Thursday, May 26, 2011

Empowered Women

And that’s where in terms of becoming an empowered individual....
when you get to the point where you realize you can look at someone and say
“I love myself enough" - not in a schmaltzy garbage sense, Hallmark stuff,
I’m talking respect myself - "I respect my life-force enough to no longer waste it."



- Caroline Myss


We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, 
but by the love we're not extending in the present.

- Marianne Williamson



There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.
The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.



If you don't like something, change it.
If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Don't complain. 



- Maya Angelou

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

How Will We Save the Bees?

Bees are an integral and necessary part of our agricultural and ecological systems, producing honey, and more importantly pollinating our crops.

Yet they are dying off at a scary rate.  When I moved to LA I noticed dying bees on my back porch. I didn't have a bee trap or evil poison flowers, they just flew in, and died. If I've noticed this in one of the biggest cities in America, imagine what's been happening in farm towns and rural areas. 


The UK Observer wrote in 2010: "The decline of the country's estimated 2.4 million beehives began in 2006, when a phenomenon dubbed colony collapse disorder (CCD) led to the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of colonies. Since then more than three million colonies in the US and billions of honeybees worldwide have died and scientists are no nearer to knowing what is causing the catastrophic fall in numbers." 

Until now...Two different studies have concluded that cell phone signals severely hamper the normal functioning of bees. From decreased egg production to unnecessary swarming to bees getting lost on their way back to the hives, our cell phone signals are killing off the bees.
CNN et al.

"A recent three-year study analyzed the geographic distribution and genetic diversity of eight species of bumble bees in the U.S., the relative abundances of four of the eight species analyzed have declined by as much as 96 percent and that their surveyed geographic ranges have shrunk by 23 to 87 percent.  
Apiary Inspectors of America and the US government's Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

As it is unlikely that the world will learn to forgo the convenience of cell phones, it is unclear how catastrophic the impact of the loss of bees could become.

A Sexist Pig Myth

I often feel alone and confused when news breaks of prominent, upstanding men "of note" are discovered in adulterous relationships...or worse. It's like the little girl inside of me hiding somewhere who still believes in Prince Charmings and Romeos suddenly gets choked up and says "are all men capable of such treachery?" 


To which, of course, the answer is yes. All men are capable. Just as all women are capable. All humans are capable of doing whatever they want at anytime. Das is FREE WILL. However, the ability to control our own mood swings, identify and face our fears, and conquer our bad habits is probably a good sign that we won't be given to unconscious or conscious  social transgression after promising a lifetime of loyalty to another person. I'll work on me, you work on you.


Here's a NYT article on why men of prominence cheat:
"Feelings of inadequacy, a longing for paths not taken, or a sense of gratification too long delayed can prompt the taking of one small risk, one awkward advance, and then another, therapists say. It’s easy to ridicule such motives, and they do not justify the harm done to others when the chairman reaches for the cookie jar, or the thigh of a Congressional page." From NYT: A Sexist Pig Myth

Meanwhile there are pages and pages of information on famous cheaters, famous mistresses. Where is the research on the greatest husbands of all time? The most loyal couples? The strongest, most supportive wives? I'm looking, I'll let you know.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Got Tweet?

foo·fa·raw

/ˈfo͞ofəˌrô/ Noun
1. A great deal of fuss or attention given to a minor matter.
2. Showy frills added unnecessarily

Monday, May 9, 2011

Really not a fan of coke

but I am a huge fan of the insect kingdom stealing things from humans and bottles turning into butterflies...

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Grievances

At every moment we have the choice of either feeling gratitude for what's been given to us or indulging in grievance about what is missing.

Friday, May 6, 2011

"Thin-Skinned Calcium Sipper"

I am not one to profess any sort of musical prowess.  But since this comes straight from my DJ and I am so excited to be going home the words can't form, this song must suffice: