Re: Bad Martha --- way way way off topic

Where I teach (San Francisco Art Institute) is a "fine-arts-only"
environment.
We contract annually with a NY based company to hold sessions informing
us of art materials handling, dangers and disposal. Minona, the woman
who does the series of lectures, points out none of the materials are
really safe. And, safe means what we might think as kind of silly
handling . . like sticking your hands in the developer. Was it Ed or
Brett Weston (you'll know Steve) who held a certain pride in black
fingernails stemming from Amidol use in the developer.
Further, Minona points out that nomenclature for common household items
such as 'organic', 'biodegradable' et al, are not actually. An
interesting point was that the laundry detergent industry had many
phosphates which became evident in canals, streams, etc. due to its
foaming. Industry removed it but now what is in there in the streams is
invisible. I am sure most of you know of birth control hormones pass
through sewage disposal plants and downstream fish have been noted to
have either changed sex or be hermaphroditic.
Too, we have friends who thought sushi to be a way of life and after
consuming it three to four times a week developed weakness and hair
fallout. Doctors found mercury poisoning from eating the fish.
I only point out these anecdotes so that we all realize involvement
with chemicals that are manufactured on a constant basis is not good
for us. Even sulfites in wine caused labels to be placed on them as
warnings to pregnant women.
In other words, Stuart is right . . we all should be careful in our
darkrooms.
Jack

Now do I really have to ask whether we need any more
proof that the fumes from the chemicals we alt
photographers breathe do harm to our minds?

Where's Susan Powter when we need her. We need to
"stop this insanity"!

I suggest that we start a fund to send alt
photographers to the open spaces to breathe fresh air.
I think that Jack runs a camping trip into Neveda (?
or some place out west, I forgot to turn on my
darkroom exhaust fan today) -- which should be plenty
of fresh air. Unless there is still trace radiation in
the air that may interact with the alt chemicals.

Argon3, I think you should be our poster boomer (child
just didn't seem appropriate ). Just post a jpeg on
your website (remember attachments to this list are
not permitted) and we'll (or at least someone, I hope)
will design the poster. I'm going to be too busy this
weekend shovelling snow.

Stuart
Received on Sat Jan 22 10:39:08 2005