Issues and Inspirations

Elephant That Paints

This blew me away.

Seafood Lovers Alert

If you're like me, I am a huge fan of seafood, baked, broiled, or raw, and have been enjoying sushi since we lived in San Francisco back in the 80s. Nick and I had our honeymoon in Japan in 1985 and so we loved sushi long before it became fashionable. But you and I probably want to see these critters alive as well, and that's not happening. The oceans have been overfished, taking with them "collateral" species like dolphins, whales, and sharks, and the only way to allow our children to enjoy the pleasure of fish in the future is to stop eating and buying fish that are endangered. Give them a chance to replenish for gosh sakes! Greenpeace has a list of species they call "red" and urge us to avoid when we go to the market:

Conscientious seafood consumers take note – here are the twenty-two ‘red’ species:

Alaska Pollock
Atlantic Cod or Scrod
Atlantic Halibut (US and Canadian)
Atlantic Salmon (wild and farmed)
Atlantic Sea Scallop
Bluefin tuna
Big Eye Tuna
Chilean Sea Bass (also sold as Patagonia Toothfish)
Greenland Halibut (also sold as Black halibut, Atlantic turbot or Arrowhead flounder)
Grouper (imported to the U.S.)
Hoki (also known as Blue Grenadier)
Monkfish
Ocean Quahog
Orange Roughy
Red Snapper
Redfish (also sold as Ocean Perch)
Sharks
Skates and Rays
South Atlantic Albacore Tuna
Swordfish
Tropical Shrimp (wild and farmed)
Yellowfin Tuna

Our children will thank us.

Laughter Yoga

My doppleganger, another Wendy Woods, has an interesting career. Caught this on the net:

Wendy Woods has been a Laughter Yoga professional since 2005. Laughter Yoga,
or as it's known officially, Hasya Yoga, was invented by Dr. Madan Kataria in India
in 1995. Noticing the many health benefits of a good laugh, Dr. Kataria
decided to start a "laughter club." People were initially sceptical of this idea, but
now there are approximately 5000 laughter clubs around the world.

Upon receiving training and certification from Dr. Kataraia, Woods began to offer her
services as a laughter expert to corporations and professionals as a
means of stress management. She has worked with
a wide variety of companies including Bombardier, Pfizer, Scotiabank,
and TD Bank Financial Group. She has also been
a major contributor to the organization of Toronto's World Laughter Day
for the past few years.

In an article by V. Radhika titled The Fake Laughter Movement, Wood
said, "Women are doing so many things and it (Hasya Yoga) is a
way for them to take time out for themselves. Many make plans to
come with friends from work and this is a way to
connect. Laughter creates a common language and is a great
way to break barriers."

Pacuare River Rafting

Just got the photos from our trip to Costa Rica last month, taken by one of our hosts. This little movie shows some of our death-defying trip down the Pacuare River on Class IV rapids. Sam and Miranda, my son and daughter, were in the front of the raft while I chickened out and stayed in the back. This was one scary but exhilarating ride, I had never done this before. Of the seven or eight rafts in our party, ours was the only one where nobody fell out, which is miraculous since we were being thrown all over the inside of the raft. Also some cool fauna shots. Check out that honking iguana!

Click here to download movie

Plastics and the Synthetic Sea

Watch this movie, it's a stunner. Considering it was made in 2001, 6 or 7 years ago, depending on who's counting, the plastics situation is already that much worse. But don't get too bummed out - there is hope at the end and things we can do to change our synthetic sea.

Wingsuits

I don't know where I have been all this time, but a lot of my friends seem to know about these already. Wingsuits may be the craziest and most innovative idea I have seen in a while. I suppose if propulsion and braking systems were added these could get quite popular. This movie will blow you away.

The First Post

Photography is a wonderful profession but there is a big world out there that requires us all to wake up and notice. This will be a blog for inspiration and issues that I would like to share and hear your feedback on. We all need to do our part to get ourselves and our planet to a healthier, more sustainable place.