Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Raku love



 I have a crush on raku again. It was bumming me out for awhile, but a break was good and once again I'm getting some good results. This might be the coolest pear I have ever fired. Not the best photo I have ever taken, but it was getting dark....Hearts and pears, jeez could I pick a more generic, common form? I need simplicity right now and these made me happy, making them and firing them.  I don't care how simplistic they are, they look great and I am happy with them!
The smart meter drama continues. I am sort of possessed with this subject right now.
We have a community forum here in Chatham County called the Chatham Chatlist. Mostly it is informative and friendly and supports the community in a great way. But every now and then someone lights the fire and a battle begins. I seem to be the latest one lighting that fire. I have had some ridiculous emails, some helpful, some concerned for their health, the state of the country in general. The ones that have come out to slam my concerns seem to be mostly employees of the power company, related to an employee or someone that works with RF emissions and wants to convince themselves these emissions are safe, which they are not!
Here is the latest comment posted this morning. I got it at 3am because I mysteriously wake up every single night at 2 or 3am.  So, I wrote a reply in my altered state of consciousness. Thought you might enjoy reading some southern humor. We got some bright stars here in the south!
By the way- GO TEXAS! Today there was a hearing in Austin to introduce legislation for an opt out program and laws to regulate these health hazards. If you want the thing, fine, just give everyone a choice!


Comment:
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Chatham Chatlist #4615
Meter mania has struck I see . I had a friend complain about a smart meter , his bill dropped $20 a month and someone put it in his head the thing was giving off mysterious waves that caused his prize bull to quit doing what bulls do .  He also complained it killed the grass and shrubs near by .  After all was said and done it was the herbicide the neighbor used to kill the weeds in her rose garden getting washed by rain down hill to drain by the power pole into the field .  We all know ( it ) flows down hill and thats where it all starts and what ever object is in the damage path is to blame since HUMANS NEVER DO ANY WRONG .    Its not always the the gun that kills , its the idiot with the gun , or in this case the gardener with the weed killer .  People like to put blame on the thing because they dont know how to properly use it .  Smart meters are no more dangerous than cell phones or any other device that utilizes some sort of wireless communication with other devices . In general people as a group are stupid , they dont read instructions and they dont do diligent research to see the differance between gossip and missinformation and cold hard facts before they point a finger .  There is a lot and I mean a london load of missinformation out there about many things from guns to smart meters . If we ban the use of everything thought to kill people we would be back in the stone ages in a weeks time .

People are stupid , but individuals are often intelligent when they take time to learn the facts , see how the thing works , understand it doesnt have a mind of its own and make a decesion to either leave the thing alone ,  let others  enjoy its use or to learn to use it properly and enjoy its use in the way it was designed to be used .   My opinion is your more likely to get sick from a Mc Flippin super greasy cheeseburger than living near a smart meter ,, but thats just me , I have researched both , my fat belly tells me the burgers are bad for me , my lower light bill lets me know smart meters are a good thing ;)    Goodnite Mark :)

my reply:
I just have to say,  I  found the comment below not only ignorant but personally offensive as well. Heart disease and diabetes from fast food is a serious matter. Toxic herbicides that poison our air, soil and water is a serious matter. Cancer is a serious matter and we are being assaulted with harmful carcinogens in our food, air, water, and soil every single day. New cancer treatment centers are popping up faster than this country's beloved Walmart stores. 
I do not have "meter mania". I am simply asking for a choice when it comes to whether or not I want a meter attached to my house that emits RF waves that have been designated by the World Health Organization as a class 2B carcinogen. I can choose not to eat unhealthy food, I can choose not to smoke cigarettes, I can choose not to use a cell phone or a microwave. I can choose not to own a gun, I can choose not to use pesticides. But someone came and attached a meter that pulses rf waves continuously around my home without my consent or knowledge and I would like to have been given the option to refuse. That's all I'm saying. If you choose to live in ignorant bliss of the toxic wasteland we continue to create that is YOUR choice, if you choose to ignore the science of eating unhealthy so be it, but you have the choice to do so. We should be given the option to NOT have these meters if we so choose, and not have them forced upon us. Today Texas will hold a hearing on legeslation for an opt out program for smart meters. If there were enough people in Texas concerned over these meters that their state senator drafted a bill to protect them, I would say there is cause to consider the safety of the smart meter. 
I'm just asking for an opt out choice. I'm not trying to prove or disprove the health issues, although I have done enough research to know that I have doubts and do not want this thing on my house. As for the lower bill? Our habits have not changed and yet our bill steadily increases each year. This year by several hundred dollars. Why does everyone keep saying these smart meters are money saving?
Your comment just makes me feel sad and hopeless, because there are so many more just like you and we truly need a more enlightened society these days....
Ps: "People" are not stupid, they can be poorly educated, uninformed, or ignorant of factual evidence, but everyone has the potential to be brilliant if they are given the opportunity and make the effort. 

11 comments:

oldgreymare said...

pears and hearts may be simplistic shapes but they are of a simple value that we can all appreciate and need ...as is your ongoing battle to protect yourself and your home.
give me simple any day. I love the hearts because of what the shape does symbolize in it all it's simplicity.
you go girl!

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks Suzan, I don't know why I feel so compelled to fight this battle but for some reason it feels important to do so....
Hearts and houses, such metaphors for all of us I suppose...

Michèle Hastings said...

Hearts must be in the air, I made porcelain ones last month.
I am getting anxious for a raku firing and your photos are teasing me!

Dennis Allen said...

If ignorance were actually bliss, there would be a lot more happy people out there.

Laura Farrow said...

Rick's turquoise, baby!!

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Michele, I meant to have them for Valentines, but didn't get to it, better late than never I guess!
I don't know Dennis, seems like an awful lot of blissful people out there....
Hey Laura, actually I tried another glaze I found, a soldner copper red, I tried a reduction in the kiln and only fired to 1700, got this fun stuff!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michèle Hastings said...

I had heart pendants made for valentines day... they just got bisque fired two weeks ago. Always a day late and a dollar short :o(

Lori Buff said...

The hearts aren't late for Valentine's Day, they are actually really early.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Michele, yeah me too, maybe paint them red white and blue for July, haha!
Lori, too funny lol

M E Garde said...

The pears are such a satisfying form. Maybe because I am pear-shaped too! ;-) It is wonderful! Love the pears and the turquoise on your weaving.