Nic's This & That

Still Interested?

2011-10-24T10:53:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted on this blog in a year or two, but I'm still writing. I moved over to Wordpress, where I had two accounts. One was "personal" and the other was "professional." At any rate, I recently merged the two together, for better or for worse. I'd love it if you'd visit me at my new digs. I don't post as frequently as I did on this site, and don't have the time to really post on

Elena Kagan for SCOTUS

2010-05-10T10:20:00.003-04:00

Right now I'm watching the President of the United States announce his nominee for the latest opening on the Supreme Court. If Elena Kagan is confirmed, SCOTUS will have 3 women at once for the first time ever. It's a great achievement, even if it's still quite unbalanced, given the actual male/female ratio in the country. Here's a run down of articles about her if you're not familiar.

POTUS will not be rushed - Amen to that

2009-11-12T13:46:00.001-05:00

The news that Obama has refused to sign off on any of the four major options presented to him in Afghanistan reminds me of why he was elected president. Read more here.

Today is Columbus Day...

2009-10-12T13:46:00.002-04:00

What does that mean to you?

He won. Get over it. Get on with it.

2009-10-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends, The Nobel committee took their list of 205 nominees (the highest ever) and eventually decided our President should should be the recipient of their prize. They had their own qualifications, which may not have been the ones we may have chosen. But that's irrelevant. We have to stop projecting our standards onto other people's decisions. Regardless, why do we think it's shameful

Pole Dancers are Badass. Totally.

2009-10-09T16:56:00.002-04:00

this is the highlight reel from this year's pole dancing competition. let me just say, this is not what most may conceive of pole dancing. this is athletic prowess on major display.

Why is this controversial?

2009-10-08T20:33:00.000-04:00

The NYT published an article on Michelle Obama's ancestry. Included in her family line are slaves and slave owners. Some folks in the Twitterverse are offended that "white America" finds this newsworthy. I do not agree with them. I don't think every article about race has to be viewed with cynicism. As a Black woman unaware of her roots beyond her grandparents, I find family trees fascinating,

Sarcasm fonts and other funnies

2009-10-07T13:36:00.001-04:00

The funniest email arrived in my inbox yesterday... Random thoughts from people 30-40 years old.. -I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option. -More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me. -Nothing sucks more than

You Might Be a Traitor...

2009-09-29T18:27:00.000-04:00

You might be a traitor if you're planning to commit a treasonous act...

Smile break

2009-09-29T18:21:00.000-04:00

Leave Health Care ALONE!

2009-09-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

Hilarious parody capturing many of the status quo arguments against health care reform generally:

Public Option - Down But Not Out

2009-09-29T16:16:00.001-04:00

Today Senators Rockefeller and Schumer proposed amendments to the now famous Baucus bill. Specifically, these amendments added a public option. I'm still not clear on the differences in the two versions, but it was clear the Senate Finance Committee preferred Senator Schumer's version. Still, they both failed. Rockefeller's failed 8-15. Schumer's was much closer and more disappointing at 10-13.

Should Inmates Vote?

2009-09-29T11:44:00.002-04:00

Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP just tweeted the following (@BenJealous): Every American who wants to vote, should be able to. Even inmates should be allowed to take this path. It is the essence of civil society. But I'm not sure I agree. I believe all free citizens should be able to vote. This means ex-convicts, who have served time and have "repaid their debt to society" (whatever that

Glenn Beck & White Culture

2009-09-28T22:38:00.001-04:00

Glenn Beck vs. Katie Couric. No contest really. Asked to explain what he meant by "white culture," Glenn was rendered speechless. Watch below:

Still More from the Ultra Right

2009-09-28T22:34:00.002-04:00

How's this for headline? Right-Wing Conference Tells Activists to Get Their Guns Ready for ‘Bloody Battle” with Obama the Nazi. Yeah, you read it right. There’s more.

Facebook Polls, Twitter, and POTUS

2009-09-28T22:28:00.001-04:00

Last night, an interesting tweet came across my feed. It was retweeted by other folks I follow and began making the rounds. What made this tweet so interesting? It referenced Facebook poll about President Obama. Actually the poll asked "Should Obama Be Killed?" There are no words. The tweep who originally posted the story then contacted the Secret Service who took this matter very seriously and

Your Taxes Pay Rapists

2009-09-28T22:24:00.000-04:00

ACORN gets all the headlines and all the punishment, while Halliburton/KBR is still overseas committing crimes and fraud. With our money. The latest? A gang-rape of an employee. Really.

How much does healthcare cost anyway?

2009-09-28T22:20:00.000-04:00

Washington Post's Ezra Klein tells us if we knew how much healthcare runs, we'd stop tiptoeing our way to reform and run headlong, screaming.

Healthcare CEOs Living High on the Hog

2009-09-28T22:18:00.001-04:00

Think Wall Street’s titans are the highest paid C.E.O.’s in the land? Think again. With median annual compensation of more than $12 million, medical moguls take the pay prize, even as the quality of care we receive falls to embarrassing lows. As the debate over health-care reform intensifies, the author catalogues the industry’s unbridled profiteering. Read the rest here.

Neocons vs. Obama (again)

2009-09-28T22:16:00.002-04:00

Andrew Sullivan shares his and others' opinions on our President's master diplomacy of late. Another great post here.

G8 vs. G20

2009-09-28T22:11:00.000-04:00

The world's 8 richest nations, referred to collectively as the G8, were were primarily responsible for worldwide economic policy. But in a recent move, the G20, representing 85% of the world's economy, will take part in the decision-making. Read more here.

Comedy Break - #RHOA

2009-09-28T19:37:00.003-04:00

In addition to the serious info I've been sharing lately, I wanna spread a little laughter on the Interwebs too. For those who love/hate/boycott the Real Housewives of Atlanta, here's a little something to make you chuckle.

Franken's Constitutional Test

2009-09-23T22:04:00.000-04:00

Al Franken hasn't been a Senator very long, but he's already making (good) news.

The Making of Glenn Beck part 3

2009-09-23T00:18:00.000-04:00

The conclusion of this 3 part series is no less satisfying than the first two. An excerpt: His talk radio identity still larval, Beck was already displaying the skills that would make him a talk-radio lightning rod. "He always knew how to work people and situations for attention," says Penn. "He could pick the most pointless story in the news that day and find a way to approach it to get phones

The Making of Glenn Beck part 2

2009-09-23T00:14:00.000-04:00

From Zaitchik's piece: Beck's real broadcasting innovation during his stay in Kentucky came in the realm of vicious personal assaults on fellow radio hosts. A frequent target of Beck's in Louisville was Liz Curtis, obese host of an afternoon advice show on WHAS, a local AM news-talk station. It was no secret in Louisville that Curtis, whom Beck had never met and with whom he did not compete for

The Making of Glenn Beck part 1

2009-09-23T00:00:00.001-04:00

Salon.com is doing a 3 part series on Glenn Beck. I read the first one and I'm going to link it here. It's pretty interesting so far, and I plan to link all 3 when they're published. From Zaitchik's piece - part 1: Beck rolled into Texas in 1983 driving a blue two-seater Datsun 280Z sports coupe. On the bumper, a Reagan-Bush '84 reelection sticker. At his side, his wife, Claire. And taking form

For Colored Girls...

2009-09-22T21:59:00.000-04:00

Have you heard the news? The one and only Tyler Perry was tapped to helm the film adaptation of For Colored Girls. I am not a fan of Tyler's body of work. And in truth, I can't comment on his directing skills because I find his writing suffering from an abysmal lack of nuance. Really. One writer lovingly expressed her concern regarding his portrayal of black people in stereotypical ways. As

On Counting Chickens Prematurely

2009-09-22T20:44:00.000-04:00

Will we have a public option or won't we? Nate Silver weighs in.

Bill: Barack has to win on the merits

2009-09-22T20:42:00.000-04:00

President Jimmy Carter sounded off on the escalating race rhetoric from the right wing. Leaning on his experience as a born and raised southerner, he expressed concern that much of the current vitriol against President Obama's policies is because of racial prejudice. Not all agree with him (at least not publicly). President Clinton weighed in acknowledging, maybe race plays a small factor, but

Universal Healthcare is Not Socialism

2009-09-22T20:30:00.000-04:00

Proud to link to my friend's blog. She's a great writer and just an overall brilliant woman. Here's an excerpt: Universal Healthcare is no more socialism than offering healthcare to active and retired military personnel. I've been the beneficiary of government healthcare most of my life, first as a military dependent then as a college student, then as a private citizen who prefers to utilize

All Porn is Homosexual Porn

2009-09-21T20:25:00.001-04:00

File this under "More Craziness from the Ultra Right." On second thought, it's not nice to call people's ideas crazy, so maybe you should create your own file for this one. The Values Voters summit was held earlier this month and several interesting stories have come out. This one: a leaked video shows Senator Coburn's chief of staff explaining that pornography turns your sexual drive inward,

On Taking Offense to Others Being Offended

2009-09-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

A link to a great post came across my Twitter Feed this morning. In it, the writer discusses the complications of "others" being offended on behalf of those being "misrepresented." An excerpt: If I am honest, I want white people to "get it," but I don't want them thinking they "get it" better than me--a black woman who actually lives with race bias. She ends the piece: I guess what we all want

Values Voters vs. Jeremiah Wright

2009-09-20T20:11:00.003-04:00

After watching Rachel's show Friday night, I felt moved to write about the extreme hypocrisy of the conservative movement. Specifically, the fact that they would open a conservative conference with a song Why Should God Bless America that was amazingly similar in message to Jeremiah Wright's overexposed yet under-contextualized sermon, Confusing God and Government, aka God Damn America. To be

POTUS is NOT a socialist

2009-09-20T13:01:00.001-04:00

Regardless of how you feel about socialism, labeling everything socialist isn't appropriate (or smart, or credible or...). For far too long, the media have just been reporting what politicians say without verifying the veracity of their statements. Finally, Obama strikes back with a strong critique of media coverage and the media steps up in return. Read about today's smack-back of Minority

Well Deserved SMACK DOWN!

2009-09-18T19:24:00.007-04:00

I was recently a tad heated with a friend of mine who engaged me in a discussion about something on Fox news. In case you don't know, I don't believe in Fox news. At all. I have seen a few too many over the top, bald-face, blatant lies, coupled with irresponsible rhetoric. I'm not a fan of the entertainment/commentary slant most cable news takes now, but there's a market for it, and so be

Pelosi Power

2009-09-18T16:45:00.003-04:00

I'll have more to say on this later, but for now, check this segment from Rachel's show. It's centered around Speaker Pelosi's admonition to everyone to be more responsible with the tone of political criticism. It was refreshing and amazing to see her take such an unequivocal stance. It was even more amazing (but decidedly not refreshing) to see her counterparts respond:Visit msnbc.com for

Beautifully Imperfect

2009-09-18T15:45:00.004-04:00

Missing from much of the discourse today is humanity. Hearing real stories of real people would remind us all that none of us is the uncomplicated, oversimplified persona we are often portrayed as being. This video reminds me of that.

FLOTUS on #HC09 (Updated)

2009-09-18T14:37:00.010-04:00

Michelle Obama has always been called Barack's secret weapon. Today, again, she shows us why. She spoke to leaders of women's groups this morning to give a "soft pitch" on health care. Soft it wasn't. It was moving and beautiful and honest, strong and very clear. Because of those things, it sliced through the noisy rhetoric and undoubtedly hit home for many people. I hope it gets a lot of

ACORN update 2 - ACORN strikes back

2009-09-17T16:59:00.005-04:00

ACORN strikes back.Good for them! While I'm no fan of corruption, I really don't like the constant negative press ACORN gets. Sure there are some bad apples in the bunch. But when is that *not* the case? At any rate, they've released materials to show that not every field office has unqualified employees. The news has been slanted only in the anti-ACORN direction, but I'm glad to see they are

ACORN update

2009-09-17T15:38:00.005-04:00

see? my friend needn't have worried. the ACORN scandal has gotten plenty of coverage, and already, both the Senate and the House have voted to cut funding for the group.

Insurance Companies Discriminate Against Women

2009-09-17T14:42:00.005-04:00

There's been some nice reporting on the health insurance industry's discrimination against women. Most recently, we found out that women who are victims of spousal abuse are deemed to have a pre-existing condition (WTF?). This "condition" subsequently makes them more expensive to insure. Now we find out that women who have had C-sections are also considered to have pre-existing conditions. On a

Van Jones Speaks

2009-09-17T13:03:00.009-04:00

Van Jones, formerly known as the Green Jobs Czar of the Obama Administration, has spoken out. In an email he wrote in part: My family and I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support that we have received over the past week or so. I resigned from the White House on Sept. 6, and I have remained silent since then--in keeping with my promise not to be a

POTUS tunes #HCR message for students

2009-09-17T12:12:00.005-04:00

Today POTUS delivered speech on health care reform. He's spoken to Congress and now he's in campaign mode, taking the show on the road. This time his audience was a full house of excited college students. It streamed live on Facebook during lunch time.Here's a link from C-Span.

McCain is Mad, But Who Cares?

2009-09-17T10:54:00.003-04:00

Tweet from White House correspondent Mark Knoller:Sen. John McCain disappointed by Obama missile decision. McCain says it could undermine perceived American leadership in Eastern Europe. Am I the only one who really doesn't care what the 2nd place candidate in the recent presidential election thinks? I voted for Obama and one of my top reasons was I perceived him a diplomat

POTUS Polling

2009-09-17T10:39:00.004-04:00

I'm not one of those poll hawks - every single day wondering if Obama is up or down on various issues. I think you should consider these things over time rather than all the time. That said, I'll share the latest Gallup poll sans analysis. I'll let you decide what you think for yourself.PRINCETON, NJ -- Of the seven specific issue approval ratings measured in a Sept. 11-13 USA Today/Gallup poll,

Wise Latina Provokes

2009-09-17T09:58:00.008-04:00

I'd heard some rumblings about a court case regarding corporations as humans, but didn't really know what was up. In brief, it seems past rulings gave corporations the same rights and protections as people even though (as some argued), they don't get treated the same way for mistakes they make. Stephen Colbert tackled this earlier this week.Last week, new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Rachel Recap - Frank Schaeffer

2009-09-16T21:19:00.004-04:00

Tonight Rachel (The Rachel Maddow Show) talked about a poll that found 35% of New Jersey conservatives think President Obama is the anti-christ. More info on that poll here.Frank Schaeffer, son of a hugely popular fundamentalist Christian, came on to discuss what he called the Evangelical subculture that is rotting the brains of many Americans (wow!). He gave an interview a few months ago on

ACORN, Health Care, and Orly Taitz

2009-09-16T17:12:00.010-04:00

i started off the morning with an extremely interesting debate with a friend. he was wondering about, or more to the point, accusing the mainstream media (MSM) of refusing to cover the latest ACORN scandal. my response? there was more important news yesterday. his response? the liberal media had an agenda to keep ACORN quiet.while i agree that liberal, conservative, and so-called neutral media

Tuesday Recap 9/15

2009-09-15T22:13:00.002-04:00

by request of my line sisters, here's a recap of favorite links/posts from today.firstly, always a treat - newark mayor cory booker was on colbert report last night. {VIDEO here}Uninsured Like Me is an article from Salon.com. Interesting quote: From the beginning, attempts to create a universal welfare state in the U.S. have been thwarted by the fears of voters that they will be taxed to

Kanye & Patrick - Nightly Recap

2009-09-14T21:00:00.005-04:00

i don't agree with lumping serena's outburst with kanye's and joe's. to be clear, i don't CONDONE her behavior, but it's not unreasonable or unusual for athletes to shout and scream and curse about a call. relevant example: McEnroe, John. there are also plenty of baseball examples of folks getting thrown out of games, etc. again, i'm not saying this behavior is correct, (certainly not the threats

Stunning post

2009-09-13T15:49:00.003-04:00

A beautifully written post about the current political climate, especially through the lens of 9/11.Once upon a time, there was a President named Bill Clinton, who was, by most historical standards, a typical Centrist Republican, although by a fluke of geography and circumstances he ran for public office with a "(D)" after his name.More here.

Don't Be Scared of the Public Option

2009-09-08T18:11:00.011-04:00

There are two extremely easy to understand videos on the public option. They're easy to understand because the public option is not the complicated, "scary" "government takeover" of healthcare some would have you to believe. Even the name, public option, gives it away - it's simply a new choice among the others already available. Here's Robert Reich explaining it in less than 3 minutes:Here's the

Senate Bills and Frameworks, Oh My!

2009-09-08T13:21:00.002-04:00

So previously I linked to the current version of the Senate health care bill. Unlike the House bill, this bill is not the version that has been merged after input from various committees. It represents the work of one committee - HELP (Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions).This week Max Baucus (D-MT), representing what some call the Gang of Six in the Senate, has released an 18-page framework for

26 Lies About HR 3200

2009-09-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

There's lots of misinformation swirling around out there. Some are egregious distortions of the facts, while others are possibly honest mistakes. Factcheck.org clears up some of the most common.A notorious analysis of the House health care bill contains 48 claims. Twenty-six of them are false and the rest mostly misleading. Only four are true.Read more here.

Weiner minces no words on #HCR

2009-09-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) speaks his mind and is no punk when it comes to healthcare reform. Here are a few videos (courtesy of MSNBC).August 18, 2009:Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the EconomyAugust 21, 2009:Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the EconomyAugust 27, 2009:Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about

Obama challenges GOP on #HCR

2009-09-07T16:40:00.006-04:00

POTUS speaks at AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic in Cincinnati."...put aside partisanship, stop saying things that aren't true, come together as a nation, pass health insurance reform now!" - President Obama

Healthcare Reform 101

2009-09-07T16:05:00.003-04:00

For any number of reasons, you may find yourself ready to engage in the discourse on healthcare reform, but at a loss of where to begin. Below, I have assembled my favorite links to get you started. It’s worth mentioning that I am in favor of healthcare reform. It is likely you will find that some of these links reflect that bias. Chris Hayes of the Nation gives a brief

Email on #HCR

2009-09-07T15:56:00.004-04:00

After an interesting Facebook debate, a person who saw my comments contacted me about health care basics. I typed the following email to her, which is reproduced in full (minus a warning about the length). Others may find it useful, so I'm sharing it here. as for health care, i can totally appreciate not being sure about what's what. the BIGGEST disappointment for me is

I Learn From You

2009-07-10T19:53:00.004-04:00

Today I posted a status on Facebook that basically thanked all my friends for their status updates. I didn’t feel I did a good job sharing what I was feeling, so I jotted this poem (I guess that’s what it is). I know some people feel social networking is not a good thing, but I think it has added a positive dimension in my life.

Torture

2009-04-18T08:26:00.003-04:00

And so we knew it was going on, but the Obama Administration's release of the torture memos brings it to light. More accurately, it shows the lengths to which the Bush Administration was willing to go to make torture "legal." The big show down now is whether or not to prosecute those responsible. Obama, at first blush, says no. Though some believe that really he's leaving the door open by

Does Satan Exist?

2009-04-18T08:23:00.002-04:00

An interesting question to be sure. Posed on Nightline recently with four guests: Annie, Pastor Mark, Deepak Chopra and Bishop Pearson. Four very diverse people with divergent views on reality, love, God and evil. Sometimes people get so defensive and argumentative that it's hard to have a productive conversation. This happened a few times here, but still worth the watch:Does Satan Exist?

Lessons from Water

2009-03-25T21:15:00.003-04:00

My friend Dina sent this from a newsletter she gets, the Daily Om. I thought it was worth sharing. Enjoy!March 24, 2009A Great TeacherLiving Like WaterThe journey of water as it flows upon the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Water begins its residence on earth as it falls from the sky or melts from ice and streams down a mountain into a tributary or stream. In the same way,

Bayh vs. Obama

2009-03-18T21:39:00.004-04:00

I love the fact that our President is really willing to be with the people. He hosted another townhall meeting today and took unscreened questions, answered (to the chagrin of Republican critics) without a teleprompter! Gasp! The President continues to prove he is not only brilliant, but brave too. Seriously, I really am glad to see him out there, mixing and mingling and getting the story from

Kiss My Fat Ass!

2009-03-17T22:30:00.004-04:00

Bravo Meghan McCain! Although I'm a little disappointed she canceled her interview with CNN today, Meghan's been holding her own against the onslaught from the right. Admittedly, she brought it on, taking a jab at Ann Coulter: Everything about her is extreme: her voice, her interview tactics, and especially the public statements she makes about liberals. Maybe her popularity stems from the fact

The Power of Money vs. Human Revolution - No Contest!

2009-03-14T23:20:00.005-04:00

Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International, recently encouraged members regarding the economic crisis. He said the key is to focus on human revolution.Excerpt from...Let’s Strive Together for a Year of Victory!February 20, 2009 WT – Seize the Day p. EWe are in the midst of what is being called a “once-in-a-century” financial crisis. What is most important at this troubled time? Of

But what about drill baby drill?

2009-03-14T18:07:00.004-04:00

From the NYT:The great American drilling boom is over.The number of oil and gas rigs deployed to tap new energy supplies across the country has plunged to less than 1,200 from 2,400 last summer, and energy executives say the drop is accelerating further.And yet all we heard last fall were the gimmicky chants of drill baby, drill! Even Sarah Palin deigned to "correct" future VP Biden in her one

Cramer vs. Stewart

2009-03-14T17:30:00.002-04:00

Everything you need all in one place. Let's start at the very beginning....a very good place to start:.cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url('http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png') !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover

Creativity

2009-03-14T17:20:00.005-04:00

I love creative stuff. This video was on one of my favorite blogs so I'm sharing it with you. I realized that I do most of my blogging (if you can call it that) on Facebook. So the things I deem worthy to share there, I'll share here. And one day, I'll have something really important to share. In the meantime, enjoy!

Healthy Living

2008-07-13T13:27:00.001-04:00

So this is my new place for recording my health progress. Have had many many great days and lots of okay days. BP is stable when I exercise regularly, so I guess that's my new medicine. Let's keep a record and see.Today so far:-Walked 1 mile/ jogged 1 mile (small strides, no stopping)-Ate organic cereal, drank a protein mix, ate yogurt with granola, took my vitamins.-BP: 120/91 Pulse 69 (1:30 p.m

i am from

2008-04-29T10:02:00.006-04:00

i am from nappy hair being straightened in the kitcheni am from the middle classi am from weekly visits to the library, and summers in savannahi am from running through the water sprinkler and laughing with cousinsi am from heart break - parents who loved me, loved cards, and loved a good jokei am from grandfathers who went to collegei am from high expectationsi am from all black schools with all

bobby

2007-11-24T17:58:00.001-05:00

Bobby is 74 and proud of it. Sometimes he calls himself “old man” but if you didn’t know he was born in 1933 you’d have put him in his early 60s. Once a professional drummer, he still wears his Hawaiian style shirts with the top two buttons undone – revealing a curly patch of whitening chest hair. Wants the ladies to know he’s still got it, despite the bald patch claiming 70 percent of his

casey

2007-11-24T17:21:00.001-05:00

Casey is a 30-something beauty. Once a gifted high school sprinter, she's gotten a little soft over the years. Though quick-witted and physically attractive, she lacks the self-confidence a tenure-track professor should have. Her deepest desire is to meet her prince charming and live happily ever after. Her greatest fear is that she's too late.Casey grew up a quiet, shy, only child. Doted on by

making moves

2007-11-24T17:09:00.001-05:00

so i've moved an inch. maybe a foot this time. i have submitted two short articles to the world tribune. i've also (and this it the important part) joined an online writer's group/class. while i find myself a tad stuck for this week's assignment, i find myself unstuck on at least character creation.i've shared my idea for my novel - runner's mark. i now have another idea though - a short story

grad school

2007-11-07T17:37:00.001-05:00

so i now have 4 blogs. well i administer 4 of them. can't say i contribute much to any of them. at any rate, i almost created a 5th one but realized how silly it would be.i am more than halfway through my first semester as a doctoral student. it was pretty rough going the first few weeks. mainly because i traveled 6 weeks in a row - including one trip that lasted over a week. it was very

never be defeated

2007-10-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

"Never be defeated means never be defeated in your heart."Mr. Saito, SGI North America Bureau Chief, shared this guidance during a youth training course in Japan last month. Daily life is a series of battles – sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. However, we constantly hear guidance that "Buddhism is win or lose" and that we must win. How do we make sense of the seeming disparity? The

greetings

2007-10-21T18:10:00.001-04:00

i am back on the map. it's been ages but here i am. the good news is, life has slowed down. the bad news is, no i'm still not writing - at least not fiction. i have plenty of opportunities to write nonfiction. i'm looking for classes to audit - being a full time doctoral student and all i have copious amounts of free time (yeah right). at any rate, it would be nice to have some structure and

back on top

2007-08-30T07:29:00.001-04:00

yesterday was one of the best days i've had in a while! i finished my 2 hours of daimoku, my homework, had a chance to contribute (though not a lot) to sensei's gift, went to a district meeting and slept until i woke up this morning (almost). (my alarm was accidentally still set, so i cut it off and went back to sleep).things are definitely looking up! have a lot to do this morning, but i'm not

better already

2007-08-28T15:26:00.001-04:00

my life is much better. still not where i'd like, but definitely i am more resistant to the externals. including the new thing i need to insert:but if you nurse an unreasonable grudge against United Airlines...lol.as it stands now, i will have to just not use the return ticket. to actually change my ticket to a one way ticket increases the fare by 300 bucks. that is soooo outrageous!i am waiting

the 8 winds

2007-08-28T07:53:00.001-04:00

as soon as it gets better it gets worse. my life condition was on the decline while still in new orleans, but by monday, it was really the pits. i was beyond overwhelmed, irritated 100% with j, and still trying to fit the obnoxious amounts of reading into my day. literally mapping it all out i still had 8 hours of work to do after my class ended at 4:30! that did not include eating, and barely

double or nothing

2007-08-23T00:04:00.001-04:00

so i've been chanting two hours a day. my life just laughs at it. it's like i doubled the daimoku and it had an inverse effect. instead of happier and joyful, i feel sad, confused, frustrated. earlier today in the 60-90 minute time frame, i started to get emotional, so i stopped and let the tears come. i had a teleconference to log into so i couldn't carry on long.as i told b, it's weird b/c as

daimoku

2007-08-14T06:58:00.001-04:00

so i have already increased my daimoku. not a lot, but an increase nonetheless. however we had our first teleconference last night. we have a new challenge - to chant a "minimum of two a day" to get ready. wow. i wasn't ready for that one. i immediately felt bitter. well, bitter is strong, but certainly resistance. that really just means adding another 30 minutes or so, but it seems impossible.

conflicted

2007-08-09T01:30:00.001-04:00

i have conflicted emotions today. tonight. i can't blame it totally on the hormones. it's partially because e hasn't told me 100% that it's okay. i can't commit to it until i know for SURE sure.i'm excited, intrigued, curious. not wanting to be overly excited and to maintain a neutral outlook. people talk about you have to have the right life condition. you have to be ready to meet the mentor. my

the end

2007-08-09T01:17:00.001-04:00

no more excuses. i have to do it. i have to reply. to whom much is given much is required. not expected, but required. that doesn't mean people want you to do it, it means you have to.the story is from anger in winter. perhaps the peace lily can be part of that. i don't know the medium yet. i don't know the characters. i don't know the reason. well that's not true. the reason is to show that

damn

2007-08-05T22:31:00.001-04:00

procrastination wins again. look how long it's been since i've written. and i have TIME now so that's not an excuse. i'm on vacation (still). and for hours i've done nothing but create a myspace page (finally). not to worry. it's coming. it really is. one day.

Fear

2007-07-15T02:18:00.001-04:00

Fear once again has won. I’m not sure what it will take for me to finally get past it. I think of so many scenes – usually while driving. But do I put forth the effort to write down what I see and hear? So many times it’s daydreams, but it’s such good drama. That’s what makes it suck so. I need to. Really I have to I mean, get past it.Harry Potter is brilliant. But I got so caught up in the

nada hoy

2007-07-09T02:27:00.001-04:00

i can't believe so much time has passed. i'm not sure why i haven't blogged, though i suppose everytime i thought about it, i never really had an entry or the time. wonderfully i've been writing a lot lately. i had to write two essays to apply for a writing group. i've been writing memos to sensei and determinations. i've decided on an idea for a story. it's called runner's mark (for now). no

reminders

2007-06-03T02:58:00.001-04:00

Triplets. Husband says stop kicking me. Wife goes ballistic. Husband escapes to make phone call to dad. Whispers the story. Dad laughs, tells him to apologize.Hello baby - and he kisses her stomach - OliverPeace Lily30 Million Trees 5-830 Million Trees from the tree's POVYou'll never be successful You talk too much - women should be seen and not heard Your goal is ridiculous; just give up! It's

listening in

2007-06-02T23:45:00.001-04:00

i feel like writing today. nothing special comes to mind, but still. i wrote yesterday and was really proud of it actually. eventually it will appear on another blog. maybe i'll post it here too. i'll wait though, out of respect for the original "publisher."anyway, i'm excited b/c the writer in me is becoming more vocal. i have more ideas now and am (slowly) learning to honor the voice when it

checking in

2007-05-23T00:11:00.001-04:00

so far so good. on the memoir writing i mean. i haven't been writing everyday, but i've been working on it everyday if that makes sense.had a major breakthrough yesterday. i was looking for letters and cards i've sent my mom over the years. only found a couple though i know a few more are hiding somewhere. but...i did find a letter from kendall. two actually. it broke my heart all over again. i

word of advice

2007-05-18T02:00:00.001-04:00

writing a memoir is serious business. you really have to be up for the challenge. the ideas and memories are coming back, showing up unannounced and sometimes uninvited. it's all i can do to stop what i'm doing and jot it down. it's also all i can do not to cry. i suppose i just should. eventually, i suppose i will.

-er means "one who"

2007-05-17T23:45:00.001-04:00

i think of random things all the time. i write constantly in my head. it rarely makes it to paper. later i am always sorry. hopefully i am starting to break that. i mean what's the purpose of a blog if you don't use it for random thoughts? or what's the purpose of being "one who writes" if you don't ever scribe the things you hear - in the world, in your head, everywhere?so here's to being a

effortless finesse

2007-05-17T23:32:00.002-04:00

i saw his fine ass. i know it was him. his back was to me and he persisted in the opposite direction, but it was him. i know it. trifling, fine ass, him. walking, with his lumbering stride. cool, but not overdoing it. effortless finesse is what it is really. these young boys could learn a thing or two from his subtle sexiness. imposing but not forced. irritating really, because you can't

the moment of truth

2007-05-17T23:31:00.001-04:00

so i'm excited. determined. and at once completely terrified. i have decided what i'm going to enter. unfortunately it isn't written yet, and it's a genre i've neither written nor read previously. the memoir. i was in barnes and noble today, getting a book on it. i won't tell you of the serendipity there. (i will tell you i'm addicted to books! i ended up spending $80 bucks!)at any rate, i'm

momentum building

2007-05-16T00:48:00.001-04:00

it's so interesting to be in rhythm. serendipity is a powerful force. i met someone sunday who has become my muse. now i'm suddenly determined to write. seriously this time. i have become aware of the service inherent in good writing, and i'm determined to be a servant. to listen, respond and be "one who writes."here it is, two days later and i find myself running an errand at a barnes and noble

advice from cgoode

2007-05-11T01:07:00.001-04:00

it probably doesn't really count as a blog if i don't write it myself, but i'd still like to post it as inspiration. cgoode recently published her first book and i asked her to share tips from her journey. among other things, she had this to say:My favorite piece of advice is - just write!Make an effort to put something on paper at least 5 days a week,no matter what it is that you are writing.For

not my ty.pe.

2007-05-01T00:45:00.002-04:00

i have now seen one whole movie and most of one play recorded for DVD. in a word - unbelievable.unbelievable as in i can't believe it. he's a millionaire, with no talent. he is my motivation to stop thinking and 'do the d*mn thing' as the quote unquote "cool" people say. the acting, directing and writing of this particular play was horrid if present at all. the singing, or more accurately,

slowly but surely

2007-05-01T00:36:00.001-04:00

so i've done the morning pages - two whole mornings in a row. hurray! the sad part is, i have to be somewhere at 7 in the morning. something has to get cut. is it the daimoku, the yoga or the morning pages? really, two of the three will be cut tomorrow. i think the pages are on the chopping block.however, the good news is, there may be an opportunity to make them up. i really do like doing them -

morning pages - to do or not to do

2007-04-24T22:16:00.001-04:00

it's still here. the block i mean. it's interesting...i got busy, but more motivations (or inspirations) are starting to hit me. i need to go back to doing the morning pages. the morning pages are a crucial component of the artist's way by julia cameron. you're supposed to write 3 pages of stream of consciousness without editing yourself. it's a great tool, but i tend to shun it because of my

on the premise

2007-04-07T11:22:00.001-04:00

when i was an undergrad, i was a theater minor. i took a dramatic writing class with michael dinwiddie. two things happened that semester:1) i wrote a spec script for living single. it was out and hot during that time and i decided to try my hand at a new medium. it was an awesome experience - at times i could hear the characters speaking and i would write as quickly as i could to be true to

EQ #1 - the master storyteller

2007-04-06T20:15:00.001-04:00

so r and i spoke at length last night. i asked him the first essential question of writing that popped into my head. lately i've seen references to "master storytellers." i just finished reading bebe moore campbell's final book 72 Hour Hold and she was heralded as "a writer at the top of her form as a storyteller...". i think the book is beautifully written, and tells an interesting story. but