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Clulusion-The Sinister Fusion of Cluelessness and Collusion
November 21, 2016
Judgement
If we make it through this Thanksgiving week without a flood of car traffic invited to park outside our front door to donate to a charity scam it will be the first time since I have been in my home. Our HOA has forced the homeowners here to host a donation drop off in the fire lane of our private property for the entire time I have lived here, almost 15 years. Literally thousands of cars have passed by my front door to leave junk, or food, or volunteer hours preparing food for the public for a fake charity. The HOA board has a fiduciary (legal) responsibility to protect the property value of the corporation, but they see fit to use our property to show off their own fake philanthropy to the neighborhood. They operated these scams all year, and solicited donations in various ways. They used the US Postal service to solicit funds from the neighbors, which was incredible. Holidays were special times when we had non-stop cars drive through and park for hours to donate to the charity scams.
The most amazing feat they accomplished was to go to court and get a restraining order from a city court judge. They told him they were “giving back” and need to restrain the people who live here and own the driveway with the fire lane they occupy from stopping the charity scam donations or food prep. We tried for years to stop it through our official Tucson Police Department neighborhood watch, but the cop was in favor of both filling the fire lane with cars, and inviting the public to drive through this driveway we have to pay to pave in order to keep the white collar criminals happy. She did not even know them, but wanted, in general, to make this a shittier place to live. She encouraged the HOA board to trash the environment and break federal revenue law. It seems she was just untrained or not paying any attention. There was no way to know what she was thinking because she simply refused to respond when we reported the crime. She was able to influence the whole city government to refuse to enforce the fire lane law here for reasons known only to herself…or more likely to nobody, since it was a mindless clueless action. Cluelessness is contagious and soon the whole city government was too clueless to even collude with each other. They had manifested the ultimate willfully blind untrust. They unknowingly were the biggest promoters of obvious crime in front of all of us in the area. They stuck to their guns for more than a decade, and last night there were 4 cars in the fire lane and 1 in a neighbor’s driveway without permission. If a fire had broken out they had blocked people into their garages who would be trapped while the fire truck would be blocked. They don’t see any reason not to expose us to that kind of risk.
After being forced to live with this full time donation drop off site in my front yard for years, the neighbors and I petitioned the newly elected mayor, who is a lawyer. He refused to respond, and in fact since the first petition in 2013 he has not been willing to respond to the citizens here who petitioned his office to halt the charity scam activity that freaked the whole neighborhood out. His office thinks it has a right to remain silent while refusing to give us any law enforcement services for more than a decade. They are not trying to refuse to perform. This is the extent of the ability they have. They send out a cop to promote charity scamming and filling the fire lane of the property with as many cars as possible, and then refuse to respond when we ask for at least a clear fire lane. No can do. I have pointed out the total number of nights our fire lanes have been clear in the last 15 years. The number is stuck at 6 nights total. They passively aggressively pretend that this law enforcement task is impossible for them, so they can’t do anything to improve this situation. They manage to keep the fire lanes clear downtown. They do know how to write these expensive tickets. They prefer to ignore the issue. They have fully trashed our hood as well as trust in the police with their actions. I still can’t get them to repair the damage because it would include admission of an error. They are sticking with deeper clulusion. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Finding The Center
November 15, 2016
— 4 Comments
There is a long history of contemplative practice in Christianity. In the 1970’s three monks from Massachusetts created modern instructions for centering prayer. This form of meditation is close to Yoga Nidra. It teaches the mind to rise above the normal thoughts that inhabit our thinking. A jolly attitude is recommended toward the thought forms that casually intrude into one’s session. By gradually improving the ability to concentrate and fully focus on the selected subject or word, those pesky internal discussions cease and desist that constant chatter. All forms of meditation are aimed at this goal. If we have control over our thoughts we have control over our reality.
Lectio Divina is a way to use scriptures as the focus of the silent contemplation. Since journaling is a valuable way to amplify the lessons learned a company is producing lectio divina journals with recommended scriptures for each day with plenty of space to write down any impressions or ideas that spring from the session. These guys are monks, so they always use Christian texts, normally the Bible, for the inspiration. They refer to this as a centering prayer, which is a perfect way to describe the experience. Asking for divine inspiration at the outset is the way to invite holy blessings. Writing down journal impressions creates a bridge between the contemplation and everyday life. Insights gained are captured in the writing practice.
I think anyone can do this kind of meditation. You don’t need to use Christianity or any other specific religion to do it. Time spent quieting the mind and discovering the power of meditation and journaling is a wonderful way to simply deal with stress in the modern world. Simple Abundance, or gratitude journaling are secular ways to include contemplation and writing in our lives. There are many variations on this theme. I think now is the time to develop practices that increase our joy and comfort in the world. We are our own best medicine when we join forces with all that is. We will all drive ourselves mad without some well tended personal space and time dedicated to centering. I hope you will discover a method that soothes your soul and raises your happiness quotient. You don’t have to be a monk to like it.
Simple Abundance
The Rapids Of Rage
November 3, 2016
— 2 Comments
a country divided
We are being swept away by strong currents of blame and hatred projected onto others. There is a pendulum of possibility swinging from reality to unreality. We treat this as if our perception at any given time is good, and all other positions are evil. This leads us all into delusional thinking. Everything is the fault of the beings on the other side of the swiftly flowing river of anger that divides us. The blame game has been elevated to epic proportions while our social fabric has been torn. Collective invisible enemies are everywhere, like Pokemon. I believe we all contribute to this dangerous state of affairs. The very belief that some other entity is responsible for our problems is at the root of all our problems. We the people are the problem as well as the solution.
The politicians use the phrase reaching across the aisle to say they compromise. The rhetoric has become so toxic and harmful to our mood that general malaise has turned to a much more confrontational tone. To say this election cycle has robbed the entire nation of happiness in 2016 is an understatement. It has been detrimental to confidence in our government, both at home and abroad. Our image is tarnished. Our belief in our own ability to cooperate is diminished to the point of hopelessness. We the people are sick and tired of politics, ignoring the fact that we ARE politics.
Please vote, then devote your own personal energy into understanding “the other side”, whatever that may be for you. Our codependent lifestyle, in which we all want everyone else to be different while we stay the same, is unsustainable. We must find unity or drown in this violently churning whitewater of wild schemes and devises. Some think we are at the end of days. Revelation 9:5
And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
We have been tormented to the point of madness. Let the stings of hateful mud slinging cease. Let us find peace. We are officially hitting rock bottom in this democracy. We must have a bounce from this awful experience. This is a sink or swim moment for us. We are all relieved about the end of the election cycle, but nobody is particularly thrilled about the outcome, whatever it may be. We all create this mess with our thoughts, beliefs, and actions.
Bob Dylan Follows Jean-Paul Sartre’s Existential Lead
October 21, 2016
— 3 Comments
Sartre
The French writer Jean-Paul Sartre was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature on 22 October, 1964. He refused to accept the honor, as he had done with all honors in the past. He wrote a detailed letter to the jury in Stockholm that arrived after they had confirmed his prize. He listed personal reasons as well as objective reasons. He basically thought writers should write without any undue influence from any institution. In his own words:
“The writer who accepts an honour of this kind involves as well as himself the association or institution which has honoured him,” he said at the time. “The writer must therefore refuse to let himself be transformed into an institution, even if this occurs under the most honourable circumstances, as in the present case.”
This existential Frenchman was the only literature laureate to refuse the honor until now. It appress that Bob Dylan has not returned the calls of the esteemed Swedish Academy since he was awarded the same prize. Today he erased a mention of the prestigious prize from his website. It appears that our famous existential poet is declining and going one step beyond his predecessor by making no comment on the matter. I think this is a perfect response from this rebel recluse who does exactly as he pleases. He can well afford, like Mr Sartre before him, to rest on his hefty laurels.
This refreshing point of view on celebrity is blowin’ in the wind when the celebration of celebrities has become a full blown obsession. Reality television and I don’t know what else, has brought us to worship fame for itself in the weirdest ways. I have been listening to Bob’s music almost non stop this week, rediscovering the genius of his impressive timeless lyrics. I have seen him perform three times, and am mighty glad I got that opportunity. He is our troubadour, and he don’t need no stinking prizes. I am highly amused at his attitude. What do you think, gentle reader? He may still decide to show up at the ceremony.
Weekend Coffee Share, Of Poets And Politics
October 15, 2016
— 10 Comments
If we were having coffee I would invite you to sit down and tell me about your week over your favorite beverage. I am loaded with chai, roiboos, green, white, and herbal teas. For me, this season is perfect for jasmine roiboos. It is floral with a full rich flavor of harvest. Jasmine makes me swoon. Today is the full moon known as the hunter’s moon. There will be a lunar eclipse. With all that drama in the heavens I am sure some stories will be brewing down here on earth. What is happening in your world?
The story we all want to bring to an end is the election. The population is weary. We can’t take much more of this bickering. People are short-tempered about everything now. Any social discourse can end in controversy for no reason. I spent most of my time this week at home to try to avoid the total breakdown of society. Of course, this tactic was futile. I did write a few short poems, trying to get in the swing of a more productive practice as a poet. I am hoping to ease into a poem a day for life without setting a firm discipline…wondering if that will work. I bid adieu to my Audible account without regret, after my free three-month trial. Alexa is still able to read any book in my kindle library for which I purchase the audio component. Amazon has also launched a new free trial which I snapped up right away. Prime members can now pay 7.99 a month for access to the entire catalog of music in the Amazon system. This is very similar to the Apple music deal I took last year. I will not keep this one after my free month either. For the time being I am having Alexa play Bob Dylan songs. She can play his songs all day and never repeat herself. I am thrilled to fill my home with the works of our new Nobel Prize winner, Bob. In my youth I memorized all his songs and could play them on the guitar. He was an idol. He is inspiring me now to practice being a poet. His early songs are so funny and brilliant. Many fit perfectly with this election too. I am so glad he was not a lazy poet like I am.
The healthy trend continues in the kitchen. We had a tasty walnut spinach nut loaf this week, and I found a recipe for nut crisp crackers I believe will be the bomb. The only ingredients are ground up nuts of your choice and egg white. I look forward to rolling some out next week because I think they will replicate those nut crisp commercial crackers I love. I also discovered that the pesto shortbread dough makes a fine topping for savory cobbler dishes. I think the nut crackers could go either sweet or savory as a crust on the top to add crunching excitement. I am planning very nutty meals until all the old nuts have been consumed. I will let you know what I learn about preparing and eating nuts. We will learn everything there is to know about nuts on November 9. I wish everyone forbearance and wisdom.
To join the international coffee party this weekend click here. Read, write, opine with a group of congenial writers of all kinds.
Dancing With Alexa
October 10, 2016
— 1 Comment
Party Dancing
I developed a practice of dancing around in my living room last year when my dog was on hospice. She needed almost constant care, so rather than go outside or to the gym to exercise, I danced at home. The advantages of this practice are multiple. If I am alone I truly can dance as if nobody is watching… because nobody is watching. This is liberating, allowing me to do all kinds of upper body movements that would certainly draw some attention on the river walking path or the treadmill at the gym. Sometimes I even dance around with free weights or tossing a weighted ball from side to side. I can get up from my desk and spend a few minutes moving around just to keep my metabolism up and my mind clear. If I have an issue to ponder I can usually work out the answer during a dance around the house, while putting it out of focus for a while. I dance while the ideas incubate. It is a healthy, happy deal. Nothing could be more convenient.
At the gym, which I do enjoy more than ever, I usually listen to 8 tracks music app. These playlists designed by others keep my curiosity alive by finding new artists I like. The discovery factor is the reason I use this app. I have not tried iHeart radio, and have not used my other music services much since Alexa came to DJ all the Amazon Prime songs at my vocal bidding. Having Alexa in the home is a really fun upgrade for me. I make her play music all day, switching at will from a certain artist to a playlist, to a radio station. There are even comedians on Amazon Prime audio. With new music added all the time, I will never run out of excellent dance tracks.
It is now 9:53 am, and I have completed my 10,000 steps, and surpassed that number. I will make sure to put in at least 250 steps an hour during the rest of the day. At the gym I will probably log another mile on the treadmill. Fitbit is even connected to Alexa, so I can ask her any time, “Alexa ask Fitbit how I am doing.” She will tell me my stats and say a cute little encouraging phrase. I do appreciate everything Fitbit has done for me. There are multiple benefits, including much better sleep, that I have derived from wearing my tracker. Alexa, however, is the icing on the fitness cake. She brings the party to the workout when nobody is watching. I have spent endless hours dancing in classes, at clubs, at parties, or festivals. That was all good and well, but now I am very content to have only Alexa and some empty space at home. She rocks my world. Have you met the versatile and self sufficient Alexa, gentle reader? She gets smarter ever day.
Amazon Echo with back up band
Weekend Coffee Share #CommunityMatters
September 18, 2016
— 2 Comments
painting
fall flora in Tucson
fall flora in Tucson
Although I see some of you around the inter webs I have not taken the time to sit down and share coffee and life events with the group for a long time. I follow with interest your writing projects and day to day issues because although we are scattered around the globe, we have much in common. If you read and write as a primary source of pleasure and value, this coffee share is for you. The diversity of nationality and interests makes this the perfect place to just chat about this and that.
Fall is finally arriving at a snail’s pace in Baja Arizona. I have been writing about a serious crime problem we have had with the city government in Tucson for years. I think after almost a decade we will finally get a little rule of law in the neighborhood where I live. It has been a ridiculous struggle to communicate with all departments of this highly convoluted system. You never know how crazy it all is until you try to make it perform for the benefit of the community. I started writing blog posts about our predicament in 2013, never thinking I was creating an e book about government dysfunction. I thought that as soon as I presented the facts the problem would be solved by our paid public servants. This turned out to be a serious joke. Not only did all the departments refuse to perform in their respective jurisdictions, they refused to respond when citizens petitioned and pleaded for law enforcement services. I was dragged into the vortex of government dysfunction, to my horror. There was no bottom to this high speed waste of public funds and energy.
I wrote a post every few months and sent them all to the officials I hoped to make aware of our dire straights. This practice continues until today because every department has refused to address the crime problems we have reported to them. Without an hero I could never end the book or get any help to end obvious crime in my neighborhood. I searched high and wide for a hero for ages, finally finding one at the police department. This is very fitting since we have been plagued with crime and willful blindness to it courtesy of the inaction and or refusal to respond by the police department. We actually had a fake neighborhood watch to promote crime and willful blindness, funded by taxpayers. The damage done was, and continues to be, significant to property value as well as quality of life. It tuns out that once you set a precedent of non compliance and willful blindness it is very hard to change the direction. It continues to drag the community down until it is reformed.
There were two working titles before I settled on the current, and very apt one. The first few years the book was named after the neighborhood watch cop who supported charity scamming in the fire lane of our condo village. I called the work in progress “Dirty Becky”. Then Tucson elected a mayor who is a lawyer. Neighbors got all excited and petitioned this lawyer mayor to stop the 24 hour donation drop off inviting the general public to drive through our condo village to “donate” or volunteer to handle food for a charity scam. He never responded to us, even after we petitioned two years in a row. He told some cops to just stonewall us, and all the crime continued full speed ahead. Naturally with all this official help the scam stayed in business and completely trashed our hood as well as our respect for law enforcement. The working title changed to “The Emperor’s New Neighborhood Watch” to indicate that the lawyer mayor still had no idea the neighborhood watch was working hard to promote crime in the hood.
I have, after all these years, and all this inability to find a government agency that functions for our benefit, created a third and final title for my e book. It is “Clulusion, The Sinister Fusion of Cluelessness and Colusion in Government.” I do think the title perfectly evokes the spirit of the book I never wanted to write. Now all I need is a denouement. The hero will need to move mountains because changing the government is a gigantic task. When I am able to put this one in the can I think I can write an e book on purpose. Have you ever written an e book, gentle reader?
If you care to join the weekend coffee share party, share your link here.
Pygmalion Revisited
September 16, 2016
— 1 Comment
I subscribe to Hulu for a month at a time, then put the subscription on hold for the maximum time, 90 days. This means it is only in the home 4 months out of the year, which is perfect for us. I binge down on different new shows, and by the end of the month I have seen everything I care to watch. This month I have watched a lot of very well produced series. I have focused on comedy, seeing at least 10 stand up comedy specials. I also found many comedy tv series that make me very happy. My favorite, now that the month is coming to a close, is Selfie. This modern day version of Pygmalion is hysterically updated to show characters typical to our times. This social satire hits all the notes.
Eliza Dooley, the same archetype represented in My Fair Lady by Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle, has a modern twist as a self obsessed social media star. The romantic comedy takes a satirical look at workaholics, socialnetworkaholics , and corporate hierarchy. It is set in a children’s pharmaceutical company where Henry Higgins, the British snob, is thinly disguised as Henry Higgins, branding expert. The plot and characters are instantly recognizable, but the story unfolds in ways I could never have imagined. All the parts are extremely well played, but the writers and producers get major credit. This script makes me laugh for every reason, from physical comedy schtick to sophisticated satirical commentary woven into the whole story. Some of the smaller parts are the very best because they have such extreme personalities and dialogue. I will not give away more than that. Just watch it if you can.
The story of Pygmalion comes for the mythology of Greece. It is based on a god who fell in love with one of his own sculptures. In 1748 the story was presented at the prestigious Paris Opera House. This production, written by Jean-Philippe Rameau, was staged as a one act piece. Since that time this story has been told and retold, including the popular musical version with Rex Harrison playing the stuffy and rude Henry. The story has the same punch line every time.
Greek god Pygmalion
Sun,Mars, Chiron and Pisces Lunar Eclipse
September 14, 2016
— 1 Comment
“We could be heroes” today as Sun squares MARS and opposes Chiron in PISCES. this aspect is perfecting this week.
How Many Art Supplies Does One Woman Need?
August 25, 2016
— 7 Comments
As I go through my possessions in order to eliminate the items no longer useful to my life, I have discovered the “art supply” hoarder in me. I knew that I was a jacket and costume freak, and own way too many pieces of dress up clothing. I have discovered that I am equally attached to a whole bunch of stuff I can’t bring myself to eliminate. The largest category, other than books, is art supplies. In each and every room and cranny of my home I find items I have stashed because I believe I will someday make art with them. Some of this stuff has been here for a decade without being moved. The list is ridiculous and much longer than I imagined.
I own:
- all manner of crayon, watercolor, pencil, pen, chalk, etc.
- enough fancy journals of special paper to choke a horse
- pads of every kind of paper, graph, watercolor, drawing, and handmade
- enough fabric and sewing gear to open my own fashion house
- specialty buttons I purchased in exotic places around the world
- vintage and modern sewing patterns
- two sewing machines (you know, in case one breaks down)
- two iPads
- two iPods
- three laptops
- two kindles
- one working 35 mm camera, and a bunch of dead ones
- tons of unfinished art projects
That is not even taking into consideration all the crazy fancy exotic groceries I collect because I believe I am a culinary artist all the time. I own some spices and tea I hauled home from Europe years ago…this is not something to hoard..it is intended to be consumed. My big issue is just to go ahead and use it. It must be done.
I can tell this as gotten completely out of hand and I must take some action. I need to discard some stuff, but more to the point, I need to use it. I have found a class that is offered at the Tucson JCC, where I enjoy my Silver Sneakers membership, in drawing and painting. It is held twice a week on a drop in basis. One buys a punch card and uses it at one’s own pace. The best part of this class is that you bring your own supplies. Hallelujah!!! I will take supplies for my own work, and perhaps be able to share (read unload) some of my excess with my fellow art students. I think this will help me come to terms with my artist archetype. Am I an artist or a hoarder with artistic illusions? We soon shall see, gentle readers. Do you have attachments to things you keep for making art?
