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"Short Notes" | will's weblog |
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06 jan |
21-23 jan |
28 jan |
feb-mar |
5-7 april |
04-08-01 || Global Warming / Global Warning | Really folks,
does it come as an surprise that Dubya and his cronies not only refuse to support compliance with
international global warming rules but also seek to further reduce protections of the rest of the
environmental landscape that is part of American Resource Wealth? We might as well face facts, and
recognize that it is the average individual who has to stand up and speak out against this kind of long
term social resource injustice. But not only do we have to speak out, but we have to come up with
ways of addressing the problems that we already have -as well as though we can reasonably anticipate
coming up against in the future- just because
 "
of simple-minded frat-boy no-brain decision making.
Where to go from here? Well, by starting at home, and to this it's long overdue to seriously look into personally getting off the grid. The other part is to work with others nationally as well as internationally. The Natural Resources Defense Council is one such vehicle already well established to help provide those global environmental protection links.
"The significant problems we face
cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them"
-- Albert Einstein
Going Solar | I've been thinking about this for quite some time (years, actually)
but what with the impending "de-regulation"¹ of the electrical industry, looking into
solar is even more compelling. My chum Bruce and I were commenting on how we seem to have
maximized what we could do for energy use conservation in the house. Next step is looking at
producing at least some of our supply. So, solar comes into play.
Now, I gotta admit, it was today's Sunday NY Times article featuring people who live in the same state as we and who heat and/or produce power from solar sources that has me looking at it again more closely. For starter's I'm downloading the People's Action for Clean Energy [that's PACE] booklet on alternative solar building and remodeling booklet. We will have special considerations to look into, such as installing solar panels on a historic home. But a guy's gotta start somewhere, eh? ¹ Deregulation, my eye. More like a license from the politicians for the electrical power industry to legally price gouge. Risky Businesses: Electrical Workers | My father used to work as an Electrical Substation operator as I was growing up. At the time, I never gave much thought to the risks he took in his job. And he worked at it for many years, and up the ranks. Now, his job was not considered to be anywhere near as risky as that of Electrical Linemen, but fact of the matter is that he was dealing with 10's of thousands of volts of electricity more that the average joe. And he worked with solvents and sprays and chemicals barehanded and unmasked long before the days that the likes of OSHA and other environmental laws were put into place to protect the average worker. So it probably should not have been surprising that my dad died of cancer of the liver with complications arising from Chirrotic breakdown long before that outcome. These observations I make more as an intro to Journeyman Linemen, an interesting site which not only identifies the risks taken by some who work in this field, but which also provides a forum for discussion for the same and gives recognition to the difficult jobs these guys have in the effort to provide energy hungry people for electrical power. One of the ways this site pays homage to this bunch of unsung heroes, is by displaying some ways that these men and (some) women have been memorialized in picture and sculpture. Not everything is serious here. Find out about Lineman's Rodeos, Industry web links and if you are in the mood for stories, check out the trouble calls entries. Some poignant, some scary, some kind of funny too. 
[<-] c d thayer also maintains a website that discusses issues
and shows photos of interest to linemen and others seeking more knowledge about
this line of work.
More on lesser known indigenous Artists | 
[<-] Steve Driscoll portrays electrical
linemen at their jobs. Mr. Driscoll is not just one interested in this as a visual subject matter
but is also employed as a lineman himself. || A self-taught illustrator, he uses
pencil as his medium to depict his co-workers risking their lives regularly.
From the sculpture end, the site also makes note of Michael Garman[ ^ ], whose work actually pays tribute to not only linemen (look for them in the "professionals" on his site) but also to many whose lives helped "shape America—the firemen, sportsmen, professionals,military personnel, heroes of early America, streetpeople..." and others. Personally, I'm hard pressed to figure out how golfers are iconocized as American heroes, and I find some of Garman's work a little on the kitchy side, but the variety in his work is intriguing. Moreover, his attitude about public access to artistic creations "...that art should be available to everyone and, much as a classic book becomes published in paperback to the affordable by the general public..." works for me. |
06 jan |
21-23 jan |
28 jan |
feb-mar |
5-7 april |
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Recent Stories: 
are you Fringe ?
a modest proposal:nuclear waste
winter arrives!
the christmas tree adventure
"Outsider" ArtGo to: obligatory photo page rondak.org web essayists Media / Journals / e'Zines site index search engines
since 12 June 1999
about "Short Notes"
"Short Notes" was the title of a column I wrote while
working for a newspaper in the Adirondack Mountains some years ago.
The format was similar to what you'll find here, except augmented
with pictures and maps. The subject matter shall sometimes be personal,
at other times comments on events or situations of which I am aware. Comments,
suggestions welcomed but not always acted upon.
LEGAL & DISCLAIMER NOTICE: © 2000 / Will Brady I hope you've found this site interesting, even thought provoking || Occasionally some images come from commercial sources and are reproduced here under fair use guidelines of US Copyright law || Please don't write to me about the content of other peoples' sites linked from here || On the other hand, please let me know of any inactive links || Constructive comments, suggested links to add, are welcome. This website is maintained by Will Brady / wbrady@connix.com / Last update: see most recent entry |