ymmartin

HAPPINESS

2012-01-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

HAPPINESS

I don’t know why I write.

I don’t know why I breathe.

I know that this is trite.

I want others to see,

And if they do not see,

They will not understand.

The Love felt within me,

Expressly felt for man.

Love for love’s sake is pure

Need never be returned!

Love is returned, and sure,

Now happiness confirmed.

Reading and Comprehension

2012-01-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

About reading and comprehension ... It seems to me that good readers have the ability to understand the glue between the words, the glue between the sentences, and the glue between the paragraphs, and glue that connects message meaning to the perceptive mind that understands what not is written is as important as what is.

TALL NOW

2012-01-20T03:57:00.000-08:00

TALL

TRUTH is the POWER of the soul,

ART is the LANGUAGE of the soul,

LOVE is the BEAUTY of the soul,

LIFE is the STUDY of the soul.

NOW

NATURE forms essence of being,

OLD scripts teach value of seeing,

WELL thoughts find comfort believing

!! FAITH, HOPE, TRUST!! will not be leaving.

Love.... A Valentine Greeting

2012-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Love is its own reward ...

it just feels good to express love ...

it does not have to have focus or target.

Generate energizing love expressively within

flowing outward to experience

a strengthening exercise to greater emotional wellness.

Extra Credit Assignment: Fill you mind with loving thoughts then share with those you meet today.

It's Just Graduation Time

2012-01-09T04:48:00.000-08:00

Life is an assignment. You never know when you will have to hand it in.....

IT’S GRADUATION TIME

When it comes my time to die,

I will not ask my Maker, Why?

Life is learning and doing

Advancing each day we’re alive.

When it comes my time to die,

Allow me this thoughtful goodbye,

“It’s just graduation time…

I do thank you, (peacefully sigh)”.

*****************

AN ELEGY FOR A GOLDFISH

With death, hopefully, there is dignity and rest in peace,

Thankful for having been given a life with family,

That has been what it is, and was, nothing more, nothing less,

And thankful to have had the time to experience,

And opportunity to enjoy,

Friends, family, and fun in the sun,

Till day and life are done.

*********************

Art Requires A Loving Heart and Soul in addition to the Mind

2012-01-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

Politics and science require
An intelligent, inquiring mind,
But art requires much more....
A loving heart and a
Soul that speaks.

FAITH

2011-12-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Someone recently asked me if I was a faith or a non faith person. I found I had to do some deep thought and soul searching to answer that direct question. Not every one has the same definition for faith. Some think it means the same thing as trust. Some are thinking it pertains if one believes in God or not, etc.

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My response: I find it difficult to answer your question concerning faith. I am a mathematician and computer scientist and lived most of my life logically programming computers to serve human user requirements. There are times when it is best to follow one's heart and soul instead of one's mind. The mind is limited, the soul is not. Faith is simply a positive assumption for what is not yet empirically knowable, what intuition and receptivity to truth allows us to believe to make our world coherent, cohesive, and compatible for communities to function competently.

ABOVE

2011-11-29T06:46:00.000-08:00

ABOVE

Life does not end,

But affirms love,

To love again,

Higher above.

Unity and Maturity, The Bond of Peace.

2011-09-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

The contractor assigned to my kitchen restoration project was asking $1900 to paint some of the rooms in my home where the old vinyl floor with its asbestos was removed, and I thought that charge very high but was going to go with it anyway. My sister urged me to get some other painter’s estimates, and so I did by calling numbers in the Home Services section of Sunday’s Arizona Republic newspaper yesterday.

One man answered the phone and came within 15 minutes and bid $1100.

Another responded to a message I left on his answering machine, visited, and then said he would get the estimate to me by the end of the day. I never heard from him and have dismissed the thought of hiring him at any price.

The painter I chose came this morning at appointed time to look at what needed to be painted and then told me his estimate was $830. He gave me his business card and on it was this Bible scripture Eph. 4:1-8. After he left, knowing I had hired him and he would start Wednesday of this week, I looked up the scripture he thought important enough to display on his business card. His company is Young Brothers Painting ROC#271331 License Bonded and Insured. He only uses Dunn Edwards Paint because it saves his customers money http://www.dunnedwards.com/ . I have chosen Swiss Coffee (white) as my interior color. All of the different paint brands have that color.

After I thought I had selected the painter for reasons I thought important, another painter came about 1 hr later and bid the job for $689. He also is using Dunn Edwards paint and additionally he is from Illinois, my native birth state. We talked and I signed the work order for him to begin painting Wednesday confident that I was saving money and still getting my painting work done well since this painter also was licensed, bonded, and insured. Perhaps, it was one of the gifts mentioned in Eph. 4:1-8 ...

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

¹ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

Mensa Artists Owl Digital Art Graphic

2011-05-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

When I create an art image, it is interesting for me to analyze how it reveals my sub-conscious mind and soul, expressed in an associative and conscious communicating way. I am finishing the Mensa Artists Owl art image into an 18 x 24 inch print mounted on foam core board perhaps to be professionally framed and presented to the Phoenix Artists Guild for critiquing. Visit http://ymmartin.com/mensa_artists

A friend recently questioned why the figurine doll was included in the graphic placed in front of the owl, and I replied: "It's a jester entertainer, musician doll figurine, representing all performing arts artists."

Also, my Mother’s name was ‘Doll’. The instrument the medieval feminine doll is holding/playing is an ancient historical trumpet, one of the oldest instruments in man’s history, and in Junior High, I studied and learned to play the trumpet (could already play the piano) prior to playing the tenor saxophone in marching band, dance band, and state high school musical contests. The small figurine doll (feminine) is included in the art graphic memorializing my Mother who liked and collected curio figurines of all sorts, the medieval music playing imp doll represents the eternal life communicating spirit of my Mother expressed through her love of music and dancing. The owl symbolizes my Father who taught me about owls and nature, loved learning, revered knowledge, and was very intelligent and wise. The poem on the graphic is titled “Not Lost In Time” and signifies the continuity of artistic thought and achievement, timeless, being a unifying force in history rather than being divisive. The last line of the poem says, “we’re not apart, but whole.” conveying mother and child are never separated spiritually, more conceptually, the artist and their art are never separated, hence the intellectual property ownership copyright laws.

Wind instruments: Brass

The trumpet was (and is still) a very loud instrument, which was used for outdoor activities such as tournaments, fanfares, and in battle. Since the technique of bending brass had not yet been applied to instruments, the medieval trumpet was very long, sometimes even as much as six feet. The long middle-register trumpet was known as the trompe or buisine. The shorter, higher-pitched trumpets were called trompettes.

Juror's Statements

2011-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

For artists entering their art works to an art show, it is very helpful to know the jurors criteria used for selecting works to be included or awards made in the show.

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For the 2011 Glendale Adult Center Art Show May 3rd-May 30th Larry Willis wrote the following:

First, thank you for inviting me to jury your exhibition. I enjoyed the experience especially when I found out there were going to be no pieces left out of the show. All I had to do was give awards. I enjoy looking at art and those involved in the creative process. So it is hard for me to judge harshly those who are pursuing what they love to do. I once expressed, “Those who can - create, those who can’t - curate and everybody is a critic.” When you are a juror you take on the last two roles. (I’d rather be creating.) When evaluating art I look for three criteria, (1) skill of media (technique), (2) inventiveness (originality of idea) and (3) balance (this can be balance of design, color or both). When all of these come together … it’s great. All of the pieces that received awards, including honorable mentions, displayed at least one of these, many two and some all three. (Others that didn’t get ribbons displayed some of these qualities also.)some who got honorable mentions were in the running for higher place (it was hard to decide.)

In “A Grand Evening”, Carl Holle’s originality was scale. Grand can mean large, but the grandeur was displayed in a small piece. It also had balance of design, color and showed his skill as a painter.

Something to keep in mind is that all judging of art is subjective. What I chose might have been different from another’s choice. When I began entering my work in exhibits I put 3 paintings before one jury and all were rejected. I entered the same three in another juried exhibit and got 1^st place in painting. This gave me perspective so as to not take it too hard.

Again Thanks, Larry Willis
www.phoenixartspace.com/larrywillis

**********************

For the Phoenix Artists Guild 2011 Spring Exhibit at the Beatitudes Church, Juror Ruth Knowles, Arizona Artists Guild President wrote this:

Phoenix Artists Guild Spring Exhibition

Looking at art work gives me an opportunity to see people’s unique vision, their personal interpretation of their world. I also appreciate seeing a certain amount of risk taking some artists take to convey their vision. Thank you.

The PAG Exhibition presented challenges for me as a juror of awards. I selected work that illustrated technical skill and craftsmanship in the particular medium as well as attention to the basic Elements of Art and Principles of Design. I also considered Concept, Originality, and Composition of each piece. Additionally, I wanted the hand of the artist to invite me to look closer and to linger.

As a caution, I remind artists to present work as simply as possible: neutral mats, simple frames. Try not to be influenced by a framer or a garage sale find.

----Ruth Knowles

Robert Genn, High Ego Force

2011-05-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Robert Genn’s Twice Weekly Letter, The Painter's Keys website., today wrote:

“Fact is, great art comes from both the schooled and the unschooled.

It may have more to do with the old business of "character."

In our game, character is the confluence of four virtues:

high motivation,

high curiosity,

high work habits

and high ego force.

Funnily, among the folks I compete with, those four virtues are most often found among the unschooled.”

and he also included a John Holt quote,

"What makes people

smart,

curious,

alert,

observant,

competent,

confident,

resourceful,

persistent--

is not having access to more and more learning places, resources, and specialists,

but being able in their lives to do a wide variety of interesting things that matter, things that challenge their ingenuity, skill, and judgment, and that make an obvious difference in their lives and the lives of people around them." (John Holt)

Robert Genn’s message content was thought provoking. The ‘high ego force’ is a phrase I have not seen before, and yet it is so descriptive of leaders and achievers. It is the propelling fuel of initiative overcoming the inertia of stale mate, status quos, and apathetic, conforming acceptance of existing environmental or social negatives surrounding us.

There exists an operative social conditioner which chastises persons for being too egotistical, and why is that? Conceit is not a virtue, and it is linked to being too egotistical and self centered (selfish). What is the magic that separates high ego force from egotistical and conceited?

Perhaps Robert is linking high ego force with self esteem and belief in one’s abilities to overcome obstacles, to be able to make productive progress by eliminating problems? Persons who say “I can” versus those who say “I can’t” have high ego force. The traits and attributes of achievers distinguishes them from non achievers. Can persons achieve if not being self motivated, action oriented, and having a strong knowledge of who they are regardless of others preferring they be someone different, or others attempting to change either this or that in them? It is essential to know when to listen to others, but to not abandon self determination and personal self development as determined by your innate self directives.

Polonius:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

Laertes:
Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.

Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78–82

2011-04-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Michael Gormley Editorial Director of American Artist writes:

You Are An Artist

How do you know if you are an artist? Most children give their imaginations free reign, drawing and painting their wildest dreams with selfless abandon. Unlike most grown-ups, who put aside their art materials to pursue more “serious” activities, artists keep at it, committed to preserving a childlike wonder with the world and a deep desire to express that wonder. That’s how you know you are an artist—you need to create as much as you need to breathe. The world calls this art, but really you’re just doing what comes naturally.

*******************

Yolanda Martin

(editing attribution BetteLou Tobin)

What is Michael Gormley saying?

Isn’t there more to being an artist than the uncontrollable impulse to create? As we mature we learn to think that unless we can create what is judged to be good art by others then we stop creating, or else we must work and learn to improve our art so that we can continue creating art, but still seeking approval from others as validation that we are artists so as to continue to enjoy doing what gives us so much pleasure.

Too often, the professional artists building their reputations in the art community emerge, separate, and distance themselves from other nonprofessional artists, those who with childlike wonder simply enjoy creating art and expressing themselves emotively, with originality and sensitivity resonating with the subject being communicated. The artists, whose priorities and motives are to make a living from their art, create art with underlying emphases that their work must be sold, should never feel more important or better than the artists creating art solely for the pleasure, health, and happiness they get in the art making process.

Art is, for the majority of artists in the world, an enjoyable, quality ’me’ time, leisure pursuit, not a laborious, competitive business enterprise fraught with details of marketing and commercial economics trying to obtain revenue from the art created.

You are an artist simply because as a human being you were born with a need to discover, to experience, and to communicate your perceptions and life interactions, sharing those with others, affirming your realities and your existence through your own original creations. You are an individual worthy of enhanced positive self concept obtained through your personally chosen artistic endeavors. You should judge your art by your own standards, and not those of others who would discourage you perhaps only to better themselves by suppressing your individuality and personal worth.

The world is advanced by those who create, not by those who conform. You are an artist who can create what no other artist can create because you, and you alone, have a right to be you, the right to express your unique individuality. You are not a rubber stamp of another’s thought constructs about you. No one should be allowed to oppress and suppress your abilities and potential.

Build on your strengths, improve your weaknesses, and create love and positive energies around you because you are an Artist!

Phoenix Artists Guild Spring Exhibit Art Show 2011

2011-04-20T07:39:00.001-07:00

Jaxine Cummins is a wonderfully superior photographer and successful artist, and her husband, Chuck Cummins, currently is the webmaster for the Phoenix Artist's Guild Web Site http://phoenixartistsguild.com and also the Arizona Art Alliance Membership Chairperson .

You have seen my video and photographs of the recent PAG Artist's Reception http://ymmartin.com/2011-04-08-PAG-Spring-Exibit-Art-Show-and-Sale/ , now see what a professional photographer has done with the same subject theme. It takes a lot of time taking and finishing the photographs to present an event at this level of quality of workmanship, and it would be nice if every show received similar preservation of the event and work of the artists. http://www.phoenixartistsguild.com/last_show_photos.htm .

Good, better, and best,

Continue on till

Your good is better

Your better is blessed.

Life is not a test,

To do and to learn,

To share and to give,

That is better's best!

Yolanda Martin ©

I Believe ...

2011-04-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

I believe that God, the creator, does not involve himself in our petty affairs. He is the source and intelligence of the universe and all that is in it, and by giving man choice, man is accountable for consequences for all choices made, both individually and collectively within the environment, with its ever changing variables sprinkled with constants (fate) as we know it or define it.

Prayer works because there is a collective human consciousness and higher spiritual realm, supra reality/environment, the individual spiritually influences the definition of that higher spiritual realm of alternative futures (consisting of individual destinies and unalterable fates). The individual determines their destiny via body, mind, spirit (soul), self actualized living, while coping in life with specific fate as determined by realities over which he has no choice or control (the given constants and parameters of his life). Think now of the Serenity Prayer and the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

IMO, Catholic confession works because it psychologically cleanses the person of guilt and re-focuses the self to living a life free of sin. It would not work for a person who has no ethics or morals, no guilt, and is remorseless, i.e. the hardened criminal or others, unless they experienced a spiritual awakening or rebirth and opened their hearts to agape love and awareness capable of feeling and knowing the difference between right and wrong.

The person confessing his sins is proactively, positively projecting a path for progress in his life, learning from his past, with or without the assist of clerical redirection. Christian ethics promotes values clarification and helps in making wiser choices in the future that attenuate sinning in one’s life. Christianity is a consequence of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. All religions known to man are consequences yielding consequences by their very existence. It is the challenge of religions and of governments to unify the family of man to achieve peace. prosperity, progress, and happiness. Whether one confesses or not, one must cope with their conscience privately, knowing where they could have made a more effective choice in the past, and how to improve their choices in the future. If they do not do that, then they are simply a mindless, uncaring, machine without a soul.

It is man’s duty to serve God, not for God to serve man either individually or collectively. God is above all that. That which we would like him to do for us, but which we should and can do ourselves, he will not and should not do for us. “One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” says nothing about God solving our problems for us, but simply reminds us of our subordinate status to God, the Almighty.

However you may conceive or do not conceive the God concept in your mind is irrelevant. What is relevant is that you realize that we, the people, are necessarily subservient to a cohesive intelligent greater entity collective universal consciousness, the unified organization known to us as America, (of the people, for the people and by the people) is under, not over, or even equal to the synergetic whole we give strength to preserving, our Nation.

The Church and Its Usefulness in History

2011-04-02T09:08:00.001-07:00

I do not agree (see below) that the churches are the least productive industry. I believe that by being morale boosters and uplifting the human spirit enabling it to work and live in harmony with one another, enabling increased productivity and better performance, that the church is possibly the most productive industry known to man and one that is supported voluntarily by its constituents unlike the government which taxes it citizens to death and beyond.

It is the church, not the government, that compassionately and ethically cares about newborns, the dying and the dead, and all in between birth and death. The church more than any other organization known to man in all of his history has promoted and preserved art and artists, and not just in any one mode of expression of art, but all art in the world.

Sex was God's gift to man, Love was God's gift to woman. (you may quote me).

From: Robert N. Eaton

Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 8:17 AM

To: Yolanda Martin - kb4mes

Subject: Re: Art and the Church, My Photography and Video of St. Francis Xavier during Lent

Catholic churches have typically been beautiful, even ornately beautiful. The feeling was, and I think still is, that this is where a common (poor) parishioner may come and be surrounded, even overwhelmed, by beauty. It is certainly nicer looking than his often squalid home, and he forgets that he is paying for all this finery by his tithes.

Then the people who inhabit this beautiful building gather together to tell him that his common thoughts and very human actions are bad, sinful. If he has any hope of a heaven, which they promote as everlasting life in paradise, he must pray, confess his sins (of which they convince him he has many,) do penance, and tithe, tithe, tithe to support the church in the manner it would like to become accustomed.

Quoting Robert A. Heinlein The Notebook of Lazarus Long:

The most preposterous notion that H. sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive industry in all history.

He follows this note with:

The second most preposterous notion is that copulation is inherently sinful.

2011-03-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

http://suewidemark.com/music.htm visit this site and listen to the music she provides there. It heals, the mind, the body, and the soul.

SUE...

Sue is such a blessing
in my life right now.
She is the medicine
I needed somehow.

When my spirits sank low,
She’s faith healer, know!

She speaks my language
Music played on page.

Truth is, I am OK,
For Sue helped light the way.

FOR ART’S SAKE!

2011-03-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

FOR ART’S SAKE! GIVE YOUR ART A LIFE, LET IT LIVE.

Don’t be litigious! What is a copyright infringement and what is not, be able to discern the difference. Protecting your intellectual property rights is important, but publicity can sometimes be good or better for your career than money, below are several pointers to keep in mind about your art and the life and freedom it deserves to be enjoyed by others.

**In general, allow your art be publicized as much as possible. The more people who see it, the better your chances are for making sales. As with any other product, the higher your name recognition, the more art you tend to sell.

** The earlier you are in your career, the more inclined you should be to let other people reproduce your art at no charge assuming, of course, that they're not using it to make money. For example, if a non-profit organization asks you to provide, at no charge, a cover illustration for their brochure, you should probably give permission, and note it in your resume. If, however, a greeting card company wants to use your art on a line of cards, only give permission if they pay you.

** In certain cases where your art is being used for commercial purposes and you stand to receive a large amount of publicity or exposure, but are offered no money, consider waiving fees that you might ordinarily charge.

** When the reason for the use of your art is to draw attention to you and your accomplishments as an artist, and not to line the pockets of the parties doing the reproducing, be thankful you are admired and thought important enough be the subject of attention.

** Be supportive of the educational uses of your art, uses respecting and crediting you as the artist. It is beneficially contributing to help improve the skills, appreciation, and knowledge of others who may one day become patron of the arts or artists their selves. You and your art are valuable to the humanities and may become treasures of posterity.

** Make sure you always receive proper credit for any use of your art. Whenever possible, have the users provide contact information along with your name. This way, anyone interested in owning your art can easily get in touch with you.

** Art exhibited in an art show open to the public is meant to be seen and experienced. Viewers should be allowed to take photographs of art in a show in order to preserve their memories, to sharpen their perception and appreciation of you and your art in the show. Be understanding.

What is Intrepretative Art?

2011-03-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

There are new buzz words in every discipline of study or profession that appear, become vogue, then die out, old and archaic anachronisms of language. Part of learning something new is learning its ever changing language.

The word “interpretative” appeals to me because it can be used broadly meaning interpretation of some subject to others by an interpreter. I happened upon the term when I was trying to figure out what my photographic collage of the Maricopa Animal Care and Control West Side Shelter was art wise if art at all. The word “interpretative floated to my mind and then I checked on the Internet and found out my intuition was correct and that I wanted to learn more about interpretative art today.

In an increasingly global culture, the emphasis is on communication. When so many people around the world speak different languages, the interpreter is all important having skills in translating one language to another. Art knows no language barriers. It is easily understood why interpretative art will ease the transition of diverse peoples of unlike cultures and origins coming together productively and peacefully.

What is Interpretative Art ....??

I believe it to be the reciprocal merging of traditional academic disciplines in such a way as to inspire and include art and artistic creative expression to motivate and educate others enhancing written text with visual imagery minimizing the words needed while increasing the positive experience of learning....

An example is the book below... (http://www.cr.nps.gov/seac/ancientmuses/theme.htm) and its synopsis which via its context defines interpretative art uses.

Ancient Muses:Archeology and the Arts

Edited by John H. Jameson, Jr., John E. Ehrenhard, and Christine A. Finn
Published by the University of Alabama Press

The practice of archaeology, as well as archaeologically derived information and objects, can inspire a wide variety of artistic expressions ranging from straightforward computer-generated reconstructions and traditional artists' conceptions to other art forms such as poetry, opera, and storytelling. Although some level of conjecture will always be present in these works, they are often no less conjectural than technical interpretations and have the benefit of providing visual and conceptual imagery that can communicate contexts and settings in compelling and unique ways. These cognitive connections between archaeology and art reflect an inductive approach in defining and explaining the resource and making it more meaningful to the public. An emphasis on artistic interpretations and narrative is consistent with a new direction in archaeological practice that challenges the positivist paradigm of processual archaeology, promotes the relevance and validity of deductive reasoning over inductive reasoning, and represents a fundamental change in how archaeologists plan and conduct research and evaluate significance.

This book examines a variety of examples of this new approach as it applies to more meaningful and effective approaches to interpretation that emphasize public awareness, access, and inspiration. The book includes case studies where archaeology has inspired artistic expression, and where interpretive art is used to inspire and educate the public.
June 2003

288 pages, 50 illustrations
6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
ISBN 0-8173-1274-9 - $29.95s paper
ISBN 0-8173-1273-0 - $60.00s unjacketed cloth
Order: U AL Press Distribution Center: (800) 621-2736
http://www.uapress.ua.edu/NewSearch2.cfm?id=132516

The Grammar of Art...

2011-03-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Great and valuable timeless art is an invaluable assist to persons in that they stimulate us to introspection, reflection, and better understanding of subject displayed either directly or abstractly, representatively, or indirectly.....

I can not imagine a full and complete person or one seeking wholeness not appreciating the value art brings to our human species globally. It is also a language that knows no language barriers provided the person is not visually handicapped either by sight or by a cognitive process inhibiting condition.

Top landscape painter, Clyde Aspevig, believes that details should be last on an artist’s checklist: “By subordinating details, creating abstractions, and employing unusual compositions or techniques, we can create more knowledge gaps. These little questions or mysteries pull the viewer into further analysis.”

Why Does God Allow Suffering In The World?

2011-03-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me Or, Of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

"And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:13-14).

http://ymmartin.com/2011-03-27-StFrancisXavierMass/ Web Page Photos.

Suffer and suffering appear often in the bible.

The earth is an environment that is balanced within and without, populated with living creatures. When imbalances exist, nature always must return, establish new balance. The world is just one gigantic set of systemic scales.

Man has been granted free will of choice which creates variables of his own making a world counterbalanced by other men and the environment, within and without. It is nature with its random variables and constants, its physical laws that are challenged by man and then in return challenge man.

The world and men in it are given dynamic motion and events which must not be predictable, can not be programmable, or should not be controlled other wise it would not be a suitable environment to develop the individual soul of man and his unique comprehension of his universe, his physical realm.

The world is defined to elude man’s limits of comprehension. As soon as he is satisfied he knows, he finds out he doesn’t know at all, and he is reminded that he is not God after all. After experiencing the physical realm, the spiritual realm reigns supreme for the souls that survive the suffering of life to know God and be one with him.

Suffering occurs as a result of life interactions, of opposing forces that must be free to engage randomly and variably, and not be controlled otherwise man would have no real choice to determine his destiny and develop his soul. Soldiers in military are trained using live fire, and so too, God trains living creatures with real situations that have varying circumstances randomly occurring.

Suffering in the world is the casualty losses resulting from uncertainty, uncontrollable variables that must and do exist just as variables exist in man's scientific mathematical formulas developed for generalized uses. The physical world is merely one huge mathematical formula having discretely defined randoms in it for reason, rhythm, and rhyme (rime). (Rime ... Meteorology)

God does not dish out suffering. Why suffering? One might as well ask why life at all?

There are those in life who have never suffered or at least not to a substantial degree. I wouldn’t call having a broken fingernail suffering or other such mishaps. I think that I have suffered and know others who also have suffered, but few of us have suffered to the extent that others in the world suffer mercilessly at the hands of a dictator or other misfortunes of life, or the way that soldiers suffer in battle or at the hands of their captors and die so that we can enjoy our way of life. A car pulled up in front of my home yesterday while I was “suffering” trimming the freeze damaged bushes and the man that got out was headed for the ball game across the road. His bumper sticker said “You can thank a vet for being able to enjoy your freedom”.

Suffer is a concept in need of defining it to the degree and limit you are concerned at discussing it. What is the magnitude of suffering or the scope of it? It really doesn’t matter since we all have different thresholds of pain and perception. A hangnail for some is a nail through the hand for others. What is important is how we respond to suffering that we can not avoid or escape. Fortunately, the body has various mechanisms to cope with suffering, death being the ultimate one.

Crucifixion would be the extreme example of suffering. Jesus' words from the cross, asking forgiveness for those who put him to death. More widely, of course, the plea was for all humanity. Jesus knew before hand his fate. He did not seek sympathy or rescue because he understood the nature of suffering and did not question why. We come now to one of the most poignant and important moments in Jesus’ ministry--his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, which immediately precedes his arrest. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me . . .” Jesus is amazingly candid in expressing his fears to God. He protests, “I don’t want to do this” and he cries loudly as he protests (Heb. 5:7).

There are times in life when we must do what we do not want to do and what we fear to do even though much suffering and pain may be the consequence, but which we are ordered to do either by our moral conscience or higher authority. The life of a martyr, the bravery of firemen, the commander of an army, the future and the past is human history which is our present preparedness for the moment we might be called to serve or be served up for a cause.

It is wise to avoid risk taking that could have suffering as a consequence for self or others, and so some suffering in the world is a consequence of man's unwise choices. Man must learn from his mistakes and do better risk management. When people build houses on high risk earthquake fault lines do they not realize the risk and fate they are courting? When nuclear plants are built, do they not realize that nothing is fail safe? When hurricanes and floods destroy homes and lives, do victims not understand their vulnerability to the forces of nature?

Do you fear suffering? If you do, that is normal just as we all have a natural fear of death, the unknown. You can train a sheep to go to slaughter, but you could never educate one to so act.

Civilized society and governments are ethically and spiritually educated, trained, and expertly experienced to minimize suffering to the extent possible to identify, control, and prevent the causes of it. For the men who with malice aforethought elect the evil choice, or those who don’t know the right choice, they need to seek the wise choice or have it sanctioned upon them, hence our military, police, and justice systems.

We can not expect God to fight our wars for us. He gave us choice. He gave us life. He and he alone is beyond reproach. In God we trust for we must. If we have done all that we can do there is no alternative when there is nothing else to be done but trust in God.

What I write about suffering does not mean that God is indifferent to individual cases, but that because of the reality of the collective and the environment given to us, although he does care and is aware, he must not exempt the individual from consequences of their own choices or he must not separate individually from the collective in which the individual resides.

The Freedom of Choice granted by him to each and every soul mandates non-interference in the resulting outcome of those choices made individually, singlely, by others or in a collective community in which the individual exists. We are, if you would so think, on our own in this world that God created for us expecting us to be responsible, loving, and fully experiencing the environment partially if not totally of our own making.

The individual is accountable for his destiny regardless of what fate unfolds. It is not what we suffer or that we may suffer, but how we can prevent suffering and attenuate it wherever possible. If not possible to prevent suffering, then it is important in how we cope with it for ourselves or for others. It is not that we may have sinned, but that we learn to sin no more.

Consider the concept of guilt by association as in Pogrom. A pogrom (Russian: погром) is a form of violent riot, a mob attack, either approved or condoned by government or military authorities, directed against a particular group, whether ethnic, religious, or other, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres. The term usually carries connotation of spontaneous hatred within the majority population against certain (usually ethnic) minorities, which they see as dangerous and harming the interests of majority.

The term was originally used to denote extensive violence against Jews in the Russian Empire and a series of anti-German pogroms in Russia in 1915. Pogroms often affect members of middlemen minorities. This can, in extreme cases, result in total or partial genocide, such as that of Armenians or Jews.

God is not indifferent, but because we have Freedom of choice, we have destiny to be what we become via our choices individually and how we influence the collective in which we live. He must not interfere in any way with fate else our destiny would be meaningless and not of our own making in coping with it, admirably or not so admirably as the case may be.

If man destroys the world and all life in it, what God giveth, he does not take away, for God made man answerable, responsible, and accountable for his deeds in his life, and the keeping of his soul and salvation of it, individually and collectively.

The phrase "God help us" is oft said and is an appropriate end, but with this one last thought from Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, gave this encouraging statement: “My faith in God and in His followers rests in the fact that He is infinite good, and that He gives His followers opportunity to use their hidden virtues, to put into practice the power which lies concealed in the calm and which storms awaken to vigor and to victory” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 204).

Programming an Art?

2011-03-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Programming computers is similar to other styles of traditional writing having primary intent to communicate to humans, but the added difference is that in programming, there is also an intent to control as well as to communicate, to provide an user friendly interface that intelligently extends, augments, and empowers the user to participate in the control over the machine and its computer computational, communicational functioning to produce a desired outcome (and hopefully a correct one) with minimum inaccuracy, confusion, or complexities. Programs should be fault tolerant and even assume the user might be faulty in their use of the interface.

A computer program is so much more than mere rote coding. It has intelligent design and effective implementation. Creating and developing a program is creating new living and ever improving entities with forms, features, and functions, thinking out loud and assimilating corrective feedback while projecting a future that pragmatically pleases and fulfills the program's environmental purpose in life.

A work of art program is like a person, it's compatible, modifiable, and performs productively, positively, the entire duration of its presence in its host system. It consumes a minimum of resources while processing its inputs producing outputs for others.

(Yo, I'm kind of with you on this one. I never found programming to be something to be done "without thinking about it". Code in itself, well written, well designed and elegantly done, can be an art. Sure there are things which tend to be the same like the typical "file management system" for a flat file - those things I wrote a generator for but I found most programming to be very thought intensive. Of course, I was a systems designer on a PC environment type thing but that being said, I enjoyed IBM assembler and COBOL equally well.... (Sue Widemark http://healthread.net)

Finding Fault

2011-03-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

There are the doers, the complainers, and all shades in between to cope with in life.

Do not walk behind me,
for I may not lead.

Do not walk ahead of me,
for I may not follow.

Do not walk beside me
for the path is narrow.

In fact,
find your own way.

Just be and
let me be.

Waste not time,
faulting me.

You be you,
I'll be me.

If its not art, what is it?

2011-03-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

When artists conceive and give “birth” to their work of art (regardless of the media used), the work does assume and manifest a life of its own, and the artist interactively, with resonance, becomes the medium “whelping” in labor brings the work of art into this weird world of ours (populated with humans).

One wonders about the integrity of that life, when the creator later goes back to alter the original, even paint over it, throw it away, or even worse, someone else does. Perhaps the “medical care” of the art work requires its preservation restoration, and the alteration does not sacrifice the value of the art as originally intended.

An arti-vice is the counterfeit and forgery of art as well as the copying of valuable originals with evil intent or greedy theft in mind. To copy the masters is a learning exercise, and that activity should be allowed and encouraged so that the student may better understand and appreciate the masters and the degree of difficulty involved, but to copy with intent to deceive or cheat would be the same as avoiding the discipline of studying, working exercises, and actually circumventing learning lessons thereby cheating via various shortcuts and on the exam and review falsely earning a passing rather than what should be a failing grade.

My Father taught me drawing when I was in elementary school first having me trace over works of art of all kinds and then I used other aids to learn perspective. Sadly, so much time has passed, and I have not retained all that my Father lovingly tried to teach me.

Much of what I have dutifully studied and learned is now integrated and has lost its recall specifics, no longer recognizable, now appearing that I do not even know the basics. Perhaps it is that those “basics” were meant only to be stepping stones to what I am truly supposed to know and do now at this stage in my life believing beauty and truth are how we feel within and value those virtues, the art and the artist becoming one.

I am trying to understand why the photography art print below was withdrawn from the veterinarian art show and yet I realize it is not “fine art”, it may not even be art, but what is it? I did create something. What did I create?

There is no art so bad as to be impossible to learn something from it so that the next attempt will improve and be better. It came to my mind that this montage was in the genre of "interpretive art". The mission of interpretive art is to expand the awareness of issues affecting underserved communities.

Via cross-disciplinary art activities, medias, and interactions with real life scenarios in the world around him, an artist expresses and creates art that reflects communication messages dedicated to improving social problems. Interpretative art uses its time and space to explore cultural and political issues most relevant to their artist communities and lives. Interpretative art serves as a communication bridge for improving the health, education, and social justice issues of the underserved, underprivileged classes.

Art at one time meant communication. When entering this piece that was juried and accepted and then not hung without explanation, I realized it departed from the other entries in the show. A framed work that was finished to be hung in the show now sits as a passenger in my Toyota pickup truck, and I am perplexed what I should do with it? Maybe it was art that was meant just for me to ponder its “birth”?... and also wonder what to do if not never to allow such “art” to be reproduced or even seen, and yet what often passes as art is not art at all but simply a problem statement requiring a solution.

I felt the refusal to hang this photo montage that was accepted by the show jurors was a slap and insult in the face, unabashed, to my joy and happiness after first being notified by the jury selection committee that both of my entries had been accepted into the show. I am not upset about the poorly performing second class photography entry. It is the contradictory actions of accepting an entry then refusing to hang it that bothers me.

This montage had been entered only as a secondary spurious after thought, and at the last moment before the cut off of accepting entries expired. It was submitted as an experiment in my mind actually to see what would result with it.

I do agree that this specific art entry was a great departure from the la la other paintings in the show. I realize also those in charge of setting up and hosting the show wanted to entertain and impress with guests and the art community with “fine art”, but my reasoning in entering the montage was that the show needed an entry that truly showed how people interact with their pets and the Maricopa Animal Care and Control Shelter with its many strays and throw aways being put to death. That message deserved its historical place because of its truth. Truth is unwanted many times just like the strays that end up in MCACC.

In terms of numbers of animals and numbers of people circulating in, for, and around MCACC it represented the animal/people bond more than the many pure animal portraiture depicting no animal/people bond whatsoever and one of which (the bull's face portraiture) won first place.

If it is a show about 250th Anniversary of Veterinarian Medicine and service to people, consider then that all these years have gone by and still many people do not responsibly take care of their pets nor their selves. Veterinarian medicine has yet to create and prescribe an effective treatment for that condition.

The jurors accepted the entry and notified me it was in the show, but someone powerful enough in the show refused to hang it.

Oh well, now what do I do with it? As I said it is riding around with me in my Toyota as a passenger. Perhaps if an explanation would have been forthcoming as reasonably due, then truth and the “art” of the show would not be as “palette-able” or “palatable” as it might want to be. I wonder.

This photo work is more than montage judged fine art, it is a problem statement ongoing and moving along with me on the road. For now, I don’t know what else to do with it. So I just will think about it until I or someone else can resolve the questions that surround it.

*****
I now understand why that photographic montage was not hung, but I do not understand why the jurors accepted it into the show if they were not going to hang it.

I now know that the montage is visually disturbing. That is the problem. It is a problem statement that no wants to see because it tells too much about the viewer's being either a part of the problem or a part of the solution and no in between fence sitting. In my mind, it also looks a lot like the Arizona Department of Corrections with its many inmates behind bars many who are people strays just like the canines in the MCACC are being bars. That photographic montage frightens me and perhaps that is what others see also when they look at it. The Haul-Low-Cost of man's
inhumanity to man and cruelty to animals in his care and keeping. Try to not get hung up in that fact soley, for time would be better spent teaching color names to the blind.

Worry is a misuse of the imagination so I will not worry that someone may dislike me. I am art in that respect, and an art that requires a vision that most do not have nor will they ever acquire in this life.

I am an artist because I now choose to be, having aptitude, altitude, and attitude, plus ability acquired via education, training, and experience. I need no one to declare what I am if I know who I am and what I want to do with my life. Beauty and truth are how we feel within and value those virtues, the art and the artist becoming one.

I hope that you would seek to be an artist too in this life, be a work of art that would be amazing beauty and truth through and through. You can be more than you are, better than you were, and impress yourself with inner truths that can never be disparaged by me or anyone else.

Be, ...
Be.!!
Do not content yourself
with what you are,
be more than you are,
positively!

Tradition

2011-03-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Boiled corned beef and cabbage is cooking in my kitchen this morning.

I love Reuben sandwiches;
the cooled and thinly sliced corned beef
judiciously sassed with sauerkraut,
sauced with thousand island dressing,
and assisted by holey Swiss cheese,
heartily hugged together,
embraced both top and bottom,
by two very intelligentsia Russian ryes,
being hotly grilled,
convincing the captive Swiss cheese
to totally melt down and rye,
confessing their secrets
so tastefully toasted.

Enjoy with dill pickles picking the side of your choice.

A Reuben from heaven, truly ready to sensate gratify your body, mind, and soul.

About Proselytizing.

2011-03-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

About proselytizing, I don’t believe I have ever written or focused on any biblical scriptures to the exclusion of each individual living one’s life as they freely choose, exercising the choice God's word via the Bible allegedly provided man .

The bible’s many parables, psalms, and past preachings are motivations to encourage us to be morally good, to provide and give us strength to endure whatever life and death create in our environment.

I Believe

My belief is that
We reap what we sow,
We think and we grow,
We live and we learn.

When time, a new turn,
Life ends, does adjourn.
Know time to move on,
To journey beyond.

The words of Jesus Christ Superstar have come down through the ages through many scholarly minds who may have had their own agendas and beliefs.

I respect the bible, but respect the right and worth of an individual’s beliefs more. The stories of the bible are “social stories of the past” (literary art) created to promote social harmony and peace to conform a diverse people for their own good from an uncivilized state.

I feel I know Jesus personally, but do not expect him to be my “savior” as that would be denying me the duty and expectation of others that I be responsible for my own choices and suffering or enjoying their consequences.

How can one explain the Bible divided against itself, i.e., the Old Testament versus the New Testament with the Jewish and the Christians now in opposite camps and schools?

I believe,
but I reserve the right
to believe freely,
to not be a victim of
conditioned conformity,
contradictory confusions,
captive creating cultures,
and chaotic consequences.

250th Anniversary Veterinarian Medicine Art Show entries web links to view paintings and their information.

2011-03-12T13:45:00.001-08:00

(my entry is titled "Happy To See You", a digital art photo based hybrid photography/digital painting media termed "paintography")

Subject: 250 th Veterinarian Art Show, March 3-April 3, 2011 Artists Competition Entries (246 images, painting with info card of title, artist name, media, price)

It was a challenge to see if I could write an art critique review. I did try. The link(s) are for those interested in seeing the paintings entered and a review of the show and its First Place Winner.

First Place Award Winner, Beth Hyatt-Rapp, at the Arizona Art Alliance 250th Anniversary Veterinarian Medicine Art Show and Sale, Arizona Art Alliance Gallery, exhibiting 122 Art Competition through April 3rd, 2011.

****************************************************

Please click on the following link to read a critique review of the 250th Vet Art Show ..

http://ymmartin.com/TheFirstPlaceWinnerOfThe2011.pdf

******************************

The uploaded Vet Art Show movie video is now on YouTube. It is 8 minutes and you can view it at this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuFiZNfdaWg
or click the play in the center of the graphic.

****************************

http://ymmartin.com/2011-03-04-VetArtShow/

The Web Site Link given above displays photos and info cards of all the Artists Competition Entries of the 250 Anniversary Veterinarian Art Show now showing and for sale in the Arizona Art Alliance Gallery, 9011 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, Arizona from March 3-April 3, 2011. 60 Artists and 122 Art Works are photo documented on the web page above. You click on the photo of interest and the larger version will then appear. Use the browser go back arrow to return to the main index page showing all the entries.

Using the photos of the Gallery Paintings, I have created a Picasa movie video and uploaded it to YouTube to be viewed worldwide by the public, or friends and family of the Artists participating in the show. It is 8 minutes and you can view it at this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuFiZNfdaWg

This is one of the best art shows I have been honored to participate and also to photograph preserve for ease of viewing and remembering.

Yolanda Martin

http://ymmartin.com

aka http://computercanvascreations.com

Member Phoenix Artist Guild

Member Arizona Artist Guild

Why Suffering in the World?

2011-03-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

The theory is, if there is evil, there may be a God - but we have to give up on His Omni-benevolence.

God is like an artist - His Canvas - all of space and all of time. What's He making? He's making something beautiful. Beautiful art always involves a play between dark and light, light and shadow.

God therefore permits evil. He does not cause evil because evil is a lack of something (like a toothache is a lack of health in the tooth).

But He permits evil so as to bring about a greater good - so as to produce in a way that we cannot see clearly, a more beautiful canvas, a more beautiful sculpture or a beautiful novel or a beautiful painting.

At the end of time, we will see all of Creation like a great book but in the course of this life, we maybe see one paragraph - one tiny part of the whole story. That's why the world so often, as we experience it, doesn't make sense.

Like Job who complains he doesn't deserve this suffering. God takes him on a tour of the cosmos and asks him over and over "Job, where were you when I created this?"

via Fr Robert Baron and SueWidemark (http://healthread.net/)

A Spiritual Event

2011-03-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

I wrote to Robert Genn, an author/artist I know, respect and admire, requesting his permission to print the letter you will see below my request as follows..

Dear Robert,

I would like permission to copy/print some of the letter today about Sedona, Arizona and what Art is (your perspective) along with a link in case others want to subscribe to your letters ... I would include it on my http://ymmartin.blogspot.com/ as a standalone blog entry titled Robert Genn Writes....

You may remember me, Yolanda Martin, (I wrote and was selected by you in past years as a Finalist by you for inclusion of my article in your new book. My article exists for reference at http://ymmartin.com/ARTicles.html#Article5 “Define Art ....In Search of The Meaning of Art”. Obviously with all the valuable input you received from other artists and authors, and continued thinking on the subject of art and its meaning, you are more of an recognized authority on the subject which interests us both.

I so much enjoy your letters.

For me, art is not for making a living, bur for making living worth while.

Quietly I think of you today.
Silence is golden we think, we say.
Perhaps alone with our thoughts,
Maybe feeling with our hearts,
All the memories of yesterday.
***************************

Be all you can be.
Be better than I am.
The Best is yet to be.
*************
For some,
Art is for making a living...
For others,
Art is for making living worth while.
For everyone,
Art is what brings us together.

Yolanda Martin
*********************************

Dear Yolanda,

I'm walking a labyrinth in Sedona, Arizona. I'm repeating the words, "My higher self is guiding me." As well as thinking of something else, I'm wondering if there's "something else."

Sedona is one of those spiritual hot spots where visitors come for all sorts of body work, yoga, self-improvement, or guru-inspired transformation. In the USA, this kind of stuff is a $10 billion-a-year industry. Sedona is also the place where three fine folks allowed themselves to be cooked to death in a spiritual sauna at the end of a labyrinth. This was at the urging of the now bankrupt and criminally implicated guru James Arthur Ray. If only those folks had been aware of the life-centering force and personal power one gets from the harmless little activity known as painting.

Yep, I'm talking about painting as a spiritual event. The act has something to do with making a physical tribute--a sort of a visual prayer--honouring the gifts that surround us and the life we've been given.

Before you hit that delete key or drop a note to say I've gone wonky again, here are a few observations for those who might be buying my oysters:

Art establishes and makes tangible a time, a place, a thought, an idea.

Art, properly made, enhances and enriches the lives of others.

Art gives an opportunity to endow new life and new meaning into the ordinary.

Art gives an opportunity to design your own world, and, as in your children, create a significant immortality.

Art is hard-earned work that is its own reward and has a degree of permanence.

Art, because it's so easy to do, and yet so difficult to do well, encourages humility in the human soul.

Art is an apprenticeship that can be stretched into a lifelong education.

Art thrives on democratic ideals, freedom of expression and rugged individualism.

Art permits you to step out of the labyrinth and into a quiet corner of your own private joy.

Best regards,
Robert Genn

PS: "You don't need to follow someone else's path." (Nathan Thornburgh)

Esoterica: A spiritual awakening is often found and developed in a wilderness. It can be a poem or a parable of a deep forest, a mountain meadow or a cactus-studded desert. The outdoor spirit of plein air refreshes and further enables the indoor studio chapel. Each new creative beginning is a confirmation of the simple truth of taking care. And while it may all appear to be self-indulgent and isolating, every thought, every stroke, every caress of the brush adds a small refreshment of meaning and purpose to our universe. "Work is love made visible." (Kahlil Gibran)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/spiritual-event.php (to view this broadcast letter online)

You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter.
(permission to reprint in this blog granted by Robert Genn Mar 11, 2011..."Hi Yolanda,
Thanks for writing and yes please use the material as you see fit, giving credit where due.
All the best and thanks for your friendship. Robert")

(c) Copyright 2011 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writing rgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

FRIENDS

2011-03-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Friends........They love you, but they're not your lover
They care for you, but they're not from your family
They're ready to share your pain, but they're not your blood relation.

They are........FRIENDS! !!!!
A True friend...... .

Scolds like a DAD..
Cares like a MOM..
Teases like a SISTER..
Irritates like a BROTHER..
And finally loves you more than a LOVER.

(A friend is a lifesaver, a enemy may need saving too, BUT....:)

My English Language Pedigree

2011-03-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

Regarding languages, vowels, and English grammar ... and cut downs http://wordsmith.org/words/images/pedigree_large.gif

My English Language Pedigree

I hope you will agree,
and will appreciate,
my English pedigree
is simply, very... grate!

(Yolanda)

Fear of Darkness

2011-03-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

Fear of Darkness

What about those of us
who work in the dark,
are in the dark,
blindly seeking light
and then may shine
brightly for others?

I do not fear darkness,
but greatly appreciate
the stars
that shine
at night,
and the dawn
heralding a new day,
a new beginning,
a new challenge.

(Yolanda)

What Is a Troll? Chronic Dysfunctional Social Behavior.

2011-03-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

(prerequisite is my blog on Getting Along in a Social Setting)
(Also worth your viewing is comic caricatures at this web site defining the many online group flame warriors dysfunctional behaviors ...
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/)

The many faulty, fault correction behaviors used in dysfunctional groups and by select savage individuals creates an unhealthy climate increasing the cold weather fronts of hostility, animosity, irritability, intolerance, hatred, and many other negative human behavior responses counterproductive socially.

In interpersonal communication and relationships, it is the differences recognized in others that initiates the fault finding, fault riddance discrimination syndrome . It is very difficult when someone believes there is a fault in another when it is not actually a fault but natural human diversity: differences such as a disability, a developmentally acquired attribute, or some other distinguishing feature.

Unlike faults, diversity is not bad and it is good to be discerning of differences so as to improve one's self and others. To know and for others to know your strengths and weakness is prerequisite to improving thereon, being able to appreciate how much improvement has occurred overall, and how much to expect in the future.

Diversity deserves group attitudes and actions that foster understanding, acceptance, tolerance, and also providing helpful, caring, responsive therapeutic treatment or special counseling if needed. Diversity in a group should not be a problem if the differences that distinguish an individual's specific strengths and weaknesses are allowed. Conformance compatibility changes and expectations required within a group should be flexible enough to accommodate the individual's special needs.

Related to the problem of dysfunctional fault finding behavior, is the disagreeable fault creating troll and the various trolling behaviors that should be cast out and banned. Trolls are negatively and rapidly reproducing their species creating unusual breeds of trolls where each breed has many varieties making it difficult to cope with the problems the troll creates.

In general, the species of trolls is a person choosing dysfunctional behavior. The troll does not even believe the way he writes, he just writes it just to provoke negative response, (that's trolling). Just disagreeing (however loudly and/or wrongly you may think) isn't trolling because dissent is valuable in a group especially if it is sincerely expressed, valid, and not meant to be a political ploy detraction.

A troll is a bully who harms others and disregards the rights of
others. The troll uses low level fault finding behaviors on the entire group or individuals within a group increasing disharmony, discord, and dysfunction of a group's member or the entire group. The troll creates confusion muddying the discussion by mixing up the minds of the participants.

The troll is the villain. Given choice, the troll chooses evil, bad versus good, destructive behavior versus constructive. Zooming in on the label, trolling unreasonably disagreeing with something that's a known fact or otherwise claims to own/have done/seen something that is either clearly impossible or intentionally formatted so that it get's on the other person's nerves, exasperating their patience and tolerance excessively. Don't feed a troll by arguing with him because you have then become his victim.

Don't confuse a villainous troll with diversity members in a group.
Diversity members sincerely want to participate as they are able to positively and constructively. A troll is bad and wants to make others into worse trolls. Member by member, he can disable an otherwise productive group rendering it dysfunctional. Call in the sharp shooters to apprehend and eliminate trolls.

Never allow a troll to reproduce his species of dysfunctional behavior in what ever nuanced breed and variety evidenced. Attenuate the troll's affects on others by neutering his dysfunctional behavior then humanely, safely dispose, and protect yourself from this remorseless, unconscionable, parasitic pariah.

Pariahs tend to reinforce each other and form their own cliques within a group and perhaps attempt takeover of the group entirely. I don't know if it is possible to reform or rehabilitate the pariah, but perhaps someone may try and succeed. Perhaps the pariah will reform and rehabilitate their self becoming a welcome member in social groups that encourage and reward positive self improvement changes. There is hope that dysfunctional behaviors will be eliminated entirely.

Good luck to all with the tasks of creating a better tomorrow.With positive self improvement behavior, the social climate will become socially healthier and much more enjoyable.

Getting along in a social setting

2011-03-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

I have many shortcomings and faults, but I do not give up on myself. For others who I consider works in progress, I have hopes for reconciliation and try again, unless I realize there is nothing possible for me inter personally to do constructively to resolve issues within reasonable measures. In those cases, I maintain social distance, and I try to do better the next time, just as I do with an unsatisfactory art work I have created.

God knows what he has created. He doesn’t make mistakes, or does he? Perhaps he intended for us to refine each other and to evolve our souls and lives so that we would have the satisfaction of feeling better because we have made the choice to become better, assisted by the help of friends and others in our lives, creating a bond that unites us socially in a satisfactory way.

In this blog there are many grammar errors, poor wording, and an incomplete list of gradations of the levels of the need for and methods of modifying another’s behavior. I keep proof reading and rewriting to improve it. There is a point at which I must stop trying to improve it. You may see obvious errors in the message content or other problems I can not see myself. I appreciate those who let me know my mistakes in a constructive way, but there is not time to dwell too long on its imperfections or any you see in me.

In behavior modification, it is virtually impossible not to change yourself while engaged in the attempt to influence desired change(s) in others. The resulting behaviors of both interacting may be worse than before. We are changed by the people we love because love is the most powerful instrument of change process.

However, I keep on working at becoming a better person. Shouldn’t we all? It is just more difficult for some than others to improve because we all have different resources to use and problems to cope with. It is very difficult when others would prefer you to fulfill their negative projections and expectations, low balling, rather than having high hopes for evolving your social ability positively.

Groups ironically and historically need to have scapegoats. Groups also have their ins and their outs. For instance the saying, “Clue her in” or “She’s clueless”, or “Clue her out” ... Mankind’s history is a violent one. It seems that by now we would have learned how to coexist peacefully, but the news on TV indicates we haven’t achieved that level of civilized behavior.

SomeYahoo groups have lost valuable members due to interpersonal personality conflicts. I have worked a lifetime in organizations, in both social and business groups, and by now must have experienced directly and personally almost every interpersonal conflict imaginable or that others can contrive.

It was necessary to analyze a variety of interpersonal behaviors along the way in order to understand my own behavior better and that of associates and acquaintances.

Often self improvement was needed or sensed that the group had problems within its organization borders, coping with interpersonal conflicts counter productively negatively affecting the groups quality of existence.

How do we create better mirrors to reflect where behavior should change either in ourselves or others so that the result is a higher performing and more productive person in their interpersonal relationships? It is a challenging problem to eliminate group social conflicts and alleviate interpersonal friction.

There is a difference in degree and resulting effects of methods used to evaluate each other and influence desired change. Changes desired are identified according to subjective assessments made by person(s) who may or may not be qualified to critique another.

When it is not an I'm OK, your OK situation, behavior modification is required by one or both participants or all participants in a group according to the scale of need for reducing friction and social conflicts. I have created the following analytical progression of severity from bad to ideal behavior modification to prevent validly perceived poor social performance and to facilitate mutual improvements inter personally.

***************

List items presented in the order of least effective to most effective mode of modifying an other's behavior to an other's expectations and standards of improvements . We both know individuals differ in the manner they deliver or treat another individual inter personally whether it be in or out of a group.

Group psychology is a little more difficult than just meeting and making a new friend(s). It is the science of politics, and I lack training and experience needed in that science. I am even very poor performer socially. I believe it developmental to identify fault correction methods and their effectiveness.

1 Faults invented such as falsely labeling overtly, covertly, or subversively an other who is unwelcome in the group because of personal attributes.

2 Fault dwelling and focusing so as to dismiss the persons strengths and contributions discouraging and suppressing their active participation while encouraging others.

3 Fault ridiculing another to suppress them from participation and denigration of them.

4 Fault seeking with intent to harm.

5 Fault finding as casual observation.

6 Criticising excessively versus when justified.

8 Giving feedback harshly and mean spirited.

9 Giving feedback kindly and generously.

10 Giving feedback when asked and responding as a friend.

11 Acceptance partially of an individual despite his shortcomings.

12 Acceptance unconditionally appreciating the individual. Reinforcing their unique contribution with no need for change.
Every individual has something that justifies their valuable presence positively and uniquely in life.

What level would you judge you practice? What level do you judge groups you know about when assessing their internal interpersonal effectiveness? I know I need to improve, do you, or an organization you belong to?

Yahoo Groups and Organizations

2011-03-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Sentence.

Give me liberty or give me death,
But preferred, is that you give me breadth.
The breadth of vision, the space to breathe,
Without breadth it is better to leave!

To unjust victor belongs soiled spoils,
Without liberty, clichés and toils.
Liberty without breadth, surely foils.
Victory is in the liberty.

(2011©Yolanda Martin and Daniel Magnus Bennét Björck)

*************************************

Yahoo Groups

Censorship moderator action is ONE way to impose compatibility among the members, but I do not like to belong to a group where that is needed.

That is abandonment of the right to express freely.

In my own Yahoo group, if a member does not use good communication judgment and is abusively harmful to the group then the member is first warned, and if necessary removed.

Many times a member leaves recognizing they are not compatible with others in the group and choose not to fight for participating social space within the group.

I do not like totalitarian or dictator type regimes as is it anti-democratic and also does not create a forum for individual social learning.

"The hamster is dead and the wheel is still turning." results.

Yolanda
(I learn from my failures and am reinforced by my successes.)

WORDS

2011-03-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

May I share a short poem I wrote January 30, 1982

THE FOOL PROOF FOUR

The fool you see

That fool is me

No fool can be

The fool of thee.

Here is a web page of clever insults and putdowns ... they might make for interesting reading or in case someone reading this likes to engage in uncivil behavior ...

http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/insult.html

We need only look around us and acknowledge the current crisis of bullying in our country to see the power of words. What begins with a word, an insult, has led to the suicide of many, and for others ill health, sorrow, and needless pain ....Words kill but words can also help. It takes wisdom to use them non destructively.

Words should be used to enlighten, inform, and encourage and there would be less conflict for all. In additon to words, it is the spirit and intent of the communication that matters and not its mechanics.

Diversity .....

2011-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

In American we live and work with others who have vastly different skills, intelligence, and educational levels, plus the American citizen may speak many languages, not just one, or maybe barely can master verbal and written communication at all. They may even be autistic, disabled, too young or too old, and many other differences. Unlike more homogenous countries, America is probably one of the most diverse of all, hence the need to advocate the diversity tolerance and acceptance of those whose strengths may be your weaknesses ... or vice versa.

I think that we should strive to develop skills and proficiency in our countries chosen language, English, but we should not expect others to have the same proficiency as our own nor should we judge them via those self centered standards projecting onto others. An English major probably is going to know more about the English language than a mathematics major. A highly educated high brow should not feel that he is better than the one whose life circumstances chose other priorities in life. The need to elevate one's self esteem by rudely pointing out the deficiencies of another merely indicates snobbery, false sense of superiority, and a need for improved understanding of the other, to accept them for who they are and not who you expect them to be. How very rude to address another's weaknesses rather than perceive their innate value and rightful place in life. You may condemn immorality, dishonesty, violence, and other sins, but you may not condemn a person for being their self with acquired personal attributes and expressions uniquely their own as well as their imperfections.

“We must strive to remind ourselves of this great possibility. Instead of allowing diversity of race and culture to become a limiting factor in human exchange and development, we must refocus our understanding, discern in such diversity the potential for mutual enrichment, and realize that it is the interchange between great traditions of human spirituality that offers the best prospect for the persistence of the human spirit itself. For too long such diversity has been treated as threat rather than gift. And too often that threat has been expressed in racial contempt and conflict, in exclusion, discrimination and intolerance. “ (The source of the quote above is on a page in the United Nations web site .... http://www.un.org/WCAR/e-kit/vision.htm )

English Language versus the American Language

2011-03-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

"English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." (unknown)

Do you know that the English and the American languages differ greatly? The American language is one of frank sincerity, naturalness, earnest attitude, and fellowship acceptance.The English favor the language first, its user second; and the Americans favor the user first, language second.

The English in their imperialist manner forced the English language on all their colonies and conquered people, America being one of those colonies. But fortunately, America has earned her independence and long ago history says.

With the immigration of peoples from many nations speaking and writing other languages as well as the native America Indian languages that influenced American language as it now exists, how one speaks and writes should be judged first and foremost on that fact that he does so freely and openly, sincerely, and honestly.... not on how well he conforms to English expectations of grammar perfection.

That being said, you may grade my English grammar of the writing above or what I write in my blogs only after you first understand the difference between being American versus being a pedantic of English language.

My Background

2011-03-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

"The best way to ruin a friendship is to do someone's website" (just an interesting quote) .... I have constructed websites for friends and organizations volunteering my time and resources. It was a valuable learning experience, but one that I would rather not dwell on. If you have coded HTML very much you understand my message without my adding any additional detail.

In response to a friends inquiry about my education and work backgound ..

In 1963-69 (it took me longer than 4 years since I was married and gave birth to 2 children during those tertiary school years at Hannibal-Lagrange College, University of Illinois, Kansas City Metropolitan Junior College, and University of Missouri at K. C.).... there was no such thing as a major in computer science or IT, I majored in Mathematics (avoiding statistics and applied stuff), minored in Education and received a B.S. Math degree at which time, I applied to AT&T and was hired to work in their accounting department as a salaried professional. AT&T trained a class of new hires regularly (about 20) to train to their standards of excellence and to educate to be a member of their department of programmers and data base developers. Working as a professional employee with AT&T meant I was non union (which was only for wage earners), and AT&T professionals were designated management personnel. I worked for them for 4 years then my husband and I relocated to Rochester, NY as new hires for Xerox. Xerox provided IBM training classes in IMS and systems software development. After working for Xerox for about 3 years, American Express in Phoenix, Az hired me providing even more advanced training and education in IMS design and development .... and so on and so on through other U.S. Corporations (Capex, IT&T Courier, Intel, IBM, and back to AT&T) moving up the professional ladder of expertise with each move, receiving greater compensation as I advanced. I even worked overseas (1985-6) in New Zealand (with permanent residence visa) for their consortium of banks data processing company named DataBank, returned to America and worked for Cutler Williams as a consultant to Lomas & Nettleton Mortgage Company then consulting work, work, and more work.... and now I am retired... creatively using my time to be both artist and author as time allows.

The paragraph above accounts for my working career years after tertiary schooling. Prior to my college graduation year 1969, from age 15-25, I worked while attending high school and college to save money to pay for my education as a home town telephone operator, waitress in a nice restaurant, clerk in retail stores, and secretary in school offices.

Whew! That was a trip down memory lane.

Social Woes in America

2011-02-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

The failure of the American Education System .... a deeper look into the troubled American socio-economic systems....

Undoubtedly EEOC and other cultural changes (farmers moving to cities, increased industrialization, and the information technology transitions of the workplace and its expectations) in our lifetime were accomplished at the expense of previously established social systems. Social systems that denied women and minorities equal opportunity in the workplace and in their lives..... perhaps the quest-for-equality and equal opportunity social revolution is not yet finished and until it does so globally, there will be continued social unrest in all countries and not just our own.

America is no longer living on self sustaining farms where the more children born made the work easier for everyone. By prohibiting child labor and “protecting” them perhaps children no longer had the early awareness learning that one must work to earn their living (the economics of living and facts of life)? Child labor is better than child wastefulness, but child abuse of any kind can not be allowed.

When both parents work to support the home and family, children perceive a partnership and sharing of tasks by both the Mother and Father in maintaining the home and providing for their welfare. The previously assigned roles where Mother is the homemaker and the Father the breadwinner now provide more individual self determination and offer more freedoms in the family familiar and much less stereotype role playing. It is not the modern day working Mother who upset the social fabric and educational achievement but perhaps it was the many welfare Mothers with yet another baby addition, increased crime due to confused morals, ethics, and government inadequacy to be effective in managing national resources or providing proper pathways for economic achievement. Divorces have increased statistically, but that may also have been necessary for the women to resist domestic violence, for them to not be submissive to spousal emotional and physical abuses, or being unable to live independently to fulfill their own potentials and life goals.

America's baby boomers are now senior citizens placing economic stresses on outmoded social systems. Social systems and government budgets presently are unable to accommodate the elderly, disabled, unemployed, and the many incarcerated for social crimes without depriving the young a quality education or the working adults their pay without burdensome taxation. Ironically, America is still engaged in foreign wars and generously helping the world while seemingly unable to help itself.

Art Is .....

2011-02-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

For me, art is not for making a living
but for making living worthwhile ....

Originality versus Creativity

2011-02-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

Originality (Idea generating, theoretical conceptualizations)

Originality refers to the production of a new idea, without any particular care for whether these ideas will be useful or not. So when you’re brainstorming and trying to turn out as many possibilities as you can; psychologists would call this originality, not creativity. Originality is the switched on light bulb in the darkness, the "Eureka" moment.

Creativity (Idea executing, applications)

So what’s creativity then? Well, while originality is judged by the sheer number of ideas one can come up with, creativity places a more stringent criteria on these ideas – they not only have to be original, they have to be worthwhile or useful. Creativity is exploring around using the light bulb in the darkness to see what can be done but also doing it, the performance and productivity process.

A friend thought the definition of originality not quite adequate so I replied with the following...

A better definition of originality: an idea’s conceptual genesis, first time ever existing in mankind’s history?

What is possible for a human mind to apprehend uses the process of cognition and idea formulation.

The mind can apprehend or cognize

a perceptual true and valid reality,
one existing outside of itself, conceived as an extended supra or sub reality,
or an imagined fantasy reality.

Intuition, observation, experience, agreement, compromise, change, adjustment, validation, recordation, reference, work, testimony, and other activities of mankind stimulate our actual intellectual experience and the constructs needed to cope with reality of living existence or to escape it. Originality and creativity are used for discovery, learning, and achievement, expanding our realities proficiency attainment.

The Artists Media, Tools, Art Studio

2011-02-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

Regardless of media used, more important is the artist and his originality, creativity, and imaginative intelligence combined with quality, visual communication abilities, skillfully all coming together, birthing another fine art's real existence, universally appealing, perhaps timeless, revealing to others the artist's attitude as well as his aptitude. A poor artist is better than one who thinks he need not improve or has nothing left to learn.

The artist's tools and art studios vary greatly, but they are not what define fine art, their user may only be a craftsman, tradesman, or artisan skilled in the process, one who does not have an artist's many talents and inspirations.

Art is the language of the soul. The soul of an artist is indelible, highly refined, and dear to many. Artists are above all others, essential to the human condition as we know it. They uplift, motivate, encourage, beautify, entertain, console, heal, and help us through what would otherwise be an ordinary, common, and utterly boring, experiential existence. The world would be a much healthier place to live if everyone would develop their artist soul within.

One may prefer to express their artistic talent by appreciating the art made by others and by being a patron of the arts they are often inspired to think about art and support art in their lives and community ... For instance consider the "Art to be found in "...

The artful assembly and the artistry of the dining room setting itself, the furniture style of the table and chairs with their textures and colors, the upholstering of the seats, the curtains which harmonize and accentuate the dining room table and chairs on an oriental expensive imported rug, the aesthetic décor, the food, the sterling silver pattern, the crystal glasses and vases with floral arrangement and the presentation of magnificently prepared food served with eye appeal... all are artistic, elegant, and display the gracious intelligence of the hostess who has invited guests to partake of the beauty and tasteful occasion of celebration. Also consider the invitations and the fine stationery paper on which they were engraved and the art of the stamp that was pasted on the envelope so artistically calligraphy written with care.....

Oh what crass and crude depravity of those who are at best McDonald's do you want fries with that mentality.... but there is art to be found there too ...

I myself bypass the dining room all together and use my table for many pragmatic purposes befitting my present lifestyle, but it could be used for dining it I chose to live so well. Then also observe there is the chandelier and aesthetic beauty of the lighting of the room both natural and incandescent or florescent..... the art of the aromas that the air carries from the kitchen heralding the coming main event to savor and remember..... good for the soul, the mind, and the body so artistically elevated.

Why Did Van Gogh Cut Off His Ear?

2011-02-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Self mutilation is hard to understand and yet persons do that for many different “reasons” ... sort of like “cutting off your nose to spite your face” cliché demonstrated for real either for the victim or others to experience and know the psychological pain must be relieved by the physical pain endured... sort of fighting fire with fire but in this case fighting pain with greater pain or at least an obvious pain more easily dealt with in reality.... many persons self harm their selves... obesity, drug addiction, and even joining in dangerous practices that might be fatal ....

Loughner was intentionally choosing self harm while harming others ..... if the person feels injured, they tend to injure other or make their psychological perceived injury real in some visible way that others can see and sense their pain within that led to self inflicted harm ... Here is an art work with a poem done by my friend Bob Eaton who has rationalized that his pain of old age is proof that he is still alive .... the ability to endure pain either self inflicted or as a consequence of the physical aging process gives meaning to the cliché “no pain, no gain” ....

Christ endured intolerable pain and achieved enlightenment in his suffering and others might think to follow that line of reasoning .... Van Gogh lacked a satisfying sex life it seems and his relations with other artists friends may have been platonic but also looked like a form of masochism to me...

mas·och·ism –noun

1. Psychiatry . the condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering, physical pain, and humiliation.

2. Gratification gained from pain, deprivation, degradation, etc., inflicted or imposed on oneself, either as a result of one's own actions or the actions of others, especially the tendency to seek this form of gratification.

3. The act of turning one's destructive tendencies inward or upon oneself.

4. The tendency to find pleasure in self-denial, submissiveness, etc.

Pathophysiology

Self-harm is not typically suicidal behaviour, although there is the possibility that a self-inflicted injury may result in life-threatening damage. Although the person may not recognise the connection, self-harm often becomes a response to profound and overwhelming emotional pain that cannot be resolved in a more functional way.

The motivations for self-harm vary as it may be used to fulfill a number of different functions. These functions include self-harm being used as a coping mechanism which provides temporary relief of intense feelings such as anxiety, depression, stress, emotional numbness and a sense of failure or self-loathing. There is also a positive statistical correlation between self-harm and emotional abuse. Self-harm may become a means to manage pain, in contrast to the pain that may have been experienced earlier in the sufferer's life (e.g. through abuse) over which they had no control.

Other motives for self-harm do not fit into medicalised models of behaviour and may seem incomprehensible to others, as demonstrated by this example:

“ My motivations for self-harming were diverse, but included examining the interior of my arms for hydraulic lines. This may sound strange. ”

Assessment of motives in a medical setting is usually based on precursors to the incident, circumstances and information from the patient. However, limited studies show that professional assessments tend to suggest more manipulative or punitive motives than personal assessments.

The UK ONS study reported only two motives: "to draw attention" and "because of anger". For some people harming oneself can be a way to draw attention to the need for help and to ask for assistance in an indirect way but may also be an attempt to affect others and to manipulate them in some way emotionally. However, those with chronic, repetitive self-harm often do not want attention and hide their scars carefully.

Many people who self-harm state that it allows them to "go away" or dissociate, separating the mind from feelings that are causing anguish. This may be achieved by tricking the mind into believing that the present suffering being felt is caused by the self-harm instead of the issues they were facing previously: the physical pain therefore acts as a distraction from the original emotional pain. To complement this theory, one can consider the need to "stop" feeling emotional pain and mental agitation. "A person may be hyper-sensitive and overwhelmed; a great many thoughts may be revolving within their mind, and they may either become triggered or could make a decision to stop the overwhelming feelings." The sexual organs may be deliberately hurt as a way to deal with unwanted feelings of sexuality, or as a means of punishing sexual organs that may be perceived as having responded in contravention to the person's wellbeing (e.g., responses to childhood sexual abuse).

Those who engage in self-harm face the contradictory reality of harming themselves while at the same time obtaining relief from this act. It may even be hard for some to actually initiate cutting, but they often do because they know the relief that will follow. For some self-harmers this relief is primarily psychological while for others this feeling of relief comes from the beta endorphins released in the brain. Endorphins are endogenous opioids that are released in response to physical injury, act as natural painkillers, and induce pleasant feelings and would act to reduce tension and emotional distress. Many self-harmers report feeling very little to no pain while self-harming and, for some, deliberate self-harm may become a means of seeking pleasure.

Alternatively, self-harm may be a means of feeling something, even if the sensation is unpleasant and painful. Those who self-harm sometimes describe feelings of emptiness or numbness (anhedonia), and physical pain may be a relief from these feelings. "A person may be detached from himself or herself, detached from life, numb and unfeeling. They may then recognise the need to function more, or have a desire to feel real again, and a decision is made to create sensation and 'wake up'."

As a coping mechanism, self-harm can become psychologically addictive because, to the self-harmer, it works; it enables him/her to deal with intense stress in the current moment. The patterns sometimes created by it, such as specific time intervals between acts of self-harm, can also create a behavioural pattern that can result in a wanting or craving to fulfill thoughts of self-harm.

The Monster Me ...

2011-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Creating Art,

Working With Colors,

Healing to the Spirit,

and Restorative to the Soul.

Creating Art Using the Computer

Allows More Dimensions of Healing To That Process,

Time Being One

of Those Most Crucial Elements

of the Healing Process

of One’s Mind, Body, and Soul.

An online friend recently asked for the full resolution size of this art work (top image), one I created while attending Dr. Paula Artac's Workshop (hosted by Arizona Artists Guild), November 1, 2008....

(visit Dr. Artac's web site Colors of Life at http://www.colorsoflife.net/ ,

you may want to Contact Paula Artac at:

paulaart@cox.net or paula@thesundancecenter.com

or by phone: 510-917-1650).

My friend has also suggested an alternate title, instead of "Crucible", to be "Soul of the Beholder". He said he sensed violence in what he viewed but liked it anyway, although he normally prefers calm and serene art (he is a composer and musician). I replied as follows.

Yes, my thoughts also as I created it .... not consciously but with out controlling my conscious mind only allowing it expression to emerge from the inner consciousness of my person. In the creativity development workshop about 4 years ago, about 20 participating artists joined hands and tossed water on torn bits of bleeding tissue in a pile in the center of our circle of joined hands, and then we meditated, disassembled and began our own individual creation of collages made of glue, selected bits of the colorful bleeding tissue from the pile, and out own fluid energy drawn from the artist group and from the pile of the group fluid energy mentally endowed its presence.

It is sometimes scary to look at your inner self just as this is scary art.... but it is also healing in the process to overcome the animal nature within us, the human faults, and the vices common to man often suppressed but without question always there to some degree or another ...

When I showed the material collage that I had giclee photographed professionally at a local art printer shop then photoshop its duplicate mirror image and joined to be surprised to see the “spirit” angel Goddess at the center top .... I was amazed and realized that sometimes in the real world, it is inadequate to see the entire image as we exist in the spiritual world.... and while the other artists at the workshop had done their traditional art thing painting on top of their collage, I was the only one to say to my instructor that I was going to finish mine with the computer .... she was amazed at the results I later showed her....

The art work first titled “Crucible” is now a large 4 ft x 5 ft framed work original over my fireplace (appropriate location in my home) .... since just like in metallurgy it takes intense high heat to forge the finished work so does the spirit and soul of man.

????

The world we can not escape and all live in is very violent, All of the animal species in it struggle for existence in violence and even nature creates its many violent natural disasters .... as humans we filter out much of what we don’t want to acknowledge but the inner consciousness is aware and sometimes emerges such as it did in this art work .... one artist friend sees the Nutcracker Rat King in it ... and another friend sees animals that she point out to me and even a dog’s face .... our being is an amalgam of lifetime experiences, thoughts, and events .... so too our inner consciousness.... we must have the courage to boldly look at ourselves introspect and acknowledge our imperfections, our animal self, our soul however low it may be .... but keep sight of the “God, pure divine sprit that is our highest expression of being” .... ???

I can’t really say I like what I created .... but then as a Mother, I can’t deny it or throw it away.... can’t even ignore it so I framed it and proudly show it to many .... titled as “Therapy Art” ..... that fits, doesn’t it? Crazy or sane ..... we all can benefit from therapy art.... Art Therapist is a very fulfilling occupation and if I had my life to live over I might choose to be one. The workshop was taught by a supreme artist .... who is a psychologist Dr. and researcher Art Therapist...

Surely I sent my friend the .psd full art work and said... and of course you can modify it, change its colors, or do what you like with it .... Have your way with me so to speak.... it is too large (almost 90mb) to attach so I will upload it to my site now (takes about 25 minutes to upload), and then you can download the .psd work file (you do have Photoshop, right?)... I also have the slightly larger .tif file (99mb) of it the giclee printer (Dec 2008) gave me when I asked him for it ... http://ymmartin.com/Crucible_New.psd .... (Art is to show and be appreciated) ...

Go ahead.... Make me famous by having you as my prestigious patron .... (trading art for your music) ... remember I have Cherokee ancestry and our Cherokee Trail of Tears does represent a lot of violence against my ancestors .... and Cherokees were one with the creation..... considered heathens....

I have waited till the upload to my web site is finished, and I have tested it to see it is ok before sending you notice it is ok to download in Denmark.... What I am sending may or may not have a border .... "Melt Down" could be another apropos title for this work ...

The media used for this art work cration began as Fluid Energy Bleeding Tissue Collage then became a Computer Digital Art from the photo giclee of the paper backed Collage and now the art is purely residing dormant electronically to be executed into what ever future form desired ... one of those “lives” is as giclee print on canvas framed above my fireplace and the colors used are harmonious with other accessories in my living room ..

It might be used as a textile print design or curtain/slipcovers design, playing cards (back of card), etc .... who knows .... it is just “interesting” and “violent too” like the interplay of good and evil in the world or in our being.

The Monster Me,

Macabre We See ....

Is it You or Me,

What Others See ....???

Yolly.

The Tooth , dental work, it gets expensive

2011-02-04T09:01:00.001-08:00

My real teeth represent a lot of life time dentistry work.

A while back I posted photos of my trip to the dentist and was undergoing restorative periodontist dental work including 6 weeks of deep periodontal cleaning needed to prevent serious development of various gum problems that often causes persons to lose all their teeth after age 55.

My saga of dental work continues on, but now at another dental establishment that does more procedures and one that my dental insurance has contracted with to accept what they pay according to customer expectations. With the previous dentist, I was scammed by their telling me they were a Delta Dental Insurance ppo provider when after all the work was done months latter they then presented me a bill for the difference between the insurance contract price and their approved price which is less than their real price.... oh yeah..... hundreds of dollars different.... What could I do since I didn't want to compound further problems and complain to the Attorney General about the deception and fraudulent practice.... I simply paid what they claimed I owed them, but vowed never to return.

Yesterday morning, with my mouth locked wide open via a large rubber bite prop, Dr. Edwards, a specialty surgical dentist at Southwest Dental Group in Peoria, Az, was routinely inserting a long needle syringe into my mouth's gum, deadening my upper left mouth area around a missing tooth soon to have my first modern dentistry dental implant. Oooooh, that smarted!

The missing tooth was extracted about a year ago (by him) leaving a unsightly problem causing toothless gap midway of upper left set of teeth. Food and medicine would trap inside the hole. That hole was created by a tooth had to be extracted, a root canal procedure done 10 years earlier by another endodontist became infected, rejecting the material the root canal used. That tooth with root canal also had been given a crown, that extracted tooth represented a lot of money (several thousands of dollars), now a loss, costing more money to replace it.

While Dr. Edwards was drilling a hole and placing the metal anchor screw into my jaw bone (the screw had to be special ordered. I had previously waited a week for it implant sized to arrive, I felt no pain but did hear a lot of disconcerting and distressing noises of jaw bone removal and metal anchor insertion. After that was finished, Dr. Edwards sewed up the gum tissue around the anchor and stuffed a wad of gauze in my mouth THEN his assistant asked what kind of pain medication did I want him to prescribe (I couldn't talk).... of course there was a 500 mg 4 times a day amoxicillin antibiotic prescription to be filled also and dutifully ingested at appropriate times until all gone. I sat in the dental chair while they took another x-ray and instructed to come back monthly for the next 4 months to have x-ray of the implant's bone around to see that all was healing as it should. Afterward 4 months healing time, I am to see a prosthodontist next door down for dental implant abutments, the bases of implantations. They transfer the load from the teeth to the dental implant. The implant is hidden just like the dental implant abutment, but the post of the abutment extends into the crown.

All in all, the cost is around $3000 for the dental implant, abutment, and new tooth. The process takes about 5 months time to complete. Additionally, there can be complications that I don't even want to think about but had to sign off that I was aware of them. There are dental implants being done in a day, but my dentist says their success rate is low and fraught with problems.... oh well, I have the time to invest in my dental work and fortunately for me also the money to pay the bills. It is not vanity but health that motivates me to keep my health clean, restored, and healthy as can be for my age.

Politics at its best ...

2011-02-03T04:26:00.001-08:00

Politics at its best ...

"Politics is the art of compromise.

The challenge is to find a compromise

without making anyone feel like a loser,

and that takes a lot of work."

John Emerson, retired minister

Win Win .... Together .....

If we could each improve individually

by never trying to prove our selves

at the expense of others, ....

wasteful arguments would be replaced with

mutually agreeable productivity, progress, and prosperity collectively.

Conflict resolution is most difficult to resolve amicably

when the interest of one must be sacrificed to satisfy that of another.

It is a challenge that makes us grow and tests our soul.

I do not believe in self sacrifice,

but then neither does the other.

Together we search for a solution,

one that surrounds and replaces selfishness...

with sensitivity,... sharing,...

saving what matters most of all...

friendship.

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Truth in Art .... ???

2011-02-01T06:42:00.001-08:00

Art is representational or non representational .... realistic, impressionistic, abstract, or any of a number of other adjectives used to describe the artist's creation.... I read the following in this morning's Robert Genn's email to me this morning and am still thinking about the concept of truth being used as he has extended it to be.... ???? Wouldn't that be stretching the truth more than just a little? Perhaps truth does have these different "faces" , but the truth of error? This is a very creative use of the meaning of the concept of truth indeed.... I find what Robert wrote to be very thought provoking and true....

.............Art has the potential for another kind of truth--the truth of illusion, distortion, anomaly, enigma, exaggeration, paucity, understatement, embellishment and error. If everything in a picture were exactly as in nature, there would be little to engage anyone, much less give them something to talk about. Art fascinates for reasons the artist and the viewer cannot always define. We sit in front of our work and say, "There's something funny about this, but I don't know what it is." .................

.... truth's deceptions stripped of all pretenses ?

"FRIENDS" FOR INSTANCE..... AS PORTRAYED IN THE ANIMATED MOVIE "CARS"...
Wonderfully imaginative and lovable.....

The Face of an Assassin-Loughner

2011-01-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

FACE BOOKED

Face of an assassin .... how did this go so bad?

What motivated his terrifying rampage which was premeditated and planned?

After committing such atrocities, why does he wear this fateful, un-hateful, happy face?

It does not look like the face of an insane person to me, it is too intense with intention.

It is the face of predator who just finished eating its prey!

It is the face of punishment of self and of others for everything wrong that needed to be set right.

It is the face of penal code personified, problem persona, personality patchwork pasted parody.

It is the face of politics!

*********** Sanity or Insanity ***** Criminal or Not ********

I think the bottom line is “posing a danger to self or others” ..... that would be the essential criminal or insane demarcation line or if one is “going to pose a danger to self or others” either now or in the future.

The determination is sometimes made subjectively by an authority “thought” to be competent to judge another’s behavior and health. Their presumed competency to judge is sometimes compromised greatly by papers reducing reality and subject’s behaviors to sentences and words as written by someone perhaps lacking in necessary verbal skills and observations who may not be competent to do and even further clouded if typing or keying errors occur in the paper work or not familiar with the English language as their primary language or from incompatible cultural backgrounds.

Only if someone is rational, coherent, and in control, willfully, intentionally, chooses an evil and harmful conduct toward others, he is deemed a criminal.... otherwise, not in control of their behavior, then deemed insane. The harm done in both cases may be the same, but the consequences are not very different, one is rehabilitated and the other treated. They may or may not be incarcerated, one in jail/prison, the other in an asylum of varying degrees of controls or they may be supervised while remaining free in their community under constraints limiting their freedom. In both cases, either criminal or insane, the person will forever be a future second class citizen suffering suspicion, social stigmas, and scrutiny by others fearful of what could happen. Sometimes their fear is greatly exaggerated and becomes a phobia or creates it own kind of problems complicating the social setting surrounding both the suspect and the scrutinizer.

It is prudent to prevent self and societal injuries and harm, so social guardians establish means of assessing individual’s rational, coherent, competency, and in-control behavior to norms established, and more importantly, assesses judgment governing the individual’s behavior. This is very subjective and difficult and becomes even more difficult if the person is a high IQ individual and has always been different than mainstreamers.

There is never enough time or money to do justice to another under any circumstance in the social systems now practiced. So the degree of imperfection in the process is obvious by observing the snowballing increased size and number of the penal systems, joblessness, poor physical and mental health of the population, number of doctors and medical care staff, and an eclipsed economy failing in performance and productivity as a result of untenable social systems ineptness.

Loughner represents Politics.... not mental illness.... politics .....!! Loughner is very sane .... but evil.... willfully and intentionally exercised his free will to injure and damage not only his self but others .... that is usually the definition of mental illness also, but I think that is incorrect and blurs the line between criminal behavior and behavior resulting from mental health failures...

The danger to self and others is the state where criminals and mentally ill overlap but the two are not the same. In Loughner’s case it is the definition of evil criminal behavior and his free will exercised evilly .... free choice that God gave us .... there are the satanists, terrorists, and other anti social threats among us and if we use the insanity defense for them we are doing a great injustice to mental health progress.... one must discriminate between criminal evil conduct and conduct lacking mental health.... Loughner, knowingly, intentionally, willfully committed a crime against humanity and against himself... and was sane.

Sigh.... it is sad they are making Loughner the picture boy of mental illness.... was Satan mentally ill? I doubt it .... If God gave us choice to choose good or evil but we intentionally choose evil over good, and in clear and competent mind know it is an evil act and are aware of the consequences then how does society protect themselves from those evil doers .... how do we identify evil in the minds of others... does society with its established status hierarchial status levels create evil doers from those possessing the potential and disposition to become evil doers? Where DO bad people come from and why?

Know When to Shift to Reverse

2011-01-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

Any material possession demands its space, maintenance, and accommodation in your life and alters it to some degree or another .... the more you own, the more you are owned.... it is and it isn’t a problem to living your life depending on the contract you have made with your materialistic status sheet ...

Just like mental illness that is ever so gradual onset, so too, one can suddenly become too encumbered by their possessions .... or analogously, sort of having one kid too many and you realize you are no longer able to have a life to live because everything and more than everything available is consumed with no relief in sight (too many kids bankruptcy).

It never ceases to amaze me how a woman can repeatedly get pregnant and lacks the financial ability required for support, and the husband dutifully steps up to meet the new demands until ...... the last pregnancy resulted in a critically ill baby or child and the medical situation was so intense it causes divorce and then the husband fights alimony and tries to reduce child support to the minimum .... or the Mother runs off leaving the kids with their Dad .... or some other crisis occurs .... it all happened one kid at a time .... just like hoarding happens one possession at a time however you obtain it .... you have filled all of the available space and can not move to a larger home.... so then you give truckloads to Good Will or Salvation Army or have a chain of weekend yard sales .... but for some who are chronic hoarders..... they can not let go .... (The Monkey Trap)???? So many kids are not receiving their fair share of parental attention simply because of lack of family planning???? And the citizen tax payer is greater encumbered and the entire world to accommodate the exploding population ...

Just like the woman who can not make responsible family planning and not get pregnant without means to provide for the new addition, a person takes on more possessions than is sustainable ... The latter situation is more easily corrected than the first....

It is a problem if the problem is not self limiting whether it be hoarding or having one kid too many.... once your personal choices and actions require others’ intervention and subsidizing in some way for your oversight and self indulgence and gratifications then you have certainly crossed the line inexcusably... there should always be a margin of safety zone before you cross the line. Sometimes others can see you are in a danger zone when you can not. Listen to them.

Thank God for the birth control pill.... take it! Thank God for Good Will.... donate... reclaim space and time .... physically and mentally. Thank God there are persons wanting to adopt either babies, or pets, or other over accumulated collectibles in your life. Know when to shift to reverse.

A poem I wrote this morning .... "MINE"

2011-01-15T07:31:00.001-08:00

MINE

Sometimes when I look at what is mine,

I'm quite satisfied there is enough.

My gathering is all quite benign,

But others say I have too much stuff.

Hoarding is bad, but saving is good.

I am not greedy, collecting things.

Plenty there, never bare, and with food,

Planning ahead, my happiness brings.

Some think there is way too much clutter...

I organize my home for my self,

Not content with JUST bread and butter.

Life placates body PLUS MENTAL health!

Insanity Defense and Fate versus Destiny

2011-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

In evaluating how we use what God has given us "choice" and in determining the guilt or innocence of one who is accused of committing a crime whether he be insane or not, it is important to distinguish between fate and destiny.

In the prosecution of an accused criminal, it is also important to decide if the accused knowingly, willingly, and intentionally acted criminally. It can be argued the insane person lacks that ability, and also the ability to know right from wrong, but I do not believe the insane person can be so easily excused or exonerated since social order requires that a person be accountable for their actions if they live freely in society and community (to live freely they must not overtly reject or avoid their own mental health treatment and care), and if they can not competently maintain their mental health then the social system is obligated and must care for them protectively for their good or the safety of others.

Moreover, mental illness is often very treatable. Crime would decrease dramatically if instead of slurring the mentally ill as many do, we made medications other than alcohol and pot much more available and provided local easily accessible treatment. Recent mad man shooting victim Congresswoman Gifford held her congress on the corner (the site of the assassination and mass shootings)..... what if there were day to day improved mental health in and on every one’s minds at all times? When you recall all the hype and publicity providing recent flu vaccines .... why do we not see that for mental health in many different doses unavoidable as we interact in our community and with our government and others?

For the future, we should lobby to reconstruct the lagging public mental health services that our legislature has stripped of funding. The police and justice system continues to increase. Let’s address the source of what police and the justice system are feeding on. Whether or not we want it to be so, we have citizens in Arizona who are in need of treatment manifested by homelessness, child abuse, sex crimes, unemployables, severe debilitating dysfunctional disorders, spousal abuse and addiction. We have buried our heads in the sand too long refusing to believe we must deal with these issues.

If mental health is the goal and better systems provided for improved mental health in all cases there would be no crime, no victims, and no legal avoidance of guilt or consequences for individual or collective group decisions, actions, and behavior.

It is not so much that I am opposed to the insanity defense as that I am advocating improved mental health which would alleviate costly crime, the criminally harmful acts of persons lacking mental health, education, and employment. For a government to focus on negative punishments, to not provide the architecture for improved health, education, employment, and welfare of its people, is a formula for disaster and that disaster is inexcusable as well as insane. It is a formula which creates insane persons and criminals at ever increasing cost to its endangered citizens.

They do report that less than 1% use the insanity defense ..... even so how much is it used is irrelevant reasons for or against it ...with as much crime as exists in America even 1% is a large quantity ....

I was sent to the Arizona state institution via insanity defense which the public defender found to be the easiest way to satisfy all concerned and it was simply to remove me as an obstacle legally because of a fence dispute and subsequent contempt of court charge against me because my neighbor and the city was claiming my property wooden fence for my needy neighbor who they were giving (building) her a new fence as neighborhood improvements,,, to save money on my side they claimed my fence which I had just recently rebuilt as maintenance on my property line where the old fence stood, my property was taken and sacrificed politically hence I ended up in the state institution making it easier for the state to prove their false claim against my property and its true border (eventually my case won but only after hiring my own private real estate lawyer at $6000 plus cost, the newly rebuilt fence and the long established border line are legally mine (but the cost for me was exorbitant personally and financially). Virtually all others in the Arizona state institution I met there came also as a result of insanity defense cases. Many of the cases were simply political persecutions and power plays. Notable exceptions were those similar to the case of a young woman who had killed her young daughter and then was treated and released as sane and able to return to society after 2 years time.

Because of the abuses of the insanity defense and its being used as means to achieve other ends than justice (allowing political and social abuses), I am opposed to it since I have witnessed and experienced the prosecutions close up personally in the State of Arizona. The state of Arizona is flooded with either prisoners or mentally ill persons and more created daily at great cost to the citizens and that is one reason the state is billions in the red budget wise.

It is not so much that I am opposed to the insanity defense as that I am advocating improved mental health which would alleviate costly crime which are acts of persons lacking mental health, education, and employment. For a government to focus on negative punishments, to not provide the architecture for improved health, education, employment, and welfare of its people, is a formula for disaster and that disaster is inexcusable as well as insane. It is a formula which creates insane persons and criminals at ever increasing cost to the endangered citizens.

Destiny versus fate
Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, fate and destiny can be distinguished. It depends on how narrow or broad the definitions are. Broadly speaking, fate is destiny. Narrowly and to be more accurate, traditional usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable". Fate is used with regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of finality, projected into the future to become the inevitability of events as they will work themselves out, is Destiny. In other words, fate relates to events of the past and is proven to be true and unalterable, whereas destiny relates to the probable to almost certain future. Note that it is only almost certain and not absolutely certain, allowing for change to occur. This can be seen in our common language usage, e.g. "His calling, his destiny is to be a doctor." Will he definitely be a doctor? Well, it remains to be seen.
In classical and European mythology, there are three goddesses dispensing fate, the "Fates" known as Moirae in Greek mythology, as Parcae in Roman mythology, and Norns in Norse mythology; they determine the events of the world through the mystic spinning of threads that represent individual human destinies.
One word derivative of "fate" is "fatality", another "fatalism". Fate implies no choice, and ends fatally, with a death. Fate is an outcome determined by an outside agency acting upon a person or entity; but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully.
Used in the past tense, "destiny" and "fate" are both more interchangeable, both imply "one's lot" or fortunes, and include the sum of events leading up to a currently achieved outcome (e.g. "it was her destiny to be leader" and "it was her fate to be leader").

Mental Illness Hot Topic, January 13, 2011

2011-01-13T18:24:00.001-08:00

Because of the recent shooting in Tucson by 22 year old gunman Loughner, allegedly mentally ill, shooting 19 persons and killing 6 (including a 9 year old girl), mental illness was featured on tonight's Katie Couric national news broadcast. I have taped it for closer study of the facts reported. In America, she reports that 20 out of every 100 persons are mentally ill and 5 of those 20 are chronically mentally ill and 1 of those 5 a serious threat to self or others ..... then she reports that mentally ill persons are no more likely to commit a crime statistically than those not mentally ill according to recent research.

Okay, so it is now finally time to take mental illness out of the closet and make much needed improvements increasing overall individual, societal, and governmental mental health without further false belief-every-thing-is-ok hegemony. Mental health can not be achieved for an individual separate from the society and government which are also similarly afflicted. Improving sanity versus the varying degrees of insanity is the goal.

Each and every citizen can

improve their individual sanity,

work to improve their interpersonal relationship in society,

improve their productivity economically,

improve their performance to potentials and beyond,

influence their government to focus on mental health,

and construct systems that promote mental health eliminating obstructions eroding it.

One such important improvement would be examining the language of madness (read Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison's book that has a chapter on that subject) ..... another would be allowing problems with mental health to receive the same treatment as physical health problems and in fact, I believe mental health problems are predominantly physical health problems localized in the brain and nervous system and are exacerbated by the unhealthy, contradictory and confused socialized environment in which those without mental health, the mentally afflicted, live.

Friends don't let friends avoid the necessity of being mentally healthier each minute of every day for the rest of their lives. Then, when mental health is clearly evident to all around the world, Americans will finally be able to rest in peace, passing prosperity to the next generation as proud Americans who won the most important battle-- the battle for mental health winning the war within ourselves.

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Mysterious Uncertainties of Life

2011-01-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

Uncertainty is certainly uncomfortable ... but some of us are more tolerant and view it the same as a risk management.

I think I have grown fond of the mysteries in life and in some cases feel they should be accepted as such else why would there be imaginaries in mathematics?

The mystique of life with its uncertainties, leaving us to our imagination for the unknowable, is as sensuous as the mystique of sexual attraction, lingerie suggestiveness being better than brutal nakedness.

Society has its dress codes and so do the mysteries of life and death.

If we view risks as uncertainties or uncontrolled known, or unknown variables, then one makes a calculated decision that will have uncertain results. Life and living is coping with uncertainties. The more adventurously we live, the more uncertainties.... Life on the edge has maximum uncertainties.... researchers thrive on the challenge others are threatened by it. How fully persons engage life and live it is revealed by how they manage risks in it.

The strategies to manage risk include...
transferring the risk to another party, avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk, and accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk.

Exuberance - A Passion For Life

2011-01-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

I finished the book “The Unquiet Mind" by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison and have purchased another written by her, a downloadable Kindle from Amazon.com titled “Exuberance – The Passion For Life”.

How do you think Exuberance compares to HAPPINESS? JOY? ECSTASY? Gladness and Cheerfulness....? I think it is all of those positive moods expressed kinetically and energetically, an exhilarating excitement just to be alive especially at that emotional moment of feeling so intense. Oh, I have had those natural highs ..... deriving immense pleasure creating wonderful, lasting memories! What a wonderful title for a book don’t you think?

Below is a screen image print of the beginning of the book which I thought worthy of sharing with you ... perhaps you will want to read some of Dr. Jamison’s books?

Love.... A Valentine Greeting

2011-01-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

It is not too early to think of February 14, th 2011, Valentines’ Day .... a day celebrating and focusing on LOVE.

I made the above animation this afternoon inspired by other traditional valentines often simply bounded and limited to human to human emotional feelings of love and affection .... Love crosses all of life’s boundaries and I hope this graphic conveys that meaning and feeling... One can love another so deeply it permeates through other life forms to its destination ... and other universes.... that is God’s love and the power of love a soul can communicate. Love empowers all life where ever and however it exists. I believe Love is what saved my little Pekingese and allowed him to live.

Yolanda, for all she has ever loved and been loved in return.

Touch of Fire .... and The Unquiet Mind authored by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison...

2011-01-04T12:50:00.001-08:00

An Excerpt from Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison's book "A Touch of Fire" about bipolar mental illness ...

http://books.google.com/books?id=T5jYtG0zDBgC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=a+touch+of+fire+by+jamison&source=bl&ots=TweIgprp_0&sig=tYR5BrGihJhD_6g0pLWLxrBduc4&hl=en&ei=_nMjTaCPC5TAsAP4rLmsCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I had my 3 month visit with my psychiatrist at Choices Network of Arizona this morning at a cost of $3 co-pay ..... I need my Zyprexa prescription refilled since I can only get a 90 day supply at a time .... To fill the prescription for 90 days costs about $116 with my insurance plan and soon I am hopeful there will be a less expensive generic form. After taking voluntarily and involuntarily so many other medications with extreme side affects, I can truthfully say I like Zyprexa and have no complaints about it and greatly appreciate how it enhances my life and mental functioning. I only take a 2.5 mg dosage daily and find that is sufficient. It is preferred that a patient take the minimal dosage necessary to achieve better mental health and not to be over dosed.

Every time I go to the Maricopa County Arizona mental health organization provider (s) they have completely changed to a new provider, and if the same they have reorganized, and each time I have another new and different Dr .... it is a treat ... a real delight for me and sometimes for the Dr. if he meets my standards otherwise he (my victim of the day) is usually left speechless with my acrimonious critique of his incompetence and ineptness ... I am not a title 19 and as such receive minimal attention since the Arizona budget is deeply in the red by billions, and there will most likely be even more cut backs in mental health services in the County. I also wanted a referral to the PSA Art Awakenings but was informed that is only for title 19 patients..... (sigh), so I will volunteer my time and resources to them directly feeling that I have something to offer they would appreciate receiving.

This morning, my delight and positive reinforcement reward was the immense pleasure of meeting Dr. Robert Westlake, MD (Psychiatry) ... He and I had a great rapport, and we mutually covered a lot of subject matter and updates in just a few minutes (time is valuable to both of us) ..... he recommended I read a book written by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison titled "A Touch of Fire" .... Ms. Jamison is a psychologist and is bi-polar.... manic depressive .... she also wrote another shorter book called "The Unquiet Mind" .... both books were recommended reading and I greatly appreciate Dr. Westlake, MD introducing Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, MD .

The Bottom Line

Everyone who experiences mania and depression will benefit from reading this book. Every doctor, judge, police officer and criminal or family attorney should be required to read it. And every family member and friend of someone diagnosed with manic depression, especially bipolar I and II disorders, or of someone exhibiting the symptoms, will gain from reading Kay Redfield Jamison's courageous autobiography.

Skillfully written, without a trace of self-pity.
Will greatly increase understanding for those who deal with or love someone with this illness.
Deals well with tough subjects like denial and medication compliance.

Guide Review - "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield Jamison

An Unquiet Mind is a powerful, uncompromising and illuminating story of severe manic-depressive illness from the informed perspective of a psychologist, psychotherapist and researcher who has lived with the illness for more than 30 years. Kay Redfield Jamison's work clearly illustrates the complex nature of the most deadly form of the illness - bipolar I disorder, severe, with psychotic features.
Manic depression (the author dislikes the term "bipolar disorder") is revealed as a creature of many moods: the seductively effortless well-being, confidence and energy of hypomania; the on- or over-the-edge frenzies of mania; the long, narrow gray prison of depression. Readers will feel the lure of a psychotic flight through the rings and moons of Saturn, share the terror of a experiencing a bloody hallucination, and even gain an understanding of the dark obsession with death and the pressures and rationalizations that led the author to a near-fatal suicide attempt. The importance of mixed episodes - the agitated merge of mania and depression - is emphasized in painful detail.
Dr. Jamison makes an excellent case, through her own experiences, for the need to treat manic depression with both medication and psychotherapy. And the precautionary agreement she describes making with her family and psychiatrist in the event she should become a danger to herself is something anyone who has experienced suicidal impulses should consider.

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Get Real....... HOW?

2010-12-28T07:11:00.001-08:00

Will the younger generation even know what we older folks mean when we say things aren't real anymore? Have you looked at Toys R Us toy store or other toys being sold to the children recently? I don't know how to describe it .... something is missing .... really a whole lot is missing ....

Television, IPODs, electronic books, computer games, model this and model that, and everything that consumes a battery imaginable .... but where are the trips to nature's fishing holes with Dad? The bicycling along back woods country roads? Sledding down the hill? Tree houses where you are up and above it all? Real puppies and not battery charged ones? Building birdhouses in the tool shed? You can't even find a real sailboat at Toys R US.... they even asked, "What?" How about visits with friends where the fun is in playing with one another and not both playing with some THING! or going to the garden to pick fresh corn, tomatoes, and radishes for lunch time picnic in the yard? Ice cream socials, barn dances, or neighborhood party skating on the frozen pond?

Talk about a generation gap .... grandma doesn't even own a computer yet grandson is a wizard at using one. Fresh air, pure water, and birds and bees .... ??? Fresh air now has to come from machines if you happen to have one and if not then you suck the dirt in, pure water is to be found only in bottles for a price, and the birds and bees.... they have almost become extinct (except for pigeons, sparrows, and noisy blackbird caw caws).

For the next generation, it will be cyber, virtual, and outer space voyages while the senior generation, the real ones, the old ones, the past, all gradually pass away without any real sense of loss. Life goes on, real or not. Maybe one day we will be able to know what life is and be able to define it.

My Way's First Christmas

2010-12-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

My Way was found and is now back at home ..... thieves tried to sell her for $300 and were caught.

My Way's First Christmas

Tis day before Christmas

And all through the house

My Way is sure squeaking

Her small rubber mouse.

Having My Way back safe and sound is the best Christmas present ever .....!!

Christmas Blessing

Happy Holidays To All,

And To All a Good Life!

May Your Christmas Tree Stand Tall,

Your Love, Safe From Strife.

Human Fulfillment and Popular Poets ....

2010-12-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

"There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase 'to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy'. The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical well-being, health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and to be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and to grow. And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution"

Stephen R. Covey quotes

Langston Hughes

Shel Silverstein

Pablo Neruda

Maya Angelou

Edgar Allan Poe

Robert Frost

Emily Dickinson

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

E. E. Cummings

Walt Whitman

William Wordsworth

Allen Ginsberg

Sylvia Plath

Jack Prelutsky

William Butler Yeats

Thomas Hardy

Robert Hayden

Amy Lowell

Oscar Wilde

Theodore Roethke

Question of Good & Bad

2010-12-18T08:30:00.001-08:00

Here is a revised/revamped version of the initial poem that received criticism because its meter didn't conform to standards.

Writing poetry with stressed/unstressed syllables and adhering to the 6 types of feet and meter loses spontaneity and is much more difficult ... I don't think it is as enjoyable but it is good to know what others expect in a poem whether Ido it or not ....

Question of Good & Bad

Beggars, cheats, liars, thieves...
Their deficit behavior is sad,
Loss, damages, cause grieves...
Pray they change their life, not be SO bad.

Good, bad, can be unclear,
Sound judgment does decide the clean choice,
Sane work, honest career,
Surely strengthen love, honor, truth’s voice.

(© Yolanda Martin December 2010)

trochee, catalectic trochee, trochee, catalectic trochee ... 4 feet tetrameter

iambic, iambic, iambic, iambic, catalectic trochee .... 5 feet pentameter

iambic, iambic, iambic .... 3 feet

trochee, trochee, catalectic trochee, trochee, trochee ....5 feet pentameter

catalectic trochee, catalectic trochee, iambic, iambic ..... 4 feet tetrameter

iambic, iambic, iambic, iambic, catalectic trochee...... 5 feet pentameter

iambic, iambic, iambic........3 feet

trochee, trochee, catalectic trochee, trochee, trochee .... 5 feet pentameter

**********
Poem in its original form below
************

Question of Good & Bad

Beggars, cheats, liars, thieves...

Their deficit behavior is sad,

Loss, damages, our grieves...

Will they change their life, not be so bad?

Good and bad unclear,

They did not understand the good choice,

They need honest career,

They need to know love and hear truth's voice.

**********************
My reply to a reviewer disliking my poem ....
***********************

You obviously are more talented and professional in your writing than I. I
simply write conforming the syllable counts in each line to agree with a
design repetitive pattern for the stanza, but perhaps I need to consider the
accent of those syllables also. I intentionally sometimes change the counts
per line but there is symmetry in the stanza when changed. I do add rhyme
because it is an assist to channeling thought communications ... to present
a thought that is troubling me in some way, whatever I feel compelled to
share via the framework of verse which imposes limitation of words suitable
to use, is my primary reason for writing, and thank goodness I have no need
seek approval from others since it is merely a leisure pursuit (but helpful and kind review critiquing is certainly appreciated for your gift of timeand self).

Mathematics and computers, my life career, uses a different set of skills
than those of creative writing (I never liked or did well in English which should
come as no surprise to you .... but I could improve, as could we all (perfection is rarely attainable)....)

I too dislike post-modern poetry but lack sophistication to do classical.
Walt Whitman among many other America poets are my choice of poetry reading. I especially like Maya Angelou's poetry, and I think if she were to judge my poem she would have different remarks to say than yours and in great contrast ....

My poetry expresses my emotions, thoughts, and present creative writing
skills and most poems result in less than 30 minutes time. I write when I
feel motivated to put something in poetry form limited by time, current
knowledge, and abilities. For me it is a catharsis experience that improves
my thinking about whatever is being expressed in the poem versus other
writing I do, written as narrative prose, essays, and documentations. It is
safe to agree that in your opinion this poem is a flop..... well let's see one of yours or do you just read other's?

I am trying to cope my deep feelings of loss from a recent theft of one my
valuable Pekingese puppies that I have invested much love, care, and time
while a member of my home, feelings of loss are troubling me now. I have
also had my home burglarized more than once, a victim of identity theft more than once, been lied to too many times, and been cheated too many times.

There are always beggars around wanting me to give them something. The city, county, state, and country in which I live is becoming more populated with desperate people and crime is on the increase while budgets for law enforcement, education, and gainful income have decreased.

If poetry and literature arts are viewed as the writer's way of expressing their feelings, thoughts, healing, or improving their own writing where ever that may presently be on the writer's scale towards perfection, then it a positive exercise, a learning exercise, and should also be a satisfying mental exercise. It should be read and received as such if shared.

The Shakespeare quote ...

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and

friend, And borrowing dulleth edge of husbandry."

Could be expressed as " Neither a beggar nor thief be, For act oft loses

both itself and friend, And the taking dulleth edge of humanity...." ?????

************ what the reviewer of the poem wrote ****

From an aesthetic point, I'd urge you to rework this poem with an ear for prosody to accompany your rhyme. You're often flopping between iambic and
trochaic meter, and it's a bit jarring. This piece doesn't have the intense
sensual imagery that might lend it a post-modern intrigue in the absence of
meter, and the post-modern trends that abolished meter in poetry have
disdained didactic, lecturing poetry regardless.

Thematically, doing the right thing is harder than you let on. It's hard, for example, for poor people to balance between their need for transportation& society's demand that they carry auto liability insurance. Plenty of parentswould rather be beggars, cheats, liars, and thieves than see their children go hungry.

I've long thought the primary loss of innocence most of us experience is the
moment when we realize that doing the wrong thing can be fun. Up until that
point, it's hard for the innocent to understand why anyone chooses to be bad. In my recent memory, The Mist is a fantastic film for illustrating how reasonable, good-natured people can fail to see goodness and truth. Nor am I convinced that knowing right from wrong is the key to virtuous behavior. The Apostle Paul lamented that the he does the evil he does not want to do. I don't think beggars, cheats, liars, and thieves fail to understand what they're doing is wrong. I think it's an essential part of being human that we often understand right from wrong, yet still choose to do evil from time to time.

***************
My reply to the above point of view which blurs good and bad conduct
****************
Yes .... true good, versus true bad, is sometimes not within the scope of

our ability or right to judge .... it is as difficult as knowing Truth

versus Error/False and sometimes exceeds the span of time interval we limit

it to and in which it can be validly judged... There are laws created, and I

believe they should be obeyed .... Stealing is a crime even if one

rationalizes and commits the crime for a greater good they feel justifies

the crime.... there are alternatives more law abiding than stealing to solve

one's problems. Stealing just happens to be the most expedient one unless

caught and prosecuted.

Good, like truth, has many faces and one must seek the center and soul of

the act first before judging, and then that it is only possible for others

greater than ourselves. Morality, ethics, and cultural customs existing in

a diverse population presents a challenge to government's ability to ensure

our safety and security, personally for self and our dependents within our

community. I live in a state with a high number of illegal immigrants and

what is legal and illegal seems to be ignored.... crime must have

consequences .... one must not choose the criminal (illegal) way.

Finding My Way and MCACC 2009 stats

2010-12-16T14:05:00.001-08:00

I visited Maricopa County Animal Care and Control and searched for My Way.... by law, if someone "found" My Way they are legally supposed to turn the animal over to MCACC within 6 days .... but if it is as I suspect theft and malicious intent to harm me by taking my dearest little puppy, then the perpetrators don't care what the law or ethics indicate what they must do. I sense futility at even trying.However, it is psychologically helpful to at least try to find her despite the odds against recovery. By stealing my puppy, I realize the criminals also would laugh and enjoy my attempts to recover my puppy, and I would just be adding to my own injuries while the guilty parties are enjoying the "play" of it all. What a fool I am! Here I am desperately seeking My Way hoping to find her.

I spoke with Supervisor for Adoptions because the Lost and Found door way was now funneling all their persons over to Adoptions line. I was displeased with the Supervisor's answers and asked to speak to her superior, Linda Soto, Shelter Division Manager at 2500 South 27th Avenue .... I was angry and she knew it .... "Why can they not take photos of their intake animals which with time also become their animals for adoption , like Arizona Humane Society does", I asked? I felt I needed to let her know how she is endangering my life, my time and theirs, by requiring me to drive in traffic and adverse weather to come in person every 2 days (forever) to try to find my stolen pet which they prefer to call "lost pet". She replied exactly as I guess... "limited staff and budget just not possible to do that because of the numbers of animals we process daily" .... ??????????? Apparently there is little automated inventory management supporting their intake and holding area also .... I also asked why their isn't more educational programs via their web site and perhaps a newsletter posted there with interesting shelter stories .... again she replied, "would you like to volunteer to help us?" I did volunteer and gave her my web site so she could learn something about me while deciding just what I could do for them. I told her I was interested in developing their web site with photos of their animals.... I have since learned from Jeri, my friend and Azpekelist member, that someone is currently photographing all intake animals for both the East and West side and posting it to Craigslist to facilitate re-homing or recovery by their owners. It seems if that person is already doing that then why can't she work with MCACC directly and post the photos on MCACC web site?

It seems I smell some animal "shit" even thought the quarters for the animals at MCACC are remarkably clean and comfortable for the duration of animal's stay. Something is not as one would expect. Yes, MCACC does put down their animals despite the goals when their new facility was opened 3 years ago to become a no kill shelter.... and I did not want to inquire more information since I had already knew so many ways MCACC could better serve the county animal owners' needs.... http://www.maricopa.gov/Pets/LostFound/Default.aspx

Taking a tour through their facility guided by "Chris" who has been there 1 year and half, I saw 3/4 were Chihuahuas, lots of them (hundreds)... in fact everywhere I looked there was a little Chihuahua face looking up at me questioningly, the remaining breeds were prime health pit bulls, miscellaneous large dogs, a few poodles and other small mixed breeds, and 1 nice looking parti-colored Pekingese, elderly adult, which Chris said they rarely get Pekingese.

I saw a lot of animals at MCACC.... but I didn't find My Way. My Way where are you? I know you want to come home if only you could.... I will go back Sunday to search again.

http://www.maricopa.gov/pets/pdf/annualreport.pdf

Maddie's Fund Shelter 2009 statistics .. The 3 sets of numbers are for Dog, Cat, then Total,,, (almost 4 times the number of dogs to number of cats)

NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Maricopa County Animal Care and Control... Dog, Cat, Total

DATE OF REPORT: (January 2009 - December 2009)

A BEGINNING SHELTER COUNT (1.1.2009) 1049 506 1555

INTAKE (Live Dogs & Cats Only)

From the Public

Healthy 9063 2721 11784

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 10133 5479 15612

Treatable – Manageable 7639 2180 9819

Unhealthy & Untreatable 14201 3682 17883

B Subtotal Intake from the Public 41036 14062 55098

Incoming Transfers from Organizations within Community/Coalition

Healthy 2 0 2

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 0 0 0

Treatable – Manageable 1 0 1

Unhealthy & Untreatable 1 0 1

C Subtotal Intake from Incoming Transfers from Orgs within Community/Coalition 4 0 4

Incoming Transfers from Organizations outside Community/Coalition

Healthy 0 0 0

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 0 0 0

Treatable – Manageable 0 0 0

Unhealthy & Untreatable 0 0 0

D Subtotal Intake from Incoming Transfers from Orgs outside Community/Coalition 0 0 0

From Owners/Guardians Requesting Euthanasia

Healthy 0 0 0

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 0 0 0

Treatable – Manageable 0 0 0

Unhealthy & Untreatable 0 0 0

E Subtotal Intake from Owners/Guardians Requesting Euthanasia 0 0 0

F Total Intake [B + C + D + E] 41040 14062 55102

G Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia (Unhealthy & Untreatable Only) 0 0 0

H ADJUSTED TOTAL INTAKE [F minus G] 41040 14062 55102

ADOPTIONS (only dogs and cats adopted by the public)

Healthy 7037 1900 8937

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 3008 1283 4291

Treatable – Manageable 941 122 1063

Unhealthy & Untreatable 124 20 144

I TOTAL ADOPTIONS 11110 3325 14435

OUTGOING TRANSFERS to Organizations within Community/Coalition

Healthy 1099 551 1650

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 1115 1647 2762

Treatable – Manageable 458 164 622

Unhealthy & Untreatable 119 55 174

J TOTAL OUTGOING TRANSFERS to Orgs within Community/Coalition 2791 2417 5208

OUTGOING TRANSFERS to Organizations outside Community/Coalition

Healthy 768 244 1012

Treatable – Rehabilitatable 1295 577 1872

Treatable – Manageable 1193 124 1317

Unhealthy & Untreatable 458 25 483

K TOTAL OUTGOING TRANSFERS to Orgs outside Community/Coalition 3714 970 4684

L RETURN TO OWNER/GUARDIAN 4758 99 4857

DOGS & CATS EUTHANIZED

M Healthy (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia) 0 0 0

N Treatable – Rehabilitatable (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia) 938 1904 2842

O Treatable – Manageable (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia) 4894 1767 6661

P Unhealthy & Untreatable (Includes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia) 12628 3428 16056

Q Total Euthanasia [M + N + O + P] 18460 7099 25559

R Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia (Unhealthy & Untreatable Only) 0 0 0

S ADJUSTED TOTAL EUTHANASIA [Q minus R] 18460 7099 25559

SUBTOTAL OUTCOMES [I + J + K + L + S] Excludes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia

(Unhealthy & Untreatable Only) 40833 13910 54743

U DIED OR LOST IN SHELTER/CARE 207 152 359

TOTAL OUTCOMES [T + U] Excludes Owner/Guardian Requested Euthanasia (Unhealthy &

Untreatable Only) 41040 14062 55102

W ENDING SHELTER COUNT (12.31.2009) 1049 506 1555

__._,_.___

I really don't know life at all .... Both Sides Now

2010-12-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

I have previously posted a blog entry titled "Define Life"

Continuing to ponder life and living it, here is a song that comes to my mind regarding life .... I don't know that I agree with the lyrics to the song on the subject, but it does linger in my mind and surfaces every so often to genuflect its songwriter..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DH70wYWsK0

and Joni Mitchell's song has lots of .....

allusions (begins with the word all) ....

many have delusions about life and others have exclusions denying what is....

and of course there is a brain contusion, a bruise of the brain tissue caused by small blood vessel leaks which may interfere...

interesting that illusion begins with the word, ill .....

also interesting is how many are suffering in life from confusion....

and all those that practice elusion, the act or an instance of eluding or escaping; evasion who will one day be caught.....

also the many social and government/business group ways in which individuals practice collusion and exclusion in their midst and in the world .....

and of course the measure of one's life is determined at its conclusion .... and then sometimes remote in time from their actual death.

Words ending in suffix "sion" about life are revealing in their own meaning as it applies to life ...

conclusion...

allusion, contusion, delusion

exclusion, illusion, inclusion, exclusion

occlusion, suffusion

affusion, collusion, confusion, diffusion, effusion, elusion, extrusion

BOTH SIDES NOW

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere, i've looked at cloud that way.

But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.

So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,

From up and down, and still somehow

It's cloud illusions i recall.

I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel

As every fairy tale comes real; i've looked at love that way.

But now it's just another show. you leave 'em laughing when you go

And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,

From give and take, and still somehow

It's love's illusions i recall.

I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.

But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say

I've changed.

Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,

From win and lose, and still somehow

It's life's illusions i recall.

I really don't know life at all.

5 month old femalePekingese puppy, My Way,was stolen from my home yesterday

2010-12-15T03:43:00.001-08:00

......I thought before I started this email, that writing about My Way being
stolen was too hurtful and painful and it is..... it is too hurtful and
painful for words, but I am going to post to Azpekelist and to my other
email friends/groups that she was stolen and then get on with my life and
taking care of my other Pekingese pets and do the usual things needed to
keep our home and family going..............

It seems thieves always take what is most valuable in your home and what can
never be replaced ..... There is no such things as petty thieves, and a pet
thief is the worse variety there is! Please pray with me that thieves feel
remorse and change their lives in the future so that they will know the
damage they do to others is not nearly the greater damage they do to their
selves. If they learn how to live to be a blessing to others instead of a
threat causing pain and injuries then I will be satisfied justice has been
served.

******* some have asked if My Way might of accidentally wandered away ***

No she wouldn’t run away and there are 2 gates to come from the street into the inner courtyard outside my front door..... there is frequent pet stealing in Phoenix area ... they steal the dogs and then sell them as a means of getting cash .... and there are a lot of people who know about my Pekingese but don’t have the money to buy one so they probably decided to steal it .. They can even create their own false AKC papers for the dogs they steal. I have all of my Pekingese micro-chipped except this one .... because I ran out of chips and hadn’t purchased another batch.... I was waiting to see how many new puppies from the 2 Mothers I have needed before ordering. I implant the microchips myself .... Also the puppy had a new black halter on it but I hadn’t yet attached the owner ID info . Also, I should never have had the puppy in the front where it could be so easily stolen anyway so I am partially responsible for what has happened to this puppy.

I printed off a copy of the post about the lost pet and gave one to the Alta Vista Elementary School for them to see what they could do and alerting the children who maybe took the puppy, also gave one to the Cortez High School for similar searching, and posted one on the light post at the corner of my property. I have offered $100 reward. I also made a police report to the theft of the puppy this morning. Tomorrow, I will go to our Maricopa Animal Care and Control to see if anyone has turned the dog over to their shelter as lost or stray ....

I did have the opportunity to visit the schools down the street from me this morning and seeing how the children begin their day and see my tax dollars working for a good cause. A lot of children elementary through high school age walk by home daily, and there is also a lot of roofers and other construction workers in the area repairing damages done by the recent hail storm .... AND it is Christmas time ..... what a perfect gift for someone, huh? Except not for me.

Oh well, it is a heartache and mental angst to invest one’s love and affection in people or pets or anything that can be stolen or might die or worse.... maybe this is a test of my sanity, yet another test.... LOL .... I have feelings of anger, bewilderment, and loss all mixed together stressing me more than would be expected .... my world is so fragile and held together by anything I could find to mend it to make do and get by.

I presently have (2) 9-10 day old infant Pekingese that I am providing care for. One who I have named My Song Billy Boy had an umbilical cord bleeding problem. I have had to feed him every 3 hours because he lost so much blood he didn’t have the strength to nurse and once you start hand feeding them from an eye dropper or bottle then they don’t realize they still need to nurse and if they do but don’t seem to get much milk that way and he is much smaller than his sister sibling .... I have another blue female who is due to whelp in a big way which I am watching around the clock. There is always risk of loss of life in breeding either the Mother’s or the puppy newborns and no matter how experienced you are or how much you have learned there is always the unexpected and new challenges.

I am hopeful some one will return my puppy I named “My Way”... and if they don’t then I must close her chapter in my life.

Define Life

2010-12-12T06:13:00.001-08:00

If Death is the absence of Life and Insanity is the absence of Sanity. Can you define life? Can you define sanity?

Sanity is as the World Health Organization has defined it .... it is a conceptual, not a absolute, concrete condition, of our state of being alive. If you are uncomfortable with the meaning of sanity then perhaps there is a concern and need to seek greater sanity in your life. I also think there is an eqation agreement between the WHO definition and meaning of sanity with that for life itself. The absence of either life or sanity is to know what death is.

Life is a whim of several billion cells to be you for a while. ~Author Unknown

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. ~Albert Camus

Life may have no meaning. Or even worse, it may have a meaning of which I disapprove. ~Ashleigh Brilliant

I say to my child, I will explain to you as much of life as I can, but you must remember that there is a part of life for which you are the explanation. ~Robert Brault, w.robertbrault.com

The world is a grindstone and life is your nose. ~Fred Allen

( and may I conclude...... "you only know what life truly is when it has ended, and it is no more"- Yolanda).

Define Mental Illness

2010-12-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

Mental Illness is the absence of mental health, just as death is the absence of life.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a being of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". It was previously stated that there was no one "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how "mental health" is defined.

Most recently, the field of Global Mental Health has emerged, which has been defined as 'the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide.

(By the broad definition of mental health above it seems that many in the world need to improve their mental health ... "a state of well being ....can work productively and fruitfully and able to make a contribution to his or her community, and it is important that they include that the individual realizes his/her abilities...." !! I believe very few alive today are able to realize their abilities to the fullest extent....)

World Health stats on Mental Illness.... The War we Lost ....

2010-12-10T08:18:00.001-08:00

I hope no one minds my alerting you to the info about Mental Illness statistics....

Our Pekingese and pets, friends, and family help us keep our sanity, but there are many still suffering in silence because Mental Illness is the BIG problem no one wants to discuss openly or admit as a reason for our economy's problems.... When is the last time you heard progress mentioned or research trying to develop preventatives .... If our economy is going down the tubes it is perhaps we are waging war off in foreign countries ignoring our own problems here at home .... The Holiday Season is the worse statistically for tragedy and when Mental Illness seems to flare up ....

***************************************************************

http://www.myasha.org/node/1

Startling Statistics About Mental Illness

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 4 people, or 25% per cent of individuals, develops one or more mental disorders at some stage in life. Today, 450 million people globally suffer from mental disorders in both developed and developing countries. Of these, 154 million suffer from depression, 25 million from schizophrenia, 91 million from alcohol use disorder and 15 million drug use disorder.
Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.
Mental disorders can now be diagnosed reliably and accurately as the most common physical disorders; some can be prevented, all can be successfully managed and treated.
Treatment works. Yet, as many as two-thirds of all people with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek treatment, whether for fear of being stigmatized, fear that the treatment may be worse than the illness itself, or lack of awareness, access and affordability of care.
Mental illnesses do not discriminate – they can affect anyone, men, women and children regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.
Mental health problems represent 5 out of 10 leading causes of disability worldwide; amounting to nearly one-third of the disability in the world. Leading contributors include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and dementia.
Mental illnesses rank first among illnesses that cause disability in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe.
It is predicted that by 2010, depression will be the leading cause of disability worldwide, not cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or AIDS (WHO).
Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time, and also with co-morbid chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease, etc.
Mental illness is a serious public health challenge that is under-recognized as a public burden. The toll of mental illness is tragic:

Human Cost: Suicide claims a life every 30 seconds.

According to the World Health Organization almost 3,000 people commit suicide every day in the world.
For every person that succeeds in taking their own life there are at least 20 more who try.
The global suicide rate is up 60% over the last 50 years with an even more marked increase in the developed world.
Suicide is among the top three causes of death among people between 15 and 34 years old, but most suicide victims are found among the elderly, those aged 60 and above.
Suicide worldwide causes more deaths every year than homicide or war. Suicide is a huge but largely preventable public health problem, causing almost half of all violent deaths and resulting in almost one million fatalities every year. Estimates suggest fatalities could rise to 1.5 million by 2020.
In 90% of suicides, mental illness is the attributing cause.

Economic Cost: Mental disorders cost billions of dollars.

Mental disorders have clear economic costs. While numbers cannot convey the distress accompanying mental disorders, the economic impact can be calculated. Sufferers and their families or caregivers often experience reduced productivity at home and in the workplace. Lost wages, combined with the possibility of catastrophic health care costs, can seriously affect patients and their families' financial situation, creating or worsening poverty.
Wherever economic costs of mental disorders have been studied, the figures are staggering. The most comprehensive set of estimates comes from the Unites states. Mental disorders cost the United States more than $150 billion each year for treatment, for the costs of social service and disability payments made to patients, and for lost productivity and premature mortality.

Social Cost: Mental disorders can lead to unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and poverty.

Although obviously substantial, this burden has not been efficiently measured. This is because of the lack of quantitative data and difficulties in measuring and evaluating.
However, in America, fewer than 55,000 Americans currently receive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Meanwhile, almost 10 times that number -- nearly 500,000 -- mentally ill men and women are serving time in U.S. jails and prisons. (The New Asylums – A PBS Frontline Documentary).
An alarming 65% of boys and 75% of girls in juvenile detention have at least one psychiatric diagnosis. (Teplin, L. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 59, December 2002).
Approximately 40% of the people who re homeless in America suffer from serious and persistent mental illnesses. Many of these individuals also suffer from co-occurring substance abuse disorders. (U.S. Conference of Mayors)

__._,_.___

Mental Disorders, Global Chart...

2010-12-09T12:58:00.001-08:00

Mental Illness is a widespread global problem and U.S has highest rate... WHY?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5111202/ns/health-mental_health/

Mental illnesses including anxiety disorders and depression are common and under-treated in many developed and developing countries, with the highest rate found in the United States, according to a study of 14 countries.

Based on face-to-face diagnostic surveys in the homes of 60,463 adults, the study found that mental ailments affect more than 10 percent of people queried in more than half the countries surveyed.

Rates ranged from 26.4 percent of people in the United States to 8.2 percent of people in Italy. While Nigerians appeared to have the lowest prevalence of mental illness — 4.7 percent — the researchers think the actual number is likely much higher since residents of the violence-prone West African nation may be hesitant to confide in strangers.

*******************************************

I found the URL Catholic definition of insanity interesting reading .... it might also lead to an interesting discussion ... Catholicism is the only religion that I know of that defines insanity as such and does not use the more apt term mental illness. Catholicism withholds spiritual benefits from those so afflicted denying them Extreme Unction ?? ... In all of my Protestant background, it practices that mental illness is no different than any other physical illness with regard to eligibility for spiritual benefits as extended by it....

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08041a.htm

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EINSTEIN'S Definition of Insanity

July 1st, 2010
by Editor

The genius Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". By this definition, I am concerned that our intellectual elites have become insane.

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Islam and Insanity....

(termed Mental Illness) .... Insanity in Islam is a legal term .... and used in legal proceedings and is different than Mental Illness

http://www.smilecan.org/mental-illness-and-islam/comment-page-1 (one of the more enlightened definitions I have discovered in my research on the subject)

......Mental illness is broadly defined as a disorder that affects a person's cognitive, social, emotional and/or behavioural state or abilities (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Islam views mental illness as a condition that results from an unbalanced lifestyle (diet, sleeping patterns, spiritual activities, and remembrance of God) or an unbalanced body (Rahman, 1998). Many prevalent definitions of mental illness are related to the culture of geographic areas. Popular beliefs in Middle Eastern, African and Asian cultures view mental illness as: a punishment from God; a result of possession of evil spirits (Jinn); the effects of evil eye; and the effects of evil in objects that are transferred to the individual (the evil is put into the object by someone with malicious intent) (Stein, 2000; Pridmore & Pasha, 2004). Traditionally, Islam does not link all mental illnesses to supernatural causes (Rahman). Furthermore, one of the early Muslim scholars in psychiatric health care, Ibn Sina, rejected the popular notion that mental illnesses originated from evil spirits (Pridmore & Pasha). It is important to note that supernatural causes to illnesses are widely acknowledged and are considered very real within Islam. However, as a Muslim community, we need to recognize mental illness as a legitimate medical condition that is distinct from illnesses of a supernatural nature. In this way, individuals can acknowledge or accept their mental illness and seek treatment with more community support and less stigma associated with their diagnoses.

The Gift

2010-12-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

A friend recently gave me a pair of Australian fire opal earrings and when I opened the box, I said to her (even though I ceased wearing jewelry a long time ago), “but my ears aren’t pierced...” she replied, “Oh, I thought they were, I could see you with those earrings”. I realized she was able to perceive not only the present me, but the past and maybe the future as well. I replied, “Oh, I did wear earrings about 10 years ago, but then when my jewelry was stolen, I never opted to buy any more”. She said well, if your ears are pierced they probably still are open. I asked her to try to see if she could put the earrings in my ears and she did so carefully. I was amazed! I thought my pierced ears had closed. I haven’t taken the earrings off and probably never will. A thoughtful gift from a friend or a loved one can override all objections, prior thoughts, and decisions previously in mind regarding the item.

What may seem closed forever, a friend may open with love and thoughtfulness

Do the Martin Mango ...

2010-12-05T13:13:00.001-08:00

THE MARTIN MANGO

Something nourishing today,

Needing to up the vitamin C,

to chase cold and flu away,

Yo created this for you to see,

Martin's Mango, U.S.A.

Try it, maybe like it, and agree.

In blender ......
Cut up minus the core ...3 red ripe mangos leaving the red skin on the fruit
add 1 peeled banana
1 520 ml (17.6 oz) can of Goya Coconut water (with young pulp if possible)
1/4 cup lemon juice
(blend of and on, then on high speed until the red peel in now tiny specks and the drink is smooth)...
serve over ice or as is, room temperature (my preference)... (also good over cake slices, etc

4 Simple Great Truths ???

2010-12-03T14:05:00.001-08:00

4 SIMPLE GREAT TRUTHS

Believe in yourself,

others may assist you ...

Don't believe in yourself,

others may dismiss you ...

Believe in your God,

others may not harm you...

Don't believe in your God,

others may alarm you...