Weekend: Just a Bunch of Random Stuff.....

Does anyone like the lampshade in that picture above? I used to hand make those in the 80s and still have a bunch of them around the house. Arthritis has taken over my fingers too much to make them now ~ but I certainly did like doing it.

How about that interview with Sarah Palin and Charlie Gibson? There's something to be said for research and a comprehensive understanding of world and domestic politics. She seems to lack both. She didn't know what "the Bush Doctrine" is! She can receive all the briefings in the world for now - but if she doesn't have a context to put it in, she'll just keep flubbing up.

Last night, a friend and I went to Chipotle for dinner. Not too impressive overall but the conversation was reasonably good. As usual, we talked about religion most of the evening. Even when we disagree, we're fairly good about staying balanced with it - and it's a welcome refuge to spend four or five hours with someone who shares my cultural point of view.

Chipotle though. We won't go again. In general, I don't like "order it here and pick it up over there" restaurants but especially didn't like that they asked my name when I ordered and then handed me a little flashing gadget that beeped loudly when my food was done. The food was okay but nothing exciting and I really didn't like that beeping thing - or being asked to identify myself in a fast food joint.

Meh~

I like my anonymity.

It's finally cooling down! It was cool enough last night for a light jacket. Not being a hot weather person, this is my season coming up.

Now I have to order more clothes. It takes weeks for them to get here. Which card should I max out this time? Citibank or Wamu?

Okay. So all of this is totally random, irrelevant and insignificant flotsam. That happens sometimes. Even around here. :)

One more thing: Perhaps a bit sensitive but not intended to be offensive or confrontative. There are two of my favorite sites that I can no longer visit because of the page loads. Sure, I can rezd them in Google Reader but I can't comment - and there's just no pleasure in it without being able to comment. The loads are very, very slow and all the ads have to load in before I can see the text. The ads bounce and some of them are actual videos. I like y'all - but don't like being marketed to so aggressively. I want to read what you have to say but that's the operative phrase: what you have to say ~ so you might want to check your page load and make sure people can get in. If any of you want to know from me whether your page load is too long, leave a note and I will tell you privately. Thanks. :)

Hope everyone has a peaceful weekend.


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Weekend: Your Silence Will Not Protect You (Audre Lorde)

"I have come to believe, over and over again, that what is important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood."

Another Audre Lorde quote.

I've been thinking about silence lately. How we use silence to protect ourselves. How we use silence to maintain the status quo. How we use silence to express indifference. How we use silence because it's easier than taking a risk. How silence becomes just another expression of laziness.

I have always interpreted silence as indifference or disdain. It is the fastest, surest way to get me to retreat. In my family of origin, silence was punishment. Being ostracized from the group is how we were forced back into line.

It stops everything cold. It chills the soul. It destroys relationships. It serves no purpose. It allows things to go on that should never go on.

Last night I watched a TV show, an investigative journalism thing, where a couple of people got away with murder because no one was willing to speak up. They were afraid. And their fear and their silence made it possible for the violence to continue.

In a more benign sense, silence is what destroys relationships. Things unsaid. And as we use silence in our private interactions, it extrapolates out to the larger world and becomes a way of life.

Not speaking. Not asking. Passivity that comes not from peace but from simple indifference and laziness.

I don't get involved in American politics. Period. But I have definitely seen how silence contributes to the continuation of the path that country is on, and how, just as was predicted by those much wiser than me, it allows the oligarchy (yes, I'll use that word) to gain more and more control over the private lives of citizens. At what point do I use the "f-word" (fascism) which requires a silenced population? I feel safe and accurate to use it now.

Am I the only one who sees it?

So that is an example of silence born of laziness that has now become silence based on fear.

There is a positive silence, the kind of silence that is based on trust. Certain things that don't need to be said because it's all been said before and is an internalized part of the relationship. But that takes time and it takes a level of comfort.

I believe it's true on both a social and personal level.

I am trying to be better about this. I'm trying to be better about how I use my silence as well as using my voice to express the things I believe and feel while being as kind and considerate as possible. There's no doubt that I have much to learn and my words still stumble and fall around like a drunk ~ and my silence still oppresses ~ but I'm trying.

What do you think about these things? How do you use silence?

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Surfacing....

It's been a peaceful weekend here. I slept a lot, read a lot, watched old movies on TV, took a few long walks.

I haven't been present in Blogland.

This is the first weekend I've ever skipped posting since I started this almost a year ago.

I'm feeling decidedly uninspired to write about anything much.

Only a few things have caught my attention.

This morning I was perusing the paper and saw an ad for Target. They were promoting work-out suits for little girls with the words "delicious" and "sweet" plastered across the rear end.

That nearly made me heave!

Can you imagine? Am I the only one who thinks that's just plain sick?

Back to Law and Order. Hope everyone is doing well.


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