Enjoy some art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an exhibit of Van Gogh's drawings currently on their website. Since I came across it and discovered that non-profit websites can include pictures from the Met with a credit to the museum, I thought I'd post my favourite piece here. To see the larger exhibit piece, go to their website. This one is called Cypresses and is from 1889.

The more I learn about art and mental illness, the more interested I have become in Vincent Van Gogh. I have to wonder, would medicine that we have today have saved him? Would it have let his art continue? Or would it have stifled the creative genius? I don't know. But we're left with these works of art that show a unique way of looking at the world. I find this one both disturbing and uplifting. The cypresses seem to be some sort of Lovecraftian monster striding along, but the sky, grass, and mountains seem to dance with life and vitality. What do you think?

Fruit of my labours

A compilation of sites offering free or very cheap stock photos...perfect if you're an artist needing material, have a private, non-commercial website, or are an educator looking for free to cheap materials for class. :) Check them out. Some are really quite good.

Free
http://www.cepolina.com/freephoto/
http://www.bigfoto.com/
http://www.freeimages.co.uk/
http://freestockphotos.com/
http://www.imageafter.com/
http://sxc.hu/browse.phtml
http://www.morguefile.com/
http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp (free for private non-commercial use; educational licence is fairly cheap, like $30 a photo)
http://geekphilosopher.com/MainPage/photos.htm
http://geekphilosopher.com/MainPage/bkgLinksPhotos.htm (a list of lots of free image sites)
http://aarinfreephoto.com/
http://www.ironorchid.com/clipart/index.htm
http://www.ironorchid.com/clipart/persons/index.htm (famous people, composers, artists, etc.)
http://www.picturestation.net/start/ (this gives download credit for every picture you upload)
http://pdphoto.org/

$1-$3
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/
http://www.dreamstime.com/
http://www.istockphoto.com/

On the Futility of Dieting

Another Medscape article (free with registration) on how dieting alone doesn't really cut it, and we have to look at the bigger equation in working to limit obesity.

FDA Warns of Inadvertent Unit Switching on Blood Glucose Meters

According to this article on Medscape (free with registration), glucometres made by Abbott Diabetes Care may inadvertently switch between the American mg/dL and the international mmol/L, causing users to adjust their insulin incorrectly. This includes FreeStyle, FreeStyle Flash, FreeStyle Tracker, Precision Xtra, MediSense, Sof-Tact, Precision Sof-Tact, MediSense, Optium, and private label brands ReliOn Ultima, Rite Aid, and Kroger blood glucose metres. Those outside the US include Xceed, Liberty, Boots, Xtra Classic, Easy, and SofTrac devices.

I use One-Touch Ultra, which isn't included in this, but I thought I'd pass this along to others with diabetes who might use another metre.

I feel better today

I did sleep a little, but I also wrote 1,043 words into the 50,000 for NaNoWriMo. I'm happy with it so far. You can find it on my writing blog. I keep trying this, I know. Last year it was interrrupted by carpal tunnel surgery. I'm doing very much better with my hands (I can feel my fingers, for one, but my dexterity and strength is loads better. I sometimes forget and do things like fill up the dog water bowl glass by glass, though. Old habits are hard to break.) It's hard to believe how crippled I had become before the surgery; now I type happily. So, here's another attempt to reach that magic number for writing a novel in a month.

As for yesterday, maybe I just needed a night to think. One of the things I decided is that I have to find a third job. See, I'd planned on doing the telefund thing for KET again this fall, but that fell through (they're going with a vendor this year), so if I want some extra money to catch up before the end of the year, I'll have to find something else. If any of you know of something in the Lexington area that I could do in the evenings, let me know. I'm thinking Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday might be good, and it would work with the other job schedules.

The weather is beautiful, so why do I feel crappy?

I should feel good--it's sunny and warm, with ladybugs and birds galore in the sky, but I've felt a little non-social and depressed all day. Now I'm going to go on home and see if I can get some writing done, or at least do something other than just falling asleep early like I've done the past two nights. I know part of it is that I accidentally upset a friend who thought we'd made plans for last night. It was a miscommunication, one of many, and my fault. I apologised, but things still aren't right.

Otherwise I'm doing okay. I'm a little concerned about finances; I should be okay by the 15th but I was hoping to have that paycheque for something else and to get my rent in by the 10th. But I realised I miscalculated something when putting money away towards the rent. Thank goodness for two paycheques, though. I am mildly disappointed that I can't get anything at the book fair that's coming to both places of work, one on Wednesday, and one on the 15th. If I can get back to KET from a doctor's appointment in time, though, I can give blood at the bloodmobile, since I couldn't donate last time it came to the hospital because it hadn't been long enough since the last donation. That's something, I guess.

I've been researching free stock photo sites and have found quite a few. I'm thinking about putting my name back into the Exquisite Corpse pool now that I have some art to play with.

Well, that's all for today. I'm about 80 books from my final check of the main catalogue. I've gone through 800 records in two days, and catalogued an additional 70 books. I've been VERY focussed (thanks to ADDerall) and I've gotten a lot accomplished, even feeling a little off today, so that's good, right?

I think I'll go home, get something to eat, watch the evening news, and spend some time cuddling with my dog and cat. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Sometimes disasters bring us together

Invisible line divides Kashmir quake troops

I realise I never commented on the October 8th massive quake that hit Asia. I never meant to ignore it, I was just left speechless by the enormity, and I didn't get a lot of news about it, since I don't have access to 24/7 cable news.

I'm glad that the quake has brought together (at least partly) people in Kashmir who are normally quite belligerent with one another. My thoughts and prayers go with the victims of the quake and with those trying to rebuild.

I can't decide if we just seem to be having more widespread natural disasters of if we just learn more about it with instant news. What do you think?

Scary windstorms

ABC News: Deadly Tornado Tears Through Kentucky, Indiana

We had thunderstorms that night, but nothing like this in Lexington. My thoughts and prayers are with the families affected.

It's beautiful weather outside

warm and breezy with a deep blue sky that you only find in autumn, with the trees in various shades of yellow, orange, and red.

And it's Friday, yay! So I'm heading out for some errands and the weekend. Hope you have a good one. :)

A nifty caricature site

Make Your Own Caricature Generator. Her general site has a lot of caricatures of famous people, too. Be sure to check it out; it's fun.