Art Cologne 1997: "The choreography of the show did not follow a linear pattern. Rather, it was designed as a circular loop and so resembled a ritualized action. The models took turns walking down the catwalk alone, always with the same number of slow steps and turns. Since the various pieces of clothing - printed with naked "skin" - were conceived as to be mixed and matched, it was possible to show the same piece in different combinations, and then, after the last round, the show could seamlessly start again at the beginning. The show was accompanied by the sound of spoken letters for the ASCII code used to represent picture fragments of the body." (http://www.inm.de/people/alba/couture/fashion.html)
Karen, of Pulp Friction, has been in training for days now, preparing for the Blogathon this weekend.
She's been in serious training this week, preparing for twenty-four hours of blogging. So far, twenty-nine sponsors have pledged a total of $400 dollars to support Karen's chosen charity, Doctors Without Borders.
It's not too late to join in the fun. Sponsor Karen and visit Pulp Friction frequently this weekend to cheer her on!
"Matrimonial lore says husbands never remember marital spats and wives never forget. A new study suggests a reason: Women's brains are wired both to feel and to recall emotions more keenly than the brains of men."
The moon is SO beautiful tonight. Full and rising behind the trees behind a haze of white. I walked my dogs with a neighbor. Then, we sat on her porch and talked while I watched the moon rise over the trees. Wonderful. :)
After you read the two entries that follow this one . . .
Check out Oddities, Inc for a long list of sites that may interest you if you're interested in "religious debate, religious research, religious satire".
I've read enough of the site to enjoy the humor. But, it is still scary. Why? Because, it's only funny because it really does represent a certain mentality. THAT is scary.
Here's a sound bite and another one that made me laugh. I'm going to try to take off my armor and just enjoy the humor. It's just all too close to home. I've been too close to fundamentalist Christianity all my life to be able to totally relax and laugh with it.
It's just sad that people can't use God as an excuse to LOVE other people. The website is a joke, a parody, but it still strikes fear in me, just as a toy gun that looks like a real gun would scare me if I saw someone aim it at me suddenly on the street.
Okay, those two soundbites came from here! LOL. The page for the ladies of the church! :)
Looks like now the only site you have to go through Francis for will be the organization that is trying to shut down the parody site. Let him take their wrath for the referrals from his site! ;)
I now know of a really scary website. I'm hoping it's a parody of the hatred and bigotry spewed by some people in the name of Christ. It's just so close to home! I KNOW PEOPLE who would go to such a church if it existed!!!. That is so scary.
I hope the scary church website is a joke. But, those attitudes are so very real in some people. It makes me shiver to think of how terribly people treat each other in the name of God. I guess that's what's so scary about that site. It doesn't have to be a real website from a real church. What it is, is a presentation of some very real attitudes held by SOME people who call themselves Christians (the ones who think everyone who is not just like them will burn in eternal hell).
There is another church group web site that wants to shut down the first website because they say it makes Christianity look bad. I say, the people who actually have views like that are the ones who abuse the name of Christ. Having someone parody of a fundamentalist church group, and point out how scary their beliefs are, is not what is scary to me (although that web page IS scary). The scary thing for me is that some people actually DO believe all those hate-filled things.
The funny thing is that the fundamentalist church that wants to shut down the website that claims to be a fundamentalist church says, as part of it's attack, that people should not believe anything that includes, "bad poetry, or other un-Christian sentiments" I'm just glad they've pointed out how to tell whether or not someone is Christian. ;) I never knew bad-poetry was a sign of a non-Christian. ;)
Check out How to Learn Swedish in 1000 Difficult Lessons to get the links to the other two sites. I just want to stay as far away from those people as possible! Let Francis be the referring site! ;)
If you had bought $1000.00 worth of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.
With Enron, you would have $16.50 of the original $1,000.00.
With Worldcom, you would have less than $5.00 left.
If you had bought $1,000.00 worth of Budweiser (the beer, not the stock) one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the deposit, you would have $214.00.
Based on the above, my current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle!
May 24, 2002 -- From Vincent Van Gogh to Sylvia Plath, the path from mental illness to creative genius has been well traveled by many artists and writers. Now, researchers say they are gaining new clues about the mysterious link between highly creative individuals and mental disorders, such as manic depression.
A new study shows that healthy artists are more similar in personality to people with manic depression than other healthy people in the population. Researchers presented the findings this week at the American Psychiatric Association Meeting in Philadelphia.
The National Institute on Mental Health estimates that manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, affects about 2 million Americans. The brain disorder is characterized by unusual and often dramatic shifts in a person's energy level and mood far different than the typical "ups and downs." Manic depression causes striking mood swings -- from overly "high" to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Major changes in behavior and energy go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.
"My hunch is that emotional range, having an emotional broadband, is the bipolar patient's advantage," says study author Connie Strong, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University, in a news release. "It isn't the only thing going on, but something gives people with manic depression an edge, and I think it's emotional range."
Researchers say the study is unique because it compared both healthy, creative people to similarly matched people from the general population, as well as to individuals diagnosed with a mental illness.
Using standard personality, temperament, and creativity tests, researchers analyzed four different groups: 47 healthy individuals, 48 patients with successfully treated bipolar disorder, 25 patients successfully treated for depression, and 32 healthy graduate students enrolled in creative programs such as product design, creative writing, and fine arts.
The study found people in the creative group and recovered manic depressives were more open and likely to be moody and neurotic than other healthy individuals. Researchers say these traits are part of a group of characteristics known as "negative-affective traits" that also include mild forms of depression and bipolar disorder that do not necessarily require treatment.
and her blog entry yesterday about the quadraplegic guy who is suing for access to the lap-dance room in a strip club.
Here are some of my thoughts:
Whatever happened to the constitutional right to visual appreciation and mental stimulation? Okay, no right to it, just every human's desire to not feel left out of the human race and the world of the living?
Yes, of course the lawsuit is a waste of everyone's time. However, I think he might have a case, if they frame it as an 'access' issue rather than a lap dance issue.
There are still way too many places that non-ambulatory people just can't go. It's the mind that makes us who we are. The body is a help or a hindrance, depending on the degree of ability or disability.
This lawsuit misrepresents physically disabled people in the same way that the 'extremes' of the glbt world misrepresent the rest of the not-heterosexual population.
That said, what (straight) guy doesn't want a naked woman right in his face? Maybe this is the only way he thinks he can get that. He's probably really lonely.
And, the winner is ... Rephah Berg of Oakland, CA. Her entry was great, too! Kind of like a literary version of the Darwin Awards, except the bad writing is intentional.
This is her winning entry:
"On reflection, Angela perceived that her relationship with Tom had always been rocky, not quite a roller-coaster ride but more like when the toilet paper roll gets a little squashed so it hangs crooked and every time you pull some off you can hear the rest going bumpity-bumpity in its holder until you go nuts and push it back into shape, a degree of annoyance that Angela had now almost attained."
The judges selected it as the winning entry, saying it "was a combination of something atrocious and appropriate."
I had been planning to go to a cookout. Was planning to go for several weeks. There was a rain date location, but I didn't know where it was. But, that was not important. The sun was bright. The day was hot.
I showered and washed my hair, even ironed my casual clothes, dressed, gathered my contribution for the food spread, drove to the house where the party was to be. Arrived right on time.
No one was there. No one. No cars. No people.
I knew they didn't leave because I was coming. But, it FELT that way. It felt like one of those little kid experiences where all the big kids run away and hide and leave you standing there alone and dejected.
I went home wearing my freshly washed and ironed casual clothes, carrying the food I won't have to share with anyone. I got online to look at the email again to try to discover what clue I might have missed about this party. It was there. I just hadn't seen it when I read it before.
I've found photos that explain the recent events of my life so much better than I can do in words.
I went to work on the day rumored to be layoff day. The rumors were correct. The angel of death moved towards me.
The children's poem says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Maybe that is true sometimes, but not when they say, "Today will be your last day of employment with this company."
It didn't help that I was one of hundreds locally, one of thousands worldwide. They still were destroying my life as I knew it. Trashing my place in the world. At least the part of it related to 40+ hours each week.
In one fell swoop, I lost my original reason for living here, my job, my income, my medical and dental benefits, all unused vacation, pay for time they had asked me to work on my time off, all other perks of the job, and my connection to the people I saw every day.
I'm trying to just pick up the pieces and move on, but it's not that simple.
I'd like to move on with my life, but there are a few minor details I have to attend to first.
Things will get better. I know I am better off being out of a place that will do such things to people and show no compassion and no remorse. They intentionally crash your life and don't even offer a hand up. They make severance pay almost impossible to get (might as well sell your soul to the devil). They offer no assistance with retraining for other jobs (knowing people had specialized training for their jobs and will not easily find comparable work). They offered no assistance with information about unemployment benefits or support groups.
Are these people human? Where is compassion in this world? Where is humanity?
I am most fortunate to have wonderful and supportive family and friends. I know they love me. They are totally with me in this, listening when I need an ear, encouraging when I need to be reminded that this, too, shall pass. The support of those who love me and care for me is comforting. I am grateful to have them in my life.
I am most fortunate to not be one of the "lucky ones" who didn't lose my job this time. Those who are left know they will be next. This company is on a death march, mowing down it's troops at regular quarterly intervals. They must keep that stock price up so that the CEO and others at the top can get top dollar for their stock option perks and bonuses.
I am lucky to not have that daily anxiety about impending job loss! Really! Even with NO job, it is a relief to NOT have that anxiety. And, I am fortunate to no longer have a boss who believed the only time a word to employees was merited was when there was a criticism to be given. It's hard to live like that. Ex-boss may not need any human kindness, but I certainly do. I'm glad to not have to live that way anymore. At least with myself, I know what to expect each day. I know how I will treat ME. And, I know that I can expect to be treated kindly most of the time, and appreciated for the good in me most of the time.
I just don't get it. Is it a power trip? They ask you a zillion personal questions and STILL they are totally unhelpful! What's up with that? It's like they want to to make it clear that THEY are the POWER in this situation.
Get a clue, ladies! (I say 'ladies', since I've not seen men in this job, and since other words that might be more accurate would be less polite.) Your job is not to inflict damage on people who need assistance.
I did, once, meet a nice person in that job. And, I was extremely grateful for her kindness and humanity. I wish all were like her.
Does anyone have any idea how to deal with front desk control freaks who have all your personal information and act without a shred of sensitivity or human kindness?
I didn't think they'd have them, but I went there first, because they're only a mile from my house, and they're open 24-hours. What would I do if I lived in a 'dream location' far far from everyone and I had one of those 'have to go shopping' moments in the middle of the night?
I suppose if I were out in the country I could just go out and lie back and look at the night sky. Surely that would reverse any need for 24-hour store availability. And, if I were in some cold place with snow as deep as my waist, I'd just go stir crazy. (If I planned well, I'd already have all the read-write CDs I could use for an entire winter within reach.)
But, this being summer and a middle-sized city, and this being my first time EVER to create a CD (with my new read-write CD gadgetry), this is a momentous occasion. And, yes, thank God for Aleve and other such chemical substances that make the pains of life seem inconsequential enough that being online again can be a pleasure.
Ooops! Pardonnez-moi for slipping into product endorsements. I really should have stock in the companies that make those two products. "Here, here! There's sugar and caffeine enough for everyone!" :)
Actually, I'm tired, but I'm so happy to have my little blog back again. Thanks again techie-girl.
I'm so delighted to have a new (to me) computer (for not quite three weeks now) and software I can use to learn new IT skills and this RWCD thingamabob to save my work on and send it to a friend who needs what I can create with my new toys. And, of course, it's wonderful to have my (furry) family all around watching over me at all times.
I don't know how to resolve the problem, and I'm just not up to spending hours investigating.
Maybe I'll have a surge of energy one of these days, and I'll find the motivation to find the answers. Until then, I guess I can just write my little entries on the blogger.com "edit your blog" page and hope that someday I'll be able to post them again.
Already Monday Four days without posting anything. That's a clue that I'm either incredibly busy or not feeling well. But, being a good-natured unemployed person, when I'm not feeling horribly irritable about recent events, I joke about my situation. When people say, "Let's have lunch one day next week," I say, "Call me. I'm available!" Not being employed isn't as bad as I expected, it's the income I miss. And, it's hard to make plans for the near future when everything depends on everything else, and nothing has a clear priority over the other things.
At least things are finally beginning to shape up. The resume is done. The order of preferences (for next employer) is pretty well set. The word is out that I'm looking. I have time now to attend to medical problems, visit long-unseen friends, and do some volunteer work.
I'll see family and more friends soon for a few days. I'll get my health and motivation back in line. I'll sign up for classes for the fall (evening classes just in case I find work soon). I'm working on projects for volunteer organizations (well, only one at this moment), and I'm hoping to expand that work as I expand my knowledge. Maybe that will lead to new career opportunities, too.
I'm trying to stay away from people who are sick of hearing about life without a job. They feel guilty enough for having a steady paycheck. I don't feel good enough to work anyway. So, I'm trying to keep my dialing finger away from their telephone numbers. But, in person, the same friends are still good company.
If I'm not employed soon, I'll be well on my way to learning new job skills and preparing myself for the next opportunity. I heard tonight about job openings in France. Hmmmm. That would be pretty neat. Am I ready for another major life change right now? (probably not just yet) I was thinking more along the lines of something local. But, maybe this is the next great opportunity. Maybe I should go for it.
Posting, just because I want to put something on the page. Too much is unsaid. Maybe better that way. There are many injustices in life. Like techie-girl said, reminding me, "Living well is the best revenge."
Revenge - A Story of Hope Against Such Darkness We Must Respond With Light
I'm listening to the Diane Rehm Show. The topic today is Revenge. It is a very good show.
The guest, Laura Blumenfeld, is a journalist. Her father was a tourist who was shot in the head years ago when he was visiting Israel. He was shot at a time when foreign visitors were being shot as a political statement to bring attention to the plight of the Palestinians. They did not see him as a person.
Laura told her family she was writing a book on revenge and moved to Israel with her newly-married husband. She searched through Palestine until she found the shooter's family. She introduced herself to the family as a journalist doing research for a book on revenge. She told the truth. She just didn't tell the whole story. It was a year before she revealed that she was the victim's daughter.
Therapists say the only satisfactory alternative to revenge is acknowledgement.When the family realized who she was, they were shaken. They thanked her for her deception, because that allowed them to see the face of the victim. This experience also gave her insight into the shooter and his family
Laura said, "I did not forgive him. That is not for me to do." What she says happened was transformation. She says there are not just two options, forgiveness and revenge. She said there is a third option, transformation, leaving the hurt and the humilation behind and moving on with one's life.
She said her mom saw that she liked the family even though her original quest was to get revenge. The concept of restorative justice seems to be taking hold in some places around the USA. There are a number of programs throughout this country where people are allowed to speak publicly of their pain and be acknowledged. She learned to know the shooter and his family, and she grew to have a fondness for them and friendship with them. Her mom pointed out to her that it was not only the shooter's family that was changed by this experience, but Laura also was changed.
Imagine a world where this technique is used in everyday life. Imagine the CEOs and auditors of the big corporations having to sit for hours and days listening to the pain of the people they have hurt with their greed and mismanagement. Think crooked CEO = "offender", employees who lose their life savings because of falling stock prices and employees who give years of their lives to the company only to be laid off as the 'victim', and their family and friends as the 'community'.
Through restorative justice, victims, communities, and offenders are placed in active roles to work together to...
* Empower victims in their search for closure
* Impress upon offenders the real human impact of their behavior
* Promote restitution to victims and communities
Dialogue and negotiation are central to restorative justice, and problem solving for the future is seen as more important than simply establishing blame for past behavior.
Balance is sought between the legitimate needs of the victim, the community, and the offender that enhances community protection, competency development in the offender, and direct accountability of the offender to the victim and victimized community.
A week after the first morning after, things are much better. I'm over the initial shock. I'm past the anger I felt when I realized how calculated and heartless these things are.
It's not like I didn't know. I've watched it happen for years. But, I never knew the inside story. I never knew how totally and completely they try to rip away your life and your sustenance in one fell swoop.
I'm still angry at what they did, but it's more of a mental thing now. I'm not feeling the anger. And, maybe the rage was because they tried to take everything away from us and leave us with nothing. I realize that's how it's done, but that does not make it moral or ethical. It is only legal because those who made the laws were not leading with hearts of morality and they did not value ethical treatment of people for each other above the opportunity to satisfy a desire for personal gain.
But, I digress. So, maybe I AM still a little unhappy about how dirty this deal was. But, the thing is, my choice has been, from the moment that kiss of death was given, to not allow them to make me a victim of their greed. "I will make something good out of this," has been my creed this past week.
The really wonderful thing in all of this has been that I have been surrounded, in person and in spirit, with a whole host of family and friends who love me and support me. That has been amazingly wonderful. I have had a wonderful week, this first week of unemployment in over twenty years. Even with the struggle to make sure I'm taking appropriate action to get my life back on track career-wise, it has been a good week.
You're a Spiritual Wizard
You are on a journey to investigate who and what really matters in your life. In the beginning, everything seems to work. After a while, though, you are better able to recognize the focal point of your passions.
The passionate you requires a flexible, unconfining environment so that you can review all the facts before you arrive at an answer. You allow solutions to unfold without imposing your own will or agenda.
The centered you contemplates how to better direct your life. You know the advantages and consequences of taking an action. When all is quiet within, you decide where to make positive changes.
The emotional you needs to feel grounded. Reality can be disappointing. Accept each situation's truth and each person's motivation before you act. Ensure that your empowering determination is focused on agendas that can be accomplished.
Life is not to be endured, life is to be enjoyed and embraced.
Letting the Cycles Flow
Life is cyclical, not static. Our relationships benefit when we allow them to follow their own natural cycles.
Loving Ourselves Unconditionally
Love yourself into health and a good life of your own.
Love yourself into relationships that work for you and the other person. Love yourself into peace, happiness, joy, success, and contentment.
Love yourself into all that you always wanted. We can stop treating ourselves the way others treated us, if they behaved in a less than healthy, desirable way.
People who love themselves are truly able to love others and let others love them. People who love themselves and hold themselves in high esteem are those who give the most, contribute the most, love the most.
Embrace and love all of yourself -- past, present, and future. Forgive yourself quickly and as often as necessary. Encourage yourself. Tell yourself good things about yourself.
Pat yourself on the back when necessary. Discipline yourself when necessary. Ask for help, for time; ask for what you need.
Learn to stop your pain, even when that means making difficult decisions. Do not unnecessarily deprive yourself. Sometimes, give yourself what you want, just because you want it.
Stop explaining and justifying yourself. When you make mistakes, let them go. We learn, we grow, and we learn some more. And through it all, we love ourselves.
We work at it, then work at it some more. One day we'll wake up, look in the mirror, and find that loving ourselves has become habitual. We're now living with a person who gives and receives love, because that person loves him- or herself. Self-love will take hold and become a guiding force in our life.
