Sad to Hear and Misc.

It saddens me to hear that the Senate voted to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that 51 Senators voted to pursue special interests instead of energy solutions. It annoys me every time I am on the road and see all of these horrid "freezers on wheels"-SUVs. I have loathed these gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing death traps since they first came on the scene. And don't even get me started on Hummers. What a fearful, insensitive bunch of folks we all have become. I shudder to think that I have to try and live through 3 whole years with this blundering asshat and his henchmen. I have always wanted to visit Alaska-it has been my mental refuge. I always think someday I am going to pack up everything and move to beautiful, pristine, wild Alaska. It looks like I had better hurry.

On another note I came across this amazing story about the Armagosa Opera House. The story of how this opera house, located in Death Valley Junction, CA came to be is amazing. Marta Becket, a retired ballerina from New York took over what was once a theater. Marta painted murals the walls with a trompe l'oeil image of an audience, and began giving musical theater performances to audiences that the images usually outnumbered. Here is a delightful story of Madame Becket and the opera house.

I thought this was a nice idea even though I would never have my image on a stamp. Photo Stamps allows you to take an image and turn it into a postage stamp. That's right-customized postage. I think it could be really cute for invitations-it's your kid's 1st birthday. You turn an image of the tyke into a postage stamp and use it when sending out the invitations. You do most of the work and then send the images off and Presto-you'll get your image postage stamps in the mail.

Generous Adventures Travel Auctions is a really great idea. Donated trips are put up for auction and all of the proceeds go to groups like Doctors Without Borders (my personal favorite) and National Parks Conservation Association. These vacations sound wonderful-8 day photo tour of Crete, 5-day riverboat trip on the Amazon and a 3-week Himalayan trek.