Chia Obama = Blooming Patriotism

I hate to spoil it for all you folks on my Christmas list, but I can’t wait to share what I’m getting everyone for Christmas. I have considered in the past making a pact with myself to purchase every single Christmas gift at convenience stores. I’m not doing that this year, maybe next year (I can see you squirming with excitement already).

However, I have found the perfect gift for every single person on my list. From plant lovers to patriots, I’ve got you covered.

It’s the Obama Chia Pet from the Proud to be American Chia series.

Or maybe you’d rather have the Statue of Liberty Chia with the “ever-glowing flame.”

Feeling a bit more revolutionary, there’s the George Washington Chia.

There’s also an Abraham Lincoln Chia edition, but I can’t understand why they didn’t manufacture it where Lincoln’s beard will also grow green plants. Only his hair grows. Shouldn’t Abe be wearing a stovepipe hat to cover his hair, leaving his chin as the best spot for luxurious growing greenery?

Great Green Gumballs

I ran across this gizmo/gadget online at the Utney Reader site.

I think this is brilliant. It’s for erasing urban blight. It’s for creating green where before there was only brown, gray and dead spaces.

It’s seed bombs dispensed out of old gumball machines.

Where once there were super-bouncy balls and “diamond” rings, now flowers and blooming things are available.

Toss a few and watch them grow.

Hairy Situation In The Gulf

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is such a tremendous tragedy.

The gallons keep pouring out and it’s just a matter of time before the shit hits the fan oil hits the sand.

I had heard some tidbits about the use of human hair and animal furs to help absorb the noxious mess before it reached land.

Then I ran across an environmental page at Change.org that illuminates how we citizens of the planet can pitch in  in several different ways.

Upon spotting a link there that mentioned shaving your poodle to aid the cause, I clicked the link to Matter of Trust’s website. I didn’t realize just how amazing the fur/hair option is in cleaning up the oil spill.

This isn’t a new thing. They’ve been working since 1998 out of San Francisco.

There’s more info about it all in this video.

So shear those sheep, ship your sheers. Whatever it takes to save the gulf.

Feel Good Friday – Buttercup

The weather goes from warm to a snowy forecast.

The calendar is about to turn from February to March.

B keeps writing about her shy daffodils.

I’m ready for spring.

In honor of a spring flower, I present you Buttercup from Something About Mary.

Green Blood

This is not a post about Dr. Spock’s green blood or the the man who bled green blood during surgery due to a condition known as sulfhaemoglobinaemia.

It is a post about going green on a monthly basis.

I’m talking to the women out there.

For all you dudes, here’s the link to ESPN. Go NOW! I beg you men to click away.

OK, now that we’ve run them off, check this out.

The Catherinette Chronicles ran across some reusable products for women to use during their menses. Even more optional products (the cup) came to light in the comments section of the post.

I know I was going on and on about recycling cigarette butts the other day, but I’m not doing this.
It’s 2009.
It is not Laura Ingalls Wilder’ Little House on the Prairie days. Sorry, this is not going to happen in my house.

Image: Halloween Museum

Knitting With Cigarette Butts and Dog Hair aka Gee, Your Sweater Smells Funny

I am a non-smoker and it chaps my butt when I see cigarette butts lying about.

They’re gross and not going to decompose anytime soon.

They multiply faster than bunnies, it seems. There’s definitely a never-ending supply of them.

I finally ran across one way to recycle them – clean the filters and use the fibers in them to create yarn and knit.

Treehugger has the story about Chilean designer Alexandra Guerrero and her latest creations.

I figured since Aunt B. is planning on taking up spinning yarn and is a non-smoker this might not appeal to her.

However, I know she and Ms. Wigglebottom might be more interested in this option – Knitting With Dog Hair.

I’ve got some mutts who will be willing to contribute to a lovely scarf or cableknit sweater.

My New Nature Boy Crush – Nick Baker

Move over Jeff Corwin.

There’s a new nature boy on the horizon – Nick Baker.

I realize I’m probably behind in finding him as his show has been on the Animal Planet network before, but I caught two hours of “Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures” this morning on the Science Channel and fell in TV love all over again.

Newscoma and I have always enjoyed Corwin’s sense of humor, his pop culture references and his sensitivity to the animals’ habitats and well-being. Unlike Brady Barr‘s proclivity to wrestle and subdue each and every creature he encounters, Corwin was as gentle as possible with the animals he introduced us to – all the while smiling and making me laugh.

Now Baker has a similar take on his show. I also enjoyed the fact that he looked for the exotic right here in North America. One of the two episodes I watched dealt with hellbenders, a giant member of the salamander family. Also known as devil dogs, this ugly swimmer can be found in the rushing streams of Appalachia but is in trouble in the waters of the Ozarks.

Baker does a good job of mixing the science with the curious facts, entertaining and informing at the same time.

I think I’ll tune in again.

One year in 40 seconds

We’ve covered super slow motion videos here before, but now I present to you a very tranquil time lapse video of a small thicket of trees shot during 2008. The audio track was also recorded during that span from the same spot.

It’s One Year in 40 Seconds by Eirik Solheim. Here are his details on how this was shot.

I think my love of time lapse photography goes back to the old Wonderful World of Disney TV show on Sunday nights (I think that’s when it aired). It would show those time lapse films like the one of seasons in the desert with the cacti blooming after the rare rainfall and mini flash flood surged over the landscape, etc.

Simpler times those were.

The Knitted Dissected Frog

As Christmas and Black Friday approach, I know I’m beginning to try to think of the perfect gift to get for everyone important in my life.

I’ve come across one item that may not match anyone on my shopping list.

It’s a knitted, dissected frog available on Etsy.

I have documented my lack of crafty skills previously, however I do know crocheting and knitting are two different things, but I wonder if Aunt B has considered using her hooks to come up with something like this. She’s usually creating anatomically correct items.

How about amphibians?

Squirrel Queen Flickr Meme

I saw this over at Jane Q. Public‘s home and was just curious about doing it for myself.

It’s a Flickr meme. Instead of just typing out your answer on your blog, you head to Flickr and type it into their Flickr’s search box. Once the results pop up, you use only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite and copy and paste each of the URLs into the Mosaic Maker (3 columns, 4 rows)… Enjoy!

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you?
12. Your Flickr name?

Here are my answers:

1. Stephanie

2. Crab pasta (but I like mine with alfredo)

3. South Fulton

4. Green

5. Nicole Kidman

6. Beer

7. Machu Picchu

8. Cheese Cake (but I like most all desserts)

9. Mature (because I so often feel immature)

10. Comfort

11. Mellow

12. Squirrel Queen

Holly and Heartbreaktown have also done Flickr memes, but they’ve been a bit more mysterious about their answers.

Photo Credits: 1. Stephanie_35, 2. Crab Pasta, 3. Bo-Peep Motel, South Fulton, Kentucky, 4. Forest Green, 5. Nicole Kidman, 6. Stella Artois, Belgium, 7. Sunrise, 8. Cheese Cake Cupcakes, 9. a3256 A Mature Red, 10. Comfort in the Leaves, 11. Melt into Mellow Scottish view, 12. Close up squirrel