If you are ready to take action on this important internet matter please click here: http://www.craigslist.org/about/SOPA

Tell Congress you OPPOSE Senate 968 “Protect IP Act” (PIPA) and H.R. 3261 “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA)

Let congress know that you are against this and want to keep the internet accessible. Use this link above to take action, it’s easy and is very important….

snowy summer porch

Normal is not something to aspire to it’s something to get away from. –Jodie Foster

Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.
-Barbara Tober

Children enjoy ride on steam powered train

Last summer the 20-something daughter of a friend came home complaining about her dry cleaning bill and it was all I could do not to jump down her throat about the waste of money and all the chemicals she was being exposed to. I calmly asked her why she didn’t hand wash and she said she didn’t know how! I was astonished to learn this and later asked her younger sister about her hand washing skills and she didn’t know either, but her philosophy was if it didn’t go in the washer and dryer she didn’t wear it. Naturally I sent them both this little on-line tutorial about hand washing and encouraged her to save money by not tithing her pay to the local dry cleaner.

I have never taken for granted access to a washing machine. Hardly a week goes by when I use the washing machine that I don’t think about how many women have no access to such machines, who must carry water from far far away to hand wash the family’s clothes.

Here’s a clever article about saving money on washing and another on-line calculator that will help you to realize how much you are spending each time you run these great inventions that so many of us are fortunate to have access to in our homes, down the hall, or in our neighborhoods.

We have such a weird relationship to consumption and to trash. A friend who was visiting from Sweden this summer was talking about her country’s campaign to get people aware of wasting food. She was raised in America and is astonished with our relationship to food after living overseas so long. I have often thought if we could raise people’s awareness of not wasting food here we could resolve the problem of food insecurity that is a growing issue in America with the struggling economy.

Infographics always delight me and this one called Trashonomics illustrates some of our relationship with our garbage.

A documentary that will change your relationship with trash is called Waste Land From their website: ” Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, BLINDSIGHT and COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) and co-directors João Jardim and Karen Harley have great access to the entire process and, in the end, offer stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.”

It is an excellent film.

As if this isn’t enough take a moment to listen to the Diane Rehm’s WAMU radio program talking frankly about hoarding . This will bring new insights to this phenomena and bend your thinking about what you do and don’t keep. Pass it on if you haven’t used it in the past year… This is a bit like “Scared Straight” for people who have a tendency of being a pack rat!

Behind the clouds the sky is always blue. -Norwegian Proverb

The visual display of information when well done can be an awesome way to display data. One such illustration is one that shows “Why Apples are Better than Oranges” sure to warm the hearts of the many people in Washington State’s international apple growing industry.

Another is one that shows the differences between the decades 2000 vs 2010 called “A Decade of Change“

Our lives can go in different directions, here’s one that shows ‘the incredible savant brain‘ and another that illustrates a time line of ‘the real cost of prison.‘ Here’s another that shows the amount of student loans state by state called “Graduating from IOU“. Here’s another that shows you how to “Build a Work Wardrobe from Scratch“

What’s not to love about these creative ways to display information? Perhaps they will inspire you to come up with your own visual display of information and let your talent shine.

Bill's pal Toby

We Americans are the best-informed people on earth as to the events of the last 24 hours; we are not the best informed as to the events of the last 60 centuries.
Will and Ariel Durant

The President of today is just the postage stamp of tomorrow.
Gracie Allen

If you think you have it tough, read history books.
Bill Maher

When you think about disabled children generally you have pity for the parents. Many marriages crash and burn at the prospect of raising a special needs child but what this little film will make you aware of is how long the relationship is between this child and his or her siblings will go on longer than those with the parents.

Don Meyer is based in Seattle has helped siblings all over the world with his Sibshops and those interested should connect to his website and subscribe to the Sibnet that has subscribers from all over the world who discuss sibling issues.

For a moving YouTube experience see this piece about the word “retarded” and a sister’s love of her brother.

Open your mind to the needs of the developmentally disabled and take a moment to see how you could make a difference in the lives of these special people and his or her family.