Thursday, June 26, 2008

New Rain Garden sketch


Here is the color sketch for Good Nature Publishing's upcoming Rain Garden poster.



The sketch shows the layout, look and feel of the artwork.

Running border: Twenty two plants --11 for wet areas and 11 for dry areas of your garden.

Final art published August 2008.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Why Rain Gardens Matter by Sue Ellington


Why Rain Gardens Matter

Choose.

You can look at all the prairie and estuaries we've paved over and shrug as Puget Sound gets poisoned from our car oil, toxins and storm water overflow.

Or you can promote the radical idea of planting native plants in a garden space depression-- and voila! Rain Gardens.

Grow them in your yard, connect the gutter downspout to your rain garden, and encourage more "green" sponges in the city.

Sue Ellington writes evocatively about why rain gardens matter. Click the link above to read her essay.

We need to map the rain gardens already planted in Seattle and Western Washington,Oregon and California.

Know where a rain garden is in your neighborhood? Send a photo and address-- we'll google map them.

Basta.

Timoteo

Lifestyle & Entertainment: Artful Living: Practical tips for navigating waterlogged gardens

Lifestyle & Entertainment: Artful Living: Practical tips for navigating waterlogged gardens

The Science of Stream Restoration

Photo by Robert Walker

The Science of Stream Restoration - NYTimes.com

Interesting story on restoration and best practices.

Best fishes,
Timothy

Thank you God for most this amazing day --ee cummings

One of my favorite poems -- to celebrate summer:

Thanks to ee cummings and Gran

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any-lifted from the no
of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

ee cummings

Friday, June 20, 2008

Obama Caves to Bush on Domestic Spying - NJVoices: Bill Wolfe

Obama Caves to Bush on Domestic Spying - NJVoices: Bill Wolfe

I agree with the opinion piece above-- this is not change-- this is status quo. Now we have retroactive immunity for corporations who spy on US citizens -- supported 100% by the Republicans and also by Mr Barack "Change We Can Believe In" Obama. Not.

Who stood up for the Constitution in Washington State? McDermott voted against this bad bill-- who else?

Shame on you, Barack. You can't be for change and then vote to ratify the worst aspects of Bush's surveillance police state.

You confirm worst suspicions.

Basta.

Timothy

Thursday, June 19, 2008

New Rain Garden poster design for Good Nature Publishing Seattle


raingarden

Rip out concrete and grass, grow green "sponges" like rain gardens to absorb storm water.

That is where we're headed in the next few years. Do you realize the great potential of ecosystem services -- the free services upon which fresh air and clean water, and all life is built on?

Our mission must be to restore these ecosystem services to our urban areas.

The link above (TOP) is our effort to blend art & advocacy -- and spread the word about the importance of rain gardens.

More soon.

Timothy

Daily Kos: BREAKING! FISA "deal" reached in House (UPDATEx4)

Daily Kos: BREAKING! FISA "deal" reached in House (UPDATEx4)

Where is the CHANGE in giving corporate spies immunity Mr Obama and Democrats?

Read the link above-- and please contact your Congressmen and Senators to say no to government sponsored corporate spying on Americans.

Onward.

Timothy

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Rain gardens capture storm water, clean it up


Rain gardens capture storm water, clean it up

Read all about the many benefits to rain gardens by clicking the link above. Kudos to writers Ron Sullivan and Joe Eaton for some fine writing.

best fishes,

Timothy

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Copyright bill would burden artists

(Baseball Art by Dugald Stermer)
Copyright bill would burden artists - Nick Anderson - Politico.com Artists deserve better protections than this proposed change to the US Copyright law that makes it the artist's fault they didn't find someone stealing their work.

Bad law to fix a little problem.


Call Congress to say no.

Read Nick Anderson's piece above-- and please spread the word.

basta.

Timothy

New iPhone Pricing Model Is a Step Backward for Consumers - Bits - Technology - NYT Blog


New iPhone Pricing Model Is a Step Backward for Consumers - Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog

Steve Jobs new slogan slogan for his iPhone is "Think Different? Nah!" The new Empire Rules iPhoney, authoritarian, anti choice, anti consumer anti open network deal he's struck between Apple and AT&T makes his supposedly $199 phone actually at least $700 and counting.

Worse -- as the NYT story points out-- the iPhone marketing becomes a stiff arm to democratic principles of free will, pro choice open networks. Everything the blue jean clad turtle necked geek President would like us mortals to believe Apple stands for -- but doesn't.

iPhone just wants to be free Steve. Let me pay my $199 and plug it into my phone service or not at all.

Until then, iPhone is locked in a digital prison that big corporation dream of -- soft and fuzzy exteriors limiting choice, closing networks, and taking us backwards--

basta.

Timothy

Yosemite Native Trees poster species list

"Native Trees of Yosemite"

Native Species for "Native Trees of Yosemite"

Conifers

1 Abies concolor / White fir
2 Abies magnifica / Red fir
3 Calocedrus decurrens / Incense cedar
4 Juniperus occidentalis / Sierra juniper
5 Pinus albicaulis / Whitebark pine
6 Pinus contorta / Lodgepole pine
7 Pinus jeffreyi / Jeffrey pine
8 Pinus monticola / Western white pine
9 Pinus ponderosa / Ponderosa pine
10 Pinus sabiniana / Gray pine
11 Pseudotsuga menziesii / Douglas fir
12 Sequoiadendron giganteum / Giant sequoia
13 Taxus brevifolia / Western yew
14 Torreya californica / California nutmeg
15 Tsuga mertensiana / Mountain hemlock

Broadleaves

16 Acer macrophyllum / Bigleaf maple
17 Alnus rhombifolia / White alder
18 Cornus nuttallii / Pacificdogwood
19 Populus tremuloides / Quaking aspen
20 Populus balsamifera v trichocarpa / Black cottonwood
21 Quercus chrysolepis / Canyon live oak
22 Quercus kelloggii / California black oak
23 Quercus lobata / Valley oak
24 Salix lucida ssp lasiandra / Pacific willow
25 Umbellularia californica / California bay

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Fourth State of Matter-- short story by Jo Ann Beard

New Page 2 with thanks to Kate Hopper for link.

T

Barack Obama Speaking With His Campaign Team-- 13" and worth it



Five months to election day.

Carpe diem.

Timothy

Bill Moyers: Fighting Corporate Media Movie-- Recommended



I rarely see Bill Moyers -- but this movie of a 39" speech is a fine example of his life's work.

I hope you take the time to listen in-- and share with friends. For instance, on this movie you'll learn Comcast tried to pack streets to FCC meeting by hiring strangers to pack a room so opponents to internet neutrality couldn't be seated.

They were called on this pr tactic and turned away the Comcast effort with grassroots organizing.

Basta.

Timothy

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

U.S. Auto Sales Plunge, Drag Market Down In May - NYTimes.com


U.S. Auto Sales Plunge, Drag Market Down In May - NYTimes.com

Here is a story that has been written for 30 years.

Toyota, Honda and all the other small is beautiful car companies have been sending good smoke signals that the future is what tehy are selling-- people want small cars.

And fuel efficient ones. OK-- I want a NO fuel cars-- I want a car that has for exhaust water. At least not the $45 I just spent in my Corolla to fill it up.

Why should American companies be so far behind? We have let corporate short term profits -- read trucks, minivans, etc...set the policy for United States-- who have been telling Americans -- don't worry, be happy and drive.

Now the fruits of our ignorance and apathy have been set at our table. High profit margins for oil companies, giant auto companies cutting jobs and collapsing in front of our eyes. It might get worse.

But $4 a gallon gas seems to be the time when people start changing behavior-- buying differently.

It is about time.

Now we need to build political muscle to grow the rapid transit systems we need, and get people out of cars.

Biking? For some-- but I am betting there are some much smaller electric cars that we can look at bringing online quickly.

What else?

Conservation is a big one. See Rocky Mountain Institute for more info.

What else?

Well-- we're on the bus a lot more here in Seattle.

And now the Honda Civic is America's bestselling cars. Americans are smart-- we'll change-- but we need some policies that direct investment over the next 20 years. Then we aren't permanently behind and beholden to short term thinking that does us in.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Obama Wins -- O Yeeaahhh! America -- I Have A Dream Fullfilled



A historic night for America-- and a dream come true for me. A woman and black man both taken seriously, both fighting hard for every vote.

And in the end Obama wins. I am glad. Glad for all the people who have fought for civil liberties, civil rights, and women's rights, for voting and saying with your vote that American dreaming lives large.

This night is a dream of my family's -- and friends going back 50 years. So to all my loved ones-- love all around.

Si se puede!

basta.

Timothy

Monday, June 02, 2008

At Cate Farm, tinkering with the future: Times Argus Online

Richard Wiswall drives his electric-powered 952 Allis Chalmers cultivating tractor at his Cate Farm in East Montpelier.
Photo: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/Times Argus
At Cate Farm, tinkering with the future: Times Argus Online