Famished Writer

US Army jump, Mt. Rainier, Washington, via Wikimedia Commons “Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly good plane?” That is the question my grandfather posed to me when I was 19 years old and seriously considering a career as a smoke jumper.  Call it a death wish if you want, but being a firefighter is every young man’s (or woman's) dream, so why not mine? You know, people do skydive as a form of recreation.  It's an adrenaline junkies sport perhaps, but then so is any great feat of athleticism.  Defying those natural “laws” that keep us mortal humans grounded, or anchored in the fixed elemental realm, creates a curious carnal excitement. Athletic events are the only honest form of real “Reality TV” anyway. Anything can happen. Both disaster and miracle, either of which stimulates the endorphins for both the doer and watcher.  Aside from living vicariously through those brave enough to consistently exercise their Risk muscle, some (like me) observe dar...

Photo by By Charles Fletcher Lummis (1859-1928) (http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/hs3008.htm) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons In this Age of Innovation and Information infiltration, it still amazes me when I learn new history. Aside from the blatant oxymoron, what I mean is, when I uncover what seems to be a significant piece of human or cultural history that should have been learned during the accrual of basic education- it feels like Ive been lied to, important information has been withheld and I feel ripped off- why didn’t I know this ?  Ultimately, Historians have a vast responsibility with Father Time as a heavyweight opponent and infinite miles to cover. I remember watching an episode of Jeopardy where one contestant was a Smallsville Highschool History teacher and he relayed a story about his students challenging him to teach his syllabus backwards-alleging that he would not make it to World War II-they were correct. Those omnipotent teachers only ...

Image from ebay auction (closed) Now that the image of physical perfection is blasted everywhere we look, the obsession with our “packages”, or “bodies” has become relentless, but there is hope for all of us with the latest fad diet-at least I’m hoping it becomes one anyway. This one actually works kind of like a microwave, working from the inside out and the results are permanent. This fad diet does not include any food restrictions, or mean beating yourself up over missing a workout, this diet actually promises to put you in a better mood-seriously! Most females talk about their weight issues like the weather. It's mandatory small talk but ultimately it’s a silly ritual where one puts themselves down so the other can compliment them back-women! The obsession with appearance is not an entirely bad thing or even shallow value. In fact certain standards are actually hygiene related and taking care of the way you smell and look is just basic courtesy when in public.  Yet ...

The bamboo business is growing like weeds in an unattended garden, from ornamental, structural and other utilitarian eco-friendly ways, the rising popularity of this grass, is in a cash crop contest lately with legalized marijuana, the “other grass” . The growth spurt in cash dollars has translated into a couple extra billion dollars at least for the state of Colorado, Washington is right behind and those numbers could well exceed expectations. It will be interesting to see if Seattle Medical Marijuana Dispensaries will be as hot as a cup of freshly brewed Starbucks.  Now, back to bamboo and all the things it can do-some interesting facts and some incredible photos too! First here are some general but interesting facts about bamboo: Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth with a documented 98 inches in a 24 hour period. Seen a flowering bamboo? Me neither, many bamboos only flower every 65 or even 120 years after it fruits most species die shortly ther...

I stumbled across the term ‘fin de siècle’ relating to an artistic renaissance in the late 19 th century, but more specifically this term was applied to describing a “ socially engaged littérateur ”, as in the trade itself of writing professionally.  This term, with obvious French derivatives, translates directly into a writer, or literary connoisseur, that composes words on a number of levels, for a variety of purposes and uses as well as a wordsmith by trade or profession. Photo By Daderot [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons It’s ironic how trends resurface under the name “retro”, words too can be recycled, rehashed and re-appreciated by a new audience. It is even more poignant that this term, social engaged littérateur can mean something entirely appropriate and different today, with the additional meaning of ‘socially engaged’. Most of us know this to mean involved with the online word, connected not just physically or with wi-fi (but it has become a nec...

We think we know so much nowadays. We don’t bleed sick people out anymore hoping to rid them of evil spirits, in fact with enough money wrinkles can even be a physical condition of the past. Western medical science has evolved (cringe) by leaps and bounds since say the 18 th and 19 th centuries and most infectious diseases are not able to wipe out entire populations of innocent people. In fact biological sciences are more of a global issue and joint endeavor than ever before since no nation wants to entertain the idea of biological or chemical warfare. Finding cures to cancer and many other terminal diseases is a joint effort of our biological and scientific geniuses all over the globe. Everyone knows about LouisPasteur , the French chemist and biologist that discovered and created the invaluable process of pasteurization, and also most notably his work with infectious diseases, namely attributing “germs” to the cause of many afflictions and diseases. Pasteur created the first v...

You’re absolutely right. We should all be very afraid that a large meteorite is headed on a collision course with Earth and will cause catastrophic damage not just to the blue planet, but to the human race as we know it.  Aren’t you glad you pulled all of your money out of the bank back in December 1999? You were one of the lucky few to suffer the inconvenient and non-existent effects of the Y2K crisis ! Photo By C. Heliker (US Geological Survey) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Well, at least you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you.  You probably already know that at any point in time there are around 20 volcanoes erupting at any point in time, including those safely buried at the depths of our oceans shifting the plates of our Earth around.  For eons volcanoes have been a natural source of obsession for us little people around the globe; in spiritual offerings, as a photographers fanatical and fatal subject, for scientists, mount...

Image portrait of Dionysus,  Ulrich Luckhardt, Uwe M. Schneede (Hrsg.) 1909 Wanna know the truth? The stone cold truth? Life is torture much of the time, at least that’s what I always thought. Maybe I’m doing this all wrong? What’s wrong with me?  The soaring moments of happiness that feel like walking on air, down to the darkest plunges that leave you in physical pain-moping in your mire, and no, I’m not bi-polar, or any other psychological label, I’m just a human who is trying to find balance. As a fellow human, whether you agree or not about the level of difficulty involved with life, you will likely agree that “blowing off steam” is a necessity!  Letting your hair down, kicking up your heals, throwing caution to the wind- it feels good! Everything is so serious all the time, like a matter of life and death.   In the US, like many other places, drinking alcohol is the socially accepted way “blow off steam” and vent your hot air. It’s silly t...