Selaphobia at the Sweaty Palms Las Vegas! If you have an aversion to Hawaii, my next blog is gonna bring you out in a rash! There are many phobias, but All phobias are curable ;-)
Yosemite Our friends got married there June 2009 at the lodge. It was my 1st time to Yosemite and it was so breathtaking..your photos reminded me of this trip and how beautiful it is.
Ah, haha, sorry about the typo. "Hothouse" is correct. It's a fast read - about a day - and a bizarre events that stick in your mind. Definitely provides an alternative hierarchy of vegetation, animals and humans than the one conservationists or preservationists may have. :)
Tree Huggers? Your photos are quite delilghtful and show an accurate snapshot of our beautiful state....in particular, our spectacular Northern California. Personally, I really enjoyed how your camera captured your children....ash and all! I hope that you and your family enjoy all that Northern California offers to her visitors....and that you decide to come back to see us soon!
I second, third, and fourth the great pictures and your commentary... I was aghast when seeing the clear cut forests on the Olympic Peninsula. I agree with you that we can't go back to our primitive state, but we can develop more sustainably. We waste too much.
Your recounting of your vacation brought back many wonderful memories of our own trips to the West Coast. Thanks. Are you in Shanghai now? We also enjoyed that city in May 2009.
Shanghai As Ali alluded to in his comment I am currently in Shanghai teaching IBDP Economics and Geography (actually the geography syllabus contains a substitutional section on tourism, the environment - of course - and more anthropological human geography issues, so is really interesting). We haven't been doing much sightseeing here in the city so far - suffice to say it is a little different to West Coast USA!
I take it Kiva doesn't have a fear of heights. :) The evil Giant Redwood and Star Wars reference had me thinking you were headed towards some sort of Brian Aldiss "Hotspot" conclusion, but it was actually the other way around. Your observations really make me wonder what conservation/preservation realities may exist for future generations. Great post and fantastic photos.
Again - incredibly thought provoking... I had to google "Anarcho-primitivism", I agree with you, de-industrialization is not the answer to our dilemmas, who would force who to de-industrialize? Just the first of many objections I'd raise. This blog could set the agenda for an entire semester of lectures and discussion, there are some very lucky students in Shanghai right now...
Michelle. Ali googled anarcho-primitivism and I googled Brian Aldiss… I couldn’t find any reference to “Hotspot” but found that he wrote a novel fantasy/science fiction novel in 1962 called “Hothouse” - its descriptions of ‘animals being driven to extinction by the vegetable kingdom’ seems like it fits. I’ll have to see if I can get a Kindle copy - these Tummy-belly men sound intriguing ;-)
Your photos keep getting better and better There are many stunning shots here, and as usual, your writing is articulate and thought-provoking. Reading your blogs is always a visual and intellectual pleasure.
Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love your pictures. Be careful with your lovely kids, mainly when you take those dangerous pictures, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I THINK I AM WHITE I see this big blue eye staring at me...it seems to be saying "I see a white man"...but...what on earth is PNW?...post natal women..I think.
Loved the blog...made me feel good about myself.
You missed the point entirely A true Seattleite avoids Starbucks like the plague, and we are just as confounded by Midwesterners as you are. Starbucks does come in handy, however, when a Seattleite visits a lesser city like New York or London, where coffee still comes in styrofoam cups (a non-compostable material that we have banned). I guess you did not take the teachings of SWPL to heart; hopefully you tried a local coffeeshop while you were in town.
PNW cities are the current darlings of the New York Times travel and food sections, and it's nice to finally get some recognition for our achievements in the contemporary food movement. I was a bit offended by your remark about having the "firmest boobs in fat camp", because we are trying our damnedest to green our cities and correct the wrongs of American urban planning of years past. It is a difficult task when faced with an entrenched automobile culture and anti-environmentalist pushback from the federal government.
To see what Seattle and Portland are all about, you must venture out of downtown to explore the neighborhoods. In Seattle, Ballard on Sunday (farmer's market day) and Capitol Hill late Friday night can't be missed. Portland's Japanese garden is breathtaking, especially when Mount Hood is visible.
Non-compostable coffee I appreciate your comment more than you can imagine, sincerely, It is why I wrote this blog! Unfortunately I cannot independently verify your claim about Styrofoam cups, for as alluded to in this blog, I am not a big coffee drinker myself and have never actually set foot inside a Starbucks in the US or in my hometown of London, England.
Photoshop Forever Nothing wrong with a little touch up now and again! I am going to Glacial this summer, and this post was a great introduction to the feel of the place.
P.S. I loved the riding the bike quote at the end.
Anastasia78
Anastasia78
Now i get it....
....you're making me eat my words....