Mooning Again

Early this morning I put up a new poetry feature at Escape Into Life--funny, sweet, surreal poems by Scott Poole, with wild and wonderful paintings (like this one!) by Masakatsu Sashie. It was a late-start morning at school, so when I drove my daughter to school the recently-full moon was in a different place in the sky, higher, a faint globe of white hanging in the blue among white clouds. I thought I was done with the goatcheese moon, but I'm not. I'll never be done with the moon.

I don't know how to credit these marvelous moon-shots that have been going around Facebook. If you know who took these photos, please credit the photographer in the comments! I am charmed by them.

And Ren Powell posted a link to this great article on stress in Wired. It's fascinating, explains so much, and rings so true. I agree that stress damages and kills us, and I'm glad that scientists are paying attention to that.

I'd say my concern (beyond all the bad human and bad baboon behavior) is that the scientists see the "cure" as a vaccine, and see that as getting to the source, while I see that as still addressing the symptoms by attempting to prevent them in advance, with a drug.

I'd like to see us pay attention to the root causes of stress, and attempt to solve those in global & societal ways, in a shift of attitudes, and/or using a combination of natural and organic ways...but that's complicated and takes hard, patient, diligent, cooperative work.  A vaccine is easier.

Oh, you'll see. The article has all kinds of social, economic, and political pertinence, as well as the science and health aspects, and is funny and a smooth read. Long, but if you are patient and stick with it, you will learn a lot and win the Be a Better Baboon Award.

***

Update, with info from Susan Elbe!  Thank you, Susan.  The moon photos are by Laurent Laveder, and you can see more and get some at his website, here!