Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy

It’s hard to act globally, unless you go to a standard grocery store, and then you’re a global actor in many ways. So to act locally, grow a garden, and support your local farmers’ market. The Rurban Fringe has challenged me and you to the 100 mile diet. For you metric people out there like me, that’s the 160.9344 km Diet.

- One of two chokecherries I planted that actually took off and produce fruit now.

I don’t know if I’m up to being really strict with how far my farm food comes from, because I could probably get 200km beef, and still be doing better than by buying at Extra Foods or Sobeys. And it would take a long time for an apple tree I plant now to bear fruit, and I don’t know even if there are local orchards for that sort of thing here. Creativity would help, and I don’t know how much additional energy I have for that this year.

–

And while you’re eating better, you might even reduce the likelihood that you’ll end up on this wall of cancer survivors and those who didn’t make it.

Astronauts like to take pictures, and they go onto the Internet. I like the Internet.

A cupola is going onto the ISS too.

–
Hat tip to Space Weather

==

The garbage (and other services) strike in Toronto looks to me as if it will go on for some time. The city can’t help but to be arrogant, when there are so many clueless taxpayers (I was going to write “citizens”, but many probably wouldn’t qualify in the sense that they contribute positively to the country) complaining about unions on newspaper comment sections. The profound ignorance and greed is tough to bear. They propose things that are illegal, and frankly stupid.

The steady stream of negative comments come from people claiming not to belong to a union, and they make less money and have fewer benefits than the city workers they see as beneath them. Go figure eh? And unions aren’t good because they give their members better benefits and wages, and protection from employers who are abusive?

These people feel so strongly that the city is trying to cheat them and beat them down, that they are going WITHOUT PAY to protest and protect collective bargaining and the spirit of democracy. Sure, they could just quit and get other jobs, but then they leave one of the clueless commenters at the Star to get hired and stepped on by a declining salary and benefit package. So the complainers may get just what they want… a city without unions, and lower paying jobs for city workers, and they’ll get those jobs. Goody for them!

Here’s one of Regina’s many artists’ websites. This kind of art I really like to see on buildings, although I find them too bright for indoors.

–

ADDED: This photo project in North Central sounds interesting too.

-Okay, but what if you really, really have to stake a demon? Demons and vampires cannot be good for field turf either. Would they overlook the stake driving rule?

It’s also good that Gainer is not bovine, because he’d be a “driving steak” when he’s on a bike, or in the touchdown truck.

Okay, have I exhausted the puns? The sign also didn’t say No Suntanning, so on Saturday I did so at center field, on the Mosaic logo. Then I put a 25 yard field goal through after missing from the same distance on the previous attempt. I did not see any vampires (fortunately).

Well it’s been a sort of poopy year for Canadian bloggers. Leftdog was outed by who else… Kate of SDA. (Well actually someone else did it, but she just told everyone else.) And again, she’s linked to a very unpleasant fellow from Calgary who has now posted the home details of Canadian Cynic (he has also maliciously linked CC’s name to a child porn site for years).

It seems likely that the best outcome at this point is that both back off from each other. However it seems unlikely, given both of their personalities, and the fact that certain right wing bloggers have a hard time acting civilized even when they think they are doing a better job than someone who routinely describes the right wing as “douchbags”.

To date, the only person who has published my home address on the Internet is someone with a likely mental illness who also libeled me by saying I’ve hurt children. I guess you know what sort of people would suggest something like that and try to out pseudo-anonymous bloggers. They look like the enemies of people like CC. In supreme irony, one of the following bloggers has close connections with someone else harassed by the same person who libeled me, Leftdog, and others. You’d think they’d know better than to support someone like the hate filled fellow from Calgary?
(http://girlontheright.com/2009/06/15/a-very-bad-day/)
(http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/011626.html)
(http://www.no-libs.com/index.php?/2009061592978/canadian-cynics-identity-revealed.html)
(http://jaycurrie.info-syn.com/a-new-day/)

Don’t you just want to hurry up and post a comment at the blogs of the sorry excuses for bloggers who would link to people exposing a blogger to [more] personal threats? Go ahead, give them your email, and IP, and expect them to respect your privacy? What’s an even bigger joke, is that these are people who, in court or from just their blogs, are attempting to defend free speech in Canada (for the right wing I guess). Yes, really. Messed up, aren’t they?

I think I’ll have to stop by and hear this. I’ll be the envy of many American blog readers who know CC through PZ.

–

As a pseudo-anonymous blogger I have an interest in seeing that bloggers’ privacy is respected. I’ve recently had another blogger ask me to “merge” my real identity with my online one, but I’m the most famous “Saskboy” so why would I give that name up? People can easily figure out my identity from my blog (hello, my photo is at the top!). The University of Regina President calls me “her blogger”, I ran into Sarah Mills (of CJME radio) today and she recognized me (I think), and influential Liberals (oxymoron in Sask.?) pass me in the hallways and ask how the blog is going.

My identity is not a secret, I blog with a screen name because it’s cool. I have a BBQ this weekend for fellow bloggers where I use my real name. I’ve even enjoyed the company of Kate and right wing bloggers I mostly disagree with, at some of those events. CC has been to blogger parties before too, and his name was known to dozens of Canadian bloggers. The only change the last few days has been that creeps now know his name, and they feel empowered because of it. Isn’t that a testament to how powerful his writing really has been?

I fully realize that along with the perks of semi-celebrity, come some downsides to blogging. Dealing with ignorant jerks is an occasional problem both in blogging and in general life. Usually the 50 excellent people met through blogging, make up for the 1 idiot who would sell your name to the local tabloid for a beer.

Flamewars are fun to watch, but it’s important to remember that real people are involved. Don’t try it at home unless you know what you’re doing, and can handle getting singed a time or two.

Chernobyl is something everyone has heard of, but I would wager few have seen. I was too young to remember the disaster unfolding, but if it happened today it would be at least as huge a news story as the Boxing Day Asian Tsunami, if not bigger.
I came across a lot of different sites. I didn’t realize they had tours to the area. It’s still dangerous.

The unopened amusement park is especially interesting, as are the trees overtaking the untended pavement and buildings. It’s an unintentional park.

ADDED: Kid of Speed has an amazing photo journal of the dead zone.

There’s a little bit of history about to be replayed for the enjoyment of all. You can check it out in person in southern Saskatchewan on July 1. I’ll unfortunately miss it because I’ll be in Toronto instead.

Wood Mountain is near the historic Wood Mountain North-West Mounted Police Post, which is now Wood Mountain Post Provincial Historic Park. Wood Mountain Post was one of the terminal points for a North-West Mounted Trail that the force patrolled between 1875 and 1912. In the 1950s and 60s, Everett Baker, the first president of the Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society (SHFS), led the effort to place markers on the Trail in order to recognize the Trail’s importance to First Nations, Metis and Pioneer communities in South West Saskatchewan. On July 1 this year, the Wood Mountain Historical Society, in cooperation with the SHFS and the Rural History and Culture Association is hosting a festival to celebrate and commemorate the NWMP Trail. The festival includes historical presentations, dramatic storytelling, First Nations cultural performances and a concert Saskatchewan singer/songwriter Tommy John Ehman.

It’ll look a bit like this, but with no snow (we hope)!

Here’s a map, and a museum too.

It’s possible to see through your own finger. You can even take a photograph of the inside of your finger, without the danger of x-rays. Get a bright LED flashlight like the kind that goes on a key chain. If it doesn’t generate heat you can feel, it’s an LED so you won’t burn yourself.

In a dim room, press the light to your finger, and if it’s bright enough you can see the inside. Medical imaging, right at home! Turn your camera to macro or super macro mode and slow the shutter down enough, so that there’s a bright photo. Having a friend hold the camera will make it easier.