Technical Difficulties by MoveOn.org's Democracy in Action.. I've not looked through the site to see what they say, but the Technical Difficulties site makes a direct statement.
Wisdom
"...I've found in my life that if you look for reasons to be offended, you'll find at least 100 everyday. But if you give a charitable attitude to those around you -- even the rude ones -- you suffer less stress..." - part of a comment Ann Salisbury left for Joel over at Pax Nortona.
I must be feeling better. Or, maybe I'm just feeling good because I decided yesterday that I would skip school today if there was snow on the ground. I told my teacher. He said the weather forecast was looking pretty good (no snow). So I said, "I'll have to think of another reason." And, I must have put out the "I won't be here tomorrow" vibes, because everyone said, "have a nice weekend."
Last night I felt so free. It was cool. I didn't have to think about going to bed in order to sleep enough before morning. It was great. :)
I wanted to try out the 'mock eggnog' recipe (a few entries down), so I went to the store to buy soy milk. I left with soy milk, but I was also the new owner of a bread machine, two boxes of 'bread mix' (just add water), a cooking thermometer (for the water temperature) and a bread machine cook book.
If you doubt my reluctance to spend time in the kitchen, I must say it is subject to change based on what idea is in my head. But overall, I don't use my kitchen enough for it to be a familiar sight to those who share my home. I'm sure my animals have not seen me use the kitchen for much more than setting out food for them.
I took the breadmaker out of the box and took the 'pan' out of the machine to wash it before using it. When I turned around from the sink, there were four cats (evenly spaced, all in exactly the same position, on the table and a chair) sitting completely still and completely silent, all eyes on me, watching.
I laughed.
The bread turned out okay. I put the leftovers in the toaster oven to wait for morning. The 'mock eggnog' was okay, too. I filled an ice tray with what was left from that and put it into the freezer to save for today.
I've had a total vacation day online today. It's been nice. :)
When I finally was hungry and remembered that I'm trying to do healthy things now (not like sitting in front of a computer all day! lol) I went to the kitchen to rework the creations from last night. I was a good little gadget girl. I fried/scrambled two eggs in the microwave and put them on bread that was toasted in the toaster oven after being baked last night in the bread machine. And, I drank the frozen drink mixed in the blender.
I realize for some people that's not a big deal. You do all those kitchen-gadget things every day. I don't. I always thought preparing foods took too much time and offered too little satisfaction (with the exception, of course, of when the mood strikes).
I took the tray of frozen 'eggnog' and put the cubes into the blender, poured some more soy milk over it to make it easier to chop and blend. When that was nice and creamy, I added a bunch of bananas that I bought recently for frozen fruit drinks (that were never made). The bananas did not even significantly alter the flavor (b/c of so much cinnamon and nutmeg), but they doubled the quantity.
I drank a big mug of this new frozen mix and poured the rest of the batch back into two ice trays. I'll take them out tomorrow, put them into the blender with a little more soy milk and see how the eggnog/banana mixure held up!
It's a never ending frozen drink that doubles every time you try to put it back into drinkable form! I think that's funny. The magic blender. I really like it that it's cold and sweet and tastes pretty good and has almost no calories. That's pretty cool. I could happily eat a quart of ice cream in a sitting. So, finding something like this little frozen drink idea is a great idea for me.
Oh, there is a practical reason for extending this drink with the bananas, too (other than to use them while they're still edible). Some of the information I've read about soy says that as wonderful as it is, you can have too much of it. Now I don't know of anyone in my world who eats or drinks too much soy. Most people I know are like me. They either don't buy it at all (thinking of soy milk or tofu), or they buy it and let it sit for a year or two and then throw it out. I really am delighted to have found a pleasurable way to prepare and eat soy.
The practical reason for extending the recipe with non-soy items is that some sources say you can eat too much soy. They say people should not have more than .... (I'm thinking the amount is 3 or 4 ounces of tofu in one day, maybe I'll find the references later). It is said to be harmful if eaten in large quantities over many years just as it is said to be a healing and heathful food when eaten in moderation.
p.s. - If you're concerned that I skipped school (I know someone will be), it's okay. I already took the class before. I was just going this week to sit in and listen again to catch anything I might have missed before.
But, of course you don't know, because I've just not been able to get myself to blog lately. What is the matter with me???? lol. How could anyone not blog!?
The 'soy products' blog is one that never was written.
On to the 'eggnog'.
It's so easy. It's a blender recipe. Have the soy milk (I used vanilla flavored soy milk) and the tofu (silken tofu) cold when you start.
Dump the tofu (a 12 ounce package) and soy milk (6 ounces) into the blender and let it do its thing until the stuff looks creamy.
Taste it. Boring!
Add honey (or the sweetener of your choice) until it's sweet enough for you (recipe says 1/4 cup).
Then, add ground cinnamon and nutmeg to suit yourself (recipe says 1/2 tsp of each).
Tumeric is optional (recipe says 1/4 tsp). Also, 1/2 tsp of vanilla was in the recipe, and I forgot to add it.
Actually, all the ingredients were twice what I've told you, but I cut it in half b/c I wanted to try it with 1 (12 oz) box of tofu.
It could be that I have totally forgotten what eggnog tastes like, since it has been a whole year (or longer) since I've had any, but this turned out pretty well. It was actually pretty good! Smooth, creamy, thick, cold, with a vanilla and nutmeg and cinnamon taste! (What a painless way to ingest soy products!)
I wonder if the single people went unnamed (since it would not be as important to other family members to tell that particular piece of information, but the life-partners made their loss public, because they lost a spouse).
If you looked at any of the pictures in the "Why I'm Not A Surgeon" entry, you can see that it would hurt to have those things (uterine fibroids) growing inside of you and it would hurt to have them taken out.
I've been trying to research the topic lately, and I've come up with a few repeating themes and a few thoughts.
1) Women need to make informed decisions about any action taken to alter their bodies. This information is not readily available from most doctors. My guess is that they are just too busy to tell everything they know (best case). And, they are trained to view a hysterectomy as a safe surgical procedure which has very few negative side effects.
2) There is an increasing amount of literature which suggests that women who undergo a hysterectomy without being fully satisfied that it is their best course of action are more likely to be less happy afterwards, especially if there are physical, medical, mental, emotional, financial, social and sexual complications following surgery.
3) On the other hand, women I know who have had a hysterectomy have said they've felt better since the surgery. I guess the idea is that there is not one 'truth' for all women when it comes to our bodies and our reproductive organs.
4) On yet another hand (three hands!), I'm reading a book that is well written, quotes many physicians (among others) and makes a good case for doing everything possible to resolve problems without choosing to have a hysterectomy for any non-life-threatening reasons. The author makes an excellent case for trying every possible alternative before resorting to surgery.
5) On the alternative treatment front, I am currently interested in the possibility that fibroids are caused (and caused to grow) because of the effects of estrogen in the body. The things I've been reading say that soy is a plant-based estrogen that is taken in by the body (binds to estrogen receptors?) more quickly than the estrogen the body produces. This is thought to be a good thing, because plant-based estrogen is only a fraction as potent as what the body produces. This leaves the body with a lot of unused estrogen to get rid of. It does that through the normal functions. The liver acts as a filter and removes it, and it is expelled in the body's waste.
6) The liver is said to be overworked by milk products and sugars and meats (and fats, of course) ... those things most of us like to eat. Also, milk products and meats and other hormone-treated food products may (or may not) have synthetic hormones in them that cause problems for the body. Also, I read that caffeine increases estrogen production.
7) I don't know how much of all of this is proven, but, I eat a lot of dairy and have been taking in a lot of caffeine while going to school. And, I eat lots of candy. The pain became intense (again) about a week before I posted those links to surgery pics. I've been trying to decide what to do.
8) I really don't like the idea of removing body parts if they are not diseased, except as a last resort. Surgery always has a risk (death, infection, scarring, damage to other internal organs). Removal of reproductive organs also has a risk because of the changes it makes in the body due to the loss of the function they provide (a delicate hormonal balance). I decided that I need to try every possible alternative before electing to have surgery. It might take longer for the problems to go away, but I expect there will be a more satisfactory long-term result if I can resolve the problem without surgery.
9) So, I've been working on a plan that involves cutting out (as much as possible) dairy and massive sugar intake to give my liver a break (so it can filter out excess estrogen more easily). I already don't eat much meat, so that is not such a big sacrifice. Giving up peanut M'n'M's is harder! :) I'm cutting out caffeine since it is thought to cause an increase in estrogen production. I'm increasing fibre to help rush that excess estrogen out of the body. (I should be eating a high fiber diet anyway. Fresh fruits and vegetables are high on the list for protecting the body against cancer.) And, at the end of all that, I'm taking in a lot of soy. If the theories about how the plant estrogen works, then I need to take in a healthy amount of it and get rid of most of the body-produced overly-potent estrogen. (This is NOT a vote for removing ovaries, because they produce many more hormones than just estrogen.)
10) I realize this is still not widely accepted in the medical community, but that book I'm reading has hundreds of references. Many of the people she quotes are doctors. There are many doctors who are recommending her book (both for women who are thinking about having a hysterectomy and for those who have already had one). As far as I'm concerned, it is certainly worth my time and effort to try to find a way to be healthy and whole before I decide that surgery is the option I want to choose.
11) Someone near and dear to me sells nutritional products. I've kind of given her a hard time over the years, because she is SO gung-ho about it. She totally believes in it. But, the thing is, a lot of their products have soy in them. I think it's worth a try. She is incredibly healthy. So is her husband. So are their children. She used the products before, during and after her pregnancies. I've never seen someone do so well with pregnancy and childbirth. She's an energetic person, but maybe there is something to it. :) ... just don't tell her I said that, okay? ;) I've not even told her that I've been taking it again every day for the past week (along with my other dietary changes), and I'm not hurting as much. I just hate those testimonials! :) I don't want to turn into one.
b) If you want to see what my nutritional-product-connection sells, check out Reliv.com.If you want to order some of it and try it out (they guarantee moneyback if you are not satisfied) call 1-800-RELIVUS. The numbers are 1-800-735-4887. If you're in the US, otherwise I can ask her who to call. If you do call and order, tell them you're ordering from Distributor # 219176701 (she might as well get the credit if you try it out). If you want to say 'tell her Rainbow sent me', you can do that. I don't know if they'll tell her (not sure if there is a place on the order-by-phone form for comments). And, she doesn't even know about this web site (but, I'll tell her if she finds out! I might even tell her anyway!). She's a total believer. If I can avoid surgery by using her products (adding soy, an assortment of nutrients, and more fiber to my diet), I'll be a total believer, too.
I don't think there is anyone on earth who doesn't want that same thing. We all want to be loved, valued, respected, cared for, enjoyed, appreciated, heard, known to some degree, and wanted. (Yes, I expanded it just a bit!)
I'm a store with empty shelves. A window display that hasn't been changed for weeks. And, there are still those who stop by just to see if I'm still open for business and to see if anything new has arrived.
Thanks for thinking of me. I do appreciate your visits. I'll try to find that blogging part of myself again some day soon.
Y'all come back now. Y'hear?
{{{ }}} and :)* <<< a hug and a kiss on the cheek for those who stop by because they like me and want to say hi as they pass through their day
You've all heard about that woman who is about to be stoned to death for having a baby without being married? Oprah and Amnesty International are trying to do something about it.
I agree with the comment posted by Ginger. She said, "Frankly, I think that all the preparation for sleep that is described would work wonders, without the menthol-water ...I made a rule: no worrying in bed ... Tough to keep, but it DOES work!"
A friend sent this article about how spammers are now using referral logs for blogs to gain access to more people. When you check the link to see who's been reading your blog, you are taken to a place you didn't mean to go and don't want to be.
In equally good taste ;) is a series of Redneck Neighbor stories. My sister sent me this link.
Apparently this poor guy (the one who writes the web page), has a neighbor who is not his favorite person in the neighborhood. He's been telling and retelling the stories so often to family and friends that he finally decided to just set up a web page so everyone can get the latest installment on the neighbor's activities.
So far, I've read about stolen construction supplies, poorly executed home improvements (complete with links to photos), chickens, dogs, basketball, mother-in-law, karaoke party complete with disco ball ...
Okay, back to reading now. :)
4:50pm - It's worth looking at, if only for the photos.
Another 'subject: humor' from the 'You've Got Mail' box.
There was a boss who was told by his boss that he had to get rid of at least one employee.
So he narrowed the decision to one of two new employees, Jack or Mary. He then decided to speak to each one privately, and let their reactions help guide his decision.
So he called in Jack, explained the situation and, of course, Jack said he didn't want to lose his job, but he understood the boss's situation.
Then he called in Mary, and said, 'Mary, I've got a problem; By the end of the day, I've got to lay you or Jack off...'"
And Mary said, "Then you're gonna have to jack off, buster, I've got a headache!"
You know what's really amazing is when someone 'Googles It' and this blog shows up on the 1-10 page (or even in the top 50). I understand when the search is for 'rain' or 'rainbow' since they are repeated endlessly, like the Pete and Repeat joke. "Pete and Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out. Who was left? Repeat. Pete and Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out. Who was left? Repeat..." Okay, you get the picture. At the end of every one of my blog entrys, it says "Rainbow". In those Google Searches, it shows up as a high value, because it's on the page so many times.
Here are a few that are not so obvious, and they still receive a high rank. Why?
A couple of people Googled (yes, I use it as a verb!) "duct tape holds it together". Top of the list. In the entire internet? How can this be? But, it's fun. (Yes, I am easily amused. Pondering such things is a great way to have a good time without spending any money!)
Someone did a Lycos search for CIGNAfoundation.org and this site showed up in the #2 position. Again, hmmm. And, "cool!" LOL
I think it's kind of cool. LOL. Yes, as I said, I am easily amused.
Okay, now I'm off to read about TCP/IP and Classless Subnetting. I'll let you know how many search hits I get from from that particular combination of terms. (I know you'll be checking hourly for the results! lol)
Could this be so? My stats said someone got to my site from Robinson Crusoe's Island. I've looked, but I can't see how. I think he might be a step ahead of WKen. It's hard to tell, since the entries are in Portuguese (?). But, I'm pretty sure he is in Brazil, and he has a camera above his bed.
Okay, well, I'm sure THAT got your attention. There are a couple of other pics there that would probably convert any of those die-hard Pamela A fans (Mike's friends). Oh, I remember now. That train of thought was on Karen's blog. Sorry I don't have the link to that particular post, but you'll have fun reading through her archives to find it.
Okay, and this last one is one I've been meaning to mention for days now. I have to say this is one great guy! The link is to his post from Sunday, October 20, 2002. Anyone would be lucky to find someone like he has described, and anyone would be lucky to be the adored one when the one who adores gives a description like he has given.
One final blogging thought... oh, the irony if the many people who keep searching for 'rainbow' or 'what is a rainbow' are school children fulfilling assignments from the teachers. Maybe they won't be savvy enough to get the education that might be provided by the links in this post.
I'm not sure where they did their research. Most of the people I know in this category live a lot closer to the official poverty level than to the affluence the survey people suggest. Then again, most of the people I know in most categories are closer to 'poverty' than the $85,000 mentioned in this article!
But, I do agree that any group that is not in the majority is an ideal target to be hit by advertisers. The down side is the cynical side, but the up side is that those who have been overlooked in the past have the opportunity to be courted and treated as being worthy of attention.
Ignore for a moment all the reasons to be against high-powered marketing that targets specific groups. Think only, in this context and just for this particular train of thought, that it is good to be included and recognized in some way that is designed to portray the target audience in a positive light.
I don't know that I've said anything coherent here! And, it's not even all that late! Hmmmm. Oh well. Maybe someone will say something more readable in a comment! :)
Here's one of the "subject: humor" emails I received today.
What Gender Is It?
ZIPLOC BAGS - male, because they hold everything in, but you can always see right through them.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE - male, because even though it appears useful for a wide variety of work, it spends most of its time just opening bottles.
KIDNEYS - female, because they always go to the bathroom in pairs.
SHOE - male, because it is usually unpolished, with its tongue hanging out.
COPIER - female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm up. Because it is an effective reproductive device when the right buttons are pushed. Because it can wreak havoc when the wrong buttons are pushed.
TIRE - male, because it goes bald and often is over inflated.
HOT AIR BALLOON - male, because to get it to go anywhere you have to light a fire under it... and, of course, there's the hot air part.
SPONGES - female, because they are soft and squeezable and retain water.
WEB PAGE - female, because it is always getting hit on.
SUBWAY - male, because it uses the same old lines to pick people up.
HOURGLASS - female, because over time the weight shifts to the bottom.
HAMMER - male, because it hasn't evolved much over the last 5,000 years, but it's handy to have around.
REMOTE CONTROL - female... Ha! You thought I'd say male. But consider, it gives man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know the right buttons to push, he keeps trying.
"God created the world, but Duct Tape holds it together."
I'm 'getting ready for school' (by checking email and reading blogs) and listening to Morning Edition on the local National Public Radio station. They're reporting that Duct Tape is effective in making warts go away.
Medical doctors did tests. They tested the traditional method of freezing warts against little duct tape patches.
In the test, they had parents put a little piece of duct tape on the children's warts for 6 days, off one day, on again. This worked better than the freezing treatment.
The story said these results have appeared in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The results were recently presented at a medical meeting. After the presentaion, the doctors passed out instructions on how to use duct tape to get rid of warts.
The researchers believe it probably works because the adhesive in the tape irritates the wart. Duct tape is thought to be so effective because it is sticky enough to stay on even during playtime and baths.
The study was done on children, but they said there is no reason to think the treatment will not be effective on adults, too. And, they said if there is no exzema or allergic reaction to the tape, it is okay to self-treat.
My aunt (a nurse) sent this to me. I went to the site. It looks legit. It looks like this company will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation if you click on the pink ribbon on their site.
The site says they'll do this up to a maximum of $100,000. Their pledge lasts through the month of October.
(text from the web site)
"The CIGNA Foundation is proud to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in its mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.
During October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the CIGNA Foundation will donate $1 for every click on the pink ribbon to the left, up to $100,000. This gift will be part of our overall contribution to National Denim Day, which solely benefits the Komen Foundation."
I want to know if Kara's entries are part of a novel she's writing or part of a collection of short stories. And if so, when and where will they be published?
Dan asks what motivates people to do certain jobs the rest of us would run from.
There are several who have been outspoken about this war we're getting into. Jason over at Negroplease.com has some thoughts, here's a brief word from Joel (Emperor Norton). Lynn (Empress Norton) speaks also as a pacifist. Ultra-Deb's Rant-O-Rama has a new post today about the recent events in the House and Senate.
My siblings, their spouses, and their children. They credit this book for what I have observed in their lives ... amazing parenting and remarkable children.
Never let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
I'm not a 12-stepper, but I have great respect for some of the slogans and traditions and values of 12-step groups and those who work the steps. HALT is one I heard years ago. I think it was in connection with eating disorders, but it really applies to all of life. I know it does for me.
What I like about it is that it's such an easy reminder that there are things I can do to keep my life and my actions and my choices in some kind of good balance. Taking care of myself is essential if I want to not turn that 'half-full' glass upside down and just pour ALL the water out! ;)
I'm not allowed to tell you about my former employer and how they treated those of us who were laid off. I think they've promised to hurt me if I do.
Instead, I'll just show you a newspaper article about a different company that seems to have actually treated their 'unwanted' employees well. I was not laid off from that company, unfortunately!
The author of the article about the other company has corresponded with others who were also laid off by that company. These are a few quotes I found interesting. They all reflect some of my own feelings about being a 'displaced worker' (what the Employment Security Commission calls me).
* "Strangely enough," one person wrote, "My mood through all of this has been pretty upbeat. My friends and family have been very emotionally supportive throughout this process. I get the feeling that a lot of people out there are going to bat for me."
* For some people--myself included--the high salaries offered by companies like Nortel are a honey trap that's hard to escape. But once circumstances make the decision for them, many people feel free to pursue more enjoyable and fulfilling careers. And they learn to live with less.
* For those of us who got hit by the revolving door, the tension of working in a layoff environment is over. The people still employed by Nortel have been putting up with that for more than six months (imagine how happy and productive they must be), and the recent announcement of another 10,000 job cuts isn't going to improve the situation. With the company stock now hovering around $8 per share, it's hard to believe that anyone is sticking around solely for the sake of his or her options.
And, this story looked interesting. It's a commentary on the how marriage is a package deal where you're not just getting your betrothed. Here are the last few pararaphs,
"As I said, you never know whom you're getting in the deal.
Whenever I'm at a wedding, I always glance across the aisle to the ''other'' side and wonder who they are and what dysfunction lurks there. I was at a wedding this summer in which the mother of the groom never spoke to the bride. I think that's a relationship that will work perfectly over the years.
One of my guilty pleasures is reading the wedding pages in the Sunday New York Times. I've done it for decades. I used to work with a woman who did the same, and every Monday morning we'd compare notes.
Do you think that family in Stamford, Conn., was happy that their summa cum laude-from-Princeton daughter married that guy who's a juggler?
But there's a new twist these days, with same-sex commitment ceremonies now being published in the Times' wedding pages. The first gay couple appeared just a few weeks ago."
"The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents have the hardihood to say they are not." Susan B. Anthony - 1873
This is from Zuly's Theology Thursday post yesterday where she gave her answer to the question "Where was God on September 11, 2001?"
"God is Powerful, but the power of God is persuasion. That is, God’s power is exercised not in the form of God pushing us along, but instead through calling events forth. God calls us – inspires us – to act in a certain manner or do a certain thing. God does not intervene to compel you to action. God is the One Who Calls , the energy that calls other energy forward into greater complexity and beauty.
God has a plan, but it is not a master, immutable plan. God has an intention – a desire – a will, and thus will. God calls us to participate in this will as co-creators (God needs us, because God cannot and does not act alone – we are all energy events in concert with each other.) God has to work with what God has been given. Thus – God is not controlling who lives, who dies, etc. The future is genuinely open, and neither we, nor God, knows definitively what will happen tomorrow.
And that is why I believe God was not absent. I believe God was with us, weeping. I believe God was, and still is, heartbroken. I believe that’s why the birds stopped singing, and it felt like the whole earth had stopped turning. I believe it’s because we are all so utterly connected to the Divine. And the Divine had a broken heart.
So what did God do, while brokenhearted on that horrid day? I believe God was present, comforting the suffering and inspiring the living to keep going. I believe that God welcomed the dying, with gentle, outstretched arms. I believe God whispered in the ears of volunteers when they felt they could not go on. And I know God was with me, rocking me gently as I wept."
I just read a post about getting angry easily. At least, that's the part I responded to. I used up so much space in her comments box, I decided to just copy it here and say it to everyone. My disclaimer is at the end.
"I have mixed feelings about this. Not feeling anything, or totally leveling out, would be a loss. At the same time, if you are intensely or constantly angry, you need to keep moving through it.
You said it well. You need to channel the anger, not only into a more useful mental state, but into finding a way to work for justice. If the anger is overwhelming, maybe the focus will be finding a way to not be consumed by the fire, but rather finding a way to be transformed by it so that you come out of it stronger.
Anger provides so much energy. It is a wonderful resource if you have something you need to accomplish. And, if you are at a block in your creativity, and you can put that anger into words or music or color or dance or some other form, it is not wasted or destructive. It becomes a force for good in your life. It moves you along the way to healing.
Also, it's so much better to feel (and acknowledge) the anger than to lock it deep inside and turn it on yourself. My personal belief is that anger acknowledged reduces the power of depression. It is a release for so much feeling that was previously forbidden, and it makes so much emotional energy available for other things. (You just have to make good use of those feelings once you become aware of them.)
disclaimer - If this sounds like I'm telling you what to do, I'm not. I'm just musing 'aloud'."
"A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert.
During some point in the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who was slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, 'Today my best friend slapped me in the face.'
They kept on walking until they found an oasis where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped in the face got stuck in the mire and almost drowned, but his friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he carved in stone, 'Today my best friend saved my life.'
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend said, 'After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone. Why?'
The other friend replied, 'When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase it, and when someone does something good, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever remove it.'
Against the shoulders of the mountains, mighty thermals rise ... clouds mass ... until lightning rips their bellies out. It rains.
Torrential flooding as if the world had turned upside down ... Sunlight breaks again ...
On the shadowed jungle floor tiny rivulets form ... raging over rocks and fallen trees ... plunge among rainbows into the cauldron heartbeat of the world. Desire is an endless river.
I was in it with her for a while, joined it seemed as if forever. Flowing together, the river opening out, always and everywhere her mind my sky, her eyes my fire. And then... and then the film broke. No sense, no reason, no way to stop her going ..."
This woman's work is based on the shadow described by Carl Jung. The basic premise is that what we cannot see in ourselves, what we admire or despise in others, is also a part of who we are.
Debbie Ford takes it a step further and says we should not only acknowledge the shadow in ourselves, we must embrace it and rejoice in it. And, in that acceptance we find freedom.
There are quite a few web sites that refer to this book and the theory (and practice of this theory) it presents.
Here is a good article from the New York Times. The only problem is, if you read this a day after it first appeared, you'll need a password to read it. But, it makes some good points.
Oh, nevermind looking it up! Here it is!
"BACKSLASH
It's Time to Turn Off Those Bells and Whistles
By MATT RICHTEL
Put down that SkyMall catalog. You do not need a juicer that has e-mail access. While you're at it, shove your cellphone, BlackBerry and other gadgets into the sock drawer.
You can pick them up again on Thursday.
That's the day after the anniversary of the terrorist attacks, a day that, among its many facets, lets us reflect on the mixed blessing of technology in our lives.
There's no doubt that we should raise a glass to the ubiquitous silicon chip for its dedication, dependability and overall contributions on Sept. 11. Cellphone calls from 30,000 feet and more than 100 floors up let some of us hear our loved ones for the last time. The phones delivered continuing reports of heroism. They permitted those of us a proverbial million miles from ground zero to call to tell one another: that plane just crashed into my heart.
Around-the-clock news updates — on television, over the Internet and through wireless hand-held gadgets — informed us on that day that our world was falling apart, and then that it would remain intact. For a few days, the one thing that seemed almost as important to us as kin was the constant flow of news.
The trouble is, we have so often abused technology and let it dull our senses. And so, on Wednesday, consider observing a moment, if not a day, of data silence. Pull the D.S.L. connection out of that forearm vein. Listen. Slow down. Understand that whatever it is you think you need, you don't absolutely, positively need it overnight:
• Do not instant anything. Your interpersonal relationships are not enhanced by setting a record for the sending and receipt of messages like "Hi. How R U," or "Insnt MssGng Is so kool!" When the urge hits for interaction, get positively medieval: write a letter. Write it on something that the old-timers called paper. Use your own font. Handwriting has personality — yours. Let "instant" be replaced by "anticipation."
• Do not call your orthodontist. If this sounds odd, you may not be familiar with the cellphone orthodontist principle. It comes into play when you are addicted to talking on the phone while driving but have run out of people to call. Eventually, desperate for anyone to talk to, you phone the guy who attached your braces in junior high and say: "I love what you did with my teeth. Are you busy for the next 40 miles?"
The point is this: On Wednesday, don't call someone unless you mean it. Save your minutes for Thursday. Don't fill dead air time with empty words. While you're at it, restrict incoming calls. Turn off the ringer. That person sitting across from you at lunch deserves all your attention. Pretend that he or she is a New York firefighter. Do not once say: "Hold on. That's the other line."
• Don't upgrade — anything. That empty nagging feeling you have? It's not the need for more megahertz. You will not feel any more connected to other human beings if you can see their virtual images more clearly on a new flat-screen monitor. Go outside and browse other people. Establish a wireless connection formerly known as the hug.
• Don't be caught on the 24-hour news merry-go-round. The round-the-clock, rapid-fire television news format has become a potpourri of factoids, rumor and important updates about what George Clooney had for lunch. On Wednesday, pull your head off the swivel. Don't be distracted by snippets. Read one entire news article start to finish, whatever the topic. Five minutes later, make a concerted effort to remember what the heck it was about.
• Don't multitask. Give your undivided attention. When you're nursing the baby, don't talk on the phone. When you're talking on the phone, don't check your e-mail messages. When you're checking your messages, don't clip your nails, browse the Web, pay your taxes, tell your mother you love her and keep running back and forth to the kitchen to see if you've received even more e-mail on your new juicer.
• Don't think about tomorrow. Forget about what advances are to come and whether you're falling behind. News flash: You're behind. Get over it. Instead, think about the past — not a year ago, but long before. Think about how technology, which has evolved into incredible gadgetry like cellphones, has evolved along another path into weapons of mass destruction. Think about how to use in-person diplomacy in your own life to settle old, tired, unnecessary disputes.
If you feel angry and vengeful, don't fight it. Use your destructive energy for good: Delete an emoticon. Kill a symbol. In its place, express a real emotion — good, bad or indifferent. Find the words — not symbols, acronyms or digital era short-cuts — that mean: I love you. I miss you. I'm sorry.
This Wednesday, keep it real. You can get virtual again on Thursday."
There are some interesting things being said on kalilily.net and on other places she has links to.
Here's an excerpt:
" ... what we're doing here in Blogaria. Women are gaining power and voice in a way that's never been before, and men are connecting in ways that are rare and special and human."
I'd like to just link to this, but I think it's an AOL Only site. But, go ahead and try, if you want to.
If it doesn't work outside of AOL, here's the article.
Have singles changed their minds about dating? Bridgette A. Cush, Love@AOL by Match.com
Involuntarily, September 11, 2001 became the first day of the rest of our lives. Very few things of such magnitude happen to us that are so beyond our control. In the aftermath, many people found themselves scurrying about here and there in an attempt to pick up the pieces that had been irrevocably lost — and changed — forever.
Numbness. Sorrow. Anger. Questions. Re-evaluations. Recovery.
In the days that followed, we witnessed a flurry of predictions — be it the infamy of terror sex leading up to a new-age baby boom or the real-life "Sex and the City" girls experiencing the Bridget Jones syndrome — one salient point slammed home to all single people all around the world: "Life is, indeed, too short..."
People were suddenly smitten by immediacy, the jolting realizations of their 6th grade "10 Things I'd Like to Accomplish in Life" lists had come full circle. "I'd like to get married someday…one day or sometime in life…" Life suddenly had an expiration date.
Almost immediately after the events of September 11, Match.com noticed that single women changed some of their thinking and practices regarding dating and finding relationships. As a result, women are becoming more proactive about finding someone to love and single people in general are now more open to ways of going about finding that someone. Possible solution: Online dating services.
Match.com saw a tremendous influx in traffic to its site, with new members in record numbers opening the floodgates to their heart's desire. And it's not surprising that hands down, people were turning to the things that truly matter in life. To hell with fancy cars and fat-salaried jobs, in times of chaos and crisis, Americans alike were reaching out for real arms to hold them and high hopes that those arms were reaching back.
Single folks who once enjoyed their singular status, those who were no more bent on finding a life partner than they were to coin their own flavor of ice cream, were starting to re-evaluate their romantic circumstances. The desire to become "coupled" had, at the very least, grazed the minds of even the most unswerving singles. One Match.com member who'd gloated on her single and fabulous lifestyle pre 9/11 reflects, "If I [were] hurt who would know? Who would go looking for me?"
It is not so unusual that major life changes prompt a bit of soul-searching, which is a catalyst for redefining priorities. And, according to the women using Match.com, some major realizations were in order.
"It can be difficult to obtain the real meaning of life, which is to live life. And we were meant to live life as couples, where we would share our experiences together, secure in the thought that our partner would always be there," one member said.
She isn't alone. Many members who posted their profile on Match.com following 9/11 referenced it in their profile texts. Some members, screaming their new-found perspectives and dating mantras to the top of their profile's headline, were clearly on a mission to find someone to share their thoughts, feelings and emotions — for a lifetime.
Match.com surveyed more than 800 single women and found that the type of relationship they were seeking migrated from something more casual a year before, to something more committed (or even marriage) in November 2001. More than half of the women surveyed said that finding a romantic relationship is more important today than a year ago, and most of the rest said it was equally important.
And not only have single ladies more consciously entertained fantasies of "Honey, I'm home," but have also become choosier when determining her "type." Just what does the potential-partner-most-eligible-to-put-the-H-in-honey do for a living?
So we asked. And 4,500 women answered. In another poll ran on Match.com, women were asked which profession made for the most eligible dates, and while not surprising that firefighters were in first place, we were a bit stunned to see teachers in the number two slot, beating out politicians, CEOs and stock brokers. In this case, traditional nice guys didn't finish last.
And just like that, single women worldwide began to exercise their given right to change their minds about all things dating. About the way she viewed life, about her opinions on who makes for a great date and where to go to find it. Could it be? The words we croon in our favorite sappy love songs or those anonymous clichés are finally having their day? Are the best things in life free? Is love all we need? Maybe. Maybe not. One thing is certain: Tomorrow is never promised. I guess in that regard we should take the advice of the famous Greek (or whoever said it) and "Seize the day!"
I really hadn't given much thought to finding a way to mark this date that has become a national catch-phrase. Too many people have used it for personal gain, either politically or economically.
But, for most people, there is also a personal connection. For some, it is a deeply personal and deeply painful connection, because they lost loved ones on that day. For others, it was a cause to reflect on life, death, this country, all of humanity, politics, spirituality, revenge, and forgiveness.
I'm not one to jump on any bandwagon if I can help it. I try to do my part for whatever I believe in by doing my own little things in my own personal ways.
This is what occurred to me today. What if each of us does something to change our own lives for the better, something to put us on a better path, something that will lead to healing and wholeness for ourselves. This will, in turn, spill over to those who are around us. That spillover will spill over, on and on and on.
This is why this thought came to me today. I am trying to get some financial assistance to help me go back to school to prepare for a new direction in my career. (Or, for the more direct, I need some new skills so I can be gainfully employed.) As it happens, the sign-up sheet for testing is full for more than a month except for one cancellation on one day ... September 11th.
My first reaction was that taking a test on September 11th, a test which will directly affect my future, would be like taking a test on Friday the 13th. This means, it should realistically have no effect, but it allows the mind to wander into superstitious shadows. I gave it some thought and put my name on the list for testing on that day.
This is where my 'idea' developed. This test directly affects my ability to pay for classes which will directly affect my ability to get a job in my chosen field which will directly affect my ability to pay my bills and continue to be a self-sufficient, contributing member of society. Going to school will directly affect my ability to pass more tests which will directly affect the amount of income I will be able to earn.
This all sounds terribly materialistic as I write it, but it did not seem that way as I thought about it this afternoon. What I was thinking was this. I will spend the anniversary of the end of the lives and loves and potential of thousands of people by taking positive action to improve myself, my skills, my confidence, my abilities, my potential, and my life.
The more complete I am, the more I have to offer others just by being myself. The more I can do to be all that I can be, the more my life can be a part of what is good in this world.
If this seems a bit over the top, just ignore me! ;)
If you can relate, I challenge you to find something you can do to bring healing and wholeness and some sort of personal development into your own life on September 11, 2002.
Do it as a tribute to those who no longer have that opportunity. Do it as a tribute to those to still do have that opportunity (in this country and throughout the earth). Do it as an act of grace and good will and as an offering of peace in this troubled world.
Aha!!! I just realized what I was seeing. My page was at the top of page three of the results! LOL. Well, at least that seems more normal. Why should my page show up before the person who hosts the show and the guest of the day?
But, you know what? The page for her show and the page for the book being discussed did not appear in the links before mine. Oh well.
If you've not heard her show, it's worth a listen sometime. She conducts some good interviews. And, she seems to be on top of all the topics she discusses. You can probably hear her on your local National Public Radio (NPR) station.
Do you suppose the hits that find me are any indication of what sort of things I'm interested in and blog about? It looks like the hits to this site from search engines (the ones that show up in my little sitemeter stats) are about physical and mental health issues. Art therapy, depression, bipolar issues, quadraplegia.
Today's hits were from two Yahoosearches. Bipolar + Husbands and Quadraplegic + Depression.
I was going to write a personal note, but maybe this applies to more than just the one to whom it was intended.
I sent something to a friend, and she wrote back asking me for the context. I don't know why I thought that was an unreasonable request. I'm not even sure I thought it was unreasonable. It's just that I didn't think I needed to explain it.
I said it was just something I had written. I said I send other friends things I've written, and they don't ask for context. I don't think she was happy with that answer. She said she'd just not known how to respond. She sounded like she really did have the best of intentions.
Sometime today, I was thinking about that chat and I realized that I want context, too. I need to know the circumstances surrounding things people offer me. I want to know what it is they are telling me and why. I want to know if they are looking for something from me. Comfort? Encouragement? My Opinion? An Argument? Nothing? I don't know why I thought it so odd that she requested some context for the little snippet I'd sent her.
So, when you read this, please know that I acknowledge to you and all that I believe you meant the best. I dismissed your request as trifling. I have since seen the error of my ways.
My friend wrote this, and is wondering why she got not response! Please respond here. :)
"Some time ago I bought a store brand ranitidine (is that pepcid?) and had the weirdest experience. The coating on the tablets tasted JUST like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms. Now I can't remember which store I bought them in! Anyone else have this experience?"
I wanted to link you to this post (below) on Kara's blog, but it doesn't have it's own reference number. It's short, so I'll just put it ALL right here!
"August 31, 2002
Saturday
After a fun night of music and dancing, she climbed into bed with the intention of having some seriously kinky sex with her girlfriend when she remembered she didn’t have one.
In the morning, as she returned from her daily 5mile run, she noticed one of the tires on her car was flat. She immediately went into the house and to the phone with the intention of calling her boyfriend to change the tire, when she remembered she didn’t have one.
The google-directed visitor of the day searched on RAINBOW RAIN. However you get here, Welcome! :)
1. Ananova - Meteor blamed for 'rainbow rain'
2. Biemme Winter Men's Clothing (Rainbow Rain Cape) - Trialtir, USA ...
3. Willkommen bei www.rain.ch
4. Sunlight Through Rain
5. Rainbow Falls
6. Simser's Spirit Rain from Rainbow Bridge
7. The Rainbow Story
8. Colors Of Rainbow (Phoenix)
9. The physics of a rainbow
10. Reading Rainbow Index of Programs
Why would someone do a google search on Nortel+humor+women? That's what I want to know. But, they found me. Go figure.
Maybe they were looking for all the hits they could get on that joke.
ps - Is anyone else having trouble with Raven's page? The URL is "http://watch_it_wiggle.blogspot.com/", but I keep getting a password protect signin screen for "http://wiggleblog.barrysworld.net". I cancel out of that about eight times in a row, then her page loads incompletely (with all her pics and images missing!). On top of that, comments are not working because of that security popup. On this side, that password protect has been popping up on my page when I open it (because I had her linked). Raven, if you read this. I've unlinked you because of that security popup. Nothing personal. Please let everyone know when that is sorted out!
Suzy said, "Just because you're in school, doesn't mean you don't have to blog anymore." I told her I'm pretty boring right now. I offered to blog about cables and switches and routers, but she decided to let me off the hook.
Today, I learned of a web site for people who enjoy folk music. It's called efolkmusic.com.
While you're at it, check out David Massengill. He's a folk singer and story teller who grew up in Tennessee and has spent his adult life in New York City. His music has been recorded by Joan Baez and the Roches.
If you like a folk music/blues mix, check out Dayna Kurtz. She's also from NYC. She performs frequently in blues clubs in Manhattan.
There was some discussion a few weeks back (through comments and posts in this blog and those of other people) about whether or not there is a need for special protections for gays and lesbians.
There are some people who suggest there is no problem (and therefore, there is no need for protection). The issue for me is not the question of whether there is ALWAYS discrimination based on sexual orientation. The issue is that such discrimination is still EVER acceptable and tolerated in this country.
Here are a few archived news stories about hate crimes directed at persons because of sexual orientation. These articles refer to physical violence. Physical violence against strangers comes from somewhere. In the case of people who are attacked because they are perceived to be gay (or for any other perception of being 'different'), I believe that violence comes from a hatred or fear that lives within the attacker.
I believe that people learn to hate. Children are good at accepting people and loving people until they are taught to do otherwise. Soulforce has a stated goal of ending the spiritual violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons. There is some interesting reading in these pages.
Francis told about a happy day that sounded like a delightful experience. I imagine there are those who would boycott such an event based on their interpretation of morality (based on particular religious teachings). What I see here is a group of people celebrating together the love of two people who are pledging their love and commitment to one another in the presence of family and friends. (Yes, this event was the marriage of a man and a woman.)
This comments problem has totally distracted me from the whole purpose of blogging. Well, I suppose that assumes the purpose is to spill one's guts or rant or present one's ideas as the correct one or whatever. But, I kind of got hooked on the feedback, even though it was extremely rare (except for the 'special rights' post).
I kind of like the feeling of connection (illusion? reality?) that comes with reading and being read. I love the internet and the possibilities it provides in the world. I do not deny that there are problems and abuses, and that it may be playing mostly to the lowest common denominator on many sites, but there is also much good in it.
What I like about the internet is that good people can find each other when geography, and a multitude of other reasons, would have otherwise kept them apart. Some view time online the same way they view television ... wasted time. But, that assessment comes, most often, from those who do not participate. I agree there can be an addiction to either. And, those who invest hours will defend that use of time.
For those who blog, the internet provides a step ladder at Hyde Park. Every person has an opportunity to speak. And, those who visit gather around that step ladder to listen to the words of the speaker-of-the moment. And, all without the expense of air travel to London! ;)
Ha! Busy? How about broken, non-functional, dead, down.
I've not seen any comments on this blog for days! Joel seems to be having the same problem, too, although I think I maybe saw comments one time in the past few days over there.
This looks like a great niche market for someone to go into (providing comments programs on dependable servers).
The comments have been in and out for days lately, mostly out. This time, finally, I'm not the one who broke it. They must be having serious server problems.
When they acknowledge it at all, it's with something like - [ comments off for a while ]
I left a comment for Darksyde and he left a comment for me, saying "Sometimes you worry me...how can you always be so positive?"
My response to him was something like this:
Am I? lol. I don't know. There are things that anger me, things that disappoint me, things that stir up anxiety in me. And, there are people who have hurt me and people who have done me wrong. But, what can I do about those things? All I have is myself. All I have is this moment.
I can't change anyone else's behavior. I can't undo wrongs that have been done. But, I still have my life. And, my life is only as good as I make it.
All I have is what I bring to the picture. I realize that every one of us (people on this earth) has both similar and differing circumstances. There are so many different ways we deal with those circumstances.
I know people who have lived, from all outward appearances, easy and comfortable lives, yet they are incredibly negative. I also know people with overwhelming financial difficulties and potentially life threatening health issues, who somehow manage to keep above the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness that sometimes accompany illness and financial struggles.
I have known people who killed themselves after years of struggling with overwhelming depression, because they could not imagine that life could ever be better than the hell inside them, a hell they lived with 24 hours a day. They had no hope for anything better. One of those people was a friend who was able to hide her pain from everyone. Once we were walking into a business, and she was talking about killing herself and talking about how everyone inside was so happy and she was not. She could not accept the possibility that everyone has problems and everyone hurts. As soon as we entered, you'd never have known she desperately wanted to die. Several months later, she was successful in reaching that goal.
I guess I think my life is only as good as I make it. It's up to me, here and now. It's my choice. Every moment, every hour, every day.
This is in no way a disparaging comment about anyone who is suffering from any sort of difficulty in life and having trouble with it. I am also certainly not saying that I am always positive, always happy, never angry, never depressed. This is nothing more than a comment about my conscious intent to live my life, as best I can, in a way that helps me find the best in whatever circumstance I am in. I try to remember that I have the power to make choices every day about an endless number of things.
I want the choices I make to be decisions and actions that bring more peace and more joy into my life, ones that keep me appreciating all that is good in my life. Maybe this is what you read as 'so positive'.
Or, maybe it's just that I use little smileys all the time? ;)
I saw a magazine this morning with photos of all the costume changes in Cher's current tour. It said this is her last US tour. She's 56. She's going to quit.
I like Cher. I never knew she had such depth and compassion until I saw her interviewed on a cable channel a few years ago. I was overnighting in a cheap hotel in the middle of a long journey by car. Visiting with Cher, even if only vicariously, was a delight.
She's a neat woman. She has a lot of heart. She's not afraid to laugh at herself. She's also sensitive and honest. She readily acknowledges that her stage persona is not who 'she' is. (At least not any more than to the degree that Joel describes.)
Anyway, back to the point. She's touring. I thought, "Maybe I can go see her in concert!" lol. It was a fun thought for a moment. But, the ticket prices!!! Ooh la la!!! $265.00 each for the good seats. $95.00 for the 'cheap' seats.
I asked my question to some people this evening. "Is sitting in your yard or lying in your hammock, when you know the West Nile Virus is in your town, an act of attempted suicide?" The response was a good one. Maybe. Who knows how much danger any of us are in?
The response was a listing of statistics and a reminder that the odds of getting West Nile Virus, even if bitten by a mosquito, are extremely slim. She said if people stay inside for fear of the West Nile Virus, maybe they should check out their paranoia level.
I guess I have a mixed view. It can be deadly if you have a compromised immune system or you're very young or very old. And, mosquito repellants do exist. So, why take chances?
At the same time, why miss out on one of the joys of summer (lying in the hammock) for fear of something that most likely will not affect you at all.
Wiping Out the West Nile Virus One Mosquitoe at a Time
After the excitement of the morning, I spent a rather uneventful day in my dark and furry (thanks to daily contributions from the menagerie) house hiding out from the midday heat.
I did take a break from life in the cave in the early afternoon when the sky was cloudy and the day seemed not so hot. I lay in the hammock and started reading the glossary in a new computer book I bought the other night. Yes, I know. lol. I fell asleep.
Later, after the sun began to slip below the treetops, I went outside again and resumed the hammock sitting and book reading. It's terribly difficult to stay stressed about anything when lying in a hammock. There is something soothing in the act of reclining in a cradle that holds me and rocks me gently while I look up through the trees and and feel the breeze cool my skin.
The zoo animals followed me outside, as usual, and placed themselves here and there keeping watch over my relaxation. In between the exciting events of my day, I had other unpleasant moments related to phone calls and personal issues, so it was good to be in my "all's well with the world" position.
The 'zzzzzzzzzzzzzz' started as the light began to fade. The mosquitoes were feasting, and I was the main course. I had prepared for them, in part. I was totally covered except for my arms and hands beyond my teeshirt sleeves. I tried to smash them. Some were quicker than I was. Some fell, appearing to be squashed, but I think they may have been faking it. A few left bloody spots on my skin by the time I destroyed them.
Now, I just want to know this. Is it an act of attempted suicide to enjoy the un-stressing experience of lying in the hammock when I know that the West Nile Virus is alive and well in my town? Am I on a path to self-destruction? Am I tempting fate?
If I start complaining of flu-like symptoms in the next few days, someone get me to a doctor, please!
A representative from the Red Cross called yesterday. As usual, I was a bit suspicious of an unknown caller who tried to confirm my identity before identifying herself. But, we finally reached the identity-confirmation stage, and she explained the purpose of the call. It seems the blood supply is desperately low, so they're calling people who have donated before to ask them to go to the local office and donate right away.
I agreed. I went. They verified my identity, took my temperature, and stuck my finger. At that point, I began slipping towards disqualification. When they sucked up a drop of blood in a tiny pipette and dropped it into the blue solution, it floated. Not a good sign. She sucked up some more blood and took it to another room so they could spin it out. I waited. No, not anxiously. I didn't really care if they didn't want me. I wanted to do my part, but I was not going to be upset if they didn't choose me. After all, it's not like not being chosen until last when your fifth grade class is choosing teams for kickball.
She returned. She said my number was up. Oh. No. That's not what she said. She said my number was too low. I don't have enough iron in my blood. Losing a pint would have made me feel like the dishrag I already resembled.
Just for the record, I wore a red shirt in honor of the occasion. Well, okay, not totally for that reason. It just happened to be close by when I was getting dressed, and 'for the occasion' was a fun idea.
She told me thanks anyway, gave me a list of food items I'm supposed to be eating already, and sent me on my way. On the way home, I stopped by the recycle station and got rid of plastic, metal and glass that I've been collecting just for that purpose. No, not collecting from the roadside, just from my own use.
Anyway, that done, I came home, exhausted from all my 'good deeds'. It's pretty bad when the high point of my day is being rejected as a blood donor and then dropping off recyclables! ;)
I realize that blogging at 9pm on Friday night is probably the ultimate in uncool. I'm sure you can name any number of other things ending in "ing" that would be so much more fun. To protect myself from the jeers of those who might actually have plans this evening, I have to say, "I do have plans, just not at this exact moment!" (yeah right!) "No, really! I do!"
Okay, I'm just feeling stupid these days. I messed up my comments and had to ask for help getting them back. Then, my site meter wasn't working. I sent a note to the webmaster at sitemeter.com. He graciously pointed out that the code was missing from my page. Ooops! I killed the sitemeter at the same time I killed the comments.
After all the hits earlier this week, never to match Karen or Crazy Tracy (of course!), I couldn't make sense of the"Visits Today 0" all day yesterday until my little oversight was pointed out to me. (He was very nice about it.)
Anyway, were you here between Aug 14 2002 9:46:41 pm (two days ago!) and Aug 16 2002 5:41:42 pm (today). I missed you!
Oh, look at this! I tried to find jadedju, and found jajdedju instead. Weird.
For a moment there, I thought Jill had moved to a dangerous neighborhood in Savannah, married a man, and had a house full of kids! Whew!
After talking about hearing gunshots, she tells of how beautiful the city is, wonderful for cycling:
"I stop here and sit near an old man playing a sweet saxophone and it feels good to be alive. I take the first part of the ride home easy as I enjoy the old architecture that abounds here. I cut through some of the parks; fountains, statues, monuments. Almost all of the statuary is deliciously decadent and erected in the 19th century. I really am astounded at how consistently beautiful this place really is."
Dr. Chari has corrected my comments problem. Again. Maybe I should be paying her a retainer fee.
I still need to do something about the format on this page. Too hard to read. It will be changed one day to provide a more pleasurable reading experience.
Check this out. I wish she allowed comments. I'm sure she'd have a ton. Karen? Tracy? I can see one of you running with this. Suzy, this is right up your alley, too.
What's All This Talk About Special Rights for Gays and Lesbians?
If you know people who are gay and you know about their lives ...
1) You know people who have lost a job or living space for no reason other than that they are gay.
2) You know people who have been harrassed or run out of town by people who didn't like the fact that they exist.
3) You know people who have been physically assaulted, sometimes sexually, by people who attack them for no reason other than that they are believed to be gay.
4) You know people who must always hide who they are and who they love.
5) You know people whose families rejected them because of who they are and who they love.
6)You know people who will never be respected or accepted for the personal relationship commitments they have made, people whose love and joy and commitment will never be celebrated in a huge ceremony and party shared by family and friends.
7) You know people whose children have been taken away by courts and given to their parents or former spouse because the courts said they could not be good parents because they are gay.
8) You know people who are preached against and called evil, wicked, perverts, and child molesters when they are none of those things and they simply want to worship the God they learned about as children, the God they grew up believing in.
9) You know people who can never decorate their work space with photos of their loved ones, people who can never say they were at the hospital with a critically ill partner all weekend, people who can never tell about their daily life as other people do for no better reason than that their lives are disrespected by others who believe there is something wrong with them because of who they love.
10) You know people who live their entire lives with the stress of knowing that many people in the larger population think there is something wrong with them and have a bias against them. They have this stress not because they imagine this bias against them, it is because they have experienced this bias repeatedly throughout their lives.
Even if you think you don't know these people I'm talking about, you do know them.
* When you tell a gay joke, or laugh at one, you are possibly talking about the person you are with.
* When you talk about "them", you are quite possibly talking about the person you are talking to.
* When you vote to NOT protect people from the indignities and abuses I've named so far, you are voting to NOT protect the people you know and see every day in your life.
You may not know that you know these people, because most try to keep a low profile so they won't lose jobs, living spaces, children, respect, family, or friends. Living that way takes its toll. It is hard for anyone to live in a way that requires constant denial and constant hiding, but that is what gay people are expected to do.
The attitude that says, "I don't have a problem with gay people as long as they don't make a big deal about it. Why do they need 'special rights'? Why can't they just keep it to themselves?" is an attitude that denies the very humanity of many, many people ... including people you know, people you grew up with, people you work with, your family members, your friends.
The people you would like to NOT protect are the people in your own life. It's just that you don't know it, because they know (or believe, because of past experiences) that it is not safe for them to live openly in this world.
Look around. Pay attention. Some of those people you want to not protect are people you care for. They need you.
