Materials Needed
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* 2 pieces of 8” by 45” wide fabric (or 16” of fabric that is less then 40” wide - This fabric needs to be tightly woven. Preshrinking cottons and cotton blends will usually shrink the fibers and increase the fabric density.
* Thread
* Play sand or kitty litter to fill the snake
* Optional decorative materials
o A scrap of red felt for a tongue
o 2 buttons or wiggly eyes
Directions
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* Cut your fabrics to measure 8” by 41”
* Stack the two fabrics. You will work both layers of fabric as one. If you are new to sewing, it will be easier if you baste both pieces together ¼” from the raw edges.
* Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, to form a 4” by 41” tube.
* Optional - If you will be adding a tongue. Place a piece of fabric cut to the diagram shape (2½” by ½”) into an end seam, so that the forked end of the tongue is inside the snake and the square end is in the seam allowance.
tongue
You may also want to round off the ends of your snake as shown in the diagram.
ends
* Using a very short machine stitch, sew 1/2” seams on two of the raw edges, leaving one 4” end open.
* Repeat your stitching using 1/4” seams. This helps prevent leakage of the stuffing materials.
* Turn snake right sides out. Use a yard stick to push all corners out and smooth
* Pour kitty litter or play sand into snake, leaving 1” from your unsewn end empty.
* Turn in 1/2” of raw edges on end. Top stitch this seam closed or slip stitch using very small stitches and repeating to prevent any leakage.
So there’s nothing wrong with interpreting Buddhism from a particular cultural standpoint. But to assume that your interpretation, because it’s not bogged down by (Asian) cultural baggage, is somehow better than what’s come before is the height of arrogance (and, frankly, insulting).
All Buddhists are modern Buddhists if for no other reason than the fact that we all live in the modern world and, therefore, need to deal with a similar set of modern crises. (Do you really think Asian Buddhists are all still living in Ming Dynasty China?)
All Buddhists are in the process of reinterpreting their traditions, making deliberate and creative changes to the doctrines and practices in order to help them make sense of these troubled times.
The problem is when you make the claim that your Buddhism is more “authentic” than someone else’s Buddhism (because, ahem, that’s the very definition of fundamentalism), and then take that added step of claiming that your Buddhism is more “authentic” precisely because it is not the Buddhism of some “other” Buddhist.
When you make that claim, you are not only defining yourself, you are defining the “other” and, like I said at the start, no one likes that. So knock it off.
where infrastructure investments should go for preparing for natural disasters
Ideas on where the money should go:
For reconstruction, high-end materials that can absorb seismic shocks were used to reduce the risk of sudden collapse…
The hospital now has backup power and water systems and special designs and devices to ensure that critical medical facilities remain functional after a major earthquake, Hsieh said, adding that the hospital has prioritized disaster emergency training with its medical and paramedical staff because a community-based hospital must be able to offer first-aid treatment after major disasters.
A communication network with other healthcare providers in the area has also been developed so that a strong support system is in place in the event of a disaster, Hsieh said.
Ideas from:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2009/09/21/2003454086
¼ cup of pure aloe vera gel ¼ cup of grain alcohol 5 drops of tea tree essential oil. 5 drops of your favorite fragrance oil (optional) Mix all ingredients together and transfer to a small, portable container. Via EcoSalon Image via TLC
photo 1, i like the red artwork, I feel like it should be easy to replicate using paint and glue/nails, and wood.
photo 2, like the skylight in the bed room
photo 3, i like the bold use of black and use of subtle pop art desgin
Reasons to invest in reducing poverty in the most poverty striken areas in the world
1. Public health matters to all countries
AIDS, H1N1, avian flu, and SARS have made it clear that diseases can travel anywhere. Viruses are uneffected by borderlines and can easily permeate through different populations at a rapid pace.
Increasing the basic health standards of all countries increases wellbeing for all people.
2. More economic prosperity
International trade is not a zero sum formula. By improving economies around the world, more markets are being opened and income levels rise along with it.
3. More competition, more innovations
More markets mean more competition and more incentives for creating innovative products, services and ideas. Markets once considered too small may be feasible.
4. Stable economies promote peace
If countries are stable and entrenched in the global market, there are more incentives for peace. With more stakes on the table, countries may act more predictable and with more rationality.
5. A surprising amount of money is already used for military matters, natural disaster relief, and catastrophes, but not for poverty reducing measures.
Relief from poverty involves better access to education, health care, and commerce. If countries can concentrate on improving internal infrastructure, natural disasters would not create as much damage.
If countries are more interested in peace and prosperity, less money can be spent on military matters.
let you play tennis against the in-laws. You can surf the web with the recently-made-free Opera browser, and once that’s installed, a free Orb software package lets you use your Wii as a media center. These days, opening your Wii to the Homebrew channel doesn’t even require the purchase of an (admittedly great) Twilight Princess game and extensive hacking, and once that’s done, you can back up and load games from a hard drive, play old-school games in an emulator, and much more.
“Basically, protests are one thing, and they do make a point on the rare occasion that the right people are listening. But contrary to popular belief, Hollywood isn’t out to discriminate… nor is it out to make sure everyone is treated fairly. Hollywood is out to make a shitload of money. The end.
….
As Phil points out, we’re more than willing to speak out when we see something that offends us… but until our community is willing to put down our money to support the work of Asian American filmmakers, nothing will change…”
