Just another dent in the damage…

I’m not much of a New Year’s Resolution type person but last year I did write a list of 25 things I wanted to do in 2009. I thought it’d be worth going over what I did and didn’t do ready to prepare a new list of 26 things I want to do in 2010. So let’s see:

1) Set up an Etsy store and start selling small crafts: Well, I got the Etsy store bit sorted but getting the stuff to sell has been harder. I thought it’d just be a case of make a load of stuff and get it listed but it turns out a lot of the patterns I’ve been using to make consumables are all copyrighted and you can’t sell the stuff you make using them. Turns out I need to start writing my own patterns if I want to sell anything I make. The only things I really have for sale are my SSCS crochet whales as it’s OK to make money you intend to donate to charity, but a store with only one item to sell would be pretty naff right? I’ll work on this one. Promise.

2) Make more use of sewing machine and create at least one skirt from scratch: Again I kinda half did this. I reorganised my craft room so I can actually get at my machine without having to carry it about everywhere and I sorted out all the stuff I need to get on with making things – I just didn’t get round to making the skirt. But, I did make a lovely cushion (and embroidered it) and ploughed through one of my sewing books so I can learn more about what my machine does. I think this coming year will be my skirt making year so watch this space!

3) Learn to dive: CHECK! I actually did this one. This year I not only got my PADI Open Water but I completed my PADI Advanced Open Water and got qualified in Enriched Air diving. I’ve got about 20 dives logged now and am super excited about getting out and seeing more of the world’s oceans. At Christmas I went to Malaysia and got to play about with my new camera, here’s Nemo:

4) Learn Photoshop basics to improve photographs: So Photoshop is harder than I thought and there is definitely a lot to learn on this… but I’ve made a start. I’ve managed to cut three people out of one image and put them in to another, I’ve rubbed out plastic bottles and lamp-posts and learnt about image size and how to crop (ya’know – the simple stuff). My cutting out skills definitely need working on though. Max also showed me how to open my eyes – i.e. cut out Claire’s open eyes and stick them over my closed eyes!

This is a photo taken of Claire and I with Todd Kowalski from Propagandhi. On the original picture we were outside a pub and my eyes were closed. Here we are in Hawaii with my eyes open (if you look very closely you’ll notice they’re very similar to Claire’s eyes).

5) Take more photos and get uploading to Flickr: My new camera has helped with this one. On my last holiday I took about 1000 photos! Can you ever imagine doing this with an old camera that needed film? Crazy! Anyway I’ve slowly been making more use of Flickr and you can go and see my photos any time – lexrigby’s Photostream.

6) Make Donna a big granny blanket: Yes yes I did this. It got completed on March 18th for her birthday. Here is a picture of me admiring the finished product:

7) Print some Moo cards: Totally failed on this one. I figured I didn’t really need any if I didn’t get the store up and going. They’ll come eventually when I’m all business like.

8) Get funding for the IATUL conference in Belgium: I failed this too but it was kinda out of my hands. I wrote my statement about why I should be awarded the funding but at the last minute one of my bosses decided to write the entire thing himself on my behalf. I don’t blame him for not getting it or anything as I was told the application was exceptional, just not exceptional enough. Life goes on.

9) Design a cross-stitch pattern to raise more funds for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: This was another one of those half did/half didn’t ones. Whilst I didn’t get around to design the pattern I longed to do I did get all subversive after buying Subversive Cross Stitch and started writing some cross stitch patterns inspired by Propagandhi lyrics.

10) Organise another SSCS fundraiser: This one is another ’still to do’. I think time ran away with me on this one. Whilst I didn’t organise a fundraiser myself I did volunteer at a number of events this year (including the International Dive Show at the NEC) and completed the first round of volunteer training. I’m now listed as an official volunteer on the Sea Shepherd UK website, so it’s all good in the hood still.

11) Make sushi: No making but plenty of eating. I’m going to get Donna to show me how to do this, she makes amazing sushi!

12) Finish Ursula tattoo: Yep, done and dusted. This is on my back:

13) Start work on Kali tattoo: I didn’t do this but I did get a whale instead, I think Kali needs more thinking about. This one is on my left inner arm – it was pretty swollen so excuse the chubbiness, I think the photo is a bit squished too (I got it off Myspace because I couldn’t be bothered to take a photo):

14) Keep up the weekly postings on my work blog: I did this! Want proof? See Librarians’ Blog for Science and Engineering.

15) Master the art of false lashes (just because there’s got to be at least one vanity thing in here): I did this too but none of my pictures are close enough for you to see them clearly. I’ll work on getting proof of this.

16) Keep up with the personal training sessions: After a year I figured these were just getting far too expensive to continue. I went from about August 2008 to August 2009. I fully intended to restart them but really £120 a month on top of my £42 a month gym membership… really.

17) Tick off the to-do list and write up results: I guess the result of this is this blog post. I did tick items off in my book and did refer back to my list to remind me what I needed to do, I just didn’t do as much as I wanted. I had planned to do a scrap book but I definitely think a blog post is more my thing.

18) Start open uni short course on marine biology: The Open Uni course I wanted to do is a short module called Life in the Oceans: Exploring our Blue Planet. It looks like the greatest short course of all time but a las I’ve not had a spare £150 to do it yet. I will though, studying Richard Attenborough’s Blue Planet sounds like the best thing ever.

19) Prepare for Cilip (this is the professional association of librarians) chartership: I simply changed my mind on this one I’m afraid. I just don’t know if I want to charter just yet. The chartership means doing a lot of work I just don’t want to do at the moment. Career development portfolios and all that malarky… snore.

20) Cook for Max at least once a month: I managed this one I think for a few months. I mainly make him puddings like cookies and cake. This will change this year though as I’ve a new cook book and it’s amazing. I won’t tell you anything else yet as I’m working on a post for this beauty that stands alone.

21) Visit Stef in Canterbury: Sorry Stef, you just come home too much. I’ll visit her this year for sure.

22) Read Moby Dick: I didn’t do this either, but I did read a lot about other whales!

23) Cycle to work at least twice a week in the Summer: This is my main regret I think. I should have done this, but I didn’t. Curse me.

24) Watch a broadway show: For my 25th birthday Sarah got me some gift vouchers for a London show and after loads of faffing about she never got to come with me. Instead, Max and I went to see Wicked… and it was wicked. I’d already read the book (and thought it very strange) so was interested to see how it would translate to stage. I liked it, it worked well and luckily they kept all the sexy scenes out.

25) Finish decorating the kitchen: YES, YES and YES and it’s the greatest kitchen of all time.

I’ve already written this year’s list… I might put it up later but in the meantime, thanks for reading.

Firstly. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have done it again – teaming up with Lush to raise funds for the ‘End Canada’s License to Kill‘ campaign. This time get yourselves in store to purchase a First Swim bubble bar or Sea Shepherd Charity Pot to show your support. The commercial hunt brutally claims the lives of over 250,000 seals each Spring, making it the largest mass slaughter of marine animals in the world. And many baby seals are slaughtered so young they haven’t even had a chance to go into the water, hence the name First Swim.

The facts:

• The slaughter of seals is incredibly cruel (a post mortem survey has shown that 42% of these babies are skinned alive);
• It is a threat to the survival of the species;
• It is a threat to the survival of cod;
• It is a slaughter done mainly for unessential, vanity, and luxury items, and therefore, is unnecessary;
• It is unethical to slaughter newborn seal pups (About 95% of the seals to be slaughtered are babies less than four weeks old.

Secondly, if you’re interested in what Captain Paul Watson has to say he’s going to be at the London Dive Show March 28th-29th giving a short seminar from 3:15pm in the North Gallery 16/17. There will also be a Sea Shepherd stand at the event (554) to raise awareness and generate interest. Annoyingly I have a prior arrangement so if anyone does get to go please please please get in touch and let me know how it went.

If you ever needed any more proof that Propagandhi are the best band in the entire world. look no further. March 10th sees the release of their new record Supporting Caste, but if you can’t wait that long (I can’t) you can download two exclusive tracks from their website, providing you donate to one of three organisations:

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organisation);
• Partners in Health (provides a preferential option for the poor in health care);
• Peta 2 (the youth division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

Needless to say my donation goes to the Sea Shepherds and I think YOURS SHOULD TOO (although all are seriously worth while)! These guys need more money to succeed in shutting down the illegal slaughter of whales. Help them out!

Once again whilst enjoying our Christmas break, eating til we explode (that wasn’t just me was it?), Captain Paul Watson and his Merry Men set sail on this year’s mission to save the whales. Operation Musashi launched and I think it’s about time I gave y’all an update.

Leaving Brisbane, Australia on December 4th (with a brief fuel and oil stop in New South Wales and Tasmania) the crew headed off to the Ross Sea with one sole purpose – to intercept the Japanese whaling fleet. Operation Musashi is in fact Sea Shepherd’s fifth Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign aimed to tackle illegal whaling activities committed under the guise of ‘research’. Following the success of last year’s campaign (Operation Migaloo), which saw the Japanese fleet return home 484 whales ($70 million) short of target, Captain Watson intends to further undermine their profits and expose the true damage of violating the international moratorium on commercial whaling. For Watson, in targeting endangered whales for the sale of its meat this fleet threaten ‘the diversity of life and thus the future of our own kind upon this planet’ and it is up to us as human beings to ‘risk all to protect diversity and the right of other species to live unmolested by the rapacious greed of humankind’.

Fast forward to December 20th 2008 and the crew aboard the Steve Irwin have their first encounter with the Nisshin Maru.

On Saturday morning, we spotted a moving target on the radar. The entire area was shrouded in thick fog and dense ice as we moved towards the ship. It could only be a whaler in this area and we could only assume that they thought we were part of the fleet. They did not alter course nor did they attempt to speed up. – Captain Paul Watson

Then out of the fog, emerging on Steve Irwin’s port side, came the Yusshin Maru No 2 sporting a new device – a large net rigged to draw across the entire side of the vessel on a high wire between the fore and aft mast – to stop the Sea Shepherd crew from boarding. And so the inflatable Delta was launched armed with rotten butter bombs as foul props. But with high winds and a malfunctioning GPS system the Delta was called back and the Irwin moved on to seek protection against the blizzard conditions from a nearby iceberg – where they remained for the next 12 hours before pursuing open water. This time the whalers escaped fleeing eastward, putting 50 miles between themselves and the whale protectors. Being more concerned with running from the Sea Shepherds than killing whales meant that for now the whales were safe.

Unbeknown to the crew they’d only have to wait another nine days until their next encounter. Quartermaster Jeff Hansen ‘noticed something on the radar that warranted first mate Peter Brown’s attention’. With the fog clearing Emily Hunter (daughter of the late Robert Hunter) later confirmed this ’something’ to be the Kaiko Maru, one of the fleet’s spotter vessels. And so the chase continued and the Japanese were unable to continue whaling in Australian waters. However,

‘What is now good news for the whales in Australian waters is now bad news for the whales in the waters south of New Zealand,’ said Captain Watson. ‘They are still targeting endangered and protected whales in the waters of an established international whale sanctuary and thus they are still in violation of international conservation law and acting under the principles of the United Nations World Charter for Nature, we will continue to pursue, harass and intervene against their blatantly illegal lethal assaults on the whales.’ – Sea Shepherd News.

Fast forward again to January 6th 2009 and three whaling vessels (spotter vessel the Kyoshin Maru No. 2 and the two remaining kill ships, the Yushin Maru No 1 and No 3 – No 2 had headed off for mechanical repairs) lay on the horizon engaged in a search for the missing whaler Hajime Shiraskai, thought to have fallen overboard the night before from the Kyoshin Maru No.2.

Out of respect for the lost whaler and his family, we all stood down as an offer of assistance was put forward to the whaling fleet to help in the search. Our Japanese crew member radioed the Japanese fleet with our offer which resulted in almost 15 minutes of silence before we finally got a response. – Crew Blog.

And that response was to inform Paul and his crew that the fleet were not willing to accept any help from ‘Eco-Terrorists’. Yet with Paul being Paul they launched two boat crews and a helicopter to search the area, aiding the search nonetheless. But not for long, the ship is in need of fuel to continue with the Operation’s second leg. After a stop in Hobart they’ll be back in the dangerous waters to continue our battle for the seas. Please support this mission!

I have a treat in store for all you Sheffield peeps!! My friend Donna and I are organising a showing of Rob Stewart’s Shark Water (click image for details). It’s going to be a great evening of entertainment. For those coming expect a short talk from Giles Lane (ex-SSCS crew member), vegan fish and chips (electricity permitting) and plenty of cakes, a little craft and lots of fun! All money raised will go directly to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to continue in our struggle to protect the seas.

For filmmaker Rob Stewart, exploring sharks began as an underwater adventure. What it turned into was a beautiful and dangerous life journey into the balance of life on earth.

Driven by passion fed from a lifelong fascination with sharks, Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and reveals the reality of sharks as pillars in the evolution of the seas.

Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Please please please support the Sea Shepherds by buying some delicious fin soap from Lush.

When [sharks] are caught they are pulled from the water, their fins are sliced off, and they are kicked back into the ocean, so they sink to the bottom and suffer a slow death. Fins are the most lucrative part of the shark, which explains the massive escalation in the numbers of sharks killed in the last few years.

Sharks are being killed at a shocking rate of a hundred million a year, partly to sell on as ingredients for Shark Fin Soup. That’s disgusting… and stupidly expensive too! Why bother? BUY SOME SOAP INSTEAD.