CONTEXTUAL MUSINGS

Blogging Break!

2009-01-21T17:44:00.001-08:00

As you may have noticed, blog posts have been few and far between. Sorry about that! To be honest I am on the computer so much these days (writing, managing classes, and doing work, not to mention my Facebook addiction), that I hardly have any energy left over to blog. So, I'm going to take a little break and see if the urge comes back to me, and if I can free up some time. I believe that life is cyclical, but also know that sometimes things just come to an end, and I'm at a stage in my life (and in my own personal spiritual development) that I don't believe in hanging on to something or someone who's time has passed. Which, of course, doesn't mean you didn't or don't treasure them . . . it just means it's time for one door to close so another can open.

Stay tuned!

IMAGE: "The Ghost of Don Giovanni", by J. David Zacko-Smith, 2008

Back in the Queen City!

2009-01-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful 3 weeks traveling . . . New York City, various spots in Pennsylvania and then Seattle. I managed to get some work done, eat a TON of amazing food, and consume quite a bit of wine and many cocktails . . . and spend time with some of my amazing friends. Overall it was a great trip! I'm tired yet energized to be back in Buffalo, and ready to get on with the Spring Semester at school, plus get some overdue writing done. Happy 2009 to all!

I'm Like A Bird . . . I Want To Fly Away

2009-01-05T06:54:00.001-08:00

And I flew.

For Jim.

The Power of Possibility

2008-12-26T08:17:00.001-08:00

On my recent trip to New York City (I can't just say "New York" anymore, since I actually live in the state now), I was lucky enough to connect with a fellow blogger for drinks and conversation (the sweet and funny Gary, who publishes Follow Your Bliss). We had some great conversations, and his recent blog post (in which he describes playing Santa at Macy's) touches on the power of possibility. This got me thinking, in particular because I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately, about how much I'm in love with possibility . . . with the power inherent in that concept, and how addictive it can be. Of course, I try to live in the present and not the past (especially since I'm a convert to Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now"), the future . . . the possible . . . still captivates me, and fuels my dreams. Now, my task is to use it to develop, to expand, and to help create vision; but I must also make sure it doesn't take me over and detract from my enjoyment of the NOW.

Thanks for the inspiration, Gary! Happy holidays to all!

Travelin' Man . . .

2008-12-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Feliz Navidad!

I'm off doing some traveling for a few weeks, so blogging may (or may not) happen. I head to New York City for 3 days on Sunday, December 21 (where I hope to meet Gary, see my friend Scott and my cousin Christine) followed by two weeks in Pennsylvania with my family, before leaving for 6 days in Seattle on January 6th (where there are many friends to see). As an academic, I'm fortunate to have about 6 weeks worth of Winter Break, which is awesome! Though I have some work to do over that time, it's nice to be able to decide when and where I want to do it, and to have some fun along the way.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and, knowing me, I'll post some pictures or something sometime soon. In the meantime, enjoy a few from wintry Buffalo (we got some snow the last 2 days). Ciao!

What Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!

2008-12-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

As I kid I LOVED Peanuts, particularly Snoopy. By the time I was in 6th grade I was quite accomplished at drawing the characters, and used to make my own comic strips (when I should have been paying attention in class). Of course, I also loved the TV specials, and would arrange my nights around watching them when they were on. A Charlie Brown Christmas was my favorite - I found it sweet and funny and soothing. My favorite scene is when Linus tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is about. While I may not really feel the religious dogma that's implicit, the spirit of love and friendship that IS explict really comes through. And, to this day, besides getting the chills when Linus speaks, I'll always want to get the saddest tree on the lot.

I'm feeling festive!

2008-12-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

Just a few images from my little rental house here in Buffalo . . . one of the fireplaces (there are three, only one of which will eventually work); a card displaying a favorite saying by Elbert Hubbard, a founder of the Arts and Crafts movement - "If I had but two loaves of bread I would sell one of them and buy White Hyacinths to feed my soul"; and a snowglobe of Buffalo's art deco city hall building. Happy holidays!

Flaneur . . .

2008-12-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of being one who wanders (I believe that the best way to experience a place is to wander through it) here are a few pictures I snapped today of a wintry and white Buffalo. We got about 6" of that famous "lake effect" snow last night, and the city is actually quite beautiful. Next, I need to get out after dark and snap some photos downtown with all the holiday lights. All of these pictures were taken at, in or near my house here in the Queen City (I live in the Allentown neighborhood, which is a preservation district and on the National Register of Historic Places).

We interrupt this blog . . .

2008-12-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of recent posts!

It's the end of the semester, and I have a butt load of work to get done (papers to grade, extra credit to evaluate, student meetings), and so my energy has been devoted to that (and to my new Facebook addiction). It might be a few days until I get to post anything substantial. In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves . . . ya know, just coffee talk!

Visions of Academia

2008-11-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

"Gay Marriage" and the larger realities . . .

2008-11-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

I've taken a lot of flack for not really caring too much about the whole issue of "gay marriage", brought out into the light most recently by the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Of COURSE I believe that LGBT people should have the same rights as everyone else (hell people, I'm a gay diversity educator), even though I, personally, think marriage is a totally outdated concept (one assessment that the divorce and separation statistics seem to bear out). Given the other, larger, more substantial issues in the world today (and, in fact, right here in the United States, right here in Buffalo and Seattle and other cities around the world) like the fact that people don't have enough to eat, have no healthcare, and are homeless, discounted and abused - things like gay marriage are not worthy of such radical energy and time draining activism. For me, personally, it's much more important that someone has a basic need met, like having enough to eat, before veering off into what I'd classify as "important but second tier" rights. While I would agree that this vote should never have seen the light of day (it's hateful), I think BOTH SIDES have "bigger fish to fry" (including the Mormon Church, who needs to pay attention to other, more pressing issues, too).

According to an in depth NPR investigation, some 38 MILLION people in the US alone are "food insecure" - and this, to me, is a much more significant and pressing issue than gay marriage . . . both are social justice and rights issues for sure, but if I can't feed myself, whether or not I can get "married" is of little consequence.

(Associated Press, 11/19/08) - Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downtown, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.

The department's annual report on food security showed that during 2007 the number of children who suffered a substantial disruption in the amount of food they typically eat was more than 50 percent above the 430,000 in 2006 and the largest figure since 716,000 in 1998.

Overall, the 36.2 million adults and children who struggled with hunger during the year was up slightly from 35.5 million in 2006. That was 12.2 percent of Americans who didn't have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives.

Almost a third of those, 11.9 million adults and children, went hungry at some point. That figure has grown by more than 40 percent since 2000. The government says these people suffered a substantial disruption in their food supply at some point and classifies them as having "very low food security." Until the government rewrote its definitions two years ago, this group was described as having "food insecurity with hunger."

Buffalo's Rich History

2008-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

The New York Times just did a great article on Buffalo, paying particular attention to it's rich architectural history . . .

Hypocrisy alert!

2008-11-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

10 to 1 that this guy is either gay and cruising the parks at night, or bonking one of his parishioners. I have found that, time and again, those who yell the loudest about such things have the most to hide . . .

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(AP) COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein.

"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."

During the 2008 presidential campaign, many bishops spoke out on abortion more boldly than four years earlier, telling Catholic politicians and voters that the issue should be the most important consideration in setting policy and deciding which candidate to back. A few church leaders said parishioners risked their immortal soul by voting for candidates who support abortion rights.

I'm In Love With Duffy and Leona Lewis!

2008-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

The best new voices in years . . .

The Angry Professor

2008-11-12T16:33:00.001-08:00

While I am LOVING being a professor (I love teaching, writing, reading, researching, and being part of the energy of a college campus, and I REALLY love the schedule flexibility), I've found that things have changed so much since I was an undergraduate at Penn State back in the late 80's/early 90's. For instance, many of my students now ask me things like "should we be writing that down?", or "do we need to bring the book to class?" - and, as old as it makes me feel, I must say that I NEVER would have thought of asking a college level professor (or any teacher) such things. Another change? CELL PHONES! Students take calls, text, send pictures, all while class is taking place. Now, while some of my students have issues which mean that they have to be available (a sick child for instance), most do not. Basically, as long as they don't disturb me or other students, I don't care what they do - and if they fail, they fail (their problem in that case). But, my colleague Cindy and I were chatting today after a rowdy class, and she told me to Google "angry professor", and I got to this video on YouTube . . . and I'd REALLY like to emulate this guy sometime!

Still awestruck . . .

2008-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Oui, nous pouvons!

2008-11-10T06:30:00.001-08:00

The world is looking at America with admiration again. Whodathunkit? And just as importantly, it's amazing the degree to which Republicans like to brag that we're the envy of the world, yet Republicans seem to do all they can to make us absolutely hated in the world . . .

From AP:

Inspired by Barack Obama, the French first lady and other leading figures say it's high time for France to stamp out racism and shake up a white political and social elite that smacks of colonial times.

A manifesto published Sunday — subtitled "Oui, nous pouvons!", the French translation of Obama's campaign slogan "Yes, we can!" — urges affirmative action-like policies and other steps to turn French ideals of equality into reality for millions of blacks, Arabs and other alienated minorities.

"Our prejudices are insidious," Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a singer and wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy, said in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche newspaper, which published the manifesto. She said she hoped the "Obama effect" would reshape French society.

Nations across Europe rejoiced over Obama's victory, seeing it as a triumph for American democracy and a world weary of President George W. Bush. But Obama's election also illustrated an uncomfortable truth: how far European countries with big minority populations have to go getting nonwhites into positions of power.

The witch is dead! The witch is dead!

2008-11-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

I've waited what seems like an eternity to watch all the things the Bush Regime has done to be dismantled . . . Bush is promising to do quite a bit more damage in the coming days to secure his legacy, though the only legacy he'll ever have is as a man who stole one election (maybe 2), was never a "decider not a divider", started an illegal and immoral war, squandered our good image globally, and had the lowest approval rating by the end of his term as any President in history - if I'm not mistaken). Goodbye George, Laura, Dick and Karl - you will NOT be missed by most of us! By the by, you can take Joe Lieberman with you.

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Obama Positioned to Quickly Reverse Bush Actions
Stem Cell, Climate Rules Among Targets of President-Elect's Team
By Ceci Connolly and R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, November 9, 2008; A16

Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.

A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official who was not permitted to speak on the record about the inner workings of the transition.

In some instances, Obama would be quickly delivering on promises he made during his two-year campaign, while in others he would be embracing Clinton-era policies upended by President Bush during his eight years in office.

"The kind of regulations they are looking at" are those imposed by Bush for "overtly political" reasons, in pursuit of what Democrats say was a partisan Republican agenda, said Dan Mendelson, a former associate administrator for health in the Clinton administration's Office of Management and Budget. The list of executive orders targeted by Obama's team could well get longer in the coming days, as Bush's appointees rush to enact a number of last-minute policies in an effort to extend his legacy.

PHOTO: The Huffington Post

Sadness

2008-11-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Jim and I had to put our beloved Greyound Lilly to sleep this evening.

She was almost 13, and apparently had stomach cancer for a while now - though we had no way of knowing.

She lived a long and happy life and was loved so much -- and I will miss her more than I can ever convey. She was my best friend in the whole world!

Barack Obama - President of the United States!

2008-11-04T19:59:00.001-08:00

After EIGHT LONG YEARS, sanity returns . . . Obama ran a brilliant campaign, and Americans have proven their ability to embrace diversity and evaluate a candidate on the merits. I am beside myself with joy!

New York for Obama!

2008-11-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

New York for Obama photo courtesy of Fix Buffalo Today (a great blog)!

YES WE CAN! Obama/Biden 2008! WE WANT CHANGE!

2008-11-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Transformative Books

2008-11-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Over the last 7 years or so I've had to do a lot of reading - some of it introduced me to amazing, life-changing stuff, and some of it was just not all that exciting (such is the nature of being a "well rounded" student). A few books that totally blew my mind were "In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life" (so chock full of readable wisdom, that, even though it's thick you'll devour it); "Metaphors We Live by", by the brilliant Lakoff and Johnson (you'll never see life the same again), and anything by educational activist Parker Palmer (whose writing is philosophical, practical, interdisciplinary and accessible).

Since graduate school has ended, I've finally been able to start to read some other kinds of books, and am currently into Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now"; it's truly an amazing read, though it's one of those books that you either instantly relate to and sort of innately understand, or you don't (Tolle admits this himself). I've found it to be life changing (it changes your perceptions, and thus changes your reality, hence the fact that I'm talking about it here on Contextual Musings).

Highly recommended!

The Power of Now has been widely recognized as one of the most influential spiritual books of our time. A #1 New York Times bestseller, it has been translated into over 30 languages. The book has helped countless people around the globe awaken to the spiritual dimension in their lives, find inner peace, increased joy and more harmonious relationships

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. From the beginning of the first chapter we move rapidly into a significantly higher altitude where one breathes a lighter air, the air of the spiritual. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart Tolle offers simple language and a question and answer format to guide us. The words themselves are the signposts.

For many of us there are new discoveries to be made along the way: we are not our mind; we can find our way out of psychological pain; authentic human power is found by surrendering to the Now. We also find out that the body is actually one of the keys to entry into a state of inner peace, as are the silence and space all around us. Indeed, access is everywhere available. These access points, or portals, can all be used to bring us into the Now, the present moment, where problems do not exist. It is here we find our joy and are able to embrace our true selves. It is here we discover that we are already complete and perfect.

Many of us will find that our biggest obstacle to this realization is our relationships, especially our intimate relationships. But again, we are in new territory and all is not what it had seemed before. We come to see that our relationships are yet another doorway into spiritual enlightenment if we use them wisely, meaning if we use them to become more conscious and therefore more loving human beings. The result? Real communion between self and others.

If we are able to be fully present and take each step in the Now; if we are able to feel the reality of such things as the inner-body, surrender, forgiveness, and the Unmanifested, we will be opening ourselves to the transforming experience of The Power of Now.

Think . . . then VOTE OBAMA

2008-11-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

This election day (if not before), make sure you ask questions . . . and THINK before you vote. If you do, you'll vote OBAMA!

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Thought does exist, both beyond and underneath systems and edifices of discourse. It is something that is often hidden but always drives everyday behaviors. There is always a little thought occurring even in the most stupid institutions; there is always thought even in silent habits. Criticism consists in uncovering that thought and trying to change it: showing that things are not as obvious as people believe, making it so that what is taken for granted is no longer taken for granted. To practise criticism is to make harder those acts which are now too easy... [A]s soon as people begin to no longer be able to think things the way they have been thinking them, transformation becomes at the same time very urgent, very difficult and entirely possible. ~ Michel Foucault, (1981) [2000] "So is it important to think?" in In J. Faubion, ed., Power (New York: New Press, 2000), pp. 160-1

Photo of a bright shiny thing to grab your attention: J. David Zacko-Smith, 2008, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

VOTE for CHANGE

2008-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Truly there is no other choice in this election!

Photo (very cool) courtesy of Steve over at Shadows and Light.