my Thinking spot: the fruit of my labor

07 August 2006

the fruit of my labor

i just wrapped up my final semester at the new school university. if all goes as planned (i.e. so long as: the registrar doesn't decide that i need more credits, some fluke doesn't erase all of my records of attendance, or, as my friend sara responds to everything - as long as north korea doesn't kill us all) i should be alumni soon! while i'am SO pleased to have finally finished my degree after bowing out of school for so long - finishing also brings a sense of sadness... i'm terrified that my brain will go stagnant! it will be awhile before i can pursue graduate studies. meanwhile, back at the ranch, i'm on the edge of my seat - waiting for grades to be posted... patience, kara - patience.

i know i got an A in my american short fiction course. i'm awaiting confirmation of my final essay exam being received from my global warming professor - i have some concerns, as i sent her a few email messages during the course of class and she didn't respond. i hope it made it through? in any event, look forward to many many posts about global warming in the future. and finally, my micro memoirs class. here, i shall post my final revised writing for the world to see. ok - really for all 10 of you who actually read this, but still... it was an interesting class. we had several key words/phrases assigned each week from which we were to write about in increments of 5 minutes. they were timed writings, as to not let that little voice get in the way. then we'd revise and critique one another's pieces. we used a book my professor wrote and there are still many exercises that we didn't get to. i think i'll continue to do them, just for fun. to keep the ol' juices flowing, if you know what i'm sayin'.

oh! and please keep your fingers crossed for me - if i can pull two more A's, i will graduate with honors. honors! whouldathunk it? i hated school my first time through - and was a solid C student at best. i've busted proverbial ass over the past 2 and a half years, and this will mean the world to me. here's to hoping! and here's the micro-memoir - but one of the many fruits of my labors:

Swoosh

I' am but a midwife. My hand guides the brush lightly over canvas, letting it decide what it shall paint - in this very moment, of this very day, at this exact time. Colors blend, bleed and dance. My hand eases the tints along as they meld together perfectly to create another abstract piece de resistance. Or so I'd like to think... One swoosh of Red, and I'm in the zone. Phone be damned, doorbell, too. Another swoosh of Blue in this direction, and another in that direction, and suddenly Red is changing to Purple. Green and Yellow are morphing into a deeper shade of Blue, tempting Purple to come in for a swim. And so it goes. I'm in deep now. More red. It needs more red. The dog whines. Green. Just a touch more green... The baby is saying "he-llooo" over and over and over. Yellow. More YellowÂ My hand urgently continues on. The world has ceased to exist. In these few stolen moments of bliss and completely letting go, I can't be interrupted. It is coming, it is almost here... almost breathing.

p/s - stay tuned for a possible graduation/birfday celebration for yours truly!

Name: supergirlest

"if you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito." ~african proverb

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Your Power Bird is an Owl

You are beyond wise. You are so smart, you're almost prophetic. Your inner voice always speaks the truth, and you take the time to listen to it. You are good at seeing who people are... including the darkness of others. As a result, you tend to have a rather dark - yet realistic - outlook on life.

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GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE!

Q: What causes global warming?

A: Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to warm up. Coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 billion tons every year. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually.

Q: Is the earth really getting hotter?

A: Yes. Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. And experts think the trend is accelerating: the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990. Scientists say that unless we curb global warming emissions, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.

Q: Are warmer temperatures causing bad things to happen?

A: Global warming is already causing damage in many parts of the United States. In 2002, Colorado, Arizona and Oregon endured their worst wildfire seasons ever. The same year, drought created severe dust storms in Montana, Colorado and Kansas, and floods caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in Texas, Montana and North Dakota. Since the early 1950s, snow accumulation has declined 60 percent and winter seasons have shortened in some areas of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington. Of course, the impacts of global warming are not limited to the United States. In 2003, extreme heat waves caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India. And in what scientists regard as an alarming sign of events to come, the area of the Arctic's perennial polar ice cap is declining at the rate of 9 percent per decade.

Q: Is global warming making hurricanes worse?

A: Global warming doesn't create hurricanes, but it does make them stronger and more dangerous. Because the ocean is getting warmer, tropical storms can pick up more energy and become more powerful. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3 storm into a much more dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, scientists have found that the destructive potential of hurricanes has greatly increased along with ocean temperature over the past 35 years.

Q: Is there really cause for serious concern?

A: Yes. Global warming is a complex phenomenon, and its full-scale impacts are hard to predict far in advance. But each year scientists learn more about how global warming is affecting the planet, and many agree that certain consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue. Among these: 1. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West. 2. Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding on the Eastern seaboard, in Florida, and in other areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico. 3. Warmer sea surface temperatures will fuel more intense hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 4. Forests, farms and cities will face troublesome new pests and more mosquito-borne diseases. 5. Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.

Q: Could global warming trigger a sudden catastrophe?

A: Recently, researchers -- and even the U.S. Defense Department -- have investigated the possibility of abrupt climate change, in which gradual global warming triggers a sudden shift in the earth's climate, causing parts of the world to dramatically heat up or cool down in the span of a few years.

Q: What country is the largest source of global warming pollution?

A: The United States. Though Americans make up just 4 percent of the world's population, we produce 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning -- by far the largest share of any country. In fact, the United States emits more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan, combined. Clearly America ought to take a leadership role in solving the problem. And as the world's top developer of new technologies, we are well positioned to do so -- we already have the know-how.

Q: How can we cut global warming pollution?

A: It's simple: By reducing pollution from vehicles and power plants. Right away, we should put existing technologies for building cleaner cars and more modern electricity generators into widespread use. We can increase our reliance on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and geothermal. And we can manufacture more efficient appliances and conserve energy.

GLOBAL WARMING LINKS:

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my Thinking spot

07 August 2006

the fruit of my labor

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