And the end of the year is making its way around again this year. I know because that Gregorian calendar on he wall and last weeks edition of am New York with that front page article titled “End of a Decade” says so. And that day of Christ holy holiday just passed also with those seasons greetings of yet another a happy new year. And so back to that am New York article that reviews the past 10 years in news and culture. And some of those words in those letters ’00s read something like, “Jam Master Jay, bailout, Staten Island Ferry, Playstation 2 Xbox released, Cheney, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, Y2K, MySpace, September 11, Katrina, Afghanistan, who wants to marry a millionaire, Google becomes a verb, Obama, American Idol, Britney Spears shaves her own head, Michael Jackson, Walter Cronkite, Tribeca Film Festival Opes, Jay Z, Nintendo WII, MoMa, Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole Smith, Saddam Hussein, USS Cole, blog, Hulu, Ugg Boots, MTA Strike, Oprah, The Euro, Howard Stern on satellite Radio, iPhone, Palin, Tsunami, Iran, McCain, $2 Metrocard, McCAIN, h1n1 Virus, Slumdog Millionaire, James Brown, and the list of those end of a decade events goes on and on…… And according to am New York, it is a world transformed. Happy 2010 year of the new.
A Winter Solstice
And Winter solstice is fast approaching on the morrow. I know because that Gregorian calendar and all of these winter solstice events that I am seeing advertised says so. And what does the solstice mean anyway as those sol letters seem as if they have something to do with the sun. And I heard someone say the other day that the days get one minute longer or shorter each day leading up to the winter or summer solstice or something. And I think December 21st could be the shortest day of the year I have heard. And it seems to be an astrological event also. And what does that internet bible dictionary Wikipedia have to say about this day, let’s see… “A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun’s apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun’s path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction. The term solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the date (day) when this occurs. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some cultures they are considered to start or separate the seasons while in others they fall in the middle.”
And some of those balls, parties, ceremonies, parades, festivals, observations and other events to be found in that city of New York on that winter solstice day are and seem to be, (Okay, well, one that I found listed somewhere… are:
East Village Winter Solstice Parade
The Sea Section Marching Band (from Theater for the New City Halloween Parade) invites any and all to join us for a lighthearted and fun Winter Solstice Parade after school
Monday 12.21.09 (Winter Solstice) at 3:30PM meet at La Plaza Cultural community Garden at East 9th St at Ave C.
Please bring instruments, costumes, candles, kids etc… ….
No previous musical experience needed. Bring a pot to bang on, or just come join us.
Have a great winter celebration day.
A Downtown Brooklyn Holiday Welcome Center
Hey bloggers, or whoever could be reading this blog. And somehow I found myself in front of Modell’s at a Downtown Brooklyn Holiday Welcome Center today for some reason or another, in what seemed like the freezing cold of yet another New York City winter. And oh, I guess I found myself there to listen to that band Underground Horns that I sometimes find myself listening to every so often for some reason or another. And wow, the Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz was a guest speaker there also. And so I found myself there see the president. And see the president of Brooklyn and the Underground Horns play some audio gumbo I did. And I guess those downtown welcome centers that seemed to be sponsored by the The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, The Court, Livingston, Schermerhorn Business Improvement District, Fulton Mall Improvement Association and MetroTech Business Improvement District in Brooklyn are to usher in the holiday shopping, shopping and more shopping season every Wednesday in December in that city of Brooklyn to be found in that City of New York, as I think that’s what the Brooklyn Borough President said in his speech today when he held up one of those Shop Downtown Brooklyn tote bags that encourage shoppers to support the local businesses this holiday season. And these Brooklyn Business Improvement District groups seems to have events, events and more events. And Julian Peterson and the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice Music Ensemble were performing there at Hoyt Plaza throughout that Brooklyn Business Improvement District as part of this event on this day as well. And so in yet another attempt to drag the camera out of the closet, I posted a couple of those photos from that event in this blog posting above, and a YouTube video of that event as well. And those Downtown Brooklyn Holiday Welcome Centers shopping, music and events rock. Have a great Brooklyn, New York and beyond holiday.
The Pyramid Of Capitalism
The Pyramid of Capitalism. Now that photo above I think is called “The Pyramid of Capitalism”. I know because the title of it I saw on someone else’s page said so. And so I thought that photo to be so interesting that I thought to post it on this blog also. And does that internet bible dictionary Wikipedia have an entry for that word Capitalism, as this word seems to provoke many an interesting thoughts and discussions, most all relating to money, work and politics somehow. And from the words I can decipher in that photo above, that photos has something to do with the words “Industrial worker, Capitalism, we rule you, we fool you, we shoot at you???, and that previous phrase could be a whole another blog posting, as guns are the worst invention ever, if only guns could be banished from every human being on planet earth., and so the words continue to say on that photo above… we eat for you, we work for all, we feed all, Pyramid of Capitalist System. And that photo above seems as if it can be self explanatory even without words. And what, if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State?
RFID
Hey bloggers, or whoever could be reading this blog at the moment, and this is another one of those random posts where I find myself attempting to post content on this blog whenever possible for some reason or another. And so this posting happens to be about RFID technology. What’s up with that? And are you wondering what those letters even mean? Well, so am I. Does that internet bible dictionary Wikipedia have an entry for this word? And as far as I know those letters have something to do with security and access control. How do I know, because I came across some high tech plastic looking credit card with some high tech magnetic sensor that one waves like a magic wand in front of some other red light sensor that reads the credit card looking device to let you pass though some door. And I have seen many a people in the workplace, businesses and beyond, waving these magic wands in front of doors to get through them. And that RFID tag, smart card technology sort of scares me for some reason. So much that I thought to post that upc bar code image in the photo above, save no man that he may buy or sell except that he have the mark of the beast 666 thing image. And what do the letters RFID mean anyway? And so when one types in these letters on the computer, along comes the phrases “RFID bracelets, RFID tag, RFID chip, RFID reader, RFID scanner, RFID tracker etc; and big brother seems to be watching you with this high tech device of our times here on planet earth. And so this reminds me of conspiracy thoughts of the end of the world or something having to do with the mark of the beast again, the national id initiatives, globalism, the new world order, whatever that could mean in a whole another blog posting, freedom and restriction of travel, some scene out of that George Orwell 1984 totaliarian novel, whatever that phrase could mean also, that mark of the beast 666 thing again. And no one is free when others are oppressed. And what does this have to do with a No Police State?
Random Thoughts
Hey Bloggers, or whoever could be reading this blog for some reason or another. And here lies yet another one of those posts where I find myself attempting to figure out what to blah blog about in order to post content on this blog whenever possible. Kind of like that blah bloggers block maybe. And so some of those random thoughts that I find scribbled on papers lying around that I wanted to get around to blaghing about were “Robot Nation”, the idea that everyone seems to have become on of those technology robots with the invention of all of those high tech gadgets floating around on the subways, trains and other modes of transportation where everyone seems to be fidgeting with at any given moment seemingly in a high tech robotic trance or daze. And “iPhones”, where everyone seems to be playing that Solitaire card game on the subway and maybe even on the computer at home as if in some sort of asolitaireadiction maybe, not sure. What’s that all about in the age on high tech, ten second attention span, gadget everything. And “Cops infiltrate Craigslist for stolen goods and anything over three thousand is a felony?”, So I heard someone say the other day. What’s that all about? And what is the origin of that word cop anyway? And then there was the thought “Homeowners insurance insures firearms.” Hugh? That one could be a whole another blog posting of ranting and raving for me, the idea that one can get paid for having a firearm in their home. Hugh again? And then yet another thought found scribbled down somewhere was “NYC MTA, that City of New York Transit Authority system that could also be known to me as the New York City Metropolitan Torture its passengers with transit officers everywhere Association, that seemingly faceless monster that seems to historically flood its system with more transit officers than passengers, arrests a musician for playing in the subway due to an open ticket for being on a bus somewhere. Hugh? What’s that all about? And how does this MTA compare to SEPTA, BART, and other transit systems throughout planet earth. If only all public transportation were free. No one is free when others are oppressed. And what if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State?
An Online Degree
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hey again bloggers, and welcome to the age of technology and the online degree. And in case you haven’t heard, an online degree is a degree that one can earn online without ever having to leave home, or at least without ever having to leave a computer. And the USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC is one of those places that offers that online degree you may be looking for. You can find program information about their courses for studying online at their website. You can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of Southern California and receive your state teaching certificate in as little as twelve months at their website. And if you happen to find yourself as one of those aspiring teachers, then the USC Rossier School of Education can be for you. You can also request more information about their degree programs at their website as well. With the University of Southern California, finding that teaching degree online is just a website visit away.
An INTAR Conference
Hey bloggers, or whoever could be reading this blog. And so I found myself at this INTAR conference at the Kimmel Center, New York University the other day, for some reason or another. And in case you could be wondering who or what INTAR is, Intar stands for International Network Toward Alternatives And Recovery. And I think this is yet another one of those consumer, survivor, provider, possible Alternatives conferences to the mental health death system where everyone gathers to attempt to save the world from psych cia tricks. And that Inter sticker to be found on that folder read something like “INTAR, Rethinking Psychiatric Crisis: Alternative Responses To :First Breaks”. And some of those speeches at that conference went something like ” Alternatives Beyond Psychiatry, and it could be the marginalized preaching to the converted in the face of the pharmaceutical war and commercial advertising and marketing of psych drugs industry, the consumer survivor, and it could be Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, and what does it mean to be diagnosed crazy in a society this itself could be kind of crazy. Who is to say what is normal. And then there was the medications, treatments, danger to self and danger to others, electroshock therapy, released after your insurance runs out, homeless shelters, DSMII manuals, alternatives, yoga, meditation, psychiatric survivors, altered states, psychotic experiences, psychotic episodes, prison industrial complex, psychiatry as bigger than the war industries speeches. And psychiatry can be mass murders in white coats, legalized drug dealers, descendants of Nazi Germany and eugenics, maybe. And can one be for or against big pharma as I have heard it said somewhere before. And some of those workshops and topics in that conference literature they provided included: Why do we need Alternatives, What are the Key Alternatives, multimedia performances and speakers that included Celia Brown, Will Hall, Sue Estroff, Alma Menn, Mary Olson, Ron Bassman, Peter Stastny, David Cohen, Harvey Rosenthal, Kim Hopper, Andy Blanch, Robert Whitaker, Lauren Tenny, Thomas Bock, Laura Prescott and a host of others. And Psychiatry Kills. Abolish Involuntary Forced Psychiatric Treatment. No one is free while others are oppressed. For all things alternatives to the mental death system, David Oaks Mind Freedom and Support Coalition International are a good website to visit. And what, if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State?
Charter
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.
And on the morrow is that holiday of Thanksgiving time again. And with that holiday it seems to usher in the holiday and shopping shop til you drop season. And usually right after Thanksgiving then comes along Black Friday and Cyber Monday for all your shopping deals and needs. And then there’s Charter’s Daily Deal Web Site. And Charter is having their end of the year, best deal of the year sweepstakes for five days only and every day there is a chance to win something different. And in case you haven’t heard, Charter is internet, cable and telephone bundles all in one, and their sale ends soon. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday they are offering gift cards with special online deals. You can choose gift cards from many different stores such as The Home Depot, Macy’s, GAP, Sears, Walgreens Best Buy and more. And what better way to go shopping for the holidays than for free. And if it’s free, then it’s for me. And you can become a fan of Charter on Facebook where you can find out their daily deals also. With Charter Communications, communicating has never been easier, as they are all communications all the time.
A Holiday
Hey Bloggers, or whoever could be reading this blog. And this is still yet another one of those posts where I encounter that what could be called bloggers block again, as in what to blah bog about on this blog in that web 2.0 social media user generated content era. and so this posting I just thought of for some reason or another, happens to be about that Thanksgiving holiday here in that country of America. And it seems to be one of those calendar sanctioned days to observe. And yet another holiday and another year rolls around, so much that I must have blaghed abut that Thanksgiving day topic on this blog in the past. Where is that post? Oh I found it. Here are some excerpts from those posts with the word “Thanksgiving” in if from long lore ago…
And that day on the morrow must be Thanksgiving. I know because the supermarket lines that are out the door an the restaurant menus that are posted on their doors, everyone standing in New Jersey Transit lines, and DeCamp bus lines with baggage, and everyone riding the New York City subways with travelling baggage in tow says so. And remember the Indians, who were seemingly betrayed for a bag of beads, as this country of America may have been founded on violence….Have a great remember the Indians day and eat more tofurky.
And this excerpt also…
And this day also seems to be Columbus day, I know because the radio, the stores, the post office and libraries says so. And what does Columbus Day mean anyway, is that when Christopher Columbus discovered America and colonized it by violence or something and betrayed the Indians for twenty five dollars worth of trinkets, or is that Thanksgiving Day. Does that Internet bible dictionary Wikipedia have an entry for this sanctioned holiday in that country of America.
And this one too…
First there is Thanksgiving day I guess to usher in the shop more season. And is this holiday season about the holidays and peace on earth, or are the holidays about shopping, shopping, shopping or both. And then there is the day after Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and what is Black Friday, the buy everything you can at a discount rate day after the Thanksgiving Day holiday. And what about buy nothing day, that day to buy nothing day after thanksgiving day. And what about over consumption and the environment. And now web 2.0 cyber go online shopping and buy everything you can Monday? What’s that all about? What’s next in the consume everything you can at a bargain rate holiday world. Is there something in the works for buy everything you can Tuesday, or buy everything you can month or year. Or does that holiday already exist.
And also this one too…
Glorious Food
And the advertisers say today is Black Friday, Buy Nothing Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. And a friend of mine, Laura, sent this email yesterday for the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. The poem seems to be about food, food and more food, as I guess that is one of the things that this American holiday centers around. And I spent the whole day wondering if I should repost it or not. It is a poem. And as I remember Laura, she is always good for a great poem. Happy day after remember the Indians, Black Friday, Buy Nothing and poetry day.
Who Among You Knows the Essence of Garlic?
Can your foreigner’s nose smell mullets roasting in a glaze of brown bean paste and sprinkled with novas of sea salt?
Can you hear my grandmother chant the mushroom’s sutra?
Can you hear the papayas crying as they bleed in porcelain plates?
I’m telling you that the bamboo slips the long pliant shoots of its myriad soft tongues into your mouth that is full of oranges.
I’m saying that the silver waterfalls of bean threads will burst in hot oil and stain your lips like zinc.
The marbled skin of the blue mackerel works good for men. The purple oils from its flesh perfume the tongues of women.
If you swallow them whole, the rice cakes soaking in a broth of coconut milk and brown sugar will never leave the bottom of your stomach.
Flukes of giant black mushrooms leap from their murky tubs and strangle the toes of young carrots.
Broiling chickens ooze grease,yellow tears of fat collect and spatter in the smoking pot.
Soft ripe pears, blushing on the kitchen window sill,kneel like plump women taking a long, luxurious shampoo,and invite you to bite their hips.
Why not grab basketfuls of steaming noodles,lush and slick as the hair of a fine lady,and squeeze?
The shrimps, big as Portuguese thumbs,stew among cut guavas, red onions,ginger root, and rosemary in lemon juice,the palm oil bubbling to the top,breaking through layers and layers of shredded coconut and sliced cashews.
Who among you knows the essence of garlic and black lotus root,of red and green peppers sizzling among squads of oysters in the skillet,of crushed ginger, fresh green onions,and pale-blue rice wine simmering in the stomach of a big red fish?
— Garrett Hongo
Happy Thanksgiving, remember the Indians, their beads and trinkets, that twenty four dollars and the land of Manna-hatin, and eat more tofurkey. Happy Holy Dayze.
No Police State Girl 