Oh, What a Delight

What A Delight To Be Back!

2011-09-18T14:03:00.000-06:00

Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down

It's been forever and a day since my last post! My schedule has been crazy busy, but in my spare time I've rekindled my passion for art. Awhile back I began working on an art journal, which is mainly composed of pencil drawings, but also includes some mixed media collages and such. I also love photography, and was given the opportunity to photograph a favorite blogger of mine, Lauren Faber! Here's a few things I've been working on, hope you enjoy!

What I do in math class

Butters, from South Park :)

Eiffel Tower: Quelle Idee Lumineuse!

Fun collage

Free As A Bird

Lauren Faber, Bang! By Lo

Check out this amazing blog by Lauren Faber
at http://bangbylo.tumblr.com/

Is The 21st Century America The New 19th Century England?

2011-06-27T16:33:00.002-06:00

Just read this introduction to get your brains warmed up and Victorianized:

Cave-North, T. “Woman’s Place and Power.” British Periodicals 170.3 (Sep 1908): 264-67

In this article, Cave-North condescendingly addresses the problems of gender inequality during the Victorian era, and furthermore suggests solutions that are less than desirable, for women that is. Interestingly, he first begins by reminding women that they have specific duties ‘in the social organism,’ which are attached to power (although ‘humble and circumscribed’). He goes on to suggest that women have neglected and forgotten these powers, resulting from ‘faulty craftsmanship’ and overexcitement about legislative influence. He proposes that women should approach the problem differently; instead of fighting for the right to vote, women should focus on making better men. As a result, men would have better conduct, be more noble, and maintain purer and higher ideas; this betterment would enable men to go into parliament and carry out the newly bestowed ideals.

The emphasis upon motherhood and the influence which comes with it, falsely implicates that the woman has actual power. Needless to say, this is a common example of bestowing ‘pretend power’ to women; it is not the same power exercised by men, it is the burden of responsibility. For example, Cave-North’s statement that, “It is the women of the world who make the men of the world, and if they are badly made, it is the women who are in the main to blame,” (265) acknowledges the necessity of women for species survival (ironically the epitome of power). But this so-called “power” does not enable women to vote, nor work in respectable jobs, nor do anything besides being a wife and mother. Instead, they have the power to be proud of a well-raised child, and don’t forget—the power to be…blamed?

Okay- So this is NOT obviosuly the case anymore, to this extent anyway. But, it fits well with what REALLY IS a current issue. I am referring to "The Two Nations" by Benjamin Disraeli, who suggested that England was a divided nation---he states:"Two nations; between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other's habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets; who are formed by a different breeding, are fed by a different food, are ordered by different manners, and are not governed by the same laws---The Rich And The Poor"

So what do we make of this?

made by me

2011-06-27T16:25:00.003-06:00

Eye spy with my little eye...a book?

Well, well, well-it's no ordinary book, it's a treasure chest!

Art Schmart For The Heart

2011-06-25T20:26:00.000-06:00

Second Journal Entry

Life is ultimately one big blur. There are too few hours in the day, many of which are spent doing the things you HAVE to get done, rather than the things you LIKE to do. Beginning online summer courses and a new job this month has been bittersweet. For all of the obvious reasons I feel unnecessary to repeat. Despite this, I am doing my best to stay on top of the things I really enjoy---maybe just in a slightly different way. Writing is one of my favorite things to do (well, reading too)...but since I haven't had much time to get online to the blog each time, I've picked up my good old loyal moleskine journal. Sometimes I can't imagine life without technology, I am sure very few of us really could. But in reality, I sure have missed writing the old school way---with some paper and a pencil. Sure, I did miss hitting DELETE on my keyboard since I make A LOT of mistakes and revisions. This led me to realize I should be proud of those eraser marks and smears and scratch outs---creativity is MESSY and imperfect oftentimes. With this said, last week I decided to make a mixed media collage journal--what a mouthful, to me its just my big black book. And despite being an OCD perfectionist, I've really enjoyed it. Honestly, it's been rather liberating to cut little scraps of paper and hear that delightful crunch after deciding it was 'no good' and crumpling it up. Slowly but surely piles of paper start growing into snow covered mountains and I realize how wastefully inspiring it was. My favorite part was water color painting--as a kid I would empty and refill my cup of water every color change...it was exhausting. But now I was no longer required to have arts and crafts in my daily activities, and I could pick and choose what I liked. Turns out I DO like water color, and cutting paper, and drawing, and writing--and I LOVE it the messy way. In fact, when putting it all together, I find it super amusing and efficient to use good old bottled Elmer's Glue (glue sticks are for pansies, no offense). Because when it comes down to it, admiring my 'unique art' (I really couldn't color within the lines even if I wanted to) just wouldn't be the same if I didn't have dried icky sticky ooey gooey glue to wash from my hands. And while I dust off all the eraser droppings and add the finishing touches, I am already thinking of what the next page will contain. And then I remember I have to study, so I close the book, put away my water colors and stickers and scissors, and oh dear even the spray paint...but I leave the glitter out on my desk---it's pretty, shiny, and oh so hopeful.

2011-06-18T22:31:00.000-06:00

happy father's day

2011-06-18T22:22:00.000-06:00

Some Perspective

2011-06-13T20:17:00.001-06:00

ProcrastinHate

2011-06-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

Everybody has their own personal list of things they know they must do, but have avoided like the black plague. I unfortunately tend to loath and procrastinate the inevitable everyday tasks in life; the daily grind is just not my cup of coffee.

cardboard love

2011-06-12T13:40:00.000-06:00

SAY IT WITH ME: Positivity, Positivity, Positivity

2011-06-07T14:13:00.001-06:00

This week I began three online summer classes at UNM, and tomorrow I will start working at my new job as a Research Associate at the Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (where they do clinical research on you guessed it, addictions). Needless to say, I intend to embrace the changes and take on these new journeys with a smile on my face.

Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, PUNK?

2011-06-05T13:33:00.001-06:00

Have you ever had a bad or unlucky day that made you wonder if you possibly were just a plaything for some stronger force or fate? If you know me well, I am sure you have either heard of my uncanny, unlucky, and unavoidable experiences, and even possibly experienced them with me. The unusual, unfortunate, and seemingly jinxed events in my life have a coined phrase which my friends and family often state after hearing unbelievable stories which comprise of my everyday life: "That's so you"....
Over the past years I've stapled my finger to a desk, burned my eyelashes off, fallen off treadmills at public gyms, changed car tires on the shoulder of a freeway (in a dress), and walked into glass doors; afterwards, I fight the temptation to be irritated, and mentally check it off the "Got That Over With" list.
Though at times I have disliked my bad fortune, I do not in any way wish it was different; I realize that in many ways I am extremely lucky in the weirdest ways.
Described in the dictionary, fortuna (luck), can either be bad or good, and is caused by some chance or larger force; it is often attributed to some reasons of faith, superstition, or other reason of logic. Whether you believe in chance or control, ultimately it is generally agreed upon as the balance of fortunate and unfortunate events.

Fortune is also referred to as, "the falling of the dice," but I like to think of it slightly different; conceptually, life is a mixture of chance and control. In my opinion, the dynamic relationship between chance and choice is better explained as the throwing of the dice, or the tossing of the dice. We may not have any control over the dice (and the number it lands on) after it leaves our hands, but we control how hard and what direction we fling it in. With this general theory established, I immediately realize it's flaws; there certainly are external factors which can influence the results. A strong gust (much like another person's motives) can easily disrupt the path of a well-intentioned dice (or actions).
On some level this explanation may appear to end the debate, however, it also can be dismantled quite easily. Luck can also be understood as a fallacy from the rationalist point of view; their logical explanations instead refer to the rules of probability. To believe in luck, or, "post hoc ergo propter hoc," a person is guilty of assuming correlation (A happens and then B happens; therefore, A influenced B). This logical fallacy does have some illogical flaws though---I can name dozens of situations where A happens and then B happens, and logically A DID influence B (or even directly caused it). With this reasoning it is important to emphasize that these events are sequentially and directly linked. Some examples include:
1. You drink alcohol (A), and then you feel buzzed or drunk (B); drinking alcohol influenced/caused intoxication.
2. You don't wear your seat belt driving (A), and then you get a ticket (B); "Click-it-or-ticket" (duh)!
More briefly, I think we can all agree upon simple cause and effect situations; many of which are avoidable and because of this, are often even more insufferable (stinky armpits-->shoulda used deodorant, hairy legs-->shoulda shaved, bad breath-->shoulda brushed and flossed).
Ultimately, if you are like me (or even opposite and have amazing luck) it is important to remember nothing is permanent. Both bad and good luck will come and go--learn from the experience and move on, and IMPORTANTLY, remember to laugh along the way.

I LOVE...

2011-06-04T14:03:00.001-06:00

SIX SMALL THINGS I LOVE

MORE TO COME

ZZZZZZleep Talking Statistically Sucks

2011-06-03T01:35:00.005-06:00

According to numerous health, sleep, and psychological specialists, sleep talking mostly occurs in children; only about five percent of adults report sleep talking. Sadly, I am one of those five percent. Though I initially looked it up online because I was curious WHY I did and if there was any way to reduce it (not that it's a chronic problem), I became curious at the statistics and prevalence of it. A few pointers just seemed odd to me, but possibly I am over thinking it.
First, is five percent a truly accurate account of adult sleep talking, or is it just the only provided research available? Conceptually, many more adults could have"problems" with sleep talking but have no idea because they are SINGLE and ALONE. In contrast, sleep talking in children is more likely and therefore more accurately reported because, well duh, they live with their parents (or some guardian).
Second, researchers have had a difficult time pinpointing exactly WHY people sleep talk, though they 'generally agree' it could be due to 'some other sleep disorder, stress, a mental disorder, or sleep deprivation'.
Okay, so the first cause is just unhelpful; great, congrats--you sleep talk because you actually suffer from another worse disorder (you really don't remember walking to the kitchen, eating all it's contents, and singing "Memories" from Cats Broadway?), thanks Mr. Sleep Specialist. In all honesty, it appears to me that sleep disorders are a long way from being fully understood, and hey, that's understandable. Human brains are magical and complex things, and I want researchers and scientists to take their sweet time understanding them instead of jumping the gun with irrational, nonsensical, or convenient ideas. I mean come on, how many children do you know that are overstressed and have mental disorders; most likely few. On the other hand, how many adults do you know with those problems? Hmmm, that's what I thought. Either the causes are slightly south of the border, or children are now aging seven times the normal speed and experience mid life crisis the day they become toilet trained.

I'm Not a Weird Cat Lady, But...

2011-06-01T15:10:00.003-06:00

To Becca, AKA:

"The Child-Animal-Whisperer"--Though I am never really surprised at your magical ways Becca, I am truly impressed and in awe of your ability to befriend Triscut.

Well, what does this matter, you ask? In short, Triscut rode the "short bus" to school, if you know what I mean. He is shockingly devious, in more than just the typical kitty ways of making messes and ruining furniture. If he wants attention and it is not immediately given, he transforms into a stalking spiteful tiger ready to maul.

I also believe he has CADHD (Cat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), as I will often find him sprinting about my apartment-- bouncing off wall, windows and anything in his way.With sharp little paws he often resembles a torturous medieval weapon with four legs and revenge on his mind.

Furthermore, he has serious trust issues and only likes me and a select few of my friends; if you are a stranger to him he will hide out until you leave. Despite his evil and anti-social ways, since the day I adopted him from the Animal Humane Shelter I have grown very fond and attached to him (I believe he picked up his delinquent and untrusting ways when he spent time in the "kitty slammer," aka shelter).

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

2011-05-31T19:25:00.001-06:00

May 30, 2011

It’s Not About You

By DAVID BROOKS (SEE LINK)

"It's Not About You"

"Over the past few weeks, America’s colleges have sent another class of graduates off into the world. These graduates possess something of inestimable value. Nearly every sensible middle-aged person would give away all their money to be able to go back to age 22 and begin adulthood anew.

But, especially this year, one is conscious of the many ways in which this year’s graduating class has been ill served by their elders. They enter a bad job market, the hangover from decades of excessive borrowing. They inherit a ruinous federal debt.

More important, their lives have been perversely structured. This year’s graduates are members of the most supervised generation in American history. Through their childhoods and teenage years, they have been monitored, tutored, coached and honed to an unprecedented degree.

Yet upon graduation they will enter a world that is unprecedentedly wide open and unstructured. Most of them will not quickly get married, buy a home and have kids, as previous generations did. Instead, they will confront amazingly diverse job markets, social landscapes and lifestyle niches. Most will spend a decade wandering from job to job and clique to clique, searching for a role.

No one would design a system of extreme supervision to prepare people for a decade of extreme openness. But this is exactly what has emerged in modern America. College students are raised in an environment that demands one set of navigational skills, and they are then cast out into a different environment requiring a different set of skills, which they have to figure out on their own.

Worst of all, they are sent off into this world with the whole baby-boomer theology ringing in their ears. If you sample some of the commencement addresses being broadcast on C-Span these days, you see that many graduates are told to: Follow your passion, chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself. This is the litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominant note in American culture.

But, of course, this mantra misleads on nearly every front.

College grads are often sent out into the world amid rapturous talk of limitless possibilities. But this talk is of no help to the central business of adulthood, finding serious things to tie yourself down to. The successful young adult is beginning to make sacred commitments — to a spouse, a community and calling — yet mostly hears about freedom and autonomy.

Today’s graduates are also told to find their passion and then pursue their dreams. The implication is that they should find themselves first and then go off and live their quest. But, of course, very few people at age 22 or 24 can take an inward journey and come out having discovered a developed self.

Most successful young people don’t look inside and then plan a life. They look outside and find a problem, which summons their life. A relative suffers from Alzheimer’s and a young woman feels called to help cure that disease. A young man works under a miserable boss and must develop management skills so his department can function. Another young woman finds herself confronted by an opportunity she never thought of in a job category she never imagined. This wasn’t in her plans, but this is where she can make her contribution.

Most people don’t form a self and then lead a life. They are called by a problem, and the self is constructed gradually by their calling.

The graduates are also told to pursue happiness and joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of someone you admire, it’s rarely the things that made them happy that compel your admiration. It’s the things they did to court unhappiness — the things they did that were arduous and miserable, which sometimes cost them friends and aroused hatred. It’s excellence, not happiness, that we admire most.

Finally, graduates are told to be independent-minded and to express their inner spirit. But, of course, doing your job well often means suppressing yourself. As Atul Gawande mentioned during his countercultural address last week at Harvard Medical School, being a good doctor often means being part of a team, following the rules of an institution, going down a regimented checklist.

Today’s grads enter a cultural climate that preaches the self as the center of a life. But, of course, as they age, they’ll discover that the tasks of a life are at the center. Fulfillment is a byproduct of how people engage their tasks, and can’t be pursued directly. Most of us are egotistical and most are self-concerned most of the time, but it’s nonetheless true that life comes to a point only in those moments when the self dissolves into some task. The purpose in life is not to find yourself. It’s to lose yourself."

Though "It's Not About You" does address many interesting and problematic issues, Brook's statement that "through their childhoods and teenage years, they have been monitored, tutored, coached and honed to an unprecedented degree," was concerning to me. Looking at my educational experience, which obviously may not be universal, I have never felt this looked after. The "grown-up real world" does not come after college graduation, it comes after high school graduation. Most high school graduates do not even go on to higher level degrees, and those who do often drop out (ironically due to pregnancy, priority changes, and lack of interest and guidance). Maybe Brooks has been out of college a little too long....

On a positive note, focusing on
HERE AND NOW...

Remember

Each

Splendid

Moment

About

Today...

______________________________________________________

MAY 31, 2011:

Thanks Becca Beans for the song post--

You are so right, it is going to be a good day

(and YES, let's play!)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Yesterday's Obsesservations

2011-05-31T08:59:00.004-06:00

Obsesservations are the obsessive observations that most females make throughout the day, here are mine:

1. There are certain things in life worth fighting for and certain things worth compromising.

2. I am much more predictable than I once believed.

3. Life is much more predictable than I wish it was.

4. I will most likely have 3-6 "blonde moments" a day.

5. I need to learn to let the small things go. I miss too many important moments and opportunities getting caught up in trivial stuff.

6. Laughing is good for your soul; laughing at yourself is good for your ego.

7. Perfection is really boring....but, I wish I didn't have so many imperfections.

8. Happiness ultimately depends upon wanting it.

9. Best inspiration develops from within, but don't forget to look at other's for it

10. I am tired of procrastinating.