Nine Mile Run

the ice is melting ...

liquid moon

My Life as Leafy (the photographer) by John Moyer

Call me Mr. October!

Call me Mr. October!, originally uploaded by leafy.

Wanting & Having

Seeing as it is the time of year when most people around here exchange gifts, I thought it might be a good time for me to do some of my own exploring out loud. As a professional psychotherapist, I have a little more pressure to be willing to do what I would expect my clients to do. I'll start by saying that like most of us I have had a very imperfect life. I could talk about being able to identify with the abused and neglected children with which I find myself working is no coincidence. Emotionally, I came from a very dark place.

But having an intimate understanding of the damage that abuse and neglect has on a child gives me an advantage over some of my collegues. Having an "emotional scar" may seem like pscyho-babble to many who have not experienced the limits such a childhood places on adulthood. For example, as a young child, I was not comfortable sharing with Santa Claus what I really wanted for Christmas. Not because I was nervous about meeting the Big Man. No. It was because I really didn't know what I wanted. I might have had some vague interests in some toys that I saw on TV, but really allowing myself to want anything was pretty limited. Yes, I got things as gifts, and was not deprived in that way. But I knew by the time I was 7 that I was not a wanted child, at least not by my own mother. Oh, she would pretend to want me and her other children, at least in public. And she could be the nicest person you could ever want to meet. But she kept her lack of desire for me a well-guarded secret. The messages I received from her were very clear. There was no affection from her. The cruel irony is that the tone of her voice would change dramatically in public, so nobody would be the wiser. From all external appearances I had a loving and good-looking mother. Internally, I was confused, and emotionally, a barren wasteland. It wasn't safe to know what I wanted. It's only from the precipice of adulthood that we can get a clearer perspective, the lay of the land. I had internalized her rejection as something that was my responsibility. Something must be the matter with me. I considered that I might have some sort of genetic defect, or perhaps brain damage for my inability to concentrate, or my mistrust of numbers. I literally believed that multiplication tables changed and that multiplying two numbers would yield different results on most occasions. Some basic fundamental distortions in my life had life-altering consequences. In retrospect, I wish my mother could have admitted that she didn't want to be a mother anymore. THAT would have been a gift.

Needless to say, it has taken a lifetime to learn to feel my feelings when I was experiencing them, rather than days, weeks, or months later. Allowing myself to want and to have has also been a challenge. Relationships have been few and painful. Seeking out and finding things in life that work for me has been quite a journey. I have had some modest success in a few areas, failures in others. As I have limited myself in areas where I have allowed myself to want, there comes an emotional deprivation and sense of abandonment that is all too familiar. So in real terms this means that when I could afford to buy a car, I bought a modest used one with 40,000 miles and had a hard time feeling comfortable because it seemed too decadent and extravagant. I really didn't deserve to feel so comfortable in a car, I thought. Unnerving, to say the least. I was used to not having much of anything. That was my "normal." What was the point? I was learning to tolerate comfort, of respecting my own needs. Not used to that. I recall how it use to baffle me how others could treat themselves like "royalty." How could they give themselves so much and look at themselves in the mirror without shame? But I was able to let myself want some things in other areas of my life. Food. It's so feindishly symbolic, isn't it? The nurturing and warmth a good hot meal provides. Sorry substitute for the warmth and nurturing of a mother's care, of being the "apple" of her eye. I won't go into details of the physical abuse this allowed her to perpetrate, but it happened. She was capable of severe cruelity, even when externally, in public, nobody would have believed it. I don't think anybody else really did believe it. Except a neighbor or two who didn't want to get involved and minded their own business. You can't tell from the outside. Few would have ever guessed. Some might even think I am making this all up. Makes you wonder what this would do to a kid, eh? Well, I'm not writing this for anyone else but me.

2011 Nine Mile Run Calendar is Here!

http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/nine-mile-run-2011/9677255

Team 4: Pa. Streams Drained Dry By Drillers - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Team 4: Pa. Streams Drained Dry By Drillers - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

HEY HEY, HO HO, STAY AWAY FROM OUR H20!

Election Blues

It only takes a drop to cause a ripple, your vote can make a difference.

I will be glad when this mid-term election is over. The mud-slinging was pretty bad this year, much different from the "HOPE" and "Yes We Can!" campagn of 2008. It appears that the Democrats will be taking a beating and the GOP is salivating at the prospect of gaining a majority in the House. This of course sickens me to no end. Picturing Karl Rove and Dick Cheney rubbing their evil little hands together and belting out the deepest and most evil laugh is a picture hard to dig out of my psyche.

That's why we need to get out and VOTE!!! Vote against the hate and bigotry out there. Vote for a candidate that believes in global warming and is not a climate change denier. Vote for a candidate that says corporations should pay their fair share of taxes, just like everybody else, and should not get away with gouging natural resources at the expense of human life and our environment.

That is why I am leaving my little "blue" light on and letting it shine. I hope you do too.

There's my little drop: "Plunk!"

Clean Water for Everyone!

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on a single day – October 15.

Last year, more than 13,000 bloggers participated from 152 countries. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion about an important issue that impacts people around the world.

In order to participate, all you need to do is write a single post on your blog about the issue of water on October 15th. If you’re not sure what to write about, don’t worry – we have a great list of suggestions for possible topics that we’ll send you.

Register your blog to the right. We'll add a link to your blog and your post will appear on the Blog Action Day site on October 15. http://blogactionday.change.org/register

Sign the Petition



There's something about water. It is the most basic element for life on our planet. Our bodies are composed mostly of it, the planet is literally awashed in it. It falls from the sky and floats as vaporous clouds in myriad shapes.

We take it for granted.

For most of us in the United States, we simply turn on or open the faucet and water freely gushes out.

But as I get older, or shall we say more mature, the more I understand how water works in larger ways: in ecosystems and watersheds. In the city where I was born there were very few places where you could see how water worked in springs or streams. Our urban area paved over most of these water sources a hundred years ago thinking that is was healthier to do so. But at the same time we as a society were dumping our waste into the streams and rivers, literally using them as toilets.

I think we know better now.

We know the importance of keeping our local water sources clean, and where we can, clean it and put it back. We know what industrial waste can do to harm an aquatic ecosystem to the point where no wildlife is sustainable. We know better how wetlands work to clean polluted ground water runoff. We know that what we throw in urban streets ends up in sewer systems and that water must be cleaned by the limited resources of our sewage treatment plants otherwise it stays in the environmment and doesn't just disappear.

Speak Truth to Power

I have been becoming more deeply concerned with the fossil fuel industry (oil, coal & gas) and the increasing evidence of its finacial power to influence the public and politicians. As in the previous post, I noted a massive increase in PR spending by the industry, as evidenced by a multi-media blitz of television, radio and internet advertising touting the virtues of natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale region of the Appalachian mountain range in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. It's no coincidence that this upswing comes as the election heats up for its culmination in November.

What's most disturbing to me is a conservative Republican running for PA govenor who is claiming to be an "environmental" candidate as he has "done more" to protect the environment than any other candidate. The psychological gymnastics are astounding!

I'm personally endorsing PA Democrat Dan Onorato as closer in line with more progressive values. Though not perfect, he doesn't put up with the nonsense of a conservative anti-tax candidate. But even Mr. Onorato seems to be bowing to the potential billions in profits by an industry with a horrendous track record when it comes to basic values of clean air and water.

We have seen what happens when industry is unregulated. Conservatives appear to want to "trust" the industry and only take action after clear violations of the law have been documented. We have seen those results. A true environmental candidate would take pre-emptive action to prevent air and water pollution by industry regulation up front, not after the fact. Conservatives therefore tend to place the environment more at risk. Because we know the best way to protect an ecosystem is to not pollute it in the first place. We should not have had to deal with the BP oil rig explosion and subsequent oil spill which devastated the lives of millions on the Gulf coast, not to mention the outright killing of 11 men. We should not have had to deal with the coal mine explosion in West Virgina killing 29 men. And we should not have had to deal with the death of men from exploding gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region. Clearly, the financial and political influence of the industry weakened our (federal and state government's) ability to enforce any regulations at all. Without a more powerful government to hold billion-dollar industries (like fossil fuels, as well as finance) accountable, we are all at risk of losing whatever we have been able to save through our own hard work. We have no future, unless we hold these larger entities accountable.

How are we to compete with million-dollar PR budgets? Vote, and encourage your friends to vote. We will never outspend fear-mongering billion-dollar corporations and those who support them. But we can support those who refuse to place profits over safety and human lives. Whoever you vote for, vote for a candidate who supports critical thinking skills in educating our children to be leaders rather than blindly following irresponsible corporate action like de-regulation and anti-tax positions. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for it.

Bamboozled

bam·boo·zle (bm-bzl)
tr.v. bam·boo·zled, bam·boo·zling, bam·boo·zles Informal
To take in by elaborate methods of deceit; hoodwink. See Synonyms - to deceive.

The oil and gas industry is taking the entire Marcellus Shale region for a ride. Literally billions of dollars are now being spent to buy up the mineral leasing rights and to begin the wholesale gouging of the Earth as well as the American public. The Public Relations campaigns are very pretty and paid for by an industry that is heavily subsidized by your tax dollars. They promise to bring jobs and deliver an alternative fuel for the next 20 to 30 years. But at what price?

Just like victims of the greatest bamboozler of them all, P. T. Barnum, we are about to get our wallets neatly lightened at the expense of increased risk to basic healthy water necessary for life to exist. Barnum would argue that he is doing a public good by teaching people a lesson. But what lesson will we be learning from an energy industry who has reaped profits at the expense human life and our aquatic ecosystems that sustain us. How much longer will we take the disrespect and outright abuse of our natural resources? Might as well paint WELCOME on our foreheads and bend over and thank them for what they do for us. Every month for the past 6 months there have been major accidents, often at the cost of human life, by an energy industry that insists that its ways are "safe" in the face of incontrovertable evidence that their ways are not. Funny how we, the American Public, seem to have shorter attention spans when money is involved. We take the money in the shadow of Gulf coast oil rig explosions, coal mine explosions, and Marcellus Shale gas rig fires, all which have cost human lives and billions in clean-up efforts. We are like the unemployed battered wife returning to her abuser. Haven't we learned our lesson, yet?

Bad Company: A History of Corporate Irresponsibility & Abuse

(Nine Mile Run, Pittsburgh, PA)


Let's face it. Corporate America has a hideous track record when it comes to protecting the basic health and welfare of Americans. As a lifelong Pittsburgher, I know all too well what history has taught us: corporations will literally bulldoze the general public for a buck. Pittsburgh is just one glaring example of a city where a corporation or two will extract resources and labor only to cause environmental disaster in the long run for short-term economic gain. Entire neighborhoods have been bulldozed for "progress." (e.g., the Hill District, North Side) Entire valleys, like the one pictured above were fill-in with the waste material of industry with no regard for public health and safety. Not without a response from the public, mind you. But public protest falls on deaf ears when corporate profits are involved. We have literally spent billions of dollars cleaning up the mess left by our irresponsible corporate citizens due to the failure of our federal government to rein-in out-of-control corporate greed. Those advocating "small" federal government and De-regulation know this. (Yes, I'm talking about the current Tea Party movement.) You likely have an example of corporate abuse in your own city: New York, Detroit, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, you all know it.

Corporate arrogance has been astounding over the past century. They make outrageous claims that their particular procedures are safe for the public and besides, the economy is most important for the greater good. (e.g., Andrew Carnegie, Henry Frick, and U.S. Steel. Massey Energy and its spokesman Don Blankenship.) Like an effective abuser, they minimize and discount their particular industry's role in the relationship to public health, denying any wrongdoing, while at the same time continuing to practice their ways, and blaming the public for being irrational or illogical in their thinking. This is the the same psychological tactic an abusive parent uses when caught brutalizing a child.

Now the Oil & Gas industry is invading the Marcellus Shale region of the Appalachian mountain range and using the same tactics as their historic predecessors in coal, and steel and finance. They label people environmental "extremists" who have concerns about their drinking water and rivers and streams, not to mention the air they breathe. They minimize and discount documented evidence of tainted drinking water, polluted rivers and streams, dead and deformed farm animals, and accidents at their well sites. You can almost hear them saying "Oh, that's just those extremists." Or, "That's not our fault. That was a naturally occuring phenomenon."

It's time that Americans stood up against the abusive corporations. It's time that responsibile corporations hold each other accountable. And it's time for government to rein-in the bad companies that have a reckless disregard for the health and safety of families and children.

Beer & Cigarettes

This is actually the answer to the question given to the 33 miners trapped deep underneath a desert in Chile. According to news reports, psychologists have been arguing about what is most needed, aside from food and medical help, by a group of men who will likely have to remain trapped underground for several weeks before rescue is even possible. They will also be sent a drill, in pieces, to be assemebled by the men themselves in order to assist the rescuers in digging toward the surface. Can you image being trapped for days with the chance of being annihilated underground? There are a few men in Pennsylvania who can. If you recall the Quecreek mine in Pennsylvania held 9 men for about 3 days. They wrote notes to their families with (what they thought were) their final testements on Earth and placed them in a lunch pail. The Chilean miners also asked for wine and steak. And I ask why are we waiting until we are at death's door to enjoy life? Go out and have a nice weekend.

Nine Mile Run

Stop Spreadin' The Hate

I'm sick and tired of the fear mongering going on regarding the "ground zero" mosque issue. First of all, the terrorists who committed the crime in New York were no more Muslims than Terry McVeigh (the convicted Oklahoma bomber) was a Christian. They were terrorists who used the veil of religion to commit their crime just like any other group of extremists. I don't buy into the lie that religion had much of anything to do with this crime.

Secondly, the American mass media has fanned the flames of this issue by creating a false dichotomy in order to build their audience the same way P.T. Barnum sold snake oil before the Civil War. The "mosque" that seems to be at issue will be more of a community center just like the YMCA or a Jewish community center a few blocks away from the World Trade Center site. What P. T. Barnum understood was simple mathematics: build your audience and there's a greater chance you'll sell your product. The mass media has a product to sell. Not only is the mass media jumping on this bandwagon, but politicians are also taking sides and using this issue to build their own audiences, and selling their product, while using the mass media as their stage.

A hundred years from now people will wonder why we didn't stick to our Constitutional principles and allow the religious freedom we are all supposed to be able to enjoy. And personally, I think it's about time that we all grew up a little bit and take a look at the big picture more often. It's been nearly 10 years since that terrible September morning. I recall it as if it were yesterday. But grieving for the loss of a loved one past a few years is not normal grief. If anyone else experienced a loss 10 years ago and were still expressing pain about it this long, we know that something isn't right about that. It's time to move on, people. Move on emotionally. Move on psychologically. Let go and be free.

it's been awhile ...

I know I haven't written in a long time. Many things have been happening, including a little time off from work, which was sorely needed. As you can see from the photo, the restoration area at Nine Mile Run is thriving and the growth has been phenomenal. We've also been very successful in our fundraising efforts, making this a record year for that too! I am still very involved in the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association as a member of its Board of Directors, and hope to begin working on a new calendar for next year (2011) shortly. In the mean time, I intend to enjoy the summer while I can and while it lasts. I hope you do too. - John

OnQ OnDemand: Nine Mile Run

After all the sad environmental news, it's nice to hear of a success!
Check out this amazing story and my pics!
---> OnQ OnDemand: Nine Mile Run

or here: http://wqed.wmod.llnwd.net/a1484/o15/onq/nine_mile_run_0610.wmv

Gasland

Saw a screening of the film Gasland by Josh Fox last night. Mr. Fox does for the Marcellus Shale gas issue what filmmaker Michael Moore does for the American auto industry, only with a more subdued tone and impeccable research.

See Mr. Fox interviewed on the PBS NOW series.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/613/index.html


The least we can do is call for a moratorium on gas wells in the Marcellus Shale area until we know what we're dealing with and can monitor these wells for human health and safety.

photo walk!

grace

Yes, my cameras survived!

Sustainability

After my recent "accidental baptism" Sunday (AKA stupid fall) into Nine Mile Run I got the chance to exprerience the stream a little more intimately than I cared to or anyone really should. The water, and my clothes, reeked of sewage after the recent rains of Saturday 3/13/10 and Sunday 3/14/10. I could literally smell how polluted the stream is and how far we still have to go before reaching our goal of a truly healthy stream and ecosystem in the watershed. I immediately did what I thought I needed to do: I removed the batteries from each of my two cameras that had been wholly dunked. I headed home ASAP to take a serious shower to wash all the e-coli and fecal-coliform off my body and hope I didn't catch anything serious. I felt a bit feverish for the next 24 hours and was worried that I had indeed picked up something. My cameras are now drying out on my windowsill and I will take a look at them in a few days and make my assessments then. Considering the season, I am hoping that my cameras can be resurrected by the first day of Spring.

... and the rains came

the snow is melting

X-treme Snow-shoeing!

check it out!

morning ritual - parental advisory due to food porn

My illicit habit started about 2 months ago. I found that I do much better during the day if I begin by developing a morning routine after my morning routines. Once I leave the apartment for the day, I check to make sure that I have brought all my trinkets; the wallet, the cellphone, keys, and coffee mug, before going to work. I stop at a place for a bagel, cream cheese (2tbls), and a re-fill for my coffee mug. It all comes to about two dollars, pretty cheap. I place my whole bagel in the hand-slicer, cut it in half, drop it into the toaster, and wait. While my "everything" bagel is toasting I fill my mug with dark roast coffee and a dash of half-n-half. A napkin and plastic knife go on a paper plate, and I wait about 3 minutes for the toaster to finish. The bagel pops up, and I gingerly handle the hot golden brown goodness, laying it on the paper plate and find a spot to sit. Using the plastic knife, I scrape about a third of the cream cheese and spread it over one slice and dip into the little plastic tub again at least twice for all that white creaminess, leaving a trace in the bottom and sides. I re-fold the two halves of the bagel together and then cut the entire circle in half, peeling the right half from the left, and take my first warm bite as some cream cheese gushes out a bit onto my lips. Then a sip of coffee, of course, and a perfunctory napkin dab for any crumbs/cream cheese from the corners of my mouth. I'll check my email or read the news headlines on my cell phone while the sipping and biting go on for about 10 minutes. The best part is the finish, the grande finale. Like panning for gold, I softly shake the remnants of poppy seeds, garlic, sesame seeds, etc. to one of the scalloped troughs on the paper plate until it forms a tastey little hill. Using my plastic knife, I then scrape the remains from the sides and bottom of the cream cheese into ball on the tip of the knife, and then, here it comes, using it like a lint brush, I dab the cream cheese from my knife onto that pile of savory flavors, cleanly picking up all the remnants, quickly placing it into my mouth, and wrapping my lips around the tip for a salty little party on my tongue. One more sip of coffee, and I'm ready for work. (For some reason I am feeling strangely aroused ... and satisfied!)

The Blizzard of 2010

I was excited as it was still snowing the morning of February 6, 2010. It was 9AM on a Saturday, and the day was mine. I thought I had prepared myself well: special wool socks and sturdy hiking boots, along with my down jacket made for arctic temperatures and my leather gloves good for gripping my camera. I didn't realize how deep the snow was until I got into the park. The main roads had been plowed, at least once, so they were walkable. In the park, I found that I had to stop every 5 minutes to catch my breath, trudging through the 2+ feet of snow. Thankfully, there were others out, and their dogs seemed particularly happy to see another playmate in the snow. I was glad to stop for a playful little pat and rub on the head and sides of their bodies. I don't have a dog of my own and prefer not to keep one, but I like dogs, having had a few in my childhood. I finally made it to the stream. Yes, it was beautiful, but my body was aching enough to make the experience less than serene. I was thinking of how I wanted to just get the shots and then get out. It was a long hike home and I was already tired. I was still stopping every 5 minutes to catch my breath. Once I made it back to Braddock Avenue, I stopped in the corner store to buy a can of diet pop. It tasted pretty good, considering I don't buy pop very often. Then I ambled down the shoveled sidewalk a few doors to the laundromat. It was empty, but a warm place to rest a bit and to look over some of the shots. By this time the sun was shining and I regretted not waiting a few hours as the sky became a brilliant cobalt blue. I made my way trudging in the middle of the street to my building. My neighbor was standing at the doorway in her bedroom slippers and asked if I was out all day. "Why yes, what time is it?" I was listening for the local church bell which rang the hour on weekends, but didn't hear the number of chimes. "It's about 3," she said. Three? I had been out for about six hours! No wonder I was exhausted. I also neglected to bring my cell phone, which was a very stupid mistake, and I silently vowed to invest in a pair of snow shoes for next year.

Haiti Earthquake Charity Auction

"The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself" - Rita Mae Brown

I entered this image in to the Flickr group Charity Print Auctions:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/charityprintauctions/
for the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

There were no bids so I withdrew this from th auction. Please give generously to your favorite charity.

more exclusive video for fans of Nine Mile Run!