Flickr Update

More photos added to the Flickr site. Pics from the State Fair, Tom's birthday and me and Kim's trek to the Trinity Audubon Center.

Another Kiva Loan

This past weekend I made my fourth microloan through the microlending site Kiva. I've blogged in the past about Kiva and how microloans can really make the difference in elevating someone from poverty in a third-world nation to the middle class. My part of the loan only amounts to $25. I've always had the money credited back to my account when the loan has been repaid. So I've only given $25 one time and yet have been able to provide four loans.

You can check out the profile of my current borrower here. Her name is Inoyat Ayubova. She runs a clothing sales business in Tajikistan.

Hiking along the Trinity

Saturday, Kimberly and I went to the Trinity River Audubon Center for naturefest 2010. Naturefest gives free admittance to the center and provides how-to lessons on everything from kayaking, canoeing, making your own beehive, building rainbarrels and on and on. Free stuff is given away (we snagged a free live oak sapling).

But the best part is the hiking. We got to hike all over the 150 acre site. The Trinity River Audubon Center opened two years ago as a way to transform a wetland eight miles south of downtown Dallas from an illegal dump site back to it's native state. And the result is amazing.

The center itself is a stunning piece of modern architecture that is also 100% LEED certified according to strict environmental sustainability standards. There are a ton of great exhibits for both adults and kids about the flora, fauna and animal life of the area around the Trinity River. There's miles of hiking trails. The trails wind through wetlands, ponds, the banks of the Trinity River and prairie land. The scenery is fantastic.

Austin usually gets all the outdoor awards from the nature mags but this place helps place Dallas right there in the conversation for outdoor activities. And it was very easy to get to. If you live around DFW you should definitely check it out.

Dancing to Weezer

Jackson dancing to Weezer.

Sad Keanu

Our last post of Keanu dogsledding after a BP toddler reminded me of the internet frenzy caused by this photo of Keanu sitting on a bench eating a sandwich. The blogosphere went crazy with speculation on why Keanu was so sad. This pic, btw, is not photoshopped. Entire blogs and websites were created to debate why Reeves looked so depressed and to offer the encouragment. Just another example of how strangely the internet has affected our national discourse.

Get Her Keanu!

This has to be one of the greatest photos ever taken! It begs the question...what in the world his going on in this picture.

Well apparently Keanu Reeves was filming a scene for a Tim Burton movie. Then some clever photoshoppers went to work and changed it to an anti- BP statement...notice the BP logo on the toddler's jacket. This is photoshopping genius. The absurdist vibe is freakin' awesome! What do you think?

Kansas State Bowling

I saw this handy mnemonic device the other day to help people remember all the current justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. No offense Grandpa!

Kansas State Bowling Stinks. Kansas Recruits All The Best Guys.

Here are the justices (in order of the above mnemonic: Kennedy, Scalia, Breyer, Sotomayer, Kagen, Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Bader Ginsburg

Scientific Miracles

Scientists now agree that based on computer simulations that a Red Sea crossing on dry land was possible. Click on the following article from Wired Magazine to see a short video that simulates how sustained winds could have parted the waters to allow a crossing. What would be even cooler is if they did underwater excavations and found the remains of Egyptian chariots.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/red-sea-parting/