TarotMick

TarotMick
Originally uploaded by Alhazred.

New political party in Oregon

See this report from Oregon Public Broadcasting:
The Working Families Party, which focuses almost exclusively on pocketbook issues, has primarily been an east coast phenomenon.But now some of the most influential labor leaders in Oregon have banded together to create a branch of the party here.
I was going to make sarcastic comments about them joining all the others, but then did a minimum of research. This Oregon Secretary of State page only lists these as statewide parties: Democratics, Republicans, Constitution, Libertarian, and Pacific Greens. I was under the impression that at least the Freedom Socialists and Socialist Party also were Statewide.

Big Table Mountain Fire

Argh. I just read this BBC story regarding a big Table Mountain fire.
The flames are being fanned by strong winds. Thick smoke has engulfed the centre of the city as the fire spreads rapidly across the lower slopes.
More than 150 firefighters are struggling to fight the blaze, which is threatening residential areas nearby.
A British man has been arrested in connection with starting the fire.

Lincoln City, OR: boring, but good for books

We spent much of the weekend camping at Devil's Lake campground in Lincoln City, OR. Now, with it's strip malls and outlet stores, Lincoln City has got to be among the most boring and characterless cities on the Oregon Coast. But the book stores are wonderful. Check out especially Robert's on Highway 101.

Poe visitor

It is Poe's birthday today, and every year since 1949, a mysterious visitor has left roses and cognac on his grave in Baltimore. This year a crowd of the curious gathered, though sensibly the curator made them leave the ceremony.
Some of the 25 spectators drawn to a tiny, locked graveyard in downtown Baltimore for the ceremony climbed over the walls of the site and were "running all over the place trying to find out how the guy gets in," according to Jeff Jerome, the most faithful viewer of the event. [link]
It's a lovely ceremony and I'd not like to see it ruined by curious idiots.

New Tim Powers title available soon

Tim Power's long awaited new book, Three Days to Never, will be available soon and is available for pre-order from Subterranean Press. From the SP page:
When 12-year-old Daphne Marrity steals a videotape of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure from her grandmother's house, neither she nor her college-professor father, Frank Marrity, have any idea that the theft has drawn the attention of both the Israeli Secret Service and an ancient European organization of occultists -- or that within hours they'll be visited by her long-lost grandfather, who also wants that videotape.
Ah, I can't wait!

Northern California Coast

NoCal coast3
Originally uploaded by Alhazred.

Taken in about 1999.

IDs revolt in Stellenbosch, Netflix DVDs stolen

Independent Democrats' Stellenbosch Leaders Quit in Protest Over De Lille's 'Iron Fist' - allafrica.com
THE Independent Democrats (ID) lost their entire Stellenbosch branch leadership yesterday, after accusing leader Patricia de Lille of running the party "with an iron fist"... Branch leader Piet September yesterday led his executive, along with 30 ID members, to a splinter group of the United Democratic Movement, the United Independent Front (UIF).
Having been living abroad for some time (hopefully soon corrected), I missed the decline of the PAC and the rise of de Lille. I'd be interested in how that transpired.

Mail carrier accused of stealing hundreds of Netflix DVDs - rockymountainnews.com
A 24-year-old Loveland woman who worked as a postal carrier is accused of stealing more than 1,250 Netflix and Blockbuster DVDs from the mail in the Lyons area.

Alito and flickr faves

When in my trusty truck, I've been following NPR's live coverage of the Alito Supreme Court nomination. If you can't listen to NPR, scotusblog has been liveblogging.

Flickr:

Yaquina Bay

Ah, memories of Tsitsikamma Park. Some good 'uns from bart coessens.

Human skin bookbinding, Morales in South Africa

Quite a few people have blogged this already, but, because of the coolness factor:
Human-skin bound books - yahoo.com
The practice of binding books in human skin was not uncommon in centuries past, even if it was not always discussed in polite society.
Personally, I'd dig my skin to be used in such a matter.

Evo Morales in South Africa - allafrica.com
Institute for Democracy in SA director Ivor Jenkins said Morales would look at the processes of writing a new constitution and economic reconstruction. Roelf Meyer, a former member of the National Party government who helped to draw up SA's constitution, has visited Bolivia to advise on the constitutional process.
One can't help having a soft spot for Evo.

Flickr:

Wonder Woman

Tsitsikamma

Burying Tibetan Buddhists

Tibetan Buddhist master to be mummified - religionnewsblog.com
Disciples of Yogi Amtrin, who died on 1 July last year aged 84, plan to mummify his body, breaking with tradition.

Bog bodies

A couple o' new bog bodies found - bbc.co.uk
The bodies, which are both male and have been dated to more than 2,000 years ago, probably belong to the victims of a ritual sacrifice.
The king is dead. Long live the king.

Flickr:
A couple of nice Cape Town photos to start off, including (argh!) a baboon.


And other excellent cosplay photos by Hayami

ANC dumps populists

ANC Dumps 'Populists' in Local Poll Clean-Out - allafrica.com
In a move likely to aggravate internal tensions, the African National Congress (ANC) said yesterday it would ditch "populists who made empty promises" in favour of skilled professionals in its candidate lists for the March 1 local elections.
It seems like a rather sensible move to me. It reminds me, though, that I need to keep up with internal SA politics more so that I can better understand the context of this move.

On flickr:

Ludisia Discolor

Zimbabwean deportations, Township Clashes and Wi-fi Picture Frames

Related to yesterday's story, from allafrica news: SA Deports 3 067 Zimbabweans
Interestingly, Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is also in the process of finalising the deportation of more than 20 illegal immigrants from Rwanda, Pakistan, Mozambique, Liberia and Nigeria. Nationals from these countries, according to the Department of Immigration, have always managed to sneak into the country without proper travel documents.
Life has to be pretty rough if sneaking into Zimbabwe is an improvement.

Two dead in SA Township clashes - bbc.co.uk
According to public radio SABC, Zimbabweans and Mozambicans were the foreigners involved in the fighting... Some in South Africa are resentful of African migrants - accusing them of taking scarce jobs... This influx since the end of apartheid has led to a rise in xenophobia.
Just like in the good ole U.S. of A.

This is very cool indeed: a Wifi Picture frame - thinkgeek.com
The eStarling frame is a standalone Wi-Fi LCD photo frame that connects to a wireless network and automatically displays photos e-mailed to it in a slideshow format. Additionally you can specify an RSS photo feed from Flickr based on your own tagged keywords...

Favourite flickr photos of the day:

Milnerton Beach

DSC001631

Tortoises

Tortoises
Originally uploaded by Alhazred.

My favourite photo of the year.