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While it might seem odd to say this, I believe there is Spiritual Connectedness in the Resistance we are seeing. The Resistance that began after Trump's election with citizens proclaiming …
Source: Connectedness
While it might seem odd to say this, I believe there is Spiritual Connectedness in the Resistance we are seeing. The Resistance that began after Trump's election with citizens proclaiming …
Source: Connectedness
While it might seem odd to say this, I believe there is Spiritual Connectedness in the Resistance we are seeing. The Resistance that began after Trump's election with citizens proclaiming "not my president" and that really reached a climax with the well orchestrated Women's March. I was really impacted by the Women's March. I am very grateful for the friends who were willing to share their experiences with me in last week's blog. The joy of their words jumped off the page as I read them. I could feel what they felt. It felt like a spiritual experience. It felt like Connectedness at its best.
Out of what may have started as a deep feeling of hopelessness, worry, pain, anger, disbelief and anxiety of Trump's election is now evolving to a Spiritual Connectedness. We are talking to each other more. We are connecting either in person … at the mailbox with our neighbors, at the grocery store with someone we may not have talked to before … or on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram with friends who are sharing similar loss of eight years of brilliance of President Obama, with colleagues who say no way are we are going to be silent for four years while a man tries to take over our democracy using a white supremacy champion as a chief strategist.
When I introduced this blog in early January, one of the topics I wanted to explore was Connectedness / Spirituality. In an unexpected way, the past 10 days are revealing a new Spirituality through marching, through protesting, through recognizing how much more alike than different we are. I have a new hashtag, #Unitytrumpspolitics. The Women's March, the protests to keep the Affordable Care Act, and the Muslim Ban protests are showing us this. Watching the person who took an oath to be President of the entire United States of America defy the Constitution has done more than nudge us to Connectedness, it has down right shoved us to Connectedness. We are so deep in this together now.
The onslaught of what looks like a dictatorship issuing executive orders that are not yet being greatly challenged by his party members in Congress, although they did so under the previous President, has created a fiefdom foundation that we are startled by. We are connected in a way that we might not have done otherwise. While my son did not expect that Trump would win, he said to me one thing he knew would happen as a result. He knew that I and people like me would not sit still for injustices if Trump were to follow through on what he campaigned about. My son was right.
So, as I walked the blocks of the Women's March in Raleigh on January 21st and even as I went to the Moral Monday Rally in Raleigh by Rev. William Barber on January 30th, I felt like the Holy Spirit was all around me. No one can convince me that this isn't the case, that we are not in the midst of a spiritual experience of Connectedness as much as it is a Movement.
It's more than a Movement, it's God's Work to care how others are treated. It's God's Work to believe that Women's Rights are Human Rights. It's God's Work to want Affordable Care for All. It's God's Work to protest for Equal Rights for All. It's God's Work to stand for Equal Pay for Equal Work. It's God Work to accept refugees fleeing persecution. It's God Work to say a woman has the right to talk with her doctor & family to make her health decisions. It's God Work to want children in this country to have a Secretary of Education who actually cares about public education. It's God's Work to stand up for what is right. It's God Work to speak for the voiceless.
Connectedness is you and me and everyone else saying if they come for the Muslims in the morning, they will come back for me in the night so I will stand at the door for my Muslim sister at dawn so she is not taken.
Connectedness is saying slavery was an atrocity, Jim Crow was another version of it, voter suppression tries to continue it and we will not be quiet about it.
Connectedness is saying the Holocaust was about 6 million Jews being killed simply because of their religion so we will not sit by while a President tries to persecute Muslims just because of their religion.
Not this time.
We are connected in a virtual and spiritual way. I am having a spiritual experience while in this human form and connected to each of you on this journey. This I know.
The day of the 21st of January in the year 2017 will forever be marked as the Women's March on the day after the inauguration of a misogynist, race-baiting, opportunist man who bragged about …
The day of the 21st of January in the year 2017 will forever be marked as the Women's March on the day after the inauguration of a misogynist, race-baiting, opportunist man who bragged about being able to sexually assault women … a man who got 3 million less votes than his opponent. The Women's March had more attendees than the inauguration and it ended up bringing together more than 500,000 in Washington, DC and an estimated 4 million worldwide. Not to mention all the sites in the US because every state had a march somewhere in the state. But a global effort included in London, Paris, Sydney, Berlin, Antarctica, Iraq, Johannesburg. Two professors put together a spreadsheet that now estimates nearly 1 in every 100 American participated in a March somewhere. The number in DC was two or three times that of the inauguration. Some places broke records for marches of all time.
Even after a couple days, the exhilaration of being with the other marchers is still with me. It was truly phenomenal. It's almost hard to describe. So, the blog this week features several women who marched in several different cities around the country. They're talking about how it felt, why they marched and what it meant to them. I am letting their voices speak. I will give my own reflections in another blog later this week.
Thia Boggs marched in Oakland, CA: I prayed for good weather and the rainbow came. I helped a small Asian woman onto the train to get to the March and she turned our to be a McNair Scholar I had gone to Berkeley with over 20 years ago. I hadn't seen her since we graduated. There were so many beautiful people at peace with each other. There were 85,000 marchers and zero arrests. My son, Zendo, experienced his first "We the People" display. I hope it stays with him. What I think about now is, I want more.
Camille Lamothe Moore marched in Washington, DC: It's still difficult for me to believe that a segment of the US population is willing to overlook the lying misogynistic, racist, narcissistic, delusional bully that DJT was exposed as, just to vote against an overqualified, supremely intelligent, experienced, Democratic woman. We were and still are all heartbroken. The numbers still don't add up for me (that's another conversation), but in going through the stages of grief that we all went through, helplessness was the overwhelming feeling. Participating in the Women's March on Washington was one way I could physically show my outrage, my dissent, my unwillingness to bend, so I could do my part to overcome the helplessness. I will not let the intentions of a small greedy group of people discourage me from doing what little I can to mend this country and to mend my own heart. It was wonderful banding with all types of people, seeing our like-mindedness, and feeling that love truly does trump hate. As #stillmypresident Obama said, we'll be OK, but in the meantime, this is #whywemarch.
Gabby Reissland in Columbus, OH (she knitted more than 4 dozen pussyhats that were mailed and worn by marchers in Washington, DC, Raleigh, Orlando, Philadelphia, New York, and Columbus): I am proud of the women and men who marched in whatever city they were in. I could not be in every location but I contributed by providing pink pussyhats to people across the East Coast. This cause is a worthy cause because it is about the basic rights all women, men and children should be afforded. We need to stand up for those who can't. And we need to do it until everyone is respected, cared for and loved by this Trump administration.
Anastasia Gray traveled from Philadelphia to march in Washington, DC: Wow what a journey! From the bus ride to the return trip home it was electrifying. Women, men and children as far as you could see were sharing stories and loving each other. My heart was pounding and chills were felt with each chant from the crowd. The energy was electric, the tears real, the hugs frequent, and the power was so evident. Woman power, black, white, and all different hues were there in solidarity to fight for our rights. The faces had strength and determination, for them it is only the beginning of advocacy, and justice for all. Black Lives Matter, voter's suppression, women's right … every issue that involves our family, our children, and our society were on display. I will never forget this experience for the rest of my life.
Angi Porter marched in Minneapolis/St. Paul: We all had different viewpoints, paradigms, approaches, and allegiances, but there was something remarkable and subtly encouraging about being in a crowd of people who all agreed about one thing. It was nice to see that crowd get together, a world gathering against the new American regime. It was a moment when we all needed to do something, even if it was as simple as voicing our dissent. In that effort, folks set their differences aside and an awe inspiring storm gathered. I'm really glad that I didn't sit on my couch with my arms crossed that day. Instead, I was part of that storm. Perhaps it's a storm in a larger climate change. At the very least, it was a disruption and an indelible mark on the Trump story. Either way, I'm happy to be able to say I was there.
Danita Ferguson Terry marched in Washington, DC: As I stood in the sea of marchers on Saturday I was awed by the shear numbers of women of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, colors and religions that had come together in this moment. Many of us, YES, are angry about the outcome of the election (and many of us have the right to be; we carried out our civic duty and voted. Some of us even donated time and/or money to campaigns reflective of our beliefs), but most of us are concerned about the future of our country and how our way of life could change. I spoke with a woman from Alaska, another from Michigan and countless others from various cities across the country. The fear that results from having an individual who clearly does not have the aptitude, diplomacy, knowledge of government and/or the Constitution running the country is real! And that reality becomes threatening when the protections for women, our rights, and, our hopes for progress in this never-ending fight for gender equality are dealt mighty blows. That's why I marched. Not just because I am angry. I marched because I felt like that was something I could do to become energized to take action and encouraged that my actions could make a difference.
Marguerite Harper Scott marched in Raleigh, NC: Saturday's Women's March was not just a kumbaya moment, but a serious call to action. We were asked to turn to our neighbor and state what we were going to do post march. For some, probably nothing. I will continue to email, phone, and visit the members of the North Carolina General Assembly that affect retired teachers (that's mainly women who depend on a pension with little or no COLA increases and health insurance that continues to rise). The political arena needs your help. Electing women is a priority.
Leilee Weyerhaeuser marched in San Francisco, CA: In November, on the night of the election, a woman in California searched for something she could plan that would actively counteract the destructive dynamics of the incoming President-elect. She envisioned people crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in a unified stand against bullying. On the morning of the inauguration, I walked towards the March she had planned. I looked up from a distance as I walked towards the bridge and saw a line of bumps. Then closer I could see it was the thousands of people lining up across the full span of the Golden Gate Bridge. We joined hands in unity and commitment to protect the rights of all people in our country, wearing purple to signify opposition to bullying. This was a powerful visual image of forming a human bridge across one of nature's most dramatic chasms. This demonstration seemed different in tone than many of Women's Marches that happened the next day. This "Hands Across the Bridge," #bridgetogethergg, was focused mainly on solidarity with people whose rights are in jeopardy. Many people in the crowd talked with each other about standing up for understanding and love among all people, and the need to counter the words of hate that have streamed out of Trump group. Instead, this was a quiet, peaceful show of solidarity made manifest in 2,700 people linked by a common intention and commitment to equality.
Donna Wilson Peters marched in Kansas City: It was important to me to connect with like-minded individuals to express my opinions on issues of importance and to send a message to the new Trump Administration that we will not be silenced … we will stand strong and fight for those matters that impact us. And, it was more than a Women's March … it was a phenomenal gathering of people worldwide .. a beautiful showing of humanity. Going forward, we must harness the energy from this historic movement and work to get more citizens engaged in the election process, and get more progressive women elected to local, state and federal offices.
Lizette Rouson Benefield marched in Washington, DC: We made a powerful statement that will forever move us forward. It is up to us to keep the younger generation hopeful. I heard too many say that they did not understand how the march would do anything and could not understand the color of the hats. Some felt the hats should have represented the colors of people. From that day on, it shows what unity is all about. No matter how hard it gets, we cannot give up. We shall keep chasing, running and accomplishing. This day extended all women's hopes and dreams.
These women marched for many reasons, some of the reasons overlap but some of the reasons are different. Their experiences were different but there was a common thread of unity, of oneness, of wanting to achieve fairness for all who have the privilege of life. Some people think for instance that to be pro-choice is to not be pro-life. Yet, on a day in January in 2017, women and men and children of all hues and background said we are both pro-choice and pro-life. We believe that when we come through the birth canal and land on the side of life in the land of the United States of America, we deserve the best this country can provide. And no one man, even after elected and inaugurated, will deprive us of the rights we know to be ours. Not on our watch. Not this time. And, we're not done yet.
(post script: Clarence James designed some special posters for the Womens March in Raleigh and a limited number of prints and t-shirts will be available with these designs for the next 30 days. Send inquiries to email@example.com)
Last week in his farewell address, President Barack Obama said that after January 20th, 2017 he will join you and me as a citizen. He sees citizen as the most important office in a democracy. I think being a citizen in a democracy comes with a cost. It is one of the cost we pay for freedom.
"It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we've been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we, in fact, all share the same proud title, the most important office in a democracy: Citizen. So, you see, that's what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there's an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime." – President Obama
Frederick Douglass said: "Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground." Yes, Mr. Douglass seems to agree that there is a cost of freedom, freedom is not free. If you aren't interested in working to get it, then you aren't really interested in freedom.
Malcolm X said: "If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary." "You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace without freedom." While dying may not be the extreme that we must go to, we do have to be willing to be uncomfortable. We have to see that without each of us having the freedom to live our biggest dreams, none of us should be satisfied. All of us should be willing to sacrifice something.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." Recent elections have shown us very profoundly that those in power will give up nothing voluntarily. Republicans were even willing to accept someone who least mirrored their purported values in many ways in order to gain power. And they will have no shame in taking affordable health care from 20 million people unless we demand otherwise. Bitterness and hatred on our part will not resolve it but rather we must demand with resolve what we believe is right. And we cannot let up, we cannot concede.
There is an excellent article on five lessons we can learn from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that apply to Trump and I recommend you reading it on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5-lessons-from-martin-luther-king-for-trumps-america_us_5874fae0e4b043ad97e5bf75.
What is the cost of freedom? From President Obama's farewell address: "Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it's really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning. With our participation, and with the choices that we make, and the alliances that we forge. Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. … But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured."
For me, the cost of freedom is making choices every day to speak up for what I believe to be right. In the span of my lifetime, it has taken many forms. Sometimes it took the form of telling a senior partner at Arthur Andersen that we needed to do more than recruit at the University of Miami; that recruiting at NABA's student conferences was important too because diversity mattered (and that was in 1982). Sometimes it took the form of speaking out at a board meeting as the lone dissenting vote when I just didn't feel the organization was ready for the action being proposed. Sometimes it took the form of a letter to the editor bucking the way the powerful diocese was spending money. I think one of the costs of freedom is speaking up to keep power in check. Unchecked power becomes privilege that thinks it can do whatever it chooses. Trump is surely an example of the extremes of unchecked power up to this point in his life. We cannot let that still be the case once he is President.
There was so much in President Obama's farewell address that convey lessons for us as we enter these final days of his presidency, and as we launch the resistance that we must engage in as the cost of freedom in the Trump era. To close out this week's blog, I am sharing more tidbits from his address, they are just so good:
"Show up. Dive in. Stay at it." – President Obama
Are you willing to incur the cost of freedom? Keep in mind, if they come for your neighbor in the morning, they could be back for you in the night. Freedom is not free but I am convinced that the cost of freedom is worth it.
That quote makes me think of the era we are about to enter. It is up to each of us to continue to be aware, to stay informed, to educate others and to shine the light on the truth. The Trump presidency stands a better chance of darkness if we don't keep the light on the injustices, if we don't call our Congressional Representatives, our Senators, our Governors, our state legislators. But, this week I am also shining a light on our health. There is so much for us to do in 2017 to stay sharp and be ready for what the Trump administration is going to throw at us. We have to be strong and up for the challenges to come. Women will march on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC … that will take energy and a healthy body. More marches will be planned, more protests will be needed. We cannot be silent and we cannot be weary. Let's be healthy for what's ahead.
Healthy focus – Healing the world starts with you. "There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies." – Friedrich Nietzche "Your body is the vehicle for your spirit and your soul. It is the piece of the universe you've been given to tend, to care, to cherish." – Geneen Roth. So, all this to say that January is a perfect time to get healthy, be healthy, and re-start your focus on having your best body to carry you through.
I was blessed to really focus on my body's health in the last quarter of 2016 and I am starting 2017 healthier than I started 2016. My challenge is to keep it going, and that takes just as much focus as getting to this point. I love sweets but I had to learn moderation. In fact, moderation is a key to all of the foods we consume. So, I can't drive up to Edible Art or Goodberry's Frozen Custard every week. I can make my mother's recipe for New Orleans pralines but I have to have someone to give them to and not keep them in the house. I used to love to bake biscuits on Saturday mornings when our daughters and son were growing up and bake a cream cheese pound cake but can't keep doing that when it's just me and hubby here to consume all of those calories.
I eat more salads and drink more protein drinks than I used to. I give credit to our son for sharing some new recipes for very creative salads. Forget about just using iceberg lettuce. Kale is flavorful and rich in nutrients. Add chick peas, chopped bell peppers, grated carrots, crispy onions, radishes, chopped broccoli. You can make a large bowl at the start of the week that will last the whole week. Go very light on dressing, try just a little olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, little bit of mayo and Mrs. Dash. This saves money and calories.
Learning new habits is what we all must do as our bodies "mature" so I encourage you to adapt to new habits in 2017 so that these physical vessels will carry us through the journey for many years to come.
Are you exercising regularly? My goal is to walk three miles every day. Some days it is only two miles but I rarely miss a day. Some days my energy level is low and I might not want to go but I never regret getting out in the neighborhood for a walk. I do regret the few days that I miss getting out for a walk. For 2017, my goal is to add in weights more often, three times a week is a good target. And, don't be a pansy. Starting with three to five pound weights is fine but progress to 15, 20 or 25 pounds. (I will let you know how I'm doing.) Jumping jacks and squats are simple additions. We don't have to spend money on fitness clubs, there is so much we can do to be healthy without opening the wallet for a club membership. If you will be more motivated by joining a club, then do what will get you going. The main thing is to do what you can to be your healthiest this year.
Keep in mind that the mountain is not going to lower itself to you. It is up to you to rise up to the greatest accomplishments in life.
In The New Yorker magazine, President Obama gave some good advice a few weeks after the election: "This is not the apocalypse," Obama said. History does not move in straight lines; sometimes it goes sideways, sometimes it goes backward. A couple of days later, when I asked the President about that consolation, he offered this: "I don't believe in apocalyptic—until the apocalypse comes. I think nothing is the end of the world until the end of the world." Obama's insistence on hope felt more willed than audacious. It spoke to the civic duty he felt to prevent despair not only among the young people in the West Wing but also among countless Americans across the country.
"A President who fought with dignity to rescue the country from economic catastrophe and to press for progressive change—from marriage equality to the alleviation of climate change—was putting on a mask of generous equanimity for a visitor whom he had every good reason to despise, an ethically challenged real-estate brander who had launched his political career by promoting "birtherism," and then ran a sexist and bigoted campaign to galvanize his base. He fully grasps the nature of the bigotry and the nihilism that Trump has espoused in the name of working-class empowerment. Obama's way is to keep cool while insisting on, and embodying, a faith in institutions.
Obama was convinced, accordingly, that Trump won less as a champion of working people than as an anti-establishment insurgent. "The President-elect, I think, was able to make an argument that he would blow this place up," he said. "Hillary may have been more vulnerable because she was viewed as an insider. …I don't think it was fair, but that's how it played itself out."
"Our job as a citizen and as a decent human being is to constantly affirm and lift up and fight for treating people with kindness and respect and understanding."
A link to the full article interview is here: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/28/obama-reckons-with-a-trump-presidency?mbid=nl_Sunday%20Longreads%20(12)&CNDID=46597679&spMailingID=10183133&spUserID=MTcyNjEzODI2MDYwS0&spJobID=1080500581&spReportId=MTA4MDUwMDU4MQS2
Thanks for reading this second edition of The Calliope Hummingbird Project Blog. Have a good week.
A new year, now we must do more than consider who we are and what we will do. We must actually decide and take action. We have concluded 2016, for many of us it ended unexpectedly with the US Presidential election of a misogynist, racist, con man, liar who took advantage of tactics similar to Hitler to win an election. I choose not to wait to see what he will do, he has done enough already for me to be fully on guard and mindful that he can do a lot of damage to our country. I will be ready to call out his actions and call on our elected officials and media to respond.
Beyond the national politics, we must also focus on local & state politics. We must realize that elections on state & local levels, at a minimum, matter even more than a presidential election. State legislatures and governors make decisions every day that set regulations and policies that govern many things from the schools our youth attend to simple things like the streets we drive on. It matters. And, Congressional elections happen every two years, not every four years. Politics is local. We need good candidates at every level. Find out who your state representative is, who your state senator is, know who your judges are, your state attorney general, and of course Governor and other state-wide positions. Local & district judgeship court officers make decisions that impact ordinary people every day … think about Trayvon Martin's case and the Charleston, SC church shooting case. Judges impacted those court cases. Many of those positions are elected directly and others are appointed by elected officials. Voters do make a difference.
So, what I am doing with a blog. I want to talk about what matters.
Why the name "Calliope Hummingbird Project?" My mother's favorite symbol was a hummingbird because it illustrated soaring despite experts saying it shouldn't be able to fly. "Because of its speed, the hummingbird is known as a messenger and stopper of time. It is also a symbol of love, joy, and beauty. The hummingbird is also able to fly backwards, teaching us that we can look back on our past. But this bird also teaches that we must not dwell on our past; we need to move forward. When the hummingbird hovers over flowers while drinking nectar, we learn that we should savor each moment, and appreciate the things we love." I often like the butterfly so I sometimes use it in addition to references to the hummingbird.
My mother grew up in New Orleans in public housing called the Calliope Projects. Coincidentally, I found out there is a calliope hummingbird and it is the smallest bird in North America north of Mexico. Tiny but tough, these birds are the smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world, spending winters in Mexico and a few small pockets of the southern U.S. So, it makes me to smile to name this blog the Calliope Hummingbird Project.
I may often relate similarities of hummingbirds, butterflies and other things in nature to what is happening in the areas I mentioned above that I will blog about. Just maybe they can remind us of the beauty in each moment to help strengthen us for life. I expect weekly updates to the blog, possibly several times a week. It's free for now but quite honestly, we'll see how it goes and whether a nominal subscription / fee might eventually be requested (maybe $1 to $2 per week, I'm not trying to bankrupt anyone but hope to stay above water in my retirement years). Your ideas and thoughts are welcome. Send them to firstname.lastname@example.com
Thanks for checking out the blog. Happy new year!


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So we've been having an interesting discussion on the geodata committee of OSGeo, on the topic of VMAP1 and getting access to it with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). I've been talking with Dave recently, and they're setting up a non-profit that will be ideally suited to go after this type of stuff in the courts. Their current focus is more on information the Police keeps private, but are quite in to the idea of going after geographic data. So Mike and I met with him on Friday, discussing both metrocard FOIA and VMAP1 FOIA. I shot off an email to the geodata osgeo list about it, mostly expecting people to be excited about the fact that I had a great resource to use (Dave and his soon to be organization) to help out with this stuff. The response, however, ranged from been there, done that, gave up, to fairly negative – litigation is a dirty word, we should just ask more nicely for it. I concede that there should be an organization that plays nice and makes contacts and gets data that way. And OSGeo is easily one of the ideal organizations to do this. But I'm still interested in using another organization, perhaps TOPP, to actually go after some of this data in a more 'aggressive' manner.
What's interesting to me about all of this is looking at my root assumptions about government, relative to those who feel that litigation for FOIA stuff is 'highly controversial and antagonistic'. It probably comes down to the fact that I don't really trust the government. Though that statement simplifies things far too much. I don't think the governments out to get us, that it's an evil institution that must be smashed to the ground. Or that our system of government is bad. On the contrary, I think that our system of government is pretty good. But I also believe that it could be better, that there are potentially more just systems of organizing and decision making for human beings, that our current form of democracy is the end all and be all (indeed at times I fear it's taken a turn for the worse). But let's focus for now on our current system of government, instead of utopistic futures.
I believe that it is my responsibility to do things like pursue FOIA litigation. I feel that institutions have a tendency towards stagnation and even corruption. At times I despair and feel the current massive influence of corporations on the state, the fact that money rules, is just an incredibly advanced form of corruption and propaganda. Given this tendency, there needs to be forces that keep the institutions honest and rise up if things get too bad. Thankfully, the founders of our current system of government were downright brilliant, able to build a set of documents which helped ushered in the more worldcentric values of freedom of equality which existed in only a majority of the population. Wilber elaborates:
The brilliance of the Founding Fathers was that they found a way to take this rare, elite stance–demanding equality and freedom for all–and force it on an entire population as the backbone of a series of legal and behavioral codes that demanded that, even if individuals are not at moral-stage 5 in their own interiors, they must conform their exterior behavior to rules consistent with a moral-stage-5 act (e.g., you do not have to love me, but if you shoot me they will lock you up). Thus, at their best, the laws of America embodied an attempt to encode higher, postconventional, worldcentric responses–regardless of race, sex, color, or creed–implemented with the consent of the governed (the moral-stage-5 social contract), even if those laws were developmentally ahead of most of the governed. (read more at 'The Deconstruction of the World Trade Center', part 2, though the whole thing is worth reading)
Throughout our history various documents have pointed the way to a more just world, and I firmly believe the Freedom of Information act was one of them. My lawyer friends say it's an incredibly solid piece of law, that really clearly states that just about everything that a government does should be open and available to its citizens. Which makes infinite sense when viewed through the lens of what a truly democratic society should look like. But we've become used to a government often antagonistic to its people, and doing all that it can to keep things certain things secret. This can be for downright malicious reasons, but we need to remember not to attribute malice what can be explained by stupidity or ignorance. Often it's the attitude that politicians feel they know what's best, or even silly things like fear of reprisal if their works not perfect, as I hit on in 'The Metadata Problem'. Indeed I feel the same thing about corporations, that they aren't evil controlled by evil capitalists, they're just a weird institution that has followed its own logic too far and gotten out of hand.
The nice thing about government though is that it was designed with checks and balances that are ultimately in the hands of citizens (unlike corporations, which are only checked by shareholders, which often just stands in for 'profit'). And so I feel it is the responsibility of conscious and informed citizens to make use of those checks and balances for a more open society. This is what I feel about FOIA litigation, it is the best way to engage with government. The law is crystal clear on the fact that data should be open. Yet institutions constantly give up a number of excuses as to why it should not be, the majority of which aren't in line with the spirit or the letter of the FOIA. They are institutions that seek to propagate themselves, and/or are staffed by people who are ignorant and/or seeking to cover their stupidity. So they will naturally be hesitant to turn over information – if you're doing a poor job you wouldn't want to turn over evidence of that. But the point of FOIA is so that citizens can be aware if people in their government are doing a poor job. And of course it often ends up antagonistic, people will fight tooth and nail if they know there's some information that can really harm them. Which makes me want to go after the information even more. I mean, I'm all for asking nicely initially. But when they constantly say they're working with you, while giving away nothing and offering up any available excuse (say money for processing before 9/11 and 'security' after), then it gets a bit old.
The interesting thing about all FOIA litigation is that it always starts with a polite request for the information. Which is then denied, and an appeal is even made. Litigation is the last step, when reasonable requests have already been denied. I'm not sure how much asking more nicely can help. Of course there could be some backroom deal to let someone get some information, but I feel for a more open society that information needs to be truly open. It doesn't help society as a whole if an architect can get access to the data for their newest plans, it only helps when the data is open for remixing, for citizen analysis, for reuse for other purposes.
A final note, the current situation is downright shitty, since there must exist high quality imagery – satellite and aerial photos – that have previously never had access given to because of 'security' reasons. And there was nothing about that statement you could really argue with. But now Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and others have made incredibly high quality imagery available to anyone with an internet connection. So it's obvious that releasing the governments similar data is not going to increase the security risk in the slightest, since some terrorist can already get access to the same data. So the only ones being hurt are those who are not interested in only getting their maps through big commercial providers, who don't want to be advertised to, who want to build new interesting applications on their own.
But yes, in conclusion, I feel it's the responsibility of citizens to demand and exercise the freedoms stated as given by the government. I'm not for a rampant litigation society, and don't jump at the chance to sue someone. But in this case the courts are the branch of government which holds the power in check. Indeed lately the courts have done the best work of the three branches of government to protect freedom, currently laying the smack down on the Bush administration to curtail the broad powers they've been taking for themselves (see NYTimes (though probably will expire soon)). But for the courts to work, cases must be raised to engage them if the normal processes fail. They can not try and judge what does not come before them. If everyone just accepts things they way they are, then little will change. And if we are to cease to care, if apathy overtakes, then the future does not look bright – we will be dominated by the institutions that we made, instead of we the people leading the way to a better tomorrow.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's 2010, and it's starting. This past week has seen the busting of quite a few libby loon myths, and it's . . . well, it's kind of nice.
The BO as "Grassroots Champion" and his Technology-savvy Campaign
I began to wonder what happened to the BO magic before the NJ election, but when Corzine lost, after repeated BO visits and pep rallies, I was seriously puzzled. Where were the BO followers, the vast online and community networks that had seemed to propel him from no one freshman senator to viable presidential candidate to president? Where'd they go? We know that the BO campaign apparatus was still in place (Organizing for America, remember them and their fun "flag the fishy" campaign against Americans who oppose Obamacare?). But losing NJ made no sense. VA, maybe. NY23, sure. But NJ? Hmmmm.
Well, according to an outstanding article by Micah Sifry, "Obama as grassroots champion was more myth than reality." No one who watched BO's Chicago thug-style political machinations or the way that he treated the Clintons (particularly Hillary) will be surprised to learn that BO's entire "grassroots champion" image was, if not a lie, then a misrepresentation. Who can forget the bashing of Senator McCain for being out of touch, so hopelessly ancient that he didn't know how to compose and send a simple email? And then, who can forget BO telling his audience in China that he doesn't use Twitter? Those millions of followers who thought that BO was tweeting sweet nothings in their ears, were half right. They were sweet nothings.
It can't be disputed, though, that the online aspect worked for BO, that his feigned technological savvy paid off. So what happened? After the election, the online arm of the BO campaign tried to stay connected to its large following, but people weren't interested anymore. Their guy had won, time to get back to life. It didn't help that one by one BO's lofty promises fell to the wayside or got postponed time and again. It didn't help that the very people who put him where he is were subsequently ignored, shunned, shut out in favor of currying more public favor with the real movers and shakers in Washington (remember those lobbyists he claimed to hate? those backroom deals he blasted?). John Q. Public was used up and kicked to the curb, and he's none too happy about it.
But at the end of the day, we on the right learned a lot from him, even if we only learned from what he wanted us to believe. For example, Scott Brown's bid for the U. S. Senate in Massachusetts has gained incredible momentum. Real momentum. Citizens like you and me are tweeting our little hearts out, blogging, and yes, making a difference. Polls show the race tightening, dems are scratching their heads, the DNC trotted out Vicki Kennedy to make an appeal for Croakley. Vicki can't stand her, in no small part, because Croakley started campaigning for Ted Kennedy's seat after his brain cancer diagnosis–isn't she swell?, and Vicki wasn't going to endorse her if she could avoid it. In fact, she had thrown her Kennedy weight behind another candidate in the primary. Didn't do any good then, and it won't now. Brown is now receiving national attention that suggests he has a chance in Massachusetts (and not just from Fox News). Thanks BO, we couldn't have done it without you!
BO Will Make the World Love Us
Or not. After groveling, scraping, apologizing, and bashing America, the world loves us not at all. And worse, has zero respect for us. Iran? Busily burrowing underground to finish up their nuclear weapon program, while publicly thumbing their noses at the U. S.'s flaccid response and multiple requests to stop by this date. No, that date. Wait, this later date. Uh huh. BO's a boon to murderous dictators, they love him to pieces because he's weak as water and they can walk all over him. BO doesn't seem to understand that being "liked" is not as important as being respected, particularly when it comes to foreign affairs.
But it's not just our enemies that BO has succeeded in alienating. President Bush spoke daily with the UK PM while he was in office; BO can't be bothered (kind of like he couldn't be bothered to talk to his hand-picked general in Afghanistan more than once in 70 days). In fact, BO's administration told the UK that "there is nothing special about you. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world." BO refused to give visiting PM Brown a state dinner, and he's avoided as much interaction with the UK as possible, and sent not so subtle messages that he's not interested in the UK–sending the bust of Winston Churchill that was in the Oval Office back to the UK may not seem significant, but come on!
Of course, if our slobbering media had done its job prior to his election, we may have known a bit more about BO and his animosity towards the UK. Remember when everyone was bashing President Bush for going to war with Iraq for his dad, to sort of finish up what Bush 41 didn't? Oh, how the left howled at the mere thought of this (there is no proof, of course). And now we learn, better late than never, that BO has a very personal, very nasty grudge against the UK, a grudge that could well be hindering our national security, our long and important relationship with the UK, and even BO's attempt to make the world see him as a peaceful, kind, benevolent leader. Apparently, BO's Kenyan father was once arrested and possibly tortured by the Brits, so now "The facts are, Obama hates the Brits," said one person close to the administration. "Something to do with his grandfather in Kenya. A colonial hangover. And there is nothing you can do about it" (source) So there! Don't bother reaching out a hand to BO, UK, his fist is clenched, and it's going to stay that way.
Gitmo is the Problem! Close that and voila! No more terrorists.
Or not. While BO is busily spinning the lie that Gitmo is the reason that terrorists are recruited, the Gitmo detainees themselves are filing motions to stay in Gitmo rather than be moved to Gillmo. They love it in Cuba under the Geneva Conventions and don't want to be treated like dangerous criminals in U. S. prisons where they will be under near-24-hour lockdown and have their toys taken away. I wonder if closing Gitmo will spawn more terrorists? Naw, we all know, even if Helen Thomas doesn't, that this is a religious war, not an anti-American war. Personally, I think Thomas does know but was clever in forcing the BO administration to finally call it what it is: religiously motivated.
A New Era in Politics: Transparency
Hmph! Not that we ever believed this, but plenty of people across America did, and the recent bipartisan call for BO to live up to his "I'll air all healthcare debates on C-SPAN" promise has busted that myth once and for all. Even democratic leaders are bemoaning the lack of transparency . . . "not just to the public but at times to the members." As usual, this administration intended to ignore the outcry, but when C-SPAN itself sent a letter requesting access, well, that was that. BO couldn't ignore it. Heh. BO's "hold them accountable" crap has come home to roost, and now apparently, he's agreed to air the final committee discussions on C-SPAN . . . for a whole hour. Wow, don't you feel like you have a clear view of the debates now?
Of course, other myths are being busted, left, right, and center: Global Warming (or Climate Change or whatever the hell they're calling this massive hoax these days), that the Tea Party movement doesn't matter, that the Tea Party movement is "whites only," that government spending will fix the economy, that liberals are the warm-hearted charitable Americans (while conservatives are greedy and self-involved), and that there are more liberals in America than conservatives (we're center right, people, get a clue). All myths. All busted.
And now . . . now America is rising.
America Rising vid: h/t Opus at MAinfo.


text:
Monday, February 25, 2008
• Minnesotan's will soon be socked with even higher taxes. The House just voted to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a $6.6 billion transportation bill that will raise the gas tax. The funding will go toward improving Minnesota's transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges and mass transit routes. If this funding would've went strictly toward improving our roads, I would've been all for it. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that a good chunk of this money will finance more light rail boondoggles. The light rail does absolutely nothing to unclog our overused and archaic roads in the metro area. I'm not one of these people that automatically is against each and every tax increase. However, this particular increase should've focused entirely on roads, and also should've included concrete plans on how the state is going to curb spending as well as raise taxes.
• Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie allegedly beat up a bouncer and was involved in a large brawl outside a Miami nightclub. He's accused of beating the bouncer with a pole. McKinnie is 6-foot-8 and close to 340 pounds. I wonder why he felt the need to use a pole? If I was 6-8, 340, I'd just beat people up with my bare hands. Using a pole isn't fair. If the bouncer was so tough that McKinnie needed to use the pole, then the Vikes should invite the bouncer to training camp.
• Why are the Democrats even considering nominating Hillary Clinton?
• Amanda Jax recently drank herself to death in a Mankato bar and now the bar is going to be punished for it. If the bar broke the law, it should be punished. However, let's not forget about personal responsibility here. Punishing bars for patrons that drink themselves to death will not do anything to curb excessive binge drinking. It's easy to get caught up in the blame game and lawsuits whenever something like this happens. It's easier to forget who is ultimately responsible in these tragedies: The person that drank him/herself to death.
• The Academy made an excellent choice for Best Picture. No Country for Old Men is a movie that you keep talking about months after seeing it. It's also disturbingly realistic in a sort of dark way.
8 comments:
- Jason said...
"The light rail does absolutely nothing to unclog our overused and archaic roads in the metro area."
In it's current form, you are absolutely correct.
I was recently having this discussion with, of all people, my mother...and we decided that the only thing, good or bad, that Jesse Ventura did for this state was somehow convince us that we should have light rail. Now I'd have been all for it if it were anywhere near a comprehensive plan, but downtown to the mall was just ludicrous.
Having been to NYC & Boston however....I would put forth that as a piece of infrastructure; light rail, subway, or anything of the sort is incredibly invaluable if done correctly. Our two invariably separated, but inevitably linked cities need a better link besides 94. I love living in St. Paul, but I hate having to go to Minneapolis. I loved living downtown Minne., but I hated the cost and parking hassle. Creating a link between them via light rail would be unimaginably wonderful for a fairly destitute and skinny gentleman like myself that loves being able to go out now and again without having to worry about stopping at 2 or 3 beers.
So throw a rail down from 5th all the way down Hennepin. Throw another from 5th to Washington down to 35 and then up across the new bridge up to Uni, and down to downtown St. Paul. That, compared to other rail cities, is very little. My opinion, you either go just enough or all out....mall to downtown isn't nearly enough.
Now as much as I would love to see the roads in better shape, we've actually got it fairly good...maybe not pothole-wise, but I've seen other cities, and our traffic really isn't that bad. At least not consistently. And trust me on this one; if you give people more than just one place on the south end of town where they can drop off their cars, take a train to work, and save $40/month.....they'll do it. Even better, A fair amount of the $$$ that goes to the light rail goes back into the roads of the state. It's win/win.
Minnesotans love driving, but they love saving money and drinking more.
Nice blog by the way.
- February 26, 2008 at 1:24 AM
- AC said...
I don't have much experience w/ traffic in other cities, but you're one of the few people I've talked to that actually thinks our traffic isn't that bad. Most people say our traffic problems are far worse than they should be given our population. Then again, I'm no expert.
I also agree w/ your take on either going all out w/ the light rail or not going at all. I live in downtown St. Paul, and it makes no sense for me to drive to the Mall or Ft. Snelling just so I can save a few bucks on parking by taking the light rail. It seems like the light rail has turned into just another something else for the Democrats and Republicans to fight over instead of something that could truly be used to better the area.
- February 26, 2008 at 5:59 AM
- Simon said...
"The light rail does absolutely nothing to unclog our overused and archaic roads in the metro area."
So you are suggsting that the approximately 28,000 people riding LRT today would do what to get to work/the mall/the airport? Walk? Because taking even 15,000 cars off Hiawatha and 35W certainlty does reduce traffic.
Also, an increase in the gas tax should by itself help reduce traffic by reducing demand.
Furthermore, LRT was more than 1/2 funded with federal dollars, so while perhaps some of the new gas tax will go to improving LRT, they will likely also bring in more federal transportation dollars.
- February 26, 2008 at 11:01 AM
The two previous commenters hit on it more eloquently. Light rail when done properly works wonders. Linking the twin cities together and then moving to linking St. Cloud to the cities via the North Star Rail line would do wonders for the traffic problems.
As a person who just recently got rid of my car I have only experienced minimal problems getting around in the city. My biggest beef with the bus system is the fact that they don't run late enough, but that is another rant
- February 26, 2008 at 12:13 PM
- AC said...
Minnesota's LRT system, as it is set up today, is barely better than our bus system. Barely. It's definitely not worth the massive investment. Sure, maybe 15,000 more people are off the road, but how many of those people had to drive to the LRT station to board? Could these people get the same level of service on a bus line? If LRT has any impact on traffic, it's minimal.
I agree that LRT is great when done properly. But it's unrealistic to expect the Minnesota legislature to do anything properly. I also consider LRT a luxury. Is it appropriate to raise taxes and spend money on luxuries when we're supposedly in a recession, whether the investment comes from the state or the feds?
- February 27, 2008 at 5:15 AM
- Jason said...
"Minnesota's LRT system, as it is set up today, is barely better than our bus system. Barely. It's definitely not worth the massive investment. Sure, maybe 15,000 more people are off the road, but how many of those people had to drive to the LRT station to board? Could these people get the same level of service on a bus line? If LRT has any impact on traffic, it's minimal."
First it's "barely better than the bus system", then you ask suggestively if people could get better service from the bus line.
Well, here's your answer. I think we all realize that in it's current state, as far as area of service, the bus line is going to win the day. But in the areas of comfort, speed, and long-term investment to payoff (the subways in NYC have been running for over a hundred years); the LRT will win that one. However, you have to be willing to put that investment in. And it's ridiculous to sit back after the first track is built and say "wow, that was too much work...and too much money, and we're not getting much out of it". The only reason we're not getting more out of it is that the people who signed the bill in the first place changed their minds.
If you think connecting the whole of the Cities via train would take a mere 15,000 cars off the road, you aren't thinking clearly...no offense intended. But if that's what LRT does to the 55 corridor, you can expect the same from University, Hennepin, etc...individually.
Not to bring-up a tough subject, but with the near 1 trillion that's already gone into the war not to mention the rising cost of gas...money's gonna have to come out of peoples' pockets sooner or later. People already are looking and will continue to look for ways to lower their gas bill and other bills for that matter.
- February 27, 2008 at 9:24 AM
- AC said...
The Twin Cities and NYC shouldn't be compared when talking mass transit. Apples to oranges. However, I see your points. I would argue that we should first improve our roads and traditional transportation infrastructure before we start building transportation luxuries like LRT. It's not needed in the Twin Cities right now. Is it nice? Sure. Will it be nice once it connects Minneapolis/St. Paul/St. Cloud? Oh yeah. But I think the vast majority of people want to see our roads fixed first. I know it's too late for that now (Jesse Ventura needed to leave his stamp on something), but the legislature needs to re-think its priorities, and LRT should be something that we could come back to later.
On a related note, this massive tax increase may very well mean a clean sweep in the Minnesota House come November. A lot of my liberal friends and co-workers are pissed that the Dems just keep feeding that tax and spend stereotype while at the same time talking about how bad our economy is. November is a long ways away, but I'm not hearing much of anything positive about this bill. Are you all hearing the same things?
On an unrelated note, I need to lighten up the blog a little. Look for a breakdown of the Twins' infield in the coming days.
- February 27, 2008 at 5:58 PM
- Simon said...
How is LRT a "luxury" but roads are not? Only because the road system was built first. Indeed they can and should be complimentary systems that improve each other. LRT reduces traffic, thereby reducing maintainance costs of the roads. Roads are needed to get people to and from LRT stations (particularly suburban ones).
And while you may think LRT is not needed today, given the time it takes to build such a system (a real, robust one, not the single line that exists today), by the time it would be needed it would be too late. Investment in infrastructure is definitionally forward thinking and indeed is a much better form of economic stimulus than giving everybody $600 to buy an HDTV from China.
- February 28, 2008 at 9:10 AM


text:
For all the speculation this election season over exactly who Ron Paul's supporters are, for once there was no question.
At the busy intersection of Rt. 28 and the Mall of New Hampshire entrance, between roaring six-lane traffic and the glittering retail mecca, the libertarian Republican presidential candidate's eclectic ground soldiers staged a makeshift battleground, waving signs and and playing chicken with the oncoming traffic ... all in the name of the man sometimes known as Dr. No.
The effort organized by Operation Live Free or Die brought out about 40 of them in all. That number might not seem like a lot, until you consider what 40-some hand-held Ron Paul signs look like waving furiously on the snow-banked medians of a crowded intersection when all the other candidates' signs are static, planted firmly into the snow.
At first glance, it's something of a metaphor for the Texas congressman's presidential campaign, long-characterized by a frenzied political fever online that took the other candidates and the country by surprise.
As fluid as the waving movement of the signs may seem, the choice of this intersection for a show of support was a calculated decision.
"We went to city hall and and got the maps out and figured out which parts were public property," said 27-year-old Jay Nevin, who quit his job as a computer trouble-shooter in Oklahoma to come canvass for the Paul campaign in New Hampshire. "We just saw this was the highest traffic area and we could hit a lot of people in a short amount of time."
Undaunted by Paul's performance at the Iowa Republican caucuses, where the Texas congressman finished in fifth place with 10 percent, his followers have descended on New Hampshire, living in groups in rented homes across the state for weeks if not months.
"Each house has a house captain and that house captain is responsible for making sure that their people are organizing the mornings, going out and have all the materials they need," said Roxi Cullinson, an organizer from Operation Live Free or Die. She, like Nevin, left her job around Thanksgiving to join the Paul movement in New Hampshire.
Cullinson said that not only has she never voted before -- she never even registered to vote before. But something about "Dr. No" is making her say yes to the political process, she said.
"I had no idea who Ron Paul was," Cullinson said of her life pre-May 2006. "I watched a video on YouTube called 'What We Choose to Ignore' and I started researching the video and decided that Ron Paul was the only hope that we have in changing this country."
Her group is now distributing that message on a DVD tucked inside pocket Constitutions to any car whose driver stops to listen ... or for a red light.
The group rotates through various ground efforts, including the more traditional door-to-door canvassing and working the phones, to spread their message voter to voter.
"We volunteer with the campaign when we can," Cullinson said, but she they don't always hae the same ideas about the best way to get the Ron Paul word out.
"They don't necessarily approve of our sign waving," she said. "They think it's OK. They'd rather see us phone-banking."
She finds a message in the spectacle of their visual force.
"At night, when you can't go door to door and you can't make calls after a certain time, we want our people out here -- showing our support in numbers," she said.
Getting to the median in the intersection -- located in the valley between Sears, Toys R Us, Autofair and TGI Fridays -- takes a certain amount of commitment as well, something this five-foot-tall digital reporter learned quickly.
The closest parking lot sits atop a small hill and the shortest distance between the two points involves a hike-cum-freefall down a slope where the snow lies knee deep. Paul's supporters have thoughtfully parked a car marked "Ron Paul Revolution" at the start of the trail and more than one will offer to assist you on your way down.
By Nevin's count the effort has spent "a dozen Sundays" under the soft glow of the changing traffic lights, ever-watchful of cars that take sharp turns into the road's shoulder, mollifying the mall security guards who approached them when they've crossed the imaginary line into private property, cheering to scattered honks from supportive drivers and taking the occassional "Hillary in '08!" shouts in stride.
After the primary on Tuesday, they'll take their efforts and the lessons they learn in the Granite State cross-country to Las Vegas, where plans for Paul-A-Palooza are already under way.


text:
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Seeing Other People
It's so difficult to get into someone's mind and try to know the psyche of the person; yet easy to classify them in broad catagories.Certain kind of people change for that moment when only around certain kind of people and then they are back to the way they were around you. They will act all sophisticated while with the 'sophisticated' group of people, very cool and chilled out while in that certain group; etc. Does that mean faking? or its simply being smart to gel with everyone. And in that process more often than not they themselves forget who they are, Everyone has a different 'face' for different sets of people and situations. There is nothing really constant about any of them. Nobody can claim to know eveyrthing about someone, its just humanly impossible; we can know only what we are told and what we see; and what we see is only what the other person wants us to see.
Then there is always a difference between what one says and does, its so easy to tell someone how to behave in certain situations and what to do; but when it comes to their ownself everything is conveniently forgotten that too supported with a justifiable reason; which again is sometimes just a game of words.
People are what they are as they want to be seen and as we want to see them.
Its all a web; does it mean everyone is just putting up a certain face; and what I know of them is all just a certain dimension of them?
Maybe ; maybe not.
6 comments:
- d SINNER!!! said...
I would nvr like to hear what goes in smone's mind...already sufferin coz i get to know what in others mind...
huh...life is simple...we shud let it be like that...
- June 18, 2008 at 7:29 AM
- Sutta said...
Do WE always be the same with everyone? Don't we too follow a part of the path which you enlightened here?
On other hand, I believe the reason behind this whole anxiety is the choice or say tension between "what we should be" and "what we are".
We tend to loose our "real" self, coz we believe the other one will help us gain a control over the world around.
- June 18, 2008 at 7:55 AM
- imperfect said...
@ d sinner : yup , it all seems very simple, but being simple doesnt mean its not disturbing.
@ sutta : Uhmm, No I beg to differ with you on this. The way I have seen people and noticed them , their behaviour, personality, thought process, style et all , *everything* changes.
Being formal while in an office meeting and casual at a friend's place is not what Im talking about here.
And the deal is to not lose yourself ,coz if you yourself cant gain control over the world, nobody else can ever help you do it.
- June 18, 2008 at 10:57 AM
- Sutta said...
No! That wasn't my point.
I asked Aren't WE also the same?
This "everything change" process that you mentioned. Don't we follow it (too)?
And I agree about the deal of not loosing yourself, I just gave the reason "why" one opts for it. But yes, its true if we can't control ourself, forget the world.
- June 19, 2008 at 12:04 PM
- Absolutely Normal Chaos said...
Forget about you knowing only a certain something about other people. You'll be surprised at how little you know of your own self. And what's more important out of the two - knowing others inside out or knowing yourself well?
- June 22, 2008 at 10:00 AM
- imperfect said...
what you said ir totally correct but what I meant by knowing is not about the person, but about behavioural patterns people have which ive seen obviously through too much observation and when thought about it in detail, it does feel that everything is quite illusionary.
- June 22, 2008 at 10:26 AM


text:
Norwegian Polar Institute: The Arctic Sea may be free of ice in ten yearsPosted by Jim at Saturday, October 15, 2011
October 15 (NRK/Press release) – The melting of the Arctic sea ice is progressing much faster and more dramatically than earlier estimated, according to new research by the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI).
This means that the Arctic Sea could be free of ice in the summer in ten years time, rather than the 50 to 100 years estimated earlier.
NPI measurements made by moored sonars show a dramatic reduction in the fraction of ridged sea ice, compared to the 1990s. The vast fields of ridged ice thicker than 5 m, constituting 28 percent of the winter Arctic sea ice cover during the 1990s, is nearly gone.
At the end of winter in 2010, ice thicker than 5 m constituted only 6 percent of the total ice mass observed. The combined effect on late winter mean ice thickness is a reduction from 4.3 m ± 0.4 m during the 1990s to a record low value of 2.0 m in late winter 2010.
NPI researchers speculate that increased ocean heat flux plays an important role in the thinning of the thick ice. With the thickest ice nearly gone and the MY level ice thicknesses close to thicknesses typical for first year sea ice, we are approaching a state where favorable conditions could melt most of the Arctic sea ice cover during one summer.
The Arctic Sea may be free of ice in ten years
Labels: Arctic , climate change , ecosystem disruption , global warming , habitat loss , sea ice


text:
After reading about the history of New Ulm in Minnesota and comparing the city to the German counterparts, let is take a look at the answers to the Guessing Quiz looking at the two cities and comparing what they have:
- What characteristics do the two cities have? Determine which of these belong to which town, by marking NU-G (Ulm/Neu Ulm), NU-US (New Ulm, Minnesota) or both.
a. Cathedral: NU-G- the Ulm Minster is located in Ulm and has the world's highest steeple
b. Fort: NU-G: The Kienlesbergbastion is a fortress located on the north end of Ulm. It was part of the walled city until the early 20th Century
c. University: Both. Each city has one university: New Ulm has a private college named Martin Luther, Neu Ulm has the University of Applied Sciences and Ulm has the University.
d. Railway station: NU-G: The metropolitan area has two stations: Ulm Central (where all ICE and international trains stop) and Neu-Ulm Regional (where regional and Inter City trains stop)
e. German-Bohemian Monument: NU-US: Located on German Street, the monument was built in 1991 and is dedicated to the Bohemian immigrants who came to New Ulm by boat. They spoke Bohemian German and were mostly Catholics and farmers
f. Hermann the German Monument: NU-US: Overlooking the Minnesota River, the monument was dedicated to the Sons of Hermann fraternity organization, whose majority of the members had settled in New Ulm in 1885
g. Professional Soccer Team: NU-G: The SSV Ulm Soccer Team can be found here. Once one of the darlings in the Bundesliga, the team currently plays in the South Division of the Regionaliga.
h. Brewery: Both. Schell's beer is found in New Ulm, whereas Golden Ox Brewery is found in Ulm. Both breweries craft various kinds of beers and ales
i. American Street-Style Pattern: NU-US
j. Streets named after American celebrities: Both. While New Ulm has streets named after George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Payne, Neu-Ulm has a wide selection of streets named after other American celebrities, such as Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Benny Goodman and Glen Miller. All are in the Wiley district.
k. Oktoberfest: Both.
l. Christmas Market: Both. New Ulm has the Christkindlmarkt, which is held on the weekend after Thanksgiving. The Christmas markets in Ulm and Neu Ulm are month- long events lasting from mid November to 22 December, while the one in Neu Ulm is a Medieval Christmas market.
m. Canals: NU-G: Ulm has a series of canals that go through the Fisherman's district and city center from the Danube River.
n. Fachwerkhäuser: NU-G: Ulm is loaded with trussed houses dating back to the 1700s, many of which are restored and inhabitable. The most unique is the Leaning House (Schieferhaus), the only one of its kind in the world. It is along the Blue Canal and is a bed and breakfast.
MYSTERY BUILDING QUESTION: Name this building
ANSWER: Wiley Water Tower. From 1945 until 1991, the US Army was stationed in the now Wiley District in Neu Ulm with the purpose of protecting West Germany from a Communist attack and rebuilding the city that had been in shambles since the firebombings of 1944. After the military left post, the baracks were rebuilt to accomodate housing. This included the establishment of the University of Applied Sciences in 1994. The future of the water tower, found at Washingtonallee, is in question for even though it is considered a landmark for the Wiley district, plans are in the making to expand the university, and many city officials consider the tower a piece of rust that is an eyesore and needs to be torn down. The debate still lingers but there is hope that with the expansion of the campus the tower will remain as is. An article on the debate can be found here.
ANSWER: The Glockenspiel Tower in New Ulm. Located at the north entrance to the city center along Minnesota Street, the tower is considered a standing carillon clock tower, one of only a handful left in the world, with a height of 45 feet. The clock plays Westminster chimes every hour and a concert every three hours during the day. It is unknown who built it and when but it is located in Schonau Park and is one of the city's key wonders.
QUESTION: Both New Ulm and Neu Ulm/Ulm had their share of conflicts that affected their way of lives. Minus the two World Wars, what wars were the people involved in?
New Ulm- Dakota War of 1862. In August 1862, a band of Dakota Sioux Indians attacked several villages mainly along the Minnesota River in the nearly two month affair. This included two attacks on New Ulm on the 18th and 23rd. 60 settlers were killed and 190 were injured. There were unknown numbers of casualties among the Indians. The town was evacuated after the second attack with settlers living in Fort Ridgely until the war ended. 38 Indians were lynched in 1863 and the remaining tribes were forced to leave Minnesota for the Dakota territory shortly afterwards.
Ulm/Neu Ulm- Napoleon's Conquest. While the town was beset by French and Bavarian invasions in the 1700s, the biggest war prior to 1900 was Napoleon's conquest of Ulm in 1805, where Austrian General Mack was surrounded by his troops before he surrendered. After the French were eventually beaten back, Ulm was split into two in 1810, with the Danube being the divisional point. Ulm became part of the Kingdom of Baden-Wurttemberg while Neu-Ulm became part of the Bavarian kingdom. This two-city solution remained as is, even when Germany was created in 1871
Celebrities: Click here and here to find out which celebrities lived in the two cities. There are many of them, some of which were mentioned in earlier articles.
Gallery of Photos of the German Counterparts, Ulm and Neu-Ulm:


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I admit it, I should have gone to the doctor before I developed bronchitis. What is it about some people who refuse to admit weakness and ask for help?
Perhaps your mind has jumped to the recent death of Natasha Richardson who died after a fall on a Quebec ski slope. Clearly, she was offered help along the way and refused it. Now, of course, there will be a search for blame, but really, how could help be given when it was refused repeatedly? I read she even signed the waiver.
A few months ago, I read a blog about the lead up to the death of coaching genius Thomas Leonard. It was written by a dear friend of his who walked through the events that lead to his death. There were signs of a heart attack several hours before he died and he dismissed each sign.
In these two high-profile cases, the result was death. Fortunately, my obstinacy only led to bronchitis, but it has me wondering how I could have fallen into the same trap as Richardson and Leonard.
Clearly, there is a tendency in certain types of people (not the hypochondriacs obviously) that is averse to admitting physical weakness. I seem to be part of this group. What's the lesson for me? What if I'm wandering around having a heart attack and claiming it is indigestion?
I need to adjust how I see reaching out. Reaching out is strength. Getting help early lessens the inconvenience, the expense and the vulnerability. Okay, okay (Mom and Craig) next time I feel my chest tighten and my throat scratch, I will get it looked at. I have two clear cut examples of how wrong things can go if my pride rules my health.


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Last weekend was the annual Rosenbalm Family Reunion. Christine was the newest Rosenbalm so as I'm sure you can imagine that made her the most popular family member in attendance. Everyone went on and on about what a good and happy baby she is. I don't think Matt and I realize how good we have it with her until we hear people tell us things like that. I can honestly say we get that compliment almost everywhere we take her. I think it's because she doesn't take a passey.....people are shocked sometimes when a baby can stay completely content just to look around and observe her surroundings. As I said in my previous post, this child is one observant little lady.
It was pretty hot as one can expect in Texas. Christine stayed cool by sucking on some frozen grapes in her strainer that we packed for her. The best idea we had for the day! She gobbled them up as usual....she LOVES frozen grapes. And once those were gone (and by gone I mean the juice was sucked out of them and all we had left was grape skins) we put some ice cubes in there for her. She liked those very much as well. It's such a easy way to let her keep cool and entertain herself at the same time. Most of the older parents had never seen a strainer before and were pretty jealous they weren't around when their kids were little. We hear stuff like that a lot with all the new baby stuff that's out now. I guess that's another thing that we're lucky for....we didn't realize how fortunate we were to have such ingenious baby stuff. We also took her jump-a-roo which was a huge hit as well. LOL
Here are some shots of the everyone getting some Christine time.
Aunt Laurie
Uncle Jeff
Gagie (Great Grandma)
Papa (Great Grandpa) got lucky and got some kisses. Christine already reaches for him when he's around.
At the end of the reunion we had a drawing for door prizes. Christine was given the honor to draw the name for the first prize. We held the box of tickets with everyone's name up for her and she reached in like a pro and picked out one lonely ticket. And who do you think that ticket belonged to? None other than her Daddy. Here is a picture of the two of them with his prize.


text: Meralco Public Information Office Head Joe Zaldarriaga (in photo) said the reduction was due to the downward movement in generation, transmission, taxes, and other charges. This month's overall rate is lower by PhP1.54 per kWh compared to May 2015's PhP9.98 per kWh. It is also the lowest since January 2010, or over a period of six years.


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Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble The Book Depository
5 Reasons you NEED Dreamology by Lucy Keating!
1. Swoon-worthy Romance between Alice and the boy of her literal dreams
2. Supporting characters with so much depth and heart, Oliver, my baby <3
3. SUPER interesting Sci-Fi elements reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind executed exquisitely.
4. Dream sequences that are beautiful, lyrical, gorgeous and artistic. (Sure, synonyms, but hey PHENOMENAL!!!!)
If those 5 reasons didn't convince you go back and check out my review and playlist, and Lucy's playlist (which I linked above!!!!)
I am also sharing two of my wildest dreams because the dreams that Alice and Max share are a little crazy themselves... :)
Also forewarning, these are OLD dreams, so oftentimes this may not make sense, but I am trying to remember these for y'all!
Dream #1
I awoke to an annoying buzzing near my head, and only noticed the sound to be coming from my phone after the sound had stopped. I turn over onto my side, rolling toward my desk and subsequently, where my phone lay. Picking it up, I check what I missed.
Fast forward a lot of running around, and hiding later... A room covered in a bouncy house appears in front of me, about as big as a school cafeteria. I decide to use it to my advantage, hopping on top of the bouncy house instead of inside. The RBS follows me... hops onto the house as well, and I start to fly a little higher, and I put all my effort into really propelling the RBS away from me. With immense might, I jump harder, knocking the RBS into the ceiling, his head stuck, his body thrashing around attempting to escape.
After I defeated the RBS, I swiftly maneuvered toward the exit. I moved through a Hallmark store, and other stores (reminiscent of Paul Blart: Mall Cop) until I reach the exit. I finally notice the alarms blaring overhead, and other RBS's checking people as they go out, for Lacie, her mom, and I... Sweat glistens on my forehead, illuminating my pale skin.
The RBS near the exit goes to my church, and he is terrifying because his face, now mechanized shows no emotions, only cold, calculated determination.
Somehow I managed to sneak by him (Only heaven knows) and grabbed my phone out of my pocket and began to dial Lacie, to ask where she is, and if she made it out. I dial the number.
I hear the sound of someone on the other line. 9-1-1 What's your emergency?
This dream was INSANE when I had it, had quite a few more action scenes than I can quite remember, it was thriller, on the edge of your seat stuff (possibly because I had watched RED EYE the night before...) Hope y'all enjoyed it... keep reading for one more...
Originally it was nighttime, but it becomes light outside, and my brother is still in his shifted form, snarling, teeth barred, dangerous. He takes off his shoes that the curse had already broken through, and as I attempt to communicate with him through telepathy Riley! Can you hear me? He throws one shoe at me, and roars followed by galloping away in a frenzy toward the park near our house. I follow him, almost floating, but more likely rolling.
Out of the sky, and giant rocket train falls down, propelling rapidly towards the ground, toward me, towards our home. And directly before it hits the ground and explodes, it jerks upward, landing safely. But it proceeds to fold in on itself. It is rapidly getting smaller length wise, making it difficult to hop onto the train, which my brain was telling me I needed to do, or else. It continued moving in on itself, and I wanted to hop on, but I was afraid. I finally managed to do so in it's final rotation.
Phew I thought, quickly looking at my surroundings. The inside of the rocket-train was reminiscent of a RV with chrome insides, and the front of the bus looking like a cockpit of an airplane, technologically sound and fancy.
Inside the rocket-train besides my brother and I are two twin girls, witches of a sort, who have this book, a tome almost, that hold the power to control destiny. Whatever they write in the book, comes true. Tricky thing is, each copy is completely unique, and morphs to the person that grabs it, feeding off of their energy. There is a snarky old man, with horns, and a tail. Quite wild.
The driver/pilot/whatever-you-want-to-call-him's voice blares over the loud speakers above our heads. "Welcome, my dears. I would like you to know that I am taking you to a facility/factory where we will be testing each of you to help understand what is going on in your genetics, and how you turned out the way you are. It will be painful, but don't worry..." He pauses.
We all start raising a commotion, the girls eyes light up in purple hue. The old mans horns light on fire, and my body turns a bright blue, from it's usual clear blubber.
"Oh wait," He says. "You should worry." And we hear maniacal laughter from the cockpit area.
A different voice appears after. "Thomas, stop taunting out guests." The voice booms, deep. "Treat them kindly, they are the last people you will ever see."
"W-what?" He stammers. "Dad, what are you talking about?"
He realizes what's happening. "Dad, I don't have control over the vehicle anymore. What's going on? Dad? Dad?" Still no answer. "DAD?!?"
"I had to dispose of you somehow, Thomas, you disgrace of a son, you meaningless piece of shit."
"B-b-but... D-d-dad! I'm doing this for you! Let me continue to help you!" Thomas pleads.
"It's too late, son." And he cackles like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Thomas opens the door to the cockpit, screaming in fear, in pain, his world flooding in emotion, pure feeling. "I'm sorry." He speaks to us. "I didn't want to hurt you. Please forgive me."
The rocket-train continues upon the path that we were going on, going slightly to the right. We were heading on a runway, like an airplane (somehow magically, this is a dream its not supposed to make sense) until we went over a bump and slid farther to the right, sliding down into a ravine. We hit the bottom, and we were on another planet, crashed, stuck, immobile.
My world went black, and when it came back to me, Someone had released my giant blubbery butt from the rocket-train onto this planet, where there were goblins that were working on building some special contraption.... (Enter World of Warcraft looking Goblins that you battle if you are a Night Elf on that one shore... with the fisherman and stuff... ) and if you moved they would attack you. So we were quiet, staying away from them.
I hooked my magic tentacles (What? turns out I have those too) and hook them onto the rocket-train in attempt to learn more about where we were and provide power to the rocket-train, but as more of my tentacles connected, the more I learned, the brighter I glowed. and I drew their attention....
They turned in unison, and fired.
I know I left out quite a few details, but this was fun for me to write. I hope y'all like it! Let me know down below!!! :) GO READ DREAMOLOGY NOW!!!! (PLUS, THE DREAMS ARE SO GOOD. SUCH BEAUTY.)
- Cody Roecker :) <3


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Recently we featured Years 5 and 6's wonderful paintings based on Gustav Klimt's portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer.
Years 3 & 4 have also been creating artwork in the style of the famous artist, with these lovely, colourful self-portraits. They are on display in the Prep School entrance – have a look!


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Title: Dear Daughter
Character: Mrs. Burkle
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the universe they live in.
Summary: A mother writes a letter to her daughter. Post Angel Finale.
Author's Notes: Originally written for the Buffy Lyric Wheel, this fic is inspired by Crazy Faith by Alison Krauss and Union Station
Dear Daughter,
I'm not sure what to call you these days. My first instinct was to call you Winnie, like I use to. You were such a cute little girl back then. And so demanding. Why I remember when I made the mistake of calling you Winnie as you stepped on to the bus one morning. You were barely old enough to tie your shoes on straight but you gave me such a scowl that reminded me of your great-aunt Betty. You remember Auntie Betty, don't you? Made the best blueberry pie in the county but if she looked at you the wrong way, you were frozen for a week.
How adult you looked. Even as I laughed at your embarrassment, I knew this was the end of something. You were growing up as children tend to do. Before I knew what was happening, you were fifteen and hanging out behind the tool shed with the Barlow brothers doing God only knows what.
I remember the time we came home early one night from Freddy's Seafood Palace. Your dad had the shrimp platter. You know how he loves seafood but he just can't seem to keep it down. We came in to find you and Tim McCullah on the couch, doing what a teenage girl and a teenage boy tend to do when the parents go out and the lights get turned off.
And then it was off to university. You were always too big for this place. One store, one school. No swimming pool or movie theater or mall. No smart science geeks to make friends with. Except that Justin boy but he went and blew up his basement, along with himself. His poor mother.
I use to worry you'd go blow yourself up. Or that you'd work yourself to death.
Your father never wanted you too leave. You were his little girl and he wanted you close, no matter the price. I never told you this but as much as your father wanted you to stay was as much as I wanted you to go. I love you but part of loving is letting go. This town couldn't hold you anymore and if we tried to keep you locked up, well I could just imagine you withering up on us. You'd still be hanging out with Trevor and George B smoking the weed (Yes, I know about that) and wasting your life.
Or worse, gotten yourself knocked up by that McCullah boy. I'm not picking on motherhood. Motherhood is a fine thing. But part of motherhood is wanting your child to have more than you did. I love you father. I love this town. But there are days when I wish for something… more.
I was so proud to see you living your life in the big city. This was before you accidentally ended up in some other dimension and disappeared for five years. Five years is such a long time, especially when you simply don't know. It's simply waiting and waiting and waiting. Lying asleep at night, turning the same questions over and over in my head. Having faith that I would hug you again one day.
You came back. My questions were answered and I could hug you but you were different. Your father though your differences were due to the other dimension but I knew that wasn't the truth. Or, at least, not the complete truth.
After you came back, I still worried if you were going to work yourself to death but now I also fretted that some demon in the night would try to bleed you dry. You never did tell us much about where you disappeared for five years too, only that you were miserable and lost. Five years you were gone. We thought it was forever. But I hoped, I had faith and you returned to use.
And know you have disappeared once again on me and I'm not sure what to make of it. Where are you know? Are you safe? When will you return? Am I a fool for hanging on?
The questions will not let me sleep. They keep me up late and wake me up early. I lie there for hours, counting your father's snores until I can't stand it. I get up two hours early but there is no point lying awake. I walk down stairs to make myself an omelet, only the eggs are all gone. I've used them in the chocolate cake we had for dessert last night. Instead, I prepare dark coffee and toast. And while the coffee brews and the bread browns , I'm writing this letter. To Winifred Burkle. General Delivery. Somewhere out there, I hope.
You're gone. You've been gone for two months. Your work place is a pile of rubble, your co-workers are also missing and you haven't called.
But you came back once before. You'll come home again.
While I eat slowly, watching the rising sun from the kitchen window, your father dreams. He dreams of you coming home and settling down with a nice guy and plenty of little grandchild running through the house. I don't think I'll ever see grandchildren in this house. I call him an old fool for hoping. But if he is an old fool, then so am I.
Love Always,


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How to make a mini bookmark
Tools and products you will need for this project
a) Piece of card (10cm or 4.25" long by 5cm wide) (can be matching the card used to make the Post-it Note holder - see previous blog)
b) Contrasting card - 4cm square (we have used the Woodward Giant 2.5" Scalloped edge punch - click here for a link as to where you can buy it from Handy Hippo
c) Decoration for above
d) Hole punch and eyelet - we have used the Crop-a-dile eyelet setter with a 1/16" eyelet - but see below to watch a video from www.stamptv.ning.com to see how you can use just a pen to set an eyelet in a card project - really useful video**
e) Ribbon or Baker's twine
f) Corner rounder - we have used the the Woodward corner punch which you can get from Handy Hippo
Instructions how to make it
1) Cut your card to 10cm x 5cm - if you have made the Post-it note holder from our previous blog you should have a piece of card left over that will do for this.
2) Round all the corners with the Woodware corner punch
3) Punch a square from the contrasting card using the Giant 2.5" Woodware punch
4) Place the square at the top of the other card and using your Crop-a-dile punch through both pieces of card - approx 1cm from the top
5) Using the 1/16" eyelet, place it through both pieces and secure it using the Crop-a-dile - this will mean that the contrasting square will be attached to the base card but there will be space for you to place it in the book at the place you need it
6) Add whatever decoration you would like to this piece of card - I have used a Celtic Square peel-off sticker - Multi on black (small one) from Craft Creations
7) Then add the ribbon or Baker's twine either knotting it or by doubling it up, threading the looped end through the eyelet and then pass the loose ends through it to attach it.
And there you go... one very easy Bookmark that is slightly different from your normal one!
How to use a pen to set an eyelet in a card project video from www.Stamptv.ning.com


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Technical Details


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Two weeks ago the increasingly generous (!) boyfriend bought me an early Christmas present: a gorgeous dress from Warehouse I had fallen in love with. However its body con fit left me conscious of the hips it clung to, and after much deliberation I decided to take it back: this left me sad. It was perfect save an inch of fabric at the hips but the size up looked baggy and shapeless! Sadness however led quickly to happiness when you see what I swapped it for:A mohair coat with a silk lining (just like my mums!) reduced from £100 to £60 in the pre-festive sales. I was yet to buy a winter coat, and relunctant to relagate my boyfriend blazer back to the wardrobe. If i'm honest, I was also trying to hold out for the January sales! This solves both issues, as it is a boyfriend blazer style coat, with wonderfully pointy lapels and beautiful double breasted buttons as a fastener! After initial concerns that it was a little masculine, I twirled around in it three times and promptly fell in love! And I think for the quality received, it was a bargain too!!
PS - As I freeze in yet another of my floral dresses i'm beginning to contemplate knitwear. I think it's time to invest in a more wintery wardrobe. What are you all wearing as the cold snap snaps??


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My baby arrived!
Shortly after my last post, I went into labor. After a (relatively) short and easy labor, my son made his first appearance in the world. He's healthy, if smallish, utterly adorable, and definitely a bit precocious in the development department. He's also one of the most calm babies ever, which is nice for a first-time mother. He is now almost three weeks old, and I'm just starting to figure out my routine again. (As evidenced by the fact that I began writing this post two and a half weeks ago).
So far, motherhood has been like nothing I've experienced before. It's terrifying. Exhausting. Frustrating. It's also been completely special and wonderful in a weird way.
I'm continuously terrified that something will go wrong with the baby. Scared of his suffocating, or freezing, or getting too hot. I worry that he'll eat more milk than I can produce, or that the formula I have to supplement him with sometimes will harm him. I'm scared I'll do something wrong, and totally mess him up for life. I even worry that somehow I'll drop him or he'll flop around and hurt himself (newborns are really unbelievably floppy…).
I dream of one day sleeping deeply and for longer than a few too-short hours. My little Bookelet is a pretty good sleeper generally, but he prefers to be held, and he won't sleep in his own bassinet at night yet. He prefers sleeping with his mummy, which means I don't sleep very deeply at night as I'm constantly conscious of what's happening with him.
My son utterly refuses to breast-feed for food, though he will occasionally do so when he's not particularly hungry. He likes the comfort of it, and it will usually put him to sleep, but if he's hungry he simply fights the breast until he's good and angry. Since I really had my heart set on breast-feeding, this is only the first of what I'm sure will be many frustrations. It's especially frustrating to keep him fully fed as he appears to have two hollow legs and possibly hollow arms as well (at this rate, it'll cost a small fortune to keep him fed as a teenager) and I have to pump almost every bit of milk he consumes.
Yet, through the haze of exhausted, frustrating terror, I adore my son. I would do anything for him, and nothing brightens my day so much as when he grins up at me despite the development charts saying he shouldn't be smiling yet. Motherhood is truly indescribable. I fully understand how some women can become overwhelmed, depressed, and even despondent. The random weepiness is no picnic, and I occasionally feel overwhelmed despite all the loving help I've gotten and continue to get from everyone around me. But I no longer truly fear post-partum depression for myself. My heart is too full of love and delight in the little life that's just beginning to be overshadowed by darker emotions, no matter how wonky my hormones get or how exasperating he can be.


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Monday, April 18, 2016
The Bridge's Newest Resident
- Leia, Toby and Cathy
11 comments:
We are sad to hear this news. :(ReplyDelete
We are sad too. :-(ReplyDelete
Wes was so sad when wes readed that in our email, wes on our way over to gives them our loves. Wes is so furry sad.ReplyDelete
I was so sad to see this. :-(ReplyDelete
Oh no....I'm so sorry to hear the news. We'll go over their page.ReplyDelete
I am very sad that Spooky was unable to stay with them any longer and know they miss him very much.ReplyDelete
NOOOO I am heartbroken.ReplyDelete
Sad, very sad.ReplyDelete
We were so sorry about Spooky and then we just know read Mister from Marg's Animals passed...We have lost 3 very dear friends since Sunday...Mitch, Spooky and MisterReplyDelete
Extra hugs to the furbabes today
Madi and mom
Thank you for writing about Spooky, that was sweet of you.ReplyDelete
We miss him so much. XO
We are so sad that Spooky had to go to the Bridge. <3ReplyDelete


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Love is in the air today, happy valentines day to you. I hope you're having a lovely day no matter what you're up to. Most important I hope you had a lot of pancakes yesterday, I had mine with bananas and peanut butter. How are you celebrating today? Did you celebrate at the weekend? With bae or without bae?
It might be a bit late for this, but I wanted to give you a little inspiration on how to spend your night. If like me you're a singleton and to be honest I'm ok with. So round up your best mates and make a night of it.