Too Long!

It's been too too long since i last posted!

Ah, well, I am motivated again.. so let's try again <3

Just to get things rolling, I'm currently reading The Lady by Anne McCaffrey and I will finish reading Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

To all my friends on GAIA and everyone else.. HI!

Time to get back to it

I guess it's time to get back to it.

I've been off for a while because I have been spending time at GAIA online setting up a literature guild where people can, well, discuss lit.

But, I have to have a place all my own, I suppose. So here I am again. ^

Lately I have been reading more to gear myself to writing my own novel. Today I'm reading bits out from HP Lovecraft and watching Rear Window to begin to understand fear and suspence.

I'm really tryign to write fantasy but I want to be a well rounded writer , so I'll scare people as well as provide them with escapism.

Remembering Ann Richards

There are 2 gals in politics that I will always remember and hold close to my heart and they are both from Texas.

One is Molly Ivins and the other is Ann Richards. Well, Ann recently passed away and Molly published a eulogy for her today.

Nothing could be more fitting.

Dun

Dun
n.

1. An almost neutral brownish gray to dull grayish brown.
2. A fishing fly having this color.
3. A horse of this color.

[Middle English, from Old English dunn, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

Also, from
Answers
Dictionary.com

NB: I was after the color definition but as you can see it's got several meanings. An Interesting word!

Your Body Wants You FAT

Here's a very quick post and run for you. According to this short snip our bodies may tend to fat naturally. Well, I guess this makes sense because it wants to prepare us for those "famine" days.

So, if you ever want to toss the scales out the window you can rest a little easier in knowing that nature really is out to 'get you.'

New Words!

Today we have Plutocracy and Kleptocracy. I did get them off answers.com but I thought their descriptions were skiimpay. So I went to wikipedia instead

I do suggest going to answers and looking them up, however, since they put them into the context of the daily news. ^^

Ohhh, what the heck. Here's Plutocracy and Kleptocracy from the answers 'say what?' context :D

I just have to say that I think Pres. Bush is straining our credulity with the entire innocent "let's stop Kleptocracy .. ABROAD' shtick. I seriously don't know whether to laugh or to cry at such audacity/cluelessness.

Birdsong's Favorite Links

No site makes it here unless I think it's really good. That should go without saying but I'm saying it anyway so you groovy cats and dogs out there know that a lot of time has gone into culling the weak links from the herd

OpenDemocracy.org
Gaia Online
NOW with David Brancaccio
The Indomitable Molly Ivins
Union of Concerned Scientists
The Beat Writers Page
Raw Story
Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting
Anime Wallpaper

Relax, We Still Have 9 Planets

Matthew Yglesias and I do not necesssarily see eye to eye on many things.. particularly since I, like him, like philosophy. So, logically that means we dissagree over everything.

On the controversy around the scientists renaming the definition of planet to exclude Pluto, however, I emphatically agree.

Adopting such a definition has accomplished, well, nothing whatsoever for the sake of science. Astronomy, clearly, had been progressing just fine in previous decades without a rigorous definition of “planet.” Telescopes, NASA-launched probes, and other instruments were bringing us more and more information about which objects exist in the solar system and about the nature of those objects. The term “planet” meanwhile, had long since ceased to play a substantive role in the science of astronomy. Before Copernicus, celestial bodies were divided between the planets (the moon, Mercury, the sun, Jupiter, etc.), which moved, and the stars, which didn’t. Contemporary astronomy, however, distinguishes among objects according to what they’re made of, so that the sun is a star and so forth. The very notion of a planet is, at this point, a piece of folk culture, not an important element of science. And according to cultural tradition, there are nine planets and Pluto is one of them.

Oh, mega word.

Take my body, for example. I'm some parts guy and some parts girl. Personally, I like the term 'hermaphrodite' to describe my sexuality. Others, however, have taken science seriously when they co-opted the word to mean only those creatures that had two fully functioning secual reproductive organs and could impregnate themselves.

Well, scientists, you are full of crap. Hermaphrodite referred to human beings when the ancient Greeks used the term. If they invented it they should know better than you how to use it.

All this is to say is that as lovely as science is it doesn't have the right to determine our language for us. If we happen to agree with them, fine. In the meantime they can keep their damned mitts off my sexual identity and my planets.

Labor Day Is A Joke

Harold Meyerson has some strong words for what labor used to be like and what it has devolved into.

Devaluing labor is the very essence of our economy. I know that airlines are a particularly embattled industry, but my eye was recently caught by a story on Mesaba Airlines, an affiliate of Northwest, where the starting annual salary for pilots is $21,000 a year, and where the company is seeking a pay cut of 19 percent. Maybe Mesaba's plan is to have its pilots hit up passengers for tips.

Labor Day is almost upon us. What a joke.

This is an issue important to me. It makes sense that the wealthy want to keep their wealth, power, and privilege. But, if this is the cost we must pay for them to enjoy themselves we have to al lask ourselves if the "American Dream" is simply throwing a party on the back of a poor person.

Living Cheaply and Well

It's of interest to everyone to live as well as they can and as frugally as they can (and as environmentally friendly as they can). I am interested in living as cheaply as I can without sacrificing health or the environment in doing so. In fact I want to include all three componants in my day to day life and get myself out of the consumer driven mentality as much as possible. So, toward that end I'm starting a collection of links that will aid us in that goal.

Being Mean as Hell

Frugal Living in the UK (If you don't live in the UK most of the advice still applies ;)

University of Illinois Extention for Urban Living Lots of good stuff on living on a budget and container gardening, etc

Bella Online Frugal Living Site I really like this site. Informative and it leads to dozens of other good sites on frugal living.

Thrifty Fun Great Content!

Frugal and Fashion Good site!!!! My fave so far. But, I'll keep looking ;)

Frugal Village Another good one. It looks like others have had the same idea as me! This is a good thing. This site also covers the concept of homesteading, which I'm also interested in.

This link will hopefully change from time top time as will all the other links. As I explore, I'll remove or add links as the fancy strikes me. As always, suggestions are appreciated <3

Defining Moments

Birdsong's Rule of Life #1

Don't let other people define you.

Are you conservative, American, Israeli, Canadian, British, male, female, liberal, republican, democrat, socialist, capitalist, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Jain?

Well, stop that.

You are you.

I especially hate it when people try to label us liberal or conservative/ socialist or capitalist because these are titles that have absolutely nothing to do with real life. If I want invest in medical cures for an ailment I have I want to be able to use the tools developed by entreprenual individuals. If I want to care for my community I want to install programs for them or give of my own (money, labor, barter, donating, whatever) I want to be able to do so without being called liberal or socialist.

Take me on my own merit and let me be an individual within a community of loving, caring, people. I don't want people slapping me around with a load of meaningless us vs them labels .. and neither should any of you.

Socrates' dictate "The unexamined life is not worth living" applies here !

Cool Words List

This is the place I put all the absolutely fabulous words I learn. If I wish I can just just review any word that I come across and fall in love with. Now, you can too!

Acrostic August 29, 2006
Catachresis August 31, 2006
Plutocracy and Kleptocracy September 05, 2006

I will also log the date that I find a new word.

Here are the two sites I hit up the most for these words Answers.com and Wikipedia

My Reinventions: this is my mission statement

My Reinventions: this is my mission statement

A post that I liked while browsing the blogspot blogs. It's amazing to think that there are billions of minds out there taking the time to reflect and learn.

Everytime my head starts to swell I think it might do me good to peruse what others on the net are thinking !

Sublimation/Sublime

I'm wondering about the psychological process of sublimation and what possible uses it might have on a sociological level.

Sublimation, as you can see it defined above, is redirecting emotional energy from a negative route to a positive, constructive, route.

Looking up sublime, which has the same root, I was expecting to find something similiar along the lines of redirection or subtlety. Instead I find this;

In aesthetics, the sublime (from the Latin sublimis (exalted)) is the quality of transcendent greatness, whether physical, moral, intellectual or artistic. The term especially references a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation.

Well...man...shucks!!

I'll keep at it but I'm still convinced there's at root a connection and I'll keep playing around a bit in other sources til I get at the etymology.

A New Addictive Website

I've just discovered Blufr. It's this incredibly addictive trivia site that attempts to "bluff" you. It's just an interesting gimmik for a trivia site.. but I've found it entertaining.

Maybe most of you have already found this site. If so.. sorry! But my blog is about me learning and developing MY thought. If I'm not helping YOU then go make your own blog devoted to improving you.

So there! *raspberries*

^.^

Sir! No, Ma'am!

Can anyone give me a justification why Americans must use ma'am and sir in order to be polite?

It makes no sense other than a marker of gender to use them. Roughly half the population is or will eventually become a sir while the other half is or will eventually become a ma'am.

I quickly looked up the etymology today after I began to idly wonder at their continued use. Sir, as we all know, used to be reserved for knights or baronetes (basically non-peerage ranks), while ma'am is short for madam, or madame, and it meant 'my lady' (ma.. dame). Other info gleaned is that ma'am is acceptably used when speaking to the Queen of Britain after the first 'Your Majesty' has fallen from the lips. Ma'am (marhm in the UK. Rhymes with 'arm) is also what you call female police officers, et al. in the UK.

OK. all that makes sense.. but again.. back to the 50/50 crap. There's absolutely no reason to call ma'am or sir as a sign of respect.. because absolutely everyone is either a ma'am or a sir (except for us Pats, but never mind, sake of discussion and all that). The fact is that any given Sir or Ma'am can be as pure of heart as Tinkerbell or as rotten to the bone as Dr. Mengele or Dick Cheney on a good night. So, the use of the titles for a term of respect is non-existant.

When I call you sir I'm basically celebrating your male-ness and squeezing your maaanly bicep. When I call you ma'am I'm basically saying 'hey woman.' while tugging my forelock and acting all meek...which, if your a decent type.. you would never require of me anyway.

If I respect you and you respect me, it wil be noticeable with or without the sir or ma'am. The sales clerk say sir in such a nasty way as to leave you with no doubt that no respect is intended. That same clerk can tend to all your needs and focus loving attention upon you without ever having to acknowledge your feminity.

But, whatever. What do I know? Maybe someone can tell me another reason they are used besides mindless tradition that slights gender ambigiuous individuals and firmly entrenches us further into the bondage of our genitals?

Sharing Another Jon Stewart Moment

Yes, yes. I'm not being original here, yes, yes ^_^ But it's so funny i have to share!




"Mahhhhhhh"

Cheny sounded like a sheep in this. Damn. Normally, I like sheep (but boy they smell).

Conversational Implicature

An Oxford philosopher, HP Grice, points out that our implications can be divorced from the obvious meaning of our language. Say we don't think much of our friend's idea on global warming but we don't actually wish to come out and bluntly say so.

When asked if his views of global warming have any merit, we could say: 'he did blow alot of air around yesterday." Our obvious meaning would seem to have no relation to the question but everyone would know that we didn't think much of that opinion.

I picked up this idea from Colin Mcginn's autobiographical/philosophical book The Making of A Philosopher. In it, Mcginn points out that politicians use this technique all the time. In his example, an interviewer qustions a senator about his opponant's alleged pot smoking. The senator replies "I think that anyone not tough on crime has a dubious past." If the reporter is aware of the coversational implicature concept she could confront the senator on it.

However, as we know, most reporters are either unaware of how polticians love to slam enemies without being culpable or they just don't care enough to call our illusturious, wonderful, public servants out.

Links Temporarily Down

My foraging into the world of blogdom has begun to rear it's ugly head! So, later I'll have to repair the links list to the right. Oh, well... maybe I can improve on the system now.

Ground Up Democracy

Random thought of the day...

Democracy is built from the ground up, yet America is run from the top down, with our president, congressfolk, courts, and big corporate media all telling us how America is and what, exactly, we need in order to be prosperous.

What's up with that?

Here are some questions to ask ourselves:

Are we involved in our local communities, or do we shut ourselves up at home at night?

Are we more aware of local politics or national politics?

What are the names of our neighbors?

Does TV replace good conversation?

A related question would be - when we talk to our friends do we talk to them on the cell phone even if they are right in front of us?*

Do we feel powerless to effect change?

If we have trouble answering these questions then we may have to admit that we don't have as much of a democracy as we once thought. If we don't what can we do about it?

I'm going to put this post on the side link board so I can put more questions up. Please, feel free to leave comments on suggested questions!!

_______________
*On NPR the other day I listened to this story of 2 college women talking on their cells. At one point they looked up and found that they were passing each other. One said to the other,

"Oh, there you are. I'm talking to you as I'm passing you. Helloooo!"

as she passed her. She didn't stop and hold any part of the conversation with her friend face to face. They both just kept walking and talking on their cells without even taking them time to hug each other or acknowledge their unplugged existance face to face. Wow!