Category Archives: All Posts

Jun9

Thoughtful Thursdays #6

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I saw a lightening bug as I was walking to my class this morning at about 8:30 am. That’s unusual because lightening bugs usually come out in the evening on hot August nights, not in June. The reason why I am mentioning this is it reminded me of the cemetery. Not because  I am into ghosts, the dead, vampires or Dracula but because the cemetery is a sanctuary for wild life. I live across the street from an old 1700’s cemetery with a lot of history and wild life. The wild life has rabbits, cats, countless birds and raccoons,opossums all kinds of bugs,birds, butterflies, worms and beetles. I haven’t seen them but I have heard there are even lizards. Well, maybe that’s not true because here in NYC they wouldn’t survive the weather.

Nature has a way of always righting itself. In the past city officials decided to spray for West Nile bugs. When that happens all the butterflies and lightening bugs disappear for the season. Since the area was not sprayed again the next season the butterflies and lightening bugs returned with a vengeance. One night last August the cemetery was lit up like a bright summer morning by the fireflies. The entire neighborhood came out and people stopped in their cars to watch.

There were hundreds and hundreds of them happy to have returned to live in a popular spot. Blinking and swimming in the air, floating their fat bodies in the humidity and clinging to anyone or anything that got in their flight path. My dog snapped to catch one and I stood there in awe and amazement. I had six in my hair and my dog had four on his fur. It  made me so happy to see them alive again in my neighborhood.  Watching the lightening bugs ebb and flow from season to season was inspiring. Even though the area was  infected with poison for bug control nature re-calibrated itself to wholeness again. Like magic the ground was made meticulous for the new crop of lightening bugs. Nature was back to normal to keep the fireflies alive and the other creatures too.

This brings me to the following conclusion: Nature always rights itself with us too. If a catastrophe happens, the upheaval leaves us rearranged for a while. What happens next is the same as the lightening bugs. We pick up where we left off stronger that before.

Happy lightening bug hunting.

Jun2

Thoughtful Thursdays #5

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You caught me on an interesting day. My middle daughter just graduated college and I am very proud of her. Kudos to my daughter, she worked very hard to get her biology degree. I don’t want to take anything away from her, we had a great day at the graduation ceremony.   BUT …

I also go to college to finish my fine art degree. I just got my grades for four classes. I got three A’s and one C. The C was in printing class. I went to every class. I made 15 plates and printed many of those plates. I missed 2 classes and there were no other grades during the semester. I am challenging the grade and we will see what happens. I have never had to challenge a grade. I think that if the teacher had a problem with my work he should have said something during the semester. But we got along really well, I learned a lot and had fun. So where was the problem? I don’t feel I should turn the other cheek or let it go because I am perplexed why he gave me this grade.

Here’s my point: I think it’s BS to forgive those who woefully hurt you because of their own invisible agenda. People express their own crazy subconscious on those who are innocent or remind them of their own problems or perhaps they just like to hurt and misuse their power especially in a school setting. In college, professors are hired for their knowledge not for their ability to teach. That’s too bad because even professors need people skills.

I am challenging the grade and I will state my case honestly in spite of a dishonest grade. Until next time.

Update: I got an “A”
 

 

 

 

May26

Thoughtful Thursdays #4

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“Take sorrow from no one and give sorrow to no one.”

I met a young woman recently that does not like hanging around with women.  How true. Women can be catty, judgmental and down right untrustworthy. How sad for us.

Here’s the secret to why women behave that way. Because that’s how they compete. When a woman, could even be your mother, puts another woman down she is just plain insecure and probably threatened because she is a very unhappy person. Any put down from another woman is a reflection on her not on the victim.  Is this behavior learned or are women generally beastly? I suspect it is more learned than biological.

Here is your mantra for today. “Take sorrow from no one and give sorrow to no one”.  The next time a woman has a put down for you take it as a compliment. She’s saying, “I want to be just like you”. Put your head up and be proud that you have that much power over someone else and your environment. Don’t absorb anything negative from anyone no matter who it is. Step back and observe the reaction of the other person when you don’t react. The junk they spit out on you just went back to them. Bravo for you.

May19

Thoughtful Thursdays #3

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Thoughtful Thursdays #3

Think about all the strange actions you have committed and have no explanation for. Why did I over react to a particular situation? Why did I risk embarrassing my self? Why did I lose my confidence? Why did I mouth off?

Because most actions we do as humans is below our consciousness. Really the only way to circumvent these actions is to pay attention to what your behavior is. It is enlightening to know your true motives. But with that knowledge you have the power to change.

Change is the hard part. However, in some cases it is so obvious what needs to be changed that doing so is easy. When change is hard it indicates a number of things, Perhaps your not willing to change the situation at the moment. Maybe you don’t know how. Maybe your are afraid, complacent, naïve, oblivious, sadistic, masochistic, don’t really care, happy being unhappy, don’t know any better, etc, etc, etc.

Ask yourself
Is THAT The Best You Can DO?

Apr11

Hello world!

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Here’s my first post ever. It’s about conformity.

If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.
– Thomas J. Watson

With the tanked economy people are scared. No one wants to lose his or her job or change or adjust like a leaf in the wind to the uncertainty of the economy. Colleges are aware of this phenomenon just like every other people to people business. Their acknowledgement of this is in a new form of exploitation and censorship of the student.  In colleges there is no longer room for the freedom of expression. Just go to any administrative office or teacher and confide that you need help and guidance. The response will be the same as if you went to Home Depot. “Let me help you to aisle 7, you’ll fit right here in this nail bin”. The employees in colleges are being trained just like everyone else to conform. The economic environment shouts that you will lose your job if you do not memorize this script we have given you and tell it to everyone that comes to this office. The ulterior motive is to get the student to take the requirements and get them out ASAP. And the script requires that the employees of the colleges to smile as they misdirect the student, have no feelings, be stoic, there is no rooms for thinking, just conform or we will find someone who will.

 

This dilemma is truly frightening. Colleges are employing robots and dolling out robots to do the work of the invisible economy monster.  This monster stays invisible so it cannot be challenged. What a coward. Working behind the scenes so it can’t be seen in the light of truth. The message to college students is to find the bin you fit in and stay there even if it’s wrong. What happened to the time when colleges where a place for the freedom to figure out where you wanted to be and live up to personal potential then go on to enhance the world at large?

 

These are fear tactics used by college institutions to squash individual freedom and creativity. Or are college’s victims of the economy monster too? (Bastards) Perhaps colleges are just as scared of folding as any other business.  Colleges are the first line of defense in creating competent workers. Maybe colleges have no choice either. It’s likely the funding bullies of the government shaking their fingers at colleges saying if you don’t train the students in the way we want there will be no funding. How sad for us.

 

In light of this we as students are kept in the dark so we won’t revolt against the status quo. Students are not allowed to ask questions without getting a generic answers. To reiterate what Thomas J. Watson has stated in the last sentence of this quote “A man flattened by conformity stays down for good” is a perfect warning against colleges conforming to threats of no funding and the harassment of fear.

 

Will it take students paying their entire tuition directly out of pocket or increased tuition costs for the chance to express themselves in a safe college environment? Or is this the end of innovative thinking that emerges from safe colleges? Are students being knocked down and defeated? In my opinion there are still some who are see through this veil of deception (like me). Those few will quietly navigate and circumvent the status quo. It may take getting knocked down and rising again many times but from here freedom will win.