Farm Bill

I believe that the state of the US's food is rather poor. Too much money is place in un-nutritional, processed foods. Although I do not know the economics or politics behind it. This video from The Farm Bill Food Battle has definitely encourages me to find out more.

Health Awareness

I recently joined a gym. After going to my training consultation and talking with other friends/gym members, I've become more aware of my diet (i.e. what I eat) and exercise. I consider myself a fairly healthy person, but it's good to be aware. One way of doing this is tracking what one does. This morning, I tracked my breakfast by drawing each part of it. As you can see, I've even put some color into my journal pages lately.

Special days

There are certain days in our lives that although completely ordinary, certain events--either discussions, decisions, or unchanging happenings--make the days extraordinary. These days may be better remembered with a journal writing, a drawing, by telling stories to others, or a photograph. It is through these and other forms of expression that we remember.

Views

Art is often depicted in symbols. Stick figures, flowers, sun, stars, etc. These figures can skew our vision of those things around us. The reality is that images are light and shadows, straight lines and curved lines, and much more that we do not see after being introduced to the representative symbols of life.

Visiting Family

I'm visiting family and spending as much time with the little ones as possible. Kylie, two and a half, is a very social and creative kids. She's discovering many things. A couple of months ago during a visit we drew together.

Music in Our Lives

I am one of those you may find wearing headphones on the ride to work. Some days I prefer the natural sounds, but I often enjoy the music's affect on mood.


At home, I do the same thing. But more often than not I turn on Pandora to listen to my personalize radio stations. I like internet radio because it provides an alternative to the collection of music I have on my iTunes. I would rarely discover new music if it weren't for this form of listening. I don't have a car, a home radio, a TV, and I'm certainly not a music store junky. Occasionally, I get suggestions from friends, but even then I go to internet sites to tests the music. I appreciate this form of expression and would hate to see it disappear from hiked up licensing fees. Today is a Day of Silence for internet radio sites. Any of my music listening will be done from my current collection of music. But I hope that this won't be my future. SaveNetRadio.org is challenging the new rates and attempting to keep internet radio in business.

Seeing People

Truly seeing people for who they are, how they want to be perceived, or who they want to be is a time-consuming/challenging task. When I seeing someone out in public, I often with just a glance pick them out as someone I have seen before--categorize them (is categorizing an innate human habit??) into one of the groups I have come to know and more likely one of the groups of people I've come to prefer. Example: If I like people who are athletic, I'm more likely to decide this random woman on the street in tennis shoes is an athlete. I suppose this is to make my surroundings feel more familiar or comfortable. If I decide that I like/can relate to athletic people, then wouldn't it be nice to live in a society full of them?

These first notions of people are not always true, however. We must see much more of a person to perceive them as they are. And we must get to know people through conversations and several different interactions over time to understand them. I have begun reading a book with a friend: Reading People by Jo-Ellan Dimitrius about getting to know people by their image, body language, conversation and much more. Dimitrius is a long-term Jury Consulter and has had to perfect this "art" over many years. She reinforces often the importance of seeing the whole person and an image of a person based on small things. Still I find it challenging to read about signs of say 'frustration' through body language or how clothing can represent a person. I understand that there is some validity in these things, but it goes against everything I stand for in not judging a person. I will keep reading, however, before I judge the book.

Below is an example of how I saw a man on BART in two different ways just based of how much I could see him and his actions.




I know judgment is a necessary tool to humans, and I use it often. I just hope that I and others can constantly improve our judgment to be used for safety and understanding.

Deschooling

I've been spending some time reading the essays in Deschooling Our Lives. I love the different discussions of learning through experience and developing a love for learning and self reliance. Looking for more information from some of the resources, I found an example of a school Windsor House in British Columbia, Canada. I really enjoyed how the video expressed the lives of the Windsor House school community.

Wise is in the Wrinkles

I often draw while on BART. When I keep in practice, my figure drawing improves. Not to say that these are the best drawings, but I do learn each time I draw. This day was the discovery of wrinkles. Drawing someone to look older proved to be a challenge some days. But the wrinkles, that is what creates age in figure drawing. Hence "Wise is in the Wrinkles". It is a thing of beauty.

Memories of emotions

These are good weekends. Relaxing outside with your feet up. Contemplating life... What are memories? A thought of a feeling such as love is never the same as that exact feeling. It's something we create in our head--"expressed" in a way we keep it. It's either with words or pictures or an intangible understanding, but not the physical deep feeling of something such as love. How is this related to expressing oneself in poetry or prose or art or photography or videography or whatever other means? Do these forms of expressing help one understand a feeling better? Do these things form memories that are somehow more "real"?

Creativity & Motivation

I'm looking forward to some time to spend journaling, drawing, reading, and other hobbies. These things are all great motivation to being creative and happy. Just started listening this two part podcast Be Happy, Dammit! It's great to hear examples of people who make a point to practice these forms to creativity and happiness.

And here begins a more frequent posting...

From the days of floating school-to-school, I often got bored with no paper-work or planning outside and could be found reading or drawing. This was a reflection of myself at the computer-backwards hat and headphones on. Later the next day, I went to the Poetry Slam in Berkeley. I love that place and it's expression. SO MANY ways to express oneself!

art everywhere

During a stressful couple of weeks (I just switched job location and am currently living on a living room floor while looking for a new place), a nice relaxing dinner for two was just what I needed. But don't forget the art. I was spoiled; while I was being cooked for, I drew and wrote about the evening. When I walked away from the table, I looked back to see this beautiful set up and had to capture the moment--even if just on a camera phone. Art in art.

drawing

I enjoy drawing those things around me. It is art, but not art in the sense that most people think of it. It is my own personal art. It is observation and understanding. Drawing is a way to better appreciate the world--just read Danny Gregory (Creative License or Everyday Matters). Here is an example of my work from years ago--lips I drew in high school for a class. There is the art that I spend time on and the art that I draw quickly (on-the-go)--both are fun and interesting in there own way. I am proud of each differently. These lips say something to me that can't fully be put into words. <---that is also art

Coming back...

In a month or two... I'm coming back with a new format. More creative expression on the everyday, of course focus on interests, including education. Now if only I could get my digital camera working... In the meantime, check out these art blogs:

Mattias Inks
Craftmonkeys

Simplicity

A friend of mine recommended Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World, which I have been reading on the bus and in between activities. Admittedly, I have skimmed/skipped several parts not of interest to me. But for the most part I have read and enjoyed the many stories of those living simple lifestyles. It has made me realize that I choose to live a more simple life than typical. I choose to live without a TV, limit my spendings, live in a place which is not at all fancy, and choose a job for love rather than money. I wonder what it is that has made me live this way when I see other family members in a much more hectic lifestyle. I believe I will spend some time checking out some of the listed resources at the back of the book. I really appreciate the list at the end of the text:

A Prescription for a Simple Life

1. Write in a journal daily, or almost daily.
2. Take three to four months off every few years and go live in some very different place, preferably a foreign country.
3. Limit your work (outside of the home) to 30 hours a week, 20 if you are a parent.
4. Don't let any material thing come into your home unless you absolutely love it and want to keep it for the rest of your life or until it is beyond repair.
5. Spend at least an hour a week in a natural setting, away from crowds of people, traffic, and buildings. Three to four hours of nature time each week is even better.
6. Live in a home with only those rooms that you or someone in your family use every day.
7. Select a home or place of work no more than 30 minutes away from each other.
8. Do whatever you need to do to connect with a sense of spirit in your life, whether it be prayer, religious services, meditation, spiritually-related reading, or walking in nature.
9. Seek the support of others who want to simplify their lives. Join or start a simplicity circle if you enjoy group interaction.
10. Practice saying no. Say no to those things that don't bring you inner peace and fulfillment, whether it be more things, more career responsibility, or more social activities.

TAGS: simplicity choosingsimplicity expressivelanguagedisorder book

Freedom Writers

At NECC 2005, I went to Erin Gruwell's keynote speech. Her story was great and some of us were left in awe. I remember her telling us that there was to be a movie out of her story and Hillary Swank would be the star. On January 12, Freedom Writers will be out in theatres. It is the story of her class writing about their world. Their stories were published in The Freedom Writers Diaries. And today, Erin Gruwell and freedom writer have programs to spread the what she started in her classroom.


TAGS: freedomwriters, expressivelanguagedisorder, education

Educating Linux

Here is Linux:



He has been taught by sitting and being spoken to. He does not seek out information, but let's it come to him. He is a computer, not a boy.


Here is Linux:



He is living life, because learning is FUN. We hope he will be given the same information and will absorb it through active learning, hands-on, mistakes, and adults & peers to help him out.

procrastinator voter

I have labeled my type of voting. I am someone who continues going on day-to-day knowing I need to vote--civic duty, right? Well, I feel it's necessary anyhow, and I don't like the idea of sitting back and watching other people make all my decisions for me. But... I'm not very politically active. I have a hard time keeping up with all the BS that comes with it! I can't handle all the debating because I feel things just get old. Having said that, I could possibly handle it if I did a better job of informing myself day-to-day and discussing issues with those I already know, rather than strangers on the street.

Anyhow, I put off all consideration of how I'm going to vote until... oh!, it's November 7th! And I struggle to find the issues, the candidates and make decisions. I feel I do a fairly good job, given my procrastination, but I still choose to not make all decisions based on my lack of knowledge. I was recently told that I should blog about the pre-vote atmosphere. Obviously that time as past, but given that I am lucky enough to be a part of voting for such an influential government, I feel it is also my duty to do the best I can to represent what I do get to see and hear. With that, here is my email of random experiences to Cherrie in New Zealand:

Today, I voted along with...well not as many people as would make sense in a democratic government.

To be honest, I don't see much more than you do or could. Most of my information comes from the internet. Sure there are fliers everywhere about local elections, and I hear about this event or that relating to the city governor, etc., but I'm not much of one to attend these events. I have no TV so I do not see the crazy advertisements I've heard about, and I'm busy in my own little world.

I have seen that graphical representation of the system before. It's pretty neat. There are different numbers of representatives from each state, and this is why you can see a very obscure version of the USA in blocks. It's cool to see which states are more definite one way or other and which are not. I sometimes think I should vote absentee in my own state just because my vote would help the weak vote there more. But even though, it wouldn't change the vote as it doesn't much change it here in my new location. I do, however, feel it is necessary to vote no matter how the atmosphere is or the likelihood of my vote changing the result. Civic duty. Many, however, don't think much about it.

From my understanding New York City is pretty crazy today. Everyone is talking about the elections, or so my friend tells me. She has been told to vote so many times, it's apparently getting annoying. (She voted just before I went off to.)

Oh, the other thing that I get is a lot of people asking me to sign petitions before the election comes (actually almost year round). These petitions are to get things on the ballot. Very often I just walk right by them because the petitions are things I'm not comfortable standing out for, but occasionally I'll let someone give me their spiel and sign when I see something I'm interested in.

One of my friends texted me to day: "have you voted today :)". Although many people nagging me is bothersome, this friend I appreciate the reminder/push from. She has always been a bit of an idol for me in her efforts to be involved and create change. So I guess it's those who you know best that have more of an affect on you, right?

Anyhow, that was really long, but I thought I'd try to get as much as I could of my personal experiences in there. It must be pretty exciting to watch from afar... the elections to me seem more important if I look at them from an outsider than the typical American living the life... how sad. We'll have to see if there are any major changes in American government/politics coming soon.

TAGS: voting, expressivelanguagedisorder, civic duty