My first ever look at an adult grass snake (Natrix natrix). I’d only seen a baby one before this.

My first ever live mole too…. this is quite a rare occurance however, as they almost never crawl around above ground. He looked a bit lost, poor thing. His fur was so soft, and he kept trying to dig through my hands – moles are blind. So after this photo we put him back down, and hoped he would find his way home.

Moorhen eggs. The mother scared the hell out of me whilst I was torching a pond looking for great crested netws, as she waited until the last possible moment and then shot out of the rushes. Thankfully, she returned to the nest, as when I checked next morning the eggs had been re-arranged.

A female great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) looking at me very quizzically….

This little chap had plenty of character. First of all he sat on the neck of the bottle trap, where the screw cap would go, and refused to get off, then he had a good look around when he finally crawled onto my hand.

He then turned around once and flipped his tail over his face, but every so often one eye would peek out, then his tail would hide him again. It was like a child – ‘if I can’t see you, you can’t see me!’

]]> http://lsmonsters.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/the-mole-that-isnt/ Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:37:05 +0000 nickcrumpton http://lsmonsters.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/the-mole-that-isnt/ Here’s a (non-technical) post I wrote for the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology for their new Animal Bytes initiative which is ‘capturing the stories of the museum and its collections’ by getting the academics and staff to write about their favourite specimens. I’ve had a whole bunch of fantastic conversations with the curators and professors who work here and I think it’s a great way to make the collection feel a little more alive (oh, and there’s a film in the pipeline too…)

Let’s imagine you’re walking through the grasslands of South Africa and have decided to find some shade under the trees of a nearby forest. Although you might assume that the most interesting animals could be slithering through the trees above you or silently evading you behind the tree trunks, it’s the ground beneath your feet that I want you to concentrate on. Perhaps, after a while, you’re luck and see the leaf litter tremble a little. Then, suddenly, a shiny, furry, eyeless face pops up. Say hello to Chrysospalax trevelyani, the Giant Golden Mole.

But why is a mole so interesting? Well, because it’s not really a mole at all. Although scientists thought for years that golden moles were closely related to talpids (the group that includes true moles like those you find in the UK), shrews and hedgehogs, recent genetic and anatomical analyses have shown without a shadow of a doubt that Chrysospalax trevelyani and the 20 other species of golden mole share a more recent common ancestor with aardvarks, manatees, sengis and elephants than with any other type of mammal.

This is a striking case of convergent evolution where two types of animals that aren’t closely related have found themselves evolving similar adaptations. When we see how alike the lifestyles of golden moles and talpids are, this makes sense. If an animal lives underground, natural selection favours certain ‘traits’: a streamlined shape to ease moving through sand or soil; very large hands to push sediment out of the way; and strong arms with which to propel itself. We also see a decrease in the size of their eyes as vision is less important underground.

When you get down to the precise anatomical differences between talpids and golden moles, you do start to see differences. For instance, the golden moles’ eyes are completely covered by skin and fur whereas some true moles still open their relatively ‘normal’ – albeit very small – eyes. They also have different digging techniques.

Both have evolved aspects of their bodies that the other would love. For instance, talpids are the only mammals on Earth to have their noses covered in special touch-sensitive pads called Eimer’s organs, which enable them to feel the world around them better than we can with our fingertips. But some golden moles have incredibly large ear bones making them far more sensitive to vibrations as they move through the earth listening out for prey. Very recent research has also shown that golden moles have evolved a coat of hairs that lest sand and soil run straight off them, making them silky smooth so they can tunnel through the ground incredibly easily. A rather accidental byproduct of this special coat means that it also makes the mammals iridescent. But, as they’re completely blind, they can’t appreciate how attractive it makes them look.

Although little is known about golden moles in comparison to their Northern hemisphere counterparts, we do know that their habitats are fragmenting, catrs and dogs are adept at catching them and that 12 species of golden moles across Africa are now classified from ‘vulnerable’ ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. So the next time you come to the museum, point out the Giant Golden Mole and explain to your friends how it evolved from the same ancestor as elephants did. Perhaps if people know more about these shiny, super-hearing, insect-munching tunnelers they might live a little more securely in their subterranean homes.

The golden mole picture is from wikipedia commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taupe_doree.jpg

It becomes a must to get hold of well known mole remover so that you do not have to go through the ignominy of walking around with hideous moles on your skin. There are a variety of products that are available in the market for removing moles but it is hard to find one that is best for you. This is why you need to look for guaranteed methods that assist in the task of getting rid of moles permanently. Laser mole removal is a very much preferred option that even surgeons would recommend. The main reason in this case is that laser surgery is not known to scar the skin.

You should remember that laser mole removal may not work for all the forms of skin moles. Deep moles on the skin call for the need of different method since laser cannot penetrate far deep in the skin. Laser treatment works best for removing brown or black colored flat moles on the skin. Flat skin moles are tightly attached to the skin hence making them difficult to remove since cutting them can rupture the affected area. Laser mole removal is perhaps the safest option to eliminate the moles without causing scarring or cuts in the affected skin area.

Laser treatment does not include cutting and stitching of the affected parts which makes it quite different from normal surgical procedures. There is no need of anesthesia as well since you do not undergo any pain during the treatment. You will only feel a tingling sensation more than anything else since laser is focused on the affected areas. The affected skin portion turns red once the procedure is carried out by the dermatologist. This is followed by development of a scab on the treated area. You should not try to pull off the scab as it can lead to formation scars.

Laser treatment has the knack of providing relief in a very short span of time to the patients. Many people claim to start seeing moles going away in a matter of one or two weeks. Still, it will take a month or two for the moles to be completely eradicated from the various parts of the body. Laser treatment can be employed for the purpose of removing moles no matter where they are on the body. However, you should take care once you have undergone laser treatment for removing moles. You have to prevent he newly developed skin on the affected areas from getting exposed directly to the sun.

Laser treatment can as one of the best alternatives for the purpose of mole remover if you are not short of money. However there are many clinics that are known to offer this treatment at a lower price. Seeking treatment in one of the clinics that provide good facilities should be preferred especially if you have a low budget. However, do not opt for cheap laser treatment if the dermatologist is not qualified for it. The danger with getting help from low quality surgeons or dermatologists is that your skin may get damaged after undergoing this treatment.

Recommended Link:
http://www.molegone.net/facial-mole-removal.htm

Sure, I am probably fun to live with. I enjoy sports to an obsessive degree. I drink beer and whiskey. I am ready to go anywhere in 30 minutes or less. I will do anything for a laugh. I can sit here and Facebook our perfectly happy marriage for you or just get down to the truth –

I can be a real pain in the ass.

I know this is how Scott feels. A couple years ago Scott had a hemorrhoid surgically removed. While he was ass-up in the air, he told the butt doctor he nicknamed the hemorrhoid “Little Julie” because it’s a pain in his ass. The doctor and nurse had to control their laughter. I was sitting right there.

It’s true. Sometimes I wander off into crazyville. I need someone to save me from the death grip of WebMD late at night. The laptop and I (and my scaly looking mole on my ankle) should not be left alone in bed.

Phone call to Scott:

I have cancer.

What are you talking about?

That mole on my ankle is melanoma.

You would have more symptoms.

It’s a silent killer. Remember how I showed you all my shorts from last summer that are falling off my hips? I’m losing weight. Weight loss is a sign of cancer.

Bug. You know that is because you are kicking ass at the gym.

Scott. Yeah, but I don’t do cardio. I haven’t changed my diet. I eat this damn Easter candy all day. I should probably throw it out but then I remember the next candy season is Halloween. I’m wasting away.

Shutup. You’re not wasting away. You’re all muscle now and you look badass. Your metabolism is probably out the roof. If you had cancer, you wouldn’t be gaining muscle. You’re smart. You know this. If you’re that worried make an appointment with a dermatologist.

I’m not as smart as the doctors on WebMD. Do you know any dermatologists?

Yes, I have a few dermatologists as clients but not in the area.

Do you know any good wig makers?

Goodbye. I’m going to bed.

I made an appointment with a dermatologist. I made the appointment thinking Scott would be in town to go with me. I needed him to hold my hand when I got admitted to the hospital. Nope. Scott had a surprise meeting pop up out of town. I was left alone at home with a packet of papers the dermatologist’s office asked me to fill out.

What’s the reason for today’s appointment? Mole on my ankle. It’s freaking me out. I want to know if I’m dying.

Text message between Scott and me:

Me: Getting ready to take Kate to school then off to my cancer diagnosis.

Scott: OMG. You will be fine.

Me: I got 2nd opinions. I texted mom and sisters. Asked if they thought it looked cancery. Jessica told me to go to doctor. Jenna told me I’m fine. My mom didn’t respond. Prob b/c she thinks it’s cancery and didn’t want to admit her daughter has cancer.

Scott: U R OUT OF CONTROL.

Me: This is karma. Every single bad thing I have done in my life has come to this moment.

Scott: Knock it off. Call me when you get out.

I get to the doctor’s office and hand them my papers. The nurse brings me back to the room.

So you have a mole on your ankle?

Yes. Right here. It used to look normal but then it got all scaly.

Ok, I see. I’ll have the doctor come take a look.

I stare at her face trying to find a hint in her reaction to my mole. She wrote a note in my chart. I look back down at my mole. I notice my feet were covered in grey dirt.

Oh! Wait! I’m not a dirty person. I was grouting in our basement last night and it didn’t wash off….and oh, I need to shave my toe hair. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.

The nurse laughs and walks out of the room. Oh my gosh. She thinks I’m crazy. The doctor walks in.

Hi Julie. Can I take a look at your mole? So you think it’s changed?

Yes. It’s changed.

Ok, we’ll just take it off. No problem.

Wait. Is it cancer?

We will send it to the lab and you will get results in about a week.

Well, like, what do you think from just looking at it?

I don’t like to say just from looking but it may be an atypical mole. If so, you will just have yearly mole checks. Not a big deal. You don’t need to lose sleep over it. We will know for sure after the lab results. I’ll have my nurse come in and prep you.

The nurse walks in. All I saw was a needle on her little tray. I feel the blood drain from my face. She wipes off my ankle with alcohol.

Ok. This is the worst part. Promise.

She stabs the needle into my ankle bone with no fat. Tears fill the corners of my closed eyes. I see a white light. Am I dying?

Oooo. Sorry. This is a sensitive area. Do you feel this poke?

No. I don’t feel anything now.

The doctor walks in and grabs a baby knife.

Have you ever had a mole removed?

No.

Ok, it will only take a few seconds. I’m just going to shave it off. No stitches or anything.

Oh. Ok. I swear I wear SPF year round. And my goal is to stay as white as possible in the summer. And I love hats. And tanning beds are the devil. And I’m half Mexican. And I was really nerdy as a teenager and read books all summer in my room. I hate the sun.

The doctor stifles a laugh. Damnit, she thinks I’m crazy. Stop impressing her. Stop talking.

I’m going to make a note in your chart to call you no matter what the results are. All done. Remember, don’t lose sleep over it. Ok?

Damnit! She definitely thinks I’m crazy. They’re making notes left and right!

Text message between Scott and me:

Me: They took it off. Effing needle to my ankle bone.

Cancer.

Scott: Wow. That’s a tiny incision site.

Me: Cancer is cancer.

Scott: OMG. Stop playing around.

So I’m Scott’s personal pain in the ass. It’s true. I can be a little overdramatic. Scott is the calm one. Rescuing me from Crazyville is not easy.

I’m also Scott’s personal pain in the ass that writes about his ass up in the air on her blog.

It’s hard to create anything with any heart when life sucks. I know some people can really draw from “pain” or whatever, but unhappiness just drains me so much…I feel like an empty husk of skin for the past two months. If you’re wondering why I haven’t really updated lately, this is the reason. Nothing seems that fun anymore. When I get home, I just collapse on to my bed and don’t move until the next day.

UPDATE: Recap of the actual surgery, here.

In early March, my dermatology appointment came up. I was referred there by both my regular (new) doctor and my new gynecologist. Although I don’t have the best insurance, my new program is already worlds better than Medicaid – doctors will actually see me!! They don’t mysteriously cancel my appointments without telling me! It’s a nice feeling, not being rejected. Anyway. It’s weird to say this on the internet, and I’m really uncomfortable revealing this. But I had a mole in in the vulvar region. Let me clarify…that doesn’t mean the vagina…this is like, the regular skin on the outside, it’s not an internal surface. But obviously it’s a sensitive area that doesn’t see the light of day! It’d be covered in a bikini, and that’s how close it would get. So yeah…it’s weird to have a mole there, and even weirder that it just showed up maybe a year or so ago. Maybe a little before then. Previous doctors (who suck and kept dodging me for MONTHS on Medicaid) told me that it was nothing. The latest one almost dismissed it as nothing too – but she mentioned why she thought it was nothing. She thought it was a birthmark. I told her no, it’s new. She referred me to a dermatologist who specializes in patients with skin-related issues in this region.

I’ve got other moles on my body that I wanted checked out. Ones that every regular doctor I’ve seen has told me to get checked out. But they all “passed” the dermatologist’s exam….all except the one down in my groin area. Hooray…:( Even my blue mole on my bicep passed! Biopsy one was scheduled; the mole was to be removed. I was pretty nervous about this, but this dermatologist has tons of awards, an extremely cool Russian accent, and really great reviews online. She’s got to be around 40 years old, but with zero wrinkles and a pretty good looking body. I say that as a straight female! Well. This biopsy was excruciating. Local anaesthetics just never work like you think they should. They did give me a numbing cream, but that’s even less effective than the injection it failed to dull. So…numbing cream. Big needle injection to possibly some of my most sensitive skin. Then the razor blade came out, shaving off pieces of my skin. Tweezers pulled at my flesh; I could feel the pressure of the sharpened scissors snipping pieces of me away. I could see the bloody bits that went in to the sample collection. Sometimes I just felt pressure. Sometimes, it was sharp pain. The nurse winced in sympathy as she held the samples, staring at whatever horror was between my thighs. I was glad that my head is on the other end of my body, and I don’t have to actually look. By this time, the local anaesthetics wore off. She charged up the cauterizing machine, and I felt a burning, searing, horrible pain. She touched a metal plate to my skin to burn the tissue shut. Because it was just touches and over in, realistically, 10 seconds, I’d say it was an 8/10 on the pain scale. If it were sustained pain? 20/10. Easily. I screamed, and I never scream…I didn’t even scream during my IUD insertion, and regular checkups at the gynecologist (like pap smears) already cause me pain and discomfort. I healed without a scar, with no way to tell that anything was done to my skin.

Biopsy #1 results came back in. I got a phone call, and had to schedule for biopsy #2.
Prognosis? Atypia cells, everywhere….all over the samples….the doctor needed to cut wider, and deeper. Atypical cells are as they sound….cells that are not typical. Cells that might turn in to something terrible, if left alone….like skin cancer. Melanoma. There’s a possibility nothing would happen. But this is cancer we’re talking about…it isn’t worth the risk. So another appointment was made.

Numbing cream. Big needle injection. Razor blade. Tweezers. Scissors. There was now a bit of a notch in my skin now. But it healed decently.

Prognosis…still not enough. The doctor called me, told me the news. I almost cried on the phone with her. Friends had told me that going in for a 2nd biopsy at the same site is not uncommon for mole removals. But what about a THIRD excision!? I didn’t want to go. I remembered the pain of the surgery and the pain of the healing process, which lasts weeks, and I really didn’t want to go through it again. But my mom talked to me, and she re-oriented me. Got me to see the big picture again. This is temporary pain…this is pain I won’t remember or care about in a month. But cancer? Melanoma? That can actually kill me. And apparently….melanoma in the region where my mole was is known to be ‘agressive’.

My mom came with me to the third biopsy, and she held my hand. I’m 25, but I really appreciated that. i felt like a kid again, having my mom come to the doctor with me. And it was good she came because she didn’t believe me, but believed the doctor when the doctor said “This is not a sign of an STD”!!!!  Seriously, I’ve taken tests and such, I’m totally clean :(  Anyway.  This time, they used a scalpel – 11 blade. I saw the chunk of skin that came out of me, and it was like a big, fat, red slug. They gave me two needle injections this time, so I actually felt less than during the other 2 surgeries.

Results from the lab came back in a week. I got the call at work…..and did shitty work for the rest of the week.
Biopsy #3. It was still not wide enough, still not deep enough. How deep was that damn mole? I was so afraid. My doctor, I think it depressed her too. She referred me to the Surgical Oncology department of Mount Sinai….where I met with another good doctor. She’s very young, but has a good record so far as I can tell online. And she specializes in actual cancer stuff. It was a bizarre feeling to wait in the oncology department. I felt out of place. Before you see a doctor, you see tons of other staff beforehand…mostly nurses and such, taking vitals, prepping you. Doing all that stuff. My mom met me there (I came from work during lunch time) and these people kept addressing her, thinking she was the patient. Well, I can see why they assumed a patient for the Surgical Oncology department would be an older person. But it sucked…giving a weak smile….saying, “Actually….I’m the patient”. Me, at age 25.

Like before, I felt like a kid having my mom with me at the doctor’s, but I was in such a depressed state of mind, I couldn’t think or make proper decisions myself anyway. She supported me, and it really helped to have someone else there to ask questions and listen to things…meanwhile I could sit there nearly catatonic. There was no surgery, which I was prepared to go through when I arrived. The doctor wanted to talk to me first, go over the lab reports with me. We did, and it was decided that the slides of my previous 3 biopsies needed to be transferred over to Mount Sinai’s own pathology lab. They wanted to run their own tests to be sure the prognosis was correct. And really, I trust this hospital’s lab more than the 3rd party lab at the moment. I hope things turn out okay. I’m still waiting for the results. No matter what, they need to cut me up again…and this time, they’ll have to go deep enough for stitches. The doctor suggested having a plastic surgeon present to close me up. She recommended one whom I assume she’s worked with in the past – she spoke highly of his skills – but he’s out of my insurance network. I don’t know what I should do. Should I just pay out of pocket?

My mom doesn’t think I need a plastic surgeon. She says, everything “down there” is ugly anyway. My boyfriend says he doesn’t care, either, and he loves me anyway. Which is really wonderful for him to say…it’s a huge load off my mind. But still, I’m thinking a plastic surgeon would really know how to pull skin back together. I know that sutures in that area are prone to infection, and my hope is that a plastic surgeon would not just make it superficially look better, but I might have a better chance avoiding things like keloid scarring from the surgery. I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too paranoid. But I’m going to meet with him tomorrow….and…I guess I’ll ask how much it would cost to have him there. Just meeting him tomorrow will cost me between $100-500 out of my own pocket….this cost was estimated by the surgeon’s receptionist. I don’t know. I have some savings. But it’s not like I can cover it if the plastic surgeon costs tens of thousands of dollars. There’s a chance my insurance may decide to copay a bit of the cost….but really, I don’t know. There’s so much I don’t know. I have to be prepared to pay it myself. Having a plastic surgeon close me up isn’t medically necessary, but of course I’d rather have his expertise…

Another option is, I could try to find another plastic surgeon that actually is within my network. However….I’m inclined to go with the doctor that my actual oncologist suggested, since it sounds like she’s worked with him before and they probably have a good dynamic in the OR.

I don’t know what to do. I just don’t know.

And what sucks is, there’s a time limit. All of this has to be rushed. Like I said earlier, melanoma is very aggressive. The more time we waste, the more time the cells have to spread deeper in to my body. I hope it isn’t truly melanoma. We still don’t know.

So that made for a particularly horrible past week. Before returning to work from the hospital, I took a moment to make some phone calls to the labs and other doctor offices. Then I took another moment to cry. Once I gathered myself, I returned to work. The one good thing was that my boyfriend is now working with me…we’re coworkers again. So he saw me walk in like a zombie, and he hugged me, and for a second things felt okay. But then I did shitty work for the rest of the week, and I had horrible cramps for days. Moltron couldn’t begin to soothe my raging uterus. Oh, and then this weekend, we got in a fight over something really, really stupid. I escalated it, he didn’t respond well, then I didn’t respond well to that either. I almost feel like it was a self-fulfilling prophecy moment. Because I had been thinking all week that nothing is going right in my life, that everything sucked except my relationship. And how horrible would it be if that were to blow up too? Oh wait, there it goes!

Luckily I think things are way better, since this morning. But then there’s still that skin cancer thing, and the not knowing, not knowing ANYTHING. Not knowing what the diagnosis is, not knowing what’s going on with my body, not knowing if I can pay for my treatment…at the very least, my insurance should pay for regular “surgery”. I just don’t know about the plastic surgeon. And if general anaesthesia is a separate charge…they have to put me under this time. It’s that invasive I guess, or maybe the surgery just takes that long or would hurt that much. I know I didn’t choose general anaesthesia when I got my wisdom teeth taken out. One reason was because it costs a lot extra…though of course, another reason was that I was too light to receive the amount of anaesthesia they’d need to keep me under for the duration of the extractions.

So…yeah. That’s my awful Spring 2013 so far. It’s scary to think….what if my current doctors again told me this mole was nothing? It seemed harmless to me, I was just weirded out by the fact that I wasn’t born with it. Other doctors, other professionals and specialists also thought it was nothing. If my dermatologist didn’t say, this is the one we need to biopsy, nothing would have been done. No atypical cells would have been discovered. There’s a timeline out there in the multiverse where I die in a year, because I didn’t get that mole checked out. So in the end, in a month, in a week, things are going to be alright. It’s just unfortunate for my psyche that right now, all I have is fear, depression, pain, and so many questions.

Those pics are all from my Instagram.  I don’t know what possessed me to take pictures.  But I spared you all the bloody chair!  As if anything in this post hadn’t passed TMI yet.

On a happier note….my boyfriend traded 3DS games with me today after work!  I’m stuck in Fire Emblem, around Chapter 15 (more like Paralogue 16! Nowi’s stupid kid is too hard to get!), and he finished playing Luigi’s Mansion, which I bought him for his birthday.  He really loved it, so I’m pretty excited….it’s really cute so far, and I love the extra little animation touches they do.  And I thought this was really cute…an antique, still-functional grandfather clock! They just don’t make them like they used to, ha!

  I only started it on my subway ride home, so I’m only 3 missions in.  Might post a review later….once I’m less angsty about life, the universe, and everything.  I mean, I obviously have people who love me, and I have a roof over my head and I’m not starving.  I got a good job.  So…things aren’t the worst.  But somehow it feels like things are pretty damn awful right now.

By: Shane Stokowski (this is lame, and gross)

Hope you enjoy the drawings and glad to have all you followers bear with me on this “journey” of sorts. See you tomorrow for the Haiku.

photo by SVSeekins

The daffodil is the symbol of hope for the cancer awareness – - so yes, fair warning: this is about my personal experience with the “C” word.  It’s a happy story. By sharing it, I hope there’ll be even more happy stories.

Ironically, when the real daffodils were blooming this spring, it happened again.  I noticed a little brown spot on my ankle.  No big deal, but…

This spot had grown a bit since the first time I’d noticed it 6 months ago.  Again, not alarming, but…

photo by D J Seekins

  The most common place for melanoma (skin cancer) on women is on the ankles.  

It makes sense really. I’ve often protected my face & arms with sunscreen, but only glossed over my lower legs.   How many times have I gone out in a skirt, shorts, or even 3/4 length pants without thinking at all about sun exposure on my ankles?  Many many times.

This time I decided to take action.  I consulted a dermatologist.  Although he really wasn’t that alarmed by the spot either, there were more factors to consider:

photo by SVSeekins

• The ankle doesn’t have a whole lot of extra skin on it – - so it’s tricky to remove a patch & pull remaining skin together to mend. 
• Plus healing an area that moves & stretches so much is very slow.

 I wanted the mole gone before it got any bigger. He understood my insistence, & arranged a simple office surgery the next week.  Easy-peasy.

photo by DJ Seekins

A local anaesthetic numbed the area, & after a few minutes the incision had 3 tidy stitches.    The scar won’t even be noticeable in a couple of weeks.  :-)

Potential crisis averted.

It’s not easy for me to be so assertive with doctors, but considering my experience with skin cancer, I know my best health advocate is me.

photo by SVSeekins

In 2005 I went to a dermatologist for advice about a mole on my right ankle.  I was told not to worry, and given a pamphlet with photos of danger signs.

I was relieved  - – and a little embarrassed I’d made a fuss.

By 2007 friends were expressing concern. I pooh-poohed it,  but began to realise the changes weren’t good.  By the time the dermatologist was able to see me, in 2008, the spot had changed even more.

photo by DJ Seekins

He took immediate action.  It was proven melanoma, stage 4.  A wider & deeper surgery was needed. That meant a skin graft to patch up the wound.  Not so easy-peasy.  (read: 3 months in bed.)

How could a little spot cause such havoc in my life?

A 2nd surgery followed, removing lymph nodes in my groin area.  (read: Another nasty scar, nerve damage in my thigh, and a perpetually swollen foot.)

Three years later, I’m off my oncologist’s ‘Watch Closely’ list.   Life is good. Crisis averted.

I’m getting better at practising assertiveness.

I’m not hiding the scars either.  Awareness is far more important than vanity.  I want more happy stories….

-30-
© SVSeekins and Garden Variety Life, 2013

photo by Barbara Hansen

some sources of information:

Fighting Melanoma
Melanoma Facts
BC Cancer Agency

We had a good time at Standing Indian Shelter with the new group of hikers we met. Most of them have been hiking together since Neel’s Gap. Cologne, Munich Bear, (his pal Cologne calls him Munich Hamster… they are from Germany), Overload, Hercules, Mole and a couple others. Everyone was talking about the thunderstorms in the forecast for this afternoon and this evening. When you’re hiking exposed ridges above 4500 ft elevation, thunderstorms are completely different than back home at 800 ft elevation. Winds are much much stronger, what would just be rain at 800 often is hail at that elevation. Plus, your closer to the lightning and in the cloud itself! Several people hiking the AT over the years have been struck by lightning while exposed on mountain tops or high ridges with no place to take cover. Often, the storms will actually form right over the mountains seemingly out of no where as the unstable air masses hit the the mountains and the moisture basically get squeezed out.

So everyone was taking the forecast seriously and most seemed to be targeting Betty Creek Gap to tent camp. We were all hoping to make it that far before the rain came in. It was a beautiful hike up to the top of Standing Indian Mountain. Amazing views.

As we continued the trail ran a long high ridge lined with tall mountain laurel and rhododendron. It was an enjoyable section of trail, though rocky. I had started barefoot again today but along this ridge pit my Vibram Five Fingers back on. I was falling behind Josiah quite a bit and was able to resume a respectable pace. The shrubs were to high and thick to enjoy views from the high ridge except for this one clearing. By the time we got to it we had a little bit of rain falling and rumbles of thunder had been getting closer. Once at the clearing we could see that this storm had just blown over us and was pouring down in the valley below us.

We continued descending for several miles when we reached Betty Creek Gap. Everyone was there taking a break and it was about 4:30. We had hiked around 12 miles. No one had set up their tents and most were talking about pushing on to Long Branch Shelter roughly 4 miles further up the trail. Suddenly the skies opened in a full downpour and I quickly decided to keep hiking. I was already soaked and freezing so it seemed better to keep moving to stay warm. Besides, setting up camp in a driving rain seemed futile. Josiah and I started hiking fast and the trail quickly became a little rushing river. As we climbed higher the rain got colder, the lightning seemed closer and then came pea sized hail and larger. We went from hiking through woods straight onto a steep rocky ledge. The rain was so heavy that water was pouring down the rocky wall on the left and it felt like climbing up a waterfall. Visibility was 20 yards or less, I’m sure the view on the right would have been amazing but all I could see was a disappearing ledge and the tops of rhodos, mountain laurel and the occasional tree. I had fallen behind Josiah before the ledge and all I could do was hope and pray he hadn’t fallen off the edge of this mountain! I wish I had one of those waterproof helmet cams! It was unreal. I finally made it to the top… so I thought. It was raining, not as hard and the hail had stopped. The clouds lifted enough for me to see that the top of this mountain was still much higher up. The trail came near a gravel road a couple times and at last I reached a log stairway which unbelievably seemed to go straight up. The last thing my tired body wanted to do was climb anything. I slowly climbed the stairs and was greeted with what looked like a rock wall at the top… smartly painted with the 2 by 6 inch white blaze which marks the entire AT, mostly on trees. Yep, I was supposed to scramble up these rocks… this was not a walking affair, more like rock climbing. I looked up and in a brief break in the clouds saw Albert Mountain Fire Tower. It seemed so far up, almost overhead. This meant a steep rock climb all the way to the top. I later found out that this section rises 400 feet in elevation in less than half a mile! Crazy anyone would think this made sense to be on the AT… to hike! I slowly and carefully worked my way to the top being careful to not lose my balance with my 25 lb load on my back. Once at the top the trail briefly passes through thick rhododendron and mountain laurel to the base of the fire tower. As soon as I came out of the thicket there was a cheer “Happy 100 miles!!!”. Josiah, Britton, and Hercules were standing there smiling and laughing! I was so happy to be safe at the top of that mountain with my son! What a way to reach the 100 mile mark on the trail! Just under 2100 more miles to go!

We still had a few more miles to get to the shelter and we were cold and drenched. Josiah and the others had tried to get into the fire tower but the platform was locked. By the time I got up there we were in a thick cloud so nothing more to see there. We made it to the shelter and found a few others already there drying out. Every one of the other hikers from Betty Creek trickled in. Each one to more cheers! The shelter was crowded to capacity and I don’t think a group of hikers has ever been so happy to be at that shelter! Wet clothes and gear were strung up like Tibetan prayer flags. It was a sight!

Josiah earned his trail name from Cologne… Blackfoot!

Today was Epic!!!

Age Range: 7 and up

Interest Range: 4 and up

Genre: Children’s Classics, Fiction

Plot:

It is finally spring time on the river near Wild Wood and Toad Hall. Toad, Badger, Water Rat and Mole are very happy spring has come and Moley is tired of spring cleaning. Moley goes for a walk and meets Water Rat. Ratty introduces Moley to life on the river, and the two spend a great deal of time boating. Toad on the otherhand, is looking for adventure and buys himself a motor car. Toad then proceeds to get himself into a lot of trouble with his terrible driving and ends up getting caught by the police. Badger, who preferes to keep to himself, finds he must help Mole and Rat rescue Mr. Toad and when they return to Toad Hall they find they must battle weasles and stoats to get Toad Hall back for Toad.

Review: This is a wonderful book about friendship and adventure that should be on every child’s reading list. This is for the younger tween, but older tweens should enjoy the story as well, especially the great battle scene at Toad Hall. The English countryside is brought to life by Grahame’s wonderful writing and the reader will feel that they are really there. The book not only gives the reader an adventure but also discusses emotions and just how far friends will go to look out for their friend.

Themes: Friends, Adventure, Motor Cars, Boating

Main characters:

Mole: Mole loves his home and his is rather shy and reclusive. But he manages to adapt to his surroundings and comes to appreciate all of his new friends and their lifestyles.

Toad: Toad is very wealthy and owns Toad Hall, he likes a good time and is high spirited. He is very spoiled and conceited and becomes obsessed with things easily.

Water Rat: He is relaxed and friendly and loves life on the water. Rat can be stubborn at times, but always willing to help out a friend.

Badger: He is a loaner and grumpy, he was friend’s with Toad’s late father and feels he must watch out for Toad.

Bibliographic Information:

Grahame, K. ( 1994). The Wind in the Willows. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

@traitism is back to help me make some in depth discoveries about both my inner and outer selves, don’t worry it’s not sexual. We also talk about other podcasts, shitting in the woods, elective surgery and more! Check out Traits new blog at thetraitist.wordpress.com. Peace bish!

Go to episode here. (right click, save target as)

From the previous post:  PROBLEM:

Homeless ‘mole people’, discovered in underground tunnels and shanty homes living in squalor, in Kansas City Missouri, are evicted. I say this is the problem and not the people themselves because, they are human beings and not ‘an eye soar’ a ‘difficult situation’.  We have become a society/world that places the value of money above the value of life, all living beings-SO THAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM.

In an article from Buzzle  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/homelessness-in-the-united-states.html the author states the main causes of  homelessness as: High Cost of Housing, Unemployment and Low Income, High Medical Costs, Drugs and Alcoholism, Lesser Government Assistance.

SOLUTION:  

‘What we suggest is to have a platform established that will allow for human beings to take a break from the madness. This can be done through establishing an equal money-system, whereby every human being on earth will have a right to an equal unconditional income – from birth to death. The equal money-system would be aimed at removing fear and survival from the equation called ‘life’. This will establish a level of equality in which we can start to learn what it means to live together and how to trust each other. Simplistically, money is the tool the system is using to perpetuate its control over human beings. We say money can be used for good – if we understand how it works and then change the rules. Then we can come to a new agreement about how we want to live, where everyone is equally taken into consideration.’   http://equalmoney.org/wiki   FAQ: Why an Equal Money System

High Cost of Housing:  So EMC as an alternative way of distributing resources. A way where every family/human being  is guaranteed to have a house. It will be a massive undertaking as so many live in poverty now. Within an equal money society the need to all populate together in cities (to find employment) will not be as great (eventually disappear) as smaller self sufficient communities will be set up. ‘Community participation will be the most common form of any kind of development: the community will assist when a new house needs to be built, when a road needs to be repaired and so on. Professions will change from being specialized skills to universal skills, with each person having an understanding of how to construct a shelter suited to the particular area they are in (this will be learned by each person in their basic Education). There will be some people who will choose to focus their learning on things such as construction or engineering who will be available as additional support.  Al done with the understanding that what is good for the community as a whole is good for each member. Each community member is interdependent on every other member to the benefit of all.  DIY (with the help of your neighbours) will become the norm since each person will be able to build their own furniture, fix their own appliances, put up their own fences, install their own irrigation…Education will play a major role in the self-sufficiency of this housing concept, so the government will need to send trainers to teach communities how to build in the initial stages. Land will not be “owned” by anyone or anything – it will simply be cared for. Any disputes regarding usage that may arise will be settled in a community meeting where the most practical solution will be found and agreed upon by all the members.’   For more details go here:   http://equalmoney.org/wiki/Housing

Unemployment and Low Income:   ‘One of the current problems is unemployment. Employment is the means through which each one acquires the means with which to sustain themselves – as, in return for one’s contribution, one receives an income. Therefore – full employment is not a negotiable subject – because if one is not employed, one loses all means of supporting oneself.  At the moment – capital is referred to as intermediary goods – such as machinery and warehouses. Within Equal Money Capitalism – capital will refer to Life and include resources and people. Therefore – to value capital, means to value Life – and thus, all capital and all Life should be valued equally. For this – full employment is again a necessity…’  Read more:  http://economistjourneytolife.blogspot.com/2012/12/day-162-equal-money-capitalism-way.html#.UW2UAMoSQzA

High Medical Costs:  ‘Equal Money implies that everyone has the same right to life and that everyone bears equal value as life. Within an Equal Money System Health Care will be available for all equally. No person will get more Health care than another. Each person will submit a request based on their medicinal and health care requirements, which will then be produced for each on a monthly basis. How this impacts within the health industry is that the health industry will submit that which it requires on a monthly basis and it is restocked on a monthly basis. Thus as an individual, when you go to the hospital / clinic, what you require to maintain your health is already available – which you will be provided with…’   Read more:  http://equalmoney.org/wiki/Health_Care

Drugs and Alcoholism:  ‘... Once the facts and effects of alcohol are researched thoroughly and are known to all we will all agree on the decision that alcohol should be outlawed. This is an act of intervention/prevention that is best for all rather than deliberate promotion of abuse based on profit as is in the current economic system. In an EM society people who have developed addiction problems will be assisted immediately and effectively. Eventually technology will allow one’s DNA to be read and according to the output of a person’s DNA the person’s physical-chemical-psychological condition can be detected. Thus if there is an addiction problem it will be reflected on the output of the reading signal of DNA. The person can thus receive immediate assistance and support from necessary professionals at early stages of developing such a problem. There will be also a lot of changes with regards to psychology and psychiatry. In the current system psychology and psychiatry are driven by the motive of making money from the patients and thus the patients’ problems are deliberately not cured actually so that they can continue to be exploited. In the EMS such things cannot be tolerated. Research being done will be focused on discovering the actual reasons for human being’s dysfunctional problems and find real effective practical solutions.’    Read More:  http://equalmoney.org/wiki/Health_Care#How_will_Addiction_be_dealt_with?

“A Few Points about Equal Money Capitalism, just to Wet your Appetite:

– It will Bring an End to All Debt in the World

– Property Ownership will be a Basic Human Right

– Healthcare will be a Basic Human Right

– Happiness will be a Basic Human Right

– Employment will be a Basic Human Right

– Education will be a Basic Human Right

– Freedom of Choice will be a Basic Human Right

This is But a Few of the Results of the Law of “Giving as you would like to Receive”, Embodied in Capitalism that is Based On Equal Rights for Every Human Being on Earth.

Every Human Being Claim ‘the Right to Life’, yet there is no Protection of this Right – unless you, in the Current Capitalism, have the Benefit of Money; this Equal Money Capitalism (EMC), will Prevent. What will also be Prevented, is War. As War is Profit-Driven.

It is Time for a New World System. One Based on Prevention, instead of Reaction. One Based on Honouring the Right of Life, Equally for All.

Join the Journey to Life, and Become Part of a Solution.” ~ Bernard Poolman

Check out the Desteni I Process Lite –
a FREE course that will assist humanity to end the disaster of a dysfunctional consciousness.

We dropped onto the retail mall’s parking lot from a silent anti-grav paratroop plane. My commanding officer hit the pavement first, then waved up at me, and I followed. The fall was eighty feet, and we had no chutes, but we were cyborgs, so the landing did us no damage. The tarmac got some dents in it, though. I wondered why they’d gone to the trouble of delivering us in an expensive, silent craft when we were going to land with loud thumps.

My C.O. turned to me and said, “Ready?” I nodded. We headed for an open-air section of the mall, where a platoon of cyborgs awaited us.

Recently I’d finished a tour of duty in the Asteroid Belt, where I’d won multiple battle ribbons and medals as a regular human grunt and sniper. I was planning to muster out and go back to school when I received a request from High Command to re-enlist on special assignment. There was a mole in a company of robotically enhanced humans where no normal person would be assigned. They wanted me altered mechanically and genetically, becoming a semi-machine like my quarry, so I could infiltrate the company. I was a famous war hero — what was I going to say, No?

So the deed was done. First, my face was altered (to hide the well-known mug). Then bones were replaced with high-impact ceramo-steel, my neural network with a much faster material, and large parts of my brain with quantum microchips. Most of my internal organs got replaced while muscles were genetically enhanced. I still looked like an ordinary human, but wow! I could fight like a superhero. And now here I was, carrying out my cyborgian task.

We worked our way through the rubble from recent fighting. Shopkeepers and patrons had evacuated a week earlier when the front reached this neighborhood. Enemy soldiers had been cleaned out only yesterday. My commander switched on his helmet com-link and muttered to me, “Remember, you’re my adjutant.” Like I’d forget? I still wasn’t used to the overly thorough redundancies in the thinking patterns of cyborg soldiers. I answered, “Yes, sir.”

On the bottom floor we found the empty store space where the platoon was bivouacked. The space had been unused since the war began: most commercial real estate activity had, of course, long since ground to a halt, and empties had stayed empty. Which was just as well for the platoon of cyborgs, who had a nice cozy stall where they now leaned against dusty synthetic drywall or stood in corners on bare supercrete. A few were drinking the strange blue fluid that passed for army nutrition among the partially mechanized.

On seeing my C.O., the troops jumped to attention. “At ease,” he ordered. He handed me his rifle and walked over to their lieutenant. I set down weapons and backpack and followed him, discreetly taking stock of the soldiers around me. Half my mind listened in on the officers’ conversation while the other half checked off names and faces of the platoon against the list I’d memorized back at High Command. I knew already that my quarry was in this room. The trick was to strike first without getting myself killed.

My C.O. gathered the men in the center of the room and instructed them on tactics for the next phase of the sweep, which would take place tomorrow near the town’s civic center. He gave the orders, then repeated them. (It’s that cyborg OCD thing again.) He said recent hiccups in strategy had forced changes in plans, and the platoon would be stationed in this region longer than expected, and that all leave had been canceled. The soldiers groaned. I knew, however, that this information wasn’t exactly true; it was, instead, a coded message to me, saying that the coast was clear and my hunt was a go.

The C.O. left shortly thereafter. I was on my own.

There wasn’t much for the platoon to do until tomorrow. A squad moved out into the mall, searching for a few minor supplies they could requisition (which is to say, steal). The rest napped or chatted. Or they played games with other platoon members, using the heads-up displays that shimmered in front of their computerized eyes.

I sat against a wall and pretended to nod off while trying to overhear nearby conversations. After a few minutes, someone kicked my foot. I acted sleepily startled, then looked up. It was a young woman — I recognized her as Lance Corporal Anya Sanchez — and she said, “Why aren’t you with your C-O?”

I stretched, stood, and looked down at the nametag on her shirt, pretending to learn her name. “Well, Sanchez, he told me to hang out with you guys until he calls for me. Apparently he doesn’t need my services at the moment.” I frowned, as if I regretted being stuck with the grunts.

Sanchez punched my shoulder. “Hey, we’re not a bad bunch.” She winked, swiveled, and sashayed away.

She was flirting with me!

I called after her: “And not a bad ass, either.” The other soldiers looked up. She stopped, bent over until her head touched her legs, looked at me upside-down from between her ankles, and stuck out her tongue. Everyone laughed. I’d just been mooned by a cyborg.

I pointed at her rear and said, “I rest my case.” They all laughed again. I was in.

The remainder of the afternoon was uneventful. In the evening, squads made routine sweeps of the mall and surrounding streets. All was calm, save for the distant sounds of rocket fire, blasts from laser hits, and the boom of old-fashioned artillery. The enemy was in retreat; we were now somewhat behind the front lines. That would change soon enough. For me, at least.

My C.O. radioed orders to the platoon’s lieutenant to keep me for the next couple of days. I overheard the lieutenant joking with his sergeant that my C.O. had told him I was still pretty green and needed more combat experience, but “we should be gentle with him.” Hah-hah. Still, it enhanced my somewhat shaky cover — after all, why would an adjutant be left behind?

Nighttime for cyborgs can get pretty boring, as we don’t need more than two or three hours’ sleep. Still, we managed, and finally dawn came and everyone packed up — double-checking equipment and instructions like good, obsessive cyborgs — and headed out. Upstairs on the main parking level, a couple of troop carriers stood waiting. We moved toward them.

An agitated young private ran forward and spoke urgently to the lieutenant and sergeant. The sergeant held up his hand; we stopped and waited. The private led the lieutenant back down the line of troops, the sergeant following, until they stopped in front of me. The private pointed at me. “Him.”

The sergent told me, “Step out.”

I moved out of line and stood at attention.

The lieutenant said, “Private Rau seems to think you’re a spy. Claims he heard you talking in your sleep about betrayal and ‘termination with prejudice’ and stuff like that. What do you have to say?”

My jaw dropped. I looked astonished. (I was astonished. This was an unexpected turn of events. But then, war is messy.) I said, “What the hell is he talking about?”

“He tells me you gave details about our squads and you went on about being a traitor, or something.” He turned to look at the private. The private nodded.

Damn. I still didn’t have good control over my enhanced neurology. Apparently I’d leaked info while I was snoozing. But somehow this whole thing might play into my hands. I said, “I think I can explain. Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Go ahead.”

“Well.” I dropped my pack, set down my rifle, and aimed my attention at the private. “Do you know the story of the ancient warriors of Mexico?” He shook his head. I said, “A warrior, before going into a battle he would likely lose, would sing his warrior’s song. In it were the collected stories of his life in combat. If he were older, the song would last longer. When it was done, he’d lunge immediately into the fray, fighting to the death.”

Everyone in the platoon was rivited. The lieutenant, frowning, looked puzzled. The sergeant seemed interested. The private appeared completely lost.

I pressed on. “Is your song ready? Today you may have to fight to the death. Will your song tell of your valor?” As I asked this, I poked his chest repeatedly, as if making my point. In fact, I was touching access dots on his neural array, coding subconscious instructions into him. I repeated my questions, under cover of cyborg OCD, but I was merely giving myself time to finish recoding him.

I stepped back. “I sure hope so, kid. Because I just sang my song.” I pulled out a laser pistol and shot the lieutenant through the eye.

He fell back stiffly and lay on the ground like a broken mannequin. Cyborgs die in a different way than humans: dead people look like empty sacks, while the mechanically enhanced seem like dolls tossed aside.

The sergeant, shocked, raised his rifle to fire at me. But the private, on auto-pilot, lunged at him, knocking him down.

I ran. As fast as I could.

I heard weapons fire and the foosteps of pursuers. Energy pulses zipped past me, making the air shriek. I darted this way and that, trying to spoil the soldiers’ aim. I was enhanced for speed, for just this situation, but I sure hoped their com-links would would transmit my C.O.’s order to stand down before one of their shots found me.

Idly I thought: If I get out of this alive, maybe I can meet up with Corporal Sanchez. I’d sure like to see that pose of hers again.

.

(Read full article at: http://www.cinequipt.com/news.aspx) 

Mole-Richardson Company

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Tel: (323) 851-0111 Fax: (323) 851-5593

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Homeless ‘mole people’, discovered in underground tunnels and shanty homes living in squalor, in Kansas City Missouri are evicted. I say this is the problem and not the people themselves because, they are human beings and not ‘an eye soar’ a ‘difficult situation’.  We have become a society/world that places the value of money above the value of life, all living beings-SO THAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306113/Kansas-City-homeless-city-Group-living-underground-crude-camps.html

In the comments section below the article you find many interesting perspectives, one person states the ‘mole people’  are there because of their own poor choices in life, and that there are many ways out if they are willing to make the positive changes that are necessary. Wish this were true, but it is extremely naive and misguided  for several reasons.  Unfortunately for most, it is just too late. In an article from Buzzle  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/homelessness-in-the-united-states.html the author states the main causes of  homelessness as: High Cost of Housing, Unemployment and Low Income, High Medical Costs, Drugs and Alcoholism, Lesser Government Assistance.  Yes, but let’s look at WHY-the root cause of each of these issues so we stop using a band aid approach OR CHARITY to solve them and create a new system that is based on equality as a  lasting and effective solution!  The problem of homelessness is not mysterious and can be solved quite simply (not easily or quickly, it would be a process over many years to completely eradicate),  if not for the GREED AND SELF-INTEREST  accepted within the current economic model, which prevents a permanent solution.

IT IS PATHETICALLY SIMPLE, THE HOMELESS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR RENT OR A MORTGAGE

High Cost of Housing:  Why does this issue exist?  Because within free market capitalism, it is apparently cool to look after number 1, you and your family come first and the accepted game is to  accumulate as much profit as you are able within your lifetime, therefore, the house/rental costs are what the market can bear, which is great if you have money and if you don’t IT’S NOT MY PROBLEM.

Unemployment and Low Income: Why does this issue exist?  Because the government of the U.S. and ALL supposed first world nations do not share the wealth! As living costs rise, the vulnerable and middle class are not considered in the equation, therefore, income does not rise to meet what is required to afford housing.  This creates a burden on the majority of the population to pay basic expenses, which places stresses and pressures to keep up in an environment of competition versus cooperation. The snowball effect results in increased sickness, addiction, divorce, child abuse to name a few.  As well, employment for all is not considered a priority over profit resulting in the accepted practices of laying off workers when machines- or hiring even cheaper labor- can do the job. So the divide between the rich and poor gets ever greater and continues in a downward spiral with no practical solution in sight.

High Medical Costs:  Why does this issue exist?  Because the government protects the powerful pharmaceutical corporations, keeping their prices to doctors/hospitals/consumers high,  and in turn these drug companies continue to support the relevant party with donations and help them remain in office. Those that have the power have the money, they are in ‘bed together’ and do not want to share.  As well, the government does not adequately support the hospitals with enough financial assistance  so medical staff is underpaid and overworked, there are equipment shortages and basically not enough funds to run the hospital and this translates into higher fees for the patient. The government once again can ‘keep their costs down’ by getting away with health care spending cuts.

Drugs and Alcoholism:  Why does this issue exist?  Because parents are not adequately educated how to raise a child who understands how to care for themselves, how the mind operates, how to live as the words they speak within integrity-because the parents themselves were taught,  ‘get what you can, it’s a dog eat dog world’ a life lesson with fear as it’s foundation.  So it is the starting point of the parent teaching the child to do whatever they can to survive, which does not consider the rest of society/humanity to be as important/one with them. This fear creates all sorts of demons within a person and the focus is not on self care-as you are one with your world and environment-but you are in opposition to /with it.  Therefore a person reaches for a drug to give temporary relief to the mind which is existing in/as fear.

Lesser Government Assistance:  Why does this issue exist?  Because the government wants to reduce cost/expenses to reduce it’s deficit, so replacing one problem for another and allowing a downward spiral by cutting funds to programs for the ‘vulnerable’ ones who need assistance.   Do the  government look in common sense and say, ‘Ok our salaries are on average $50K and these people have $0 or let us impose an immediate tax on those that have an income or assets over 2 million dollars, so let us distribute some MONEY/equalize this equation so they can purchase a home?’  NOPE. And we are allowing this by our compliance.  How about ‘let us build houses and give them to the homeless and use  money from the military budget to accomplish this?’  No again, why are these questions considered  silly/unrealistic/naive? Shouldn’t decent, safe and enjoyable shelter be a basic human right? Isn’t that what a government should be for , to serve and protect ALL of it’s citizens?  

A few more points, one, it is mentioned in the article that the ‘mole people’ will be assisted with shelter needs, but they obviously do not want much to do with the shelters (perhaps some do) as they had seen that offer and found it so inadequate they went to the extreme of digging underground tunnels  for themselves and their families!  And two, superficiality has replaced compassion and decency, within our societies to such an extreme that we prefer to not look at something that is ‘ugly’ ‘dirty’. Understanding the reporter needs to present his article in a sensational way so to attract the reader, the reporter uses words and phrases like, ‘dirty diapers found’ and ‘candles and old filthy mattresses’ to stir up images of ignorance and a haphazard attitude. However, one needs to eat and sleep therefore garbage is created, sometimes you put it in bags and animals rip open the bags, it is difficult to transfer to a garbage dump if you do not have a vehicle to do so, the earth is soil/dirt so obviously items will get ‘dirty’, this doesn’t mean you love your family less-they don’t have the money to simply pop something into the wash and dryer in common sense, if one has no flashlight as it was too expensive and one has a candle then you are going to ‘make due’ for that night and use what is available, sure its dangerous and irresponsible but you do what you have to that night to survive.

To continue with SOLUTIONS in the next post

“A Few Points about Equal Money Capitalism, just to Wet your Appetite:

– It will Bring an End to All Debt in the World

– Property Ownership will be a Basic Human Right

– Healthcare will be a Basic Human Right

– Happiness will be a Basic Human Right

– Employment will be a Basic Human Right

– Education will be a Basic Human Right

– Freedom of Choice will be a Basic Human Right

This is But a Few of the Results of the Law of “Giving as you would like to Receive”, Embodied in Capitalism that is Based On Equal Rights for Every Human Being on Earth.

Every Human Being Claim ‘the Right to Life’, yet there is no Protection of this Right – unless you, in the Current Capitalism, have the Benefit of Money; this Equal Money Capitalism (EMC), will Prevent. What will also be Prevented, is War. As War is Profit-Driven.

It is Time for a New World System. One Based on Prevention, instead of Reaction. One Based on Honouring the Right of Life, Equally for All.

Join the Journey to Life, and Become Part of a Solution.” ~ Bernard Poolman

Check out the Desteni I Process Lite –
a FREE course that will assist humanity to end the disaster of a dysfunctional consciousness.

Whack-A-Mole bento

I used pandan bread and cocktail sausages for this, with nori facial details. The hammer is made out of hardboiled egg decorated with sprinkles.

Check out my favourite moles in this:

Whack-A-Mole bento

This one has spaghetti picks decorated with sprinkles which I stuck on with a dab of Nutella.

And check out the bespectacled mole below with his hair swept to one side:

Whack-A-Mole bento

byronkut: Just stopped by the mole richardson booth at NAB. Brand new line of LED fresnel lights #nabmoleled@molerichardson@studiodepot

mhsar: The new Mole Richardson LED #NABMoleLED#NABShow#NABShow2013

silliscope: #nabmoleled #nabshow you don’t even know how cool she is….

mightypolaroid: #nabmoleled x me

jeffbutcher: After seeing LEDs try and come short for years, this is the first I’ve seen done right!@molerichardson #nab#nabshow #mole#molerichardson #baby#led #fresnel #lighting#cinematography

From everyone at Mole. Thank you for sharing.