Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Misadventure
This morning's yahoo music headlines: "Amy Winehouse (singer extraordinaire) died from misadventure, or drinking too much alcohol"
...not a drug overdose, as was assumed.
"The report stated that Amy died of "misadventure," since she voluntarily put the liquor into her system. "The unintended consequence of such potentially fatal levels (of alcohol) was her sudden and unexpected death," the coroner wrote."
(original post by Daniel Kreps in Amplifier)
When I think of misadventure, I think of "adventurer's" like Aron Ralston, who fell into a canyon and had to cut his own arm off to escape death. A climber. An outdoorsman challenged by his chase of the world, caught up by the teeth of earth, and able to survive by sawing off his own arm minute by minute, second by second...127 hours of (Mis)Adventure.
Since when is an alcohol or drug overdose classified as misadventure? Amy Winehouse was an alcoholic. Not an adventurer. She was addicted to alcohol, pills, recreational drugs and challenged only by life itself, and maybe her talent. Her extreme and vivacious talent.
The other irony of the coroner's statement was the separation in definition of misadventure, as opposed to usual reports of drug overdose by celebrities, and those lucky enough to have their name in the paper when they overdose on recreation or prescription drugs.
Here is the reality:
Alcohol is a drug.
(link)
Alcohol is one of the most widely used drug substances in the world. Alcohol use and binge drinking among our nation’s youth is a major public health problem:
BAM! Are we calling this adventure?
and why?
Because it's legal...which only means we can tax it.
Now marijauna is legal in some states, why? Because we can tax it.
Maybe tomorrow, heroin, or ecstasy...and then we can all be adventurer's.
...not a drug overdose, as was assumed.
"The report stated that Amy died of "misadventure," since she voluntarily put the liquor into her system. "The unintended consequence of such potentially fatal levels (of alcohol) was her sudden and unexpected death," the coroner wrote."
(original post by Daniel Kreps in Amplifier)
When I think of misadventure, I think of "adventurer's" like Aron Ralston, who fell into a canyon and had to cut his own arm off to escape death. A climber. An outdoorsman challenged by his chase of the world, caught up by the teeth of earth, and able to survive by sawing off his own arm minute by minute, second by second...127 hours of (Mis)Adventure.
Since when is an alcohol or drug overdose classified as misadventure? Amy Winehouse was an alcoholic. Not an adventurer. She was addicted to alcohol, pills, recreational drugs and challenged only by life itself, and maybe her talent. Her extreme and vivacious talent.
The other irony of the coroner's statement was the separation in definition of misadventure, as opposed to usual reports of drug overdose by celebrities, and those lucky enough to have their name in the paper when they overdose on recreation or prescription drugs.
Here is the reality:
Alcohol is a drug.
(link)
Alcohol is one of the most widely used drug substances in the world. Alcohol use and binge drinking among our nation’s youth is a major public health problem:
- Alcohol is used by more young people in the United States than tobacco or illicit drugs.1
- Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with approximately 75,000 deaths per year.2
- Alcohol is a factor in approximately 41% of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes.3
- Among youth, the use of alcohol and other drugs has been linked to unintentional injuries, physical fights, academic and occupational problems, and illegal behavior.4
- Long-term alcohol misuse is associated with liver disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological damage as well as psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial personality disorder.5
- Drug use contributes directly and indirectly to the HIV epidemic, and alcohol and drug use contribute markedly to infant morbidity and mortality.5
BAM! Are we calling this adventure?
and why?
Because it's legal...which only means we can tax it.
Now marijauna is legal in some states, why? Because we can tax it.
Maybe tomorrow, heroin, or ecstasy...and then we can all be adventurer's.
Amy Winehouse was best known for her hit Rehab, but the following is actually my favorite Winehouse remix, and here's to you Amy, and here's to Misadventure.
"you cheated yourself, but these are the breaks"~ Ghostface Killah
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The little one's
I just watched this really sad film, My Sister's Keeper. The premise is a little girl who is being asked to give up a kidney for her dying sister who takes the case to court to maintain control of her own body, in the end because her dying sister has asked her to do this for her.
I was reminded of a conversation I had with my son last week. We were talking about middle school and life, and all the important things kids want to talk about, in the car on the way home from school.
Saunders was expressing how in 30 years he would be 40 years old and how he would be driving me around instead of me driving him around...and I stopped him and told him that he would have his own family, and a job, and his own car. That "we" would not be living together. Then it occurred to him that if he was 40 years old, I would be in my 70's. I laughed and said, I may be 73, I may be dead, you never know.
He said, "Mom, you won't be dead. You always be here", and I responded, "you never know, I could get hit by a car, or get a disease, and may not live 30 or 40 more years.
If there is one thing in the cycle of life that we know for sure, we are all going to die".
He was so sweet, and said, "you'll be around a long time Mommy".
And I hope I am...to see this smiley little sugar face.
I was reminded of a conversation I had with my son last week. We were talking about middle school and life, and all the important things kids want to talk about, in the car on the way home from school.
 |
| life is easy when you're 10 |
Saunders was expressing how in 30 years he would be 40 years old and how he would be driving me around instead of me driving him around...and I stopped him and told him that he would have his own family, and a job, and his own car. That "we" would not be living together. Then it occurred to him that if he was 40 years old, I would be in my 70's. I laughed and said, I may be 73, I may be dead, you never know.
He said, "Mom, you won't be dead. You always be here", and I responded, "you never know, I could get hit by a car, or get a disease, and may not live 30 or 40 more years.
If there is one thing in the cycle of life that we know for sure, we are all going to die".
He was so sweet, and said, "you'll be around a long time Mommy".
And I hope I am...to see this smiley little sugar face.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Video Blog #1: On the subject of Women's Magazines and the downfall of our self esteem
This is my 1st Vlog. So, bear with me.
I havent figured out how to run the video - full length...tidbits between writing...etc, the platform of video is new to me, so if these 1st few are awkward, give me a little slack.
Take 1:
What I did not get to in the video, was how detrimental it is to constantly be told we aren't thin enough, aren't pretty enough, aren't sexy enough, etc etc etc...
We are all unique and should not be compared to one another in the first place. We are all beautiful. Every smile. Every tooth. Every wrinkle. Every round bottom.
In conjunction with that, I am sick of reading about how some tired assed man didn't treat you right.
Here are some tips Shape Magazine did not share:
Get over it!
He's just a guy.
There are a billion other one's.
If you think you are fantastic, someone else will too.
If your friends havent told you this week how fabulous you are - get new friends.
Surround yourself with positive people who support you;
Not people who are trying to change how you look, how you dress, how you smile and take it like a man.
Surround yourself with love and you will get love, as you give it.
Happy Tuesday.
I havent figured out how to run the video - full length...tidbits between writing...etc, the platform of video is new to me, so if these 1st few are awkward, give me a little slack.
Take 1:
What I did not get to in the video, was how detrimental it is to constantly be told we aren't thin enough, aren't pretty enough, aren't sexy enough, etc etc etc...
We are all unique and should not be compared to one another in the first place. We are all beautiful. Every smile. Every tooth. Every wrinkle. Every round bottom.
In conjunction with that, I am sick of reading about how some tired assed man didn't treat you right.
Here are some tips Shape Magazine did not share:
Get over it!
He's just a guy.
There are a billion other one's.
If you think you are fantastic, someone else will too.
If your friends havent told you this week how fabulous you are - get new friends.
Surround yourself with positive people who support you;
Not people who are trying to change how you look, how you dress, how you smile and take it like a man.
Surround yourself with love and you will get love, as you give it.
Happy Tuesday.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Bats...
I recently visited Austin Tx, one of the cutest little towns I have ever seen. If I was going to be from Texas, I'd only want to be from Austin. It is like the cool little sister to all the other Texas cities.
University/ intellectual/ energy...good looking/ fit people...live music everywhere...great beer...what else could you ask for?Oh, an interesting point of attraction...a bridge with 1.5 million bats living underneath.
Yes, bats.
Bats that come out every evening at sunset to seek food.
 |
| just outside the action |
The cruise ships that carry passengers are filled with eager bat-watchers.
Restaurants in the area seat diners so they can view the activity from the comfort of a patio with adult beverages...I like.
This was my perch (note: I got eaten alive by mosquitos or chiggers or something totally disgusting and my legs are covered in bites...still):
I failed to mention I ran from my hotel to get to this location which turned out to be the perfect place to observe the tourists and the bat migration into the Austin community.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Plato
My daughter is in a Philosophy class and is reading Plato's Republic right now.
Painful for me at best, I could barely get through this read in high school. Matter of fact, this may be the one book I did not read...cliffnotes...holla. She just asked for my help in getting through this work.
What to do?
Tell her NO, Mommy just can't wrap her head around the words of Plato. Pretend to listen then tell her she needs to figure it out herself? Actually try to read it with her...
We all know the correct answer here, but I just can't make myself listen to the words of this literary work...again.
Someone carefully explained The Cave to me, and I remembered, this was actually the only work I could relate to. The concept of trying to explain to others "the truth". What is the truth? The truth is your perception of your reality, but there is a reality outside of that as well.
I look inside myself and know my perception is also manipulated by history.
Truth is a world of a word.
Your truth is more reasonable because it is defined by you in terms you can understand. When Jack Nicholson screams, "You can't handle the truth" in the war crime film "A Few Good Men", he speaks the truth. We can not handle the truth. The truth is so far greater than what we know or understand. The truth makes men. The truth defines heros. The truth is a concept so expansive, even as I type it, I realize it is not even what I have believed up until this day. My truth is different from yours. There is a world of truth that is a planet I haven't traveled to...yet.
Incidents themselves are not manipulated by perception, but an objective retell is hardly possible. Action sparks feeling, feeling generates opinion, and the truth becomes "a truth", not the truth.
How you remember everything is your own truth, not THE truth. How we interpret life is our truth, not the truth.
Step outside the cave and look into the light, this is still only our truth because we defined the sun.
We can only relate to what we know, not what exists outside of our reality.
Then there's the emotional attachment to what that means.
Have you ever had a moment where you read something, or someone told you a story, and you didn't have a direct reaction to it without even thinking? A moment ever, where what you know didn't affect what you heard? What is truth, really?
Painful for me at best, I could barely get through this read in high school. Matter of fact, this may be the one book I did not read...cliffnotes...holla. She just asked for my help in getting through this work.
What to do?
Tell her NO, Mommy just can't wrap her head around the words of Plato. Pretend to listen then tell her she needs to figure it out herself? Actually try to read it with her...
We all know the correct answer here, but I just can't make myself listen to the words of this literary work...again.
Someone carefully explained The Cave to me, and I remembered, this was actually the only work I could relate to. The concept of trying to explain to others "the truth". What is the truth? The truth is your perception of your reality, but there is a reality outside of that as well.
I look inside myself and know my perception is also manipulated by history.
Truth is a world of a word.
Your truth is more reasonable because it is defined by you in terms you can understand. When Jack Nicholson screams, "You can't handle the truth" in the war crime film "A Few Good Men", he speaks the truth. We can not handle the truth. The truth is so far greater than what we know or understand. The truth makes men. The truth defines heros. The truth is a concept so expansive, even as I type it, I realize it is not even what I have believed up until this day. My truth is different from yours. There is a world of truth that is a planet I haven't traveled to...yet.
Incidents themselves are not manipulated by perception, but an objective retell is hardly possible. Action sparks feeling, feeling generates opinion, and the truth becomes "a truth", not the truth.
How you remember everything is your own truth, not THE truth. How we interpret life is our truth, not the truth.
Step outside the cave and look into the light, this is still only our truth because we defined the sun.
We can only relate to what we know, not what exists outside of our reality.
Then there's the emotional attachment to what that means.
Have you ever had a moment where you read something, or someone told you a story, and you didn't have a direct reaction to it without even thinking? A moment ever, where what you know didn't affect what you heard? What is truth, really?
Great concepts and traveling
I have finally decided where my creative drive is going to take me this week.
I have a full week off, and so many stories in my head from the past month or so, I hadn't quite decided how to get all these idea on paper. I finally decided, 3 short stories. 1 novel. All flight related.
125 pages each, a deadline, and 3 very interesting stories.
GO!
I have a full week off, and so many stories in my head from the past month or so, I hadn't quite decided how to get all these idea on paper. I finally decided, 3 short stories. 1 novel. All flight related.
125 pages each, a deadline, and 3 very interesting stories.
GO!
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