SUENOSDEUOMI'S RUMINATIONS AND PERSPECTIVE
between a rock and a hard place
President Obama's State of the Union Address, eloquent as ever, and so darn self-confident, strikes me as covering a lot of ground, yet offering little of the change so many of us desire. Tightening the belt will not mean abandoning armament in Iraq, leading in alternative green energy will not exclude the quest for more unsustainable nuclear power and/or non-existent "clean coal," tax refunds will not make that big a difference to many that seek further education, and health care reform without a public option seems almost, if not entirely meaningless.
Some interesting fact checks can be found here:www.salon.com/news/state_of_the_union/index.html?story=/n...
Interesting though how any one image, any one thing can look so very different from another point of view. Seems to me that the Republicans and Democrats need to put themselves in to one another's shoes, so they can switch their point of view, have a deeper understanding of what is needed and really start working together. We like to vilify the other, but in truth they complement each other and make a larger whole. The search for this larger vision is a noble one, but sure goes against most of our desires to get things done - our way. I applaud President Obama for chastising both parties and encouraging both to work towards common goals and the good for all. Contrary to those that urge President Obama to force policies through and act more tough and angry, I admire, in theory, his principled approach and desire to bring along both parties.
I am afraid though we will not see the changes we so hoped for and were so excited about only 1 year ago. I am afraid Adriana Huffington might be right and we will not see great achievements, but little disappointing bits and pieces that will not add up to a whole lot, certainly not enough for the progressives.
I am afraid though we will not see the changes we so hoped for and were so excited about only 1 year ago. I am afraid Adriana Huffington might be right and we will not see great achievements, but little disappointing bits and pieces that will not add up to a whole lot, certainly not enough for the progressives.
Haiti Horror
January 12, 2010, just before 5 PM one devastating earth quake (7) struck Haiti and 1 week later, January 20. early AM one aftershock (6.1) shook their earth again. Imagine the terror this must cause. There seems to be concern of imminent violence sometimes overriding the giving of urgently needed care such as when Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN) was left alone in a medical tent for one whole night. Can the US be accused of militarizing the relief efforts? I wonder if race and class differences make up, if only a tiny part of the problems of the US relief efforts? 5 planes that carried crucial supplies like an inflatable hospital, for Doctors Without Borders were refused landing. Why aren't they given priority?
Crushed limbs, head trauma and no pain medication! The devastation, pain and terror must seem apocalyptic. Meanwhile for me, and I am sure many, that awful sense of impotent paralysis, wanting to help, but ...
Crushed limbs, head trauma and no pain medication! The devastation, pain and terror must seem apocalyptic. Meanwhile for me, and I am sure many, that awful sense of impotent paralysis, wanting to help, but ...
Failed State?
First I heard of Iran as "a failed state" now, after a failed attempt at blowing up an airplane over US soil, it is Yemen that is considered "a failed state." What is a failed state? A state in turmoil? A state that failed to embrace and or implement capitalist principles? A state that is not run under the tight-fisted control of a tyrant? A state that does not serve it's people? A state on the seeming verge of disintegration? A state with questionable morals? A state that failed to deliver on it's promises?
It is not Somalia, not Zimbabwe, not North Korea, and certainly not the United States?
We need only one terrorist attack on US soil and the power will be back in the not so capable hands of the Republicans. Meanwhile we have a handsome Dutch hero, but get to see nothing much of him, instead endless speculations from little information, yet. I want to celebrate the guy that was thinking not just on, but also off his feet. Wow, what chutzpah to tackle that Nigerian wanna be terrorist. And I seem to be wrong as regards my earlier posts. Education makes one not less likely to engage in extremist terrorist activities. So what makes these guys with brains turn to terrorist measures? The jury sure is still out on that one.
It is not Somalia, not Zimbabwe, not North Korea, and certainly not the United States?
We need only one terrorist attack on US soil and the power will be back in the not so capable hands of the Republicans. Meanwhile we have a handsome Dutch hero, but get to see nothing much of him, instead endless speculations from little information, yet. I want to celebrate the guy that was thinking not just on, but also off his feet. Wow, what chutzpah to tackle that Nigerian wanna be terrorist. And I seem to be wrong as regards my earlier posts. Education makes one not less likely to engage in extremist terrorist activities. So what makes these guys with brains turn to terrorist measures? The jury sure is still out on that one.
More in space then on-line
A change of neighbors brought a dire lack of connectivity. Just a quick few points.
Oprah announced her giving up her show after her 25th season, that is by 9.9.11. I will miss Oprah, 'The Queen of Empathy' and occasional truly insightful interviews. I will never forget the one from prison with Betty, the woman that killed her x-husband and his new girlfriend when she intruded in to their bedroom and then claimed her gun got off by itself. I was in awe of Oprah's sensitive inquiries that really gave us a window in to this woman's soul. I became an instant fan and have been so ever since then, the late eighties. To my mind Oprah's interview would stand in stark contrast to Heraldo Rivera's understandable, but unproductive assault on the KKK, a total missed opportunity that offered us no new insights of any kind. Oprah's reporting style enriched my life and my understanding of the world that too often looks weird beyond belief. Oprah is an icon of our times, a woman of my age, a power to be reckoned with that I expect to be relevant still for a long time to come. Really, if her recent interview with Sarah Palin gave her the highest ratings in 2 years, I do not blame her at all for wanting out! The freeing up of her time will allow this outstanding woman to do a lot more good in many new and different ways and I will be eager to learn about such and wish her only the best. She deserves our admiration and best wishes along with the freedom to do as she pleases.
Appalling Palin has been dominating the news. One thing that really bothers me is that the dominant culture does not distinguish between a woman's rights and an infant's need for a mother. Infants need mothers not formula! This has nothing to do with woman's rights. Women have breasts and men do not. Women have held the infant in gestation for 9 months in their bellies, men did not. In an ideal world, mothers breast feed their babies. Sure there are less then ideal circumstances, often they involve money. New mothers may need to provide for their babies, their families. Sure, we adapt, but this does not change the fact that infants need their mothers and suffer given substitutes.
Sarah Palin and daughter both were pregnant and she had no calms to take on a high level job! Obviously this woman is not concerned about the well being of the infants, hers a special-needs child to boot. This bothers me big time. Of course we do not expect the same from fathers, from men. Women's rights should not be about erasing the differences between men and women. Sacrificing all to the altar of achievements and climbing the social ladder is not admirable. What happened to all that we learned, the hard way, in the sixties and seventies in humanistic psychology? All forgotten or discarded? Wake up America!
Sarah Palin moaned about the flak her daughter got during last year's campaign. The criticism of course was never about her teenage pregnant daughter, but about the hypocrisy of a stance for no sex education and the real life hard facts of a pregnant teen. Sarah's phony glossing over such and creating this rosy picture that entailed her teen aged daughter about to marry her teenage, bad-boy infatuation, with this way ward son-in-law to take on a job at the White House, was hard to swallow for any seasoned human being.
Sarah will challenge us to the max in regards to the unification of this great, but deeply divided country, the United States. President Obama was calling on that which unites us, Palin will clarify that which divides us.
Appalling Palin has been dominating the news. One thing that really bothers me is that the dominant culture does not distinguish between a woman's rights and an infant's need for a mother. Infants need mothers not formula! This has nothing to do with woman's rights. Women have breasts and men do not. Women have held the infant in gestation for 9 months in their bellies, men did not. In an ideal world, mothers breast feed their babies. Sure there are less then ideal circumstances, often they involve money. New mothers may need to provide for their babies, their families. Sure, we adapt, but this does not change the fact that infants need their mothers and suffer given substitutes.
Sarah Palin and daughter both were pregnant and she had no calms to take on a high level job! Obviously this woman is not concerned about the well being of the infants, hers a special-needs child to boot. This bothers me big time. Of course we do not expect the same from fathers, from men. Women's rights should not be about erasing the differences between men and women. Sacrificing all to the altar of achievements and climbing the social ladder is not admirable. What happened to all that we learned, the hard way, in the sixties and seventies in humanistic psychology? All forgotten or discarded? Wake up America!
Sarah Palin moaned about the flak her daughter got during last year's campaign. The criticism of course was never about her teenage pregnant daughter, but about the hypocrisy of a stance for no sex education and the real life hard facts of a pregnant teen. Sarah's phony glossing over such and creating this rosy picture that entailed her teen aged daughter about to marry her teenage, bad-boy infatuation, with this way ward son-in-law to take on a job at the White House, was hard to swallow for any seasoned human being.
Sarah will challenge us to the max in regards to the unification of this great, but deeply divided country, the United States. President Obama was calling on that which unites us, Palin will clarify that which divides us.
Sumo's 4. Birthday, today October 4. 2009
In honor of Sumo's birthday I ditched my shoulds and headed up north not forgetting to pack a freshly boiled chicken breast. What we happened to come upon was this gorgeous fishing lake adjacent to the Benedictine Monastery in Pecos.
What a lovely place even after the peak of fall colors. I could not have pleased my pups, that really are no longer pups, but mature dogs, any more. We meandered around the whole lake not once, but trice, both dogs off lead and in canine heaven. Soon I learned that my Isabella-girl knows how to swim. She showed no hesitation in jumping in to the lake in pursuit of a pair of ducks. For a moment I worried I had to follow her in to the cold wet to rescue her back to shore, but with a quizzical look on her face and determined, or was it desperate paddling, she made it back to solid grounds, only to douse us with her wetness. I managed to call Sumo off from a rare following suit. he is a lot more in to leading and charging ahead then following, usually. I am really not sure about his swimming abilities. In fact we have never been near a lake as accessible and clean looking where off lead dogs were welcome and nobody even charged a fee.
Sumo was in canine heaven and for once lost his focus on me and stayed wholly involved with his own nose, sights and sounds and sensory input. That guy sure gets the hunting and exploring instincts and is hard to hold back. What a blessing for us to have found this lovely spot.
After one round I was to head back to the van to find them treats but Sumo refused to get anywhere in sight of that darn vehicle as to him it must mean the end of all fun! Little did he know or care that chicken breast was waiting there for him. 3 rounds and each time same story. My guy does know how to make his feelings and wishes clear, but then so do I!
My two must be holding a conference here as to my wishes to return to our 'mobile home'. Isabella already tasted the treats and must be assuring Sumo, but he would not be convinced and would keep his distance and avoidance tactic.
As it so happened, the other day the news reported of President Jacque Chirac's little dog, oddly enough also called Sumo and also a Poodle/Maltese, in pure white though without the Yorkie parts in mine, but looking like I imagined my dog to look, back then. Well this Sumo had bitten the former French President 3 times in what they called a depression over adjusting to a smaller environment then the presidential palace! The dog had to go, to some farm. Easier to get rid of a problem then dealing with the underlying cause for bad behavior! I doubt that dog got enough exercise and discipline.
My Sumo barks too often when meeting other dogs on lead in town. I am really not sure why, at times it seems simple excitement, other times it seems more aggressive and incites a stand off. He is fine at our dog park, but will tell any dog off, no matter the size, when he had enough of being sniffed. Alas, he seems very attractive to many sniffers. I judge my Sumo to be an essential alpha male and therefor more interested following his nose and instincts then in others, dogs or humans.
Sumo was in canine heaven and for once lost his focus on me and stayed wholly involved with his own nose, sights and sounds and sensory input. That guy sure gets the hunting and exploring instincts and is hard to hold back. What a blessing for us to have found this lovely spot.After one round I was to head back to the van to find them treats but Sumo refused to get anywhere in sight of that darn vehicle as to him it must mean the end of all fun! Little did he know or care that chicken breast was waiting there for him. 3 rounds and each time same story. My guy does know how to make his feelings and wishes clear, but then so do I!
My two must be holding a conference here as to my wishes to return to our 'mobile home'. Isabella already tasted the treats and must be assuring Sumo, but he would not be convinced and would keep his distance and avoidance tactic.As it so happened, the other day the news reported of President Jacque Chirac's little dog, oddly enough also called Sumo and also a Poodle/Maltese, in pure white though without the Yorkie parts in mine, but looking like I imagined my dog to look, back then. Well this Sumo had bitten the former French President 3 times in what they called a depression over adjusting to a smaller environment then the presidential palace! The dog had to go, to some farm. Easier to get rid of a problem then dealing with the underlying cause for bad behavior! I doubt that dog got enough exercise and discipline.
My Sumo barks too often when meeting other dogs on lead in town. I am really not sure why, at times it seems simple excitement, other times it seems more aggressive and incites a stand off. He is fine at our dog park, but will tell any dog off, no matter the size, when he had enough of being sniffed. Alas, he seems very attractive to many sniffers. I judge my Sumo to be an essential alpha male and therefor more interested following his nose and instincts then in others, dogs or humans.Polanski
Polanski's arrest in Zurich got me stirred up and I am not even a fan of his movies. I swear the boards are the modern lion dens or witch hunts and sinister hangings of times I had believed long gone. Screams of bloody murder with the throwing of the rapist, if not in the fires of hell, at least in to prison to rot for the remainder of his life. Rape and child are the buzz words, although like any word the meaning can take on all kinds of colors.
According to the victim her experience does not qualify as rape as it lacked the violence she would associate with such. While rape is rape as concerns the lack of consent and the proceeding even while being told no, there are shades here. The child had sex before and supposedly was only weeks away from the age of 14 and the ability to offer consent legally.
A child being drugged in order to be taken advantage of, sounds so sinister, yet Qualudes were so common and so easily accessible, even to school kids that wanted them. I know, I grew up in Switzerland, it was a cinch to ask my friend's boyfriend to get me some illegal pharmaceuticals (once LSD for my mom's friend. Bless my mom's heart, I believe she never learned of this.) Offering Quaalude and Champagn seem to be equated with today's dating drug abuse scandals, while in the sixties and seventies were the social norm in certain circles.
Offering alcohol to a 13 year old in Europe is common and would never warrant the American outrage. I must say I hate the infantilization of American kids that are old enough to be sent to war, but not old enough to have a celebratory sip of alcohol. I hate that a 19 year old having an affair with a few year younger kid can be prosecuted for child abuse and even incarcerated if sex is involved. Yet I remember plenty of school mates actively in pursuit of sex at a tender age of barely noticeable sexual characteristics. I remember how at 12 years of age some men judged me to be 20 years of age, and that without any provocation, certainly not of a sexual nature on my part.
No, I do not favor middle aged men having sex with very young girls and no, rape is inexcusable. Neither do I favor the laissez fair or letting go of crimes because of times that did pass. Obviously Polanski is a fighter. He survived the Holocaust in Krakau, got over a Dad that told him to fuck off and had to deal with the brutal slaying of his wife and had to endure the suspicions of the authorities and fellow Americans. Somehow looking at the larger picture, his escape when the judge's ambition became obvious seems befitting, if ill chosen. What possibly in his past could have made him place his trust in the American legal and political system?
Apprehended now, I hope he will have a chance to finish this sordid and long overdue business, pay his debt to society without going to prison, I hope. Compensating the American tax payer with a fine that would cover the expense of keeping his case open for 30 years seems just. And I would add a punishment of having to produce films of an educational nature that have sexual abuse and boundaries at the core, suitable to be shown to kids, in various age appropriate versions. This seems to me a good and fitting punishment without wasting good talent and filling already overflowing prisons with another individual that really poses no longer a threat to society (considering no new allegations of child abuse come to the fore.)
Back to my beginning what irks me are the cries for revenge clothed in terms of Justice. Polanski admitted to guilt only as regards to unlawful sexual intercourse, not rape! The fact that he is white, rich and well connected seems to get some folks ire, as rage mounts at the thought of another aborted attempt at legal justice.
No, I do not favor middle aged men having sex with very young girls and no, rape is inexcusable. Neither do I favor the laissez fair or letting go of crimes because of times that did pass. Obviously Polanski is a fighter. He survived the Holocaust in Krakau, got over a Dad that told him to fuck off and had to deal with the brutal slaying of his wife and had to endure the suspicions of the authorities and fellow Americans. Somehow looking at the larger picture, his escape when the judge's ambition became obvious seems befitting, if ill chosen. What possibly in his past could have made him place his trust in the American legal and political system?
Apprehended now, I hope he will have a chance to finish this sordid and long overdue business, pay his debt to society without going to prison, I hope. Compensating the American tax payer with a fine that would cover the expense of keeping his case open for 30 years seems just. And I would add a punishment of having to produce films of an educational nature that have sexual abuse and boundaries at the core, suitable to be shown to kids, in various age appropriate versions. This seems to me a good and fitting punishment without wasting good talent and filling already overflowing prisons with another individual that really poses no longer a threat to society (considering no new allegations of child abuse come to the fore.)
Back to my beginning what irks me are the cries for revenge clothed in terms of Justice. Polanski admitted to guilt only as regards to unlawful sexual intercourse, not rape! The fact that he is white, rich and well connected seems to get some folks ire, as rage mounts at the thought of another aborted attempt at legal justice.
His victim forgave Polanski in 1997 and considered his 30 years in exile as sufficient punishment. No, victims are not to dictate legal procedures, but should their word not count for something? Or do we once again infantalize the victims by acting 'for their own good' while ignoring their testimony?
No, money, power and status ought to not determine the justice system. What I would like to see is a justice not based on needs for revenge, not meted out by the book, but considered with true wisdom that looks at the crime in a differentiated fashion rather then black and white and can address the real needs of society, victim and perpetrator.
Meanwhile let's keep on enjoying Swiss Chocolates!
No, money, power and status ought to not determine the justice system. What I would like to see is a justice not based on needs for revenge, not meted out by the book, but considered with true wisdom that looks at the crime in a differentiated fashion rather then black and white and can address the real needs of society, victim and perpetrator.
Meanwhile let's keep on enjoying Swiss Chocolates!
Women's Happiness, or lack of
Here we go again with that American dream, the pursuit of happiness. Are we really surprised to find that we have less, rather then more in this country of supposed plenty, the richest country in the world with supposedly the most opportunities? (A list of the US standing in terms of education, child death, death penalty, health care and on and on would be appropriate here. Sorry, I am not a great researcher.)
"First, since 1972, women's overall level of happiness has dropped, both relative to where they were forty years ago, and relative to men. You find this drop in happiness in women regardless of whether they have kids, how many kids they have, how much money they make, how healthy they are, what job they hold, whether they are married, single or divorced, how old they are, or what race they are." Marcus Buckingham, Huffington Post "All told, more than 1.3 million men and women have been surveyed over the last 40 years, both here in the U.S. and in developed countries around the world. Wherever researchers have been able to collect reliable data on happiness, the finding is always the same: greater educational, political, and employment opportunities have corresponded to decreases in life happiness for women, as compared to men."
What constitutes happiness? We know that the northern European countries are considered to be the happiest, but I would prefer calling them more content, in great part due to their greater social security and stability. My Swiss friends rarely change jobs or homes or mates. Functioning within the system they gain social status and the added comforts that go with such. Telling though the Swiss can hardly wait to get away, is there a nation that travels more for escape?
The US is such a melange of everything, surely in the metropolitan areas there is barely any refuge to be found in the glue of social conventions. A sense of belonging and purpose surely must contribute to an individuals happiness.
As a child of the seventies, or sixties how can we possibly feel happy in this oh so very strange world, where Bush manages to get elected not once, but twice. Where wars are fought despite mass protests on absolutely wrong presumptions. Where the earth keeps on being raped and polluted despite forewarnings for decades. Where global warming kills off the walruses, to mention only today's news. Where as a feeling, breathing human being we are inundated with atrocities from around the globe by the hour, even the minute. "Anybody who can look at the state of the world and NOT be depressed isn't paying attention." someone's quote and maybe bumper sticker
What happened to peaceful coexistence and living with nature? Dominion is still the name of the game. Animals suffer our perceived needs, which really are just endless wants and we turn a blind eye to theirs. And what really gets me is the cry to violence from those professed Christians, those that kill doctors that perform abortions, those that cry war on those not proven guilty, those that seek revenge when Christ told us to turn the other cheek.
Oh well, let's get personal: I don't go to church, I do not have family, I am an immigrant, first generation, I don't feel I belong, I am not happy!
First thought is well, get your attitude adjusted, happiness is of your own making, no one to blame but yourself. How easy we are at assigning blame, including to ourselves!
To be happy is supposedly a choice we make. This goes in the face of us human beings, by nature being if not dependent, certainly interdependent. We need one another for survival, at least have been doing so for millenniums. Yet, instead of cooperating and thriving, we the human race, engage in wars and exploitation of one another and Mother Earth. How can we not feel depressed in this male dominated western, uncivilized world? And no, I am not a hard core feminist that hates men, but think that this patriarchal way of being sadly is emulated by women too, especially those on the ladder upward.
Walruses are dying en mass because of global warming, in today's news. Somali warlords keep on fighting and the women keep subsisting in inhumane conditions. Women still work harder for less. For the few that did break through the ceiling that many slave away in one form or another. Isn't it amazing that the word slavery still applies and such conditions thrive in today's US democracies. Russian and Asian women and so many others are lured to the land of milk and honey only to find themselves in a living hell.
Want not and you will be happy, all misery exists because of desire is what some say. Blame is placed on the images found in magazines and on TV. Supposedly I make my own misery by subjecting myself to such and comparing myself to face lifted, plastic boobed dolls and maybe to the sex kitten toys sought out in men's magazines. We live in a world of addiction, now who of those porn obsessed, beer bellied, incoherent dopey eyed specimens of the male variety can go beyond the old fashioned role of provider and make a woman feel truly seen, heard and met intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and bodily?
I would say that every woman living in a patriarchal society must feel, to the extent that she has not given up her own nature in trying to adjust to the dominant male mode, like a round, fluid sphere inside a rigid, tight fitting square. The dominant mode of striving for success - at any price, placing value in acquisitions, promoting image and hiding essence, none of it for the common good, must feel alienating.
And then comes the midlife crisis, the no longer holding value with diminished sex appeal in a man's eye and finding out how easily one is replaceable. Some women turn to women only to find out that we lost our sense of cooperation and engage in similar dominant behavior with one another as we tried to escape from.
Women supposedly get sadder and men happier after 4o, isn't it obvious? Men think they still can score a young chick, at least they imagine themselves in the running league, to them it is always a possibility. Women know better, that is with the exceptions of those like Demi Moore and the likes, and you know how they look and tweet!
But sex goes only so far and then are the realities for some of us: No insurance, no secure income, over the hill with no good prospects for work or a mate and only one incident away from catastrophe. Men rot in jails while women struggle to survive and bring up their kids alone. Men cheat, some women leave. It is known that men do better financially after divorce then women. We wonder why these women are unhappy? No doubt if we asked them they would express relief from having gotten away from an unfaithful husband, one more interested in porn, or hanging out with beer drinking buddies watching TV all night, or ogling women because another male heart failed to open. Is it a wonder women are unhappy? How many truly happy couples do we know?
Women used to have friends that filled the role of a caring, nurturing, intimate other in their lives, but in today's society, try to make a friendship a priority, when work demands run round the clock and time is scheduled down to the love making, or fucking, if both involved indulge more their fantasies then each other.
Happiness is relative that is for sure. Bliss isn't, we know when we are immersed in it and usually it has something to do with feeling connected, with feeling seen for who we really are, with being intimate and alive with an open heart.
The pursuit of happiness may be overrated as regards the striving for success and acquiring of acquisitions while states of bliss, such as in watching the sun rise and set, the shadows fall and take their places, the birds come and go, and the dogs cock their heads while they look up expectantly, these kinds of pleasures may be way underrated.
"First, since 1972, women's overall level of happiness has dropped, both relative to where they were forty years ago, and relative to men. You find this drop in happiness in women regardless of whether they have kids, how many kids they have, how much money they make, how healthy they are, what job they hold, whether they are married, single or divorced, how old they are, or what race they are." Marcus Buckingham, Huffington Post "All told, more than 1.3 million men and women have been surveyed over the last 40 years, both here in the U.S. and in developed countries around the world. Wherever researchers have been able to collect reliable data on happiness, the finding is always the same: greater educational, political, and employment opportunities have corresponded to decreases in life happiness for women, as compared to men."
What constitutes happiness? We know that the northern European countries are considered to be the happiest, but I would prefer calling them more content, in great part due to their greater social security and stability. My Swiss friends rarely change jobs or homes or mates. Functioning within the system they gain social status and the added comforts that go with such. Telling though the Swiss can hardly wait to get away, is there a nation that travels more for escape?
The US is such a melange of everything, surely in the metropolitan areas there is barely any refuge to be found in the glue of social conventions. A sense of belonging and purpose surely must contribute to an individuals happiness.
As a child of the seventies, or sixties how can we possibly feel happy in this oh so very strange world, where Bush manages to get elected not once, but twice. Where wars are fought despite mass protests on absolutely wrong presumptions. Where the earth keeps on being raped and polluted despite forewarnings for decades. Where global warming kills off the walruses, to mention only today's news. Where as a feeling, breathing human being we are inundated with atrocities from around the globe by the hour, even the minute. "Anybody who can look at the state of the world and NOT be depressed isn't paying attention." someone's quote and maybe bumper sticker
What happened to peaceful coexistence and living with nature? Dominion is still the name of the game. Animals suffer our perceived needs, which really are just endless wants and we turn a blind eye to theirs. And what really gets me is the cry to violence from those professed Christians, those that kill doctors that perform abortions, those that cry war on those not proven guilty, those that seek revenge when Christ told us to turn the other cheek.
Oh well, let's get personal: I don't go to church, I do not have family, I am an immigrant, first generation, I don't feel I belong, I am not happy!
First thought is well, get your attitude adjusted, happiness is of your own making, no one to blame but yourself. How easy we are at assigning blame, including to ourselves!
To be happy is supposedly a choice we make. This goes in the face of us human beings, by nature being if not dependent, certainly interdependent. We need one another for survival, at least have been doing so for millenniums. Yet, instead of cooperating and thriving, we the human race, engage in wars and exploitation of one another and Mother Earth. How can we not feel depressed in this male dominated western, uncivilized world? And no, I am not a hard core feminist that hates men, but think that this patriarchal way of being sadly is emulated by women too, especially those on the ladder upward.
Walruses are dying en mass because of global warming, in today's news. Somali warlords keep on fighting and the women keep subsisting in inhumane conditions. Women still work harder for less. For the few that did break through the ceiling that many slave away in one form or another. Isn't it amazing that the word slavery still applies and such conditions thrive in today's US democracies. Russian and Asian women and so many others are lured to the land of milk and honey only to find themselves in a living hell.
Want not and you will be happy, all misery exists because of desire is what some say. Blame is placed on the images found in magazines and on TV. Supposedly I make my own misery by subjecting myself to such and comparing myself to face lifted, plastic boobed dolls and maybe to the sex kitten toys sought out in men's magazines. We live in a world of addiction, now who of those porn obsessed, beer bellied, incoherent dopey eyed specimens of the male variety can go beyond the old fashioned role of provider and make a woman feel truly seen, heard and met intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and bodily?
I would say that every woman living in a patriarchal society must feel, to the extent that she has not given up her own nature in trying to adjust to the dominant male mode, like a round, fluid sphere inside a rigid, tight fitting square. The dominant mode of striving for success - at any price, placing value in acquisitions, promoting image and hiding essence, none of it for the common good, must feel alienating.
And then comes the midlife crisis, the no longer holding value with diminished sex appeal in a man's eye and finding out how easily one is replaceable. Some women turn to women only to find out that we lost our sense of cooperation and engage in similar dominant behavior with one another as we tried to escape from.
Women supposedly get sadder and men happier after 4o, isn't it obvious? Men think they still can score a young chick, at least they imagine themselves in the running league, to them it is always a possibility. Women know better, that is with the exceptions of those like Demi Moore and the likes, and you know how they look and tweet!
But sex goes only so far and then are the realities for some of us: No insurance, no secure income, over the hill with no good prospects for work or a mate and only one incident away from catastrophe. Men rot in jails while women struggle to survive and bring up their kids alone. Men cheat, some women leave. It is known that men do better financially after divorce then women. We wonder why these women are unhappy? No doubt if we asked them they would express relief from having gotten away from an unfaithful husband, one more interested in porn, or hanging out with beer drinking buddies watching TV all night, or ogling women because another male heart failed to open. Is it a wonder women are unhappy? How many truly happy couples do we know?
Women used to have friends that filled the role of a caring, nurturing, intimate other in their lives, but in today's society, try to make a friendship a priority, when work demands run round the clock and time is scheduled down to the love making, or fucking, if both involved indulge more their fantasies then each other.
Happiness is relative that is for sure. Bliss isn't, we know when we are immersed in it and usually it has something to do with feeling connected, with feeling seen for who we really are, with being intimate and alive with an open heart.
The pursuit of happiness may be overrated as regards the striving for success and acquiring of acquisitions while states of bliss, such as in watching the sun rise and set, the shadows fall and take their places, the birds come and go, and the dogs cock their heads while they look up expectantly, these kinds of pleasures may be way underrated.
Impromptu Acquisition
I left home looking to replace my rain barrel and came home with a monstrous leather chair:
The kind I had been dreaming of, soft, comfortable and not torn. A perfect place to read. (What happened to the times I could read anywhere anytime, including on my way to school, under the covers in secret, in the bathroom in the bath tub, sitting, standing, lying down ... what happened?)
These days the light is not right, the reflections bothersome, my eyes are too tired and my body tosses and turns. If I could I would try reading in a head stand, it can't be worse then what I am doing so far.
But now I got this comfy huge throne in my tiny home. For a moment I feared I might not get it through the door, but with a little help we did it, and ever since I am rearranging my whole home to make things fit. There are always more then one way to do one thing, just as there are many roads that lead to Rom and certainly many rivers that find the ocean. Never mind that I liked it that one way, it's good to be flexible, it's good to invite change and sometimes it is excellent to buy on impulse.
New chair
new bike
new camera
I better get my butt moving,
then get stuck in comfort zone.
The kind I had been dreaming of, soft, comfortable and not torn. A perfect place to read. (What happened to the times I could read anywhere anytime, including on my way to school, under the covers in secret, in the bathroom in the bath tub, sitting, standing, lying down ... what happened?)These days the light is not right, the reflections bothersome, my eyes are too tired and my body tosses and turns. If I could I would try reading in a head stand, it can't be worse then what I am doing so far.
But now I got this comfy huge throne in my tiny home. For a moment I feared I might not get it through the door, but with a little help we did it, and ever since I am rearranging my whole home to make things fit. There are always more then one way to do one thing, just as there are many roads that lead to Rom and certainly many rivers that find the ocean. Never mind that I liked it that one way, it's good to be flexible, it's good to invite change and sometimes it is excellent to buy on impulse.
New chair
new bike
new camera
I better get my butt moving,
then get stuck in comfort zone.
25 Years
Today, 25 years ago we arrived in Santa Fe,
in a red beat up Toyota pick up truck, down to a few bucks.
we would spend the night aside on the road, not far from this site.
in a red beat up Toyota pick up truck, down to a few bucks.
we would spend the night aside on the road, not far from this site.
The magic of Santa Fe had lured us, little did we know,
we thought we were close to Mexico,
but soon enough snow surprised us then, as it still does now.
First snow sprinkled Mount Baldy today
and offered foreboding of what is yet to come.
Who knew that a frosty season might last 8 months out of 1 year?
we thought we were close to Mexico,
but soon enough snow surprised us then, as it still does now.
First snow sprinkled Mount Baldy today
and offered foreboding of what is yet to come.
Who knew that a frosty season might last 8 months out of 1 year?
Brown, thick, round walls of dirt and straw against blue, sunny skies seemed like a perfect antidote for way too much time spent in New York. Soon we were settled along a charming narrow dirt road, in someone's library turned to guesthouse for welcome additional income, as most working Santa Feans had then, and certainly need to use ingenuity now, to make ends meet.
Roosters would wake us before dawn. He found work that very first day in construction. I stayed home alone. I had not yet learned how to drive, had overstayed my visa, - and was at a loss. Still reeling from life's harsh lessons and yes, losses of love, money and things, but most importantly loss of naiveté and a simpleton's trust.
Every new beginning is a bit like a new birth. I do not do well with birth. I prolong, resist, hesitate, and moan and groan. No, I say, I am not ready! My mom was 2 weeks overdue with me and still I did not make it easy on her. Neither did they make it easy on me with their forceps.
25 years ago, bewildered, at a loss, resistant, I wondered; who am I now?
Today, more then 30 years ago, I arrived in New York after midnight and after all buses suspended service until morning. Not one to spend when not necessary, I settled in to a seat in one of the waiting areas to snooze until service would resume. And so began my US adventure,
when I yet had no inkling of ever becoming a US citizen and never even had heard of what must be considered my home town now, Santa Fe, the City Dipherent.
Gilbert Roybal, another victim of homicide
Another homicide only 1 week later, my heart feels bruised, which is nothing compared to no longer having a beating heart, or one on life support to be donated to someone in need! My condolences to the family of Gilbert Roybal, 44, owner of the Ancient Spirit hair and nail salon, located in downtown Santa Fe, off West San Francisco, in the same courtyard as the Sakura Japanese Restaurant.To all accounts this was a good man, with no enemies who could pride himself in our Governor having frequented his business. The news says after work, still during Fiesta weekend, he stopped by the Eldorado Hotel to enjoy some Salsa music and somehow got involved in an argument. I sure hope it is not a gender related hate crime, as this is the first question that comes to mind to many when hearing of a hair dresser in trouble.
Hate seems though in the ether. Again the news discussion boards were filled with hateful commentaries. Many are ready to blame the illegals, the day workers, the transients for crimes committed in their community. Others want to throw out the baby with the bathwater and stop Fiesta festivities cold, keep them strictly to religious ceremonies. Always there are those to blame the politicians and police for not doing their job. One or two bemoan the lack of a death penalty when needed! It seems that anonymous comments illicit a flow of unmitigated hatred.
We are all for free speech, but with freedom comes responsibility! I do imagine if the boards were no longer anonymous the posts would become more temperate. Meanwhile a good man has been on life support only to harvest his organs, our community experienced another loss, this time of a treasured member and the question remains what are we not doing that we could to make Santa Fe safer? I wish I knew the answer.
maybe to be continued ...
You may want to check out my post on Chris Rose and the crime that happened only 1 week prior. http://uomis.blogspot.com/2009/09/chris-rose.html
maybe to be continued ...
Fall, not from grace, but new bike!
It happened, one of my worst fears, I fell off my bike yesterday!
I love the look of the composite, to me elegant, frame, not a glossy, but dull, solid black. Finally a step through frame that does not require of me to be an athlete in swinging my one leg back over a huge milk crate or over the darn bar, - while holding my two pups on lead. The bike has one gear only, just fine for riding downtown, on flat terrain, going on errands and exercising my pups. The foldable crate up front is cute and to me very practical. It holds all the necessities for outings: Camera, phone, and for the pups, poop bags, treats and water. The brakes require some getting adjusting to. The one brake handle on the bar adjusts the back peddling system and not used properly can easily spill disaster, as happened with me. The Kona bike comes with a lock of the back wheel which has limited use here in the Southwest where bikes get stolen, even with parking meters they had been attached to! The seat is wide and comfortable enough and ah, sitting upright is such a relief, such a long missed pleasure, it's got to be worth the expense. I have been wanting to ride upright for decades and it seemed impossible in the US to find this kind of bike, similar to what I have known and loved in Amsterdam.
My mountain bike has been good for me. I bought it 15 years ago by default, as no upright bikes then were available from our local dealers. The pretty color lettering had much to do with my choice. It is a solid bike, with gears that make it reasonably easy to go uphill. It has served me well. I hope I can keep it as there is bliss in having the right tool for the right occasion.
to be continued, maybe ...
Only one week earlier I had succumbed to a good deal and got myself a new and different bike - on sale. It is hard to resist a good deal and even harder when my purchase benefits charity. For every bike sold in the US, one goes to an African health care worker! The Kona Africa bike www.konabiketown.com/ was conceived to support the distribution of health care in Africa. Isn't it a great idea! This bike it is perfect for me:
I love the look of the composite, to me elegant, frame, not a glossy, but dull, solid black. Finally a step through frame that does not require of me to be an athlete in swinging my one leg back over a huge milk crate or over the darn bar, - while holding my two pups on lead. The bike has one gear only, just fine for riding downtown, on flat terrain, going on errands and exercising my pups. The foldable crate up front is cute and to me very practical. It holds all the necessities for outings: Camera, phone, and for the pups, poop bags, treats and water. The brakes require some getting adjusting to. The one brake handle on the bar adjusts the back peddling system and not used properly can easily spill disaster, as happened with me. The Kona bike comes with a lock of the back wheel which has limited use here in the Southwest where bikes get stolen, even with parking meters they had been attached to! The seat is wide and comfortable enough and ah, sitting upright is such a relief, such a long missed pleasure, it's got to be worth the expense. I have been wanting to ride upright for decades and it seemed impossible in the US to find this kind of bike, similar to what I have known and loved in Amsterdam.
I have been riding bikes since I was 10 years old and got one for Christmas. I remember my mom, afterwards, expressed her worries about my discovering their surprise gift and spoiling the fun. The only fall off a bike before yesterday was when I followed my mom through a busy intersection in Zurich and anxious I got my tire stuck in a track. Thankfully nothing broke ,not then when I was maybe 12 years old and not yesterday. No, I don't wear a helmet for bike riding, it spoils the fun for me. I did wear a helmet eventually riding my scooter though as even I recognized the irresponsibility and foolishness in not doing so. Helmets do look ridiculous on most anybody and most certainly on me.
My mountain bike has been good for me. I bought it 15 years ago by default, as no upright bikes then were available from our local dealers. The pretty color lettering had much to do with my choice. It is a solid bike, with gears that make it reasonably easy to go uphill. It has served me well. I hope I can keep it as there is bliss in having the right tool for the right occasion.to be continued, maybe ...
Chris Rose, Victim of Homicide
I love the expressions on their faces. The image was captured, in July 09 by Susan, a tourist, an artist, a vibrant and an empathic woman. I had watched this photographer in tears, focused on blind Bonnie Hearn on stage, no longer able to perform with her husband. As her heart was touched, so was mine, we talked, we became friends and she mailed me these images, my favorite among her many wonderful photos. (Susan graciously gave me permission to share these images with the public.)
Sunday morning September 6th, Christopher Rose was found lying face down along the Santa Fe River at the DeVargas Park, a victim of a violent, crime.
It is disconcerting that he may have been there for a while, somewhat hidden in the brush, along a route I take all the time, so I may have passed him unknowingly. This is also the place from where I watched him steal a few roses from the Santuario de Guadalupe in bright day light only about 6 weeks ago. I chastised him for it. I figured someone ought to speak out and tell him what is not right. Defensively he mumbled that the flowers were his, and he was Christ, and he needed them to sweet talk the ladies in to dancing! I did not respond too kindly. It was obvious that he was excited and in a hurry to get to the plaza where the music and dancing was happening in full force. I had seen him there before and here Susan captured him with his grin that clearly shows his pleasure. It reminds me how music and dance can bring out the best in us and bring us together and almost bridge gaps of social rank, age, and at least for moments unite the fringe elements of society with the establishment.
"George R. wrote: I knew Chris as a friendly guy who never harmed anyone, always had a smile, who sometimes went a little overboard in his remarks to people. He was boisterous, but mostly in a fun way. He carried a guitar and was always ready to belt out a tune whether he could play it or not. He knew more pop songs than I have forgotten.
Vaya con Dios, Chris"Sara commented in the New Mexican: "He was a sweet man. He came to Santa Fe for rehab and it didn't work. Rest his soul."
August 2. I was hanging out with my buddy at the fountain on Water Street involved in intense listening to his concerns about work. Chris came stumbling along, almost falling over my pups who, uncharacteristically, barked at him. In no time some tough looking and acting biker duds took offense to Chris and it looked threatening enough for me to insist to call the cops. As usual by the time of their arrival the tension had dispersed and the guys had moved on, no harm done.
Afterwards one young street kid came up to us and apologized for Chris, saying something like that he did not know how to hold his liquor. We got in to an exchange of alcoholism, family problems, willpower and seeking help with AA. On our leave my buddy expressed surprise that Chris had not been harmed yet by anybody, as he seemed to manage to offend others rather easily. This was said only a bit over 1 month prior to Chris' demise!
My heart goes out to all those that suffer violence, addiction and mental illness. As a community we have a responsibility to provide adequate care to the fringe elements of our society. Some readers of the news jumped to premature conclusions, condemning the police, condemning the day workers that hang out in the area where Chris' body was found, condemning the illegals and the transients and the local and the national figures in politics. I sure wish we were less quick to condemn and more readily available to empathize and to seek working solutions for ongoing problems, that are not just local, but world wide. This homicide was Santa Fe's fourth for 2009.
Health Care - a Right not an Obligation!
Is it health care or is it corporate greed that plays on the fears and misfortunes of people? Health defined as the absence of disease, how odd. Do we really expect care from corporate entities that follow profit motives over ethics? True health care reform without diminished, if not eliminated corporate strongholds seems impossible. George, my buddy, seems convinced that taking out the insurance companies he blames for inflated prices will make health care once again affordable. Alright, don't judge me by the company I keep, I don't buy it either. Insurances are here to stay, life is too fraught with risks. Did they really take their beginnings with guaranteeing safe passage across the oceans? In any case I grew up in the insurance capital they say, Switzerland. I fled the mentality of playing it safe. I wanted life and adventure and calculated risk taking. ("So wie man sich bettet, so liegt man" my mother would have said!) I have lived much of life without a safety net. Do I recommend it? No!
Health like clean enough air and water, basic food and shelter plus education should be a human right not a responsibility! Here we go again, the have-nots wanting it all given to them on a silver platter. And what about that American way of pulling oneself up by the boot strings? Self-reliance is commonly mistaken as strength, when really it is weakness, is rigid and brittle and lacking in juices. The American way of the lone rider, the settler, the explorer of wide open spaces and my wish, the neo-cons, including Sarah Palin, are things of the past.
The world has grown smaller and our interdependence should have become obvious to anyone. No longer is the arctic protected by it's remoteness. By now we all heard how toxins find their way even in to a native Alaskan mother's milk. Small minds draw artificial boundaries of mine and yours, not understanding that if the other is kept in undesirable conditions there will never be peace, there will always be strive, there will always be illegal aliens, there will always be those seeking to have from where there seems to be aplenty.
My right leaning client does not want to pay for illegal aliens health care and my left leaning buddy that holds a government job with excellent insurance thinks he needs none as long as street guys can get their hearts operated on! So what are we to do? Refuse medical treatment to illegals, alcoholics and the poor and anyone else undeserving? Survival of the fittest, if you have not got it you deserve to perish? How can this great country of the United States hold such backward, inhumane, unkind, and to many so devastating, not just opinions, but policies?
Public Option is a must as Insurance companies have to get challenged. The government has proven that it can ably dispense health care and do so at a lower overhead cost and therefore lower premium to the individual. The government offering a public option for health care would not be funded by taxpayers, but by the premium of the people, especially those now uninsured.
Previous conditions can not be grounds for exclusion, this is inhumane. An illness should not be grounds to lose one's home and possessions and get one indebted with no way out! I can imagine where medical personnel would get training at a lower cost in exchange for public service for a number of years. I can imagine a whole new excitement of care takers once again eager to serve patients rather then insurance corporations! Eager for fulfilling work rather then a job.
Rejecting a Public Option and a government run insurance on grounds of sliding in to socialism or further increasing the national debt is alarmist, not trusting American ingenuity and ability to adapt and are plain hysterics. (Of course I too am worried about the national debt and the value of the dollar, a situation inherited from the Bush administration, of which I blame all those that were crying war and revenge in reaction to 9/11 despite all the evidence to the contrary. Stop the war! Stop the selling of weapons too that end up in so called enemies hands! Let's focus as a nation, a world, on healing and growing and evolving in to a sustainable lifestyle suitable for the 20. century.
Public Option is a must as Insurance companies have to get challenged. The government has proven that it can ably dispense health care and do so at a lower overhead cost and therefore lower premium to the individual. The government offering a public option for health care would not be funded by taxpayers, but by the premium of the people, especially those now uninsured.
Previous conditions can not be grounds for exclusion, this is inhumane. An illness should not be grounds to lose one's home and possessions and get one indebted with no way out! I can imagine where medical personnel would get training at a lower cost in exchange for public service for a number of years. I can imagine a whole new excitement of care takers once again eager to serve patients rather then insurance corporations! Eager for fulfilling work rather then a job.
Rejecting a Public Option and a government run insurance on grounds of sliding in to socialism or further increasing the national debt is alarmist, not trusting American ingenuity and ability to adapt and are plain hysterics. (Of course I too am worried about the national debt and the value of the dollar, a situation inherited from the Bush administration, of which I blame all those that were crying war and revenge in reaction to 9/11 despite all the evidence to the contrary. Stop the war! Stop the selling of weapons too that end up in so called enemies hands! Let's focus as a nation, a world, on healing and growing and evolving in to a sustainable lifestyle suitable for the 20. century.
may be continued ...
flickr final part 4
My 'Goddess with an Attitude' was my very first upload, here post-processed with tools I then had not yet discovered. The first of more then 3,800 images that total almost 133,300 views.
I realize that an image alone no matter how beautiful is never as relevant to me as an image that holds meaning, has something to say, maybe tells a story, or somehow gives new insight.
In this light I invite you to check out some of my favorite photostreams on flickr starting with BuckarooBob from the Oregon Coast, a master story teller, prior photo journalist and human being of the very first order:
"I'm a seeker and a believer, a pilgrim and a pirate, a dreamer and a schemer"
I realize that an image alone no matter how beautiful is never as relevant to me as an image that holds meaning, has something to say, maybe tells a story, or somehow gives new insight.
In this light I invite you to check out some of my favorite photostreams on flickr starting with BuckarooBob from the Oregon Coast, a master story teller, prior photo journalist and human being of the very first order:
"I'm a seeker and a believer, a pilgrim and a pirate, a dreamer and a schemer"
Prabhakaran from Chenai, India will charm you too, I bet, with his delightful presentation of his world seen through his beloved Canon. I particularly love the insights he provides in to the culture of South India, along with his sweet poetic spirit coupled with a great sense of humor.
Vol-au-Vent or Kiki, from France, but always a Swiss at heart, is my queen of soulfulness, one can not help be enchanted by her presentations. She has a knack for finding the perfect quote, followed by personal and intimate expression, set to her image to express charmingly what is in her heart and thereby touch another's soul.
Keith from Australia is a closet film maker to my mind, a thinking photographer, highly attuned to the interplay of light, dark and shadows. His images are not the cute, warm and fuzzy kind, but the stunning, capture of poignant moments in time, like this one here:Finally the cutest pet images ever got to be of Earny the Terrier and Toby the calico cat:
ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jobee59/sets/72157603571959871/
from the Australian bush via Jobee59
flickr anniversary part 3
Here comes the tricky part, expressing my complex, sometimes difficult feelings in relating on-line and through mine and others creative efforts. I decided early on that flickr is one of my modes of self expression rather then my advertisement! Meaning I never intend to cater to an audience. My hope is that you might be moved by some of my posts and might even respond, but I will not hold my breath for that to happen. If I sound defensive, I am afraid I am. The truth is that I did hold my breath despite my best of intentions. Going public means seeking interaction, who am I kidding. There is a reason I do not keep my images to myself. I can't get my friends to look at them, what do I expect? Nothing and everything, but anything other then generic, polite responses, pleaze! And spare me the devastating critical kind or the dubious silences. Whoever said silence is gold is a liar. Silence is a killer, fosters uncertainty and doubt. Benign neglect can be lethal. But who takes the time for constructive criticism? Who knows how to give such? And anyhow I keep reading how flickr is about "fun" - really?
I never been big on gratitude and yes, I ought to be grateful for all the attention my images do get while I am so blissfully ignorant of the true art of photography The truth is that I have hurt many a time over many an overlooked dear image of mine. I guess it is unavoidable considering everything, but it hurts nevertheless. What is dear to me does not (yet?) translate in to dear to others and that is what distinguishes the successful artist, right?
Flickr does embrace that which is cute, no doubt. I like cute too, up to a point. At first I kept my activity to pet imagery, how odd for me, but hey I got one, then two, then three furry ones and pets seemed saver to explore, god forbid I should come upon explicit sex images, which I am happy to report I really have managed to avoid. So how come there rarely is a dog baring it's teeth? Dogs piss and hump plenty, but rarely do I find an image of such realities of life, why? Might it be offensive to a young family member?
I never been big on gratitude and yes, I ought to be grateful for all the attention my images do get while I am so blissfully ignorant of the true art of photography The truth is that I have hurt many a time over many an overlooked dear image of mine. I guess it is unavoidable considering everything, but it hurts nevertheless. What is dear to me does not (yet?) translate in to dear to others and that is what distinguishes the successful artist, right?
Flickr does embrace that which is cute, no doubt. I like cute too, up to a point. At first I kept my activity to pet imagery, how odd for me, but hey I got one, then two, then three furry ones and pets seemed saver to explore, god forbid I should come upon explicit sex images, which I am happy to report I really have managed to avoid. So how come there rarely is a dog baring it's teeth? Dogs piss and hump plenty, but rarely do I find an image of such realities of life, why? Might it be offensive to a young family member?
This playful image of my Sumo-boy gave nightmares to a few but started a lively discussion. I adore this ferocious image of Sumo because it counters the assumption that little Sumo-boy, because of his size is a cute puppy rather then the adult alpha, independent, unafraid male that he is in reality.
Of course Sumo is cute, but his spirit is large and he does not need to be looked at as a baby or toy. He is a guy for real.
But this is not about Sumo or canine companions, but about my experiences with flickr. Just now I took a break to check a mail from one of my dear flickr friends. Turns out a stranger by mistake somehow managed managed to upload an image to his stream. Now get this, none of his many viewers, many regulars questioned this odd image that so did not relate to his body of work. Rather the comments were complimentary on his choice of colors and design and so on! This is what gets me with flickr, these non-sensical, superficial responses, please! Who needs them?
It is time to honor the friends that I did find on flickr and that make flickr special. I love connecting over our creative efforts with folks from all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, religions, beliefs, tongues and nationalities.
to be continued ...
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