Still, all that 'difficulty' came with a brilliant mind. "Sixty years ago, Fritz Zwicky was the only astronomer who thought that dark matter, neutron stars, and gravitational lenses were worth worrying about, " reveals Stephen Maurer, Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Policy at University of California, Berkeley. Even though he is not famous, "his influence was significant — far more so, I believe, than his present-day lack of fame would suggest. He was one of the broadest and most inventive scientists of his time, and combined theoretical studies with eminently practical, humanitarian activities." says Dr. Tom Ritchey, a Research Director for the Institution for Technology Foresight and Assessment at the Swedish National Defense Research Agency in Stockholm.

this sad pixelated thing. I didn't find that picture, but I found plenty others worthy of scanning and/or rescanning. Julia's birthday fiesta in 1993 had been a tiny distorted picture and now is renewed and improved. I found old ones of me when I was a teenager. In either 1973 or 1974 my Dad, Gramma and I went to St. Louis. I was a slender teen. I have the pics to prove it:

   
I'm not sure how the sky was clear one moment and cloudy the next?

The next picture I know was Christmas of 1973 because I'd written it on the photo back:

I clearly remember that sofa as being more green than blue...

How looking at that photo brings back old memories. I wore those pajamas for a Christmas concert in which the girls' 'Treble Choir' sang a few Christmas songs. I remember how excited I was, because it was the first concert I'd ever been in. I think the flat package next to the sofa was a cork wallboard for my bedroom. Or was that the one next to the wall? I enjoyed pinning things to that corkboard. I can see gramma's old ornaments, the glass cranberry colored garlands and her ancient silver bells among newer items.

Monday, December 18, 2006

"Some More Weirdness"
6:56am

Ah, you know not much time of happy, 'traditional' scenes and what not must pass, before some WEIRDNESS surges to the fore front:

Does this picture have PHALLIC associations?

I don't think that's what my subconscious had in mind. Or did it? Maybe I wouldn't even be thinking such things if it weren't for an odd young fellow I worked with in one food service job I had in my twenties. He'd walk around sing-songing weird stuff like "Joan, Joan ate my bone." Not too long after that, I began doing seamstress work. I was glad to get out of food service.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006 A

"New Moon Mandala"
2:54am

I went to bed as soon as I came home because of a sinus headache. So I waken in the middle of the night and find coloring the Goodwin's new moon mandala a perfect distraction:

I apologize for its 684 K, it's the 'stained glass' effect...

I have other Goodwin mandalas I've colored, as well.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006 B

"Yangtze Goddess' Last Ride"
9:28pm

The last Bajii dolphin was seen in 2004

Last week, a six-week expedition in which scientists from six nations desperately searched the Yangtze in vain ended. This very shy and graceful freshwater dolphin, with a rather stocky body roughly the size of an adult human, is the first large mammal brought to extinction as a result of human destruction. It was bluish-grey in colour becoming whitish on the underside, but seemed white or greyish from a distance. In common with other river dolphins, it had a very long, narrow beak with a slightly upturned tip, and small eyes placed high up on the face. They called her the Goddess of the Yangtze.

These are the alarming facts:

"In the beginning of the 1980s the Yangtze still had around 400 Baiji cavorting in its waters. However, the river dolphin became a victim of China’s rapidly growing economy. A 1997 survey still showed 13 confirmed sightings. The last confirmed sighting of a Baiji was in September 2004."

Just twenty five years ago, there was still hope. How many species are like that now? Still with just a thread of hope? Will we learn in time? Can we save them in time?

I mourn the loss of this beautiful species and decry what mankind has done. May we all wake up to the results of our actions and may change happen to preserve more wildlife.