Why you should vote, and also politics are poison.

In honor of Election Day, a post about something I despise: Politics.

Politics are a means of social change, but also power. There is a certain personality type in this world that craves power. They need it, like an addict needs a needle. And just like a junkie, they will go to any lengths to gain it. I have seen more elected officials with this trait than without.

These few words encompass all that I’ve learned throughout the first election season I’ve worked. I have witnessed fear and anger and desperation in the faces of suited men and women literally BATTLING each other.

Politicians that campaign for honest, morally sound reasons, like, uhm, making a government that works for everybody (BECAUSE ISN’T THAT THE POINT OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM?!)….rock. I just wish that they were the rule, not the exception.

Technically, we live in a Capitalist society, so people taking advantage of anything for personal gain is accepted behavior. Why should the Government be any different?

I am aware that things can be worse. MUCH worse. I know there are countries where governments are killing citizens and turning little boys into murders.

I am also aware that no political system is perfect.

But I am an idealist. A government is a man made system of rules and regulations intended to avoid chaos on a global level all the way down to personal level. Am I wrong ? Why else does it exist?

Not for individuals to take control and create a society that caters to only them, or their tax bracket, or their religion.

I realize I am completely jaded on the subject. I do. I hope my mind gets changed soon.

Some  ideas:
If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. -[Barack Obama]

Thinking about profound social change, conservatives always expect disaster, while revolutionaries confidentially expect utopia. Both are wrong. -  [Carolyn Heilbrun]

The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it. [Edward Dowling 1941]

When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?
-[Eleanor Roosevelt]

Novel Tea <3

Rain, rain - you can stay.

I love rainy days - boots, head-consuming hats, raindrop music. Spent the morning in hazy light listening to Regina Spektor Pandora & cutting/pasting/drawing. Voila.

Why the photograph is one of the greatest inventions of all time.

Photography allows the entire human race a chance to share experiences.

And, amazement.

Love it.

(Thanks Daddy!)

It's a bittersweet symphony, thats life

Spent the night in New Paltz, woke up in a dream. The pleasantly small ratio of people to square miles brings a calm over me that makes me question my present situation. I am a country girl at heart, I cant wait to be living, once again, in a place where I can buy eggs laid by chickens hatched walking distance from my frying pan. One day.

Anyway,
I don't pay for cable, so I rarely watch television, besides a few must-see primetimers (FlashFoward - if you havent watched it, hulu.com, asap.). But last night, at a friends apartment, I got sucked in by the powerful , almost gravitational pull of Law and Order. It amazes me. L&O episodes must be watched up until the last 60 seconds, when the solution to the hour-long riddle is revealed.  Producers know this. The moment that the last episode ends and the first note of the familiar "dun dun" jingle is played, the screen splits in two and a new episode begins. Add in a chilly night a pullout couch and a it is impossible to break free.
During my four hour Bravo binge, after not watching a straight run of television for months, I couldn't help but be amazed at the nauseating amount of BULLSHIT! that goes into commercial advertising. Americans watch so much television, they can't even see the blatant brainwashing used to scare/trick consumers into buying!
For Example.
Pharmaceutical commercials. Come on people, when the audio of a commercial is stuffed with smooshed-together warnings, side effects, and "fatality has been reported", played on top of frolicing actors gleaming fake sunlight off their glistening hair, skipping and smiling, you are being tricked.
Shampoo.Would a shampoo company hire a model with damaged hair for a shampoo commercial? No. So, if your hair is damaged, and you expect it to look the same, after a wash, as the liquidy waves spinning around some glamourous models head, you are being tricked.
Razors & Acne products. This always gets me! Yea, a triple blade is nice. But it probably doesnt work as well on 2-week stubble as it does on the already-smooth leg used to sell it. And Clearasil, for example, used on an unaturally bright red blemish on otherwise smooth skin is probably less effective on the average teenagers pebescent breakouts. Stupid.You are being tricked.
One last rant:
HOW MANY WAYS can AT&T rewrite their "Who threw the unused minutes in the garbage??", "But Mom, these minutes are old" commercials. Get some new material. God. Hire someone! It's a recession, they would be doing us all a favor.

Enough already.

Snow, man.

Snow.. October 15th.
I missed most of it behind a computer screen. Still, the cold dark season energy is in the air. I'm pretty excited to hibernate. I feel like people grow in the summer, and things change you stretch a little, and the winter you adjust. Sort of like braces, tightening, a little straighter, and it's uncomfortable and slightly painful. Then a month for your gums to calm and your teeth to admit defeat,and before you know it there's a wrench in your mouth do it all over agian. But right now, hibernate.


So THIS is pretty awesome.

Etsy, take # 2.

I've done this before, but it's time for an update. Etsy.com has been a favorite site of mine for years. I love the creative freedom, the community of artists. I browse not only to shop, but to be inspired.

Here are some good ones:

Gnome Beard ... warmer? Both practical & freaking AWESOME, the only thing missing is a chapstick compartment.

Oh, humor.

just Love it.

Monkey Mind.

My brain cannot seem to stay on one topic recently, so I figured I'd let loose some random, half-thought out thinks.
Certain numbers & dates are always around .
Nov 11.
May 18.
May 16.
12.
1004.
24.
I see them often, and for years, and maybe I just notice them because I noticed them once then twice then noticed how often I noticed them, and maybe the whole thing is just a snowball of observation growing ever larger- but, I strongly think not.
next.
There is something - eerie? mystical? transfixing? - about a full moon. Even an almost full moon. So obvious and huge and amazing and demanding of attention. I saw a Discovery Channel special on the moon once. The earth reacts - the water and energy - ovaries. The Romans called the moon "Luna." its something.
also.
Octopuses have six "arms" and two "legs" I had no idea.
There is something about spending money when your down, that just ... helps. I'm not sure why, perhaps new things, something to hold and touch that hasn't been exposed to whatever it is that is troubling you, allows for a new perspective. Or maybe, feelings of depression, feelings of inadequacy, create a compulsion to mask ourselves with material, to enhance our self image. either or. finally,

www.nataliedee.com is awesome & always has been.

Cornucopiocity.

Sometimes, it seems like there is so much going on that there is no time for the important things - like art, writing, and freedom. Time must be made for the necessary, as is the nature of such things, but important? It gets thrown by the wayside.
Many very intelligent people argue that a healthy mind IS a necessity- and I agree - but the world I live in is one of survival; bills, nutrition, career planning & social obligations can consume an entire day, a day which then repeats, and repeats, and repeats until you have forgotten what it feels like to fill a white expanse with pigment, let alone sleep peacefully.
At this point, the soul unleashes its own survival instincts.
I am at such a point - all the creative energy I've been suppressing is taking over my brain, and I have no control over it anymore. The small amount of discretion I've been able to cultivate in my 24 years is unwittingly censored- and reveling in the most extreme of gluttonous impulses.
In the last week have consumed far more calories than my body needs, drank far more alcohol than my cells can work with -don't even get me started with cigarettes - and my clean laundry has been sitting where I placed it when I got home from washing it. I'm a millimeter from getting a new tattoo, and even closer to cutting all ties and losing myself in the woods for a couple weeks. Responsibilities,shunned.

Where is the answer?

Ironically, this just never seems to get old.

Music by Birds. (just watch the first 29 seconds. They ruin it.)

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Pete Seeger is my religion, & thoughts on change.

He has put more of my subconscious, deeply ingrained beliefs into words than any other person on the planet. Love him. 

& he's 90!!!

"Down through the centuries, this trick has been tried by various establishments throughout the world. They force people to get involved in the kind of examination that has only one aim and that is to stamp out dissent."

"I love my country very dearly, 

and I greatly resent the implication 

that some of the places that I have sung 

and some of the people that I have known, 

and some of my opinions, 

whether they are religious or philosophical, 

make me less of an 

American. "

"I want to turn the clock back

 to when people lived in small villages 

and took care of each other."

"There is hope for the world."

and last but not least .. .

"Little boxes, 
on the hillside, 
little boxes made of ticky-tacky
little boxes
on the hillside
&they all look just the same."

- The Seeg.

Change.
I'm the type of person who believes in most things,
or more accurately, 
believes that anything is possible, because nothing can be proven impossible,&too much is unexplainable. This makes it particularly difficult for me to believe in popular adages, such as "people don't change."
Really? They don't? It seems like believing that makes it really hard to be friends with most people. Most of my friends probably wouldn't be my friends, and I would likely be a Republican. People can change, some don't, sure. But they can, and they do.

The Simple Life

From sleepy hollow

I'm gonna steal some inspiration from my mysterious new follower .  ..

Life is plagued/blessed by dualism everywhere - so why not both? 

I crave simplicity. I want to throw my blackberry down a deep dark hole & buy a bike, ditch the car & work on a farm. Crave it. But that isn't my life, I live a 7-day-week of insanity. A few months ago, after a few too many business days of unemployment, my brain had simplified itself to the point that my heart rate could double as a straight edge. Boring. Lame. I was done with, I wanted coffee in my veins&a specific purpose driving my life. And now here I am, believing that the correct path is just the opposite. 

But it's okay, 

it is balance,

and if spontaneity is what i crave so be it, 

and if simplicity is what i want, simple it will be.

I don't know if I'm propelled by the desire to flee what it is that I've created or simply an acceptance of Fate's invitation for something new and exciting.  

Thanks Ry. <3

Ryan said...

For the record, it was a Nemo doll... And no, whatever it is that's supposed to be traditional dating doesn't happen too often (at least not in our circles of friends). I think people fear the label, regardless of whatever the label may be. Anyways, let's try to hash this out for all the imaginary readers: "Friends" - Two people that generally enjoy each others company. "Hookup" - At least 2nd Base. "Date" - A meeting of two people engaging in a pre-determined activity. Usually a meal. "Hang out" - Similar to a "Date", except at least one of the people only sees the other person as a "Friend". "Hooking Up" - "Hookup" with (at least) once a week regularity. No exclusivity. "Dating" - "Date" with (at least) once a week regularity. No exclusivity. "Friends With Benefits (FWB)" - "Friends" + "Hooking Up" - "Dating" "Seeing Someone" - "Dating" + "Hooking Up" (No exclusivity) "Dating Someone" - "Dating" + "Hooking Up" (At least one person claims exclusivity) "Relationship" - "Date" + "Hooking Up" (Both claim exclusivity) BONUS: "Going Steady" - Same as "Relationship", except your name is Zack Morris or AC Slater.

September 8, 2009 9:33 AM

 

worth a look

Tom Jones - We got love - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Summer.... love? I think not.

I've been single for almost a year, and in this time have gone through a series of phases: pain, sadness, anger, loosenicity, and finally, thankfully, a deep appreciation for myself&my freedom. But as it naturally does, the need for companionship is now sneaking up on me. &I've realized I have NO clue how to find a suitable man. Do I "date?"(What is dating, anyhow? Dictionary.com defines it as "to go out socially on dates." Dictionary.com, quit oversimplifying.)
Must a date be labeled a date before it can be one? Is a hookup a form of dating, if there is conversation involved? (Really hope my mother never reads this.) Is it a date if there is no pre-planned activity involved? What about crushes? Or consistent hookups? Spending large amounts of time with one particular person? Even if neither person verbalizes it? What about increased person-person communication (phone,text, gotta say it - facebook.) I have no idea.
Well dating isn't my thing, I despise words with locked-in meanings. I'd rather ride the wave of whatever chemistry is enticing me at the moment. Whether that involves adventures into the woods or deep conversation or sex or the awesome feeling of simple, tingling comfortable snugs. But is that a effective process for a person looking to fall in love?
(OH i said the word .. .. whatever people, it's what we're all looking for, isn't it?)
Sex. I do not sleep with anyone who I don't like as a person (at the time at least.. ugh, I've been wrong before.) I am WELL aware not everyone follows his guideline, especially men. But sex is good, it is healthy, and natural, and you should do it. (Safely, re:2009). But it complicates things, most people would agree with me. So, do we not do it? Is that the secret to a long healthy relationship, celibacy until marriage? Alot of people believe it, so it deserves a voice in this post, but I find that hard to believe. Maybe it's my gonads speaking. But the longest relationship I've had didn't involve sex for more than two months .. does that prove something?
Anyway.
This summer, I have learned firsthand that everyone has their own concept of dating, courting, romancing, whatever you label the pre-mating ritual. I have also learned that finding a person who has the same perspective as you is nearly impossible.


One
Lets call him Abama.
Abama was a sweet guy, HUGE heart (muy importante), attractive, stable. Took me for Sushi, even though he doesn't like it. All was well & good. I find out a month later he has a child, an ex-wife, and a MONSTEROUS bag-o-baggage.
Abama had it all, why did he have to warp my opinion of him into a shady, insecure mofo?! Because to him, we were something outside of the bubble of his past. I don't like that idea. My bubble is who I am, so is his, it is true for everyone.
Strike.

Two
Lets go with Bird.
Sexy, Smart (or so seemed at the time) & life goals. I seriously enjoyed his company. Got the "steady" vibe , shared a bed, made meals & ate them together, on the couch, watching TV. After a few weeks, life got busy, communication slowed. I called him up for a mid-week ... date? Nothing. No response. Loser that I am, I communicated via Facebook, where he can often be found. The following is our last chat.
Me. seems like your blowing me off. whats that about?
Bird. no way! i don't blow ppl off... but i should be up front with you, im being very single lately... if i don't answer or can't hang out... more than likely its b/c there's another girl there.
Wow, B.
Thaaaaaaaaaats great. The thing about being upfront, Bird, is that it ussually presents itself.. upfront.
Fucking 
Strike.

Three (witnessed, not experienced.)
This time, survey says . . . . Mario.
A good friend has been seeing a seemingly good guy, peak physical condition, flattering, nyc apartment (biggggg plus.) They phone regularly, and have exclusive nights out. But he won't commit to ...anything, really, nothing any further in the future than a week or two. (Obviously, he just isnt that into her.) Is that dating, then? They both refer to it as such. If not, whats the point, besides sex? She needs out, and he needs chivalry training.
Future strike.

 So,
As I said before, I just want to ride the dopamine wave of intense chemistry. But I also want to be in love. & I don't want to settle, or get hurt, or be duped, or force something that isn't there. What are my options?

Fate? Maybe that's all I'm waiting for, and the torturous process of psychoanalyzing dating is just a way to pass the time.

My brain hurts,
so g'bye.

The world...is so bizarre

New research found that males can adjust the speed and effectiveness of their sperm by allocating more or less seminal fluid to copulations. The determining factor is whether the male finds the female attractive.



( Lis, this is for you)

Dobbs Ferry, for 8 seconds.

I took this tonight in the backyard of my apartment building .. I love the way it came out, because it reminds me of the times all I can see is the sky&nothing else is real. It happens more on Long Island, there isn't any thing but short storetops & pointy roofs, not like upstate where the mountains are all you see, on Long Island nothing is blocking the lower atmosphere for miles. 

Did you know that vibrant colorful sunsets are most likely caused by pollution?

Autumn

First of all, in my brain, favorites do not exist. The whole concept of placing one thin above all others elludes me.
That being said,
There are more than a few reasons I love Autumn, (including the word itself, the letters look beautiful together, and i could REALLY do without "fall".. . . that should be reserved for the leaves, they deserve it) but this affection has only recently begun. I'm not sure if five years in New Paltz, undoubtedly at its peak between September and November, has had any influence on this change of heart. Maybe I am finally disassociating the crisp air with itchy, pleated flannel uniforms. Or maybe as I age, &time quickens, i can recognize the earth's consistent, delicate balance of hot&cold, life&death, light&dark. Each season has beauty, but each season is merely a fraction. They are individual, but are also nothing without eachother. So, Sept 1, when i woke up to a cold nose and a SERIOUS urge to cocoon myself in blankets for another 2 or 3 hours, my first thought (ok, second, i was freezing & had to pee) was "AWESOME. Something new. This is fleeting. I love this planet." Before we know it, it will be Winter. Then Spring. Then Summer. So for the next 4 or 5 weeks, I will be high on Autumn.
&I'll probably find some way to leap into a pile of leaves somewhere.
<3
More to come..

New Camera, Joy!

Facebook Becomes Me. Definition # 9.

Lately, I have become addicted to Facebook. (i hate generic words, but i truly have an addiction. Surealiously.)
I do not think this is a healthy thing, my brain already spends entirely too much time overanalyzing, and Facebook has complicated this preoccupation tenfold. The site has taken once singularly defined, easy-to-interpret words (Like & POKES!? & friend.... requests???), warped them, and confused the shit out of me&my language dissections.

Lets explore this.

Urban Dictonary, what is facebook?

The Relationship "status."

The decision to announce a relationship via Facebook is WAY too involved. Whether the status change is simple and traditional, such as 'engaged' or complex, such as 'complicated' (don't get me started) & 'open' (wtf Facebook that is NOT an acceptable option, I hope you understand you will be held accountable if middle school students start using this .. phrase? habit? practice? whatEVER an 'open relationship' is defined as, as a form of courtship. Bring back My So-Called Life!!!) carries with it a slew of nausea inducing issues, such as a required "JANE DOE IS NO LONGER IN A RELATIONSHIP" when things go sour. Oh thats gotta feel good to read. Even better, everyone you are friends with, everyone you met at a bar and blackberry facebooked immediately (or is that just me?), your first grade classmates, your co-workers, former co-workers, aunts, uncles, their friends you met once or twice, etc etc blah blah blah, ALSO are informed that you are 'no longer in a relationship."

Is word of mouth dead?

Blogdividuality.

So,

There isn't any way, that I know of, to track the actual number of blogs that exist. Wikipedia notes that as of 12/07, Technorati, a search engine that focuses specifically on the online journals, had 112.8 million listed.

Hence, my issue.

Thinking about making a blog that stands out above all the millions- I wouldn't be surprised if by now it is billions- is like a rug burn to the brain. It seems such an difficult feat it is almost impossible. So for the last few months I have been ping-ponging this problem around my brain, trying to find inspiration, purpose, the answer. During this time, blogs have been popping up around my orbit, the product of less-neurotic acquaintances. It begs the question: what is stopping me, and not the gigantic number of bloggers who tap thoughts from their keys everyday? I'm pretty sure the answer is nothing but my own mental maladjustments.

I must conclude that making a blog is not about getting noticed, or getting hits, or being first, or tenth, or hundredth. If it was, we'd all fail. Its about what all creative expression is about: the experience, the vibrations that stir dopamine out of my brain and into my blood.

So I begin, again.