The Whale in the Living Room follows the thrilling adventures of film-maker, John Ruthven, as he travels the globe, dives into our oceans and passionately recounts his life-affirming experiences. What creatures could remain undiscovered in the 95 per cent of the seas that have not been thoroughly explored? How vast, really, are our oceans? The surface of Mars and Venus are better known to us than Earth's seabed. Yet to map the world's ocean to even 100-metre blocks of accuracy, something that environmentalists say is essential for its protection, could take another 300 years. Even creatures that are known to us, like the giant squid, have proved too difficult to accurately capture on film. Quite literally immersed in his subject, John can help readers understand the magnitude of our planet's oceans and why it is so important for us to protect our seas and the creatures that inhabit them. He is the only producer to have worked full-time on both series of Blue Planet, as well as nearly fifty other films about the sea. Through his first-hand experience, John shows us the loneliness of whale calves in the deep blue, the fear of seals as they dodge great white sharks near the coast, or the curiosity of octopus staring back at us through the camera. His book takes us through the blue rings of South Pacific coral atolls, on submarine rides into the abyss with ancient life forms, and up close and personal encounters with singing humpback whales that make you feel the water around you. The Whale in the Living Room, like the proverbial 'elephant in the room', is also about how, until recently, we have been largely blind to our polluting of the seas. John, for example, explores how plastic 'went wild' in the ocean; tries to understand how we got into this mess; and see if we can ever untangle the oceans from its grip.
'Two hundred miles off the coast of New Orleans, in the clear blue open sea, I'm starting to know what being in deep water means. My dive computer is going nuts, beeping an alarm in rapid descent. 43, 44, 45 metres, soon I'll be deeper than a scuba diver on air can safely dive. I'm tumbling head over heels like an ostracod - one of the many strange creatures here that defy our imagination. It's hard to say what's up or down. I'm in freefall, an aquanaut lost in space.' The Whale in Your Room follows the thrilling adventures of BBC Blue Planet producer, John Ruthven, on a journey of discovery that helped the marine world flow into your living room via the TV. For many, the oceans are missing pieces in the story of life on Earth, and it doesn't help that most are blue and form by far the biggest part of the jigsaw. Quite literally immersed in his subject, John can put them together, as the only producer to have worked full time on Blue Planet series I and II, and nearly fifty other films about the sea. With first-hand experience he feels the loneliness of whale calves in the blue, the fear as seals dodge great white sharks near the coast, or the curiosity of octopus staring back at the camera. His journey take us through the blue rings of South Pacific coral atolls, gives us submarine rides into the abyss with ancient life forms, and encounters so close with singing humpback whales that the water will bounce at the bottom of your virtual dive mask. Through each stunning adventure John draws out important insights into what is presently known about how the sea, and our whole blue planet works. 'As a boy in the sixties I was part of the Apollo nerd generation and like many of my peers I wanted to be either an astronaut or a diver and filmmaker like Jacques Cousteau. Curiously neither of these options was ever suggested as a realistic possibility by careers advice at school. So it was with great surprise that I found myself, twenty years later, in charge of a film crew off Mexico, trying to get the best ever shots of blue whales. Just shows - never stop dreaming!' Like the Blue Planet series itself, the stories of the ocean are broadly divided into the major habitats of the ocean, of the deep abyss, the coasts, the open seas, the coral worlds, green underwater forests and the polar regions. As John points out: 'The Aboriginal Australians call the sea 'the saltwater country', which I think is a beautiful understanding of the ocean, in that it's not a plain blue at all but when you look closely it's all the colours of the rainbow. When you get to know it, each part is distinct and can be mapped, just like the land. And at night there are even bright patches of animal light, so in many ways we live not on the blue planet, but the glowing planet.' What creatures could remain undiscovered in the 95 per cent of the seas that have not been thoroughly explored? The surface of Mars and Venus are better known to us than the seabed. Yet to map the world's ocean to even 100-metre blocks of accuracy, something that environmentalists say is essential for its protection, could take a further 300 years. Even creatures that are known, such as the giant squid, have proved too hard to film to date. John has also been involved in the attempts to film this massive creature, using high-tech cameras deep in the abyss, with only the light of the moon for illumination. The thread of his story is to take us through such challenges of underwater imaging, as we develop ever better technology, to where no human has gone before, and see further than ever into the deep. The Whale in Your Room, like the proverbial 'elephant in the room', is also about how, until recently, we have been largely blind to our pollution of the seas. So, for example, John explores how plastic 'went wild' in the ocean, tries to understand how we got into this mess, and see if we can ever untangle the oceans from its grip. '1,500 miles from nowhere I find myself landing on what seems an idyllic tropical island that has been uninhabited for 40 years. I wade ashore through a tangle of nylon fishing gear, plastic bottles up to my knees, flip flops, Crocs, syringes, food packaging, plastic bags and disposable razors. I wonder if any of the brilliant chemists who invented this material ever considered this after-use nightmare.' In Blue Planet II the story John produced about a dead whale calf carried by its mother, likely killed by plastic residues, touched a nation. It ignited an already simmering public opinion into doing something about the plastic choking our seas. John was surprised to hear it being discussed in the UK parliament the day after broadcast. Such a depth of response, a connection and empathy with the sea, showed promise for real change. What creates moments like this? What makes people sit up and take notice at a certain point in history, when all along NGOs and scientists have been telling us the same thing, and the signs have been obvious? Is there hope for the ocean's future? On our journey, memorable, touching and often funny moments with film crews at sea will help to explain our current understanding of the ocean and how little we still know about our home planet. At the moment John is filming sperm whales in the abyss for the Discovery Channel, devising techniques for the whales to film themselves and switch on their own cameras with their hunting clicks as they go through schools of giant squid. Also for National Geographic he's helping to plan new structures for living underwater, and as a possible base for a new immersive film series.
If You Hate Lawyers, you'll Love An Elephant In The Living Room - Is It Too Late To "Kill All The Lawyers"? The United States has drifted away from the Founders' concept of "We The People" to a nation gripped by the rule of Law. Nearly everything we do on a daily basis from before we're born until after we die falls under the cloud of The Law. Worse than that, in the past several decades The Law has deputized us into a legion of civil litigants and pseudo-prosecutors who have been conditioned to seek legal retribution for every conceivable wrongdoing of another. The problem? The Law is a shaky house of cards poorly constructed and self-affirmed by her well-paid practitioners, whose sole goal is to stir the pot of dispute amongst The People to feed the greedy monster called "The Law," and to line the pockets of her lawyers. An Elephant In The Living Room - Is It Too Late To "Kill All The Lawyers"? is one insider's view--one who's "been there, done that"--of The Law; how it hurts, how it hinders, and how it subtlely but deftly burdens The People with mind-boggling constraints on Liberty, Life and the Pursuit of Happiness. An Elephant In The Living Room - Is It Too Late To "Kill All The Lawyers"?, through both personal experience anecdotes as well as historically significant legal cases, tells it like it is in layman's language while offering inspiration and encouragement, empowering The People to take our Country back!
The military's focus on innovation and problem-solving has led to the creation of numerous items and technologies that have transcended the battlefield and become commonplace in our daily lives. This accessible reference volume explores 46 of these innovations, from duct tape to microwaves, focusing on the people and events that made each possible. Entries follow a standardized format that covers both the development and initial military applications of each innovation as well as its transition into civilian life. Readers will gain a better understanding of the challenges military leaders have faced for hundreds of years that have spurred these innovations, from keeping tabs on enemy movements to keeping soldiers healthy and well-fed. Each entry also explores the historical antecedents of the innovation, helping readers contextualize the evolution of objects and ideas. A carefully curated list of further readings rounds out each entry, pointing readers toward additional resources for more in-depth study. For readers wishing to focus on a particular category of innovation, a thematic list of entries at the beginning of the volume will help them narrow their search.
Eleven-year-old Isabel is a “plain old” girl living in Provincetown, Massachusetts, who believes that she is destined to accomplish something special. When her fifth-grade class goes on a whale-watch field trip, something amazing happens: Dozens of different species of whales surround the boat, bumping the deck and sending Isabel flying into the ocean. Isabel is shocked to hear the whales speaking to her—she is a mermaid, they tell her, a “Chosen One” who has the ability to turn from a human into a whale and back again. She is destined to live among the whales long enough to learn their ways, and teach them about the human world. Living among her pod is fun, at first, but Isabel has an important mission. She will change the whales’ future forever, and learn a lot about herself in the process.
Simple but elegant seafood recipes from acclaimed James Beard nominated chef and beloved Seattle restaurateur Renee Erickson One of the country's most acclaimed chefs, Renee Erickson is a James Beard nominated chef and the owner of several Seattle restaurants: The Whale Wins, Boat Street Café, The Walrus and the Carpenter, and Barnacle. This luscious cookbook is perfect for anyone who loves the fresh seasonal food of the Pacific Northwest. Defined by the bounty of the Puget Sound region, as well as by French cuisine, this cookbook is filled with seasonal, personal menus like Renee’s Fourth of July Crab Feast, Wild Foods Dinner, and a fall pickling party. Home cooks will cherish Erickson’s simple yet elegant recipes such as Roasted Chicken with Fried Capers and Preserved Lemons, Harissa-Rubbed Roasted Lamb, and Molasses Spice Cake. Renee Erickson's food, casual style, and appreciation of simple beauty is an inspiration to readers and eaters in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. This eBook edition includes complete navigation of recipes and ingredients with hyperlinks throughout the book in the Table of Contents, the menus, and the index.
In this beautiful story of kindness and empathy, loneliness and love, one creature finds that the help he needs is just a song and a sigh away. Now available as a board book--a perfect new baby gift! Whale's beautiful song winds its way through the ocean, reaching the farthest of faraways. His song is one of happiness and hope, magic and wonder--and Whale's fellow sea creatures are calmed, cheered, and lulled by it. But though Whale sings his tender song day after day, night after night, he wonders why he has no song to fill his empty heart. So when he lets out a mournful sigh, the ocean carries it like a wish through its fathoms, bringing it to just the right place. Filled with stunning art and poetic text, this poignant story reminds us that being kind and helping a friend in need are sometimes the most beautiful things of all.
Judith clerked for the Tennessee Court of Appeals, practiced for ten years, and then was named to a judgeship with a domestic relations docket. The problems began almost immediately, with her home being shot up. And then things got worse.
