Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Natural Resources Defense Council

Web site devoted to protecting the Earth's resources. See what they have to say about the Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline, and it's threat to natural habitats along the way:
http://www.nrdc.org/default_t2.asp

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Mapping Banned Books

The American Library Association provides an interactive map of incidents and locations of books that are banned in respective communities, such as the following, just south of Austin, Texas:

(2011) Lynda Madaras and Dane Saavedra's What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys:  A Growing-up Guide for Parents & Sons was banned from twenty-one school libraries in Buda, Tex.  after a parent’s complaint. The book includes definitions of rape, incest, sexual assault, and intercourse.

Find the map here: http://bannedbooksweek.org/mappingcensorship

The Weekly Barb

Many cities have weekly publications across the nation who claim to be part of the genre "alternative newspaper." There are in fact very few true alternative newspapers in any given city, USA.

This said because many of these publications are part of a chain of news agencies, owned by big conglomerate corporations.

Their layouts and departments, such as news, arts, music, movies and classifieds, are all pretty much the same, which belies the term "alternative."

Much closer to the mark would be independently owned weekly newspapers, such as the "Austin Chronicle." But this publication still follows a set format. It publishes no alternative stuff, such as poetry, graffiti art, or outrageous prose penned by local anarchists.

The most "alternative" publication I have ever encountered was the "Berkeley Barb," which had its heyday from 1965 to 1980 in the Bay Area of California.

Unfortunately, it has gone the way of the dial telephone and manual typewriters.

Read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Barb



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Blue Lagoon

Cold day in February 2010. This photo shot in Ingleside, Texas, at dusk, from a pier over a freshwater pond.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Stage Three Drought

There's water in the sky but it's not falling to Earth.
Lawns are dried up, the landscape is parched.
No relief in sight. We need one of those rainy hurricanes.
Or else there'll be no corn for the children when autumn comes.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Truth: Knowledge/Wisdom/Prudence

"A skeptic & non-believer (agnostic) who is humbly but persistently seeking knowledge is always closer to finding Truth (Wisdom, Prudence) than a Believer."