Meandering Starre

What has your mayor commissioned lately? How about a safer, more environmentally friendly bamboo taxi? No? Well, according to this article, mayor Rustico Balderian of the Philippines rice farming town of Tabontabon recently commissioned some. These 90% bamboo taxis run on galleon of coconut biodiesel for eight hours and can carry up to 8 passengers. They are safer than the common equivalent of up to 6 people somehow squeezing onto a motorcycle. These taxis are also locally made. [all info from article]

image source

These also look cooler then a normal taxis in warm locations, especially a taxi without AC. I wonder when we will get bamboo carts and taxis here?

As high heels continue to infiltrate the few spaces left where society doesn’t deem them necessary, such as running, there is one place I never considered high heels going–on babies’ feet. However, someone not only did imagine high heels on babies, but created a company that makes them: Heelarious. The heels are called “crib shoes” and, before you freak out, are all soft with fabric pillow-like heel (from what I can tell). The name, Heelarious, does suggest these are something of a joke, but I am not so very sure how much of it is a joke. Certainly, legitimately selling heels for babies would (I hope) cause public outcry. So, perhaps the name is their counter—“we see these soft crib shoes as a joke”–maybe even a social commentary for you feminists out there. Okay, even I doubt the later, but a feminist can hope, can’t she?

Photo: Copyright of Heelarious

Unfortunately the ironic commentary is overruled by the fact they are actually selling these pink and animal print heals, along with the occasional cowboy boot with soft spurs, and for regular price of $35-39.95. So, they are very commercial, of course. Yet another thing women have to buy to be “feminine”? But these women are 0-6 months old.

While they are not “real” heels, I do wonder how the pillow heel may impact babies as they become mobile. Certainly stepping on a pillow heel doesn’t help balance anymore (and likely less) than the wooden stack heels I own. At least these do not appear to hurt feel and the body in the ways regular heels can. They do say “Not intended for walking (heel will collapse with weight). Not intended to harm children in any way.” However, I think the harm is caused by suggesting babies should wear heels. I won’t even get into arguments about how the heel is something of a sex object and this is, arguably, sexualizing our babies.

The Daily Show’s Kristen Schaal has an interesting discussion of women’s right, heels in general, and these heels

Yes, I have forsaken you, my blog and loyal readers. I’m going to try to get back into blogging here. I even have a few plans on what to blog:

• I will be doing more training posts. They are probably not trilling, but helpful for me
• I will be doing a post per week (or so) on earth friendly tips. I have some and will do research (and listen to Make-it-Green Girl) to get more.
• I may start posting on books I read, but I do read fast
• I’ll post on some of the projects I am working on such as costuming and crafts
• I’ve been following this great band for more than a year now.Might post on there shows and stuff.
• and, of course, more!

I also am going to change things up here design wise.

So stay tuned or tune back in.

After being a fan for more than a year, I’ve now read a story for Escape Pod. well, not a whole story, just part of one. I’m the interviewer in “How I Mounted Goldie, Saved My Partner Lori, and Sniffed Out The People’s Justice.” Stephen, of Escape Pod, was the dog. My throat hurt for him while we were reading it. While I’ve not listened to it yet, the story is a good one, so I recommend going right to the site and giving it a listen (and then subscribing to Escape Pod if you have not already).

We had quite the interesting morning. Luckily it was not as interesting as some in our neighborhood. We had “wrath of god” level of storm role through our neighborhood before 6:30 this morning. I woke up just as it was starting. We had huge gusts of wind that were almost frightening in their power. The wind gusted so baldy I could barley see trees outside. The one I could see was swaying ominously. We got little rain, but what we did sounded like grit hitting the house or thick mud with peddles and sand. Our house is now covered with dirt and torn pieces of vegetation—I actually think small piece of bark and twigs that came with the rain and the gusts. It was ferocious.

We lost power, and when I left around 11:30 we still didn’t have it. But power was a little problem compared to what some in out neighborhood suffered. Around 7:30 I went out to explore the neighbored with Bill, who had already explored. We could not get out of the neighborhood in a car. The nearest exist was closed because the road it attaches to had power lines and a few tress down on the road. It was closed for about a quarter of a mile. The other exit was inaccessible because a large tree was down blocking the road to get to the exit. We actually saw pieces of the street lights all over the road too from the downed poles on the main street. More seriously right across this street we saw a house with three (yes THREE) trees that had fallen on it and destroyed the roof in various places. Apparently a few more houses right near it were also similarly damaged and you could see furniture through the new holes. Damage in our actual neighborhood was not as bad. The house right next store lost four or so Bartlett Pear trees, one causing (comparatively minor) roof and gutter damage, and the rest just handed in a big pile (on their mailbox). A few other houses suffered roof damage. Apparently the people in one of the houses were in bed when a branch came through their bedroom ceiling and landed inches from them! Scary! The top of one tree I walked by was laying 30 feet away pointing in another direction. Several tress, and I mean substantial tress—not little weak tress—were ripped in half. We had really serious winds. Bill estimated between 80-100 mph winds.

Walking around the neighborhood this morning really felt like those people in all the post storm videos surveying damage. The neighborhood was so trashed and destroyed that it felt surreal. And yet, the damage still doesn’t compare to what may have gotten with hurricanes or tornadoes. I felt very thankful that our house was so lucky and that things were not nearly as bad as they could have been.

I did miss my lunch date today, but made it in to teach, due in part to Bill, who used his chainsaw to help move big tree across the road to the second development exit.

Bill took some pictures and I will link to them here too. I was quite happy my little spring flowers all survived. Shocked, but happy! I’ll post pictures of these too.

Do you think a woman can be as effective a President as a man?

I will not respond as I could to this lovely question asked by ABC New on their facebook account. Duh! I will not list all the women leaders and rulers that have been as, or more, successful than men. I will not go off on how one of England’s greatest ruler—who ruled during their golden age—was a woman. But it is tempting. I really could rant about this. But I need to sleep.

It is so sad this is even a question. This may be the home of the free and the land of the brave, but the need to ask this also sounds like we are the place of the sexists.

Since becoming a triathlete my husband has begun watching the televised Ironmans. I’ve watched one previously with him and today watched a bit of the Ironman Hawaii with him. For those who don’t know, the Ironman Hawaii is THE Ironman. People must qualify for it and it is the world championship

About 5 minute into my watching I made this comment “they really need a commentator who has actually done a triathlon.” I don’t even require a commentator that has done an Ironman, but any old triathlon, even a sprint. Or maybe a marathon, or some endurance event in at least one of the three areas. Something! He was clueless. He even made some rather insulting comments at few points. He does not understand why it means to be an endurance athlete and many of his comments made this clear. I got the most pissed off at this one: “sunset at the Ironman makes you ask yourself questions about why people would want to punish themselves and for so long.” Yes, the Ironman is just an exercise in masochism. Pretty soon they will come out with a line of leather Ironman gear, complete with self-flogging devices. Come on! I don’t know any endurance athlete who does it for the punishment. The reason a person does an Ironman has nothing to do with pain or punishment. It may have to do with accomplishment, meeting a goal, the endorphins, a desire to push one’s self, and much more. But not punishment. I’ve never heard anyone say “I’ve been such a bad girl/boy today so I’m going to do an Ironman. I need the punishment.”

Obviously, he has no idea of what he is talking about. Can’t NBC do better? Get one of those retired professional Ironman athletes or even your average triathlete to be the commenter. Goodness, my husband and I would be better than this commentator. Now that would be a cool job. NBC, give us a call. We’d be happy to do the commentary for the Hawaii Ironman. We may need a few weeks on location before it…

Commentary aside, it is always cool to watch these. As something of an endurance athlete and a triathlete, I can feel their pain and accomplishment and understand, to some degree, what is gong on. Plus, just watching people accomplish such a difficult race is inspiring. Chrissie Wellington, the first place woman, had never competed in an Ironman before. She won, and it was her first! This is amazing. People work for years to qualify and more years to do well. She also won her first marathon. I wish I had her genes.

Due to the recent move of the fall time change back, I have been given a special gift by the time change powers that be. The “fall back” time change occurs on my birthday, which means November 4th is 25 hours long! One extra birthday hour! What better gift for someone who doesn’t have enough time as it is? Since I plan on spending my birthday relaxing and spending time with myself, loved ones, and friends, I won’t use this time to get any “work” done, but it does mean I get extra time to not work, which is truly a wonderful gift.

Yes, Dumbledore was gay, according to JK Rowling, who was speaking at Carnegie Hall (from a boingboing post). I am sure this will give the book burning, school library banning, anti-Harry Potter zealots new fuel for their fires (literally and figuratively). But, it is nice to see more gay characters in fiction, especially “children’s” fiction (fantasy). It is too bad that this acknowledgment came after the last book and that Rowling did not make Dumbledore clearly gay and out in the series. Perhaps Rowling is suggesting that Harry lives in a world where things like race (various characters) and homosexuality are such a part of the society that they do not need to be “noted,” but somehow I doubt this.

Now I need to reread the series to get the hints (Grindelwald, for instance, is apparently one of Dumbledore’s loves, which explains a ton). I already wanted to reread it based on the Snape explanations in the last books (vague to not give any spoilers). Now, I just have more to read for.

Now that I am not running off to lunch, I want to provide a few comments on the post I made yesterday on the Portland Maine middle school providing birth control (including pills) to students. Now I am a firm supporter of good sex ed programs in schools. I had a good sex ed program in my Maine schools (female/male basics in 5th grade and a health class in HS, I think that is it). At the time I was not impressed, but since then I have realized this is much more than many received. I do not see how teaching sex ed and making birth control available forces, or even encourages, people to have sex. People (kids, teens, adults) will have sex anyway. We have proof enough of that. And abstinence only does not work. Lubbock, Texas, with its abstinence only program, had higher teen pregnancy rates and STD rates than where I grew up. I could discuss this issue forever, but as I am trying towards brevity on this blog, I won’t.

Instead I’ll go back to reacting to the article. As the article shows, these kids are having sex and getting pregnant—17 pregnancies in the area middle schools over the past 4 years. These numbers are scary. While I do feel middle school is too young for sex, it is far too young (especially in this day and age) to be pregnant. And it is far too young to decide to not be pregnant. These are issue our middle school students should not have to worry about. If the birth control methods make any difference, even in one middle schooler’s life, then it is worth it. One less middle school pregnancy, one less abortion, one less kid making adult decisions.

I also think we need to go deeper to the root of this issue. Why are these kids having sex? Is our culture somehow encouraging it? Do they understand really what they are doing? Have they had the education to know what sex can lead to? To know it is okay to say “no”? This is another area I could talk more on.

But, to one last point–I love the fact they are doing more than condoms. Providing pills and patches puts the power of birth control firmly into the hands of the females, who will be the most impacted by a pregnancy. These do not, of course, protect against STDs, and I do not see the article discussing STDs. But they do give control to the female and this is a good thing.