Working on my writing. My novel-writing Muse has finally returned, and I have plenty of immersion in the 1930s and 1940s ahead of me.

FDR's Second Bill of Rights rocks my world.

Michael Moore rocks my world, even when he acts like a complete weirdo. Perhaps especially when he acts like a complete weirdo. I'm tempted to get myself some yellow "Crime Scene" tape and ponder where I would like to see it applied.

Spring has finally come to Minnesota, and I have some extra pounds to shed. Been doing yoga over the winter, and now that there is no more ice to pick my way around on the sidewalks, I have begun to take nice brisk walks again.

I have begun a new blog: Inward Focus. So far it only has a couple of entries, but there's no hurry. The purpose is to provide material worth reading and reflecting upon, food for thought, not mindless fast food that bypasses my brain and goes directly to the fingers. ;-) Subscribe to it on your RSS feed and you'll be updated whenever I post. Happy reading.

This is one of the most brilliant interpretations of "Dove sono" I've ever seen, if, perhaps, not heard. ;-) Freakin' hilarious.



Dove sono: The drunken frat-boy edition

And yes, I wish I owned my own home so I could paint it in bright colors as this man has done with his own.

And a Holly Jolly Christmas to one and all!



Yes, we all know that the historical Jesus wasn't born on December 25th. And yes, we all know that many, many cultural festivals at Winter Solstice preceded Christmas. And it may even be that there never was a "historical Jesus;" some scholars posit that the whole Jesus story was based upon similar "dying and rising sun/savior" myths. I doubt anyone will ever be able to establish the historical truth definitively, one way or the other.

But no matter: Whether or not a first-century rabbi named Yeshua/Yehoshua was the real-life basis for the myths and religions that were eventually created around him, the important point of the Divine Child myth is to remember that Divinity is not some abstraction Out There. Rather, the Divine is embodied in human flesh, in each and every one of us.

Yes, that's not always easy to see--especially if you work with the public. ;-) (Or take a good look in the mirror.) Nevertheless, the Divine Spark dwells within each of us. This life, this world is sacred. We are sacred. Blessed Be.

And this, the fourth day after the Solstice, marks the beginning of the waxing of days. Let us celebrate once again the Return of the Light!

An interesting question posted to the introverts community: "Introversion and work: What valuable qualities do you have that are related to introversion?"

It's a subject I've given much thought to recently, mainly in the context of frustration when I perceive that "extrovert" values of speed and accomplishment are being valued more than "introvert" values of doing things at a slower, more focused pace and doing them thoroughly.

Here is the response I posted.



Introversion and work: What valuable qualities do you have that are related to introversion?


Mindfulness.

I work as a (usually overnight) customer service manager and cashier at a large grocery store. The most important quality I bring to the job, in contrast with the extroverts I work with, is that I bring a slower, more mindful pace to the work. The extroverts tend to run around like squirrels on amphetamines, hustle-bustle, hurry-hurry. I (true to the "typical" introvert) don't move as quickly, but I tend to be more focused on whatever it is I am doing.

In people interactions, I try to have a real human interaction with each customer, according to each individual's style. That means respecting the one who doesn't want conversation, as well as respecting the one who wants to treat me like the proverbial sympathetic bartender and unload some concern on her or his mind, as well as the vast majority who simply would like a bit of friendly chat and to be treated as if I see them as human beings, not merely as dollar signs to be "processed" quickly and efficiently.

Introverts also tend to shine in not only tolerating but thriving in the quieter, more focused atmosphere of the night shift. I've learned to adapt and work other shifts, but unlike many of my more extroverted peers, I never get "bored" working the overnights.

It wasn't a lot, and most of it melted in the daylight, but here in Minneapolis we had our first snowfall in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday. And more snow flurries are predicted for later tonight, into tomorrow. Happy Monday to all the commuters who, true to form, will likely behave as if they've never driven in snow before. ;-)



SNOW!

This was certainly pleasant news to greet me at the start of a new day.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

What a refreshing contrast from the previous occupant of the White House. I wish he'd get us out of the quagmire in Iraq and Afghanistan, like immediately if not sooner, even as I know that that is not necessarily a practical desire, but even so, it's been plain that Obama is a lot more oriented towards diplomacy than his predecessor was. As I've said before, I don't expect him to be perfect; it's enough for me that he's pointing in the right direction.

Shortly after getting back home from the hospital, I discovered that a single had been released as a sneak preview of Susan Boyle's upcoming album. It's "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones, but this version totally transforms the song into something utterly ethereal, haunting, and heart-rending. I will warn you, if you hit "play," you may find yourself doing so over and over again. Susan's voice is not only beautiful, but compelling; truly, this woman has a Gift with a capital "G."

Enough blather. Here's the song:



And here's the link, in case the embedding "acts up" and you can't access it that way:

Wild Horses - Susan Boyle

Thanks to everyone for your good wishes regarding my health. I'm definitely on the mend, now, and working on regaining my strength and stamina so I'll be ready to return to work in mid-October. I work a physically demanding job, on my feet, so I have to actually have some kind of physical condition again in order to return. If I worked a desk job on my butt, I'd probably be back by now. ;-)

I still remember vividly when I found out that terrorists had hijacked planes and brought the World Trade Center down. My first thought: IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED.

See, here in America we'd had this comforting cultural myth that America Is Special. Bad things like foreign terrorist attacks aren't supposed to happen to America. They're supposed to stay comfortably confined to Far-Away Countries, especially countries Very Different From Ours so they Really Don't Count, anyway.

Add to that how the Former Resident of the White House had been engaging in a lot of jingoistic America Thumbs Its Nose At The Rest of the World posturing (e.g., regarding the Kyoto Accord) and no, I can't say that a foreign attack on America came as a surprise, only as a shock.

But my shock over the attacks themselves was nothing compared to my shock over the national response to the attacks. In the initial aftermath, people around the world were joining together in solidarity and sympathy with the U.S., lighting candles and holding vigils and prayers for peace and healing. And I thought, finally, finally, Bush will see the light, get off the America Stands Above The World high horse, and will see that we have to take our place--as sisters and brothers, not as superiors or rulers--among the global community.

Instead, we got renewed jingoism and a revival of the cheapest, shallowest "patriotism": US vs. Them. Wave the flag, ignore the fact that eagles do not have tear ducts, and Get Mad As Hell Against Them Towel-Headed Furriners. Bomb 'em back into the Stone Age. Support the war; it's your patriotic duty. And the myth of Manifest Destiny reared its ugly head and proved it was Not Dead Yet.

It was a very lonely place to be, back in the fall of 2001, for those of us who were much more deeply wounded by the national(istic) response to the attacks than by the attacks themselves. And not because the attacks themselves didn't leave scars, because of course they did. Innocent people were attacked and killed so a handful of people could make a political statement.

But remember, 9-11 didn't only happen to Americans.

We don't need more entrenching behind our fortress walls. We need to start seeing our shared humanity, not what flags we are waving.

And, so, I present to you the song I think of as the 9-11 song--not in the least because it was banned from American airwaves (at least on some stations) in the aftermath of the attacks. Play it, meditate on it, pray for peace. May it be so.

IMAGINE...






Peace.

From the same Canadian guitarist who recorded the video I posted on Canada Day, here's a tribute to his American friends:




One of the things I've noticed for a long time, now, is how the lyrics to so many national anthems have militaristic themes. Is it really necessary to perpetuate the cultural meme that MILITARISM = FREEDOM? Isn't there more to my country, or to anyone else's country, than the fact that they have gone to war? Do we really want to celebrate war and militarism, first and foremost? Can't my pride in my country have to do with appreciating its culture and people and landscapes and other good stuffs? As long as we continue to mythologize war and militarism as "the price of freedom," will we ever be motivated to conceptualize a NON-militaristic way to create freedom and the other good stuffs of life?

In short, I want to celebrate my country without celebrating militarism.

Yes, my country--probably all countries--was founded with militarism, but it was also founded with slavery and indentured servitude and the establishment of only land-owning white males as citizens. And I don't want to celebrate those things, either.

On the positive side, my national anthem started out as a drinking song. ;-) Maybe we could revive the old lyrics and sing those, instead, for our revelries. Certainly the conflation of modern July 4th celebrations with drinking isn't far from the mark.

(ETA: Here are the original lyrics to said drinking tune. They sound rather Midsummer-ish, if you ask me. ;-))

Meanwhile, the really important thing about today is: MY SON WILL BE HOME!!!

My Son, a.k.a. The One True Coconut, will be flying into Minneapolis this afternoon for a week's visit. I'm looking forward to spending the 4th with him, and to seeing him at least a time or two more during the week. Our plans, as of this writing, are to get together with my youngest sister and Spammy (and maybe a few others) and go hang out at Powderhorn Park for our picnic and then watch the fireworks as soon as the sun sets. At any rate, we'll be hanging out somewhere eating food and watching fireworks.

Happy Fourth of July to my fellow Americans, and happy weekend to all the rest of you!

Today is Canada Day. This was brought to my attention on a Susan Boyle discussion board. No, Susan Boyle is not Canadian, but the fan who posted Canada Day greetings on that board is. She posted a video, which led me to YouTube and lots of click-throughs on different versions of "O Canada," the Canadian national anthem. O YouTube, great waster of my time...

As I was listening to all of those renditions of "O Canada," it struck me: I've lived all my life within a day's drive of our neighboring country to the north, and I know next to nothing about that country. A few random factoids and pop cultural trivia bits, sure. I've even been to Canada a few times, briefly. But what do I really know about Canada? About its culture, its history, its people, about what it means to BE Canadian?

Oh, hell, I'm still working on what it means to be American.

Anyway, it got me to thinking what a damned shame it is that Americans are so insular that we can't be bothered to incorporate in-depth study of at least the two countries that share the same continent with us into our basic education. Am I seeking greater depth and wisdom and growth in International Understanding, or am I just looking for an excuse for an extended road trip?

Because, folks, whatever else Canada may be, it is definitely scenic.

So to any Canadians who happen upon this page, Happy Canada Day.



Eh. ;-)