Hope in Fresno

Freecycling has become a national movement in the last six months I've been a member of my local group. Look up the one for your area at freecycling.com: it's a great way to pass along items you don't need. I just gave away two bags of winter clothes and some household items to a friend of a woman who lost everything in a fire. Giving away things and clearing out closets is so much fun, do it!

This painting is from one of the holiday cards I received this year. It's called "Capitán América vela por nosotros" (Captain America watches over us), and it's by Puerto Rican artist María Dolores Rodríguez. It's an homage to those traditional votive painting thanking a particular saint such as the Virgin of Guadalupe. The translation of the inscription is "Thanks to the vigilante Captain America our party has peace and harmony". It's nice to think of a superhero watching over us like a patron saint!

Should we call him Judas instead of Jesus now?!

Knitters like me often end up with items that didn't really work out. These women have come up with a solution -- knitted graffiti! Here are some photos of their "tagging". Looks like a way to use up odd bits of yarn left over from various projects too!

Yet another brush with showbiz: my husband, who works at the local library, met the screenwriter for the a forthcoming Tiny Tim biopic, with Jeff Goldblum signed to star as the eccentric singer. This afternoon, we made her a CD of our copy of "God Bless Tiny Tim" -- maybe we'll get a screen credit!

From Ray's brother Rich, who emailed me after in response to a comment I left in another blog:

I have tried to persuade Ray to get a legitimate fan site going. He wants me to do it, but I don't work for free. I recently found out that my neighbor loves the show, but can't stand Ray. I figured if I could manage to get a simple email address going - he could get a feel for who his fan base is.

Consider this Ray's unofficial fan site!

Email Ray at loveorhateray@yahoo.com

Fresno in fall -- almost as good as Vermont!

I am a A Copper Dragon!

Hey, I took the http://dragonhame.com online Inner Dragon quiz and found out I am a Copper Dragon on the inside.

In the war between good and evil, Copper Dragons take the side of the noble and good....
When it comes to the powers of Chaos vs. those of Law and Order, your inner dragon walks a fine line between Law and Chaos....
As far as magical tendancies, Magical spells come as natural to the Copper Dragon as breathe from it's body....
During combat situations, whether by spells or by claw, your inner dragon will do whatever it takes to get the job done....
Copper Dragons make their homes on wooded hillsides, preferably close to a spring or river. They are fond of the Irish and typically speak with a soft Irish accent.'
At birth, the Copper Dragon's body is covered in semi-reflective copper scales. As the dragon matures into it's young adult stages these scales become more polished and highly reflective.'
As the dragon grows older and moves to the elder stages of life, it's scales begin to tarnish and mature into a bright greenish brown color. Copper dragons spend little time among humans, but can be often found among the elves and other magical folk.
'
This Dragons favorite elements are: Copper, Emeralds, and Laughter

http://Dragonhame.Com

You scored as Paganism. Your beliefs are most closely aligned with those of paganism, Wicca, or a similar earth-based religion. You may also follow a Native American religion. Paganism 58% Buddhism 50% Islam 50% Hinduism 46% agnosticism 42% Satanism 38% Christianity 33% Judaism 21% atheism 13% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 8 out of 10 correct!

It's Friday, which means it's time for another edition of World Sounds! Tune in at 9pm PST to 90.7FM -- or if you are not in Fresno click on the link above to hear our live internet feed.

As this photo shows, my cat Yoshimi doesn't quite know what to make of my neighbor's dog Lily. Wow, a dog that is half my size! Lily is still a puppy, but because she is a chihuahua and terrier mix, she won't get much bigger.