Art Home New Orleans

On my ride home tonight, I passed a home that caught my eye. Cinderblock statues, metal monoliths, and a creepy fish in the corner really drew me in. On the front gate of the house was an Art Home New Orleans sign. Researching the house when I got home, I was so struck by the idea of encouraging living museums.  The two weekend event encouraged the community to come out and explore the diverse taste and style of the New Orleans creative class. Its appreciation for appreciation sake, the real time homage to collection and arrangement.

Decade's End

As any sagittarian could identify with, everything is pretty literal in my life. The last day of my twenties, one day before a new, fresh start to a decade, I came slamming to the end of my twenties. I peaked past the edge and thought it was clear. The girl skidded to a stop and if she had reacted maybe a split second sooner there would have been no impact at all. But there was impact. A crash just like the robotic toy crash sequence orchestrated with friends a few months earlier. I wept in my mother's lap after. I made it through.

After the accident, no one hurt, insurance to deal with, tickets to deal with, the anxiety set in.  I haven't had to do this before so paranoia seemed to be the most obvious reaction at the time. Debt. Law suit. Accident. Too hard.

But not after too long, I remembered that I saw my horoscope in the Times Picayune saying that I would be dealing with something that would affect my wallet. And I laughed, because I realized that I am supposed to learn something from this, because most importantly this happened on the last day as a 29 year old woman.

I breathed. I prayed. I surrendered. The lesson I learned is that stress is going to take the forms of so many different things, everything is going to always feel like its happening all at once, and the important thing to remember is to not take that out on anyone else.  The lesson I learned is that exploration of the self, breathing, being present are the practices of everyday life that give strength to us in times of stress like fender benders, insurance claims and traffic tickets. It just makes me smile though, the thought of going out with a bang.  Symbolically, I'm taking this opportunity to surrender the hysterical sense of humor of the universe.

I did it! I survived!

Solar Wind Disappearing

11 years ago on December 13, 1999, NASA released a report about a, roughly, two day span in May 1999 that there was no solar wind detected by earth. The solar winds decreased to such a point making it possible for scientists to observe and study actual electrons flowing to the earth from the sun's corona. So the scientists think they were getting the electrons to the similar state that they are on the surface of the sun.Actual electrons from the Sun, not diffused, not banged around in transit, even better than the real thing! The study goes on to describe an incident that they think is correlated, calling it a polar rain event that affected the North Pole with a steady glow of an aurora on May 11. This is extremely atypical for the time of year in the North Pole because the decreased amount of energetic electrons typically do not allow for the aurora effect. The lack of solar wind allowed for so many electrons to enter the earth's magnetosphere that the electric magnetic field of the earth's swelled to 6 times its usual size. 

"Normally, our view of the corona from Earth is like seeing the Sun on an overcast, cloudy day," said Dr. Jack Scudder, space physicist from the University of Iowa and principal investigator for the Hot Plasma Analyzer on NASA's Polar spacecraft. "On May 11, the clouds broke and we could see clearly."

Quote seen at the Chateau Bourbon

Letter to Senator Vitter

I got an E-update from Senator Vitter today and I really can't stand some of the issues he takes up. He is a dishonest, slime ball in my opinion. But he really believes in what he's doing so I have to respect that. Anyway, periodically I respond to his updates and this is my most recent retort:


Dear Sr Vitter,

I am writing in strong opposition to two of your viewpoints listed below. As a voting tax payer in Orleans Parish, I think that the DREAM Act and all that it stands for is in the truest intention for fulfillment of the American DREAM for all immigrants that have come to this country. I am appalled that this Act would cause any partisan splits. Immigrants educating themselves and/or serving in the armed forces intend to stay in the United States, not to get an education and split, they want to fulfill their American dream and BECOME VIABLE TAXPAYERS to pay for our ever escalating military budget and other exigencies. Maybe if we didn't have to fund a regressive military effort, maybe if we became a country of producers rather than consumers, maybe if our focus would shift from arrogantly maintaining world superpower status to making certain we aren't rotting from within, we wouldn't need MORE TAXPAYERS but in this point in history I would think a Republican elected official would see the value of substantiating our coffers with as large a tax base as possible. STOP BEING SHORTSIGHTED and BECOME A TRUE LEADER THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF.

My final point is with regards to your position on US involvement in international bailouts. Completely agree with you there. However, as you put it the US has the largest stake in the IMF, therefore the most pull in the policies and regulations administered from that source.  Stating that the reckless budgetary trends are bringing countries into debt, it would be prudent to investigate what trade policies, international financing maleficences and other WTO/IMF/World Bank restrictions brought on this 'reckless' behavior. And further more, I do not think it wise for the USA to start throwing debt rocks through our glass house. We are at another critical point, with Republican leadership balking at excessive spending or any kind of spending, it will be telling to see how our debt calculations are going to play in DoD and DHS funding. In my opinion, its clear that we are also exhibiting reckless budgetary trends.

Please start looking at the big picture, we can't really afford anything less.

Regards,

Bluebird

Jellyfishing

 Six month painting project is complete!

Jellyfish, Power Animal, Symbol of Acceptance and Faith

By Ina Woolcott 

The transparency of the jellyfish teaches the inner source within each
of us. We have an enormous amount of power within us to draw upon. We
can turn on the light even in the depths of darkness through the
wisdom of the jellyfish. It often shows up just when you believe there is
no hope left.

It offers a spark to energize and
illuminate. Powerful!

***************************************************************

Jellyfish's medicine includes - sensitivity to water energy
(emotions), understanding of the value of floating rather than
swimming through trying emotional times, proper use of softness (not
being rigid), ability to become untangled from the webs of peril in
life, acceptance and faith.
Jellyfish hold acceptance and faith, knowing and trusting that All
That Is will provide the necessary for them to survive.

These are the only creatures that rely on movement for the sustenance
of their lives - they have almost no ability to move on their own,
depending oceans currents and the directions of the wind to move it on
the way that it must go.

As they move in harmony with the currents of life, they show to us how
to flow with the natural forces of Mother Earth. There are some
ancient healers who hold the belief that the tapestry of true
spiritual knowledge is held within the transparent form of the
jellyfish.
If this is your power animal, maintaining balance in all areas of your
life is an important lesson for you to learn. When the jellyfish swims
into your life, ask yourself if you are flowing with life in a
balanced manner or whether you are wasting too much time drifting
aimlessly and not enough time actively crossing the currents and
heading toward your goals. Watch yourself attentively and study the
jellyfish, then balance can be achieved.

Military ramblings

With all the recent buzz about DADT, a sampling of marines were surveyed as to whether there would be an issue with openly gay active duty soldiers within their ranks.  I am offended that a survey like this was even administered. What if that survey, instead, questioned whether there would be an issue with openly Italian active duty soldiers, or Jewish, or whatever. Imagine don’t ask don’t tell was about religion instead of sexuality. But now that I say that out loud it doesn’t seem like we’re heading too far from that anyway. According to the survey, the majority of marines reported that having openly gay soldiers in their ranks would affect morale and would be negative overall for the force. Is it reasonable to think that because we are willing to question the legitimacy of gays in the military that we will soon be questioning the legitimacy of Muslims and those that practice Islam in the military?

There is something so arbitrary about excluding people from military service based on specific non-physical attributes.  My theory is if people willingly submit themselves to such a lifestyle, willingly strip their physical identities – hair and clothes -  for the uniformity of soldier solidarity, and willingly take oaths of fidelity and integrity to the cause of furthering the American agenda, then it doesn’t really matter what color, race, creed, ethnicity or sexual orientation this military force is comprised.  They’re all given the mission to hold the course of our American world superpower epoch.  And at this point, with massive rifts looming over the path forward for domestic governance, WikiLeaks airing out dirty foreign policy laundry, and economy-destabilizing wars in progress, I think those who hold strong to the notion that American colors don’t run should also want to fortify our military coffers with as many able bodied persons as possible.