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May 31, 2011

“A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that 'individuality' is the key to success.” - Robert Orben

“We are living in 1937, and our universities, I suggest, are not half-way out of the fifteenth century. We have made hardly any changes in our conception of university organization, education, graduation, for a century - for several centuries.” - H. G. Wells

“From kindergarten to graduation, I went to public schools, and I know that they are a key to being sure that every child has a chance to succeed and to rise in the world.” - Dick Cheney

“Americans in particular are myopic. They're not traveling as much. When you were a college student, the next thing you would do on graduation was to take a year off and travel. That's what I did. I went to Indonesia.” - Julie Taymor

Happy Tuesday!

Good afternoon.

Wow. Tuesday came awfully quick, no matter how much we tried to slow down and, we did some, thank goodness – Tuesday afternoon came awfully quick. Our creative projects’ fiscal business budgets are balanced as of today and we head into a long year with smiles on our faces, barefoot through the woods and we are looking forward to hot weather with very little to no plans. The month of May is when we realize what the year will look ahead. We’re calm, breathing and ready to research “wind generating” technology. It’s all about discipline and budgets which are kept within bounds nothing more and nothing less. We hope to do nothing, except meet many excellent responsibilities and there are plenty, have fun and laugh. We believe in making contributions in strides as tiny as some may be. As middle-class taxpaying World citizens we dream about the dusk horizon and look through a hopeful viewfinder to a fair, confident and balanced future. Cheers to all!

We look to our beacons of hope – to all of those World graduates who graduated this past winter, last week and in the week to come. Congratulations! Big deal! Huge! We look to you! We look to - you - to bring change about as any vessel is gently maneuvered to tackle to any side and gently brought about and near to the shores of respect, personal responsibility and grace.

I wish you an amazing summer. I hope, you - make time to travel, meet other kind, intelligent and contributing folks. I’m on my feet and ask all of the peoples’ of the World to stand with me and applaud our Ivy League graduates. Congratulations, to your success, sportsmanship, chivalry and more importantly for your academic years of sacrifice to your studies, ideas on further learning and the many contributions you will make to your peers, civilians and citizens of the World. Cheers to you!

Congratulations to all Ivy League Graduates of the Class of 2011. May - wisdom guide you, personal grief teach you lessons to never repeat again and may, caring-respect through actions create and develop role model citizens out of you – (if, - you - so wish to become one – I’m still deciding how I want to be a role model at the age thirty-four because most of the role models we witnessed as a generation… abused a system of power – I can’t for one moment believe that’s all there is).

Hopefully, Ivy League Graduates (Correction: from “Ivy” to “Ivey” back to “Ivy”) and World Graduates of the Class of 2011 you’ll have fun throughout life and laugh because you’ve made great choices that will affect you - beyond you and your faces - and that means you’ll be able to sleep soundly and peacefully at night because you know the truth to be kind even when it speaks directly and without pretence. Please, keep in mind World taxpaying citizens because not everybody in the world has made the academic sacrifices and has had nor will have the opportunities that you shall. May, you - become great World leaders, hopefully, question everything - and be our kind teachers and leaders of tomorrow because we have very few role models in an age of greed. Please, bring us into economical and artistic prosperity – so that all professional working artists, scientists, mathematicians and world leaders can move forth with new contributing ideas, structures and concepts. We applaud your academic efforts - now, we look forward to your contributions as leaders of the world. “Bravisimo!” “Bravo!” I say to you. Thank you.

Next.

Happy Birthday to all those people who have birthdays on the weekends and don’t necessarily get recognized by co-workers, friends while on travel or people off-line. Happy Birthday to weekend people and their birthdays! Cheers to you and yours!

To our friends in the East – In Japan our Mayan prayers and thoughts are with you. To our friends in Joplin, MO and our friends in North, Minneapolis our Mayan prayers and thoughts are with you as we have travelled throughout the day.

Well, I have much subject matter I’d like to address, cover and openly write about but I ran out of time today. I’m trying to write for half an hour to an hour, daily instead of two hours. I want to move on to the next portion of my day and that means communicating ideas about cuts for a celluloid jig-saw puzzle.

Ideas about blogging to cover as subject matter in the weeks to come.

*) What is a blog?

*) What literary genre does a blog constitute?

*) Why were blogs made for the people, by the people and of the people?

*) What is there to love about world political blogs? (Many things.)

*) What is modern contemporary feminism? (I’m being rhetorical, don’t forget.)

*) How does a feminist dress, look, act, react and speak to men in contemporary modern society?

*) How are men, feminists? (Yes, I know. It’s a decent question, no?)

*) Why aren’t World Fathers feminist? Especially amongst their male friends when they are fathers’ to daughters’?

*) Why do strange men in public or passing acquaintances in the world take the liberty to touch women at all? Why, on public streets and in communication to women? (Not acceptable and I’ll discuss why, later.)

*) Why do men touch women at all especially when they’re strangers? Why do men take such liberties in a modern contemporary world of societies?

*) Why do men, pet women on the shoulders when women directly flatter their intelligence? Do men think that women need to be petted and fed cookies? We’re not dogs, bunnies or kitties, we’re women. Do men like to be treated like snot-nosed children? No, of course not and neither do grown women.

*) Why do men make many assumptions about women and their abilities in communication?

*) Why do men pose rude questions about women and their behavior? (What gives in the Northern Tundra?)

*) Why so much misunderstanding between the cultural sexes?

*) Currency – What is the rule? Either count it out-loud or don’t count it out-loud amongst strangers and between friends? Is there a double standard?

*) How has the Japanese civilization evolved differently than any other civilization in terms of mindfulness?

*) What makes the Japanese civilians so respectful and calm about their wits under pressure? (I’m just asking the questions as questions ought to be asked.)

*) What is a JAP vs. a J.A.P.? (I didn’t think this terminology-up - someone brought it up in conversation.) Much more later!

*) How to weld an airplane frame? (What a dream, no? Si? Yes.) (I have ideas yet I’ve never built an airplane frame before, so I’d have to learn over time. I have design ideas but I don’t have the math down-quite yet. I’m thinking of taking a currency class, a fractions class, a direct English speaking in a dialogue form class and an aerodynamics class.) If I had more time in life, what, I, wouldn’t learn?

*) What is the terminology of a boat engine and how is terminology essential for clear, concise and evident communication?

*) What is the terminology of a “motherboard” and the many components to putting a DOS computer together and how is terminology essential for clear, concise and evident communication?

*) Is terminology essential for survival? (I can answer that with my eyes closed).

*) What is the Patriot Act?

*) Why aren’t citizens voting on the Patriot Act?

*) If Politically written Acts trash civilians’ Constitutional Amendments and Rights then why don’t civilians get to vote for their future rights? What gives? We need World Humanitarian lawyers to represent the people not greed, power or dictatorships. If the United States becomes a Dictatorship and our people get sent to concentration camps then will the rest of the World leaders step in and have mercy upon the civilians of the United States of America? No, I’m not talking a WWIII and neither - IS - anyone else, so don’t go there and definitely don’t touch it because the stove is always hot! Will our own American troops save its civilian population if we are crushed by a dictatorship? What will become of American civilians if our government makes it an Act to kidnap, brutalize and dehumanize its own body of citizens and civilians? What then? Nothing, America will re-set itself back to the dark ages and our wisest of leaders most likely realize that outcome so I’d say to other World Governments, either the United States of America’s Government will mature and grow up or it won’t - I would not enter into a WWIII with America because sometimes when a ship goes down there is nothing for the captain to do but to go down with his ship – kind of an unspoken Marine Law – How’s that for a law – keeps you on your toes, doesn’t it? I didn’t make it up someone taught it to me.

I’m hoping someone, will save the American civilians, citizens and public but I won’t hold my breath if the ship goes down and it takes the first, second and third class passengers down with it.

*) Why isn’t the Patriot Act being voted on like any other Act? What gives?

*) What is the benefit of the Patriot Act?

*) What are the pros and cons of the Patriot Act?

*) Is there anybody out there – being a Watchdog for the domestic legal and humanitarian laws of the civilians and citizens of the United States of America. Please, anyone. Step up to the plate. Let us, always, play for the team, that takes into consideration the other team. Philosophy teaches us logic and logic will carry us into the future.

*) If politicians pass prayer in the school system, then why pass the Patriot Act?

*) What are more religiously and politically-intelligently written laws, the Patriot Act or prayer in schools? The People and Teachers of the United States of America do get a strong say about what happens to our future children’s curriculum and classroom activities, not politicians. If prayer is implemented in the public school system, then hitting and corporal punishment should be implemented as well? What! Doesn’t, abuse - make sense? Absurd!

{Really, we get to pray to the Mayan Gods in the public school systems? Wow! I’m all for it! And, Hindu, Buddhist, Indiano and Arabic and any other prayers - I can't wait for youngsters to be taught 20 different types of prayers in the public school systems in 20 different languages. How exciting? No? Si? Yes. That must take most of the morning – a three hour course just on world prayers. I can’t think of anything more progressive than that – a course offered one day a week? (Someone, thought of prayers in schools, I just see the discrepancies with what people propose to be archaic.) We have many more pressing politics; let us move on to matters that really concern our country. That's all. Ah, the professional and clinical diagnoses by a group of certified doctors that my A.D.H.D. mind, is, indeed an organic computer. Keep up. Let’s go. Sure. (Tongue in cheek. I don’t think A.D.H.D. is special only a different way of processing information, that’s all.) (I’m being facetious and no, I don’t believe prayers of any type – that, prayers, have any place in the public school systems of America but they do in the private sectors of America. I went to a private catholic Junior High and High School and I loved chapel every Friday afternoon.) What is there not to love about prayer in private education, but in the public sector; Don’t touch that – peoples’ taxes don’t pay for those services - because religion and government do not go hand in hand in the public sector and tax spending. In America any organized religions do not rule citizen vote.}

Moving on.

Next.

*) Why so much secrecy behind the Patriot Act – is this “Patriot Act” the Communist Manifesto “Big Brother is Watching” Act?

*) Will the Patriot Act make the United States of America into a World War II Nazi Regime and dictatorship? I’m sure scholars are asking these questions, publically and openly as we should be discussing any issues that dehumanize the American public.

*) Are taxpaying American civilians being forced into a Stalin’s Communist Russia through the Patriot Act? Comparisons and contrast of Former U.S.S.R. and the secrete Patriot Act? What gives? That could be a Thesis.

*) If the taxpaying citizens don’t know the fine print of the Patriot Act then how can they vote against their fourth amendment?

*) Don’t writers of laws, politicians and government have to spell out the fine print of laws that they try to get passed - hopefully, for the people, by the people and of the people?

*) As a taxpaying middle-class World citizen of America, do I live under a Nazi Germany Regime, disguised as a Capitalist Republic?

*) What about the WWII German Nazi Dictatorship Regime-Government allowed for my great-aunt to go to a concentration camp?

*) Why were my great-auntie’s rights to live, unconstitutional, under some humanitarian law perceived as WWII Nazi German Regime?

*) Will a World Government implement World Humanitarian laws for the people, of the people and by the people - just as the World Bank has set up shop in the World Market?

*) If the Patriot Act goes into effective order and the fourth Amendment is abused as it is written in the Constitution of the United States of America, then does that mean that America has become a Dictatorship? What does it mean? Can the citizens and civilians be-in-on what’s happening to us as taxpaying middle-class World citizens and civilians? We live here, we cultivate lives in America, and we even go so far as to choose raising our young in America. Please. What’s in store for in the American future and our young?

*) What is conspiracy?

*) What is conspiracy theory?

*) Do conspiracies exist?

*) What should the public know about conspiracy theories?

*) Theories are just theories, right? So, anyone can and will disprove anything at any time, right? Science. Ah, the beauty of facts.

*) Why question everything? How to ask intelligent questions with references to the past? I had to learn how to analyze culture through the study of communications vs. contemporary current events – nothing more and nothing less. What are we dealing with in current events as they are being communicated and how to compare and contrast to world communication opposed to only one single source? Nothing more and noting less.

Sincerely,

Gabriela

P.S. I wish you a splendid sunny, breezy and calm afternoon on this amazing Uptown, Minneapolis Minnesota day.

As a taxpayer – I ask the city of Minneapolis to please address the issues of murder, gun violence and violent crime on our neighborhoods and streets, otherwise I will start voting for gentrification and for the other side, because yes, I vote with my pocket book in mind and humanitarian ideals at heart. Do you know what that combination means - reformation for humanitarian global rights and economical change? No, I’m not afraid to write about my biases and particular point of view because its only one voice in the Universe – here, in Uptown we believe in our hard-working taxpaying middle-class World citizens – so, violent crime will not do on our streets and neighboring neighborhoods.

In our surrounding respectful taxpaying neighborhoods - we have amazing, contributing, mothers with carriages, running dogs, pet lovers, bikers, skateboarders, walkers, motorcyclists and drivers, organic (pesticide free) organizers, children, elderly, and hard working men. We make up a beautiful part of Minneapolis and its topography. We are a strong back of middle-class middle aged taxpaying World citizens of America and we’re politico.

This, Uptown Neighborhood reminds me of a neighborhood in Costa Rica and it’s the most relaxed, genuinely nice and tranquillo, calm and progressive of all cities and that is why I love this Northern Tundra city, Uptown, Minneapolis because it reminds me of the most progressive of Ticos (Costa Ricans) who don’t hide behind gated communities and contribute to mountain café farming and a strong education and they don’t take too kindly to violent crime on their streets because there is no place for it and we’re like that. (Get that mierda off our streets. Yes, I swore and I meant to as a grown woman.) I love the middle-class taxpaying World citizens like the Ticos as much as I do the Uptown hardworking middle-class middle-aged taxpaying World citizens. Cheers to that!

May 27, 2011

“I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, it's wealth with our wisdom, it's power with our purpose." - John F. Kennedy

“A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.” - John F. K

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” - John F. Kennedy

“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” - John F. Kennedy

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” - John F. Kennedy

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” - John F. Kennedy

Happy Monday!

Creative projects and budgets are balanced! Cheers! Grateful, thankful and ready for a beautiful and long summer. We’re breathing slowly and keeping a balanced and steady pace on our life throughout the year. We’re beginning to throttle down and go into a season of hot weather and a much slower pace on life because it’s healthy nothing more and nothing less. Cheers for two-month long European Holidays! The Europeans know how to keep their cultures’ relaxed, safe and intelligent through government services and public taxes for the overall health of their peoples. Cheers to flip-flops, fresh organic (non-pesticide) foods and lazy dusk evenings. Cheers! I have a reading list a mile long. I’m making my way through several books, movies and international shows.

I just saw “The Little Rascals” – a few months ago – for the first time in my life. Incredible.

Gabriela

May 27, 2011

“"I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, it's wealth with our wisdom, it's power with our purpose." - John F. Kennedy

“A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.” - John F. K

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” - John F. Kennedy

“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” - John F. Kennedy

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” - John F. Kennedy

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” - John F. Kennedy

Happy Friday!

Happy and respectful Memorial Day Weekend to you!

May you travel safely amongst loved-ones, friends and other civilians of the world. May you and yours take a moment of silence for all of those who so bravely fought for this wonderful country of ours The United States of America. There have been military men in my family and for that reason, alone, I can only take a moment to stop and consider their war history and the many sacrifices they made for me to be sitting here today, writing – I don’t take my life for granted because so many people before me lived, fought and died so that I could live as a free American. Thank you. I’m grateful and always will be. To all of our troops spread across the world we’ll think of you as we go into this long weekend. American troops, the world is your home amongst other civilians and citizens, these are the people that we as American civilians are not at war against. A decade has gone by…we think and pray for every one of you each and every single day.

Let us get to it.

Shall we?

I’ll try not to be, too, much of a snob in the process of writing about oil prices in America as a subject matter but I can’t promise anything. When I’m a snob I’m a volatile combination of Puritan-East Coast politeness – and - if you know what that combination is like then you know nettles.

“Oink-oink” said a Finn elder from the backseat of her car after filling a full tank of gas. (I misspelled “oink” with “ionk” and I can’t express to you how hard we laughed over that misspelling.)

She didn’t have to say anything more. I understood her strong sentiments and the absurdity of our economical turmoil in America as middle-class taxpaying World citizens dealing with a high-cost of living and unfair low American wages and lousy-expensive healthcare benefits and sometimes lousy-expensive education. (Oh – goodness, did I just write it in ink, I most certainly did.)

We drove back to the farm in silence. Nothing more needed to be said after filling up the car with almost fifty dollars for a full tank of gas about a month ago. I cringed and I wanted to scream because that’s not the American way to squeeze out money from our elderly, hard-working middle-class World citizens and their familias. Please.

As an American contemporary writer, who practices the craft and art-form of writing, daily; let’s address oil prices because I’m sure many Americans across the country are travelling this weekend to be with loved-ones, elderly, the ill and friends. Citizens want a great chance at making it in America. Americans work like oxen and yet the taxpaying middle-class World citizens of our American Republic suffer greatly with very little benefits to medicine, education and fair pricing in products and services for the average middle-class taxpaying citizens and as it has been explained to me the middle-class in America is considered at twenty thousand ($20,000.00) to two-hundred thousand ($200,000.00) per annual household income tax, anything below that is poverty and anything above it - is – wither the upper class, corporations or the world bank, which neither of these and the middle-class should ever be taxed in the same income tax bracket because its apples and oranges in the cart. Frankly, it’s common sense. Right. Right.

Today, the price of one gallon of gas in Venezuela is a whopping: TWELVE CENTS. Did you get that? ($0.12).

Yes, indeed and that means that it could be just that low in America if the oil companies and the United States of America’s Government got behind the notion of low wages and alleviating its citizens from harmfully low living costs, environments and politics – because frankly Americans are worried about the future of their young and that worry, alone, makes them sick.

Is that how leaders want it to go down on the history books – as tyrants of governments and oil companies? I don’t think so.

I, think, not.

Gas, is not diminishing in the world as a matter of fact it’s not disappearing like some magic act but into the pockets of the “uber-rich”, au contraire - new environmental world regulations (oil spills, wildlife refuge, replenishing wildlife environments and their offspring) and world taxations (greed, economical fluctuations on civilian oil pricing) requires immediate attention to be enforced upon oil companies and others following in their footsteps.

Yup, (how, on Earth is it spelled “yep” or yup”? I’ll research it) I wrote it. Deal with artistic expression of any type in kind and gesture because frankly I’m a “nobody” to you and you’re a “nobody” to me – your faceless in some glass tower so why should I invest in the slightest interest in how much money you make, all living organisms suffer – still I have a voice and millions of other “nobody’s” across the Nation and world have a voice also and that creates harmony and what do you have a solo?

I hope that young talented writers , lawyers, policy makers, leaders and legal discrepancy analysts, someday, sit down to write logical laws get passed on senate floors for the betterment of the people. So why not a little “nobody” goes ahead and starts writing laws that will help our humanitarian policies and citizens’ efforts to economical equality rather than destroy an American taxpaying public’s way of life?

If there are such things as political conspiracies and – IF – the conspiracy theory is that political leaders get assassinated, then please – let us level the playing field. Allow for political leaders to lead, communicate and earn the respect of the people through their deeds and not words. Where is Paul Wellstone when we really need his intelligence for the people, of the people and by the people? Play by the rules of sportsmanship and if you don’t know what they are then ask a referee, if you are a political leader who has been taught any code of honor, then you know this; Hands off The People. If, indeed there is murder committed by our World Organizations, corporations and individuals, then humanity should be a monkey locked up in a cage and gawked at all day long like zoo animals. We have logic and reasoning so murder should be abolished from our race. We’re not gorillas, or are we?

Oil, as a resource is not going anywhere and that is the biggest “hog-wash” I’ve learned about in cultural propaganda in a long time.

Even if fossil fuel did become an endangered species like so many animals before us then as Americans we can stand to take-off a few fast food pounds, anyway. Our ancestors carried their bodies for centuries and it doesn’t mean that we can’t walk, bike and take mass transit as a mode of transport, again? I believe mass transit should be a free governmental service to its people, tax - the oil companies and give the middle-class taxpaying World citizens free mass transit for the benefit of the Nation and our productivity especially while the middle class still economically suffers and also they are savvy enough to make a dollar stretch. What more can you ask from your people when they work like camels, mules and economical slaves for your personal wealth. The World Bank is a lovely concept, truly. Yet, there seems to be so many humanitarian discrepancies in the mass wealth of distribution.

Oh, by the way the bus fair in Minneapolis went up to four dollars, ($4.00). What’s wrong with our local city government? That’s the difference between middle-class working Americans being able to go to work or not? Don’t you want the world to be productive, if you squeeze people’s health, spirituality, creativity and education with their pocket books, then most likely they’re not going to like it. It’s a basic equation of “if” and “then”.

What happened to this country? What happened in such a short period of a decade? Oh, yeah I remember… double whammy from one administration. Why did you leave us in despair to clean up your mess? Snot-nosed children, you left the American people to fend for themselves with very little benefits, services and regards for their humanitarian wellbeing. Who do you think you are? Your Grandmothers must be rolling in their graves. Goodness. (Shazam, the editing is slow to come but its lots of fun. Editing is like the usage of a “MAD Libs” pad? You remember “MAD Libs” word puzzles and games? I do.)

Have we lost our wits and logic about us when it comes to an ideal life and wages? Please. People work too hard to be worried – that's not progress - that’s bad policy making, leadership on the part of implementers, delegators and those with government status if they happen to be shackled or got lost in the deep pockets of special interest lobbyist groups. (Oh, goodness. Did my little fingers just write that across the page? Most certainly they did. Do you want a cookie and a pet on the head with that?)

Why isn’t any leader making advancements in negotiations to keep a steady-flow and low oil prices even keel throughout an entire fiscal year? It’s all about how oil prices are negotiated between parties – that’s all it is in “lay-man’s-terms”. (I’m spelling it phonetically because I have no idea how to spell such an Ingles phrase.)

Why is the taxpaying American and World public – jerked-around, when they don’t have to be?

Why is it, that - one month oil prices are through the roof and another month they come down? (It’s rhetorical. I get it) somebody’s playing puppeteer with oil prices.

How would you like it if you were yanked around by your pocket book week-after-week? You wouldn’t – it would be like being yanked about from your hair. It’s painful. Yes, what’s happening to the American public is violent and I don’t stand for violence yet I do for my Fourth Amendment and constitutional rights to take to arms and defend my own if you come to my front door, enter uninvited and attack me or my loved ones, then.. I will write about it – SO, high oil prices have come to my front door and into the homes of every other American and we’re being attacked - so - artistically and philosophically - fight, I tell you.

Example: Creatively, speaking:

Communicate.

That’s all I’m saying. Communicate without shame, need or want for reward, success or self-gratitude and selfish did.

Communicate, because you, too, have an important role to play and a saying in what happens to a great American Nation to progressively and intellectually development to convey the story of today to our future generations about our culture and our many mistakes.

Art and news mirrors culture, culture does not mirror art and news.

Example, news is what’s happening to The People as it’s happening To Them not what’s happening to the reporter on-set and what they are or are not having for lunch, where they shop or if they like the color of the new set and new furniture in the studio – WHAT! That type of live on-air news chatter seems more like sensationalism, laziness or lack of professionalism rather than to report on so much variety of topics that’s difficult to keep up as it is – about world events – what else is there?

I believe that The American Government could make news outlets and sources a public service like the United Kingdom rather than an industry. Civilians could run local (advertisement-free) Tele stations because their taxes would pay for such services on a mass broadcasting wave length rather than products and industries that sell you on more “sexy” looks, hair products and the size of your bum WHAT! – I laugh so hard. I can’t explain. It’s kind of fun making fun of those who seek to sell products to others even if it’s unnecessary to sell such products with their bodies on Television. How can it not be, hilarious? And we wonder why so many women and children become sexual prey. Wake up from your slumberous sleep. Wake up! How depressing to look at and take in messages of that type all day long. I stick to an open bon fire by night and Minnesota mosquitoes if I can because every image is manipulated and exploited no matter what –or-so I was taught in film analysis in the study of commercial communication, specifically.

I was taught to think this way about communications because I had to complete film analysis for four long years, the broad topic of communication does not make me an expert by any means, but it does make me question the structure of everything as I see images, daily. We’ve got to go back to one - to the beginning and start rolling from there with a new structure that will hold up through this bad cultural weather of our times.

Please.

My Generation is plugged into information networking 24/7. We learned to write our own programs in junior school and build / construct old green-lettering type of computers from manuals even though I couldn’t tell you what anything is called – terminology. Like a boat motor I couldn’t tell you what anything is called but it doesn’t mean that I couldn’t take one apart and put it back together to get myself from floating a drift in the middle of the ocean. No, terminology but please don’t assume that women are not able to understand the simplest of networking systems, that’s how intelligent my generation is. The moment you assume a woman knows nothing about engines, well. You’re no longer a man rather Charlie Brown’s teacher’s voice and you know what happens with that? LOL… (Wha, wha – wha, wha - wha, wha). Funny!

Life is happening all over the world and - no, most of the world doesn’t care what the couches on a T.V. set look like, because people are starving and that’s – like - adding more insult to the injury. The People get it. Reporters portray more of-an-air-of a commercial product or commercial actor than reporting analysts and fact checkers with a strong and empathetic voice. In other words, I don’t want to be sold on ideas, a look, a feel, a way of thinking – please, report the news – report facts. What’s happening? – plain and clear. No, I don’t care to know how much your shoes cost – I want to know what’s happening all over the world. That’s why I’m not a news reporter because supposedly journalism comes with a criterion, high standards and no personalization of any reporting and I don’t see that type of professionalism very often, anymore. News reporters are more like brands of products than professional journalists. What’s with that?

Watching news is much like watching car commercials, what does that say about news reporting, not much.

Art is a means of communication where you can create and convey anything and nothing and yes, freedom is not always free but freedom of speech most certainly is free like breathing and passing a bowel movement and no, no one may ever have the power to censor your freedom of expression at any time – otherwise that’s a bigot or just confused unless you’re an expert and then well, what did you expect - you put yourself in that situation rather than just being a storyteller.

“You can say and do anything you want.” Said my Father. “But don’t forget to deal with the repercussions of your actions.” I understood perfectly well. “You don’t have to like everybody but you do have to be respectful.” I smiled a wide smile. I understood. I was fourteen.

Why, is the average American taxpaying middle-class World citizen being attacked by oil companies and by the United States of America’s Government? No, I didn’t write, “The Government of the United State of America” I wrote “The United States of America’s Government”. Major difference – isn’t it?

Since oil companies and the American government expect the American taxpaying public to pay $3.85 or more a gallon of gas, then increase the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour for average taxpaying middle-class workers and free health care and educational benefits for every worker and their families (Costa Rica, political and economical model of middle-class), otherwise you’re not even thinking of the little guy when you go to negotiate at the table – you’ve left us out of negotiations and if you’re going to make decisions about how I’m going to spend my money and be taxed then I demand a fair playing field for the American taxpaying public - otherwise, you’re just another bully that has come and gone and you know what happens to bullies? They get left behind, sooner than later – they end up tasting progressive dust.

Nobody wants to negotiate with a bully or snot-nosed American princesses for that matter because they create a divide: an injustice: A YOU vs. ME and frankly, game over! You - were never a good enough sportsman to begin with – and - to take to the ring - in the first place - you choked because you denied your responsibilities as contributing members to any competitive sport to abide by just and honorable rules to any game. There are rules to great competition and the suffering of others is out of bounds. Period. That’s that.

Oil companies could create change for progress and development but they don’t; – instead, oil companies - not only rig the economical match and create unjust rules to the game by automatically presuming that the hard working taxpaying middle-class citizens are suckers and the best way that I know to fight bullies in any ring - is to ignore them, to walk away and not play at all.

Have you ever gone more than a year in exile? I have, do to prejudice. A bully taught me – that, tactic at a private East Coast College and so I practice it when I’m dealing with bullies. To be shunned, because – someone, denies or can’t to face constructive criticism that’s one thing but to be shunned by a bully because they don’t like you – that’s quite another, and still yet to be shunned when you’re a bully and cause grave danger towards others – that’s quite another thing, then you must rectify the situation and admit to the wrong doing. Boycotting, gas prices on a global scale is never that far off. People can walk. People do walk and they will continue to do so until they get tired and look to electric cars and other forms of technology. It’s coming. Humans are that brilliant. Humans brought you the electric light bulb why not transportation that uses absolutely no gas? Why isn’t Tesla taught in public schools and his theories?

I don’t think these thoughts on my own.

Everyday people on street corners speak about alternative sources to fuel.

Shazam!

I’m not a genius, nor do I pretend to be one but some day some other form of transport will exist and that will be that. Cuidado. Careful, not to jerk-around working middle-class taxpaying world citizens because a world-oil-boycott could be disastrous – when people are treated as serfs’ - well, history has taught us that they get resentful and hold rebellions. I’m not for a rebellion of any type – I never am but the likelihood of a silent boycott can’t be that far off when people suffer this badly with their pocket books. Anyway, culture would slow down if we all went without driving. Imagine, that world – simply because it’s an idea.

You can’t stop people from thinking – it’s not possible even if we lose a strong hold on literacy in this country – Americans have always been full of ideas and that is what founded this great Nation. That will never change.

Why as a taxpaying citizen should I pay $3.85 for a gallon of gas when infrastructure is falling apart in America - literally, High School test scores have proven ghastly according to educational world standards and equivalency, homelessness and starvation occurs in America? Why should I pay $3.85 for a gallon of gas? I demand for a better structure. I demand for a better Nation. A better way of conducting business. I demand for fair prices, fair wages and excellent free National healthcare and free National education for every citizen. Tax the oil companies and give the people services that are by breathing rights their own. Oil companies have all the power and ability in the world to give free healthcare and education over to the citizens and so does the pharmaceutical companies and public educational institutions - I demand for our country to be looked after with the best interest of its citizens at heart for any hope of a more self-sustainable future.

Who do you think you are working for oil companies who disgrace the hard work of taxpaying middle-class World citizens? Please.

Hopefully, not some little snot-nosed piggy with his shoe laces untied and tripping all over his greed. Do you know how expensive healthcare and education costs the average taxpaying middle-class American citizens? - More expensive than most of their middle-class salaries and wages can barely cover a roof over their heads and some food on the table. Shame on you for your greed.

It will not do.

It cannot do.

Oil companies, Governments, private and public health and educational institutions are squeezing out the taxpaying middle-class World citizens and that will not go down without an artistic, philosophical and justice fight. You can’t touch that! Why don’t oil companies concentrate on getting artistic curriculum back into our American school system? Wouldn’t that be a great quest for oil companies?

Do not abuse the taxpaying public – we work too hard for our money, please.

Why, are so many of conglomerates, corporations and governments under some fairy tale spell or slumberous sleep? Wake up, I tell you and take the helm. Maneuver this vessel safely and close to calm shores. Do our leaders in Washington D.C. and oil company owners, do you really - not - consider that the hard-working middle-class World taxpaying citizens aren’t watching you? They are. The whole world is a stage. Please.

Ten oil spill whistle blowers mysteriously died within a short span of time and from bizarre deaths. What does that mean?

I don’t know much about this subject matter as a conspiracy theory except what I have read which is very little and what I’ve heard in discussions. Freedom of speech and expression. Ah. Like a margarita on the shores of Mexico with lemon twist and a hammock.

I don’t know.

Please, the next time an oil spill happens, (hope to Gods that it doesn’t) but if it does I ask the owners (not their representatives) of oil companies to go and sit with frail, whimpering, dying and oil covered and oil stricken wildlife for at least one week. It will break your heart. It just will and if doesn’t break your heart then you’ll be in need to go and discover a heart. In this day in age oil spills should not happen. Period. Technologically, we’re too advanced for that.

Oil company owners, think of it this way. Imagine, your child covered in oil head-to-toe, naked, hungry, and whimpering and in desperate need of medical support and it does not come for hours, days, weeks or even months in some remote areas of wildlife habitat. Imagine, your children caught up in such a travesty. My Gods. If you think of other living organisms as your children and wildlife environments as an extension of your arm - in such a way, then you’d probably never allow for another oil spill to occur in the world.

Please, the world is watching.

Don’t you get it – you’re on a world stage? Information is out there and its fast and humanity is not as stupid as they are treated. Have some humanity about you. Have some dignity. I write about what I see, hear and perceive the world to be nothing more and nothing less.

For those of you who run oil companies, the government and other important medical and educational institutions, I didn’t attend private academic institutions to see a Nation suffer, starve and work themselves into a grave and neither did your families send you off to private Ivy (Correction: from “Ivy” to “Ivey” back to “Ivy”; hilarious!) League schools to have had such an opportunity as to become the owners of oil companies, refineries and distributors.

Now, why create a type of cultural destruction and violence against an age and a dehumanizing people – because it’s happening. We’re not your economical slaves, so don’t treat us as such. Have more respect because - even – if, you’re rolling in billions upon billions of dollars in your household annual income tax as the owners of oil companies, then know this – the American public won’t respect you at this rate because you do not respect yourself. Why, do - you - self-loath when you have so many resources available to you and your young? That will not do. It cannot do.

World leaders do have all the freedoms, opportunities and ability to create some serious change in a world that suffers much. Ivy League leaders, your world peers are cheering for you. We’re up on our feet. We look to you for a beacon of hope. We applaud your contributions and we only hope that you have the best interest at heart for the American public. I raise a moment of silence to all those leaders everywhere who look to create change that they know to be just and right because, there are - humanitarian World Laws still yet to be written and implemented in this century. Let us move into this new century. Shall we?

Dear oil company leaders - you’re on a world stage and you’re just God awful to watch; I wish these were Shakespearean times and the hungry and desolate of this Nation could boo you off stage and throw raw vegetables at you. Oil companies and any of their subsidiaries are not my role-models and I don’t go to the voting booths with oil companies in mind to-see-to the well fare of our Nation’s people because you haven’t proven yourself worthy of consideration.

Why, do I write like this? Because I can. I am a World peer. I am a woman. I just am and I just did write it.

So, to our dearest American political leaders, this economical and political entanglement with the oil companies has to change – the business between oil companies and governments will have to change and it will sooner than later with space travel. Why not? What’s keeping us? Has greed converted all the brilliant minds of Washington D.C. into more greed because if so then let the public know, so that we can look to more productive environmental, economical, healthcare and educational alternatives on our own? If you’ve left us out to dry then we’ll do the best that we can with the little that we have because the middle-class taxpaying World citizens is worth more than gold and they always have – they run countries, Nations and become leaders – they just do – it’s not about wealth, riches and status but for the benefit and well being of all of a Nation’s citizens through mass distribution of resources and wealth.

Don’t you want a happy, healthy and relaxed culture? Tranquillo.

Any government that allows for the middle-class of hard-working taxpaying World citizens to quietly be bullied by an industry then that is not a world leader but scared little boys who piss in their trousers.

I don’t stand for any type of bullying (quietly or boisterous as it may be done) because it’s boring and ineffective for meeting long term goals – there is very little behavioral character left to develop in bullies and I know that bright minds are coming up so offer them a chair at the table so that they, too, can construct a new world view of the horizon. A view where people aren’t made to suffer at the hand of greed of policy makers, tycoons and leaders.

Please. Is this a comic book?

I don’t think so.

We’re smarter than leaders give credit for – as - everyday “nobody’s” working for a common goal to a long lasting future.

Sincerely,

Pura Vida.

Mrs. Gabriela de la Holm

(Okay, I’m going to go bake cookies.)

Source from Wikipedia

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.

Begun as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the civil war, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family gatherings, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 (since 1911) and the Coca-Cola 600 (since 1960) auto races.

Source from on-line website: (I could not find anything on the Associate Press about this subject matter: Why is that? My search?)

In the past year, nine vocal critics or potential whistleblowers of the

Gulf oil spill all died in extremely mysterious ways. Their deaths could

be strange, unrelated coincidences. Or they could have been killed

as part of a conspiracy to silence those who were speaking out against

the worst oil spill in American history.

Gregory Stone

February 17, 2011 - LSU scientist Gregory Stone, 54 - Unknown Illness

Anthony Nicholas Tremonte

January 26, 2011 - age 31 - Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer,

from Ocean Springs arrested on child porn charge

Dr. Thomas B. Manton

January 19, 2011 - former President and CEO of the International Oil Spill

Control Corporation – imprisonment and subsequent murder while jailed

John P. Wheeler II

December 31, 2011 - a former Pentagon official and presidential aide

and a defense consultant and expert on chemical and biological weapons –

was beaten to death in an assault, body was discovered in a Wilmington landfill.

James Patrick Black

November 23, 2011 - an incident commander for BP's Gulf of Mexico oil

spill response team, died Tuesday night near Destin, Florida in a small plane crash'.

Chitra Chaunhan

November 15, 2011 - age 33, worked in the USF Center for Biological Defense

and Global Health Infectious Disease Research – Found dead in an apparent

suicide by cyanide at a Temple Terrace hotel. She leaves behind a husband

and a young child.

Dr. Jeffrey Gardner, Swan Doctor

November, 2011 - MIA Status, of Lakeland, FL - Swan expert who “ran into

legal trouble over an expired prescription license has closed his practice” —

Was investigating unexplained bird deaths near Sarasota abruptly and

immediately closed his practice, and apparently his investigation into the

deaths of swans in Sarasota, suspected to have been impacted by the BP Oil Disaster.

No one has heard or spoken with him since. Watch this news report covering

his investigation before his disappearance:

Roger Grooters, Cyclist

October 6, 2011 - age 66, was hit by a truck as he passed through Panama City,

Florida. Mr. Grooters had been knocked down and killed close to the end of a

3,200-mile trans-America charity ride to raise awareness about the Gulf Coast oil disaster.

He began his cross-country bike ride in Oceanside, California, on September 10th.

Grooters's family and friends will cycle the final stretch of the journey from the Pacific

to the Atlantic in his honour, raising cash to support Gulf Coast families.

Senator Ted Stevens

August 9, 2011 - Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, 86, the longest-serving

Republican senator in history, was among nine people on board when the

1957 DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter, crashed into a brush- and rock-covered

mountainside Monday afternoon about 17 miles north of the southwest

Alaska fishing town of Dillingham, federal officials said. Stevens

was the recipient of a whistleblower's communication relative to the

BP Oil Disaster blow-out preventer, and a conspiracy of secrecy to hide

the facts from the public.

"You and your fellow Committee members may wish to require BP to

explain what action was ultimately instituted to cease the practice of

falsifying BOP tests at BP Prudhoe drilling rigs. It was a cost saving

but dangerous practice, again endangering the

BP workforce, until I exposed it to Senator Ted Stevens, the EPA,

and the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission."

The cause of the crash is still an OPEN investigation by the NTSB.

Matthew Simmons

August 13, 2011 - age 67 - Simmons’ body was found Sunday night in his hot tub,

investigators said. An autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office concluded

Monday that he died from accidental drowning with heart disease as a contributing factor –

“It was painful as can be” to be only insider willing to speak out against the

"officials" during the BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Scientist Joseph Morrissey

April 6, 2011 - age 46 - cell biologist and college professor, a near-native

Floridian who chose to return to South Florida after studying at elite universities –

was fatally shot during what police say was a home invasion robbery.

May 26, 2011

"A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp on life." - Hugh Sidey

Happy THURSDAY!

It’s been a long day and a long night.

I’m wishing you much happiness.

Buena Noche.

Gabriela

May 25, 2011

“I want to exude strength and intelligence.” – Portia de Rossi

Happy Wednesday! (Today I’m a day behind and yesterday I was a day ahead, figure that)?

(A few quick grammatical corrections and then I have many more responsibilities to meet today.)

For those of you in the middle of heavy storms, rains, drought and floods in the world – My Mayan prayers are with you this morning.

I believe in North Minneapolis and its revitalization, reconstruction and taxpaying citizens, especially the non-violent elders who contribute day in and day out.

As for our relatives and their loved ones in Joplin, MO our thoughts have been with you since this weekend and we’ve sat frozen as we’ve watched footage come over the wire. Our relatives are lucky as they go into tonight - to have their loved ones safe and sound – the tornadoes missed their home by six or seven blocks. Everybody is safe, nothing to cry-wolf about and we pray for those who are misplaced persons and homeless going into this long night. I go into the rest of my day praying for Joplin, MO and its citizens.

I pray that our misplaced neighbors to the north to please keep their wits about them and have patience with relief efforts – people are trying everything to help, be calm / tranquillo and take a seat on the grass, play, converse, sing, take in the day and the night to become beautiful under these adverse times because if you have the luxury of time then you know that it’s a gift to have it because you can’t control the pace of life and no matter what the situation – you’re adults of the world and adults are level headed and calm. Si? No? Yes. I pray for our North Minneapolis and our outstanding citizens. Amazing. I’m amazed.

Aloha. “‘Hello, goodbye and go to hell.’” Said a Northern Minnesota Finn-elder in a story about someone they once knew and to my astonishment I was shocked and I liked it.

Okay, the day has started out with breathing and more breathing. That simple and I’m going to keep it just that all day long. I will learn to control my temper – especially when I’m silent, especially because I take to the writing and that’s where I’m a warrior like I’ve been taught by many Indianos to fight a just cause and since I come from a literary Mayan Heritage I will be a “wordsmith” as my Father calls me - no different than a cobbler, a metal smith and a welder – nothing more nothing less.

I have “hulking” out and “Oscar the Grouch” tendencies (not very often in my life, but when I’ve had them – I’ve had to clear rooms because I was “hulking” out and I knew the disastrous affect I could unleash without being too cognitively aware of what I was saying because when I get personally enraged about injustices of the world being created against me and others I see the color red and I will spit fire with words without shame or I will turn my back and that is an Indiana thing – Run! Because we’re definitely running towards something – we’re running away from a figuratively-speaking - fire. And so I do.) (I think I’m becoming a better editor but it takes too much reading and when I’m done writing I don’t want to edit so I’m learning the discipline of editing. Aye!)

I’m not afraid of my power as one tiny-little-Tortuga in the World and as a living-breathing-thinking-creating-logical human organism I was given the gift of penmanship by the Mayan Gods (wow, that’s a mouth full). Now, that’s my personal opinion and – no, I’m not a God I’m merely a mortal. I didn’t ask to be literary until I was taught to hold a pencil with my right hand and yes, to me it is a great communication tool because if you know anything about Mayan writing then you know that my people were really into recording anything as mundane or as significant as it was.

What, I will do - as I mature, is become more logical in my writing because philosophy teaches us logic. I know-I know, I’m too emotional and passionate in writing but the Scandinavians have taught me to hold-in my emotions as much as possible, to be stoic and not to show anything or have a bleeding heart all over my sleeve – so I try as well as I can to be Scandinavian about my emotions when interacting with others. Cheers.

Moving on.

I was academically and culturally taught to write about anything and everything and to never be afraid to write about what I thought and saw of the world. Subject matter is open to interpretation. Period. That’s my personal perspective and no, you don’t have to like it. Actually, you can hate the writing with all your guts. You don’t even have to read any of it because then you wouldn’t have to think about it but how could you not? The writing is just, too, juicy like a coconut or a fresh ripe mango and I’m a woman so I write as I taste the words nothing more and nothing less. No, this is not chick-lit. This is – whatever, this is - a blog and its meant to be a blog – free form - nothing more and nothing less. Entiende. Understand. This isn’t a novel nor do I pretend it to be so I write freely because I’m an American writer and yes, a world citizen – (are you tired of that expression, yet?) Wow, no swearing. See, I’m maturing. Ha! Broma.

Next.

My literary masters-elders taught me that no subject matter is out of bounds and that I’m responsible for putting my name on everything I write because I stand by my every word as a writer, thinker and breathing human. I was academically taught that I can use any word in any language and not be afraid of its meaning – yes, even those two little words L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E. I was taught never to be afraid of any words especially vulgar ones. That’s why I write about why I’m for free National Health Care and (all tiers of education) free National Education because places like Costa Rica and all of Central America, actually - has taught me that politics, art and culture are done differently in other parts of the world. I know that there is progress, intelligence and consideration being applied in other parts of the world by middle-class contributing citizens and so I believe in change in this tiny little microcosm I call home, Uptown Minneapolis Minnesota.

I believe in Minneapolis as I do in those that I look to be great world citizens and role models. I’m not yet a role model because I’m still a bit immature especially when I’m cornered, then - I’m a wild beast, a stallion, a panther or a bee and I’m making progress in that area of my life. I’m learning balance as a human. I’m not asking for anything more than peace, because I’m blessed as a middle-class citizen of the United States of America and I don’t have a need or want for anything and that is the goal to raise the economical bar on fair living-cost, wages and excellent medical and educational benefits for all citizens.

I believe in free National Health Care and free National Education because logically it seems to me that taxpaying citizens suffer greatly and work too hard in America to reap very little living cost rewards, medical and educational joys that are by life-given rights to all citizens of the world. People’s health is not a business and neither is their right to write and read and create reason and peace. Wow, I’m really Tica in my view point on politics. It’s just politics – a subject matter so let’s not be afraid of politics – especially as taxpaying and contributing citizens. Goodness. (Yes, I’m being facetious as a matter of fact I didn’t even blink when I wrote the words).

If I were a Government, which thankfully I’m not because I still can’t make up my mind between democracy, a republic, socialism, anarchy, monarchy and a dictatorship – (I read, that’s all I can do as an informed citizen) - I would offer free National Health Care and free National Education to all of my “hypothetical” citizens (No different than the model of politics of Costa Rica), because who wants to be the head of any Nation where their people suffer greatly from illnesses, illiteracy and cynicism for the future.

I will go out on a limb – as an example – Now, please don’t get your breeches caught on too tight about this next example, but I like Cuba and Cuban folk, people, art, comida y cultura (sometimes, I want to go full throttle into Espanol, that’ll come with time – I’ve got to figure out the typing keys for the “ene” lettering in Espanol.) I like that Fidel Castro implemented free National Health Care and free National Education in Cuba, the literacy rate in Cuba is through the roof and everybody gets fed rice and beans daily. That may not sound like much but the people under Castro’s dictatorship seemed well content and well taken care for as citizens. Now, I wouldn’t have wanted to live through the “Cuban Missile Crises” – that would have been too much stress for any average citizen – I think. Ah, I’m thinking of a Cuban cigar, why do we still have an embargo with Cuba? Oh, yeah that’s right…Hopefully, we’ll open up our doors to our neighbors in the south as we did with our neighbors to the East in former U.S.S.R. Progress is coming – I believe in progress.

I believe in shutting everything down from noon to two and everybody going home and having a little almuerso and taking a siesta. Why, because it’s progressively productive and the human body is not a machine. I believe in this slower pace of life because people value their time, energy and bodies far more than any money in the world. The more an economy and a Government forces their middle-class World class citizens to economical labor, mental and spiritual illnesses, and any type of illiteracy then culture deteriorates and that can only mean that the society seems, harsh, tired, impatient, snotty and privileged because classism is choking the very life out of its middle-class citizens. Is that progress? I doubt it very much.

“Our thoughts aren’t real.” My re-tired psychologist Father said to me under a Texan dusk sun. He paused and looked deeply at me.

I thought about it and agreed with him that sometimes we make horrible assumptions on what we think - is - to be “a” truth, “a” reality and an emotion. We can evolve as a human species into something more logical so that we are free to passionately and without shame or fear express ourselves. Because, frankly like any mathematical equation that makes sense and so does written language if the writer is decent enough to convey some thought, idea and experience through any written word.

I don’t think these things-up on my own – otherwise, I’d be running barefoot through the woods and without a Tele in sight. I’m influenced by the world and I believe in the people that I keep in touch through e-mail and in person: to be intelligent, creative and considerate about politics in their area and the rights of the future middle-class World civilians and their progress. I’m interested in equality and bridging a huge divide between a cultural, economical and creative deficit between classist egoism and entitlement.

Logic will free us from the chains of disillusionment, bigotry and destruction. And poetry will enlighten us to be more open minded about World ideas, politics and culture. I believe in World artists to take us into this new century. Imagine, there are still about 90 more years, nine more decades and society will call for change because progress overcomes evil (not to sound too comic-bookish). There should never be a single youth who considers suicide, ever – much less, one - with a type of same-sex preference (that’s anybody’s personal preference and private.) When our youth take their lives then we know that the issues we deal with are a much larger extension of the kind of suffering that goes on in a truly saddened society. Suicide is not a consideration in many other cultures and it is truly a travesty in my humblest of opinions. I’ve almost lost friends to suicide this year, alone and I’m not okay with the state of affairs in America so I write. What else can a Tortuga, do?

I believe in the right for every middle-class World citizen to be entitled to equal rights to free National medical and educational functions, services and privileges. Classism, in America - it seems to me that – classicism, exists because we’ve been taught as Americans to think about the equation of humanity as something greater and lesser than (I’m not telling you who to be friends with from different economical backgrounds or how to contribute but I’m telling you that contributions come in many different forms and it sometimes, doesn’t call for individuals to be in the middle of all that need, suffering and chaos because every culture is different regionally. That’s all). What kind of a human equation is that? It doesn’t add up so it can’t be true for progress. Right. What is classism? I should begin there (another blog for another day).

“Cuidado.” as my Costa Rican best friends said to me over the phone a month ago.

“Careful.” There are a lot of deer-ticks out in the woods. Lots this year. Take care to shake your clothing-out, legs, check behind your ears and your scalp. I’ve seen and dealt with more wood-ticks this spring already than in the last decade in MN. Wow, a decade went by.

I meant to move back to the East Coast in Spring of 2004, but something about Minneapolis called to my heart so I stayed and contribute tiny contributions because in the words of one Minneapolis street artist: “H-O-T-T-E-A (heart) Minneapolis”.

Uptown is my home and you can’t touch that because those of us who live here contribute and don’t take away from the overall health of this lovely and strong neighborhood. That particular street artist contributes to the middle-class artistic approach that I ideally live by and so I notice their art as I go to and from because I’m not daft to my neighborhood and my world. As a Tica I love Uptown art, culture and politics - what is there not to love about any place in the world and their art, culture and politics? We’re taking care of some of the violent crime on our streets because frankly we’re just that cool as middle-aged adults. Uptown has so much potential. I believe in it so I stay put.

“Peace, be with you.” Said a Northern Minnesota Lutheran pastor.

“And also with you.” Responded in unison a mostly Finn-Lutheran community.

I felt the world in my throat and understood the meaning of those very words. Incredible.

Peace be with you as you travel freely as a World citizen.

Ciao,

Gabriela

P.S. We’re so close to Memorial Day Weekend. Wishing you an excellent Wednesday. If I have awful misspellings, in-corrections and horrible grammar, then I’m on it. I’m working on it but significant progress can sometimes be slow to come and I have all the patience in the world for any craft.

May 24, 2011

"The joy of the mind is the measure of its strength." - Ninon de Lencion

Happy Tuesday!

Peace. Paz.

Ok. Ok. Ok. Ok. Ok. Okay.

I’ll try to write about same-sex marriage and the reason why same-sex marriage will get passed in a written law and become legal, sooner than later. It is of the essence that all taxpaying citizens should be granted the right to provide healthcare and tax right-offs for their spouses and their dependents whether they’re same-sex couples or not in any household across America because they, too, are taxpaying citizens.

If you vote “yes” to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage come November 2011 then you don’t believe in the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties and that’s that. All that work will go to waste.

I’m turned off by some of the political leaders from the “Hippie-gone-Yuppie” generation. Why would politicians of the “Baby Boomer” generation not pass a law to make same-sex marriage legal in all of the United States? Why? Where in the constitution of the United States of America does it say that two people who love each other - that - they can’t get married. I believe in the constitution of the United States of America and I believe that we can still apply the American constitution to future development and vetoing / re-writing archaic laws that don’t apply for the benefit of taxpaying citizens and creating solidarity through laws that do have the best interest of people in logical written laws. Give me logical laws to want to vote for and then I’ll get behind them and vote for them. That’s all I’m asking. I can ask - that - of my government, can’t I?

This “Generation X” grew up with the elegant tolerance and humanity in kindness towards homosexuality and we’re NOT afraid of homosexuality because it’s no longer uncommon for some of our closest friends to be same-sex married couples – so what? Moving on. Our peers are homosexual just as the “Baby Boomers” made friendships with blacks and other minorities. I’d like to think that this one-and-only X Generation along with the MTV Generation just as the Baby Boomers that we’ll create change and equality - just as the Civil Rights for blacks and other minorities did for them.

“Generation X” is taking the helm. We vote and we make a difference. All I can write to politicians if they want to continue in politics is to get on board and get hip to same-sex anything, do what is just and right by others because your political intolerance against homosexuality is no different than your intolerance for blacks and other minorities of the Civil Rights Movement.

What happened to all of the principals of the Civil Rights Movement that the Baby-Boomers fought so hard to get? Come on! Let’s progress so we can address issues that apply to all taxpaying citizens like war, free national health care and education and eliminating violent crime against any upstanding taxpaying citizen.

As a heterosexual married woman I think ‘let’s move on to more pressing issues than playing God as to whom has the life-granted right to love and marriage.’

You cannot actually believe in the Civil Rights Movement and not believe in equality for same-sex marriage.

Who, do you think you are? Hopefully, not a generation of bigots. Show us your best. We’re rooting for our Minnesota politicians, we expect a lot from you, otherwise, yeah – wait for election time to come around again. Minnesotans have a voice and that will never get taken from us because our middle class thrives even though we’re seeing more violent crime on our streets and even then we don’t lose hope for future generations. We’re out there. We believe in our neighborhoods so we walk, bike and skate. We believe in progress.

This, Minnesota land is the land of the hardy, the strong and with a great middle class thriving we do not tolerate bigotry very well. I’m surprised Minnesota isn’t at the forefront of this pioneering adventure. Imagine how it’s going to go down on the history books? The only thought that comes to mind is all the violent crime and suicides against youth. We will defend our homosexual youth and their rights to grow up and contribute to a long and prosperous life - they have the right to live, grow old and die, peacefully.

Ultimately, same-sex marriage will become legal – so that the children and adopted children of same-sex couples will become fully fledged contributing adults in society as well as taxpaying and they will be even more tolerant of same-sex marriage. These children will have to overcome adversities unimaginable beyond our comprehension and they are the future middle class as well as politicians, leaders and great contributors. I raise a moment of silence for our bright future and to those who committed suicide or were physically attacked in the last however many centuries.

Roman men – leaders were in the practice of same-sex relationships. Humanity is no longer shocked by same-sex relationships. Why would we be? Are you afraid of people of color? It depends where you are in this day in age. I don’t pretend there isn’t a lot of violent crime committed on many streets by blacks and minorities. Sad, isn’t it? Especially, when a country fought for their equal rights yet many blacks and minorities don’t seem to stand up to those sacrifices that were made for them. Shame, really. No, I’m not talking about everybody.

Every generation grows up and comes into power. My generation known as “Generation X” is now entering a phase of vitality and adult power.

We are making decisions that will affect the world and we will take over because every generation dies – our turn will come but for now we must take the helm and maneuver (Correction on spelling: Ah, the English Language is tricky) this vessel towards the shores of justice, civilities and rights for our taxpaying citizens.

If we have to we’ll undo the injustices and the illegal bonds of government forced upon citizens because we still believe in the original United States of America and the will of the people to create and change laws that are unjust, prejudice and unconstitutional towards progress.

We believe that any taxpaying body of citizens get to go in search of the pursuit of happiness and if that means the pursuit of our children’s future and their happiness then that is worth just as much as our very own happiness while we are in power.

Will “Generation X” (now in our prime) – will, we make the same mistakes as the “Baby Boomers” have by taking away taxpaying citizens rights?

I think not. We’re a generation who suffered through mass divorces and indifference so we we’re left alone to dream and we became strong in our solidarity through all arts, sports and contributions at large to our contemporaries and those in need. We believe in humanity because that is something that the “Baby Boomers” preached much of the time and I only hope that they respectfully vote for the legal standing of homosexual marriage even if that is one of their last contributions before retiring within the next decade.

Please.

My Father was arrested in Washington D.C. for peacefully demonstrating along with his peers in the sixties. My father didn’t get arrested for just any little thing but rather causing booming change in ideas and equality. Ultimately, the United States Government wrote my Father an apology letter and made out a check for several thousands of dollars and my Dad went on vacation to Mexico in his early thirties. Brilliant.

The future is here and now and being of a heterosexual married woman variety – I find that my heterosexual peers are marrying less and less so where does that leave us – except that people are not using their tax-benefits as married households so politics should give those tax incentives over to people who are fighting for their equal rights, love, and desire for marriage and getting on in life as best as they can and will work for a life of meaning as any two bonded animals ever are who mate for life. It’s not for the government to decide but for the people to decide if we’re going to be held back a century. We have so many pressing developments to meet, create and contribute to humanity.

Let’s move into this new century because the entire debate about same-sex marriage is archaic.

We know what we must do as an American Generation X – just because same-sex marriage is not my way of life I’m not going to stand in the way of someone else’s love, I’d be ashamed of that. I can only imagine that any politician would be as well. Who the hell even thought of writing something as absurd as a same-sex marriage amendment ban? Are those my tax dollars because if they are I’m pissed that someone came up with an opposition against development. I can’t wait for elections come November 2011. Religion has nothing to do with same-sex marriage rather with the law. So, let’s address it and vote for it so that we can concentrate on other important things like bringing our troops home, intellectual property, an economical and artistic renaissance and American solidarity against violent crime. Cheers for that.

Salud.

Gabriela

(That’s right this writing’s got my name all over it because I wrote these words and I’m practicing my freedom of speech. What a beautiful country.)

I’m ready for organic gardening. Today I begin apprenticing at a local-and-private organic garden. I’m ready for what this summer will hold.

Note: I could not find the same-sex marriage amendment ban on-line. “What is the same-sex marriage amendment ban?” Why is that? My search must be English as a Second Language. I’ll keep researching.

Gay marriage is legal in five states: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, plus the District of Columbia.

May 23, 2011

Happy Monday!

“A friend to all is a friend to none.” – Aristotle

"At every moment of difficulty and challenge in your life you have a choice: opposition or composition. You can either oppose that which you are experiencing, or compose that which you choose." - Neale Donald Walsch

I love Duluth Minnesota.

There I wrote it and now I feel like “Oscar the Grouch”.

Aloha.

Wow, Monday came very quickly.

It was a difficult and intense morning - and - here we are, alive into the afternoon.

How incredible life is, no? Si. Yes.

To all those peoples throughout the world dealing with heavy rains, monsoons, drought and floods: May the Mayan Gods be with you now. (I don’t mean anything religious by it only as a sentiment in strong and caring emotion. I can’t imagine being a misplaced person ever again and living in any refugee camp. May the Gods be with you). Here, in Minneapolis, Minnesota we have had heavy winds and storm which touched down on the north side of the city.

(If you know anything about the north side of Minneapolis, MN – then most likely you’ve heard stories about how it’s considered a “Ghetto” or for lack of a better contemporary word – in Ebonics – “The Hood”. En Mexicano y Central Americano de la langua – “El Barrio”. Now, my personal impression about north is that the houses are the most beautiful Victorian homes from the turn of the last century. I’m not an architect or an architectural historian nor do I pretend to be one but as I’ve cruised on skateboarding wheels by daylight – I found that there is a beautiful and rich architectural history in north Minneapolis. Anyone can see how beautiful and well kept it was before it became something overrun by drugs, prostitution and violent crime. I hold great respect for all of the taxpaying citizens primarily the elders of that community for keeping the neighborhood going.)

I’d like to think that north Minneapolis could become something of a Harlem (Correction). What is there not to like about the gentrification of Harlem? Yup, I wrote it in black ink. Oh, goodness, gentrification? Even former president Clinton keeps an office in Harlem, N.Y. No? How impressive. Could north Minneapolis hold a perspective presidential candidate’s office in north someday as taxpaying citizens set a strong hold in that part of the city (another blog for another day)?

Like I wrote last week…I’ve rounded a corner at the age of 34.

Yup. Thirty-four as of two weeks ago. Goodness, I am a fully grown woman. How lovely. No, I didn’t say I was perfect. I only wrote that I’m now fully grown. I’m not the only one getting older and wiser so are the rest of my peers and for this reason alone I look forward to aging like any decent wine has the ability to do so.

So, as I’ve written: It had to be Finn-Lutherans who’ve converted me from swearing in the English written language to not swearing in the English written language while I blog. No, I’ve never wanted the responsibility as a role model nor will I ever, but I was brought up by a code of honor and I will try to uphold to it as much as my little human brain and humanity can. Like, I’ve written about I’ve made many mistakes and swearing in writing is not the best way to convey something of great value in sentimentality. So, I accept the challenge even though I’m not Lutheran. Wow, what amazing people I have met and learned to love as my own.

So, let me begin my second straight year of blogging with this:

I love Duluth, Minnesota.

No, I’m not promoting Duluth, Minnesota.

I’m not like that – a walking campaign about soap or some-such-or-other.

I’m burying a hatchet (be patient with me – sometimes, Ingles is still a bit tricky in subtleties of spelling).

Yes, I said it. I even wrote the word L-O-V-E.

Well.

Now, I’d like to mature, have a few kids, grow old, earn a quiet life anywhere in the world, write and go after the pursuit for happiness in a simple, organic (pesticide free) and contributing fashion as I choose to and see fit for me y mi familia.

Duluth Minnesota.

I’ve written negatively about Duluth Minnesota in the past year because I was gravely injured, hurt, conned and economically betrayed by strangers while I starved for three years in my mid-twenties in Duluth Minnesota of all places. If you’ve ever starved for a length of time in your life, then you know what kind of stomach problems and how starvation wreaks havoc on your internal organs.

This is the last time I’m going to blog about this. So, hang on. Here goes nothing. Like skateboarding.

I can get over injuries. As a matter of fact my foes can tell you that I’ve waited seven years so that I’m now openly blogging East Coast style in a straight and forward manner about the heart break, humiliation and misconceptions created through the psychology of suggestion. What else is there right? - but to learn lessons, become stronger and never ever repeat them again – otherwise, shame on me. I’m a Mayan – I know better. What are we talking about? Broma. Moving on.

“Imagine, how embarrassed some people must be because they know how they’ve spoken to you?” He said to me and smirked a little. I smirked back. “Imagine.” “You know what they’re like and they know that you’ve seen them act that way.” “I can only imagine it must be embarrassing to them.” I looked to my right and gave the thought a thirty second consideration – nothing more nothing less.

“People who take advantage of others are taught only to think of themselves.” Softly he cut across traffic and I sat back and enjoyed the smooth ride.

I love Duluth Minnesota because my Father, his lovely wife and his buddies live in Duluth, Minnesota. I love Duluth Minnesota because my Father’s friends’ friends and their families live in Duluth Minnesota and contribute in ways that you could only imagine. For that reason, alone - and because my best friend resides in Duluth Minnesota I love Duluth Minnesota. Right. Right. Next.

Furthermore, I don’t know what the rest of Duluth people are like nor do I pretend to - so I go by what I know. I know Park Point, Duluth, Minnesota. I know it by heart, soul and body and that will never leave my blood. I have roots – teenage roots in that city and that is mine. Don’t touch it.

I grew up in a quaint water front beach cottage neighborhood called Park Point at the edge of Lake Superior. I grew up skateboarding downtown Duluth. I grew up amongst a backdrop of Jewish-Scandinavians and close familia friends. That’s mine – don’t touch it. Those types of friendships and intimate relationships I’ve held are still strong and upstanding, intelligent and amongst strong citizens which you’ll never know nor are you meant to know because that is confidential and a gift from the Gods. These people know immediately if you’re not from around there and they have each other’s best interest at heart. Careful, Karma works in mysterious ways and the Hindu God is not the Gods that I pray to, but I like the principal of Karma in general. Right.

I grew up on the dunes, planting dune grasses every other summer and tending to the land. Yes, even sand requires care for the land. I take a great deal of interest in what happens to Duluth Minnesota. What, do you think that I’m daft? No, I’m an intelligent, beautiful and calm woman and in private I’m passionate beyond control and I swear like a sailor (only with my husband) and yes, I sometimes hit table tops to accentuate a point in mind – I might even yell. Imagine, that? You’d have to be a close friend of fifteen years or my husband for that matter. I am a woman and I will express myself as I see fit in private company. No, I’m not perfect and I know who has my back so I am myself with those who love me so that they may truly get to know me in this lifetime as I am - nothing more nothing less. I only hope to get to know them beyond loving them to understanding their plights.

I grew up with the nicest kids from Elementary School to private Junior High and High School. They were most genuine and the nicest of kids and still are truly my role models and my contemporaries. I look to them to become a better human and to enhance and contribute to humanity with my very own willingness and without any expectations from my peers. I’m pleasantly surprised daily. My peers are the coolest people I know because they are truly strong folk – intellectually, lifestyle and in contribution to the world at large.

I love Duluth Minnesota because I was adopted to Duluth Minnesota. My home chose, me and I accepted willingly to become a full fledged participating peer to my peers.

I had a life before I was adopted at the age of ten, believe it or not. I had friends who I still know their faces and immediately recognize their scent anywhere in the world. Friends, who were adopted as well. Friends who broke bread with me when there was very little to break. I had a life before Duluth Minnesota and it was a decent life with loving caring friends. I’ve been a lucky woman to have made true and tried lifesaving friendships with others throughout many parts of the world. Only the Gods could predict the type of adventures I realize.

I’ve had my best cries against the backdrop of fifty (correction) mile knot winds. I learned to swim amongst the freezing August waters of Lake Superior. I grew up watching wind surfing, iceboating and cross country skied for miles across the bay into Wisconsin.

I grew up walking out onto Lake Superior’s ice formations and taking pictures of plastered waves in place while snowshoeing for hours on cold still January afternoons. I’ve known intimately the faces of much wildlife from foxes to black bears and rabbits. I’ve seen many a spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I’ve swam out as far as I could and back again feeling the grandiosity of the world in that water. I’ve said my best prayers in those waters as I’ve shivered. I’ve known romance, love and friendship storytelling in the darkness of water and bonfire. I’ve known devastation such as one of my best friends’ who got sexually assaulted in those waters and I cried for her loss and gained perspective as a woman.

I am one of Duluth, Minnesota’s many daughters. That will never change.

I’ve become my own mother, finally.

I nurture the very existence of my peers and myself inside that history of teenage trust. I was trusted by the loveliest people and I would trust them again anywhere I would encounter them throughout the world. That’s how lucky I am. I know their smell all these years later as silly as that may seem.

I write passionately, and if we were ever to meet, then know this; I’ll tell you to your face if you have a booger (Funny! previous spelling “bugger”) hanging from your nostril, or if your skirt is inside your panty hose and if your fly is down. But what I won’t do is harm you. I’m a woman of the world. Direct, purposeful and if I love you then cheers to us and if you’re an acquaintance then you’re a stranger and I’m not going to pretend to love you. I grew up on the East Coast as well. Communication doesn’t work like that out there. Thank the Gods for the lack of pink elephant in the room. Either people are direct or they don’t pretend, otherwise. Why would they? Lovely.

I quietly go about my business and I try not to get noticed too much unless I’m asked a direct question. I get up at five in the morning so by eight at night I just want to be home next to my husband watching something that I don’t have to think too hard about.

I’m making tiny-tiny contributions and I hope that in the end they add up to one large contribution. My life is not all about me. I’m highly politically inclined and I keep up with the world because it’s just that important to do so.

I don’t hate Duluth Minnesota but I do hate this aspect of Duluth Minnesota – I hate Duluth’s poverty, anguish, psychologically handicap homeless and economical debilitation. I know, because I’ve lived a wealthy life and a life of severe poverty in Duluth in one lifetime. I know. So I’m coming to an end of these words because my writing hour is way up and I want to go on to the next portion of my day.

I hate such aspects of Duluth Minnesota that when I’ve travelled through Duluth in the past eight years my car tires have been slashed and I’ve had my car mirrors smashed-in. I hate that in Duluth Minnesota people have thrown food at my hair in a public bar. (That’s why I don’t travel to Duluth very often – maybe once a year or once every three years. People seem to take liberties with me only when I’m alone. I know-I know I’ve waited eight years to write about this and I’m not complaining as a matter of fact I’m not even crying wolf – I’m loved and people have my best interest at heart.)

What have I ever done to you, personally?

Nothing.

If we’ve ever been in any room in the world together then you know this: I’m either quiet or pleasant because it is my duty to be a great citizen and so I practice that. I don’t go around judging you unless you come and knock on my door and tell me how to live – then I’ve got words for you.

I gave up living in Duluth at the age of twenty-seven because I was going to either lose my brain from starvation or I was going to die from it. What more can you expect from a woman trying to make a decent and honest living in the world? Nothing’s been handed to me - everything that I am I’ve worked for and no, you can’t touch that. Step off.

I hate those particular people’s misbehavior who swindled me out of money while I was in my twenties and that sentiment will never change but you’ll never see me throwing anything at anybody’s hair - much less smashing anyone’s car mirrors and slashing car tires. I’m a woman. I’m a lady. If you know me then you know that I’d give my life for the world.

I’m slow at developing because I’m a Tortuga, and ultimately in my thirties I’m becoming an eagle. That’s that. There’s nothing more to it.

I was taught better than that and so I go about.

I hate that I can’t explain to people that I broke one of my one toe sixteen years ago and I can’t balance like I used to on speed skates so I’ve had people who’ve known me well-enough make fun of me in public and called me a “drunkard” at least they’ve done it to my face. What have I ever done to you? Not a single thing and you know it. I hate so many aspects about Duluth Minnesota that I won’t ever write about it because it broke my heart living through it the first time so most likely it’s bound to break yours and if it didn’t then you’d have to go in search of a heart.

I want to grow old and be left peacefully as I travel through Duluth Minnesota to create and in the pursuit for happiness amongst my loved ones, my family and friends. That’s all I ask. I’m not even looking for any type of limelight just a little corner to create and think away about future contributions because what else is there? Right? Right.

I just turned thirty-four and as the Finn-Lutherans have challenged me not to swear in my writing I challenge the adult musicians of Duluth Minnesota to step–up to the plate and mature with me. Let us have a vested interested for the environment, economy and vitality of Duluth with respect, regard for all living organisms and for each other. Who are you? If you think you’re the epicenter of the Universe then I’ve got a serious news flash for you.

I challenge the young adults and middle aged citizen musicians of Duluth to mature and contribute something beyond you and your faces because I didn’t starve for nothing not to see any development. Don’t you want to meet, be inspired and play with other people of the world? I’m surprised by that. Don’t you?

The world got small and if you exclude others from creating and insult them for being different than you are – especially in the arts I can swear to you that you’ll get left behind because there are so many incredible people making incredible contributions across the world and you can’t touch that.

Let us be inclusive in the social physics of public development rather than regress.

As far as social on-line media that’s personal to anyone but in public mind yourself, because people are always watching for you to show the best of what you’ve got – the best of you.

The world needs music to survive, get by on their starvation, destitution and fear. The only way that I got through those difficult three years was because of musica and that was enough to fight to survive a social scene, overworked and underpaid with lousy benefits. Life is this way and so I am captain of this vessel and I’m at the helm navigating and maneuvering as gently as I can. What else is there? And when I get that mad which is once in a decade or two – yes, I spit fire and that is rare and I can only think of a hand full of few who’ve witnessed that. Hey, monkeys throw feces – and - I love, that-they-do-that; I can’t think of anymore clear communication and effective than that. LOL. I’m laughing and I’ve been for years because life is this way. Right? Right.

The art that artists create doesn’t belong to them, but to the world at large and the world is always watching or so I’m learning from my personal peers.

I challenge you to mature with me - I’m getting older so that can only mean one thing - you must be also.

Duluth Minnesota has much to offer so offer it to others other than just yourselves – otherwise, how boring of you, truly.

Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a world stage?

Try writing your thoughts on-line.

The words are here and it’s in ink so it’s meant for you to read while the other 99% I’ll never write about much less talk about.

Much Consideration and Respect otherwise I would not have written it.

Moving on.

Next.

Side Note: THIS IS NOT A PITY PARTY – I’M A GROWN ADULT AND I TAKE CARE OF MY EMOTIONS. I’M GOOD AT THAT AND THE WRITING - WELL, THE WRITING IS WHAT-IT-IS – A TOOL TO CONVEY SOMETHING ABOUT LIFE. “Sometimes, even your closest friends don’t realize what others are going through, so you have to show them in hopes that they’ll learn something about you and your life.” Said my Father and I laughed hard. He laughed with me. What a great man. Thoughtful men create thoughtful women.

Ciao.

Gabriela

Source from Wikipedia

Hinduism

Main article: Karma in Hinduism

Karma in Hinduism is also considered to be a spiritually originated law. Many Hindus see God's direct involvement in this process; others consider the natural laws of causation sufficient to explain the effects of karma. However, followers of Vedanta, the leading extant school of Hinduism today, consider Ishvara, a personal supreme God, as playing a role in the delivery of karma. Theistic schools of Hinduism such as Vedanta thus disagree with the Buddhist and Jain views and other Hindu views that karma is merely a law of cause and effect but rather is also dependent on the will of a personal supreme God. Examples of a personal supreme God include Shiva in Shaivism or Vishnu in Vaishnavism. A good summary of this theistic view of karma is expressed by the following: "God does not make one suffer for no reason nor does He make one happy for no reason. God is very fair and gives you exactly what you deserve.”

Karma is not punishment or retribution but simply an extended expression or consequence of natural acts. Karma means "deed" or "act" and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction that governs all life. The effects experienced are also able to be mitigated by actions and are not necessarily fated. That is to say, a particular action now is not binding to some particular, pre-determined future experience or reaction; it is not a simple, one-to-one correspondence of reward or punishment.

Karma is not fate, for humans act with free will creating their own destiny. According to the Vedas, if one sows goodness, one will reap goodness; if one sows evil, one will reap evil. Karma refers to the totality of our actions and their concomitant reactions in this and previous lives, all of which determines our future. The conquest of karma lies in intelligent action and dispassionate response.

One of the first and most dramatic illustrations of Karma can be found in the Bhagavad Gita. In this poem, Arjuna the protagonist is preparing for battle when he realizes that the enemy consists of members of his own family and decides not to fight. His charioteer, Krishna (an avatar of god), explains to Arjuna the concept of dharma (duty) among other things and makes him see that it is his duty to fight. The whole of the Bhagavad Gita within the Mahabharata, is a dialogue between these two on aspects of life including morality and a host of other philosophical themes. The original Hindu concept of karma was later enhanced by several other movements within the religion, most notably Vedanta, and Tantra.

In this way, so long as the stock of sanchita karma lasts, a part of it continues to be taken out as prarabdha karma for being experienced in one lifetime, leading to the cycle of birth and death. A Jiva cannot attain moksha until the accumulated sanchita karmas are completely exhausted.

Conversion table for knots to miles per hour KTS to MPH 5 Knots = 5.8 MPH

10 Knots = 11.5 MPH

15 Knots = 17.3 MPH

20 Knots = 23.0 MPH

25 Knots = 28.8 MPH

30 Knots = 34.6 MPH

35 Knots = 40.3 MPH

40 Knots = 46.1 MPH

45 Knots = 51.8 MPH

50 Knots = 57.6 MPH

55 Knots = 63.4 MPH

60 Knots = 69.1 MPH

65 Knots = 74.9 MPH

70 Knots = 80.6 MPH

75 Knots = 86.4 MPH

80 Knots = 92.2 MPH

85 Knots = 97.9 MPH

90 Knots = 103.7 MPH

95 Knots = 109.4 MPH

100 Knots = 115.2 MPH

105 Knots = 121.0 MPH

110 Knots = 126.7 MPH

115 Knots = 132.5 MPH

120 Knots = 138.2 MPH

125 Knots = 144.0 MPH

130 Knots = 149.8 MPH

135 Knots = 155.5 MPH

140 Knots = 161.3 MPH

145 Knots = 167.0 MPH

150 Knots = 172.8 MPH

May 20, 2011

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” - Lao Tzu

Happy Friday!

May 19, 2011

“When you really believe in God, it gives you a courage, a confidence that enables you to meet the things coming.” - Della Reese

Happy Thursday!

May 18, 2011

“When we have done our best, we can, as a united people, take whatever may befall with calm courage and confidence that this old nation will survive and if death should come to many of us, death is not the end.” - Eamon de Valera

Happy Wednesday!

May 17, 2011

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” - Norman Vincent Peale

Happy Tuesday!

May 16, 2011

“Confidence... thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Happy Monday!

May 13, 2011

“When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.” - Niccolo Machiavelli

Happy Friday!

May 12, 2011

“People who have given us their complete confidence believe that they have a right to ours. The inference is false, a gift confers no rights.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Happy Thursday!

May 11, 2011

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller

Happy Wednesday!

May 10, 2011

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy Tuesday!

May 9, 2011

“Courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence.” - Aristotle

Happy Monday!

May 6, 2011

“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” - Vince Lombardi

Happy Friday!

May 5, 2011

“Solitude is strength; to depend on the presence of the crowd is weakness. The man who needs a mob to nerve him is much more alone than he imagines.” - Paul Brunton

Happy Thursday!

May 4, 2011

“Let no one think that flexibility and a predisposition to compromise is a sign of weakness or a sell-out.” - Paul Kagame

Happy Wednesday!

May 3, 2011

“I think that maybe that's my weakness, in that I don't know how to do it, so I just do what I do and try to do it as passionately and as well as can.” - Aaron Eckhart

Happy Tuesday!

May 2, 2011

“It is from weakness that people reach for dictators and concentrated government power. Only the strong can be free. And only the productive can be strong.” - Wendell Willkie

Happy Monday!

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