Speaking of capacity for horizontal flight, here’s that jetpack you wanted.

The blog will be photo-a-day for now. I don’t feel like talking.

best viewed large on black:
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=2490809218&size=large&posted=1

http://www.memebon.jp/
Ow.

Jill Taylor’s TED talk: a brain scientist talks about observing her own stroke as it happened and what she learned that she hopes will empower all of us to be better, happier humans.

Plus, ew, cool, she shows us a real human brain. In her hands.

I subscribed to the TED talks podcasts, and have been watching them on my Zune (yes, ShuffleFashion/iOrpheus/iPod Opera -girl has a Zune), and it’s the best thing ever - favorites so far include this and the Dave Eggers and Clifford Stoll and - oh, who can choose.
All can be found here at TED: Ideas Worth Sharing

btw, it’s snowing in Seattle. Today. March 28.

Free basic health screening will be available for King County artists, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 15 at Qliance Clinic, 509 Olive Way, Ste. 1607. The screening includes a glucose test, blood pressure measurement, body mass index (BMI) calculation and a cholesterol test. The event is presented by Artist Trust and the Washington Artist Health Insurance Project (WAHIP), in partnership with Qliance, a monthly-fee primary care clinic.

Following the screening, Qliance staff will be available to explain results, and WAHIP representatives will be on hand to explain healthcare coverage options. Free copies of the new Health Care Guide for Artists, a compendium of statewide health resources, will also be available. Space is limited. Contact Qliance soon to reserve your spot at (206) 913-4771 or rsvp-at-qliance-dot-com. Provide your name and arrival time, and “RSVP” in the subject line of the e-mail.

If you’re a musician, you may be eligible to participate in a more in-depth health evaluation on March 22, provided by MusiCares and Qliance. For more information contact MusiCares at 1-800-687-4227.

(text courtesy of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. I messed up the email addy above because you wouldn’t believe the spambots that cruise through here. Just put it back together, you artists can figure it out.)

My thoughts on the subject:
Before I had health insurance, I would avoid even the thought of checkups or digging deeper. I didn’t want to know, for fear I wouldn’t be able to afford to take care of it. What an Ostrich. I can’t emphasize enough the fact - fact - that if you have a health problem, the longer you put it off the more expensive it is. Now I have a day job, a very time-and-energy-consuming one, that I must have, to pay for just such ignorance. And in that job, I frequently see other results of falling through the cracks - otherwise decent and creative people homeless, stuck in a bottle, or driven past the edge of reason. Good lord, if you are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, who knows what else - taking a look at it and adjusting your course could be as easy as changing some habits or learning a little more about how you work. Landing in the hospital will sideline you for years. It puts people and their families on the streets all the time.

You are not immortal, but the work you make when you’re healthy could be.

Did you know that a cleaning at the dentist only costs $100? Did you know that a crown or cavity without insurance costs thousands? Preventative care can save you a headache. And it can even cost less than a night at a bar with your drummer. Check it out.

Another note on a couple of the other resources above:
Artist Trust has incredible resources for artists. Not only do they award project, merit, and gap grants, the also have the most comprehensive database of employment, housing, publication, performing, legal and emergency assistance, workshops, grant and fellowship opportunities I know of. Locally focused information. They help people with applications for their grants, and they support all sorts of different projects, including some really experimental stuff that I admire. Their sole purpose is to help artists make art. They also have a place where you can walk in, look through publications, use the computer, talk to a human.

Also, the MusiCares website includes links to national relief resource organizations not just for musicians but for other performing artists as well.

Finally, I’ve got to pitch our own local resource - it’s for everyone, no matter your income level, both to get and give help. 211 is an easy-to-remember phone number connects individuals with community services in their area, providing services such as shelter, food, clothing, etc and can also connect people with volunteer opportunities and ways to donate clothes, money, and other resources. Just dial 2-1-1. Spread the word. www.211.org It was created after 9-11 to be a localized number to help with non-911 issues after disasters or emergencies. You don’t want to call 911 right after an earthquake or something if you just need a meal or a place to stay after your house is destroyed, but where do you turn? There’s actually a lot of help available out there but these guys are meant to centralize that info and send you in the right direction. And not just for emergencies- someone I know without insurance needed glasses and couldn’t afford them - they told her where to go.

One more: Get your taxes done right, and for FREE. Free.

Hey whiny artists like my former (and still occasional) self: You are not, actually, all alone in this world. (someone remind me of that in a week or so.)

Okay I’m done.