Picture Chalenge #10

Oh this one I thought was easy a picture of the person I do the most ****** up things with!  I thought about putting several people here.  And then it hit me.  I'm normally the instigator in the group.  The one who jumps fences, sneaks into partys and concerts, etc.  LOL I'm the bad egg in the group of my friends.  Thank god I've started to calm down!

Women, Food and God

Hello World,
     I'm a mixed bag on self help books.  Some times they can realy be great and if used as a tool they can help someone change their life or start towards a better tomorow.  Or sometimes their just realy handing books that tell you how to fix your leaky fauceat!  My mother, yes my mother decided I should read the book "Women, Food, & God" by Geneen Roth.  I wasn't sure if I should be insulted at first but I thought I would give it a go.  Basicaly what Geneen is trying to say is that what, how, where you eat says everything about who you are and the relationship you have with yourself.  She has very bassic rules/guidelines for changing that relationship. 

1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car.
3. Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music.
4. Eat what your body wants.
5. Eat until you are satisfied.
6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure.

  I'm still not sure what to make of the book and the rules she set up.  Its simple, deceptivly simple.  I only took about three hours to read the whole book.  I need to read it again before I decide how I feel about it.  There seems to be something to what she is saying.  If it realy is that simple no wonder were not geting it.  People always seem to be complicating things!  I'll keep you updated on this whole read.  Let you know if It works for me or how it goes.
 

Picture Chalenge #9

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.  I know who should go here.  She's been a great friend for years.  I've known here since I was eight.  I don't know what happened but in the last year we just drifted apart.  I don't have the right to put her face on here.  But I think about her and what we did together and shared.  Strange how people grow and change. 

Picture #8

Picture Chalenge #8
A picture that makes me laugh!  Bahhhahahahahaha.  This one allways gets me.  It's so stupid.  I know 4 year old over here.

Picture Chalenge #7

Hello World,
     So this picture is about my most treasured item.  I'm not sure if I realy am that into material posesions?!  Does my dog count?  I own her, but is it a posesion?!  Hmmmm, well I know what items I wouldn't be grabing if I had to run out of my door due to a zombie apocalypse.  It wouldn't be my computer, or my phone, camera, jewlery, or any of those other things.  All right its a tie..  Between my most treasured books and my doggies!  So I will either be running from the zombies loaded down by coppies of Alanna, Ella Enchanted, Lord of the Rings, Hitchickers Guide to the Galaxy, ad Farenheit 451 or dragging my motly band of furry friends Buddha, Bandit, Bino, and Buster out the door.  Got both images are equally rediculose!

Gia is Everywhere!

Hello World,
On my way to work Sunday (Last week... I need to post things faster?!) I was listening to the lovely public radio, NPR.  (Yes the crazy liberal station that wants to corrupt the masses by providing fair and balanced news coverage!)  Since it is a Sunday, the news was a little on the fluffy side, but I thought it had a great idea:  http://www.gaianproject.org/.  The Gian Project is a group of people try to raise awareness about working systems in the earth by creating beauty and inspiring you to conserve the beauty you see.  It’s a really new program and not quite up and running yet, but I thought it could be something amazing. It’s an open share platform that artists can add to and any one can take from!  Oh to be a part of this era.  This project gives me hope!

Just makes you think

If you take out the African American wording and just use America as the point of the article its all encompassing.  I know people like this and wish they could read this and understand it.

Why I Am a Male Feminist

Published on The Root (http://www.theroot.com)

By: Byron Hurt

Posted: March 16, 2011 at 12:24 AM

The word turns off a lot of men (insert snarky comment about man-hating feminazis here) -- and women. But here's why black men should be embracing the "f" word.

When I was a little boy, my mother and father used to argue a lot. Some mornings, I would wake up to the alarming sound of my parents arguing loudly. The disagreement would continue until my father would yell with finality, "That is it! I'm not talking about this anymore!" The dispute would end right there. My mother never got the last word.
My dad's yelling made me shrink in fear; I wanted to do something to make him stop raging against my mother. In those moments, I felt powerless because I was too small to confront my father. I learned early that he had an unfair advantage because of his gender. His size, strength and power intimidated my mother. I never saw my father hit her, but I did witness how injurious his verbal jabs could be when they landed on my mom's psyche.
My father didn't always mistreat my mother, but when he did, I identified with her pain, not his bullying. When he hurt her, he hurt me, too. My mother and I had a special bond. She was funny, smart, loving and beautiful. She was a great listener who made me feel special and important. And whenever the going got tough, she was my rock and my foundation.
One morning, after my father yelled at my mom during an argument, she and I stood in the bathroom together, alone, getting ready for the day ahead of us. The tension in the house was as thick as a cloud of dark smoke. I could tell that my mother was upset. "I love you, Ma, but I just wish that you had a little more spunk when you argue with Daddy," I said, low enough so my father couldn't hear me. She looked at me, rubbed my back and forced a smile.
I so badly wanted my mother to stand up for herself. I didn't understand why she had to submit to him whenever they fought. Who was he to lay down the law in the household? What made him so special?
I grew to resent my father's dominance in the household, even though I loved him as dearly as I loved my mother. His anger and intimidation shut down my mother, sister and me from freely expressing our opinions whenever they didn't sit well with his own. Something about the inequity in their relationship felt unjust to me, but at that young age, I couldn't articulate why.
One day, as we sat at the kitchen table after another of their many spats, my mother told me, "Byron, don't ever treat a woman the way your father treats me." I wish I had listened to her advice.
As I grew older and got into my own relationships with girls and women, I sometimes behaved as I saw my father behave. I, too, became defensive and verbally abusive whenever the girl or woman I was dating criticized or challenged me. I would belittle my girlfriends by scrutinizing their weight or their choices in clothes. In one particular college relationship, I often used my physical size to intimidate my petite girlfriend, standing over her and yelling to get my point across during arguments.

I had internalized what I had seen in my home and was slowly becoming what I had disdained as a young boy. Although my mother attempted to teach me better, I, like a lot of boys and men, felt entitled to mistreat the female gender when it benefited me to do so.
After graduating from college, I needed a job. I learned about a new outreach program that was set to launch. It was called the Mentors in Violence Prevention Project. As a student-athlete, I had done community outreach, and the MVP Project seemed like a good gig until I got a real job in my field: journalism.
Founded by Jackson Katz, the MVP Project was designed to use the status of athletes to make gender violence socially unacceptable. When I met with Katz, I didn't realize that the project was a domestic violence prevention program. Had I known that, I wouldn't have gone in for the job interview.
So when Katz explained that they were looking to hire a man to help institutionalize curricula about preventing gender violence at high schools and colleges around the country, I almost walked out the door. But during my interview, Katz asked me an interesting question. "Byron, how does African-American men's violence against African-American women uplift the African-American community?"
No one had ever asked me that question before. As an African-American man who was deeply concerned about race issues, I had never given much thought about how emotional abuse, battering, sexual assault, street harassment and rape could affect an entire community, just as racism does.
The following day, I attended a workshop about preventing gender violence, facilitated by Katz. There, he posed a question to all of the men in the room: "Men, what things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?"
Not one man, including myself, could quickly answer the question. Finally, one man raised his hand and said, "Nothing." Then Katz asked the women, "What things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?" Nearly all of the women in the room raised their hand. One by one, each woman testified:
"I don't make eye contact with men when I walk down the street," said one.
"I don't put my drink down at parties," said another.
"I use the buddy system when I go to parties."
"I cross the street when I see a group of guys walking in my direction."
"I use my keys as a potential weapon."
"I carry mace or pepper spray."
"I watch what I wear."

The women went on for several minutes, until their side of the blackboard was completely filled with responses. The men's side of the blackboard was blank. I was stunned. I had never heard a group of women say these things before. I thought about all of the women in my life -- including my mother, sister and girlfriend -- and realized that I had a lot to learn about gender.
Days after that workshop, Katz offered me the job as a mentor-training specialist, and I accepted his offer. Although I didn't know much about gender issues from an academic standpoint, I quickly learned on the job. I read books and essays by bell hooks, Patricia Hill Collins, Angela Davis and other feminist writers.
Like most guys, I had bought into the stereotype that all feminists were white, lesbian, unattractive male bashers who hated all men. But after reading the work of these black feminists, I realized that this was far from the truth. After digging into their work, I came to really respect the intelligence, courage and honesty of these women.
Feminists did not hate men. In fact, they loved men. But just as my father had silenced my mother during their arguments to avoid hearing her gripes, men silenced feminists by belittling them in order to dodge hearing the truth about who we are.
I learned that feminists offered an important critique about a male-dominated society that routinely, and globally, treated women like second-class citizens. They spoke the truth, and even though I was a man, their truth spoke to me. Through feminism, I developed a language that helped me better articulate things that I had experienced growing up as a male.
Feminist writings about patriarchy, racism, capitalism and structural sexism resonated with me because I had witnessed firsthand the kind of male dominance they challenged. I saw it as a child in my home and perpetuated it as an adult. Their analysis of male culture and male behavior helped me put my father's patriarchy into a much larger social context, and also helped me understand myself better.
I decided that I loved feminists and embraced feminism. Not only does feminism give woman a voice, but it also clears the way for men to free themselves from the stranglehold of traditional masculinity. When we hurt the women in our lives, we hurt ourselves, and we hurt our community, too.
As I became an adult, my father's behavior toward my mother changed. As he aged he mellowed, and stopped being so argumentative and verbally abusive. My mother grew to assert herself more whenever they disagreed.
It shocked me to hear her get in the last word as my father listened without getting angry. That was quite a reversal. Neither of them would consider themselves to be feminists, but I believe they both learned over time how to be fuller individuals who treated each other with mutual respect. By the time my father died from cancer in 2007, he was proudly sporting the baseball cap around town that I had given him that read, "End Violence Against Women." Who says men can't be feminists?

Photo Challenge day #6

Hello World,

So today was the day I get to pick who I would like to trade places with the most.  The Nerd WON.  But then I coudn't pick one!  J. J. Abrams because everything he is doing is so COOOL!  Maybe not the best stuff ever but he is doing what I want to do!  And George Lucas.  Maybe you are crazy but man would I like to be in charge of your empire!

Picture Challenge #5

Hello World,

Todays picture chalange is of a favorite memory.  I think this one is imposible.  Unless I walk around every where with a camera taking pictures every 5 minutes or so I don't think it would be possible to have a picture of your favorite memory.  This picture goes along the same lines as favorite night.  There are so many memories to pick from!  I don't have any land mark memories in my life yet (geting married, having a kid, etc.)  most of my memories are of me at those events celebrating my friends or being with my friends.  I think some of my best memories are when I'm the moment having fun.  I tend to be very tightly wound and guarded with my emotions and exprsions; so to let go and have fun is rare for me.  THis picture is a very strange moment for me.  For spring break my Roomie, a friend, and I decided to go to STL for spring break and have a concert tour.  (This can realy be a good idea, especialy if timing works out.  Tickets are 50% of what they are in Chi!)  We were at our third concert of the weekend and had been runing around the city, eating, drinking and singing like crazy when we finnaly showed up at the concert for the night.  We were early and meet the bands and had fun meeting them and hanging out.  One band All Time Low does a video series and they were goofing off with us back stage and started filming.  Everyone was dancing and singing/raping.  I was having so much fun.  I think we even made it into their Youtube video.  My Roomie snaped this pic of me.  I look so silly.  But a great memory and one I shall treasure.

LOL I made money off of GOOGLE

Yes thats right, I signed up for add sense and after a month of blogging I made money.  I'm rich!

LOL no I'm not rich.  Its kinda sad...
I made $0.01!
Yeah thats right one whole cent!  --kinda makes you think.

To Luke

Hello World, ( Dear Luke)

So I've been at the whole bloging thing for a little over a month now.  This has been a really fun experiment and it has gotten my creative juices pumping.  The reaction and viewship that I have recieved has been startiling; in a good way.  I wanted to take the time and say thank you to anyone and everyone who is reading. 

That comment aside, it segways into the other point for this post.  My dear friend Luke --yes it is a fake name  --yes you should know who you are!  You, my new and dear friend; have mentioned to me that I need, should and must improve my grammer and spelling.  Well good sir I shall indevor to do so!  I can't look the sloppy fool. If I wish to make this something more, a layer of polish won't hurt a bit.  (That being said, I think the best part about bloging is the level of spontinayity and free expresion.  So to me its not that big of a deal that I don't worry about my spelling/grammer.  Just saying!) So good Luke congratulations I'm taking you up on your offer; you'r hired as my new COPY EDITOR!  Prepare for the mountain of reading! 

Ps. to anyone who care.  All planed post will not be edited,  new ones will be.  (Note this one was not, ROFL!)  So for a while it might be missmatched! 

Picture from sheblogan

Picture Challenge #4

Hello World,
So I'm starting to think that this whole picture chalange thing is going to be harder then I thought.  I have discovered that I am really bad about taking pictures while I'm out having fun!  I think it has to do with the fact that I don't like to stop what I'm doing.  For me stoping to take a picture allmost seems like your puting a hold on the memories of the night.  Or maybe its just becasue I'm so anti pictures of me.  Who knows its probably a conundrom within an enigma! LOL.  As I was sitting think about some of my favorite nights there were a few that stuck out as amazing!  There were a few that were realy fun and memorable.  I could of had pictures of me with bands, concerts, bars, who knows what.  But then I found this little beauty.  I look so crazy!  This is me all dreased up as a wierd sister/rockstar from the Harry Poptter books at the release party called "The Party That Shall Not Be Named" for the final Harry Potter book.  Yes I waited in line till midnight to buy a book.  And I did it with thousands of people.  I was with Sis, Bestest friends, friends, and strangers celebrating these books.  Oh so much fun!!!!  It makes me sad now thinkg about it.  I grew up with HP and now I am looking forward to the close of the HP movies this year.  Joy and sadness together.

Picture Challenge #3

Hello World,

So this chalange was to put up a picture of your favorite TV show.  While I do enjoy watching shows and do follow a few I do not consider myself an avid TV watcher.  But as I sat and thought about it more the one TV show I will watch no matter what is on, or what time it is; is the original Twilight Zone.  This is one of the shows I was introduced to young and very much cemented my love for the sci-fi world.  If you watch it you will see young great stars starting their careers in some of the craziest stories ever!  Plus the stories are so wonderful!!!!  I love the Librbary episode!  If you dismiss this show out of hand becasue it is in B&W or because its not hip and new your really missing out!

Picture Challenge #2

The Person I have been closest with the longest. 

I thought about puting up a friend or buisness partner up here, but when I realy thought about it it had to be my little sis.  She is much younger then me.  In some ways I have been like a mom, sister and a freind to her.  I've introduced her to my likes, loves and dreams and sharred some very entertaining moments with her.  I look at her and all I want for her is the best.  I wish her the best of luck and wish, hope, know that our relationship will be just as strong if not stronger 20 years down the road. (Sis is a little younger in this pic as am I, but I still love it casue this is us together.)

Picture Challenge #1

Hello World,
So I'm going to start going throught this list of picture chalanges.  I thought it would be a fun way for you to get to know me!
1- My name is Racole.  I was named after three days of life while my Mother was playing scrabble while on a morphine drip.  My name is Carol spelled backward with an E stuck on the end.  I however am not french nor is my name french.  It just happens to be a coincedencs that my name is the same as a very obscure french name.  Which is a form of Rachel.  (I think, as I said not french...)
2- I'm an introvert.
3- I don't have a High school diploma or a GED.  I have a college degree only.
4- People thought I was a mom at age 13 becasue of my babby sister being so much younger then me.  Yeah for having a baby seat in your car at 16!!!
5- I'm realy good at faking it and sounding like I know what I'm talking about.  I tend to go with the idea of ask for forgivness later.
6- I'm very old fashioned about relatsionships. I am a femanist but you still have to show me you care.
7- I am very opinionated.  I will tell you what I think, why I think that, and how it makes me feal without micing any words.'
8- I'm the only true liberal in my family.  Politics and religion are very dynamic dinner topics.
9- I growl a whole lot worse then I bite.
10- I'm a nerd!  Anything having to do with nerd life I'm into, interested in, or willing to try. 

I don't photograph very well but this is one of my favorite picws of me.

New Comp at Work

Hello World,
I hate Vista Operating System!

That is all.

Picture from Beyond the Punchline Blog

30 Day Picture chalange... This is going to make me think

Hello World,
I really am allways amazed at the things I find online with facebook and twitter.  Petetions, campaigns, signs of solidarity, support and very interesting and insightful thought process ideas.  While I was not a fan of the wall feed at first that Facebook has develpoed (Cause there are advertisments and no I do not care what score you got at Bejewled!)  It is a really great way to learn about people, events and life.  I saw this in the feed and thought it was interesting.  I don't even think I know this person personaly but I wanted to share. 

30-Day Facebook Challenge
It's an album you make on Facebook called "30 Days." Each day - for the duration of 30 days - you add a new picture to it with a new meaning...




Here's the list of what to upload during the 30 days: 

1. A picture of yourself with 10 facts
2. A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
3. A picture of the cast from your favorite show
4. A picture of your favorite night
5. A picture of your favorite memory
6. A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
7. A picture of your most treasured item
8. A picture that makes you laugh
9. A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
10. A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
11. A picture of something you hate
12. A picture of something you love
13. A picture of your favorite band or artist
14. A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
15. A picture of something you want to do before you die
16. A picture of someone who inspires you
17. A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
18. A picture of your biggest insecurity
19. A picture and a letter
20. A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
21. A picture of something you wish you could forget
22. A picture of something you wish you were better at
23. A picture of your favorite book
24. A picture of something you wish you could change
25. A picture of your favorite day
26. A picture of something that means a lot to you
27. A picture of yourself and a family member
28. A picture of something you're afraid of
29. A picture that can always make you smile
30. A picture of someone you miss.

 I going to do this for the blog and FB.  It might take me longer then 30 days...  But I will do it.  Just reading the list makes me think. 

Birthday

So today I become one year older.  I'm not old yet.  I'm very much young.  It's just interesting that we watch, count, measure the passing of time.  Its an odd celebration in many respects.  "Congratulation!  You didn't die this year!"  Its sort of a morrbid holiday wraped up in tinsel, crepe paper, and frosting.  To me its just another day that I mentally think about.  Counting down the things I did, want to do, and whish I had the guts to do.  Perhaps this year I'll take the time on my birthday to write down my goals again and re-prioritse (sp?) my life.  Of course so much of my life is planned?...  No celebration for me today.  Work all day then the show.  Glad I took the time to go out with friends this weekend.  Perhaps I'll share what I'm going to aim for this year... Maybe...  Untill then Happy Birthday to me and a verry merry un birthday to you!

Stupid fake news!

Do people think this is real?!
Hello World,
So I logged into my email acount this morning and started looking throught the news on Yahoo.com.  There was an article in the news about how to sleep better.  As some one who has a hard time falling asleep and does suffer from insomina at times; I thought great I'll click on this and see if its worth my time.  Well it wasn't!  Not that this is new in anyway, but I really hate when advertisments hide in plain sight as news articles.  Disapointing, and I worry for how many people fall for these tricks.
People need to learn to read between the fine lines!!  Grumble.....

Unhinged

I feel adrift today... as if some small pin deep within the mechanism of the spirit has come out.  And oh so slowly the gears are beginning to slip.  Each moment the organism slows and becomes more unsteady as it grounds to a halt.  Perhaps I should go find a coo-coo clock maker and ask them to fix me?  sigh...