I don't like or appreciate year end reviews... by that I mean, I like them about as much as I like Christmas music forced upon me for two months... yeah, I don't like them.

So, I will not be recapping anything.

I will be happy to see 2011 go away not because it was bad or onerous, although at times it was... I just like looking forward.

Here is a picture of the sight I am looking forward to seeing tomorrow.

I get on a train this afternoon and tomorrow morning, I will be here... for a minute before I take a bus and another train to get to my friends in Oakland.

I may or may not be writing up all those drafts sitting in the folder.

I am playing with these words for next year:
Courage
Confidence
Fearless
none of these will fit on the little tiny necklace -- but I would like to choose a word for the year before the new year arrives... so I might spend some of my travel time turning this around in my head.

Haiku Thursday, part 4

into the ranks

of the suits of armour

deep winter*

-Arima Akito

(b. 1930)

translated by

Lee Gurga and

Emiko Miyashita

*written in the 

Tower of London

Photos by Pomegranate and The British Museum.

technically...

I am still not done, but I can really almost feel it.

I think I wrote for about 9 hours so far today ... and ... yet... it better at least not be terrible.

Here are some things to read if you get bored...

For all the hype about low approval ratings, looks like the country is still taken with Barry.

It turns out in the end, but I was holding my breath a little while I read this.

Maybe one day I will share some about the paper that has been holding my life hostage... for now, when I stumbled across this, I just had to take a break in order to read it.  My head is swimming in thoughts about this.

This is truly fascinating.  Someone at the LA Times wrote a flip piece about Kobe and Vanessa's divorce; a reader wrote in to check the reporter on a sexist read on the situation.  The Times' ombudsperson-ish, writes back.

I thought there was another one, but I can't find it now.  These will have to do...

er...

still writing that damned paper... hoping to be done by tonight ... updating soon... hopefully in time for santos inocentes...

late entries...

Even though I am officially pretending that there is no such thing as Christmas that I will be missing ... I couldn't help but share these stories.

This nun and her order need help... if you can, you could be their Santa.

I am so excited to hear that they are making a movie out of this story! The highlight of any car trip from Oxnard to Santa Barbara was looking for Santa.  I can only remember stopping in Santa Claus Lane once ... maybe twice.  It was more exciting to see Santa poking up with the ocean behind him than to visit the lane. When I heard that they were taking him down but not changing the name... I wondered what was the point.  It couldn't have been more fitting that someone in Oxnard decided to save the Santa from the dump and put him up on another less glorious stretch of the 101.  I don't get to see him that often because I really try to avoid that part of the freeway when I am home, but it warms my heart to know he's there.  Looking forward to seeing the movie to see how she portrays the story.

The truth is we all have more than we need.  If we stop to think about it, even if we don't have all we want.  Need would be pushing it for a great many of us.  I am sorry that it takes a lot of us to be in the Christmas spirit to help out... on the other hand, I love to see it.  Here are two more... one about how an entire community is helping a family in desperate straits.  I especially appreciated how the social service agencies took this opportunity to explain how support needs to be sustained in order for families to really get back on their feet.  The other is about a couple taking the chance to bring light to someone who's life was darkened right before Christmas.

Santas

The best thing about Christmas is that we all have the opportunity to be Santa... and to bring happiness or lightness or something good to others.

These stories tickled me... they are all about spreading out the Santa duties.  Or whatever your religious tradition's equivalent to Santa is...

Paying down the lay-aways...I love that it started in one place and then the spirit spread.  This story is about the Santas in the Bay Area.

If you are on Facebook, and you are interested in being a Santa yourself, here's a chance to help a homeless shelter in my hometown... Lighthouse needs people to vote for them so they can get a $25,000 Home Depot card and the opportunity to win $250,000.  They need the votes by December 30th.

Here's one more about Santas who are making the chat with Santa experience accessible for autistic kids.

The best laid plans often go awry...so, even though I am celebrating these Santas today, as soon as I post this I am going to work on forgetting that it is Christmas.

Through my own poor planning and execution, I am spending Christmas alone in NM.  No beach weather, no Oakland, no wine tasting, no crab fest New Years Eve.  Just me and the turtle in the freezing cold weather. 

I am not going to cry about it anymore, just going to pretend it is not happening... or watch all the Christmas movies I own... depending on the strength I feel I have.

I hope you all are merry wherever you are. 

Haiku Thursday, part 3

cool clear water

and fireflies that vanish

that is all there is

-Chiyo-ni

(1703-1775)

translated by 

David Cobb

Photos from Pomegranate and The British Museum.

Circle Up

I am sharing this video -- calling all women to join a circle... to find those shadows, residual bumps and bruises (physical or emotional), dark spaces inside and release them together on the winter solstice (TOMORROW).


Mother of All Releasings Ceremony: Winter Solstice, 2012 from Pixie Campbell on Vimeo.

This is supposed to be one of my travel days ... if the weather is holding (and I get my paper done), I am driving Albuquerque to Las Vegas (NV) -- that means I have all day to think through what I am letting go...

Please enjoy a ceremony of letting go - in a circle or alone ... burn some sage, and bury or burn some bundles of troubles you don't need anymore.

in other news...

I am happy that middle school and high schools are figuring out that parents are allies and need to be brought into the team!

I have never been ultra excited about John Madden or his video games, but I really enjoyed reading that he is taking a stand on concussions and putting some of that video game money behind it.  I have always thought that knocking people down as sport was largely barbaric... not just the doing it, but also those that watch it.

This is a fascinating piece on MIT's newest venture MITx... a semi-alternative way to get an MIT education online without the degree... yeah, I read the whole thing and was still scratching my head a bit.  My advice to those who are interested is to get on it before they figure out how to really charge for it.  Right now, I assume as they test out the market and the technology, they are willing to give all the content for free... so if it is the quality of the education you are interested in...then you get all the brainy power without the price tag... but if you want a grade, then you have to pay.

Turns out some folks who were against Obamacare have found it to be useful ... and still there are others that continue to be haters.  The interesting part is the response to the haters.  I would have added... and Merry Christmas... because you can just guess that the hater is someone who thinks that wishing people Happy Holidays is the work of the devil.

 One last one ... here's an editorial about a site that is evaluating the words of our senators and representatives: Capitol Words.  You can go to the site and search for yourself.  Fun --- especially if you are supposed to be doing something else....

Grocery Store Crush and CL Flags

I have posted this TWICE on CL missed connections... and it has gotten flagged and removed TWICE after only being up for less than an hour each time.

Sometimes when I see you,
I get the twinkle-in-your-eye smile.
It is a little bit crooked... I think.
There is something about that smile,
Your mouth, the lips -- angled
To one side or the other.
Maybe it is your head tilted
To one side or the other.
I couldn't tell you for sure
Because I get lost in the twinkle.
Before I know it, you're gone
And I haven't had time to figure it out...
But other times I get the polite smile
And a wave or a head tilt
Acknowledging something...
But not what I hoped for.
It is going to be a long
three weeks without the chance
to see you and those eyes
and that smile...

I am guessing that someone is sitting home alone and angry or frustrated or just sad about being alone at the holiday season.

It strikes me as odd, however, that my little attempt at a poem is so offensive to anyone.

Perhaps the universe wanted me to claim it ... or just to talk to my crush in person.  Who knows?
Back to paper writing.

Christmas Spirit??

I guess I thank the universe that I am a procrastinator because if I weren't up in the middle of night writing... I don't think I would have seen the ad for the Chiaobama.  Yes, you read it write.  I suggest you watch the video.

I was going to be offended but it appears to be a part of the Proud to Be American Chia series... you can have a Liberty Chia, a Washington Chia, a Lincoln Chia.  Not sure what's next...

Perhaps there will be another line soon for the protesters around the world?  At this points, really anything is possible.

The countdown to Christmas is on in countless homes, I am sure, but I am still in the throes of the semester, so I am just pretending I don't even know when Christmas is coming.

so...

Yes... I should be writing...taking a super short break, in part because the fever is not allowing me to concentrate on the paper right now ... to bring you these articles...

wow...just wow...

Believe me when I say that I understand if you don't have time to read these articles right now... but this one made me stop and write this piece.  It is wonderful that certain people with positions of power are starting to share the truth they know rather than pandering to the ugliness that seems to be taking over in these troubled economic times.

Just this was enough ...

Beck contends that the hundreds of dollars in fees and fines that must be paid to retrieve an impounded car and the disruption to illegal immigrants' often tenuous hold on jobs deal a disproportionate blow to people "who are a valuable asset to our community and who have very limited resources."

In an interview Tuesday, Beck amplified his position: "It's a fairness issue. There is a vast difference between someone driving without a license because they cannot legally be issued one and someone driving after having their license revoked."

Of course, those opposed to this plan are calling it politics... hmmm... what do they call their opposition?

Here is another one ... it was supposed to be heartwarming.  I was not warmed or amused... I was befuddled.  Seriously, Christmas is saved because the thousands of people who wanted to see Snoopy's Christmas display can still see it? 

How about this man's house?!  How about everyone of those people who have enjoyed his selfless act of generosity give him some cash ... or write letters to Wells Fargo or do something anything for this poor man and his family??

Maybe he's not out on the street, maybe he has another place to live, how would we know?! They didn't bother to mention it in the piece.  Maybe there is another version in a newspaper that cares about the ramifications of what is being "reported" here... I don't know.  All I can say is where is the Christmas spirit??

Well, before I went back to writing...

I dug around the Los Angeles Times... somehow I knew they would not just highlight the people who wanted the display but didn't care about the homeowner. 

This story is much more well-rounded and points out the missteps of the bank and the homeowner and the help many have offered.

Ok, Charlie Brown and the gang can go back to dancing and ice skating... the true meaning of Christmas is still understood by some.

Ok...back to writing...

 All photos swiped from the internet ... THANK YOU INTERNET!

Haiku Thursday, part 2

a sudden squall
and the bird
by the water
is turning white

-Buson
(1716-1783)
translated by
David Cobb

Photos swiped from card company (Pomegranate) and the British Museum.  More on the photo here.

you dirty rat...

We will all have to think twice before we call someone a "rat" in a way that demeans the character of said animal.

Listen to this, you'll see what I mean.

It has made me think seriously about how quickly we judge ... and with what authority?

photo swiped from NPR... they attribute it to iStockphoto.com

I have...

...many drafts that will not be finished this week as I put all of my attention to finishing the project write up ... etc...  wish me luck

here is blog post I think everyone should read... it might just be that I have similar thoughts, but I think this woman is brilliant!  She may not have all the answers, but her questions are pretty damned thought provoking.

It's been raining ... so I thought I'd share...this photo is from the summer, though ... the rain we're having is more like ICE RAIN... Supposedly it's raining in SoCal too, so I guess it's ok...

oops...another news round up

Too much going on to not report/record it here.

RIP Harry Morgan... M*A*S*H is still one of those shows that I like to watch even though I have seen every episode several times.  There is no other like Morgan either.

I am not sure what to make of this.  I am glad that Blago got the book thrown at him, but I am still peeved at how unevenly *justice* (especially in terms of sentencing) is applied.  All a long sentence does for Blago is assure that he cleans up with a book deal later.  Now, a really punitive sentence would require him to do *good* work for a long time and disavow trading on his infamy for dollars for the rest of his life.

So, Justice Breyer's wife has to sell her stock, but Justice Thomas' wife doesn't have to stop being a lobbyist or she just has to lie about it?  I am so confused... and it's OK for representatives and senators to do insider trading?  Wait, and pundits who comment on the presidential race can also be working for or having their spouses work for candidates... unless you are Black and your spouse works for the sitting president?  Our democracy may be one of the best in the world, but that just means the world is really fucked up, as far as I can tell.

Not sure whether or not the fact that the new DA in PHL is Black has anything to do with why the change of heart.  Just sayin... despite his assertion that he believes Mumia Abu-Jamal deserves the death penalty and is guilty, it is interesting that he is willing to let it go... or as the conservative blogger at sfgate  (no I am not posting her trash) put it "give up" the fight for *justice*... ah, a recurring theme these days.

I saw Conspiracy Theory over Tday vacation ... LOVE that movie.  Mel Gibson is so good at playing crazy.  When I said that at my house, someone said, maybe he's not playing.

Thinking about *break* and what books I might read.  Definitely this one (already winging its way here from amazon.com), and maybe this one.

Oh... and the movies I would like to see.  Kenneth Turan's review of this one makes me really want to see it.  Wonder if anyone will be up for it.  Hope it isn't one of those cases where the critics love it but real people can't stand it.  Also gotta see this one; you know, eye candy and all.  This one sounds interesting as well, but I am still trying to wrap my head around Jung/Freud and Kiera Knightly. 

Thinking about buying the box set of the original movies before the English language version comes out ... Daedalus has the box set for $40.  Witness money trying to burn its way through my pockets as I resist writing papers...

And I am not posting stories about someone getting thrown off an airplane and tweeting about it... WHO CARES!


While I am ranting, let me just be clear: I HATE THE NEW LOOK on gmail.  I don't want any more damn new looks ... I do not want them Sam I Am. I wrote them a long feedback message the other day ... they shouldn't have asked, if they didn't want to know.

perspective...

It is not always easy to get perspective, particularly when you (by you, of course, I mean me) are in the middle of a million deadlines with projects and people and circumstance tugging at you relentlessly.

Yet, it is important to try to get some perspective...

Mine came in the form of this article.

I am a cemetery visitor.  I put them on the list of places I need to see when I travel. I know, it sounds creepy.  [I read obituaries, too -- particularly when I have the print version of a paper in front of me -- it's a family trait.] I have had chocolate and champagne parties at cemeteries whenever I could find some live companions who were game.  And, I set aside time at Thanksgiving and Christmas to visit my grandparents, my friend from junior high and various other relations ...at the cemetery.

Sometimes I imagine myself as an old woman going to funerals of people I don't know ... who might not have a lot of people to mourn them. It breaks my heart when I read that there will be no services.  I know that they are expensive and the cost might not be justifiable when there is no one to mourn.  But it still breaks my heart ... all lives should be celebrated and all souls should be helped along to the other side, even if it is by strangers.

So, I guess it is no surprise that this story touched me.

Consider this if you don't have time to read the whole piece:

"I'm not here for a specific person," said Ed Pilolla, 39, of Torrance. "I came … just to pay some respect, give some recognition to those who officially have no recognition," he said.

Pilolla attended with six friends from the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, which runs a soup kitchen on skid row and a hospitality house in Boyle Heights.

"A lot of people who came to our soup kitchen — in poor health or estranged from their family — probably have ended up here," said Ann Boden, 56.

"You have the 1% at the top," Boden said. "This is the 1% at the bottom."

 And another tip of the hat to the Los Angeles Times for giving space to this story.  Remember your dead (and your living, too)... even if you can't get to where they are resting.

Haiku Thursday

He says a word,
and I say a word --
autumn
is deepening.

--Kyoshi

I am swamped... so I am digging into a beautiful box of cards a friend gifted to me for HAIKU for the next couple of weeks.

Hope you like them...

Photo credits: Me, fancy camera, from the train, July 2009, not really autumn, but you get the idea.

outrageous...again

This is why parents are constantly coming up with new bills like the one that the LA Times was criticizing yesterday.

I criticize them, too, but I don't think mere criticism is the answer.

Someone needs to call for just sentencing in cases where the victims are women and children... and particularly victims of sexual violence.

There is apparently no three strikes law when it comes to hurting women.  Donna's father is correct ... this man will hurt, rape and kill more women.  He knows that he can get away with it.  Our judicial system has shown him how to do it.

Registering as a sex offender is not going to help.

As far as I can read, here, the parents are not looking for vengeance or glory (like some others).  These parents want to make sure that this particular animal doesn't kill more young women.

UPDATE:
You can add this to the poop pile of outrageousness.  Yeah, there are going to be a lot more charges against this guy because raping boys is not legal no matter how much you *like* little boys (or don't like them).  It is just wrong... so if you see someone raping a child (or touching one inappropriately, or YOU EVEN SUSPECT a child is being endangered) SAY SOMETHING!

NPR round up

I realized I have been hoarding quite a few pieces on my iPod, so I thought I better share them so I can clear out my playlist's history.  Here you go...in no particular order.

I have not especially been following NPR's Hard Times series ... but this one is a keeper.  It is about Berea College.  Unfortunately, for me, I didn't find out about this place until I had finished undergraduate work. I wonder how my life would have been different had I attended a place like this instead of Princeton.  This was my favorite quote:

She recalls coming with her mother for her first visit to the campus.
"I finished my tour, and my mom turned to me and said, 'If you choose this school or any school, I want you to be as proud of what you're doing as these students seem to be. I don't care what school you choose, but this is the only one I've seen where people seem to love what they're doing,' " Nugent remembers.

I love this story of resilience.  It's about how an area in Greece is making barter a larger part of their economic system in order to cope with the economic crisis.  This is the kind of subversive action I can get behind in these troubled times.  If only our Occupiers were putting forth good ideas of how to subvert capitalism in order to help ourselves!

I don't think I ever got around to sharing this one, but if I did, it's ok... it's worth a second listen.  This is J Cole, a rapper I have never heard of, but that is not surprise. I generally don't listen to rap music.  So, it is part of NPR's desire to reach into the younger demographic, but it a genuinely interesting story.  And there's this little piece of metanarrative near the end of the interview that tickled me.  Here's a snippet where he describes his mom putting his drive into perspective:

"My mom tells this story of when I was in the second grade or first grade, and I would be at the teacher's desk, asking her, 'Can I get my average?' " Cole recalls with a laugh. "And the teacher would be like, 'Man, you're in the first grade! Why do you want your average?' But it was a competition for me — like, I really want to be the best. Anything I do, I want to do it well."

Another old one that has been gathering dust about the *war* on drugs and thinking through what might be termed a new kind of surge.  I enjoyed the author's take on how linked Juarez and El Paso are in reality despite being on either side of a border.  I think you have to respect people who change their opinion after recognizing the damage a moral stand can take when it doesn't take into account the real pain the moral stand ignores.  Here's a taste of this editorial like piece:

"El Paso knows how Juarez works and how it suffers, for El Paso bears firsthand witness to the bloody drug gang carnage in its neighbors' streets. In January 2009, the El Paso City Council toyed with the idea of recommending drug legalization as a means of crippling the finances of Mexico's criminal organizations. The City Council requested a national U.S. dialogue on ending the prohibition of narcotics. The council's resolution (which El Paso's mayor vetoed as unrealistic) upset several Texas state representatives. The state representatives argued the resolution indicated El Paso had surrendered in the fight against illegal narcotics."

I am not sure how I feel about this policy as a long term solution to our college graduation rates, but I salute Tennessee and CUNY for making a real effort to help students get through community college.  I think the jury is still out on the final question about whether or not four year colleges have something to learn from this model.  But even recognizing how students spend their time fumbling around in their first two years might bring us to better results.  What do you think?

This one is added to the pile on unlikely dating schemes (that is with the CL missed connections and various dating sites, etc).  Who would have thought that the IKEA would become the hook up hub?  You have to listen in on this one.  If you don't have time, here is a good part:

"You can find a boyfriend or girlfriend, or just make friends and chat. It makes you a little bit happier," says Ge, a smartly dressed 50-year-old woman who retired this year.
Ge's friend, ... a retired bus-ticket seller ... says IKEA is a good place to meet people if you're divorced or widowed, because there is so much matchmaking going on.
"If I meet a guy and he's appropriate for me, we can call each other," Ge explains. "But if he finds someone more suitable for me, he'll help and introduce me to the other guy."
...
"When we go out, we don't tell people we're going here," Han says. "We tell them we're going to a tea house. We don't tell them we go to IKEA, because IKEA is the place to find boyfriends and girlfriends."