Monday, October 30, 2017

Imagination's power

The Artdog Quote of the Week 



Of course, it could equally be said that without imagination there is no beauty or wonder, too. No empathy, no love. But also no hate. That's the power of a creative mind.

We all have imaginations, though none of us exercise ours the same way. How do you exercise yours?

IMAGE: Many thanks to Brainy Quote, for this image-and-quotation from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Friday, October 27, 2017

The crazymaker

The Artdog Image of Interest


We've all lived or worked with someone like this. I just couldn't leave this angle out, in a month of exploring the dimensions of horror.

IMAGE: Many thanks to cartoonist Jim Benton, via Neatorama and MoreThanHorror on Pinterest.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Seizing the day in Puerto Rico

Like an island-wide tornado?
Puerto Ricans (and residents of other devastated neighboring islands, as well) need everything--RIGHT NOW. There's no question about that. Lives are at stake.

Certainly looks like a tornado hit: downed power lines in Humacao, PR -- photo by Carlos Giusti/AP and CNN

But while FEMA and the Puerto Rican government are leasing power generators and shipping in enormous planes full of food, water, and medicine, I hope the people who will be rebuilding Puerto Rico keep their eyes on the future.

Loading up for Puerto Rico: an industrial size generator. They'll need a bunch of them! Power is the most critical need.

I'm from Kansas, so when I heard a meteorologist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (who should know what he's talking about) say of Hurricane Maria, "It was as if a 50- to 60-mile-wide tornado raged across Puerto Rico, like a buzz saw," I could relate. We Kansans understand about tornadoes.

Hurricane Maria over Puerto Rico (see outline) -- image by Joshua Stevens and NASA Earth Observatory, via Vox

One of the things I keep hearing is how antiquated the power grid and other infrastructure on the island are. This stems in large part from the crushing debt crisis that has been plaguing the island's economy for years, a situation that's a haunting echo of the history of not-too-far-away Haiti's economic woes. How did that develop? I like John Oliver's explanation (note: this video is 21 minutes long, but in my opinion worth the time to watch).



It's a pretty massive mess, and a disaster on top of it all isn't helping in the least. But I'm oriented toward thinking about finding opportunities for positive change, even in the worst disaster. The "tornado" comparison led me to wonder if the island could take a page from Greensburg, Kansas' recovery playbook.

Not Puerto Rico: this is Greensburg, KS, in May, 2007 -- Photo by Mike Theiss of UltimateChase.com

No, I'm not suggesting that the "green revolution" that seems to be working moderately well for a small Kansas town of 771 residents could be directly scaled up for a tropical island with a population of 3.4 million! Different climate, different terrain, much larger population--this is definitely not a "one size ought to fit all" suggestion.

All the government buildings over 4,000 sq. ft. in Greensburg today are built to LEED-Platinum standards -- Photo by Fred Hunt/New York Times, via SaveOnEnergy.com

But the residents of Greensburg took a direct hit from an EF5 tornado. Those who survived emerged into a landscape of utter devastation. With pretty much nothing left standing except shattered trees and mounds of rubble, they were going to have to either rebuild brand new, or leave.

I have a sense that, on a hugely more massive scale, Puerto Rico is facing a similar scenario. Greensburg lost half its population after the tornado. Puerto Rico's debt situation had already started that trend, and, like Hurricane Katrina before it, I imagine Puerto Rico will see some migration that becomes permanent after Maria. But the survivors who stayed in Greensburg, KS decided to build for the future.



There's already some movement in that direction, in Puerto Rico. In the footsteps of solar panel user Eddie Ramirez, the Casa Sol B&B operator in old San Juan profiled above, there are indications that the solar industry might be interested in participating in a transformation of Puerto Rico's power resources. Certainly if Elon Musk gets involved, some perspectives should change.

If ever a power grid was ready for a fundamental transformation, Puerto Rico's is! --Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images, via Vox.

I hope they do install many more solar capabilities--but I also hope they don't stop with only solar power. True resiliency lies in diversity. It seems possible that wind power (maybe not during hurricanes) and perhaps tidal power generation (after all, Puerto Rico is surrounded by ocean) also might be renewable contributions to Puerto Rico's energy resources.

Example of a wind farm. This one's located near the Danish city of GrenĂ¥. 

An artist's rendering of a tidal fence to harvest tidal energy, based on a design by Energy BC, of British Columbia, Canada.

Building codes should be designed with hurricanes in mind, mandating (and possibly partially subsidizing) more wind-durable homes and similar structures, as well as household and community-level preparedness planning for the next "big one." I hope to discuss hurricane preparedness more in a future post.


IMAGES: Many thanks to CNN and Carlos Guisti of the AP, for the photo of downed power lines; to Diesel Service and Supply, for the photo of the Puerto-Rico-bound generator on the big rig; to Vox, the NASA Earth Observatory, and Joshua Stevens for the satellite photo of Hurricane Maria; to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and YouTube for the rather long video about Puerto Rican debt; to Mike Theiss and UltimateChase.com for the photo from Greensburg in 2007; to Fred Hunt/New York Times via SaveOnEnergy.com, for the more recent photo from Greensburg; to YouTube and NBC Nightly News for the video on the power crisis in Puerto Rico; to photographer Mario Tama of Getty Images, via Vox, for the daunting image of the downed power lines in Utuado, PR; to Siemens, for the photo of the Danish wind farm; to Energy BC of British Columbia, for the artist's rendering of the tidal fence; and to Deltec, for the diagram of the hurricane-resistant house.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Is it REAL?

The Artdog Quote of the Week 



It all turns on what we bring to the reading or viewing experience. I firmly believe that (whatever art form we engage) the artwork is not complete until it has been experienced by a third party. Apparently Poe agreed.

IMAGE: Many thanks to Brainy Quote's Horror Quotes page for this image.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Is there a way not to burn? Looking beyond individual solutions

California is still burning, as I write this. Last week's middle-of-the-week post, inspired by the wildfires in the Western USA, was focused on ways that individual property-owners can mitigate their fire risk.

Santa Rosa, CA, Oct. 9, 2017: Photo by Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle/Polaris via ABC News.

But individuals are not always able to control their surroundings completely enough to take all those steps. Where are your 30- and 100-foot "zones of defensibility" when you live in an apartment building like the one in the photo above, or a densely-spaced neighborhood like the one in the photo below?

With apologies, I grabbed a screen-capture because I wanted to show the contrast in what had originally been published as an interactive graphic from ABC News. To see the original, please go to the article.  Keep scrolling!

Remember, the residents of this community sought out housing they could afford, in an attractive neighborhood that had been safe for years. Here is a mind-blowing, in-depth report by ABC's Matt Guttman. He talks about the speed with which the fires advanced. He also gives some background on the neighborhood and the people who lived there.


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

With a lovely climate and access to natural beauty all around, it was a desirable place to live, work, and retire. No one expected a wildfire to come through and make it a deathtrap.

But the wildfire did come, and when it did not everyone got out in time, despite  heroic efforts by first responders. Lots of things went wrong (Murphy's Law strikes again), including with the alert systems.

Community planning is more important than we may think, in all kinds of ways--but disaster preparedness and mitigation is definitely one of them that I hope will get more attention as our environment grows more hazardous in this age of climate change.



Some of the principles I touched on in last week's post can be scaled up to the community: not only the idea of zones of defensibility noted above, but also concepts such as the fire danger of developments on a slope, and community building codes.

Other considerations include ensuring that fire equipment can get to burning buildings, whether permeable paving designed to mitigate runoff can stand up to the weight of fire equipment, and many more. Sometimes even seemingly offbeat solutions can work really well, too. Consider wildfire mitigation via goat-power:



Simply not developing some areas because of their increased risk (see slopes, above), or to use as "fuel breaks" requires community planners with the fortitude to stand up to the determined efforts of short-sighted, quick-money interests. Their offers can seem very attractive . . . until the disaster happens. Cool heads and long-term planning are going to matter more and more.

IMAGES: Many thanks to ABC News for the still photos from Santa Rosa, and also for the moving report by Matt Guttman from there. The still photo of the wildfire threatening houses is from Anchorage, Alaska's web page about community planning for wildfire mitigation, and the goat video is courtesy of YouTube and Denver 7 "The Denver Channel" (ABC again!). Many thanks to all!

Monday, October 16, 2017

Reality check

The Artdog Quote of the Week 


Stephen King hands us another one this week, a little thought-provoker that I'd like to pair with a second thought from Clive Barker:


IMAGES: Many thanks to Brainy Quotes for the Stephen King image and quote, and to the "Bigger Jaws" Pinterest pinboard, for the Clive Barker image. 

Friday, October 13, 2017

Now we're in trouble

The Artdog Image of Interest 



What better day to exorcise a cat-demon than on Friday the Thirteenth?

IMAGE: Many thanks to I Can Has Cheezeburger, via Pinterest, for this meme.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

This week it's wildfires--is there a way not to burn?

There must be few more horrifying things than to watch a wildfire come sweeping down a canyon straight toward you and your home. Yet it's more and more likely all over the world, thanks to global climate change.



That horror is alive and on the march in California this week, both in the wine country of the northern part, and in the Anaheim Hills near Los Angeles. Not so very long ago Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho were dealing with a similar disaster.

Each time the flames go up, we see these horrifying videos, and our hearts go out to the victims. But if you live in a fire-prone area (technically, that is, if you live anywhere, since fires can burn anywhere! But especially in mountainous forests or drought-stricken plains), is there anything you can do to beat back the risks, before you have to beat back actual flames?

Even if your home has a complex roof (multiple surfaces and places where debris may accumulate), keeping burnable debris cleared off can reduce your fire vulnerability.

As it happens--although nothing is foolproof--there are several things that home- and business-owners can do, to make their property less "burnable." The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has published guidelines that lay out several strategies to help you fight the fires before they come.


Some strategies require thinking WAY ahead--as in, when you're planning to build in the first place. Choosing your site is one important thing: building on hilltops or at the top of a steep slope with combustible vegetation downslope is like putting your house at the top of the chimney.

The University of California-Berkeley has created an online Builders Wildfire Mitigation Guide with lots of specific strategies builders can employ, to lessen the vulnerability of buildings to fire.

Flying embers can ignite an otherwise-fire-resistant building if they get inside unprotected vents.

Building for fire-mitigation includes things such as using less-burnable materials, designing to avoid collection-points for burnable debris, using vent designs that protect agains flying embers, and employing things such as intumescent coatings, that swell when exposed to fire-condition temperatures to block air flow, insulate against temperature buildup, and/or retard fire access to vulnerable areas.

Fire-rated rolling window shutters don't have to be ugly. These also offer increased security against burglaries.

Some retrofits also are possible. Flat, tempered-glass skylights resist fire better than domed plastic-glass ones. Fire-resistant shutters can help defend windows that otherwise might blow out under high-heat conditions. Re-shingling or re-siding in more fire-resistant materials is also a smart move.

Debris and brush beside a house: recipe for fire disaster.

But sometimes all it takes are awareness and taking common-sense precautions. How many times have you seen junk or debris piled up around someone's house, or bushes growing so close they brush the siding? Imagine a fire catching there. How quickly would the house go up?

Sadly, these gorgeous foundation plantings are within the 5-foot area of IBHS's Zone One. The "before" picture, while less beautiful, was safer from a fire-mitigation point of view! But there are compromises that can still yield a beautiful yard.

Most wildfire safety guides recommend you think of the area around your building in "zones." IBHS defines Zone One as the first five feet out from your building. IBHS recommends you should have fewer combustibles in that zone. Thus, be careful of too much brush or vegetation in that zone, as well as fences, decks, etc. that are made of combustible materialsMany other guides combine IBHS's Zones One and Two into a single, 30-ft. Zone One, while still emphasizing the "defensibility" idea.

This diagram clearly shows a nice collection of really smart fire-mitigation ideas.

Especially in ecosystems that have evolved to adapt for fire, many guides recommend planting native species, which are better fire-adapted, especially within your first 30-foot perimeter. Another common-sense precaution is avoiding "fire ladders," that is, bushes or shrubs under taller trees, that can offer more fuel for fires. Clearing brush and dry materials is not only fire-smart, but it can improve "curb appeal." Spacing trees and bushes farther apart allows them room to grow, and keeps fire from leaping from one to another.

Burning bushes underneath can doom trees that might otherwise survive.
We can never completely fireproof our homes, and some fires can't be stopped in time. But wouldn't we all love to be the "oasis of green" in the charred landscape if the worst happens, and a wildfire comes through? It's actually possible!

No, it's not photoshopped. Thinking in terms of defensible space really does save homes and lives.

IMAGES: Many thanks to CBS News for the video about mid-October, 2017 fires in California. I also appreciate the "Fire-Safe Marin" website's article on roof issues for the photo of the complex roof with burnable debris; Australia's Parks and Wildlife Service for the diagram of fire behavior on a slope, and the Indiegogo page for Ember Deflector vents, for the photo of embers flying around a gable vent. I am grateful to the Trident roller shutters page, for the photo of the green shutters by the patio; to the Firedawgs brush removal page for the photo of boards and dead bushes by a house; to Houzz website for the photo of the foundation planting; and to Tractor Supply Company's detailed graphic showing fire defensibility zones around a house. Many thanks to World Atlas for the photo of bushes burning underneath trees, to illustrate "fire laddering," and to the Ross Valley Fire Department's excellent article on defensible space, for the "miracle" photo of the unburned home.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Choosing one's path

The Artdog Quote of the Week 


A note to the wise: to all of us, beware what path we choose. For writers: this the ultimate key to a good antagonist. Thanks, Mary!

IMAGE: This is another quote-image that's been pinned several million times to Pinterest boards. I found this file on--yet again--on the pinboard of Stephanie Girolami-James, this time via the "Horror Quotes" pinboard of Amanda Rios.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Its own kind of horror

The Artdog Image of Interest 


This month I'm exploring horror fiction in several of its aspects. Heading into the weekends, I thought perhaps a more humorous touch would be welcome.

IMAGE: Many thanks to SnarkECards on Pinterest, via Indulgy.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

We ALL live in a potential disaster zone--but we're not helpless

Which Disaster Zone do you prefer?

That was the question my Beloved asked, not long after Hurricane Maria finished doing the job on Puerto Rico that Irma had left half-finished, and the central Mexico earthquake had leveled significant portions of the region.


His question caught his co-workers by surprise, but--if you think about it--none of us really should be surprised. So, then, what's your answer? Where would you rather live?

You could live in a tropical paradise like Barbuda or Puerto Rico, where a hurricane can level your entire island in a few harrowing hours, or where rising sea levels threaten to swamp your home, your livelihood, and your most beloved scenic areas.

Photo of El Capitan rock slide by climber Peter Zabrock.

You could live in a mountainous region with breathtakingly gorgeous peaks, cliff faces that shear off without warning, enormous swaths of drought-parched forests that one careless cigarette butt or lightning-strike can ignite into an inferno that changes the weather and denudes stabilizing plant growth so you get buried in mudslides the next time it rains real hard. (The video that follows is from fires in 2015 but it's representative.)





You could live in an earthquake zone, where grandfathered-in or shoddily-constructed buildings (or buildings on unstable ground) could collapse on you in seconds, and destroyed infrastructure may very well leave you with no water, no power, impassable roads, and leaking natural gas.

For more amazing before-and-after Mexico City photos from The New York Times please click the link for the entire article.

You could live within range of a volcano that could turn your neighborhood into a "lunar landscape" of ash and death. I'm looking at you, Ring of Fire--but don't smirk too hard, Plains States: do you know what lies beneath Yellowstone National Park?

Lava trees--actually the places where trees once stood--after a Hawaiian volcanic eruption.

You could live, as I do, in "Tornado Alley," where extremes of weather created by our position in the middle of a large continent spawn violent storms during much of the year, and extremes of politics create danger from poorly-regulated toxic materials (think about Picher, OK, or Times Beach, MO), and many other insidious hazards (unfortunately, the NAACP's travel advisory on Missouri seems all too reasonable, to this Missouri native). To be fair, though, none of the US is all that safe from racismgun violence, pollution, and crumbling infrastructure.

An abandoned home in Times Beach, MO.

We can't do much about some of the risks and hazards that surround us every day--but there are other things we can do, from building wisely for the kinds of environmental hazards our area faces (more on that in future posts) to speaking out and working for a cleaner, safer world where every person, no matter how troubled or disadvantaged, is seen as a being of infinite worth.

IMAGES: Many thanks to The Washington Post, for the video of Utuado, Puerto Rico's situation after Hurricane Maria. I deeply appreciate climber Peter Zabrock's photo (via the Associated Press) and The San Francisco Chronicle for the vision of the rockslide on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, and CBS This Morning for the video of the 2015 fires in the San Bernardino area of California. The  amazing before-and-after photos from Mexico city, published by The New York Timesare part of a larger article, featuring many more photos. Many thanks to Amusing Planet's article, "The Lava Trees of Hawaii," for the arresting post-eruption image of what used to be a forest. The photo of a ruin in Times Beach, MO, is from a Danish Pinterest board, "Udforsk disse idĂ©er og meget mere!" (Explore these ideas and more).

Monday, October 2, 2017

Coping mechanism

The Artdog Quote of the Week 


What is the fascination of horror fiction? As we move toward Halloween I thought it might be fun to explore thoughts on why so many of us love to be scared by fictional horrors.

And where better to start than with a quote from the King of Horror himself?

IMAGE: Many thanks to all the many, many, many (many, many, MANY) Pinterest boards that feature this quote image--so many, I found 22,300,000 matches, and ran out of time to track down the original source. I found this particular file on Stephanie Girolami-James's board, via Chelsie Bowen's HORROR Pinboard.