Thursday, March 31, 2005

Simple Pleasures

  • Long runs during warm summer thunderstorms
  • Hot showers on cold mornings
  • Glazed chocolate cake doughnuts
  • Watching a dog sneeze
  • Hugs
  • Organic Fuji apples that are so crisp and ripe the juices run down your hand
  • Pretty full skirts and cute sandles
  • A red umbrella on a dark stormy morning
  • The last stitch on a newly knitted scarf
  • Handstands
  • Winning a set of Strawberry Shortcake glass tumblers on ebay for $4.25
  • Winning the matching Strawberry Shortcake juice carafe for $3.75
  • The overtones created when two people sing in harmony
  • A very good cry
  • Baking bread smell
  • Grocery shopping
  • Warm socks straight from the dryer
  • Making someone laugh
  • Playing a new song, from start to finish, on the guitar without making one mistake
  • Having someone gently brush the hair out of my eyes
  • Buying a new CD and playing it to the end without feeling the need to skip a song
  • Falling asleep while someone else drives
  • Getting your back scratched
  • Walking around barefoot
  • Sticking your first Pincha Mayurasana in the middle of the room after only 6.5 years of trying
  • The threat of rain
  • Having your head cradled
  • 64 count boxes of Crayola crayons
  • Being read to
  • Unsweetened, unsulfured, dried pineapple rings (preferably from Trader Joe's)
  • Singing to a child
  • Making dinner for someone you love (or at a minimum like)
  • Hand washing dishes
  • Seeing someone offer a seat to a pregnant woman/elderly person on the subway, or offering your own seat
  • Karaoke
  • Painting at 3AM whilst MTV plays in the backround
  • Natural Peanut Butter (preferably Trader Joe's) and Strawberry Preserves (preferably Bonne Mamon) sandwiches
  • The smell of someone's neck when you go in for a hug (provided they are relatively clean)
  • Freshly squeezed watermelon juice
  • Finding forgotten money in a coat/trouser pocket
  • Good porn
  • Magazines
  • Poetry slams
  • Having a cute someone stop you on the street and ask you out on a date
  • My friends' blogs
  • A nice debate about...almost anything
  • Dressing up every once in awhile
  • A fresh orange about four days into a long hike
  • Free email
  • Learning new words

Monday, March 28, 2005

Petting the Ego

Please get your minds out of the gutter!!!

I'm quoted in an article!

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Busy Times = Quiet Times

Posting will be a little sporatic over the next several weeks as I have become quiet busy. Business trips, shakes and shimmies, new opportunities etc... etc...

I have been writing a lot though, so I may post an occasional story or poem. I wish I could post pictures as I've been doing a lot of drawing/painting and I'd love to share some with all of y'all. Unfortunately, I'm quiet technology retarded.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Living Will

While I don't like to be too predictable...I gotta keep you on your toes!...most anyone who knows me probably already knows how I feel about all the nastiness going on in Washington DC these last couple of days. There is already enough being written about the destroyers of freedom so I'm not going to add to the hurly burly.

However, I am going to comment on a little side bar that seems to get lost in the minutae of everything else...why Terri Schievo's heart stopped in the first place. In 1990 her heart stopped, most likely due to a potassium imbalance caused by an eating disorder. A potassium imbalance is one of the many life threatening side effects of years of bulimia and anorexia. Few people realize that people who suffer from eating disorders, of all psychological disorders, have the highest mortality rate...higher than people who suffer from depression. Think about this for a second. All the media attention of late has focused on her post-heart failure life. However, if you consider that Terri Schievo was likely a victim of bulimia or anorexia...her life pre-heart failure wasn't all glowing and lovely. The life of a bulimic/anorexic is not a happy one...I know from personal experience. It's a desperate existance...you feel as though your life is spiraling out of control. Desperate to control something, you turn to your most precious belonging...your body...and you slowly destroy it. You hate what you see every time you look in the mirror...nothing is good enough. You are constantly tired, constantly hunger, constantly neurotic, never at peace, never at rest. Your thoughts are solely focused on food, exercise, and your own imperfections. I know a great many people who have/currently suffer from eating disorders and several have suffered irrepairable damage to their hearts, livers, and kidneys due to their constant starvation. In order to reach a physical state where a chemical imbalance would actually cause a heart failure, someone must be actively bulimic for years, or actively anorexic for months - possibly years. The human body is exceptionally intelligent and will do almost anything to preserve itself. What psychological hell was Terri Schievo living prior to her heart failure? No one but her husband really knows. This whole case is a very sad ending to what was likely a very sad existance.

Monday, March 21, 2005

SPRING!!!

Before I forget...

IT'S SPRING!!!!

I'm currently writing my spring love manifesto but it's gonna be a crazy couple of weeks for me so I'll not likely get it out until mid-April. In the meantime:

IT'S SPRING!!!!

Which means...

The lovely spring smell has started...part rain, part green, all goodness.
It's almost skirt season.
Warm rain runs are just around the corner.
Did I mention the spring smell?

This is what I missed when I lived in SF. It was always too nice...you take it for granted. I love seasons!

Here's another thunk for the day...

The greatest act of social rebellion and discent is to live uniquely, rejecting all the established gender and cultural roles that do not honor who you want to become. No one should be made to feel guilty for being too masculine or feminine, too gregarious or too taciturn, too intense or too lackadasical...if the choices make them happy. It's not about simply embracing your whole self, it's about realizing that bringing your whole self to every aspect of your life - professional, familial, fraternal - can create massive, unprecedented social change. It's not simply about being the change you want to see in the world, it's about bringing it on.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Strong Women

  • What is it about strong women that so intimidates people of both genders?
  • Why are women who aggressively and passionately pursue their dreams and desires so frequently characterized as unfeminine, bitches, castrating man-haters, and frigid?
  • Why do so many organizational constructs (whether they be regligious, polticial, or capitalistic) struggle with the idea of sharing power and leadership with smart, grounded, present women?
  • Why do so many able, competent, brilliant women feel they need to purposefully "dumb themselves down" in order to be widely accepted?
  • Why do we teach women and young girls to see other capable women as competition?
  • Why can't Muslim women lead prayers?
  • Why can't Catholic women become priests?
  • Why can't an orthodox Jewish man touch his wife when she is mensturating?
  • Why does it seem like a situational oxymoron to talk about hiking boots and stilletos in the same breathe?
  • Why are stay-at-home mothers shunned for not having "real careers"?
  • Why are little girls told they can't do math?
  • Why does everyone assume that Carly Fiorino's departure from HP had something to do with her gender?
  • Why do most people, upon reading my resume, assume I'm a man?
  • Why is it that marriages between two individuals where the man makes less than the woman statistically more likely to fail than the reverse equation?
  • Why is it assumed that the woman will change her name or at the very least hypenate?
  • Why do most children have their father's name?
  • Why hasn't the medical industry figured out a way to make the menopausal process more comfortable but we have 3 or 4 drugs to help old farts get it up?
  • Why are women less likely to negotiate their salaries?
  • Why are most culinary school graduates men?
  • Why are only 1/3 of all MBA graudates women?
  • Why do men feel the need to ask me if I need help everytime I use the free weights in the gym?
  • Why do countries like China and India continue to practice infanticide against baby girls even when they currently face signficant gender inbalances?
  • Why are the boys I go camping with always surprised to learn that I can carry just as much weight as them and still keep up?
  • Why are women of color more likely to succeed than their male counterparts?
  • Why did nearly all of the media reports about Martha Stewart mention the 20 lbs she lost in prison and her new svelte size 12 body?
  • Why haven't we had a female president yet?
  • Why did Billy Graham (not the pastor) cry when I beat him at arm wrestling in the 3rd grade?
  • Why does this country have such horrible paternity leave policies?
  • Why are sexually experienced women considered undesirable?
  • Why do men want (as the rapper Ludacris so poetically phrased) "a lady on my arm and a freak in the bed?"
  • Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side?

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Exciting News

I've got some very good news that I'd like to share but I'm afraid to jinx it. So I'm gonna wait until it's all over before I announce the goodness. Oh course, most of you probably already know what I'm talking about.

It's gonna be an interesting 2.5 weeks!

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Observation of the Day

When did the Victoria Secret's mannequins become anorexic?

I had a couple of hours to kill earlier today and decided to stroll into the flagship Victoria Secret's store on 34th St. As I walked around I couldn't help notice that the mannequins were decidedly tall - about 5' 10" and painfully thin. I would guess they were a size 2. To top it all off the mannequins had visible hip bones that would cause paper cuts and visible front and back ribs - BACK RIBS!!! From my guesstimation, if the mannequins were real women, they would all average about 110 - 115 lbs. That translates to a BMI (body mass index) of under 15 - which would be considered severly underweight (anorexic). Healthy women are supposed to have BMIs of 21 - 25. By comparison, I'm 5' 7", 143 lbs and have a BMI of 22.5. My body fat percentage is 21%. Women usually stop mensturating when their body fat percentage drops below 16/17%.

It's obvious the mannequins were based on models and other celebrity starlets. Are the mannequins supposed to represent the ideal woman? Is this what we have reduced ourselves to? A country were the majority of the woman are borderline obese, yet the models of beauty are severly malnourished?

Why don't we idealize healthy women? Women who are physically strong, who eat, and who have a body that is attainable and real! Above all else, we need women who are real, who love their bodies and relish every variation, change, and strength.

I'm the first to admit that this country has serious obesity issues but it doesn't help the cause when the fashion industry flaunts unrealistic and unhealthy models of beauty.

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

I am po...

I am so poor I can't even afford the "R"...it's on lay-away.

Fact:
I went to graduate school
I just purchased a new apartment
I'm single
I work for a non-profit

Thus, I introduce you to the...

Top Ten Part-time Occupations I Have Seriously Considered To Pay-off My Debt...

10. Stunt tester for the Reality Show "Fear Factor".
9. Token Asian spokesperson (paid) for George W.'s political policies.
8. The baby-mama of an athlete/rapper/actor/billionare real estate tycoon with a bad weave.
7. An egg donor...and on the plus side I would be giving a couple "The gift of life."
6. Rap video hoochie girl...Unfortunately, my general lack of "T" and "A" disqualifies me.
5. Catwoman.
4. A mail-order bride.
3. A Mary Kay Cosmetics sales rep...Pink is my color, isn't it?
2. The spokesperson for Trim-Spa...wait, that job has already been spoken for.
1. "Escort"...I'm changing my name to Destiny LaRue tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

For A Friend

This goes out to my friend...you know who you are.

I don't want to assume that I know what shadow has befallen you. But I hope the knowledge that you are loved and cared for brings you some comfort right now. Your sadness darkens my soul because that is the way of friendship. I hope my equinimity brings some softness to your heart.

Monday, March 07, 2005

I never

I never claimed to be simple, laid back, or easy
I never said I always chose the path of least resistance
I never denyed my complexity or compulsions
I never wanted to be perfect

BUT

I do keep things interesting
And occassionally I can make people laugh

In the air

Is it me, or did anyone else sense some really weird mojo in the air this past weekend? Ever since last Wednesday night/Thursday morning I've been picking up some crazy vibes - and not good crazy. It's been making me all edgy and snappy and I've not been in a vibrant, happy mood for a number of days now. Luckily I didn't have to interact with many people over the weekend. Well, this explains the really moody blog I posted on Friday.

Weirdness.

Friday, March 04, 2005

All the news thats fit...

I'm such a little current events whore. Here are some other topics that have made me very happy and very sad over the past couple of weeks.

Who knew the Supreme Court could gets things right every once in awhile. How surprised (and completely ecstatic) was I to learn that they actually found the execution of juveniles to be unconstitutional. This follows their 2002 ban on the execution of mentally retarded defendants. Could it be possible that capital punishment might be banned entirely some day? Oh...what a glorious day that would be.

On a completely different note, have you read about the shit going down in Kansas. In case you haven't, here's a summary. The Attorney General of Kansas, Phill Kline, has demanded abortion clinics turn over the complete medical files of all the women and children who have sought late-term abortions. His "rational" for demanding the files is to investigate and prosecute statutory rape cases. Riiiight. The only reason this case has come to light is because two of the clincis filed briefs with the State Supreme Court to block the investigation. Why hide behind the ruse of investigating statutory rape? I think Phill Kline and all other mysoginists should just come out and say what they really feel. Here, I'll help him.

Dear Women of the World,

I hate you, I fear you, and I want to make your life miserable. You know that woman in Pakistan who was sentenced to gang rape because her brother engaged in sexual misconduct? She deserved it. I know she didn't actually do anything wrong...but it's all about original sin. Didn't you know that? Eve messed it up for all of y'all. Blame Eve, not me.

In my ideal world white men would control everything including your money, your mind, and your body. I wouldn't teach you how to read, write, or think.

I've still got a lot to do to create this ideal world but I'm confident I'm heading in the right direction. The media is my greatest ally and the cause had a great victory last Sunday night during the Academy Awards. What, you thought the Academy Awards was actually about celebrating artistic achievement? Please, the Independent Spirit Awards maybe but definately not the Academy Awards. Did you see all those unweight, anorexic movie starlets? You think it's an accident that ABC spent an hour and a half before the actual awards showcasing the stars as they arrived? Those images of unrealistic physical beauty should keep 90% of you so preoccupied you'll hopefully ignore my efforts to quickly usurp all of your civil rights. The media and the rest of the misogynistic world has successfully mind-f*cked you to believe that your validty and worth is contingent on the size of your waist and boobs. Silly women. Now, if I could only figure out how to convince the Academy to stop writing parts for people of color...

Yours truly,
Phill Kline,
Attorney General and minnion of the devil


If only people really were that honest...

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Art and Taxes

Random bloginess

Weekend Plans

So my plans for this weekend are both ambitious and pathetic. I don't actually have anything official planned but I do have two agenda items. 1) Do my taxes and 2) Go see this show. Based on the reviews of the show, it should be awesome. Here's a description: "Gorgeous photos shown in a massive temporary structure built from shipping containers and paper tubes. Part of the Nomadic Museum."

NY Times Article

I found this article interesting. I've always been a pretty big critic of the private acquisition of art by individuals who clearly have no real interest in the aesthetic of the piece. It's one thing to purchase art because you love it, its another thing to treat it as a trophy.

The ways of the universe

I was writing a pretty scathing blog criticizing the way hatha yoga has manifested itself on the island of Manhattan. It frustrates me to no end. Anyway, I was reading it over again and realized two things. 1) Most of you probably could care less about how I feel about the state of yoga in New York City and 2) I don't want to destroy the yoga experience for any of you out there who enjoy it. I do want to reiterate that my criticism with Manhattan yoga has absolutely nothing to do with the physical practice itself. My criticism is aimed at all the other stuff that surrounds the practice (at least in New York). So, for now, I'll keep the critique to myself. Maybe I'll post it sometime in the future.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Current Events

Can any of you give me some insight into what the heck is going down in Lebanon? One day there's an assassination and next thing you know the pro-Syrian government is ousted. And all of a sudden people are talking about Democracy. Damn, who knew overthrowing a government was that easy? I have some theories of my own about the role of the US government in all of this but I'll keep those thoughts to myself as I don't want to get my ass hauled off by the CIA. I am part North Korean after all. Now, I'm sure Bush is gonna try and take credit for all of this.

So, as I see it, the middle east looks thusly:
Iraq - Basically the American Revolution, but this time we're the British.
Iran - Even Cheney doesn't want to start something with Iran
Israel/Palestine - Do I even have to spell this one out?
Lebanon - Got government?
Syria - I wonder what they are planning?
Sudan - Civil war, genocide, refugees, rebels...basically Hell.
Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates - Hmmm, does anyone have any idea what's up with these countries? Did I miss any countries?

Goodness, how can anyone expect to stay current with world events with all this activity? BTW, has anyone else noticed that all of a sudden North Korea has fallen out of media favor?

And yet there was a 12 page Oscar spread in the NY Post. Sigh...

Women's History Month

You don't think I'd let this month pass, do you?

Source: http://www.nwhp.org/whm/themes/history-of.html

Women Change America" 2005 Theme

The 2005 Women's History Month theme, "Women Change America," honors and recognizes the role of American women in transforming culture, history and politics as leaders, writers, scientists, educators, politicians, artists, historians, and informed citizens.
"Women Change America" also celebrates the myriad ways in which the spirit, courage, and contributions of American women have added to the vitality, richness, and diversity of American life. In 2005, all previous Women's History Week and Month Honorees will be recognized and celebrated as we explore how "Women Change America."

The Beginning
As recently as the 1970's, women's history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week" celebration for 1978. We chose the week of March 8 to make International Women's Day the focal point of the observance. The activities that were held met with enthusiastic response, and within a few years dozens of schools planned special programs for Women's History Week, over one-hundred community women participated in the Community Resource Women Project, an annual "Real Woman" Essay Contest drew hundreds of entries, and we were staging a marvelous annual parade and program in downtown Santa Rosa, California.

Local Celebrations
In 1979, a member of our group was invited to participate in the Women's History Institutes at Sarah Lawrence College, attended by the national leaders of organizations for women and girls. When they learned about our county-wide Women's History Week celebration, they decided to initiate similar celebrations within their own organizations and school districts. They also agreed to support our efforts to secure a Congressional Resolution declaring a "National Women's History Week." Together we succeeded! In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution.

Overwhelming Response
As word spread rapidly across the nation, state departments of education encouraged celebrations of National Women's History Week as an effective means to achieving equity goals within classrooms. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, Alaska, and other states developed and distributed curriculum materials to all of their public schools. Organizations sponsored essay contests and other special programs in their local areas. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities were celebrating National Women's History Week, supported and encouraged by resolutions from governors, city councils, school boards, and the U.S. Congress.

The Entire Month of March
In 1987, the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the national celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women's History Month Resolution has been approved with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Each year, programs and activities in schools, workplaces, and communities have become more extensive as information and program ideas have been developed and shared.

Growing Interest in Women's History
The popularity of women's history celebrations has sparked a new interest in uncovering women's forgotten heritage. A President's Commission on the Celebration of Women in History in America recently sponsored hearings in many sections of the country. It took reports about effective activities and institutions that are promoting women's history awareness and heard recommendations for programs still needed. The Women's Progress Commission will soon begin hearings to ascertain appropriate methods for identifying and then preserving sites of importance to American women's history. In many areas, state historical societies, women's organizations, and groups such as the Girl Scout of the USA have worked together to develop joint programs. Under the guidance of the National Women's History Project, educators, workplace program planners, parents and community organizations in thousands of American communities have turned National Women's History Month into a major focal celebration, and a springboard for celebrating women's history all year 'round.

Expanding the Focus
The National Women's History Project is involved in many efforts to promote multicultural women's history. We produce organizing guides, curriculum units, posters and display sets, videos, and a range of delightful celebration supplies. We also coordinate the Women's History Network, conduct teacher training conferences, and supply materials to people wherever they live through a Women's History Catalog.