. I hope it works out.

Eileen's Ashes

2010-07-19T21:34:00.001-07:00

Eileen's Ashes, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

One thing that marks this year was the scattering of our dear friend Eileen's ashes around the booth. This photo was taken directly after the ceremony and ash spreading on Friday morning.
Eileen was the wife of Jay Dravitch, who chose us to share his booth some 17 years ago, and then a few years later passed it on to Krista.
Eileen passed on last August after dealing with brain tumors. She was a leader in the Northern California Sufi community and her illness and death were an amazing spiritual journey for a great many people. We've missed Eileen and Jay these past two years and hope that Jay may return to us next year.
I think the reason we all look so happy in this photo is that Eileen was an intensely happy person, full of wisdom and mirth. In remembering her so clearly we were all uplifted.

The Long Walk Out to Registration

2010-07-19T21:13:00.001-07:00

The Long Walk Out to Registration, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

One of the real bummers at the fair, just in recent years, has been dealing with registration, which means getting our camping wristbands and the vehicle sticker that allows us to park.
It used to take about half an hour waiting in line. The past three years have averaged about two hours. And that's waiting in the hot sun, in a crowd of cross, irritated people, some of whom are trying to cut in front of others!
This year we decided to be there at 7am when they opened. It was supposed to be a very hot day and we were used to getting up early anyway. We actually arrived at 6:45am and there were 17 people ahead of us. Unfortunately they didn't really open at 7, more like 7:30. It was just slightly better than last year.
Turns out our booth mates Karen, Bruce and Zoe showed up about 4:30pm and had NO ONE in line ahead of them. They waltzed up and had their wristbands in minutes. I guess that's what we'll try next year.

The Oregon Country Fair

2010-07-19T21:07:00.001-07:00

Deva Luna circa 2010, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Well, it was a pretty good year, all in all. Sure the mosquitoes were terrible from all the late rains. And it was too hot on Sunday. And there was a roving band of hooligans making way too much noise Thursday night, which made it very hard to sleep. And little Eden Fay got sick and had her worst fair ever.
But still. What a magical celebration of creativity, joy and spontaneous expression. As my neice Kaytea put it "Just spent days dancing with fairies, mingling with goddesses, laughing with abandon, reveling in luxurious independence, exploring the Enchanted Forest, ogling the diverse beauty of humanity, grooving to a spectrum of soul-tugging music and being enmeshed in untold magic".
That about sums it up.

On The Road to the Oregon Country Fair

2010-07-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, so far so good. We're camped out in our lovely motel room here in Eugene. It was one of the nicest drives up I can remember. The weather was great: mists on the hills around Sonoma, beautiful sun all up the Sacramento Valley. It did get a bit hot going through Redding, but we were out of there by 10am or so.
On Hwy 505 we saw hot air balloons up ahead. Way cool! Even better, we ended up driving right under them! They were only about 100 feet above us. And there were vast fields of sunflowers and everything seemed lush and blooming from all the late rains.
Mount Shasta was gorgeous! All clad in white. Everybody was in a good mood, the music was just right and we got to Ashland in record time.
We had our traditional picnic in Lithia Park on the grass and ploshed around in the creek. The water was deeper than I'd seen it in July and very very cold! I stayed in until my feet were totally numb.
I have to admit that the road from Ashland up to Eugene was as long and boring as ususal. It just goes on and on and on forever. But actually only until 5pm when we pulled into the Campus Inn.
It was sunny and warm enough to walk around to find a dinner spot (Cafe Yumm) and visit the glorious U of O campus (my alma mater). Krista was upset that she didn't have her camera, there were so many fine Art Deco things to admire. We all agreed to return after the fair. So tomorrow, if all goes well, we'll be out at the fair by 10 or 11am, unloading the absurd mound of stuff we brought and getting all set up.
Good night!

Nearly Finished

2010-06-02T11:07:00.001-07:00

Burnished, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Just a few coats of linseed oil to go.

The Return of the Cobbers

2010-06-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we finished off the plastering of Jerry's cob oven. The only thing left is to coat it with boiled linseed oil to help protect it from inclement weather.

On Memorial Day Jerry and I began screening all the components. We put the sand through window screen to get out the little pieces of gravel which will mar the surface of the plaster when you're troweling it smooth. We screened the soil and straw too, and I picked lumps of horse manure out of the mess I'd scooped up in Annadel State Park. We ended us screening those with the wider mesh screen the next day when Krista joined us.

We mixed it all up in a plastic tub, using a shovel and a drill with a paddle bit. In hindsight I would've skipped the straw entirely and used more horse manure. It has the perfect kind of fiber for plaster, and to my surprise it didn't smell at all. The straw, even though we'd screened it three times, ended up showing up on the surface of the plaster, just a bit. Cattail fluff would have been better, but it was out of season.

Because the surface of the cob oven was already sculpted into snail shell ridges, we applied the plaster by hand. I think we could've gone back over the sides with a trowel though. They ended up just a bit lumpier than I'd have liked. Even if we had used trowels though, I think putting on with our hands was essential to really work it in. We had made a gazillion little thumb sized divots so that this coat would adhere, and there was a lot of straw sticking out that had to be worked around.

After the plaster had set for an hour or so, we took smooth plastic lids from yogurt tubs and smoothed it down. This was challenging around all the ridges, but incredibly satisfying to me. The oven ended up looking smooth and almost shiny.
It would have been interesting to have added pigment to the plaster. Perhaps a dark orange color? It ended up looking pale tan, but that will change with the linseed oil, which has a tendency to darken the clay.

All in all a wonderful project. I think the pizzas will taste even better now, if that's possible!

To see photos of the entire project, you can visit my Flickr set by clicking here. Most of the photos have notes.

A Possible Solution to the Gulf Oil Spill

2010-06-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

If you've been feeling downhearted about this catastrophe, please watch this video. My guess is that the information is accurate, but then the question arises: Why isn't this solution being applied? And how can we make it happen.

2010-05-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday India and I hiked up to Lake Ilsanjo in Annadel State Park. It's a pretty steep climb through a redwood grove. The path is paved with little pieces of obsidian in places.
It was the first really warm, sunny day we've had for quite awhile (all year?) and we might have gone swimming in the lake if we'd brought swimming togs and towels. There were too many folks about for us to skinny dip.
Instead we just ate our lunch and fed the little ducks who swam over to see what we had for sharing.
At some point India pointed across the lake to a dead pine tree and said "Look at that bird with the white head over there. Is that a bald eagle?".
It was! I had no idea there were eagles in our area, but when it took off from the tree and dove down to catch a fish in the lake, there was no doubt. It was huge! Turns out there's a nesting pair in the park. I guess our bird was bringing home lunch.
We also saw a little black snake, lizards, two tom turkeys gobbling like crazy, all kinds of butterflies, ducks, a goose and the biggest egret I've ever seen. It was snow white and huge and flew right across our path, with those long long white wings and folded up neck. As it crossed our path it let out a long stream of pure white poo!
Some sort of sign?
India was very good company on the hike, although it was hot for her. I don't mind the heat so much. In fact, I was remembering my first summer in Santa Rosa. I'd hike up to swim in the lake every week, getting baked in the searing heat. That was back before the hole in the ozone layer, or global warming were much known about.
Sadly many of the pine trees up near the lake were dead or dying. The redwoods and oaks seem okay, but something has pretty much wiped out the pines.
There were so many horses on the trails. When we got back to the car I found a shopping bag and filled it up with fresh manure to use in our earthen plaster! Score!

Awkward Family Photos

2010-05-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying this website today. Makes me feel just a little bit better about my own family.
Sometimes the captions really make the shot. For this one:
"Thanks Mom, for always knowing what's best for us."

The Amazing World of Art Moura

2010-05-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Check out the fantastic art of my friend Art Moura. This little tour is amazing and funny and may just blow your mind.

Krista's Yosemite

2010-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Being married to a great artist has its perks sometimes. Take a look at Krista's photos from our trip. Despite a certain amount of camera malfunction (some of the shots are sadly blurry) she captures a deeper level of beauty, currents of ambient feeling and the steady elegance Nature offers the unhurried eye.
I remember the kids and I waiting over and over, on our bikes: "Where's Krista? Where's mom?". She was busy capturing glimmers of ethereal loveliness! Here's a link to her Flickr set.

Yosemite

2010-05-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Just got back yesterday from four days camping in Yosemite valley. It was wonderful to be in that magical place in the spring time. The waterfalls were roaring and there were so many smaller ones I'd never seen before. The dogwood trees were in bloom, as were the ancient apple trees scattered around the valley. The meadows had little ponds reflecting the gorgeous peaks above, and all the mosses were glowing green on the rocks.

My neck is still sore from looking up so much. We camped in the Upper Pines campground and brought our bikes. In fact once we parked in our campsite we never drove again until we headed home, stopping for a time at El Capitan and the Tunnel View lookout.

We were blessed with beautiful weather--warm sunny days in the 70's and starlit evenings that got down to the low 40's. We were just cozy enough in our tent (it was almost too cold one night) and in the morning we'd stamp around until the sun cleared the valley rim and flooded our campsite with warmth. There's something delectable about greeting the sun with so much gratitude and welcome.

At night we'd have a campfire, burning almond wood we'd bought at a fruit stand on the way. We burned part of our Christmas tree I'd cut up, and the last bit of a packing case from having stuff shipped from Bali five years ago. There were privet and olive branches and a broken oak chair leg. Quite an eclectic campfire.

Of course our diet went to hell. Forget the raw food, we had french toast every morning, cheese sandwiches, potato chips and cookies for lunch and quesedillas or tofu hotdogs for dinner. Krista bought the kids marshmallows to roast on the fire and I toasted a few myself (first time in thirty years!).

We never did see any bears, which suited me just fine. The huge Yosemite ravens were there, and the cute ground squirrels that Eden loves so much. And other people, of course, but not very many. It was not crowded at all, although the campground was full. The folks right next to us played music every night, quietly with a saxophone and guitar. That was very nice!

One of the things I love about Yosemite is not knowing where the other folks came from until the open their mouths to speak. Are they from San Francisco or Amsterdam? The realization that people come from all over the planet to be in our magical Yosemite valley just makes me appreciate it that much more.

I also love the simple act of offering to take someone's picture, so that a couple or family can all be in it together. I did this about four or five times and several folks offered this for us.

On Wednesday we set out early and tackled the "mist trail" up to the top of Vernal Falls. It's a pretty steep climb and aptly named. When I'd done it back in October last year there wasn't much water coming over the falls. In May its a torrent and the spray blows right over the trail, which is mostly steps made from granite that climb along a steep drop down to the river.
We were not prepared at all and got thoroughly soaked! Luckily we were able to bake in the sun up on the huge granite slab up above the fall. This was one of the real high points of our trip, but it cost us sore knees and calf muscles!

A longer stay would have suited me. We were just starting to relax and let go of the busy doing things mode when it was time to pack up and drive home. But even our short stay left me feeling inspired and happier to be alive.

Eden Dances

2010-05-02T19:51:00.001-07:00

Oil

2010-04-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Our car is fueled with bio-diesel made from recycled restaurant oil. We buy it at our local health food store in 5 gallon jugs. It's a hassle putting it in. I have to lift the jug up to pour it and sometimes it's a bit oily and dirty. I've slopped bio-diesel on my pants and shoes at times, but it cleans right off. The stuff also costs more than petroleum diesel. After six years of this drill it's been getting a little old.
But now we've got this oil spill in the Gulf and I'm feeling a whole lot better about it.
I realize that there isn't enough used restaurant oil to power very many cars. A lot of smart folks are figuring out how to make oil from algae though. And others are working on getting electric cars to market. Ironically the big wind farm project off of Cape Cod just got approved - FINALLY - after years of NIMBY opposition. I wonder how those anti-wind folks would like drilling rigs instead?
I think we still have a chance. The solutions are pretty much ready and waiting for the political will to take them up. How many more wake up calls will it take? Will we be able to shake off the psychotic greed of corporate power in time? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Architectural Acid Trip

2010-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Moments

2010-04-15T13:13:00.001-07:00

Mr. Trololo

2010-04-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

After posting the Trololo Cat video, it dawned on me that maybe not everyone has seen the original Trololo video. So here it is in all its glory:

Trololo Cat - I'm Spreading A Virus!

2010-04-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Mind Over Matter

2010-04-06T18:40:00.001-07:00

Mind Over Matter
Uploaded by pincerpal. - Technology reviews and science news videos.

Lentil As Anything

2010-04-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a whole different way of doing things. I see the light and happiness radiating from this fellow's face and think: Hmmmmmmm?

Michael Moore on Health Care

2010-03-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Math Lesson: Less Is More

2010-03-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

The case for teaching less math in grade school. This article made me feel much much better about not trying to force Eden to learn stuff by rote. Stubborn little Taurus that she is, I've been flirting with turning her against math! She's brilliant and simply needs to understand why on earth she should learn the stuff.

Pilates - It's just like the flu, without all the virus!

2010-03-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

I hurt all over. After a year or more, I finally went back to my pilates studio to start over. I had quite forgotten how grueling 50 minutes can be. Now, 9 hours later, I hurt ALL over. I've hardly gotten anything done today because I'm so freaking sore and tired.
But I'll be back Wednesday morning for round two. I want to get in shape!

33 Seconds

2010-03-22T18:57:00.001-07:00

It A Gril

2010-03-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's another one from slightlywarped.com. Why bakeries should hire English speaking cake decorators.

The Nautilus House

2010-03-11T19:31:00.001-08:00

Okay, check this place out. I wouldn't want to live there, but I sure would love to stay a night or two!

Old Man Winter

2010-03-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

This morning the sun went behind a cloud and Krista said "Damn, I want it to be sunny and warm today, I'm tired of this cold weather!" I'm in complete agreement with that sentiment, however a few minutes later I came across this collection of COLD WINTER photographs and decided to stop whining. Check it out here, only beware the "next" button at the bottom of the page...that website can be addictive!

The Incredible Artists Soap Box Derby of 1975

2010-03-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary

2010-03-06T20:19:00.001-08:00

Elephant Ride, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Five years ago today our family arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was an exotic beginning of a wonderful three month adventure. Krista's mom, Joyce, was with us all through Thailand and then for a week in Bali. Some years ago I documented our travels in a little blog Thailand Sojourn with photos, travelogue and video clips. I guess I had a lot of time on my hands.
That trip is very important to me. It holds a vast space of rich memory and makes me feel like a more interesting person. That old saying "Wherever you go, there you are" just isn't true.

Fog Catchers Bring Water to Parched Villages

2010-03-05T11:55:00.001-08:00

From the National Geographic website: "With a few thousand dollars and some volunteer labor, a village can set up fog-collecting nets that gather hundreds of gallons of water a day—without a single drop of rain falling."
Here's a link!

Hypochondria

2010-03-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

I've been "under the weather". I won't go into details, but my lower GI tract seemed to just shut down. Except for the part that sends pain signals to my brain. I've never had anything like this before. Ever. And so my poor deluded mind goes straight to "I've got cancer!" and "It must be a tumor". Actually, my mind was kind enough to wait until the middle of the night.
This isn't unusual for me, to entertain such drastic thoughts. Pretty much every headache is a brain tumor for my overworked imagination. I've long ago stopped taking it seriously. But this was new and made me especially vulnerable.
I'm glad to say I'm almost recovered. I've hardly eaten anything in the last four days. A little yogurt with banana. Some green smoothie that Krista made. And I just heard from my friend Nancy that she's had the same thing, more or less, and it seems to be going around. So I guess I can relax about the tumor and all.

Except that I keep thinking about how totally screwed we'd have been, financially, if I really had had something serious. We do have insurance. But it's essentially 'catastrophic' and we'd end up shelling out a lot of money if something bad really happened.
We've had this policy for at least six years now, and we've never used it. Not once. We've never claimed a penny's worth of service from the bastards. And yet, I have this suspicion we'd be automatically denied coverage if we really needed it.
It's more profitable for them to pay lawyers to find ways to deny payment, or delay payment, so that's what they're doing. It's their fiscal responsibility to their shareholders, after all.

So I'm feeling really ready for the Democrats to pass the PUBLIC OPTION. There's absolutely nothing stopping them, except their allegiance to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Just a nice, simple up or down vote in the Senate.
I've been faxing Obama and Harry Reid this week, demanding action. This might be one of those moments where a few more snowflakes make the avalanche.

Last year about this time, I was just recovering from pretty severe dysentery I picked up in Thailand. For days and days I ate nothing but plain Nancy's yogurt and bananas, and here I am again. Yuk.

Holi

2010-03-03T10:04:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite bookmarks is The Big Picture. Here's a link to the most recent photo essay on Holi, the Indian festival of color. Enjoy.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

2010-03-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

This is one video that really deserves to go viral. Enjoy!

Fractured Fairy Tales

2010-02-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

I ran across this video today and it was a real blast from the past. I don't know if I ever saw it as a kid, but the character voices are intensely familiar. This was part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, which was a whole different animal from Disney and Hannah-Barbera. I'm pretty sure this show began the tradition of including jokes for adults, intended to go right over the heads of the kiddies. These often included references to current events or social trends. But what hit me were the voices.

My Favorites

2010-02-14T21:33:00.001-08:00

pajareando, originally uploaded by charquipunk.

One of the great things about Flickr is being able to choose favorites from other folk's photographs. I think I've got a pretty awesome collection and you can watch it as a slideshow! Just click this link and let 'er rip. I've pretty much got the content edited down to PG (or maybe PG-13).
Enjoy!

This Time Last Year....

2010-02-12T22:53:00.001-08:00

old sukhotai (67), originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

This time last year I was heading home from Thailand, my teeth all fixed and my heart full of adventure. I also brought back a suitcase and a big box full of cool junk I'd gotten at the various markets. I guess I really do love shopping.
This photo was taken on our family trip some five years ago. Despite having been severely ill (from bad food) and despite the intense muggy heat, look how happy Krista looks here. That place was truly magical.
I would return to Thailand in a heartbeat. Or Bali. Or I'd love to try some new places. But these days I'm really focused on my career and building up my private practice. Our only travel plans, currently, are for Yosemite in May. It really is convenient living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth sometimes.

Bored

2010-02-10T22:07:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was in and out a lot. I had clients and then a group at my office. Everytime I'd come home the girls would be in new costumes, with new face paint.
Eden has two best friends, Aja and Zoe (a to z!) and they are both stunningly beautiful, in very different ways.
With their theatrical face paint, these pretty little 11 and 12 year old girls suddenly looked much older. Not Eden so much. I found it a little bit terrifying. Just a bit.

Tonight India and I went over to visit Meredith and Steve, for a knitting lesson. India wants to knit hats and tonight was her very beginning. I have a feeling we'll be hip deep in hats by Thanksgiving time. India is prolific, but so far has knitted only scarves.

This afternoon I decided to write a book. It will most likely be a very short book, but I'm determined to write it. I was given a very good idea and I want to do something with it. More on this later.
photo by Aja

Monday

2010-02-08T22:52:00.001-08:00

Me, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Apparently there was some sort of big sporting event yesterday. It was beautiful here, our first really sunny day. Jerry and I visited an absolutely gorgeous property out near Graton to consult on the building of a cob oven. We got a tour of the 30 acres of vinyards, rolling pasture and deep redwood grove, complete with running creek. Very dreamy.
Due to the big game, it was a fantastic day for a bike ride and walking around our neighborhood. We were out at 7pm and all the church bells were ringing. I said "well, I guess the Saints won. A victory for the christians". Just a lucky guess.
Eden took this photo of me and I monkeyed around with it. I was thinking of using it for my business photo, instead of the more serious one India took years back. So far reviews have not been good.

With Love From Mother Russia

2010-02-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Found this over at Neatorama. An Armenian story in Russian with English subtitles. Truly weird. And check out the wizard!

Opening to the Light

2010-02-07T13:43:00.001-08:00

Opening to the Light, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

2010-02-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

We saw this film today. It's the sort that really makes use of the big screen. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be in theaters much longer. Apparently it was a big flop, despite the fabulous visuals sets and the eye candy actors. I loved it. The rather disjointed plot didn't bother me at all, though I could see how it would annoy some people.
I loved the whole Steampunk Gothic Victorian Underbelly feel of the film and thought Tom Waits was inspired as The Devil. His "bargains" with Dr. Parnassus were so very slippery. The tag team of actors who played Tony (Heath Ledger having died during filming) were all incredibly handsome and seamlessly morphed into the character. The gal who played Valentina was also perfect, with her surreal heart shaped face, huge eyes and nascent sexuality.
Forget the plot! If you can make see this one in the theater, by all means go for it.

Rainy Saturday Afternoon

2010-02-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

The days pass so quickly by now. The illusion of time is supreme, and the sensation of being immersed in this 3D world so realistic. The children grow and mature and change in ways I can't even comprehend. My hair is turning gray in places and the laugh lines around my eyes grow ever deeper. There seems to be a future, always approaching, but growing more and more fluid, as I spend more and more of my awareness engaged with this present moment. It's like there's a current of beauty rushing past, and some days I can dip my hand down into it.

I'm reminded of that old Zen story, about the fellow who was running from a hungry tiger, only to fall over a sheer cliff. He managed to grab onto a vine and arrest his fall about half way down. As he looked below he saw a second tiger, pacing back and forth, waiting for him. Far above the first tiger was peering over the edge. Closer above him, just out of reach, two mice were nibbling through the vine that supported him. One was white and other black. Then he noticed that a berry was growing on the vine. How sweet it tasted!

One a Day

2010-01-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I decided to start posting an entry here every day for the next month.
It's all about quantity from here on out!

Today was full on sunny, after weeks of rain and gloomy skies. The girls begged me to take them hiking! So we drove down to Crane Creek Park and did the big loop, watching huge clouds roaming the sky. The creeks were all full and rushing noisily along. The air was scented with Bay Laurel, just coming into flower. The moss on the huge old oaks was lush and nearly fluorescent. What a beautiful day to be out.

Back home we finally took down the Christmas tree. Eden was very unhappy. I think she wanted to keep it up until Easter, but I was getting nervous about the fire hazard! It was very dry indeed. Karen and Bruce dropped by so that Zoe could spend the night with Eden and Bruce tuned up our old mandolin and began playing the sweetest songs on it! What an awesome treat. He also played Krista's resonator guitar while we tranced out. I like having musicians around!

Friday and Sugar

2010-01-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas the girls got rats. We'd got hold of a nice rat cage and had it outside on the back deck. Since we were all up way before dawn (not my idea) it wasn't until the very last present was being opened that India spied the cage through the glass door.
She and Eden were ecstatic and squealed and danced about. In the cage we'd placed photos of cute rats peering out. We rightly figured the girls would prefer to choose their own critters.
So the very next morning we drove off in search of young female rats. It took us three stores to track them down and there were only two to choose from! Must have been on everyone's list?
The rats we found were rather unusual. Both of them had curly whiskers and very soft fur. Friday's fur is a most unusual blue gray color. We've never seen that in a rat before. I think we really lucked out, as both of them are very good natured and sweet. The big surprise for me was how much I've enjoyed having them around. The girls are being very good about caring for them. I haven't had to change the cage once. Just feed them extra good treats (I feel like a proper grandparent).

California Senate approves single-payer health care proposal despite governor's veto pledge

2010-01-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Senate approved creating a government-run health care system for the nation's most populous state on Thursday, ignoring a veto threat from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Supporters said it is time for state legislatures to take up the debate as the Obama Administration's national health care proposal falters in Congress.

Read More....

I like this! I like it a lot!!

Call Me Comrade

2010-01-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I've joined the Green Smoothie Revolution. Pictured here is my first attempt on my own. Usually I just snag a glass full of whatever Krista comes up with (um....actually that might be the best idea....)
Anyhow, what you are seeing here is a blender full of kale, with some other greens tossed in, some stevia, a banana, a little maca powder and I don't remember what all else is in there.
It was a true "Shrek slurry", green and awful looking, but actually went down pretty good. The idea is to get your greens (well, a LOT of greens really) in a highly digestible format. Believe it or not there are a lot of folks doing this and reaping amazing health benefits.
To be honest, my revolutionary fervor isn't what it could be. I really don't mind drinking this stuff, but it's a chore to make it. No worries, I'll just lurk around the kitchen when Krista is making hers!

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Literal Version

2010-01-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

Santana Shreds

2010-01-20T17:03:00.001-08:00

I may have posted this before. Make sure and pee before watching this. You don't want to wet yourself laughing. Just in case you don't get it: someone has taken concert footage and dubbed their own music over it. Their own godawful music. I don't know why this is so funny. Maybe it's the self satisfied faces of the musicians? Hope you enjoy.

I'm Starting A Tapping Group!

2010-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

My EFT practice has been going pretty well. I've got wonderful clients, I've been teaching free classes and spreading the "good news" about tapping. Now I'm starting up a weekly drop in group on Tuesday nights. I'm pretty excited by this--I love working with groups!
It may (or may not) take a while to really get going, but I'm committed to making it a reality. I've got a great conference room in my building to use--it used to be the parlor in this turn of the century house, and has a fireplace and bay windows--and ten thousand law books lining the walls.
Here's a link to the web page I made for the group. Wish me luck!

Cynical? Me?

2010-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Some months ago my friend Donna called me a cynic. I suppose I had been being excessively negative, ranting about something or other. I was inclined to feel hurt, until I realized I had absolutely no idea what the word actually means.

I took a poll then and there and no one else in the room seemed to know either. I decided to look it up when I got home and completely forgot all about it. Until a few minutes ago. Some mysterious inner timer went off in my brain and viola! I looked up a definition:

Cynic: a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.

Nope. That's not me. I absolutely believe in altruism and the human potential for disinterested philanthropy and kindness. Duh. A cynic wouldn't have volunteered for the crisis hot line graveyard shift. So there, Donna!

But that got me wondering: what is the opposite of being cynical? I guess it's being naive. Blindly trusting people to do the right thing. Counting on others to be moral, ethical, loving and kind. In other words, not having a whole lot of experience yet.

My folks were a bit naive politically. They just couldn't (or wouldn't) believe that Ronald Reagan would "do something like that". 'Something like that' being the latest verified atrocity burning a hole in my ability to be proud of my country. I don't think I'm all that naive either. Especially not after working in group homes all those years.

Well, there's certainly a lot of room to be cynical about politics these days. Obama gave us some breathing space there, with his lovely promises and inspirational oratory. Was it all a lie? Today he asked for 33 billion dollars more for the war effort in Afghanistan. And, of course, we can't afford a public option.

The problem, as I see it, is that we've created monsters. Real monsters. They are devouring the very earth we live on, and they devour the souls of the people who serve them. And a lot of people serve them. When it comes to corporations, I am very cynical indeed.

You may disagree, but I believe that even the most twisted, cruel and criminally insane human being has some spark of the divine buried inside. But corporations are inhuman. They exist for one purpose and one purpose only: profits. And unless we can find a way to pull the plug, I reckon we're pretty much doomed.

But before Donna calls me fatalistic (though I like that rather better than being called cynical) I'll tell you this: I believe there is hope. People can awaken and have a change of heart. Even people who stoke the corporate furnaces. Even people who make their homes the corporate ladder of success.

Okay, call me naive, I can handle it.

Old Man Take A Look At My Life - Neil Young 1971

2010-01-05T16:36:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Avatar

2009-12-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

Just got back from seeing the film Avatar. For the second time! I love this movie--just about everything about it, from the anti-imperialist/anti-corporate message to the gorgeous world portrayed with all the alien but totally believable flora and fauna. And of course the people themselves, with their tails that let them connect with the nature around them, and their beautiful skin and ornaments and wild cat looks.
I've been asked over and over about the level of violence, especially if it's okay for kids. There certainly are some intense scenes of combat and destruction and desecration of nature, but I wouldn't call it gratuitous. And there really isn't any blood flying or gore.
But most importantly, to me, you see the appropriate expression of grief. Something entirely lacking from so many films. And the overall message of Avatar is so great, including the total transformation of the main character, that everyone I've seen it with so far has found it uplifting and inspirational.
And of course the 3D aspect makes it even more visually stunning. I'm so glad I was able to see it in the theater. It almost feels like an event, more than just another movie.

The Painted Tongue Flowers

2009-12-14T16:44:00.001-08:00

At long last, Krista's book collaboration with poet Amy Trussell is published and available for sale. It's been a long time coming, but last week a pallet full of 25 boxes of books showed up at our door. 2000 copies! Yikes.
On Friday, Amy and Krista had a little book launch reading here in Santa Rosa. Then the next day they were on display at Krista's open studio event. We've sold quite a few already--the beautiful art and incredible poetry are quite a combination, and some people were buying four or five copies to give as Christmas presents. Also, the book ended up being only $15. Originally I thought we'd set the price higher.
If you want to know more about the collaboration, or take a sneak peak at one of the poems, here's a link to Krista's Deva Luna website page. I've taken the liberty of putting a "buy now" button here on my blog. At this point all the copies we're selling are signed by both ladies, which is pretty cool. Check it out.
So far my contribution to the project has been finding the printer and carrying all 25 boxes into our living room (that would be 1125 pounds of books, by the way).
If you order the book by Saturday, December 19th, it should get to you by the 24th (can't guarantee that though) if you live in the continental US.

Report: 90% Of Waking Hours Spent Staring At Glowing Rectangles

2009-12-04T15:04:00.001-08:00

PALO ALTO, CA—A new report published this week by researchers at Stanford University suggests that Americans spend the vast majority of each day staring at, interacting with, and deriving satisfaction from glowing rectangles.

Continuted here.....

Cat Nip Trip

2009-12-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

And here's another one, for your viewing pleasure.

Another Year to Be Grateful For

2009-11-27T10:49:00.001-08:00

Another Year to Be Grateful For, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

I'm very thankful to be living in Sonoma County, California. Surely one of the most beautiful places to live on Earth. Here it is late November and we have roses blooming alongside the gorgeous fall leaves.
I'm also grateful for my family! We had such a nice friendly Thanksgiving dinner, with so much love and care put into the meal and so little drama to endure. We're all quietly doing our thing in the world and it's working out pretty well.