Ailing coral reefs matter

The Artdog  Quote-Pairing of the Week 

If we're not worried about the world's ailing coral reefs, we're fooling ourselves. Coral reefs are not only vital to our oceans, but there are important things we can do to help them.

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects--including helping bring our world's ailing coral reefs back to health.

Let's do what matters--and coral reefs matter. We must act now.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Quotabulary's "Quotes about being proactive" page and Buzzle for the illustrated quote from Leo Babauta, and to The World Counts for  the informational image about the decline of the world's coral reefs.

No casual snapshot

The Artdog Image of Interest

Because who doesn't love a great mountain picture in mid-July, this is an image from National Geographic. Do you recognize the mountain?

If you said "Everest!" you're right. This actually isn't one picture, however. It's 26. And it's no casual snapshot.

Photographer Renan Ozturk prepared for eight months. Then he and his team trekked high into "bring your own oxygen or you will die" territory to launch a specially-modified drone.

This high-altitude photog and his even-higher-altitude drone achieved the amazing feat of a 360-degree panorama (if you join the left and right edges of the picture together, they match), and it was a nail-biter to the bitterly cold end.

Not only has Everest been a particularly deadly mountain to attempt this year, but the intense cold at that altitude was a battery-killer, too. Ozturk had at most 15 minutes of flight-time . . . and that's if the wind cooperated. Which it almost never did. He and his team racked up a lot of failed tries before they nailed it.

This is how the pros make it look easy. You thought this was just a beautiful mountain picture at first, didn't you?

Eight months. 

Bitter cold. 

Technical innovation. 

The Death Zone, for pity's sake!

So, next time you're embarked on a creative journey and start getting discouraged, remember Renan Ozturk! (and don't forget your oxygen).

IMAGE CREDIT: All honor, reverence, and awe are due to the intrepid Renan Ozturk and his intrepid team, on assignment for National Geographic, for this astounding image! Dude, you are amazing!
I also want to thank MEME for the, um, meme.

What's holding you back?

The Artdog Quote-Pairing of the Week

While we're creating our future, why not take pains to create the best one possible? Who would choose more and worse asthma and allergies? We still can do many things to mitigate the effects of climate change. What's holding you back?

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects, but we must act now.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Kirk Weisler for the Stephen Covey quote, and to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America for the facts on our breathing future if we don't act now!

Time for solar dreams

The Artdog Image of Interest 

"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy, what a source of power. I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out, before we tackle that." Thomas Edison said it in 1931. Me too, Tom!

This image is a photo montage I put together. It was inspired by the quote from Thomas Edison. It is surrounded by photos of current solar technology. One of my blogging themes this month is a proactive approach to climate change.

But you don't have to look very hard or stretch your imagination to realize that the time for solar dreams is right now. As the Motley Fool points out, the solar industry has come into its own. The time for solar dreams of a cleaner-energy future are now.

We have only to embrace it.

IMAGE CREDITS: This montage was inspired by the photo and quote from Thomas Edison that I found on the Edie website (unfortunately, it was pretty small). I surrounded it with photos of contemporary solar panels from (clockwise from upper left): The Motley Fool, BusinessGreen,  American Solar Energy Society, and GreenTechMedia. Many thanks to all!

Happy 4th of July!

It's my country's birthday! A great reason to share a collection of images, and to wish you a happy 4th of July!

Let's start with a thought I'd like to see catch on more, in my country:

Here's a follow-up, to honor those who've dedicated their lives to preserving the freedom we cherish.

Of course, you know who'll be working on the 4th of July--just as they do every holiday. Many thanks and best wishes for a safe and happy Independence Day to all the first responders out there! I'd like to thank them and their families, who share them with the rest of us on days like this.

Here's a fun video 4th of July greeting, created by Pooja Luthra, that might get you into a holiday mood (warning, it cuts off rather abruptly).



And what happy 4th of July celebration would be complete without fireworks?

IMAGE/VIDEO CREDITS: Many thanks to Blogging Bishop, for the call to take our freedom as an opportunity to do what's right. Also to FleetFeetMurfreesboro for the call to remember who's potentially paying the most for our freedom. 
I'm grateful to Jerry's Ford of Leesburg, for the image of the first responders' emblems with the flag background.
Thanks also to Pooja Luthra, for the video geeting. I'm also grateful to the Imperial Beach, CA Chamber of Commerce, for the stunning photo of fireworks over their local pier.
Thanks and best of everything to you all, for helping me share my wishes for a happy 4th of July.

Half the journey is getting there: on the road to SpikeCon

Ty and I have hit the road for SpikeCon in Layton, Utah, driving from the Kansas City area. Our route took us north through Iowa, to connect with Interstate 80. I'm writing this post from a Tru by Hilton (small, cute, very new hotel) in North Platte, NE.

Minimal but well-designed and comfortable: Tru by Hilton in North Platte, NE.

I fully intend to tweet and post to Facebook from the convention, as I have from previous cons in recent years. I also have plans to write posts about it afterwards, as I have for other conventions.

But, as someone (unclear who) once said, "half the journey is getting there." And it's been an interesting journey so far. Mostly it was because we traveled through a beautiful, verdant countryside that's been in the news for historic flooding recently. The floodwaters have receded since last March, but they're not gone yet.

Recent historic floodwaters outside Council Bluffs, IA, haven't yet receded completely. The algae-entangled fence gives mute testimony to how high the waters got here, and the still-flooded (since March!) fields explain why all too many local farmers are facing a dire financial future.

Before we utterly crashed and burned in our room, we did fire up the Google and the Siri to discover a local institution of sorts, where we could go for dinner. Penny's Diner is not only cute and vintage-looking (actually, it has been there 14 years as of 2019), but the food is absolutely delicious.

Who knew North Platte, Nebraska held so many cool gems? Penny's Diner mixes 50s nostalgia with really good food!

IMAGE CREDITS: All of the photos were taken by me, Jan S. Gephardt, on July 2, 2019, on the first leg of my journey, with son and cohort Tyrell Gephardt, to SpikeCon, the NASFiC, Westercon 72, and several other conventions, all rolled into one. If you wish to use any of these photos, please feel free-as long as you include an attribution to the source, and a link back to this page. Thanks!

The moment is now

The Artdog Quote-Pairing of the Week

When must we do something about climate change? The moment is now.

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects--but the moment is now.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Hal Elrod for the quote about taking responsibility, and to Tunza Eco-Generation for the quote about not being powerless.