Deception and war are pretty common together. This is an interesting case where the fake army of the allies was moved about to keep (mostly) German forces busy while the actual allied force got in. I wonder some as to how useful the art of deception is now in battle, both because of the amount of technology we use, and the fact that most of what [the US] we fight tend to no longer be running under as clear of a structure.

It interests me, and I wouldn’t mind comparing it to some of Washington’s actions during the revolution.

Some neat stuff made from the common plastic bag. 

I’m trying to re-find some of the sites that sell billboard-made stuff as well. Billboard advertisements are actually made of vinyl, not paper like they look like. I guess they might have been made of paper a long time ago, but vinyl holds up better….it’s just a pain in the ass to dispose of. Very few places recycle it, and as far as I know, it doesn’t decompose… so all those shower curtains that rip end up in dumps across the world when they could have been recycled if places would take them.

Which takes me to a problem my family had with a large amount of vinyl being a shock not too many years ago. We had ordered a pair of kayaks, as we have a lot of quiet lakes around, from LLBean. They shipped their super-durable, plastic, pretty much unscratchable, sturdy little kayaks wrapped up. Would have been fine if it was eight layers of brown paper they wrapped them in, but instead, it was yard, after yard, of blue vinyl. I don’t remember how my Dad got rid of it, sadly I think it had to go to the dump, and a phone call or something was made to LLBean to chew them out for such a hypocritical packing job. 

Also, the trash company at my rents place used to pick up the recycling and the trash. Now they want them…in the same can. As in, don’t bother separating them, because they do it up at their plant. Supposively, they are some 75% effective. It’s still agitating to my Dad and I to put the cans and such IN the TRASHCAN though.

Oh well, I’m going to be setting aside some plastic bottles to try this whole “window gardening” thing. Should fail miserably, I’m not good with plants, as much as I love them. 

An interview with an artist I grew up watching on Sesame Street, William Wegman. After getting into animation, I saw more of his work, especially his early work, which I find fascinating.

I don’t know exactly why, but this piece is fascinating me. Maybe because I’ve had many dogs in my life ( seven, usually in threes with overlap between lives, and only one was really “mine”), not counting the foster dogs and my sister’s critter she just got not long ago. I recognize that they are each individuals, this reminds me a lot of that fact.

I feel this is a little similar to 9:11/9:11, in that it is an animated look at real events. In this case, an abridged biography through the dogs the artist owned.

Sarah Haskin’s page which contains the Target Women video essays.

I have several favorite holidays. And ways I like to spend them. The list is short, but simple.

Independence Day, I’m a light history buff, I love seeing history, knowing history, and July 4th has long been a favorite day. Probably because it’s inevitably fun, even in a downpour. Usually I spent this with family, though twice due to working, I ended up spending it with friends in Williamsburg. Fireworks, no fireworks, I could care less. Getting to debate political base ideas, that is entertaining.

Halloween, just because it’s interesting in it’s sort of odd changing sense. Different ages celebrate it differently, and even it’s past history has changed over time. That and kids are freaking funny when they make up their own costume. I’ve spent it with friends, I’ve spent it alone. I could do either. I really wish I had a place where kids came up for candy though.

Thanksgiving, always with family. And I love helping cook. This year I did the whole cooking of my four person family’s meal. It was so much fun, if tedious. The stuffing is probably the most  interesting to make, as in my family we have a lot of ingredients that one might not think go together as well as it does.

New Years, I usually reserve New Years Eve for friends. I don’t know the roots, but somewhere along the line it was decided by myself and friends that New Years just had to be spent hanging out and having fun on the turnover to ensure a good new year and good friendships past present and future.

Another article I came across that I found interesting. 
A retired police officer’s subjective look at screening processes at airports. It is more of a musing than a literal report, but a good mental consideration all the same.

I went to drop off a card for Colleen, and was told she was no longer a resident at Safe Haven. I’m thinking we should see if we can find her to get more interviews.

I don’t have much to say this week. I find it immensely strange that I have finished my last official class, and only have finals left. Then there’s no more school. I tried to brace for that impact, and yet it’s still very very strange.

Danny,

That looks like a really interesting article, I’ll have to read it when I’m a bit more awake (currently recovering sanity from staying with my family). I’ve noticed parallels between the current time and the Depression era for a while, so I’ve got a couple of books on the time if you are interested in borrowing them for your report.

Hmm, there’s a song somewhere in my collection of music about history repeating.