Moving Day Approaches....

Something wicked this way comes...ah, the UHaul.

While I am sharing in a slice of Hell, please check out some good little gems of wisdom...

• Response To Obesity Epidemic Should Be Urgent Priority at Future Pundit


• Fouroboros...just because he is smart and quirky.


• How to Save the World - If anyone takes the challenge and answers these, lemme know. I will this weekend!

Have a good Friday!

Oh, and Kim has a baby shower wish list. Buy her something, for pete's sake.

Knowing

I got an email from an old friend today, someone with whom I shared an odd and caustic relationship about 7-8 year ago.

Sometimes these memories of people creep up when sensory cues set them into motion. For instance, I heard a song that reminded me of the time I was sitting in the shade outside a cafe, writing. When I hear the song, I am transported to that shady stone seat.

In the same way music or smells can transport the heart and soul, so can the words of an old friend. Not the exact words, but the way they are said...the innuendo and the lack of punctuation, the words that are missing...Those words are the ones worth remembering.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't forget - just packing. :-)

Have a cold beer for me.

xoxo

Christine, Poetic Goddess

Wicked talent, Christine Hamm of this is all your fault infamy, just had some poems published with Lodestar Quarterly, and are they ever goooood.

I am really partial to 'Slut.' Check'em out.

Problems with Modern Porn

Lauren has some wonderfully insightful things to say about the problems with porn.

It is refreshing to read commentary from a woman who is not

a) defending most straight porn as liberating or
b) trashing all straight porn as being a step away from rape.

Could it be that some of us just think straight porn is ridiculous and a gross misrepresentation of female sexuality? As Lauren says, not everyone understands that the actors are really actors. There are some fantasies that get incorporated into mini-realities that unenlightened or uneducated or just plan stupid people believe.

The problem I have with most porn is that it does not represent women in the way they wish to have their sexuality represented.

If it's just fantasy, why does it have to be fantasy based on a woman liking whatever she gets?

Why does it have to validate the very least men could do or physical mistreatment?

For the criminally inclined...

Our friends over at the Wooster Collective have highlighted Bansky's wonderful idea to exhibit his work at some of the most prestigious museums and galleries in NY. Who says you have to wait until the elite call your work "high art." Good stuff.

So...

You know your life is pretty mainstream when you get an email from your gay American friend in Turkey describing the mock orgy theatre piece he endured the previous evening with two guys who hate the Pope and a trans-woman who refers to herself as "house sex #1."

Somewhere in this I am relieved to be on this side of the world, working on a boring article.

Christine Hamm Passed Something Sticky On

Here is another meme brought to you via this is all your fault.

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Yes, Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird - yer basic "upstanding fatherly man." Of course, when straight women lay eyes on Gregory Peck, well, it's pretty obvious.
Sam Elliot's persona in Mask

The last book you bought is:
Corbet Dean's little books of poetry (I go to the library mostly)

The last book you read:
Malaise of Modernity by Charles Taylor

What are you currently reading?
Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life... various authors
wide variety of poets - online mostly
blogs

Five books you would take to a deserted island:
Collected Poems of Anne Sexton
Bastard Out of Carolina - Dorothy Allison
The Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy
Calvin and Hobbes or something funny
Something about surviving on a desert island, I would hope

Three people I choose to "stick this" to and why:
Terry at Farbled - Cuz he's such a charming guy with good stories
Kim at Kim Procrastinates - She'd never procrastinate with this gem and she was the first blogger to comment on my blog
Udge at Udge and a Wink - He is the only blogger I have met to date and I'd be interested to know what his answers will be

Wolf? I Would Have Guessed Rabbit...

Your WOLF DAEMON shows that you are solitary,
ferocious, and often intimidating, but not
without your sufficient loyalty and poise.
People tend to misunderstand you, but you
prefer your own company, anyway.

What Animal Would Your Daemon Settle As?
brought to you by Quizilla

...snitched from mousemusings.

Maintaining Relationship Balance

Terry discusses relationships formed while blogging...Good stuff.

Has anyone else come up against the struggles of time and relationship maintenance - or confused boundaries?

While I think blogs have made it possible for us to connect with people globally - I also think they add an extra layer of obligation to online friends.

The definition of relationship is blurred by personal and product related subjectivity. I find myself feeling bad if I haven't commented on colleagues blogs for a few days. Why?

I don't know the majority of you. I share general interests, yes - a humanity that connects us on an emotional plain. I care about you in the sense that I would a neighbor, or a fellow human. I want the best for you. But in the scheme of things, do I have enough in me to extend myself to people I do not really know? Especially when I do not have time to call my closets friends?

It's tough. I see blogging as a way of sharing ideas - but am careful not to call my blogger "buddies" real friends. I would expect them to say the same of me. Maybe when you share in my life in a complete sense, yes. I am open to the possibilities...

Thoughts?

What Scares Me, Part Two

Forget the first post. This is the most offensive thing I have come across in quite some time...

In fact, I am questioning my currently lax definition of what is acceptable as artistic expression. I would say some of her dolls are offensive and unneccessary. I'm sure people who have experienced violence wouldn't think these dolls are cool. In fact, they are a bit juvenile.

I'm sorry for even pointing them out...Am I being too harsh on the "artist?" As it stands, I think the subject matter is no less than fetish shit.

Dismantle Archaic Media Sources

Bloggers have a lot in common with street artists or graffiti artists. In a backlash against media and high art venues, street art has made its presence known in sometimes the most unsightly ways. The human voice cannot be stifled. Folk art, folk stories, songs have been passed down from generation to generation.

In the same way, bloggers have dismantled walls long ago erected by information monoliths. That's why I am not surprised or impressed about whether the New York Times will start charging for online content. Collective bloggers are discussing ways in which they can also get a piece of the pie and restrict access to recent posts for subscription holders.

I believe what's occurring in the information ownership shuffle is that traditional institutions are becoming irrelevant. Learning is not irrelevant - making information only accessible to a few is.

I challenge bloggers to not go the way of the Times and start charging for their information. I would be worried if I didn't intuitively know that something else will come along to overthrow the confines of restricted access information....Give us time.

What Scares Me, Part 1

This is just creepy.

The Rockin' Sounds of Scientology

The Church posted a hilarious review of the Church of Scientology's cd - featuring such musical greats as John Travolta and Frank Stallone, Sylvester's brother. The music was written by former COS leader, L. Ron Hubbard, and is basically about his intergalactic fantasies of the origin of humankind.

Without going in to the history of Scientology, I must say this: What kind of loser believes this tripe? I mean, really. We are on earth now because of an intergalactic space battle that went amok?! This is fucking nonsense. I won't even begin to apologize to anyone who might believe this because I simply cannot forgive such blatant ignorance.

I am all about defining new ways of expressing spirit, but any formal organization that makes money off of naive followers must be exposed for what it is. In this case, it is Scientology.

Here's a little taste of what David had to say ...

10. L'envoi - Thank You For Listening
Featuring L. Ron Hubbard

Brace yourself.

Whatever you think Hubbard sounds like, brace yourself for this song.
Hubbard apparently recorded this a capella, and then they set music to it after
he died. He sounds like Boris Karloff singing in How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
In this creepy song, Hubbard explains that he doesn't sing what he believes, he
only sings facts.

Uh-huh.

The song ends with this note: "Truth is truth and if they then decide to
live with lies, that's their concern not mine, my friend, they're free to
fantasize."

Indeed.

For more of the Church's review, go here. I recommend listening to the above.

I am speechless...

Secrets

Confession is always weakness. The grave soul keeps its own secrets, and
takes its own punishment in silence. ~ Dorothy Dix

I have a new friend who maintains personal information to the point of pathology. In fact, maybe this person cannot be called a friend because he is unable to share any personal information.

This post isn't about him, though. His secretiveness has me thinking about people I've met who are enshrouded in mystery, either intentionally or subconsciously.

I know those who have chosen to maintain a level of standoffishness to protect themselves from vulnerability. (I know lots of these) There are those who choose silence for fear of not living up to other people's expectations of them - in the cool department. Those who remain aloof to appear knowledgeable, for example.

Then there are those pesky souls who are coy because they enjoy the game of appearing as such, and being vague gives them an imagined power over others. I'm not even sure if it's intentional - I've known a lot of guys, in particular, who use this as their MO. Maybe because they don't want to have layers or want others to know they have layers.

I've always been brutally honest when asked about myself. I reveal anything, so long as it is the truth. My honesty policy is both hurtful and rewarding. Sometimes when information is in the hands of the pugilstic or untrustworthy, it can be dangerous. Still, the beauty of being completely honest is in the fact that there is no one to hide from, so there is no chance of emotional or literal blackmail.

There were times in my life when I wasn't always this open - and some topics are more difficult to discuss than others. Being honest doesn't mean randomly telling people personal information, but it does mean answering questions without reservation, hesitation or trepidation. (That sounds like a mantra).

I recognize that we still have social mores, odd and unjust value systems, etc... However, I think the popularity of reality shows (and blogging) attests to the fact that people are desperate for the real and unabashed truth. So why are we still insisting upon living vicariously through someone else's truth?

I'm curious why some people cannot answer questions about themselves. Why it is so hard for people to be comfortable with their own answers, and the response of another?

Dos Amigos

I am heading out to have dinner with a friend at our beloved Mexican restaurant. I decided that if I must contend with another month of winter, I would at least have summertime eats - the illusion of warmth.

The house (see below) will take loads of work (cleaning and painting). Welcome to urban renting. It's strange to me - having always lived in small towns or university burgs - I am used to leaving a rental spotless. You don't get your deposit otherwise. But in Toronto, you're lucky if the previous tenant bothered to vacuum in the three months previous to their departure.

Don't get me wrong, I realize I am a fussy neat-freak, but come on. What gives with people in cities and their total disregard for cleanliness. Maybe the air pollution has chipped away at the part of their brains that controls basic motor skills - I often come up against people aimlessly standing the in the middle of sidewalks, aisles, etc - like they have forgotten how to walk. In my American way, I just help them out of their comatose state with a little shove.

Back to cleanliness though - I have a big job on my hands. I'm glad I love the character of older homes, that's all I have to say. Otherwise, I might be kind of pissy about that fact that someone thought it was a good idea to paint several baseboards a color usually reserved for the contents of diapers. Yep, that nice.

All in all, I am SO THRILLED to find a whole house so close to the office. Lots of room for visitors and a cool old fireplace for cozy evenings in.

Anyway, that was this week's rambling. I haven't been posting too many of those because I really don't want to believe that my life is that interesting to you. Really, you should be outside or taking an art class or writing a novel or falling in love.

Stop reading this and get back to it. I suck.

:-) Have a good night everyone!