Friday List!

Sarah's List:

Lots of buzz in Kinshasa about the M23. Here's the latest. While we're happy for our friends in the Middle East, we're wishing they could just tack DRC onto their cease fire agreement. Those things are easy to amend, right?

Phil Moore/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Looking for a distraction from violence? Then, don't look here. Unless you are interested in seeing disturbing works of art by female artists. Yikes!

Artemesia Gentileschi – Judith and her Maidservant

I love Skymall magazines. I play a game similar to his Skymall game in which I imagine showing any ad to Mama Youyou. And then her uproarious laughter. Take for example for the Mixed-Breed Dog DNA Test Kit. It's only $74.99! What Mama Youyou? You could feed your family for a month for this? But imagine the peace of mind knowing your dog's breed!

Watch what happens when you give thousands of stickers to thousands of kids. Before the first dot. And after.

A Project of Artist Yayoi Kusama

Did you know there's an interactive website letting you know where you're most and least likely to get travelers diarrhea? Oh yes. And it's called Traveltrots.

Image from HowStuffWorks

And remember as you wrap up those Thanksgiving leftovers, the best things come in Cellophane. Even babies.

From the Saturday Evening Post via Retronaut.com

Jill's List:

Look back at Sarah's first photograph.  At the photo credits. Who is this insane photographer?  Seems crazy to go around sandwiching yourself between refugees and rebels on purpose - armed with a camera in countries suspicious of documentation.  But in situations like Goma, a photo means far more than changing words and unreliable facts.  Read more about Phil here.  Or, if you want his latest, real-time, perspective try his @fil Twitter feed.

(Just realized that Phil & I are the same age.  Oh man.  Must up my game a bit.)

Images from Phil Moore's professional website.

Meanwhile, here in Kinshasa, the sisters and the mamas are having their say on the state of the country. The "Sisterhood of Bereavers" have been protesting at the gates of MONUSCO since the 21st.

"M23 bereft us of Goma. And we're here to mourn till MONUSCO restores our beloved city to us!" 

Image from JJ Bola Twitter feed

Amazing photo essay on "la Chute de Goma."  (By Phil Moore - see above.)

Image by Phil Moore for Al Jazeera.

We picked a bowlful of les haricots verts from our little garden yesterday.  Honestly, we had about zero hope of actually eating anything from our garden, as growing things in a rainforest is way harder than you would imagine.  The tomatoes look awesome for now, but I'm betting 1000FC that some scourge takes them down before we get a bite.  Then again, Mupwa is pretty amazing...even Mama YouYou says so.

It should be noted that I suffered approximately 5 black fly bites in the 30 seconds it took to snap this photo.
Oh, how I suffer for art.

Lou's getting a new dress.  Mama Vida about choked when she saw the original price of the dress I showed her an as style example...

Dress photo from Makie.

Lou has suddenly reached the age where watching movies is captivating.  Until now, I actually wished she would sit around transfixed by a screen in such circumstances such as airplane trips.  Her obsession?  Didou.

On the search for fairy lights.  Unfortunately, gaudy and unbelievably expensive are what is available here.  Think $60 for a 10 foot string of multicolored LED lights.  I was thinking something more along the lines of this to get us in the Christmas spirit:

These expensive, but far-from-gaudy, fairy lights can be found here.
Wish they were 220V...sigh.

And, in case you haven't yet visited one of our most popular posts ever...  Go here.  And check out the comments.  Yes, that's right.  Woodward's Gripe Water READS MAMA CONGO.  Folks, this is huge.