Global Warming = Security Risk

Yesterday intelligence officials reported to a congressional committee regarding the links between global warming and potential increased political unrest and terrorism. It makes sense to me. We only have one planet, and we need to share it with everyone else living here.

You can download Dr. Thomas Fingar's report here:

http://media.npr.org/documents/2008/jun/warming_intelligence.pdf

Related news stories:
New York Times

National Public Radio

Another interesting article:
Reports: Energy Thirst Still Topping Climate Risks

I Knew it!!!

So all this time and effort I've been spending on a Masters Degree in Information Systems Management has been a terrific waste! Great!

You Should Get a JD (Juris Doctor)

You're logical, driven, and ruthless. You'd make a mighty fine lawyer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

You Tube Goes Indie

If you're tiring of You Tube's usual fare of dancing toddlers, inane teenage pranksters, Star Wars parodies, and homemade political campaign commercials then it's newest offering "The Screening Room" might be what you're looking for.

"The Screening Room" presents independent short films from all over the world to internet users. Every 2 weeks 4 new short films are added. It's like a mini-film festival. So far I've only watched one, very charming Danish animated film called "The Danish Poet" narrated by Liv Ullman. Other films introduced this week include "Love and War" a Swedish production billed as "the world's first animated opera," and "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?" featuring John C. Reilly asking passersby that intriguing question.

For more info:

http://ytscreeningroom.googlepages.com/home

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080619-youtube-raises-curtain-on-indie-film-screening-room.html

No More Bottled Water!!!

Did you know:

• Production of bottled water in the U.S. requires roughly more than 17 million barrels of oil!


• More energy is then needed to trasport those bottles from the bottling plant to warehouses and stores.


• Municipal water takes only the energy needed to pump the water to our homes.

No, I didn't make this up; these facts are according to the Pacific Institute. And a very easy way to reduce your carbon footrprint is to just say "No" to bottled water.

• Is the quality of your tap water not very good? Install a water filter on your tap with the money you'll save from not buying bottled water.


• Do you need to take water with you on the go? Drink from reusable metal or glass containers when travelling.


• Urge your favorite restaurants to stop offering bottled water.

For more info visit the Sierra Club's Website.

Get the Sierra Club Bottled Water brochure.

Visit the Pacific Institute's Website.

For more info on the world's water situation go to worldwater.org.

Who Says Great Minds Don't Think Alike?

Token Asian recently posted this article on her site.

Watch This Movie NOW

I'm really ashamed to say that it took me this long to finally see "An Inconvenient Truth." But I did seeit, and I'm urging you to see it, if you haven't already -- especially if you have children. Put this DVD at the top of your Netflix list or better yet, buy it.

It's important. We can't wait around to save the planet.

Also please visit these sites:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/

Well I did it!

I entered the Strawberry fun run/walk at Syracuse University's Strawberry Festival yesterday. Unlike most of the University's events that are targetted at students, the Strawberry Festival is for faculty and staff. The big draw is the strawberry shortcakes and sundaes, but there are other events going on in conjunction with it. I participated in fun run/walk. I, of course, doing the walking, not the running. Unfortunately the temperature was around 77 degrees with close to 100% humidity. Yuck. I did however, finish the two mile walk. My time was 35:49. That's a little on the slow side for me; I can usually walk a mile at a little under 15 minutes. I blame my slower time on the humidity, and the gravel path on the second half of the course. I also wasn't the last person to finish. There were a bunch of folks who finished after I did.

I'm also making good progress on my diet, too. I didn't partake of the goodies at the strawberry festival. And so far I've lost 7 pounds. I told myself that I wasn't buying any new clothes until I lost some weight so, I went earlier today online and bought $50 in new summer stuff!

One Book

I got "meme'd" by Deathlok. Is that the right terminology? Amyway I'm not sure how these things go, but here's the meme:

"Books are scarce in the world. They are illegal in some provinces. They are not easily replaced, if not impossible to replace if lost in many if not most circumstances. If you can replace a book or buy one, it is usually through the black market at astronomical costs that you cannot afford. Yet you have been able to maintain one of the best collections in the world. If your entire library was about to burn up and you could only have one* book to take with you other than the Bible, what would that be and why?"

Unfortunately I can't tell you what the name of the book is because it is in Japanese. It is an absolutely gorgeous book of Japanese prints. It's not the only book of Japanese prints I own, but the book secreted anyway from a friend's father's library. She was playing at being a literary "Robin Hood." Knowing her father didn't really appreciate the book, she decided to send it along to a more deserving home. Her thought was so sweet, and the book so lovely, I couldn't bear to part with it - even over my over my signed Bill Griffith Zippy books!

Sorry, I can't tag anyone. None of my friends have blogs. (Deathok's already mem'd the ones who do.)

I Know It's Only May But...

As a Red Sox fan you've got to love it!!!

Oh Well....

It's a bit too late for me now...

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

I love the line, "You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting." Does anyone really know jack about parenting? I'd actually be more likely to survive 190 days locked in my house than 2 days as somebody's mom.

Interesting, Captain

I saw the link to this quiz posted on a friend's blog, and was intrigued.

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Most web quizzes ask what dessert are you or what Star Wars character you want to be This one hasa decidedly darker bent. I think I'd base my survival time on the fact that I am so practical, and my husband works for a large foodservice distributor.

Wow! That was Fast!

Despite CNN's Lou Dobbs continually telling everyone how our government is broken, at least one part of the State Department is working. I had heard all kinds of horror stories about long waits for passport renewals, so with all the best intentions to get my renewal in the mail after the first of the year, I finally managed to mail it out three weeks ago. The lady at the post office told me to send it certified with signature confirmation. I did that on April 19, and a week ago last Wednesday, April 30 I got that little green confirmation postcard to let me know that the processing center got the old passport. Yesterday I received my new passport with a really cool patriotic eagle illustration on the inside cover to boot! I thought it would take months, but it was really about 10 business days if you don't count the time in transit.

Well, maybe like they say on the weight-loss aid advertisements: "results may not be typical." But, hey it worked for me. Now, if I only had some foreign country to travel to.

Hollywood of the Northeast?

As the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival is winding down this week, a huge announcement was made concerning the establishment of a Film Center right here in Syracuse, NY!!! I'm currently reading a fascinating book, History of the American Film Industry: From Its Beginnings to 1931 by Benjamin B. Hampton. Hampton had first-hand experience of the film industry during its fascinating formative days. In one chapter, Hampton explains why movie production moved from the east coast to California, and why Los Angeles, not San Francisco, eventually became home to the industry.

This leads me to wonder why Syracuse? Can the city succeed as an entertainment production center? Will technology changing entertainment business models, and ever-rising production costs create a network of many smaller entertainment production centers instead of a one central location in Hollywood. With many more outlets online and off for smaller independent productions, this could be the case. If so, Syracuse could succeed.

Time will tell, and of course, I'll post updates.

I'mmmm Baaaaack

Yes, I'm back, but I can't say for how long. This year's been an absolutely crazy one for me. I got a new job, and I'm still going to school part-time. The big news is I earned my Cerificate of Advanced Studies in Information Systemes Management this past December. I also got accepted to the Masters program. Oh, three MORE years of hell ahead. What have I done???

Hi, I'm Strange. How Strange are You?

Darn! I was hoping I'd score more than just "borderline strange."

You Are 52% Strange!

Based on your score, it seems you do have a healthy dose of strangeness. You aren't THAT far out, but you are somewhat bizarre. Congratulations on being different and having some quirks. It makes you an interesting person!

How Strange Are You?
Quizzes for MySpace

80s(Girl) Weekend

We sure had fun this weekend, kids. R was in Ithaca for an alumni board meeting so Mr. Zippychik and I drove down on Saturday afternoon to pick her up for a fun filled weekend in the 'Cuse. Early Saturday evening we had sandwiches and beer at the Blue Tusk then headed over to Alliance Bank Stadium to see the Syracuse Chiefs defeat the Buffalo Bisons. R had been shouting about seeing a Chiefs game ever since we met online over 2 years ago. After that it was back to Casa Zipster for Appletinis mixed and served by Mr. Z.

Sunday we hung out and lingered over our morning coffees. Later on we had lunch at the legendary Dinosaur BBQ. R and Mr. Zippy ordered ribs, while I had a pulled pork and portobello mushroom sandwich. Yum. Then it was over to Cafe Biscotti in Little Italy for some gelatto. It seemed all too soon it was time to take R back to Ithaca for her upcoming week of networking power meetings.

Anyway, I had to rest up a bit before the weekend was over, because today I started my new job as a computer consultant for Syracuse University's Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (try saying that three times fast!)

A Little Summer Fun

I'm only reporting the results of the quiz -- and I didn't cheat.

You Are A Strawberry Ice Cream Girl

Sweet. Romanic. Genuine.

What Flavor Ice Cream Girl Are You?

Blotto in Cortland

Blotto Jamming in the Marketplace Mall Parking Lot.

Not everyone can say they saw Blotto perform in a parking lot in Cortland, NY -- but I can! You might think, is that a good thing? Well, yes it was! Blotto appeared on July 20, 2007 as part of the city of Cortland's summer concert series "New Wave Night" held in the parking lot of the Marketplace Mall. The weather was a bit chilly for a mid-summer evening, but fortunately the rain had stopped. It was an all ages audience; many families with young children were in attendance. I believe that most of the crowd, (if you could call it "a crowd") were friends and family of the band members. Kah of Radio Hidebound came up from DC for the weekend; he noted wryly that the toddlers running about took a bit of the edge off of the event.

The Flashcubes

The evening's entertainment opened with the Cortland-based Hurtin' Units, a high-energy quartet with hard-driving guitars and percussion. Up next was one of the Syracuse's biggest 80's bands, the Flashcubes. Front men Arty Lenin and Gary Frenay were in top form. Kah compared them to RadioHidebound favorites, the Spongetones.

Blotto took the stage a bit past eight. I've always been impressed with the way the band blends their off-beat humor with impressive musicianship, but I was really surprised with how much fun they were live. We got a two-fer here, a rock concert AND stand-up comedy. My husband heard "Goodbye Mr. Bond" for the first time and was absolutely blown away. Kah posted his review and play of the show along on RadioHidebound.

It was a bit disappointing that both Hurtin' Units and the Flashcubes drew more people than Blotto. We saw several folks tend to drift away once the band had begun to perform. Kah speculated that they just "didn't get Blotto." He also said that he felt a bit bad for the band, but I really felt sorry for those folks who left.

Zippychik & Kah Enjoy the Show

Shakespeare in the Park

While most people were watching the Live Earth concerts on their big screen televisions or their computers last night, my husband and I spent the evening outdoors attending Olney Theatre Center's National Players production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," held in the beautiful sylvan setting of Long Branch Park on the shore of Onondaga Lake.

While I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan, seeing "The Tempest" in a casual outdoor setting with a first-rate, high energy cast, brought the play alive for me. At some points in the production cast members raced off the stage and onto the grassy hill where the audience sat in their lawn chairs.

Several hundred people attended including many young people perhaps getting their first exposure to The Bard. I'm hoping that the experience was as positive for them as mine was. We had such a great time we're thinking of attending a production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in Thornden Park, near the Syracuse University campus, in August.

Way to Go Gabriella!

My niece, Gabriella who just turned nine years old came for a visit on the Fourth of July. Her long brown hair usually reaches halfway down her back so I was pretty surprised to see that she had it cut just above her shoulders. She looked very cute, and I had assumed she cut it for her upcoming trip to Disney World. My sister, however, told me that Gabriella donated her beautiful hair to Locks of Love.

I'm so proud of Gabriella for being so kind and unselfish. I hope that she has a wonderful time at Disney World, but then Gabriella has a way of making magic wherever she goes.