Month: February 2007

You think that a short walk to the store would be easy. Not! First my awareness of the “un-safe environment” where I habitat is reinforced by the bars that surround our complex and the lock on the pedestrian gate. The gate slams loudly after I walk through it. I noise that I am all too familiar with because my townhouse is situated such that every single time anyone exits it I hear it’s loud and annoying slam. Yes, every drug dealer, every mother taking her children to the bus stop, every kid, every single person that walks out the complex treats us to its pronouncement – clang!

Moving down the sidewalk inevitably somebody will take the corner to fast treating me to the screech of tires trying to hold the road. Sometimes they can not and the vehicle crashes through the fence. Most of them take off running – with or without their vehicle.

Moving along I notice a group of young gang clad youths. I take care not to look up as I pass keeping my eyes down toward the sidewalk. Later I glance up to see if any new tagging has been placed in the usual spots.

When I make it to the store I notice another group of people that do not bestow an air of confidence or trustworthiness. Judgmental I know, but, it is a survival instinct that can not be ignored. Just think, how long this trip might be if I lived in a really bad neighborhood where there are more shootings, robberies, and murders listed on the Sac. Police crime map.

I become self conscience because I have my camera – I would show you some new photos but- I wanted to keep my camera for my next trip – by car.

I head home to get my truck and maybe – make it into a store.

Flickr Photo Sharing

The first part of this year as been a bitter sweet one with friends losing their daughter to a stupid radio game and On Valentines Day with the Rev. Archie Simms moveing on to better accommodations. My blog and Photos were linked to by Scobel and others that attended the Railroad Photowalk sending my blog stats soaring. I met some really nice people on the walk that I still communicate with now via email and Flickr. I have come in contact with some really nice people because of this blog. So, all ye doubter’s of blogs – you just don’t get it. And that is OK. Because: sometimes I do not either.

Drumsnwhisltes is on a mission! A mission to get the word out about the injustice that has befallen Julie Amero and I am telling your right now that Drums backsup her words with action!

There are those who take the time each and every day to blog about what is important to them in the political arena. And those who send me countless political emails! Then there are those who offer up help and share their knowledge via blogging or in person. Gasp! Yes there is a physical world outside of cyberspace! 🙂

You may be asking yourself at this very moment what is Bacillus pasteurii? If you were not you should be. It may soon be an important component in the reduction of earthquake damage due to soil liguefaction. As any homegrown Californian should know soil liquefaction occurs when particles in saturated soil get all shook up during an earthquake, the pressure of the water in the soil increases and the particles start to do the boogie woogie. The soils strength to hold up the foundation of a building decreases and the structure can go cah-boom. Not a good thing.

Now you might just be wondering what does this have to do with this Bacillus pasteurii whatever it is. The microbe Bacillus paseurii causes calcium carbonate to be deposited around sand grains, cementing them together – making sandstone – that stuff we learned about in High School geology. So what?

First consider that our civil engineers have been using chemical concoctions to stick the soil particles together trying to keep structures from falling boom boom. A toxic solution to a natural phenomenon- earthquakes. Plus if it all works out the microbes with a bit of food and air can be injected after construction . A nature based solution – kind of cool if you ask me. But then again, you did not.