Is This Thing On? (Resurfacing As Proof Of Progress)

This is a test, an opportunity to reacquaint myself with the process of writing blog entries and posting them. I am in need of some remedial attention in this area. Challenging technical circumstances and an unfortunate (but educational) capitulation to the distortions of participating in a situation that was oppressive and disempowering disconnected me from the practice of writing anything at all, much less blog entries.

Now, significantly liberated, I’m ready to return to the process of teasing threads of thought and emotion from the dense fabric of human experience, checking them for viability and cohesiveness, and then translating them into words. I’m rusty, but inspired.’

One thing I’ve learned from the time away is that I had, unwittingly, internalized some odd impulses about immediacy and the pressure to have the speed of my writing process mirror the point-and-click simplicity of posting words to the internet. This may work for some and I admire those who can make something beautiful out of Twitter (modern day Haiku?). That is not my forte, however, and so, I feel my way forward, adding oil as needed, pausing to consider and reflect. Promising not to psych myself out.

I’m going to decide that this test has been a success and I look forward to more substantial contributions soon.

Nutella Lawsuit: An Exercise in the Ridiculous

I just saw a video clip from ABC news about a woman who sued Ferrero-Rocher, successfully, in a truth-in-advertising case and was awarded $3.5mm dollars.  Her claim?  That a television commercial advocating the use of Nutella on waffles as part of a healthy breakfast for kids was misleading.

Now, to be fair, I haven’t delved any deeper into the details of the case.  Why?  Because I don’t care about them for the purposes of this post.  I care about two things: perceptions about breakfast/health/food and ideas about personal v. corporate responsibility.  So, this means that I don’t even know if the woman ever bought, ate, or fed Nutella to her children.  I don’t know why she won.  Again, I don’t care.

In Which I Am Invited to Meet the Vice President of the United States of America

This is post title I could never have imagined writing.  How it came to pass is not dramatic, though I’m sure I’ll tell it many times.  The net result is this: in just a couple of hours from now,  I will be sitting feet from Vice President Joe Biden and, at some point during the event, I will get to meet him.

Word Power

Inspiration

Recently, there’s been some happy internet hubbub about a post a woman wrote recounting her six-year-old son’s romantic expressions about a gay male character on the television show, Glee.  (You can view the original post here, and a recent follow-up here.  They’re pithy, loving, and to the point.  After watching many It Gets Better Project videos, it’s encouraging and heartwarming to read the words of a mother for whom the question of her child’s sexuality is of no more consequence than whether or not he’ll become a professional fireman-ninja (his current career trajectory of record).

I recommend reading her posts, sharing them, and reflecting upon them for the beauty of their the simple humaneness.  What I’m about to write in response is not intended to take away any of what is so wonderful about what she’s written; rather, I’m seeing this unimpeachably loving account as an opportunity to make a point to which I rarely give voice.

Transitional Neglect? Right-Sized Priorities? You Be The Judge.

Today I took a full-on practice GRE provided by the ETS folks.  It’s free and, by all accounts, useful.  (Note to fellow Mac-users: you’ll need to borrow someone’s Windows machine in order to take advantage of this tool.)  The results are …

Guitar Strings of Awareness

Currently, I’m having physical therapy to treat the soft tissue aspects of a long-term, accumulative injury, the main damage of which was addressed in a pair of surgeries last November. Because the first injury occurred more than forty years ago, it’s not hard to understand why the soft tissue is cautious about relinquishing its role as protector.

“Like” Ambivalence & Questionable Engagement

What do you enjoy? admire? respect? anticipate with happy tingles? find utterly delightful?  Quick!  Think of three things that made you smile genuinely during the past week, or so.  

An Old-Fashioned Message Via A New-Fangled Medium

Special dedication to my beloved A². I love you with my whole heart.

Symmetry

I love luna moths (Actias luna). It’s a fact: I really do. As a child, the first luna moth I encountered usurped the Most Favored Insect crown worn previously by

June Is Oozing Out All Over!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a scant week since the last night I needed a fire in the wood stove. Today the air is soupy and the temperature is predicted to top 90! The happy surprise is that though we’ve had lots of rain and humidity, somehow we have not quite attained the dreaded status where everything feels damp to the touch. I think this is partly because it still gets reasonably cool at night and partly because this topography is not built to hold moisture. That means, in my theory, that the humidity each day is “new” and the air is not stripped of its freshness.